when are variables used in writing a program

In computer programming, a variable or scalar is a storage location (identified by a memory address) paired with an associated symbolic name (an identifier), which contains some known or unknown quantity of information referred to as a value. The variable name is the usual way to reference the stored value, in addition to referring to the variable itself, depending on the context. This separation of name and content allows the name to be used independently of the exact information it represents. The identifier in computer source code can be bound to a value during run time, and the value of the variable may thus change during the course of program execution.[1][2]

Variable (computer science)

Variables in programming may not directly correspond to the concept of variables in mathematics. The latter is abstract, having no reference to a physical object such as storage location. The value of a computing variable is not necessarily part of an equation or formula as in mathematics. Variables in computer programming are frequently given long names to make them relatively descriptive of their use, whereas variables in mathematics often have terse, one- or two-character names for brevity in transcription and manipulation.

A variable's storage location may be referred by several different identifiers, a situation known as aliasing. Assigning a value to the variable using one of the identifiers will change the value that can be accessed through the other identifiers.

Compilers have to replace variables' symbolic names with the actual locations of the data. While a variable's name, type, and location often remain fixed, the data stored in the location may be changed during program execution.

In imperative programming languages, values can generally be accessed or changed at any time. In pure functional and logic languages, variables are bound to expressions and keep a single value during their entire lifetime due to the requirements of referential transparency. In imperative languages, the same behavior is exhibited by (named) constants (symbolic constants), which are typically contrasted with (normal) variables.

Depending on the type system of a programming language, variables may only be able to store a specified datatype (e.g. integer or string). Alternatively, a datatype may be associated only with the current value, allowing a single variable to store anything supported by the programming language.

Variables and scope:- (A) Automatic variables: - Each local variable in a function comes into existence only when the function is called, and disappears when the function is exited. Such variables are known as automatic variables. (B) External variables: - These are variables that are external to a function on and can be accessed by name by any function. These variables remain in existence permanently; rather that appearing and disappearing as functions are called and exited, retain their values even after the functions that set them have returned.

An identifier referencing a variable can be used to access the variable in order to read out the value, or alter the value, or edit other attributes of the variable, such as access permission, locks, semaphores, etc.

For instance, a variable might be referenced by the identifier "total_count" and the variable can contain the number 1956. If the same variable is referenced by the identifier "x" as well, and if using this identifier "x", the value of the variable is altered to 2009, then reading the value using the identifier "total_count" will yield a result of 2009 and not 1956.

If a variable is only referenced by a single identifier that can simply be called the name of the variable. Otherwise, we can speak of one of the names of the variable. For instance, in the previous example, the "total_count" is a name of the variable in question, and "x" is another name of the same variable.

The scope of a variable describes where in a program's text the variable may be used, while the extent (or lifetime) describes when in a program's execution a variable has a (meaningful) value. The scope of a variable is actually a property of the name of the variable, and the extent is a property of the variable itself. These should not be confused with context (also called environment), which is a property of the program, and varies by point in the source code or execution â€“ see scope: overview. Further, object lifetime may coincide with variable lifetime, but in many cases is not tied to variable lifetime.

A variable name's scope affects its extent.

Scope is an important part of the name resolution of a variable. Most languages define a specific scope for each variable (as well as any other named entity), which may differ within a given program. The scope of a variable is the portion of the program code for which the variable's name has meaning and for which the variable is said to be "visible". Entrance into that scope typically begins a variable's lifetime (as it comes into context) and exit from that scope typically ends its lifetime (as it goes out of context). For instance, a variable with "lexical scope" is meaningful only within a certain function/subroutine, or more finely within a block of expressions/statements (accordingly with function scope or block scope); this is static resolution, performable at parse-time or compile-time. Alternatively, a variable with dynamic scope is resolved at run-time, based on a global binding stack that depends on the specific control flow. Variables only accessible within a certain functions are termed "local variables". A "global variable", or one with indefinite scope, may be referred to anywhere in the program.

Extent, on the other hand, is a runtime (dynamic) aspect of a variable. Each binding of a variable to a value can have its own extent at runtime. The extent of the binding is the portion of the program's execution time during which the variable continues to refer to the same value or memory location. A running program may enter and leave a given extent many times, as in the case of a closure.

Unless the programming language features garbage collection, a variable whose extent permanently outlasts its scope can result in a memory leak, whereby the memory allocated for the variable can never be freed since the variable which would be used to reference it for deallocation purposes is no longer accessible. However, it can be permissible for a variable binding to extend beyond its scope, as occurs in Lisp closures and C static local variables; when execution passes back into the variable's scope, the variable may once again be used. A variable whose scope begins before its extent does is said to be uninitialized and often has an undefined, arbitrary value if accessed (see wild pointer), since it has yet to be explicitly given a particular value. A variable whose extent ends before its scope may become a dangling pointer and deemed uninitialized once more since its value has been destroyed. Variables described by the previous two cases may be said to be out of extent or unbound. In many languages, it is an error to try to use the value of a variable when it is out of extent. In other languages, doing so may yield unpredictable results. Such a variable may, however, be assigned a new value, which gives it a new extent.

For space efficiency, a memory space needed for a variable may be allocated only when the variable is first used and freed when it is no longer needed. A variable is only needed when it is in scope, thus beginning each variable's lifetime when it enters scope may give space to unused variables. To avoid wasting such space, compilers often warn programmers if a variable is declared but not used.

It is considered good programming practice to make the scope of variables as narrow as feasible so that different parts of a program do not accidentally interact with each other by modifying each other's variables. Doing so also prevents action at a distance. Common techniques for doing so are to have different sections of a program use different name spaces, or to make individual variables "private" through either dynamic variable scoping or lexical variable scoping.

Many programming languages employ a reserved value (often named null or nil) to indicate an invalid or uninitialized variable.

In statically typed languages such as Java or ML, a variable also has a type, meaning that only certain kinds of values can be stored in it. For example, a variable of type "integer" is prohibited from storing text values.

In dynamically typed languages such as Python, it is values, not variables, which carry type. In Common Lisp, both situations exist simultaneously: A variable is given a type (if undeclared, it is assumed to be T, the universal supertype) which exists at compile time. Values also have types, which can be checked and queried at runtime.

Typing of variables also allows polymorphisms to be resolved at compile time. However, this is different from the polymorphism used in object-oriented function calls (referred to as virtual functions in C++) which resolves the call based on the value type as opposed to the supertypes the variable is allowed to have.

Variables often store simple data, like integers and literal strings, but some programming languages allow a variable to store values of other datatypes as well. Such languages may also enable functions to be parametric polymorphic. These functions operate like variables to represent data of multiple types. For example, a function named length may determine the length of a list. Such a length function may be parametric polymorphic by including a type variable in its type signature, since the amount of elements in the list is independent of the elements' types.

The formal parameters (or formal arguments) of functions are also referred to as variables. For instance, in this Python code segment,

the variable named x is a parameter because it is given a value when the function is called. The integer 5 is the argument which gives x its value. In most languages, function parameters have local scope. This specific variable named x can only be referred to within the addtwo function (though of course other functions can also have variables called x).

The specifics of variable allocation and the representation of their values vary widely, both among programming languages and among implementations of a given language. Many language implementations allocate space for local variables, whose extent lasts for a single function call on the call stack, and whose memory is automatically reclaimed when the function returns. More generally, in name binding, the name of a variable is bound to the address of some particular block (contiguous sequence) of bytes in memory, and operations on the variable manipulate that block. Referencing is more common for variables whose values have large or unknown sizes when the code is compiled. Such variables reference the location of the value instead of storing the value itself, which is allocated from a pool of memory called the heap.

Bound variables have values. A value, however, is an abstraction, an idea; in implementation, a value is represented by some data object, which is stored somewhere in computer memory. The program, or the runtime environment, must set aside memory for each data object and, since memory is finite, ensure that this memory is yielded for reuse when the object is no longer needed to represent some variable's value.

Objects allocated from the heap must be reclaimedâ€”especially when the objects are no longer needed. In a garbage-collected language (such as C#, Java, Python, Golang and Lisp), the runtime environment automatically reclaims objects when extant variables can no longer refer to them. In non-garbage-collected languages, such as C, the program (and the programmer) must explicitly allocate memory, and then later free it, to reclaim its memory. Failure to do so leads to memory leaks, in which the heap is depleted as the program runs, risks eventual failure from exhausting available memory.

When a variable refers to a data structure created dynamically, some of its components may be only indirectly accessed through the variable. In such circumstances, garbage collectors (or analogous program features in languages that lack garbage collectors) must deal with a case where only a portion of the memory reachable from the variable needs to be reclaimed.

