YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 5-11, 2015 11

Dennis Chung (second right), chief executive officer of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, and Michael Roofe (left), staff adviser of the University of the West IndiesAssociation of Aspiring Accountants, in discussion with Shade Chambers (right), outgoing president, and incoming president Shanice Davis, while Michael Williams, head of financeand accounting at Mona Schiool of Business and Management, looks on.They were at the universitys Asociation of Aspiring Accountants annual awards and induction ceremonyrecently.

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | 12 MAY 5-11, 2015

yl:social studies

MMAAUURREEEENN CCAAMMPPBBEELLLLContributor

OBJECTIVES1. STATE THE functions of:

a. OECS Secretariatb. CARICOM Secretariatc. Conference of Heads of Government

2. Explain the role of regional agencies in the integration process.

THE OECS SECRETARIATThe general administration of the

organisation is coordinated by the secretariatunder the direction and management of thedirector general.The current director general ofthe OECS is Dr Didacus Jules, who took hisnew position on May 1, 2014.

The secretariat consists of four maindivisions responsible for: External Relations,Functional Cooperation, Corporate Servicesand Economic Affairs. These four divisionsoversee the work of a number of specialisedinstitutions, work units or projects located insix countries: Antigua/Barbuda,Commonwealth of Dominica, St Lucia,Belgium, Canada, and the United States ofAmerica.

THE CARICOM SECRETARIATThis is the principal administrative organ of

the community. The CARICOM Secretariat islocated in Guyana. It is directed by thesecretary general, who is regarded as the chiefexecutive officer of the community.

MISSION STATEMENTTo provide dynamic leadership and

service, in partnership with communityinstitutions and groups, toward the attainmentof a viable, internationally competitive andsustainable community, with improved qualityof life for all.

Some of the functions of the CARICOMSecretariat:

1. Conduct, as mandated, fact-findingassignments in member states.

2. Prepare the draft budget of thecommunity for examination by the BudgetCommittee.

3. Provide, on request, services to memberstates of the Community on matters relating tothe achievement of its objectives.

4. Initiate, organise and conduct studies onissues for the achievement of the objectives ofthe Community.

5. Provide, on request, technical assistanceto national authorities to facilitateimplementation of community decisions.

6. Initiate or develop proposals forconsideration and decisions by competentorgans in order to achieve communityobjectives.

7. Mobilise resources from donor agenciesto assist in the implementation of communityprogrammes.

8. Collect, store and disseminate relevantinformation to member states.

CONFERENCE OF HEADS OFGOVERNMENT

The Conference of Heads of Governmentconsists of the heads of government ofmember states. It serves as the highestdecision-making body in CARICOM. Theconference is:

1. Responsible for determining andproviding the policy direction for the entirecommunity.

2. The final authority on questions arisingconcerning the financial affairs of thecommunity in order to meet the expenses ofthe community.

3. The final authority for the conclusion oftreaties on behalf of the community.

4. Establishes procedures for consultingwith other entities and organisations withinthe Caribbean.

SOME AREAS OF REGIONALCOOPERATION

The following are some of the major areasof regional cooperation in the Caribbean. Thisinvolves CARICOM countries jointly operating

and sharing common services andcooperating in functional matters such ashealth, education, culture, sports, security,communications, disaster management andindustrial relations.

AGENCYCARDI (Caribbean Agricultural Research

and Development Institute)

DATE OF ESTABLISHMENT /LOCATION1975, with its headquarters at the University

of the West Indies, St Augustine.

FUNCTIONAgriculture: To undertake research to find

solutions to various plant diseases. To lowerthe cost of the production of agriculturalgoods and to improve productivity. It alsohelps in establishing new techniques to meetthe needs of small farmers.

AGENCYCXC (Caribbean Examinations Council)UWI (University of the West Indies)

DATE OF ESTABLISHMENT /LOCATIONLate 1970s

FUNCTIONEducation: CXC was established to generate

curricula in various areas with a Caribbeanfocus.

AGENCYCAREC (The Caribbean Epidemiology

Centre)

DATE OF ESTABLISHMENT /LOCATIONJanuary 1, 1975, with its headquarters in

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.

FUNCTIONHealth: Its focus is on research, acquiring

information and the introduction of new waysof preventing deseases.

AGENCYCEHI (The Caribbean Environmental Health

Institute)

DATE OF ESTABLISHMENT /LOCATION1988, with its headquarters in St Lucia.

FUNCTIONHealth: It is responsible for the preservation

and protection of the environment, air, landand water.

AGENCYOECS Sports Desk

FUNCTIONSports: Promoting the introduction of

physical education in all schools in memberstates. Assisting in the coordination ofregional championships, mobilisinginternational, regional and local resources insupport of sport development initiatives.

AGENCYCONCACAF ( The Confederation of North,

Central America and Caribbean AssociationFootball)

FUNCTIONSports: Serves as the governing body of

football in this part of the world. It isresponsible for organising competitions,offering training courses in the technical andadministrative aspects of the game. It is alsoresponsible for the organisation ofcompetitions for national teams and clubs. Itconducts qualifying tournaments for the FIFAWorld Cup.

AGENCYWICB (West Indies Cricket Board)

FUNCTIONSports

AGENCYRSS (Regional Security System)

FUNCTIONSecurity

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Maintaining unity in the region

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 5-11, 2015 13

yl:information technology

NNAATTAALLEEEE AA.. JJOOHHNNSSOONNContributor

GOOD DAY, students. This is lesson 33in our series of lessons. In this weekslesson, we will continue and concludethe unit, information processing.

DATA VERIFICATIONThe errors we examined in the previous

lesson would warrant the need for dataverification. Data verification is the process ofchecking for errors that may have been enteredin the computer from a source document orwhen data is copied from one medium ordevice to another. Two methods of dataverification are double entry andproofreading/visual checks.

