Clarification for the Low performace of Makeup Exam

Dear Professor,

As an answer to your concern regarding the low average score of the Friday makeup exam, I can think of many reasons that could be behind that performance. Most of the attendees of this makeup exam were employed as either full-time or part-time jobs and taking exams after working hours could reduce their concentration resulting in lower scores in their exams. Moreover, the makeup exam was offered on Friday late afternoon and many of the students usually at that time get ready for their weekend family visit outside the city. So, they may have rushed their exam just to have enough time for their trip. In addition, the class's room temperature during exams could have been a main player to student performance. During the makeup exam, the temperature was about 28 degC.!!

I wish that could clarify the issue to you, and for any further clarifications please do not hesitate to contact me....

Best Regards;

Your TA...

Killing Whales

The four charts in the next page represent the number of whales killed in the period between 1950 and 1985. It is very clear that the larges type of whales “Blue Whales” was the preferable type to be killed. Starting on 1950, approximately 8,000 Blue whales were killed compared to the 4,000 smaller size Sei whales killed at that period taking into account the ratio of three to one between the Blue whales and the Sei Whales specie. This rate kept decreasing very sharply due to the massive exploiting of Blue whales to almost zero at 1970. As the largest mammal on earth almost extinct, other smaller size whales become the only option to hunters. The Fin whales for example in char two was at very high saturated rate of approximately 35,000 whales killed every year starting from 1955 up to 1960. This high number was a very clear indication of overcoming the shortage in large Blue whales with smaller sizes at that period. As the number start decreasing early on 1960, the Sperm and Sei whales, which smaller than the Fin whales, were peaking at 30,000 whales per year between 1965 and 1970.