Unlike their mathematical counterparts, programming variables and constants commonly take multiple-character names, e.g. COST or total. Single-character names are most commonly used only for auxiliary variables; for instance, i, j, k for array index variables.

Some naming conventions are enforced at the language level as part of the language syntax and involve the format of valid identifiers. In almost all languages, variable names cannot start with a digit (0â€“9) and cannot contain whitespace characters. Whether, which, and when punctuation marks are permitted in variable names varies from language to language; many languages only permit the underscore ("_") in variable names and forbid all other punctuation. In some programming languages, specific (often punctuation) characters (known as sigils) are prefixed or appended to variable identifiers to indicate the variable's type.

Case-sensitivity of variable names also varies between languages and some languages require the use of a certain case in naming certain entities;[note 1] Most modern languages are case-sensitive; some older languages are not. Some languages reserve certain forms of variable names for their own internal use; in many languages, names beginning with two underscores ("__") often fall under this category.

However, beyond the basic restrictions imposed by a language, the naming of variables is largely a matter of style. At the machine code level, variable names are not used, so the exact names chosen do not matter to the computer. Thus names of variables identify them, for the rest they are just a tool for programmers to make programs easier to write and understand. Using poorly chosen variable names can make code more difficult to review than non-descriptive names, so names which are clear are often encouraged.[3][4]

Programmers often create and adhere to code style guidelines which offer guidance on naming variables or impose a precise naming scheme. Shorter names are faster to type but are less descriptive; longer names often make programs easier to read and the purpose of variables easier to understand. However, extreme verbosity in variable names can also lead to less comprehensible code.


how many students appeared for ntse stage 2 2018

An estimated 9,00,000-10,00,000 students of Class X appear for this scholarship exam every year for the 1st stage from which about 5000 are selected for the Stage 2 examination. It is held every year and aims at screening the most gifted students from the general lot -- the students who have a special aptitude for Sciences, Mathematics, Social Sciences and, above all, questions based on analytical reasoning. The most important aspect of the exam is not the percentage a student scores but where he is placed in the descending order of merit list. This directly relates to one's cognitive skills and reasoning ability.[1]

National Talent Search Examination

National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) is a national-level scholarship program as well as one of the oldest and most prestigious examinations in India conducted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training NCERT at the Secondary school level to identify and recognize students with high intellect and academic talent. Introduced in 1963 with the objective of acknowledging intelligent students and nurturing their talent, the National Talent Search Examination is touted as one of the toughest exams held across India at the high-school level. Merely going through the prescribed school books is not enough to prepare for the exam. The skill-based assessment is based on the syllabi of different central and state education boards, and primarily focuses on measuring how well the students have learned the concepts and skills underlying the school syllabus. The examination is conducted every year at two levels: Stage-I (State Level) and Stage-II (National Level).

This exam has undergone a lot of changes in recent years. Currently, from the year 2012-13, this exam is provided to Class X students only.

This exam is considered a headstart for important exams at undergraduate level like IIT-JEE, NEET etc. Though the score is not needed for the evaluation in these exams, but the score is used by many coaching institutes which provides very high scholarships or free education for the future.

An important decision was taken in the year 2008, when NTSE was opened only to the students of class VIII as against class X.In 2012, NTSE was reopened only for class X students, as against class VIII with the award of scholarships determined on the basis of the candidatesâ€™ scores in the MAT and SAT in the NTSE Second Level examination.

From 2019, the scholarships will be raised to 2000 and the OBC reservation of 27% will be implemented in NTSE.[2]

Mental Ability Test (MAT): It contains 100 questions on Mental Ability. Each correct answer awards +1 mark while there is no negative marking. The maximum marks is 100. The time given for this section is 120 min.

Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT): It contains 40 questions on Social Sciences, 20 questions on Mathematics and 40 questions on Science. Each correct answer awards +1 mark while there is no negative marking. The maximum marks is 100. The time given for this section is 120 min.

All those who qualify NTSE stage 1 are eligible to participate in stage 2.

Students satisfying the following criteria can participate in NTSE:

Reservation: At the national level for Stage-II Examination 15% for Scheduled Castes, 7.5% for Scheduled Tribes and 27% for Other Backward Castes (Non-creamy layer) as per central list available on www.ncbe.nic.in/user panel/centralliststateview.aspx and 4% for Physically Challenged  Students[3]

To be eligible for scholarship, a student qualifying NTSE Stage-2 has to satisfy the following criteria:

The students who will qualify second stage (stage-2) are eligible for the scholarship. The amount of scholarship has been enhanced to Rs.1250 per month for class XI and XII and Rs.2000 per month for students studying under graduate and above. The scholarship is provided immediately after the result. In case students have not received the letter from NCERT after 5 weeks of the declaration of the result, they should contact NCERT for updates. The scholarship is expected to increase up to 4000-5000 in next few years.It was increased to Rs.1250 and Rs.2000 as per the orders in July 2014. The scholarship is independent of the institution or the stream he/she chooses in the future. There are no restrictions like parental income, government school, domicile etc. except for the reasons provided in the eligibility criteria. In case the student moves abroad for studies, the scholarship will no longer be provided.

The syllabus of NTSE is different in both the exams.

The syllabus of the stage 1 examination is taken greatly from the state board books, especially Social Sciences. Concepts related to Science and Mathematics may come from state board books, as well as NCERT books, and may also include topics outside the syllabus.

The syllabus of the stage 2 examination is mostly from the NCERT textbooks. However, topics of higher grades are frequently seen in the papers.The 2nd stage examination is much more difficult than the 1st stage as the questions of both SAT and MAT are difficult and the time is limited.


where is standing stone state park in tennessee

Standing Stone State Park is a state park in Overton County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The park consists of 855 acres (3.46 km2) along the shoreline of the man-made 69-acre (0.28 km2) Standing Stone Lake. The 11,000-acre (45 km2) Standing Stone State Forest surrounds the park.[1]

Standing Stone State Park

The park and forest were developed in the 1930s as part of New Deal-era initiatives to relocate impoverished farmers and restore forests to degraded and heavily eroded lands. The park was named after the Standing Stone, a mysterious rock believed to be of Native American origin or importance that once stood along the old Walton Road at what is now Monterey. The park offers canoeing, camping, lodging, hiking and many other activities.

Standing Stone State Park is situated atop the eastern section of the Highland Rim, a plateau-like upland that surrounds the Nashville Basin. The park is located roughly halfway between the rim's edge along the basin to the west and the higher Cumberland Plateau to the east. The Dale Hollow Lake impoundment of the Obey River dominates the area just a few miles to the north.

Mill Creek, the park's major stream, flows down from its source on Reynolds Mountain (near Allons) to the east and winds its way westward through the hills of northern Overton County before emptying into the Cumberland River. At Standing Stone State Park, the steep ridge upon which the park's main facilities are located briefly pushes the westward-flowing Mill Creek southward through a horseshoe bend. At this bend, two of Mill Creek's tributaries, Morgan Creek and Bryans Fork, join Mill Creek at the southeast and southwest, respectively, to form a natural X-shaped body of water. Standing Stone Dam impounds the creek immediately downstream from the bend, forming the X-shaped Standing Stone Lake. Ridges and high hills rise above the lake on all sides, namely 1,455-foot (443 m) Cooper Mountain to the east and 1,493-foot (455 m) Goodpasture Mountain to the southwest.

Tennessee State Route 136, which runs north-to-south, traverses Standing Stone State Park. The road intersects the east-west Tennessee State Route 85 at the community of Hilham just south of the park and intersects the east-west Tennessee State Route 52 just north of the park. Beyond Hilham, TN-136 continues southward to Cookeville, where it intersects Interstate 40. The town of Livingston, where TN-52 and TN-85 intersect, is just southeast of the park.

Standing Stone State Park is surrounded by Standing Stone State Forest, which is managed by the Tennessee Division of Forestry. Unlike the state park, the state forest does not have recreational facilities, although public access is permitted. The boundary between the state forest and state park is clearly marked with signs, blazes, or ribbons.