The double-entry method is the process ofentering data more than once, using a programthat checks each second entry against the first.If the data entered is not the same, it will notget processed and the system will allow for there-entry of data to ensure the data entered isaccurately. An example of this process wouldbe when you are required to enter yourpassword twice when setting up your email toconfirm your password.

Proofreading, on the other hand, checks thedata entered against the data on the originalsource document. This method can be time-consuming as it requires the user to read theinformation from the source document andcheck it against what was entered in thesystem.

Visual checks utilise on-screen prompts.When a set of data is entered, it is redisplayedon the screen. The user is prompted to read itand give a confirmation that the data entered iscorrect. If the data is incorrect, the data is re-entered.

DATA VALIDATIONData validation employs several ways of

checking for the accuracy and completeness ofdata. Let us examine the different methods youcan use to validate data.

RANGE CHECKSRange check ensures that the data entered is

within a particular range. Examples of such acheck would be data pertaining to the numbercorresponding to the months of a year and notexceeding the number of hours in a day.

REASONABLENESS CHECKSReasonableness checks ensure that data is

reasonable; that is, the data entered is realistic.For example, a student enrolled in first formwith a particular date of birth, his or her agewhen calculated by the computer system,should correspond (say, age 11). Thus, a childwho is 17 years old cannot be linked to a dateof birth younger.

DATA-TYPE CHECKSData-type checks, also called character

checks, ensure that the right type of data hasbeen entered. They ensure that if you intend toenter numbers, only numbers are allowed to beentered, and if only characters or symbols areintended to be entered, then only that type ofdata is allowed. Example, if youre storingsomeones name, only letters would beentered; values would not be allowed.

INCONSISTENCY CHECKSConsistency/inconsistency checks compare

data you have entered against other data youhave entered. If you enter a persons year ofbirth and his/her age in separate fields, aconsistency check will ensure that the twofields correspond with each other. Thus, if theage of an individual is not in line with his/herdate of birth, then this would be considered tobe inconsistent.

Information processingPRESENCE CHECKS

This check ensures that required data isalways present. For example, if in a databaseinformation is stored on a set of employeesand each employee must have an ID number, apresence check will ensure that the ID field isnot left blank. On the other hand, there arecases where some fields in a database may beoptional, for example, not everybody may havea house number but each may have a cellphone. So, the field which stores a customerhouse number may be left blank.

CHECK DIGITA check digit is an extra digit added to the

end of a code. It is used to detect errorscaused from transcription and also to ensurethat codes originally produced by a computerare re-entered into another computer correctly.It is calculated from the other digits in thenumber. Check digits are included in barcodenumbers.

PARITY CHECKAll data is transmitted as a sequence of 1s

and 0s. A common type of error that occursduring data transmission is that a bit isswapped from a 0 to a 1 or a 1 to a 0 createdfrom electrical interference. Parity checksdetect this type of error by adding an extradigit to data to make the total number of 1s or0s either odd or even.

FILE ORGANISATION AND ACCESSFile organisation and access relates to the

use of records, fields and files stored in adatabase. You would have been exposed to allthree terms when you did the productivity tool:database in class.

A file has three important characteristics: A file can either be permanent or temporary. The manner in which the records of the file are organised on a secondary storage device (file organisation). The manner in which records are accessed.

There are two main types of files thatbusinesses and organisations utilise: a masterfile and a transaction file.

A master file is a permanent file which iskept up to date and stores the maininformation, summary data and key fields inthe data. The master file contains two types ofdata: data that is permanent, such as anemployees personal data, and data that is lesspermanent, which is updated on a regularbasis, such as the hours worked by anemployee.

A transaction file is a temporary file whichis used to update the master file after a certaintime, whether weekly or daily. A transactionfile adds a new record, updates and deletesrecords of a master file. See a diagramillustrating this process below (figure 1).

There is also another file, known as atransaction log, which keeps a record ofchanges to the transaction file. This will keepa record of the history of what transactionshave taken place and not just the recent ones.

Old

master

file

Update

Transaction

file

New master

file&

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | 14 MAY 5-11, 2015

yl:english language

MMEELLIISSSSAA MMCCKKEENNZZIIEEContributor

STUDENTS, BELIEVE it or not, we havecome to the final lesson in the series ofEnglish A lessons. I hope that you havebenefited from all I have covered thus far. I amconfident that you will do well as long as youapply all that you have learnt from yourteachers and these lessons.

Here are the answers to last weeks activity.If there are a few you got incorrect, analyse thepossible reasons for the answer.

1. D 2. B 3. A 4. C5. B 6. A 7. D 8. D9. B 10. A 11. B 12. D13. A 14. B 15. B 16. B17. C 18. D 19. A

For this lesson, I will focus on errorrecognition. This section of Paper 1 tests yourability to recognise if there are mixedmetaphors, clichs, poor use of diction (wordchoice) and grammatical errors in givensentences. I have provided you with arefresher of specific terms that you may comeacross in this section.

MIXED (MISUSED) METAPHORSMixed metaphors are different metaphors

occurring in the same utterance, especially thesame sentence, which are used to express thesame concept. They are usually contradictory.I have underlined the mixed metaphors.

EXAMPLES1. All at once he was alone in this noisy

hive with no place to roost.2. Instead of biting the bullet, many

Jamaicans prefer to throw in the towel.3. If we can hit the bulls eye then the rest of

the dominoes will fall like a house of cards.4. Sir, I smell a rat; I see him forming in the

air and darkening the sky; but Ill nip him inthe bud.

CLICHA clich is an expression or idea which has

become overused to the point of losing itsoriginal meaning, or effect, and even, to thepoint of being stale or irritating.

