In "Feathered Friend," why does the alarm fail? What are some potential problems with using a canary instead of an electronic alarm system? In your opinion, which is a more reliable form of alarm, the canary or the electronic alarm system?
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Community Answer
When it comes to the alarm failure and the canary in "Feathered Friend," we can answer the questions in the following manner:
- The first alarm does not go off and the back-up alarm had not been connected just yet.
- Some potential problems with using a canary rather than an electronic alarm are: The canary may die for some natural reason, which will lead people to think there is something wrong with the air. Also, people may be far away and not see the fainted canary, whereas they would still hear an electronic alarm.
- (This is a an example of a personal opinion) Both can be reliable, but also both can have problems. Canaries have been used in underground mines and helped save people lives for centuries. Electronic alarms are usually efficient, but a problem with the circuit may lead to malfunction.
What happens in "Feathered Friend"?
In the story, Sven brings a canary with him to the space station. He wants to see the effects of low gravity on the bird. However, the bird ends up saving everyone's lives.
Sven notices the bird has fainted, and he has knowledge of canaries being used in mines to alert workers about the quality of the air. He quickly assumes there is not enough oxygen.
It turns out that their electronic alarm failed to go off for some reason. Had Sven not brought the bird with him, the crew would have died due to lack of oxygen.
Learn more about canaries here:
In 'Feathered Friend,' the alarm fails because it is disconnected. Using a canary has drawbacks like its potential to die and being overlooked, whereas electronic alarms offer continuous monitoring. Overall, electronic alarms are more reliable than canaries for detecting hazards.
Explanation
In 'Feathered Friend,' the alarm fails to activate for an unknown reason, leaving the crew without an immediate warning about the dangerous oxygen levels.
There are several potential problems with using a canary instead of an electronic alarm system:
The canary is a living being, which means it can die for various reasons unrelated to air quality, creating confusion about the situation.
If the canary is fainting or in distress, crew members far away may not notice it, whereas an electronic alarm would be heard regardless of a person's location.
A canary's response to its environment is not as precise or reliable as a systematic electronic alarm designed to provide accurate measurements of air quality.
In my opinion, while both systems have their merits, an electronic alarm is generally more reliable due to its constant monitoring capabilities and ability to provide immediate auditory alerts. However, the traditional use of canaries in mines serves as a reminder of their historical significance in detecting toxic gases, which can highlight the overall vulnerability of living organisms to environmental changes.
Examples & Evidence
An example of a canary being used historically is in coal mines, where miners would bring the birds to detect harmful gases; if the canary fell ill, they knew it was unsafe to continue working. Conversely, an electronic alarm system continuously monitors air quality and could provide immediate sound alerts, allowing for faster responses in emergencies.
The practice of canaries in mines shows that humans have relied on biological indicators for safety for many years, while studies of electronic alarm systems confirm their effectiveness in providing timely warnings.
Community Answer
The alarm fails abruptly in "Feathered Friend." Canaries are less reliable due to their need for care and vulnerability, while electronic alarms offer consistency and multi-hazard detection.
In the story "Feathered Friend," the alarm fails because it stops working abruptly, causing a potential crisis.
- Some potential problems with using a canary instead of an electronic alarm system include the canary's vulnerability to environmental factors, its need for care, and the possibility of it not reacting uniformly to hazards.
- An electronic alarm system might be more reliable because it can be programmed to detect specific dangers, operates consistently, and requires less maintenance. However, electronic alarms can fail due to malfunctions or power outages.
- In my opinion, an electronic alarm system is generally a more reliable form of alarm compared to using a canary because of its consistency and ability to alert users to multiple types of hazards.
New questions in English
- Rewrite each sentence, replacing the underlined words with a possessive phrase.<br /><br />1. The cages of the monkeys are open.<br /> - The monkeys' cages are open.<br /><br />2. I want to see the habitat of the penguins.<br /> - I want to see the penguins' habitat.<br /><br />3. The paws belonging to the polar bears are huge.<br /> - The polar bears' paws are huge.<br /><br />4. Did you see the cubs of those two lions?<br /> - Did you see the lions' cubs?<br /><br />5. I want to see the exhibits of the snakes next.<br /> - I want to see the snakes' exhibits next.<br /><br />6. The ice cream cones belonging to those girls are melting.<br /> - The girls' ice cream cones are melting.
- What are the main ways that the thesis statement is different from the specific purpose?<br /><br />A. The thesis statement is audience-centered.<br />B. The thesis statement is incorporated into the spoken portion of a speech and is content-centered.<br />C. The thesis statement is a guide for research and writing of a speech.<br />D. Answers A and C.<br />E. None of these answers.
- Without Dialogue<br /><br />Lyra and Pan discuss the possibility of a war. They're hiding, but then someone approaches.<br /><br />1. What does dialogue add here?<br />2. What are we shown rather than told?<br />3. What do you notice about the dialogue?<br /><br />Compare<br /><br />With Dialogue<br /><br />"Pan," she whispered. <br />"Yes?" <br />"Do you think there'll be a war?" <br />"Not yet. Lord Asriel wouldn't be dining here if it was going to break out in the next week or so." <br />"That's what I thought. But later?" <br />"Shh! Someone's coming!" <br />—From <em>The Golden Compass</em>, Phillip Pullman<br /><br />For example, in <em>Pride and Prejudice</em>, Jane Austen's narrator uses dialogue to introduce Mrs. and Mr. Bennet.
- Which line is an example of direct characterization?<br /><br />A. Bilbo was very rich and very peculiar, and had been the wonder of the Shire for sixty years.<br />B. And if that was not enough for fame, there was also his prolonged vigour to marvel at.<br />C. At ninety-nine they began to call him well-preserved, but unchanged would have been nearer the mark.<br />D. And it was popularly believed, whatever the old folk might say, that the Hill at Bag End was full of tunnels stuffed with treasure.
- Which of these is not one of the objectives you should accomplish in your speech introduction?<br /><br />A. Getting your audience's attention <br />B. Summarizing the speech <br />C. Establishing credibility and relevance <br />D. Previewing your main points <br />E. Introducing your topic