When the United States Department of Agriculture acquired the land for Standing Stone State Forest in the 1930s, the forest had been damaged and depleted by forest fires, logging, and poor farming practices such as row cropping. Standing Stone was designated a state forest in 1961, six years after the U.S. government officially deeded the land to the State of Tennessee. The forest consists of 89% upland hardwoods, 6.8% pine, and 4% mixed hardwood and pine. 34% of the trees in the forest are over 80 years old, 48% are between 50 and 80 years old, and 18% are less than 50 years old.[2]

Native Americans were living in substantial semi-permanent villages and rock shelters in Northern Overton County as early as the Archaic period (c. 8000-1000 BC).[3] According to Native American legends, the Overton area was part of a vast region long disputed by Algonquian-speaking tribes (such as the Shawnee) and Iroquoian-speaking tribes (such as the Cherokee).[4] By the time the first Euro-American explorers arrived in Overton County in the mid-18th century, the Cherokee were in control of the area. The Cherokee chief Nettle Carrier operated out of a camp located along the creek that now bears his name a few miles east of the park. Nettle Carrier left the area in the Fall of 1799.[5]

Long hunters, who were among the first Euro-Americans to explore the Middle Tennessee region, were active in the Standing Stone area as early as the 1760s.[6] These hunters were drawn to the region by the Cumberland River, the headwaters of which they followed westward from Virginia. Daniel Boone and Richard Callaway are believed to have camped at the mouth of Mill Creek around 1763.[7] A few years later, a long hunting expedition led by Kasper Mansker camped in the Oak Hill area, near modern Livingston. While at Oak Hill, a member of Mansker's expedition named Robert Crockett was ambushed and killed by hostile Cherokees.[8]

The park's namesake was a mysterious stone which according to the region's earliest pioneers was revered by Native Americans. William Walton discovered the stone at what is now Monterey (appx. 20 miles (32 km) southeast of the park) in the late 1780s while building the Walton Road. The stone originally stood around 10 feet (3.0 m) tall and was shaped like a dog sitting on its hind legs. The purpose of the stone, if any, remains unknown. Some accounts claim that the stone marked the boundary between the territories of the Cherokee and Shawnee, or other Native American tribes. Others say it was a guidepost used by Cherokee hunting parties. Whatever its original purpose, the stone was a well-known landmark for migrants travelling between East and Middle Tennessee in the early 19th century. A community known as "Standing Stone" (later renamed Monterey) developed along the Walton Road in the stone's vicinity. The Standing Stone was dynamited in 1893 to make way for railroad construction. Shortly after it was destroyed, a local society known as the Improved Order of the Redmen retrieved and preserved several pieces of the stone. In 1895, the order placed one of these pieces (which they had engraved) atop a monument at Monterey City Park, where it remains today.[9]

Standing Stone State Park was one of a series of New Deal-era projects of the Works Project Administration and the Resettlement Administration aimed at relocating impoverished farmers living on badly eroded lands and restoring the forests to these lands. Work began in 1935 with a three-fold purposeâ€” relocating farmers in the Mill Creek area, restoring the forest and controlling erosion, and creating recreational opportunities for area residents. The work was carried out by the Resettlement Administration, the WPA, and the Civilian Conservation Corps under the general supervision of the United States Forest Service. The land was leased to the Tennessee Division of State Parks in 1939.[10]

During World War II, development was largely halted and many of the park's facilities fell into disrepair. After the war, the cabins were renovated, the lake was drained and restocked with fish, and a major leak in the dam was repaired. The United States Department of Agriculture officially deeded the land to the State of Tennessee in 1955.[11]

Recreational facilities at Standing Stone State Park include a 36-site campground, 21 cabins ranging from rustic to modern, four group lodges, an Olympic-size pool, multiple picnic areas, and an amphiteatre. Most of these facilities (along with the visitor center) are located atop the steep ridge on the north shore of the lake. The lone exception is Overton Lodge, one of the four group lodges, which is located along the lake's east shore.

Over 8 miles (13 km) of hiking trails are maintained in the park and forest. The most popular trail is the Lake Trail, which descends from the visitor center to Standing Stone Dam and parallels most of the north shore of the lake before reascending to the cabin area. The most substantial trail is the 8-mile (13 km) Cooper Mountain Loop Trail, which circles through several miles of the state forest on the slopes of Cooper Mountain before reentering the state park near Overton Lodge.

The National Rolley Hole Marbles Championship is held every September at Standing Stone State Park. Rolley hole is a type of marbles game popular with marble enthusiasts in the Tennessee-Kentucky region.[12] Other annual events include the Spring Naturalist Rally in April and the Standing Stone Car Show in October.

Standing Stone Lake, looking toward its Bryans Fork embayment

Bridge over Mill Creek connecting the Cooper Mountain and Mill Creek trails

Standing Stone State Park cabin area

Boathouse on Standing Stone Lake

Standing Stone Lake's east shore, near Overton Lodge

View looking northeast across the park from a scenic overlook just off TN-136


who wrote the letter that mrs. ansley believed was from mr. slade twenty years earlier

In the opening pages of the story, the two women compare their daughters and reflect on each other's lives. Eventually, Alida reveals a secret about a letter written to Grace on a visit to Rome many years ago. The letter was purportedly from Alida's fiancÃ©, Delphin, inviting Grace to a rendezvous at the Colosseum. In fact, Alida forged the letter in an attempt to send Grace on a fruitless outing and expose her "delicate throat" to the "deathly cold." Mrs. Ansley is upset at this revelation, but explains that she was not left alone at the Colosseum; she responded to the letter, and Delphin arrived to meet her. Mrs. Ansley then says that she feels sorry for Mrs. Slade, repeating her earlier thoughts. Mrs. Slade states that, while she was "beaten there," Mrs. Ansley ought not to feel sorry for her, because she "had [Delphin] for twenty-five years" while Mrs. Ansley had "nothing but that one letter that he didn't write." Mrs. Ansley responds, in the last sentence of the story, "I had Barbara," implying that Barbara is Delphin's daughter.

Roman Fever

"Roman Fever" is a short story by American writer Edith Wharton. It was first published in Liberty magazine on November 10, 1934.[1]  A revised and expanded version of the story was published in Wharton's 1936 short story collection The World Over.[2]

Grace Ansley and Alida Slade are middle-aged American women visiting Rome with their daughters, Barbara Ansley and Jenny Slade. The women live in Manhattan, New York, and have been friends since they met in Rome twenty-five years ago. A youthful and romantic rivalry led Mrs. Slade to nurture feelings of jealousy and hatred against Mrs. Ansley. For her part, Mrs. Ansley looks down on Mrs. Slade, who she feels has led "a sad life."

The story takes place in the afternoon through sunset, in the city of Rome, at a restaurant overlooking the Forum. Two wealthy, middle-aged, widowed women are visiting Rome with their two unmarried daughters. The setting illustrates the power and class from which the women hail, but the Old Rome context, such as the Colosseum, insinuates Roman Empire-style intrigue. The movement from afternoon to sunset indicates the devastation that both women will receive as the story progresses. The story's flashbacks take place in both Rome and New York City.

Knitting is one several figurative motifs in "Roman Fever."  It is introduced through Barbara's mocking suggestion that she and Jenny "leave the young things," an ironic reference to their mothers, "

Critic Kathleen Wheeler argues that the search for truth is one of the story's primary themes. And while many readers are initially attracted to the story's surprise ending, Wheeler suggests that the story has levels of complexity that are often overlooked on first reading.  "[T]he truth, like the past," Wheeler writes, "is shrouded in mystery."  Rather than focusing on the answers provided by Grace's and Alida's revelations in the story's concluding pages, Wheeler foregrounds the way in which "Wharton forces upon the reader numerous unanswerable questions."[4]

Alida Slade: Middle-aged widow of Delphin Slade. Because such much of her identity is wrapped up in her relationship to her husband, "it was a big drop from being the wife of Delphin Slade to being his widow."

Delphin Slade:  "[A] famous corporation lawyer," and the late husband of Alida. Delphin's "big coup in Wall Street" allowed him to move his family from East 73rd Street to the more fashionable "upper Park Avenue."

Grace Ansley: Middle-aged widow of well-to-do Horace Ansley. She is "smaller and paler" than Mrs. Slade and "evidently far less sure than her companion of herself and of her rights in the world."

Horace Ansley: Late husband of Grace. He and his wife are variously described as "Museum specimens of old New York. Good-looking, irreproachable, exemplary."

Barbara Ansley: Daughter of Grace Ansley. In the opening paragraphs of the story, we hear her "mocking voice in the stairway" as she and Jenny Slade depart.  While the girls' parents contend that they're both "angels," Mrs. Slade suggests that Grace's daughter has "rainbow wings."

Jenny Slade: Daughter of Alida Slade. Younger than Barbara, she is "that rare accident, an extremely pretty girl who somehow made youth and prettiness seem as safe as their absence.  Mrs. Slade wishes "that Jenny would fall in love--with the wrong man, even; that she might have to be watched, out-maneuvered, rescued. And instead, it was Jenny who watched her mother, kept her out of drafts, made sure that she had taken her tonic...."

Headwaiter: Supervising waiter at the terrace restaurant overlooking the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, and other ancient ruins. After receiving a gratuity from Alida Slade, he invites Alida and Grace to remain at the restaurant to enjoy the view.