EXAMPLES1. Make hay while the sun shines.

2. The early bird catches the most worms.3. Action speaks louder than words.

REDUNDANCYAlso known as tautology, a redundancy is

the use of two words or expressions whichrepeat the same idea. An important aspect ofimproved written expression is the ability towrite concisely. This means an awareness ofredundancies is key. In the examples I havegiven below, I have underlined the words orphrases that are unnecessary.

EXAMPLES1. It became dark gradually, and little by

little the distant mountains became lessdistinct.

2. You are advised to keep your PIN numbera secret.

3. Scientists have been working withorganisms which are extremely small in size.

4. There is no doubt that the future willcertainly bring some surprises.

Below, I have provided you with an errorrecognition activity for you to complete as apart of your revision.

Some of the sentences below are incorrectbecause they contain one of three types oferror. Each incorrect sentence contains onlyone type of error. Some of the sentences arecorrect as they are. Select the letter that bestdescribes each sentence:

a. If the sentence is too wordy, that isrepetitive or contains redundancies.

b. If the sentence contains clichs ormisused metaphors.

c. If the sentence is incorrect grammaticallyor faulty in diction.

d. If the sentence is acceptable as it stands.

1. The best features and aspects ofShakespeares earlier works were combinedtogether in his last play.

2. Mob violence has been rampant duringthe past few years.

3. When history teachers refer back to thepast history, they discover that our presentachievements derive from the foundations ofearlier times.

4. The angry parent was furious when hisson could not give him a reasonable excusefor his unsatisfactory performance in theexamination.

5. If you make hay while the sun shines,you will be able to turn the clock back andreap the harvest you have sown.

6. Not only did I visit the Great Lakes butalso the Niagara Falls during the summervacation.

7. Peter visit the library in order to doresearch for their projects.

8. The hero was encircled and surroundedby all his friends.

9. The painter begun his job afterpurchasing the material from the store.

10. In the peak of the quarrel he poured thesoothing oil of compassion on the burningflames of anger.

11. When the crowd gathered on the street,the man descended down the building.

12. If we wish to attain the summit of ourambition we must put our hands to the ploughand steer our ship in the right direction.

13. From the valley they beheld themountains peaks raising to meet the horizon.

14. Everyone in the class have a right togive their opinion on student-teacherrelationships in the school.

15. Of the three candidates at the interview,the last performed the worse.

QUICK TIPSHere are some tips that you should apply as

you complete the examine paper.

PAPER 2 Read through the paper carefully in

order to get a general idea of how the paper isstructured.

Pay attention to the suggested time foreach section. This will aid you in completingthe questions in a timely manner.

Read the instructions carefully. Your scripts will be e-marked (online)

this year and so it is very important that youwrite legibly with a blue or black ink pen.

Ensure that you complete the sectionsthat value the most marks. This means youcan complete the story and the essay first. Youdo not have to do follow the order of the paper.Simply ensure that you write the questionnumber that you have done.

In the summary writing section, avoidlifting as you will be penalised. Condense themost salient details in one paragraph usingyour own words. You are also reminded toheed the word limit.

Read the comprehension passagescarefully and follow the question directives.Therefore, quote when you are asked and givea word/phrase or sentence when it is needed.

If a comprehension question proveschallenging, move on to one that is moremanageable and return to the difficult onewhen you have time to spare.

Proofread your responses.

PAPER 1 Answer the items you can do with ease

first. For the items you find problematic,

eliminate the two most unlikely responses andselect response from the remaining two that ismore logical.

Read the comprehension passagescarefully. If you dont, you may make simplemistakes.

I pray for your success in all yourexaminations. You can do it!

Melissa McKenzie teaches at Old Harbour HighSchool. Send questions and comments to kkeerrrryy--aannnn..hheeppbbuurrnn@@gglleeaanneerrjjmm..ccoomm

Errorrecognition

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 5-11, 2015 15

yl:biology

MMOONNAACCIIAA WWIILLLLIIAAMMSSContributor

WE ARE drawing close to the end ofour study series and, hence, I will beusing the time that we have lefttogether to touch on one of those topics thatyou, the student, are often left to do on yourown. I hope, therefore, that you will find theselessons useful!

This week we will be looking at vectors.What are vectors, you might be asking? Well,the subject is biology, not maths or physics,so let me ease your mind and give you thedefinition. A vector is a carrier of a disease orinfection; the vector never has the disease, itonly carries the pathogen that causes thedisease. There are many different vectors. Theone that we are going to focus on is themosquito.

This insect has become very notorious overthe past year. As a matter of fact, the damagethat it has caused is so great that manypersons are still refusing to believe that themosquito is the culprit! What disease am Italking about? Chikungunya, of course! Themosquito that is responsible for thechikungunya outbreak is the Aedes aegypti.

First, we need to ensure that we are all onthe same page, do you know what a vector is?

A vector is an organism which carries adisease from one host to another.

The mosquito is also the vector for malariaand dengue fever. As a matter of fact, denguefever is spread by the same species ofmosquito that spreads chikungunya. Othervectors include rats, which spreadleptospirosis, and flies which can spreadgastroenteritis.

We will be looking at the following for themosquito:

The stages in the mosquitos life cycle. The way in which each stage in the

mosquitos life cycle can be controlled inorder to reduce the population of the insect.

LIFE CYCLE OF THE MOSQUITOTake careful note of the four different stages

in the life cycle and be reminded that afavourite beginning for CSEC essay questionsis: Identify, with the aid of diagrams ... This

means that you must learn to draw thedifferent stages. Remember, the adult is aninsect, so it must be drawn with the threeparts: head, thorax and abdomen, plus threelegs and wings for it to be identified as aninsect.

