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A
database
is an informational source that has a different format than a
publication or a memo. They are systems for storing and organizing large amounts
of information. As personal computers have become more common and accessible,
databases have become ever more present. The standard layout of a database is as a
grid, with labels along the left side and the top. The horizontal rows and vertical
columns that make up the grid are usually numbered or lettered, so that a particular
square within the database might have a name like A3 or G5. Databases are good for
storing information that can be expressed succinctly. They are most commonly used
to store numerical data, but they also can be used to store the answers to yes-no
questions and other brief data points. Information that is ambiguous (that is, has
multiple possible meanings) or difficult to express in a few words is not appropriate
for a database.
Often, a reader will come across a word that he does not recognize. The
reader needs to know how to identify the definition of a word from its context. This
means defining a word based on the words around it and the way it is used in a
sentence. For instance, consider the following sentence:
The elderly scholar spent his
evenings hunched over arcane texts that few other people even knew existed.
The
adjective
arcane
is uncommon, but the reader can obtain significant information
about it based on its use here. Based on the fact that few other people know of their
existence, the reader can assume that arcane texts must be rare and only of interest
to a few people. And, because they are being read by an elderly scholar, the reader
can assume that they focus on difficult academic subjects. Sometimes, words can
even be defined by what they are not. For instance, consider the following sentence:
Ron’s fealty to his parents was not shared by Karen, who disobeyed their every
command
. Because someone who disobeys is not demonstrating
fealty
, the word can
be inferred to mean something like obedience or respect.
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