Son of Alida Slade: Child who "inherited his father's gifts," but "died suddenly in boyhood."

Harriet: Deceased great-aunt of Grace. According to a story handed down, Harriet and her sister loved the same man. To get rid of her sister, Harriet supposedly tricked her into exposing herself to Roman fever. She later died of the disease.

Power struggle for those in the upper classes: Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley vie for engagement to Mr. Slade. The eventual Mrs. Slade tries to remove Mrs. Ansley from the picture with a false letter inviting the latter to a night rendezvous. While the plan backfires for Mrs. Slade because her eventual husband actually meets with Mrs. Ansley, Mrs. Slade still marries her beau, but it seems the soon-to-be Mrs. Ansley actually bears Mr. Slade's daughter, Barbara.

Betrayal and deception: The two main characters use subterfuge and machination in order to improve their engagement prospects as youths.

Grudges: And in their middle age, Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley introduce decades-old surprises, unexpected in characters so similar in proximity, age, and class.

Grace feels sorry for Alida, while Alida envies Grace.  The women "visualize each other, each through the wrong end of her little telescope." Only through the sharing of their two perspectives do they begin to see a fuller picture of their past.

Almost universally praised by critics, "Roman Fever" earned a place in An Edith Wharton Treasury (1950)[5] and The Best Short Stories of Edith Wharton (1958)[6].  It is the title story of Roman Fever and Other Stories[7], a collection of Wharton's writing originally published in 1964 and still in print. Widely thought to be one of Wharton's most anthologized stories, "Roman Fever" is the subject of numerous critical studies as outlined in the partial bibliography provided below.

Barrett, Dorothea. “Lions, Christians, and Gladiators: Colosseum Imagery in Henry James's Daisy Miller and Edith Wharton's ‘Roman Fever.’” Remember Henry James Conference, March 2014, Florence, Italy. Conference Presentation.

Bauer, Dale M. “‘Roman Fever’: A Rune of History.” Edith Wharton’s Brave New Politics. Madison: U of Wisconsin P, 1994. 145-164.

Berkove, Lawrence I. “‘Roman Fever’: A Mortal Malady.” The CEA Critic 56.2 (Winter 1994): 56-60.

Bowlby, Rachel. "Edith Wharton's 'Roman Fever,'" University College, London, England, 12 April 2005.  Lecture.

---. “‘I had Barbara’: Women’s Ties and Wharton’s ‘Roman Fever.’” Differences: A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies 17.3 (Fall 2006): 37-51.

Clavaron, Yves. “Rome: Où S’Attrapent la Maladie de L’Amour et la Maladie de la Mort.” Poétique des Lieux. Edited by Pascale Auraix-Jonchière and Alain Montandon. Clermont-Ferrand, France: Presses Universitaires Blaise Pascal, 2004. 77 - 83.

Comins, Barbara. “‘Outrageous Trap’: Envy and Jealousy in Wharton’s ‘Roman Fever’ and Fitzgerald’s ‘Bernice Bobs Her Hair.’” Edith Wharton Review 17.1 (Spring 2001): 9-12.

Edwards, Laura. “‘I Had Barbara’: Wharton’s Portrayl of the Maternal Declaration.” The Maternal Question: Motherhood in Edith Wharton.  A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts.  2005.  23-37. http://repository.lib.ncsu.edu/ir/bitstream/1840.16/191/1/etd.pdf

Ellison, Kristie L., "Make War, Not Love: Exploring Female Equality in Edith Wharton's 'Roman Fever.' Edith Wharton in Washington, Conference Abstract. Edith Wharton Review 32.1-2 (2016): 111.

Formichella Elsden, Annamaria  “Roman Fever Revisited.”  Roman Fever: Domesticity and Nationalism in Nineteenth-Century American Women’s Writing.  Columbus:  Ohio State U P, 2004. 119 - 132.

Gawthrop, Betty. “Roman Fever.”  Masterplots:  Short Story Series. Ed. Frank Magill. Vol. 5. Pasadena:  Salem Press, 1986. 1974-1977.

Gill, Linda L. “Structuralism and Edith Wharton’s ‘Roman Fever’.” Short Stories in the Classroom. Eds. Carole Hamilton and Peter Kratzke. Urbana: National Council of Teachers of English, 1999. 85-93.

Griffin, Larry D. “Doubles and Doubling in Edith Wharton’s ‘Roman Fever.’” Texas Wesleyan University, Fort Worth, Texas, February 2, 1990. Lecture.

Hefko, Daniel. “Adapting ‘Roman Fever.’” Edith Wharton in Washington, Conference Abstract. Edith Wharton Review 32.1-2 (2016): 115 - 116.

Hemm, Ashley, "Countering Traditional Mating Strategies: Female Serial Monogamy in Edith Wharton's 'The Other Two' and 'Roman Fever.'" Edith Wharton in Washington, Conference Abstract. Edith Wharton Review 32.1-2 (2016): 116.

Herman, David. "Narration and Knowledge in Edith Wharton's 'Roman Fever.'" Invited presentation for the University of Virginia's Department of English; April 2003.

Hoeller, Hildegard. "The Illegitimate Excess of Motherhood in 'The Old Maid,' 'Her Son,' and 'Roman Fever.'" Edith Wharton's Dialogue with Realism and Sentimental Fiction. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2000. 140-172.

Klevay, Robert. “Edith Wharton’s ‘Roman Fever,' Or the Revenge of Daisy Miller.” Critical Insights: Edith Wharton. Ed. Myrto Drizou. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2017. 171 - 185.

Koprince, Susan. “Edith Wharton, Henry James, and ‘Roman Fever.’” Journal of the Short Story in English (Autumn 1995): 21-31.

Macheski, Cecilia. “Visualizing Material Culture in Ethan Frome and ‘Roman Fever.’” Presentation at the Edith Wharton and History Conference. June 27, 2008. Pittsfield, Mass.

Mizener, Arthur. “Roman Fever.” A Handbook of Analyses, Questions, and a Discussion of Technique for Use with Modern Short Stories: The Uses of Imagination. 4th ed.  New York: W. W. Norton, 1979.  71-77.

Mortimer, Armine Kotin.  “Romantic Fever: The Second Story as Illegitimate Daughter in Wharton’s ‘Roman Fever’.”  Narrative 6.2 (May 1998): 188-198.

Osborne, Kristen, and A. Boghani. Roman Fever and Other Stories (Classic Notes). Lexington: GradeSaver LLC. 2014.

Pennell, Melissa McFarland. "Roman Fever." Student Companion to Edith Wharton. Westport: Greenwood Press, 2003. 51 - 54.

Petry, Alice Hall. “A Twist of Crimson Silk: Edith Wharton’s ‘Roman Fever’.” Studies in Short Fiction 24.2 (1987): 163-166.

Phelan, James. “Narrative as Rhetoric and Edith Wharton’s 'Roman Fever': Progression, Configuration, and the Ethics of Surprise.” The Blackwell Companion to Rhetoric, ed. Wendy Olmstead and Walter Jost. Malden: Blackwell, 2004. 340 - 354.

---. "Progressing toward Surprise: Edith Wharton's 'Roman Fever.'" Experiencing Fiction: Judgments, Progressions, and the Rhetorical Theory of Narrative.  Columbus: Ohio State UP, 2007.  95 - 108.

Price, Alan. “‘Stand Up, Mrs. Ansley, Stand Up’: Positions of Power in ‘Roman Fever.’” Edith Wharton in Florence Conference. June 8, 2012. Conference Presentation.

Rehder, Jessie. “On the Uses of Plot.” The Story at Work: An Anthology.” Ed. Jessie Rehder. New York: The Odyssey Press, 1963. 151.

Selina, Jamil S.  “Wharton’s ‘Roman Fever.’” The Explicator 65.2 (Winter 2007): 99-101.

Shaffer-Koros, Carole M. “Nietzsche, German Culture and Edith Wharton.” Edith Wharton Review 20.2 (Fall 2004): 7-10.

---.  “Roman Fever.” The Facts on File Companion to the American Short Story. Ed. Abby Werlock. New York:  Facts on File, 2000.  370-71.

Salzman, Jack, Pamela Wilkinson, et al. “Slade, Alida.” Major Characters in American Fiction. New York: Henry Holt, 1994. 720.

Sapora, Carol. “A Stereopticon View of Edith Wharton’s ‘Roman Fever’.” NEMLA Conference, 1989. Conference Presentation.

Saunders, Judith P. "The Old Maid and 'Roman Fever': Female Mate Choice and Competition Among Women." Reading Edith Wharton Through a Darwinian Lens: Evolutionary Biological Issues in Her Fiction. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, 2009.  139 - 166.