How can we prevent an outbreak of thedisease? We need to get to know the vector

because if we know its habits then we will bebetter able to control the vector and, hence,reduce the spread of the disease. To do this,one needs to know the life cycle of the vector,in this case, the mosquito. This provides theopportunity to:

1. Prevent them from laying eggs.2. Prevent them from developing into adults.3. Develop means to destroy the adults.

PREVENTING THEM FROM LAYINGEGGS. EGGS ARE LAID IN WATER.

By identifying places where water maycollect and become stagnant: old tyres, oldbottles, discarded housewares and containersat the bottom of plant pots that collect excesswater from watering plants.

This stagnant water should be emptiedin sinks and drains, rather than in the grass.

Keeping grass low prevents the settlingof water which will facilitate the laying of eggs.

Water gutters must be cleaned regularly,as these may also contain stagnant water.

Drums storing water must always bekept covered.

Vases must be properly scrubbed beforethey are reused and the water must bechanged frequently.

PREVENTING THEM FROMDEVELOPING INTO ADULTS BYDESTROYING THEM AT THE LARVAAND PUPA STAGES

These stages can be controlled byremoving stagnant water in the same mannerthat it is shown for the eggs.

Oil or liquid soap can be poured onthe surface of stagnant water. Both the larvaand the pupa are air breathers, taking in airthrough their spiracles, and the oil and thesoap prevent them from getting air, so theywill die.

Putting fish in the ponds to feed on thelarvae.

DEVELOP MEANS TO DESTROY THEADULT

The adult can be controlled byspraying mosquito repellent or insecticide tokill most of the existing population.

Thick grass can also be cut down. Keep areas around the house free from

bushes. Removal of the habitats helps toreduce the numbers of the vectors.

Use mosquito nets that are infusedwith insecticide.

I have tried to set out the information in amanner that makes it easy for you to answerexamination questions. Once again, I hopeyou will find it useful.

Monacia Williams is an independent contributor. Sendquestions and comments to kkeerrrryy--aannnn..hheeppbbuurrnn@@gglleeaanneerrjjmm..ccoomm

Humanhealth and

disease

The above picture shows the life cycle of a mosquito. There are four stages: (1) egg, (2) larva,(3) pupa, and (4) adult.

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | 16 MAY 5-11, 2015

yl:history

DDEEBBBBIIOONN HHYYMMAANNContributor

OBJECTIVES1. DISCUSS THE economic, political and social factors which created the protests of the 1930s in the Caribbean.2. Describe the role of outstanding male and female protest leaders.3. Outline two consequences of the protests.

Hi, guys. This topic is a core one and, as such, multiple-choice items have been included in this lesson for practice.

INSTRUCTION:Choose the correct answer for each item.

1. One of the teachings of Marcus Garvey was that(A) Whites should be driven out of the Caribbean.(B) Caribbean blacks should strike back by discriminating against the whites.(C) Blacks should strive for economic independence.(D) Blacks were created to be superior to whites.

2. Which one of the following factors was not a reason forthe high rate of unemployment among the working class in theBritish Caribbean in the 1930s?

(A) The decline of the sugar industry.(B) The failure of alternative crops which replaced sugar.(C) The termination of migration opportunities.(D) The refusal of workers to participate in agriculture.

3. All of the following were reasons why the blacks were notreceiving an adequate education in the British Caribbean in the1930s except:

(A) Blacks did not have the ability to reach the entry requirements.(B) Schools generally preferred to give places to whites and coloureds.(C) The curriculum was irrelevant to the needs of the blacks.(D) There were not enough schools to meet the needs of the population.

4. Identify the reasons the disturbances occurred in theBritish Caribbean during the 1930s.

I. The decline of the sugar industry.II. The Great Depression of the 1930s.III. The repatriation of Caribbean nationals from abroad.IV. The termination of emigration opportunities.

(A) I, II and III only(B) I, III and IV only(C) II, III and IV only(D) I, II, III and IV

5. The labour leader who is generally associated with the1937 disturbances in Trinidad was

(A) Uriah Butler(B) Arthur Cipriani(C) Walter Citrine(D) Clement Payne

6. The personality who is generally associated with thedisturbances in Barbados was

(A) Grantley Adams(B) Clement Payne(C) Frank Walcott(D) Uriah Butler

7. Which of the following persons were not associated withthe riots of the 1930s?

(A) Uriah Butler of Trinidad(B) Robert Bradshaw of St Kitts(C) Alexander Bustamante of Jamaica(D) George Price of Belize

8. What was the MAIN purpose of the Moyne Commissionof 1938?

(A) To bring to an end the disturbances in the islands.(B) To seek out the troublemakers and recommend punishment.(C) To investigate the cause of the disturbances and make recommendations.(D) To review the conduct of the army and police.

9. Which of the following did not occur during the periodof social unrest in the British Caribbean in the 1930s?

(A) Protest demonstrations(B) Strikes(C) Constitutional reform(D) Riots

10. What contributed to the rapid growth of trade unionsin the British Caribbean after 1939?

I. An increase in the labour force.II. The emergence of capable leaders for the working class.III. An increased willingness of workers to fight for their rights.IV. Laws passed in favour of trade unions.

(A) I and II only(B) III and IV only(C) I, III and IV only(D) I, II, III and IV

11. Which of the following leaders were associated withblack consciousness in the Caribbean in the early 1900s?

I. Arthur CiprianiII. Grantley AdamsIII. Clement PayneIV. Marcus Garvey

(A) I and IV only(B) III and IV only(C) I, III and IV only(D) II, III and IV only

12. The royal commission which was established in 1938to investigate the socio-economic conditions in the BritishWest Indies and to make recommendations for theimprovement of these conditions was the

(A) Deane Commission(B) Moyne Commission(C) Norman Commission(D) Oliver Commission

Debbion Hyman is an independent contributor. Send questions andcomments to kkeerrrryy--aannnn..hheeppbbuurrnn@@gglleeaanneerrjjmm..ccoomm

Popular protestsin the 1930s

ANSWERS

1. C2. B3. A4. D

5. A6. B7. D8. C

9. C10. D11.B12. B

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 5-11, 2015 17

yl:chemistry

FFRRAANNCCIINNEE TTAAYYLLOORR--CCAAMMPPBBEELLLLContributor

Polymerization is the formation of a large molecule from smaller units called monomers. Monomers containing the C=C can add together to form polymers (addition), or two units can react together to eliminate a small molecule such as water (condensation). Proteins, polyesters and polyamides are all formed from condensation polymerization.

AAddddiittiioonn PPoollyymmeerriizzaattiioonn monomer units containing a double bond are added to formpolymer units. During the process the double bonds are broken.

COMMON ADDITION POLYMERS

The repeat units are shown in brackets. There can be n number of units joined together toform the polymer.

CCoonnddeennssaattiioonn PPoollyymmeerriizzaattiioonn two monomer units are joined and a small molecule such asH2O is removed.

The formation of an ester is a typical condensation reaction in which the carboxylic acid andalcohol combine and expel a molecule of water.

The formation of a polyester is similar. In this case, a diacid (molecule with two -COOHgroups) is joined with a diol (molecule with two -OH groups) and a molecule of water isremoved. The ester link O-C=O is the same.

The formation of a polyamide such as nylon requires a diamine (two amine -NH2 groups) anda diacid to combine. A molecule of water is removed and the amide link H-N-C=O is formed.This amide link is present in proteins and is also known as the peptide link.

Francine Taylor-Campbell is an independent contributor. Send questions and comments to kkeerrrryy--aannnn..hheeppbbuurrnn@@gglleeaanneerrjjmm..ccoomm

Polymers

CHRISTOPHER SERJU PHOTO

Santino Longmore (second right), a final-yearundergraduate student specializing in animal science atthe College of Agriculture, Science and Education inPassley Gardens, Portland, seems hard-pressed toanswer questions from batch mates (from left) Peta-Gay Watson,Anieca Wiggan and Omar King about thedays activities, following their observance of cattleappraisals at the Bodles Research Station in OldHarbour, St Catherine, recently. The students, whowere also guests at the 57th annual general meeting ofthe Jamaica Hope Cattle Breeders Society, welcomedthe hands-on experience and the opportunity tointeract with experts in the cattle industry, for whichthey thanked their lecturer and chaperone for the day,Garth Scott.

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | 18 MAY 5-11, 2015

yl:office administration

HHYYAACCIINNTTHH TTUUGGMMAANNContributor

HELLO, STUDENTS! This week, I will turn your attentionto Paper 01 which is the multiple choice. Some studentsthink they can go into the examination and guess theanswer but, in reality, this is not so. Nine out of 10 times youmay be wrong, so know your facts before entering theexaminations.

1. Combination equipment usually carries the features of thefollowing individual pieces of office equipment:

a. telephone, photocopier, fax machine.b. risograph, printer, fax machine.c. fax machine, photocopier, shredder.d. photocopier, fax machine, printer.

2. The word skills means the same as:a. abilitiesb. attitudesc. qualificationsd. experience

3. Which of the following would be suitable forcommunicating with persons in another country?

a. teleconferencingb. voicemailc. cellular phoned. telephone

4. Factors that influence the selection of communicationinclude:

a. costb. nature of messagec. need for a written recordd. all of the above

5. Interpersonal relationships relate to:a. persons meeting to plan events.b. private and personal matters.c. attitudes and behaviour towards others.d. the pattern of events in an office setting.

6. The tickler system normally follows the:a. numerical systemb. alphabetical systemc. geographical systemd. chronological system

7. An itinerary outlines all the following except:a. arrival timeb. passenger namec. airline numberd. hotel reservations

8. The transfer of files to a storage room is known asa. archivingb. deletingc. archivingd. cross-referencing

9. This document lists the items in the order in which theyare to be discussed at a meeting.

a. noticeb. minutesc. agendad. standing order

10. Filing done for the whole organisation at one place byspecialized staff is:

a. organisedb. computerizedc. centralizedd. confidential

11. A customer wishing to purchase goods or services oncredit should use a:

a. credit noteb. credit cardc. letter of creditd. credit transfer

12. Which of the following offices promotes the firmsproducts?

a. salesb. marketingc. public relationsd. factory

13. An application in response to an advertisement is calleda/an

a. unsolicited applicationb. follow-up letterc. solicited applicationd. job-offer letter

14. Another name for rsum is:

a. curriculumb. personal data sheetc. testimoniald. career prospect

15. If you are preparing for an interview, it is wise to:a. evaluate the position.b. consider the job description.c. research the organisation.d. obtain the training and qualification.

16. When there is no quorum, the meeting must be:a. adjournedb. held in camerac. delayedd. postponed

17. What is used to indicate that a folder has been removedfrom the filing cabinet?

a. out cardb. index cardc. dividerd. cross-reference

18. The fastest way to make payments worldwide is by:a. emailb. credit cardc. facsimiled. electronic transfer

19. A debit note is sent to a customer to inform him/her thathis/her account has been:

a. increasedb. reducedc. outstandingd. balanced

Hyacinth Tugman is an independent contributor. Send questions andcomments to kkeerrrryy--aannnn..hheeppbbuurrnn@@gglleeaanneerrjjmm..ccoomm

Preparing for Paper 01 ANSWERS

1. d 2. a 3. a 4. d

5. c 6. d 7. d 8. a

9. d 10. c 11. b 12. b

13. c 14. a 15. c 16. d

17. a 18. b19. a

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 5-11, 2015 19

yl:principles of accounts

RROOXXAANNNNEE WWRRIIGGHHTTContributor

AS YOU get closer to your examinationday, remember to not only practisework-out questions but also to paykeen attention to the theory, as you will needto answer multiple-choice questions.