Stoner, Ruth.  “The Perfect Short Story: How Edith Wharton’s 'Roman Fever' Has Crossed the Boundaries of Time.” The Short Story in English: Crossing Boundaries. Eds. Gema Castillo García, Rosa Cabellos Castilla, Juan Antonio Sánchez Jiménez, Vincent Carlisle Espinola. Alcalá de Henares: Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Alcalá, 2006. 920-931.

Sweeney, Susan Elizabeth. “Edith Wharton’s Case of Roman Fever.” Wretched Exotic: Essays on Edith Wharton in Europe. Ed. Katherine Joslin and Alan Price. New York: Peter Lang, 1993. 313 - 331.

Tuttleton, James W., Kristin O. Lauer, Margaret P. Murray, eds. "The World Over." Edith Wharton: The Contemporary Reviews. New York: Cambridge UP, 1992.  531 - 538.

Wankey, Stan. “Wharton Hears a WHO.” EastWesterly Review 12 (Summer 2003): <http://www.postmodernvillage.com/eastwest/issue12/12a-0002.html>.

Wheeler, Kathleen. “The Attack on Realism: Edith Wharton’s In Morocco and ‘Roman Fever.’” “Modernist” Women Writers and Narrative Art. New York: New York UP, 1994. 77-98.

Wright, Sarah Bird. "Roman Fever." Edith Wharton A to Z: The Essential Guide to the Life and Work. New York: Facts on File, 1998.  215.

KPFA broadcast a radio adaptation of "Roman Fever" in September 1964, starring Pat Franklin and Shirley Medina, adapted and directed by Erik Bauersfeld.[8] Hugh Leonard's one-act adaptation of "Roman Fever" was first staged in Dublin in 1983.[9] Robert Ward's opera adaptation premiered in 1993 at Duke University.[10] Hungarian composer Gyula Fekete's opera Roman Fever premiered in 1996 at Budapest's Merlin Theatre.

An extensive accounting of the story's adaptation history can be found by consulting the scholarship of Scott Marshall (1998)[11], Hermione Lee (2008)[12], and Daniel Hefko (2016)[13].


a bird that spend most of its lifetime in air

Swifts have very short legs which they use primarily for clinging to vertical surfaces (hence the German name Mauersegler, literally meaning "wall-glider"). They never settle voluntarily on the ground, where they would be vulnerable to accidents and predation, and non-breeding individuals may spend up to ten months in continuous flight.[3]

Common swift

The common swift (Apus apus) is a medium-sized bird, superficially similar to the barn swallow or house martin but somewhat larger, though not stemming from those passerine species, being in the order Apodiformes. The resemblances between the groups are due to convergent evolution, reflecting similar contextual development. The swifts' nearest relatives are thought[by whom?] to be the New World hummingbirds and the Southeast Asian treeswifts.

Its scientific name Apus is Latin for a swift, thought by the ancients to be a type of swallow with no feet (from Ancient Greek α, a, "without", and πούς, pous, "foot").[2]

The common swift was one of the many species described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He introduced the binomial name Hirundo apus.[4] The current genus Apus was erected by the Italian naturalist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 1777 based on tautonymy.[5][6] The word apus is the Latin word for a swift. It is derived from the Ancient Greek α, a, "without", and πούς, pous, "foot", based on the belief that these birds were a form of swallow that lacked feet.[2]

The predecessor of the Central European subspecies which lived during the last ice age has been described as Apus apus palapus.

Common swifts are 16–17 cm (6.3–6.7 in) long with a wingspan of 38–40 cm (15–16 in)[7] and entirely blackish-brown except for a small white or pale grey patch on their chins which is not visible from a distance. They have a short forked tail and very long swept-back wings that resemble a crescent or a boomerang.

Their call is a loud scream in two different tone pitches, the higher of which issues from the female. They often form'screaming parties' during summer evenings, when 10â€“20 swifts will gather in flight around their nesting area, calling out and being answered by nesting swifts. Larger "screaming parties" are formed at higher altitudes, especially late in the breeding season. The purpose of these parties is uncertain, but may include ascending to sleep on the wing, while still breeding adults tend to spend the night in the nest.[citation needed]

Swifts may nest in former woodpecker tree burrows found in ancient forests, such as some 600 reported nesting in the Białowieża Forest of North Eastern Poland, or the small colony found in a combination of woodpecker holes and tree nestboxes on the RSPB's reserve at the Caledonian Forest in Abernethy, Scotland. While tree holes and cliffs may have comprised their historic nesting resource, the almost complete removal of ancient forest from their nesting range has resulted in adaptation to man-made sites. Swifts build their nests of air-borne material caught in flight, bonded with their saliva, in suitable buildings hollows, such as under tiles, in gaps beneath window sills, and most typically under eaves and within gables.

Swifts form pairs that may couple for years, and often return to the same nesting site and partner year after year, repairing degradation suffered in their 40-week migratory absence. Insects such as clothes moths, carpet and larder beetles may consume all but the most indigestible nest elements, typically feather shafts.

Young nesting swifts are able to survive for a few days without food by dropping their body temperature and metabolic rate, entering a torpid state.

Except when nesting, swifts spend their lives in the air, living on the insects caught in flight; they drink, feed, and often mate and sleep on the wing.[7] Some individuals go 10 months without landing.[3]  No other bird spends as much of its life in flight. Their maximum horizontal flying speed is 111.6Â km/h.[8] Over a lifetime they can cover millions of kilometers.[9]

Feeding parties can be very large in insect-rich areas, such as wetlands. Reports of as many as 2000 swifts feeding over flooded gravel pits, lakes and marshy river deltas are not uncommon, and may represent an ingress of swifts from within as much as a 100 km (62 mi) radius; swifts nesting in Western Scotland are thought to venture to Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland to feed on the abundant and nutritious "Lough Neagh Fly".

Common swifts nest in a wider variety of sites than any other species of Apus. Swifts usually nest in buildings but they can also be found nesting in holes in trees, cliffs and crevices, and even in nestboxes. Swifts usually enter their nesting holes with direct flight, and take-off is characterized by an initial free-fall. Empty cavities are shallower than those with nests, and the entry size is smaller in the former than in the latter.[10]

Common swifts are migratory. Their summer breeding range runs from Portugal and Ireland in the West across to China and Siberia in the East. They breed as far south as Northern Africa (in Morocco and Algeria), with a presence in the Middle East in Israel, Lebanon and Syria, the Near East across Turkey, and the whole of Europe as far north as Norway, Finland, and most of sub-Arctic Russia. Swifts migrate to Africa by a variety of routes, ending up in Equatorial and Sub-Equatorial Africa, excluding the Cape. Common swifts do not breed on the Indian Subcontinent.

Subjects of a geolocator tracking study demonstrated that swifts breeding in Sweden winter in the Congo region of Africa.[11] Swifts spend 3â€“3 1/2 months in Africa and a similar time breeding - the rest is spent on the wing, flying home or away. Unsuccessful breeders, fledglings, and sexually immature year-old birds are the first to leave their breeding area. Breeding males follow next, and finally the breeding females. The breeding females stay longer in the nest to rebuild their fat reserves. The time of departure is often determined by the light cycle, and begins at the first day of less than 17 hours light. For this reason, birds further north, for instance in Finland, leave later in the second half of August. These latecomers are rushed through the quickly shortening days in Central Europe and are barely seen by bird watchers.

The prevailing direction of travel through Central Europe is south-by-southwest, and so the Alps do not present a barrier. In bad weather, the swifts follow rivers, because they can find a better food supply there. The population of Western and Central Europe traverses the Iberian peninsula and northwestern Africa. Swifts from Russia and southeastern Europe made a long journey over the eastern part of the Mediterranean. It is unclear where the two groups meet. The western group of swifts mostly follow the Atlantic coastline of Africaâ€”otherwise they would have to cross the Sahara. Once they arrive at the humid savanna, they turn southeast to arrive at their winter feeding grounds. During the summer in Africa, there is a great bounty of insects for the swifts, since the region lies in the Intertropical Convergence Zone. The swifts have a nearly unbroken presence in the sky.

A few swifts, usually some of the sexually immature one year olds, remain in Africa. The majority fly northwards through Africa, then turn east towards their destinations. The birds use low pressure fronts during their spring migrations to exploit the southwestern flow of warm air, and on the return trip, ride northeastern winds on the back of the low pressure fronts.

In Central Europe, the swifts return in the second half of April and the first third of May, and like to stay in lowlands and near water rather than in high places. In more northerly regions, the swifts arrive later. The weather along the journey has an enormous influence on the arrival date, so in one region the swifts may come back at varying times year to year.