WORKED EXAMPLE QUESTION 1State whether each of the following is true

or false. Give brief reasons for each answer.

QUESTIONA payment made in one financial year can

be expenses in the following year.

ANSWERTrue.

REASONNot all expenses incurred are as a result of

current activities. There may be advancedpayments, also known as prepayment orprepaid expense made. This payment shouldnever be entered in the profit and lossaccount. However, for the year when thepayment is made, it is to be charged to anasset account in the balance sheet. Asillustrated below:

i. When payment is made:Dr. Prepaid expenses A/cCr. Cash account or bank accountii. The following year adjustment to be made:Dr. Expense account (Profit and loss )Cr. Prepaid expense account

QUESTIONA provision for depreciation account shows

the amount of cash the business has availableto replace the fixed assets concerned.

ANSWERFalse.

REASONDepreciation is an allocation of the

depreciable amount of an asset over itsestimated useful life. Depreciation indicatesthat the usefulness of an asset has reduced.

It is an accounting adjustment and there isno movement of cash into or out of abusiness. Therefore, depreciation does notshow the amount of cash the business hasavailable to replace the fixed asset concerned.

QUESTIONBetween the end of one year and the end of

the next year, the cash and bank balances willalways increase by the amount of the netprofit made during the year.

ANSWERFalse.

REASONProfit is not determined on the basis of the

inflow or outflow of cash but on accrual basis;that is, whatever expenses incurred, whetherpaid or unpaid, will appear in the profit andloss account, just as whatever revenue isearned, whether cash received or not yetreceived, will appear in the profit and lossaccount.

A business may obtain high profit for theyear but has low cash balance since the cashmay be tied with unsold stocks, debtors,prepayments.

QUESTIONWhen a balance sheet is prepared, it is

always the accounting practice to show thefixed assets at the market value on that date.

ANSWERFalse.

Theory ofdouble entry

REASONThe balance sheet is prepared on a

historical cost basis which means that fixedassets are shown at actual cost paid, less itsaccumulated depreciation amount.

To show the assets at market value may

result in the company having gains (this iswhen market value is higher than historicalcost) or having losses (this is when marketvalue is lower than historical cost).

The gains or losses must be clearly shownin the balance sheet to distinguish it from thetrading profit or loss.

WORKED EXAMPLE QUESTION 2The following accounts appeared in the books of J. Washington:

AA.. HHaarrvveeyy

IInnssuurraannccee

YOU ARE REQUIRED TO:a. Describe the transaction or information

represented by EACH of the entries (i) to (viii)in the two accounts. The descriptions are to befrom the point of view of Washington, the firstitem has been completed.

b. In which ledger would you find theaccount of Harvey?

c. Where exactly in the balance sheet wouldyou find the balance of the insurance account?

SOLUTION:a.i. Amount owed by Washington to Harvey.ii. Payment made by Washington to Harvey

as settlement of amount owed.iii. Goods purchased by Washington from

Harvey.iv. Goods purchased by Washington from

Harvey returned.v. Amount owed by Washington to Harvey at

the end of the month of May.

vi. Amount of insurance prepaid broughtforward from the year ended May 31, 2013.

vii. Payment made for insurance (inclusiveof expired insurance and prepaid amount).

viii. Amount of insurance expense for theyear ending May 31, 2014, transferred to profitand loss account.

b. The account of J. Harvey would be in thecreditors account.

c. The balance of insurance account wouldbe under current assets in the balance sheet

This is an appropriate point at which to endthis weeks presentation but always remember,

Look out next week for a presentation onerrors, suspense accounts. See you then.

Roxanne Wright teaches at Immaculate Academy. Sendquestions and comments to kkeerrrryy--aannnn..hheeppbbuurrnn@@gglleeaanneerrjjmm..ccoomm

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | 20 MAY 5-11, 2015

yl:principles of business

YYVVOONNNNEE HHAARRVVEEYYContributor

GOOD DAY to you all. So, how did youfare out with the putting together ofyour personal budgets? I hope youmade them as realistic as possible and, eventhough times are tough, you still budgetedsomething for savings.

The topic under consideration this week isone from the section of the syllabus BusinessFinance that we started a few weeks ago.Many persons have heard about stockexchanges but they do not know very much, ifanything, about them. If you are in thatsituation, I hope that after reading this lesson,you will be more enlightened on the topic.

A stock exchange (formerly a securitiesexchange) is a corporation or mutualorganisation which provides trading facilitiesfor stockbrokers and traders to trade stocksand other securities. Stock exchanges alsoprovide facilities for the issue and redemptionof securities as well as other financialinstruments and capital events, including thepayment of income and dividends.

The securities traded on a stock exchangeinclude: shares issued by companies, unittrusts, derivatives, pooled investmentproducts and bonds. To be able to trade asecurity on a certain stock exchange, it has tobe listed there. Usually, there is a centrallocation, at least for record-keeping, but tradeis less and less linked to such a physicalplace as modern markets are electronicnetworks, which give them advantages ofspeed and cost of transactions. Trade on anexchange is by members only.

The initial offering of stocks and bonds toinvestors is, by definition, done in theprimary market and subsequent trading isdone in the secondary market. A stockexchange is often the most importantcomponent of a stock market. Supply anddemand in stock markets are driven byvarious factors which, as in all free markets,affect the price of stocks.