The barn swallow and house martin hunt for airborne insects in a manner similar to that of the slightly larger swift, and occasionally mixed groups of the species form. The most noticeable differences between the three types are:

Swift nests commonly support populations of the chewing louse Dennyus hirundinis and the lousefly Crataerina pallida.[12]

The heraldic bird known as the "martlet", which is represented without feet, may have been based on the swift, but is generally assumed to refer to the house martin; it was used for the arms of younger sons, perhaps because it symbolized their landless wandering.


the 2018 asia cup has been relocated from india to which country

Originally, the tournament was scheduled to be played in India.[3][4] It was moved to the United Arab Emirates, following ongoing political tensions between India and Pakistan.[1]

2018 Asia Cup

The 2018 Asia Cup will be a One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament scheduled to be held in the United Arab Emirates in September 2018.[1] It will be the 14th edition of the Asia Cup and the third time the tournament will be played in the United Arab Emirates, after the 1984 and 1995 tournaments. India are the defending champions.[2]

On 29 October 2015, following the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting in Singapore, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary stated that the 2018 edition of the tournament would be held in India.[5] In August 2017, the BCCI sought government clearance to host the tournament, after the 2017 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup was moved to Malaysia.[6] In April 2018, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, asked if the BCCI and ACC would consider hosting the tournament in Abu Dhabi, in a bid to ensure Pakistan's participation.[7]

Pakistan were scheduled to host the 2018 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup ahead of the tournament in April.[8] With the announcement that the Asia Cup would be played in the United Arab Emirates, the Emerging Teams Asia Cup was moved to December 2018, with Sri Lanka scheduled to co-host the tournament with Pakistan.[1]

The schedule and format of the tournament was announced on 24 July 2018, with the six teams split into two groups of three.[9] The top two teams from each of the groups will then progress to the Super Four section of the tournament.[9] From there, the top two teams of the Super Four section will then play each other in the final.[9] Bangladesh will take on Sri Lanka in the opening game of the tournament at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.[10]


how many football teams are there in france

The top two divisions of French football, Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, are governed by the Ligue de Football Professionnel. The league is responsible for overseeing, organizing, and managing the top two leagues and is also responsible for the 46 professional football clubs that contest football in France (20 in Ligue 1, 20 in Ligue 2, and 6 in the Championnat National).[8][9][10]

Football in France

Association football[1] is the most popular sport in France, followed by rugby union.[2] The Fédération Française de Football is the national governing body and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of association football in the country, both professional and amateur.[3][4] The federation organizes the Coupe de France and is responsible for appointing the management of the men's, women's and youth national football teams in France. The federation gives responsibility of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 to the Ligue de Football Professionnel who oversee, organize, and manage the country's top two leagues. The LFP is also responsible for organizing the Coupe de la Ligue, the country's league cup competition. The French Football Federation also supervises the overseas departments and territories leagues and hosts football club AS Monaco, a club based in the independent sovereign state of Monaco. In 2006, the FFF had 2,143,688 licenses, with over 1,850,836 registered players and 18,194 registered clubs.[5]

The first football club was introduced to France in 1863, as described in a newspaper article by The Scotsman, which stated "A number of English gentlemen living in Paris have lately organised a football club... The football contests take place in the Bois de Boulogne, by permission of the authorities and surprise the French amazingly."[6] Modern football was introduced nine years later in 1872 by English sailors playing in Le Havre in 1872.[7]

Ligue 1 is the French professional league for football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Ligue 2. Ligue 1 is one of the top national leagues, currently ranked fifth in Europe behind the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A, and the German Fußball-Bundesliga. Ligue 1 was inaugurated on 11 September 1932 under the name National before switching to Division 1 after a year of existence. The name lasted until 2002 before switching to its current name. The current champions of France are AS Monaco.

Ligue 2 is the second division of French football. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Championnat National. The league was created in 1934, a year after Ligue 1 and consisted of 23 clubs that were divided into two groups, Nord and Sud.

The Championnat National is the third division of French football. Though the league has several clubs that are members of the Ligue de Football Professionnel, it is not governed by the organization primarily because of the LFP's refusal to divide its profits into smaller shares, so they can collaborate with the many amateur clubs in the league to help them become professional. The French Football Federation moderates the league, which was founded in 1993 under the name National 1. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Championnat de France amateur.

The Championnat de France amateur, commonly referred to as simply CFA, is a football league in France. The league is the fourth division of French football and normally features 72 football clubs. Most clubs that participate in the league are amateur clubs (hence the league name), but a small number of clubs are semi-professional. The CFA consists of 72 clubs spread into 4 parallel groups of 18. It is open to the best reserve teams in France and amateur clubs in France, although only the amateur clubs are eligible for promotion to the Championnat National. The highest-placed amateur team in each pool are promoted, replaced by the 4 lowest-placed in the Championnat National.

The Championnat de France amateur 2, known as CFA 2, is run similarly to its predecessor. It is the 5th highest league in French football and is made up of 128 teams in 8 groups of 16 teams. Twelve teams, the teams (both amateur and reserves of professional teams in higher divisions) that top their league, along with 4 second-placed teams, are promoted to the CFA.

Amateur football in France is organized and managed by the Ligue du Football Amateur. The LFA, under the watch of the French Football Federation, is responsible for administering and federating the actions of the regional and district leagues beginning with the Division d'Honneur all the way down to the lower divisions of the departmental districts. The LFA takes up all issues related to the national non-professional leagues and districts.[11]

Women's football in France consists of three divisions, Division 1 Féminine, Division 2 Féminine, and Division 3 Féminine. The D1 Féminine is the top league for women's association football clubs in France. It is the female equivalent to the men's Ligue 1 and is contested by 12 clubs. The league operates on a system of promotion and relegation with lower leagues and is governed by the French Football Federation, who resurrected the women's league in 1974.

The leagues based in the overseas departments and territories of France are run by their respective associations under the watch of the French Football Federation. Under the rules of the FFF, clubs in the leagues are allowed to participate in confederation competitions based on their regional locations. For example, the champion of the Réunion Premier League is allowed inclusion into the CAF Champions League.

The two most important cup competitions in France are the Coupe de France and the Coupe de la Ligue. However, several other national cups are targeted at clubs at different levels.

The following teams have qualified for elimination rounds in the UEFA Champions League.

The France national football team represents France in international football.[12] France was one of the four European teams that participated at the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and are one of eight national teams to have won the competition, which they did in 1998 when they hosted the Cup. They defeated Brazil 3â€“0 in the final. Following France's 2001 Confederations Cup victory, they became, along with Argentina, the only national teams to win the three most important men's titles organized by FIFA: the FIFA World Cup, the FIFA Confederations Cup, and the Olympic Tournament.

The France women's national football team represents the country in international women's football. The France women's national team initially struggled on the international stage failing to qualify for three of the first FIFA Women's World Cups and the six straight UEFA European Championships before reaching the quarter-finals in the 1997 edition of the competition. However, since the beginning of the new millennium, France have become a mid-tier national team and one of the most consistent in Europe having qualified for their first-ever FIFA Women's World Cup in 2003 and reaching the quarter-finals in two of the three European Championships held since 2000.

The France national youth football teams consists of age-specific national teams beginning with the France national under-16 football team and ending with the France national under-21 football team. Since the coaching tenure of Aimé Jacquet, there is an unwritten rule among senior national team coaches that players called up to the national team must have had prior international experience with the under-21 team.

The following overseas department national teams act as feeder teams for the French national football team. All teams are run by their respective federation under the authority of the French Football Federation.

As an overseas department of the French Republic, each national team is not a member of FIFA, therefore they are not eligible to enter the World Cup. However, since inhabitants of the overseas departments are French citizens, players are eligible to play for the French national football team. Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Martin, and the French Guiana are associate members of CONCACAF and are full members of the Caribbean Football Union, and are thus eligible for all competitions organized by both, while RÃ©union are associate members of CAF. Indeed, according to the status of the FFF (article 34, paragraph 6): "[...]Under the control of related continental confederations, and with the agreement of the FFF, those leagues can organize international sport events at a regional level or set up teams in order to participate to them."

A special rule of the CONCACAF Gold Cup only allows players to join the team if they have not played for France during the past five years. On the other side, any player joining the team is allowed to join the French national team afterward with no time restrictions.

The use of overseas department players have been extremely beneficial with regards to the French national team. Lilian Thuram and Bernard Lama, who were born in Guadeloupe and Martinique, respectively, were a part of the winning team at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Also on the team were Thierry Henry and Bernard Diomède, who, though born in metropolitan France, were descendants of parents from overseas departments. Currently, Florent Malouda (French Guiana), William Gallas, Mikaël Silvestre, Michaël Ciani (Guadeloupe), Nicolas Anelka (Martinique), and Guillaume Hoarau and Florent Sinama Pongolle (Réunion) are members of the national team who either hail from or families hail from the overseas departments.


are office depot and staples the same company

On February 4, 2015, it was announced that rival Staples had agreed to purchase Office Depot in a cash and stock deal worth approximately $6.3 billion. However, in December 2015, the Federal Trade Commission voted to block the merger.[6] On May 10, 2016, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia granted the FTC a preliminary injunction against the merger. After the ruling, Office Depot and Staples announced termination of their proposed merger.[7]

Office Depot

Office Depot, Inc. is an American office supply retailing company headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, United States. The company has combined annual sales of approximately $14 billion and employs about 66,000 associates with businesses in 59 countries. The company operates 2,200 retail stores, e-commerce sites and a business-to-business sales organization. The companyâ€™s portfolio of brands includes Office Depot, OfficeMax, Grand & Toy, Viking Direct, Ativa, TUL, Foray, Realspace, and DiVOGA.[2]

Office Depot was founded in October 1986 by F. Patrick Sher, the former chairman and chief executive officer; Stephen Dougherty, the president; and Jack Kopkin, the executive vice president. All three were formerly associated with Mr. HOW Warehouse, a home improvement company that Sher sold to Service Merchandise in 1983. The company opened its first store at Lakes Mall in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida in October 1986.[3]

On February 20, 2013, it was announced that Office Depot and OfficeMax would combine in an all-stock deal, pending regulatory approval and stockholder approval.[4] On November 5, 2013, the merger was completed.[5]

This is a list of related events and milestones:

Office Depot has structured its environmental strategy around three concepts: Buying Green, Being Green, and Selling Green.[24] Initiatives supporting this strategy include the following below:

In 2005, Office Depot became a partner of NASCAR, with the title “Official Office Products Partner of NASCAR”.[33][34] In the same year, Office Depot signed on as the primary sponsor of the #99 Ford Fusion, owned by Roush Fenway Racing and previously driven by Carl Edwards. They sponsored Edwards until the end of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

In 2008, Office Depot announced that it would become the co-primary sponsor for Tony Stewart and the No. 14 Chevrolet at Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009.[35] In September 2012, Office Depot announced it would not renew sponsorship with Tony Stewart or Stewart-Haas Racing.[36]

In 2012, Office Depot partnered with the Born This Way Foundation, which was started by Lady Gaga to sell limited edition office supplies and give 25% (1/4) of the money earned to the organization.[37][38]


who is the kid on the cover of american beauty/american psycho

The "American Beauty" half of the album's title comes from the album by the Grateful Dead and the 1999 film. The "American Psycho" half references the book by Bret Easton Ellis and the subsequent 2000 film.[21] The album artwork features a teenage boy (Jake Karlen) with stars and stripes painted on half of his face, standing in front of a white apartment. Karlen auditioned to model for the cover; the photoshoot took place in Los Angeles. Karlen said, " They wanted to see something very dark and angry, very angry. I think I pulled it off. I think I did pretty good."[32]

American Beauty/American Psycho

American Beauty/American Psycho (sometimes abbreviated as AB/AP)[5] is the sixth studio album by American rock band Fall Out Boy, released on January 16, 2015  through Island Records as the follow-up to the band's comeback album Save Rock and Roll (2013). The band wrote music while on tour with Paramore mid-2014 and it developed into a new album.

The album's release was preceded by the 4Ã— Platinum top 10 lead single "Centuries", released September 9, 2014 while the album was still being completed. The album's title track was released as the second single in the UK on December 15, 2014, receiving a radio premiere a month before on November 24, 2014. American Beauty/American Psycho debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 album chart, with 218,000 album-equivalent units in its first week alone and becoming the band's third No. 1 album,[6] later being certified gold UK and Canada. On March 1, 2016, the album was certified platinum in the US for 1 million units.[7]

In support of the record, Fall Out Boy played at Soundwave in Australia, made TV appearances, and have embarked two concert tours: the American Beauty/American Psycho Tour, the Boys of Zummer Tour, and the Wintour. On October 30, a remix album entitled Make America Psycho Again was released with a different rapper on each song, which drew in over 13,000 equivalent copies in its debut week.[8]

Fall Out Boy began writing for their sixth studio album in the summer of 2014 while still promoting their previous release Save Rock and Roll (2013) on the Monumentour concert tour with fellow American band Paramore. Recording began soon after, with the track "Centuries" being the first songs to be written and recorded. By late November, all the songs were written and the album was 80% complete but still needed finishing.[9] While making their previous album, the band was just beginning to realise that music recording methods have differed since their hiatus, but have fully embraced the changes for recording American Beauty/American Psycho.[9] Producer Jake Sinclair made the band realise that parts recorded as demos on laptops are able to make it to the final product.[9]

Since the release of "Centuries", the band stated that the album could be released as early as "early 2015".[10] Regarding its sound, bassist Pete Wentz described the new material as "David versus Goliath", as Wentz stated: "[Brian Hiatt] tweeted[,] “[The] problem with modern rock is it [isn't modern,]” something [I] and we had been feeling in general. [Rock] should not be relegated to a quaint little corner of Guitar Center for dads to find. [In] reaching out to SebastiAn we wanted to make something that was a throwback instead futuristic."[11] According to Patrick Stump, "All I can say is, some people will love it. Some people will hate it. The four of us like it a lot, so we're happy".[12]

The album's sound has been described as pop,[13][14][15][16] pop punk,[17][18][19] and pop rock.[20] The band felt influences from playing with different artists and expanded on boundaries further than Save Rock and Roll did.[9] Stump's goal was to make a more stylistically cohesive album than Save Rock and Roll,[21] "where you pick any track and it sounds like it’s from the same album".[22] He wanted an album that "understood what it was the whole time".[23] Meanwhile, Wentz was focused on making rock music relevant to pop culture (and thus requiring radio play) that could also be played in big venues;[9] maintaining their legacy as a "big currently relevant rock band."[21] Wentz said, "Rock ’n’ roll is this progressive idea, [with] room to be dangerous and futuristic. To think it's this idea that has to be set in stone is just, like, making it not only not dangerous but this quaint little thing. It's not what it is to me. To fence yourself into this little area and chain yourself to the doghouse has never been what I thought rock music was."[9] Guitarist Joe Trohman said of the album, "Musically, it has hip hop grooves with guitars on it," with "more in your face guitar than Save Rock and Roll".[23] In an industry increasingly focused on singles, Stump still regards the music album as an important form of art—"I put a ton of thought into this new record, making sure it was an experience where the running order matters and the keys and tempo and everything. It all matters to me because records still matter to me."[23]

"Centuries" contains a sample of the song "Tom's Diner" by Suzanne Vega re-recorded by American singer Lolo for the track,[24][25][26] which Stump described as "a tip of the hat" to, as the band wanted to "re-inject" it into pop culture. The song "American Beauty/American Psycho" samples Motley Crüe's song "Too Fast for Love".[21] Annie Zaleski of Alternative Press described it as a "mix of fluid grooves, punky riffs and outré pop sensibilities."[9] The title track is Patrick Stump's favorite track from the album; he stated, "It's the right level of artistically interesting, but also just fun."[27] The track "Uma Thurman" is named after the American actress, and samples The Munsters's theme song. Thurman heard the song and allowed the band to legally use her name.[28] "Irresistible" is an "arena-rocking"[29] horn-driven song about deadly love, with lyricist Pete Wentz drawing inspiration from the fatal attraction between Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen.[30] The track "Fourth of July" includes a heavy sample of the song "Lost It To Trying" by Son Lux from the 2013 album Lanterns. "Twin Skeleton's (Hotel in NYC)" contains a psychedelic bridge.[23]

As the band's primary lyricist, Wentz felt that he had "more perspective" on his personal life to write more about it. "The idea behind some of the songs is addressing modern love or what's going on with my head and my life [more] than Save Rock and Roll did. I think Save Rock and Roll was a little more broader when it came to that."[31] "Centuries" was written with the aim to inspire.[2] Some topical issues including the 2014 Ferguson unrest are addressed.[9] Wentz stated, "as an artist that has a platform, thereâ€™s certain things that if you believe, you should say."[22] However, he restated that Fall Out Boy is not a political band.[9]