Stock exchanges have multiple roles in theeconomy; this may include the following:

RAISING CAPITAL FOR BUSINESSESThe stock exchange provides companies

with the facility to raise capital for expansionthrough selling shares to the investing public.

MOBILISING SAVINGS FORINVESTMENT

When people draw their savings and investin shares, it leads to a more rationalallocation of resources because funds whichcould have been consumed, or kept in idledeposits with banks, are mobilised andredirected to promote business activity withbenefits for several economic sectors such asagriculture, commerce and industry, resultingin stronger economic growth and higherproductivity levels and firms.

FACILITATING COMPANY GROWTHCompanies view acquisitions as an

opportunity to expand product lines, increasedistribution channels, hedge against volatility,increase its market share or acquire othernecessary business assets. A takeover bid ora merger agreement through the stock marketis one of the simplest and most commonways for a company to grow by acquisition orfusion.

REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTHStock exchanges do not exist to

redistribute wealth. However, both casual andprofessional stock investors, throughdividends and stock price increases that mayresult in capital gains, will share in the wealthof profitable businesses.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCEBy having a wide and varied scope of

owners, companies generally tend to improveon their management standards and efficiencyin order to satisfy the demands of theseshareholders and the more stringent rules forpublic corporations imposed by public stockexchanges and the government.Consequently, it is alleged that publiccompanies (companies that are owned byshareholders who are members of the generalpublic and trade shares on public exchanges)tend to have better management records thanprivately held companies (those companieswhere shares are not publicly traded, oftenowned by the company founders and/or theirfamilies and heirs, or otherwise by a smallgroup of investors).

CREATING INVESTMENTOPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALLINVESTORS

As opposed to other businesses thatrequire huge capital outlay, investing inshares is open to both the large and small

stock investors because a person buys thenumber of shares he/she can afford.Therefore, the stock exchange provides theopportunity for small investors to own sharesof the same companies as large investors.

GOVERNMENT CAPITAL-RAISING FORDEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

Governments at various levels may decideto borrow money in order to financeinfrastructure projects such as sewage andwater treatment works or housing estates byselling another category of securities knownas bonds. These bonds can be raised throughthe stock exchange whereby members of thepublic buy them, thus loaning money to thegovernment. The issuance of such bonds canobviate the need to directly tax the citizens inorder to finance development, although bysecuring such bonds with the full faith andcredit of the government, instead of withcollateral, the result is that the governmentmust tax the citizens or otherwise raiseadditional funds to make any regular couponpayments and refund the principal when thebonds mature.

BAROMETER OF THE ECONOMYAt the stock exchange, share prices rise

and fall depending, largely, on market forces.Share prices tend to rise or remain stablewhen companies and the economy in generalshow signs of stability and growth. Aneconomic recession, depression or financialcrisis could eventually lead to a stock marketcrash. Therefore, the movement of shareprices and, in general, of the stock indexescan be an indicator of the general trend in theeconomy.

Do you feel a little more enlightened? Good!Next week, we will cover another topic fromthis same section of the syllabus. When theentire section is complete, I will present asimple test so you can see how well you havegrasped the topics in this section. Bye for now.

Yvonne Harvey teaches at Glenmuir High School.Send questions and comments to kkeerrrryy--aannnn..hheeppbbuurrnn@@gglleeaanneerrjjmm..ccoomm

The role ofstock

exchanges

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 5-11, 2015 21

yl:mathematics

CCLLEEMMEENNTT RRAADDCCLLIIFFFFEEContributor

WE WILL continue the review of statisrics with the solution to last weeks homework.

HOMEWORK1) Express the following scores in a frequency table and plot the histogram.22, 15, 0, 22, 11, 9, 0, 14, 20, 9, 16, 5, 11, 24,16, 5, 11, 24, 5, 5, 22 , 15, 9, 9, 11

SOLUTIONSince the values range from 0-24, it would be inappropriate to construct a histogram with 25

bars. Using grouped data as follows: 0-3, 4-7, 8-11, etc, we construct the table by first doing thetally.

Statistics

SCORES 0-3 4-7 8-11 12-15 16-19 20-23 24-27

TALLY II IIII IIII III III II IIII II

FREQUENCY 2 4 8 3 2 4 2

Inches of

Rainfall

0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29

Number of

days

5 8 3 1 2 1

HISTOGRAM

2) The table below shows the number of inches of rainfall which fell over a period of time.

Using a scale of 2 cm to represent 5 inches on the x axis, and 1 cm to represent 1 day on they axis, construct the histogram to represent the data.

SOLUTIONPlease note the following with respect to question 2: The table only records rainfall to the nearest whole number and this is unrealistic. Class boundaries are recommended when the values are continuous variables. Class intervals are converted to class boundaries as follows:Class

Interval

0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29

Class

Boundaries

-0.5-4.5 4.5-9.5 9.5-14.5 14.5-19.5 19.5-24.5 24.5-29.5

Number of

days

5 8 3 1 2 1

Height (cm) 1-3 4-6 7-9 10-12 13-15

Frequency 4 14 20 9 3

Height (cm)

Class

boundaries

1-3

0.5-3.5

4-6

3.5-6.5

7-9

6.5-9.5

10-12

9.5-12.5

13-15

12.5-15.5

Frequency 4 14 20 9 3

You will notice the following: Any value between 0 and 29 can be assigned to a class without difficulty. Of necessity, the bars will touch. 0.5 is added and subtracted from the class intervals to obtain the class boundaries.

Based on the above, the histogram is constructed as follows:

Using the above, please attempt the following:

EXAMPLEThe table below shows the height of orange seedlings on a farm.

A. Express the above with respect to class boundaries.B. Draw the histogram and frequency polygon to represent the data.

SOLUTIONA.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | 22 MAY 5-11, 2015

yl:social studies

yl:mathematics

yl:information technologyCONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

AGENCYCDERA (Caribbean Disaster

Emergency Response Agency

DATE OF ESTABLISHMENT/LOCATION

1981

FUNCTIONDisaster Management

AGENCYCMC (Caribbean Media

Company)

FUNCTIONMedia: Seeks to enhance the

quality of news and entertainmentprogrammes created and broadcastthroughout the region.

AGENCYCCJ (Caribbean Court of Justice)

FUNCTIONJustice: The final court of appeal

for CARICOM member states. Itsettles disputes among SingleMarket and Economy agreement.

SOURCES: CCaarriibbbbeeaann EExxaammiinnaattiioonn CCoouunncciill,,

CCSSEECC SSoocciiaall SSttuuddiieess ((FFoorr SSeellff SSttuuddyyaanndd DDiissttaannccee LLeeaarrnniinngg..)) ((22000044))Brathwaite S. and Reynolds, P.

MMoodduulleess iinn SSoocciiaall SSttuuddiieess,,CCaarriibbbbeeaann EEdduuccaattiioonnaall PPuubblliisshheerrss((22000099)) Ramsawak, R, and Umraw, R.

ACTIVITIES1. Can you identify five other

areas of regional cooperation?2. Complete the spaces in the

table above:3. Suggest three reasons unity is

strength in the Caribbean, givingreasons for your answer.

Maureen Campbell is an independentcontributor. Send questions and commentsto kkeerrrryy--aannnn..hheeppbbuurrnn@@gglleeaanneerrjjmm..ccoomm

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

FILE ORGANISATION AND ACCESS METHODS

SEQUENTIAL FILE ORDERINGThis is where records are stored in a logical or sorted

order. Records can be arranged according to name, date,size or any other field in ascending order.

10 20 30 40 50

SERIAL FILE ORDERINGThis is similar to sequential file ordering, except the

records are not stored in any particular order(unordered). They are simply stored one after another asthey are added, similar to new items on a shopping listwhere, as you go along, you add what you need. Thistype of ordering is often used to capture transactions asthey occur during the day.

50 20 44 60 15

Sequential access means that records are accessedone by one in the order in which they are stored until theright one is located. Serial access is similar, as you canaccess the records in the same manner in which theywere stored.

RANDOM FILE/DIRECT ORDERINGFiles are stored in any order using a key. The file is

organised like a one- dimensional array where eacharray element has an index/subscript to mark itslocation. Random access or direct access allows you toaccess the record you want without having to go throughany others, unlike sequential access. The computerlocates the data item using the indices.

INDEX SEQUENTIAL FILE ORDERING ANDACCESS

Index sequential file ordering uses an indexed file to

store records similar to an index in a textbook. Recordsare stored in this file in sequential order and a set ofindices are used to refer to each item stored in the file.Each record can be accessed by its index number. Thus,this file ordering is a combination of sequential anddirect file ordering and is utilised when records need tobe sorted sequentially but individual records must beaccessed quickly. See diagram below.

By using both methods (sequential and direct), thefollowing can be done: you can go through each recordsequentially (one after each other) and you can access aspecific file directly (there is no need to go through anyprevious data (random).

This lesson brings us to the last in our series of ITlessons for this academic year. On this note, I would liketo remind you to practise as many past-paper questionsas possible, which will allow you to have an idea of themanner in which you will be tested, how the questionswill be structured and key areas you are likely to betested on. In addition, follow the pointers given by yourteacher and ensure you take adequate rest prior to yourexams. I would also like to share this message with youfrom mmeessssaaggeess..336655ggrreeeettiinnggss..ccoomm

Remember, if you failed to prepare, be prepared to fail.

Natalie A. Johnson teaches at Ardenne High School. Sendquestions and comments to kkeerrrryy--aannnn..hheeppbbuurrnn@@gglleeaanneerrjjmm..ccoomm

Index Highest key

1 40

2 60

3 80

4 100

55 Jazz

66 R&B

75 Soul

90 Pop

93 Reggae

95 Hip-Hop

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21B.

We will now proceed with aannaallyyssiiss ooff ddaattaa.. The aim is to arrive atinformed decisions from the data. The following is one way in which thismay be done:

(A) MEASURES OF CENTRAL TENDENCY OR AVERAGE.These are the values which best represent the data, namely mean,

median or mode.

EExxaammpplleeThe scores obtained by a class of 10 students in a test were:3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 6, 6, 7, 11, 12.

CCaallccuullaatteeI. The modal mark

II. The median markIII. The mean mark

SSoolluuttiioonnI. The modal mark or mode is the most frequently

occurring mark. In this case, it is 4.

II. The median mark is the middle value when scores arearranged in order of size. When there is an odd number ofscores, it is the single middle value. However, it is the averageof the two middle scores when the number of scores is even.

From the values given, the 5th mark is 4 and the 6th markis 6. The median mark is the average of the 5th and 6thvalues as there is aneven number of values. (10) = 4+6 =5

2III. The mean mark = Sum of scores = 3+3+4+4+4+6+6+7 +11+12

Number of scores 10= 60 =6

10

As the average is the value which best represents thegroup, you should be able to determine when it is appropriateto use any of the three - the mean, the median or the mode.

HOMEWORKSix students earned the following marks on a test: 5, 3, 4,

6, 5, and 7

CCaallccuullaatteeI. The modal markII. The median markIII. The mean mark

Next week, we will continue to look at other ways to arriveat informed decisions from data.

Clement Radcliffe is an independent contributor. Send questions andcomments to kkeerrrryy--aannnn..hheeppbbuurrnn@@gglleeaanneerrjjmm..ccoomm

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