On November 24, 2014, the band announced the album's title and release details for January 20, 2015.[33] They next played it on The Ellen DeGeneres Show with Suzanne Vega as a special guest on October 29, 2014.[34] The band performed "Centuries" on The Voice's season finale with contestant Matt McAndrew in December 2014.[35] The band also performed "Centuries" at the People's Choice Awards on January 7, 2015, which Billboard called the "most memorable" performance of the night.[36][37] To begin their album release week television blitz, the band played "Centuries" on the morning The Today Show[38] and again on the late night talk show The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on 21 January.[39][40] A guest appearance on the morning talk show Live! with Kelly and Michael was televised on January 23. On January 25, 2015 the band performed at the National Hockey League All-Star Game exhibition event.[41] A performance for troops at Luke Air Force Base as a pre-Super Bowl event was set for January 30 to air live on VH1.[42] Fall Out Boy starred in a Pepsi TV ad which aired during the 57th Grammy Awards, performing "Uma Thurman" in record-pressing plant.[43][44] Fall Out Boy performed "Centuries" and "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)" on CBS's The Talk on March 12 and it aired in Australia on March 29.[45] In early April the band performed "Immortals" on Japanese TV show Sukkiri!! ( スッキリ!!). Fall Out Boy will be the first inductees to the "Hall of Wood" at the 2015 MtvU Woodie Awards and will also perform. They had won the Streaming Woodie award for "Grand Theft Autumn" at the first ceremony in 2004.[46]

The band played several shows in support of the record, such as at the Soundwave in Australia and a headlining performance in a stadium at RodeoHouston. Moreover, the band planned a world tour, consisting of more than 50 dates across North America and Europe. The American leg will be co-headlining with American rapper Wiz Khalifa under the name The Boys of Zummer. The second American leg of the tour was announced October 2015, for Wintour. It began February 25th 2016, in Puerto Rico and ended on March 27 in San Francisco, California. Wintour was co-headlined with PVRIS and AWOLNATION, with a few other special guests during different dates.

The American Beauty / American Psycho touring cycle ended August 28, 2016 at the Reading and Leeds Festival. The show had a special clip of an upcoming short film called 'Bloom'. The show was performed with pyromaniacs and acrobatics.

"Centuries" was released as the album's lead single on September 8, 2014 and peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in its 20th week. It reached No. 13 on Mainstream Top 40[47] and No. 4 on Alternative Songs[48] as a crossover success. A gladiator-style music video directed by Syndrome was later released on October 14, 2014 and features a cameo from American rapper Rick Ross.

The title track premiered on BBC Radio 1 on November 24, 2014 and released a month later on December 15, 2014 as the album's second UK single.[49] Its music video also premiered the same day.[50][51]
"Uma Thurman" was released to United States modern rock radio as the album's third single week ending February 10, 2015.[3] On January 12, it was released for digital download as the third promotional song and overall the fifth preceding American Beauty/American Psycho, and reached the top position on iTunes.[52][53][54] "Irresistible" was released as the third UK single, and its music video was released on February 19, 2015.[55]

"Immortals" was released on October 14, 2014 and is featured in the 2014 Walt Disney Animation Studios film Big Hero 6. Disney asked the band to write and perform the song for the film's sequence in which the Big Hero 6 team is transformed from a group of super smart individuals to a band of high-tech heroes. An alternative version is featured on the album.

As part of a pre-order deal on iTunes, the song "The Kids Aren't Alright" was additionally released as a promotional single on December 15, 2014.[56] The full album track listing and artwork was also revealed with the preorder.[57] Two additional digital songs were announced for January 5 and January 12 respectively.[58] The first, "Irresistible", immediately debuted at No. 1 on iTunes.[29][59] It has been described as a "booming, brass-backed anthem."[60]

On January 13, 2015, all the unreleased songs from the album were streamed onto the band's Vevo channel.[61]

American Beauty/American Psycho debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 with 192,000 first week sales and 218,000 equivalent album units.[6] It became Fall Out Boy's third No. 1 album and second highest sales week behind Infinity on High's 260,000 debut.[6] 204,000 individual song sales and almost 9 million streams made up AB/AP's 26,000 non-album equivalent units.[62][63]
A week before the album's release, forecasters predicted that it would sell 150,000 copies in its opening week, before being upgraded to 175,000-200,000 days later due to estimates that the album would strongly reach 100,000 digital preorders at the time of release.[64][65] After 1.5 days of sales, Billboard predicted that first week album sales could reach 190,000, with over 220,000 in equivalent album units.[66] In its second week, it fell to No. 6 with 55,000 equivalent album units, a 75% decline.[67] It dropped to No. 13 in its third week and has spent twenty-four weeks in the top 20.[68] The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on September 18, 2015, and Platinum on February 24, 2016.[69] As of October 2015, the album has sold 572,000 copies in the US.[70]

In Canada, American Beauty/American Psycho also debuted at No. 1 with 14,000 first week sales, becoming the band's second Canadian No. 1 and fourth Canadian top 10.[71][72] On March 24, 2015, it was certified Gold in Canada for 40,000 shipments. The album debuted at No. 4 on the Official New Zealand Music Chart. In Australia, it debuted at No. 3 behind Mark Ronson, whose Uptown Special debuted at No. 2, while Taylor Swift's 1989 reigned at No. 1. The record became the band's fourth consecutive top 10 in Australia. American Beauty/American Psycho was also in a close sales race to the top position against Mark Ronson on the UK Albums Chart and led by 1500 copies mid-week,[73] but fell short by the end of the tracking week to debut at No. 2 with 31,497 first week sales (1883 units behind No. 1).[74][75] However, it made No. 1 on the UK Albums Download Chart.[76] On June 8, 2015, it was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry for 100,000 copies shipped. The album saw a No. 6 debut in Ireland.

American Beauty/American Psycho received mostly positive reviews upon its release. The aggregate review site Metacritic gave the album a 72 out of 100 based on 15 reviews.[77] Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly gave it an A, commending the band for being able to make "big-venue sing-alongs that also reward deep headphone analysis." He appreciated the tracks "Favorite Record" and "Fourth of July," stating that they are "thrillingly layered."[81] Evan Lucy of Alternative Press gave the album 4 stars out of 5, mentioning the heavy sampling in some of the album's songs: "The more interesting aspect of American Beauty/American Psycho is the bandâ€™s newfound emphasis on samples," calling the band as a whole "newly reinvented." He went on to praise Stump's vocals, Wentz's lyrics, and stated that "Fall Out Boy are currently producing some of the most interesting music of their career."[79] Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian gave an equally positive review, awarding the album 4 stars out of 5. She praised the band's "nervy ambition" on the album and called it "one of their better releases."[17]

Annie Zaleski of The A.V. Club also gave the album a positive review. She wrote that "American Beauty/American Psycho’s playful musical vibe masks lyrics plagued by flashbulb memories of failed relationships and ill-fated romantic dalliances. Thankfully, there’s no self-pity in sight on these songs, only heightened self-awareness."[80] The Los Angeles Times was also highly positive while commenting negatively on the second half of the album. "The result, at least for the first half, is almost comically exciting, one fist-pump adrenaline rush after another...Alas, Stump and his bandmates run out of steam by the end of American Beauty/American Psycho."[82] AllMusic was also fairly positive. "Fall Out Boy have taken great efforts to incorporate whatever was happening on the charts, an inclination that isn't quite as necessary in the great digital disassociation of the 2010s, yet this inclination does give American Beauty/American Psycho a bit of a kinetic kick."[78] "Uma Thurman" has often been identified as the centrepiece of the album.[87]

On the other hand, Collin Brennan of Consequence of Sound gave a more mixed review. He felt that the album lacked direction, stating that "Fall Out Boy loses its way more often than not in its latest stab at rock radio dominance." He furthermore opined that the songwriting was lacking as a result of the album's heavy use of samples.[88] Caryn Ganz of Rolling Stone also gave a mixed review. " Joe Trohman and drummer Andy Hurley's most virtuosic playing is buried under blaring production, reducing what might be Metallica-heavy riffage into background buzz." However, the reviewer had some positive comments as well: "When everything connects – like on the single "Centuries" – FOB are a glorious nexus of Seventies glitter rock, Eighties radio pop, Nineties R&B and Aughts electro stomp."[84] The album was ranked at number 5 in Alternative Press's "10 Essential Records of 2015" list.[89] Cassie Whitt of Alternative Press wrote that the band pushed their fan base with "rock songs structured like hip-hop tracks".[89] The album was ranked at number 26 on AbsolutePunk's top albums of 2015 list.[90]

Fall Out Boy

^shipments figures based on certification alone

On January 13, 2015, Fall Out Boy streamed the album on their website and YouTube channel after the album was leaked online fifteen days early.[124][125]

The album was made available on vinyl on May 4, 2015.[126][127][128]