Why does cellular respiration involve so many molecules and steps based on how life obeys and exploits the Laws of Thermodynamics?

The laws of thermodynamics are as follows.

The first law is that the increase in energy in a system is the sum of energy added to the system. This means that a system will not change energy unless some is introduced from outside the system. This applies to the body when you have to eat to gain weight, for example. You expend energy naturally through your metabolism, moving, breathing, and even digesting. You intake energy by eating. 

Even cells obey the first law. Cells use various pumps to gain the nutrients they need from the bloodstream. They use pumps to push out things they no longer need or can use. Cells cannot take in an infinite amount of energy, and without constant feeding, will die.

The second law states that if two bodies in equilibrium with themselves, but not with each other, are introduced, then they will attain a new equilibrium together. Basically, the energy will try to spread itself evenly. If you go outside on a cold night, you will get cold. Unless your body burns energy to keep you warm, you will freeze. The second law also states that the entropy of the universe is always increasing.

The third law governs what happens to entropy as temperature approaches absolute zero. I don't think we need to worry about a life form with zero entropy and zero heat.

The zeroth law of thermodynamics states that if two systems are in equilibrium with a third, they are in equilibrium with each other. This is important in relating things like cells to the bloodstream.

Now with that out of the way we can discuss cellular respiration. I will use the Krebs cycle, although these principles apply to fermentation and anaerobic respiration as well.

To start, the Krebs occurs in the mitochondria. This organelle has a starting energy and concentration of nutrients, and the cell surrounding it has a different concentration. Therefore, the mitochondria outer wall is semi permeable, allowing small molecules to pass in and out freely, such as water and sugar, and uses active transport to move larger molecules, like proteins. This is a perfect example of the first and second laws of thermodynamics, as the organelle uses active transport to move the proteins, but is in equilibrium with the rest of the cell with water and sugar.

When reactions occur during the Krebs cycle, such as the oxidation of pyruvate, energy is released into the cell in the form of heat. This heat can be used to start other reactions, or move things around the cell. Either way, the energy released in the reaction is added to the total heat of the cell, and when a reaction absorbs this energy, the total heat in the cell will decrease.

You will notice the use of catalysts in the metabolism of a cell. This lowers the activation energy of a reaction, and allows the cell to work at much lower temperatures than the reactions would normally need to take place.

What two reasons does Romeo give Balthasar to go to the Capulets' tomb?

Romeo tells Balthasar that he wants to see Juliet’s face again and get the ring.

Juliet faked her death with the special potion from Friar Laurence, and he was supposed to get a letter to Romeo. The letter was delayed by a plague. As a result, Romeo thinks Juliet is really dead.

Romeo tells Balthasar he just wants to see Juliet’s face again and get the ring, but in fact he has a vial of...

Romeo tells Balthasar that he wants to see Juliet’s face again and get the ring.

Juliet faked her death with the special potion from Friar Laurence, and he was supposed to get a letter to Romeo. The letter was delayed by a plague. As a result, Romeo thinks Juliet is really dead.

Romeo tells Balthasar he just wants to see Juliet’s face again and get the ring, but in fact he has a vial of poison to kill himself.

Why I descend into this bed of death,
Is partly to behold my lady's face;
But chiefly to take thence from her dead finger
A precious ring, a ring that I must use
In dear employment (Act V, Scene 3).

Balthasar doesn't believe Romeo. He hides at the tomb. Romeo goes inside and sees Paris there. 

Romeo is not happy to see Paris. They fight, and Romeo kills Paris. Then he goes to Juliet, and he takes the poison. Juliet wakes up to find him dead. There is no poison left, so she takes Romeo's dagger and kills herself.

How does spring change the work being done at the tavern in Lyddie?

In spring, the maple syrup sugar making is done and Mrs. Cutler leaves to sell it.

During the winter, Lyddie and the others at the tavern work hard making maple tree syrup into maple sugar.  It is a “frenzy of activity” and also hot and exhausting work.  Lyddie is tasked with clarifying the syrup in addition to all of her other work.

When spring comes, they no longer need to make maple sugar.  The mistress...

In spring, the maple syrup sugar making is done and Mrs. Cutler leaves to sell it.

During the winter, Lyddie and the others at the tavern work hard making maple tree syrup into maple sugar.  It is a “frenzy of activity” and also hot and exhausting work.  Lyddie is tasked with clarifying the syrup in addition to all of her other work.

When spring comes, they no longer need to make maple sugar.  The mistress of the tavern, Mrs. Cutler, went to sell what they had made.  This made the work much lighter for Lyddie and Triphena.

Work did not disappear with the departure of the mistress, but it became as pleasant as a holiday. "If I could make life so happy for others just by going away, I'd go more often," Triphena said. (Ch. 5) 

Triphena tells Lyddie that she can take a few days off.  Lyddie is skeptical.  Triphena points out that she always does it.  Lyddie wants to make sure it will be all right. 

"If I say so," Triphena said. "With her gone, I'm in charge, ey?" Lyddie wasn't going to argue. "If you was to wait, the ground would thaw to mud. Better go tomorrow if it's fair.  Take a little sugar to your brother on the way." (Ch. 5) 

Lyddie believes her.  She desperately wants to go home to see her brother. It turns out to be a mistake.  Mrs. Cutler is angry when she finds out, and says that Lyddie left without permission.  It isn’t true, but Lyddie is fired anyway.

It is very unfair, because Lyddie is an excellent worker.  She is happy to go though, because she hates working at the tavern.  Her money is sent directly to her mother and she feels like a slave. Lyddie knows she can make more and have more freedom at the factory.

What is the history behind the blood-stain in "The Canterville Ghost" by Oscar Wilde?

In "The Canterville Ghost," the blood-stain in the library has a long history. According to the housekeeper, Mrs Umney, the blood-stain has existed since 1575 when the then-Lord Canterville, Sir Simon, murdered his wife, Lady Eleanore, on that exact spot in the library. In Chapter Five, during a conversation with Virginia Otis, he reveals his reasons for committing this heinous crime:

My wife was very plain, never had my ruffs properly starched, and knew nothing...

In "The Canterville Ghost," the blood-stain in the library has a long history. According to the housekeeper, Mrs Umney, the blood-stain has existed since 1575 when the then-Lord Canterville, Sir Simon, murdered his wife, Lady Eleanore, on that exact spot in the library. In Chapter Five, during a conversation with Virginia Otis, he reveals his reasons for committing this heinous crime:

My wife was very plain, never had my ruffs properly starched, and knew nothing about cookery.

Moreover, it is one of Sir Simon's numerous responsibilities as a ghost to ensure that the blood-stain is always present. When the Otis family move in, this becomes problematic because they are constantly trying to remove it. Washington Otis removes it on several occasions, for example, using Pinkerton's Stain Remover. This forces Sir Simon to steal Virginia's paints so that he can touch up the stain every night. It is only with his death, at the end of Chapter Five, that the stain disappears forever, along with all traces of the Canterville ghost. 

In The House on Mango Street, why do the girls get tired of being beautiful so quickly?

In The House on Mango Street, Lucy, Rachel, and Esperanza are gifted three pairs of high-heeled shoes by the mother of the little foot family. At first, they marvel over how long and lean their legs look, and how different it is than their normal look. They feel beautiful, because they think they look more grown-up and glamorous. The novelty of this new experience wears off, however, when they wear the shoes out of the...

In The House on Mango Street, Lucy, Rachel, and Esperanza are gifted three pairs of high-heeled shoes by the mother of the little foot family. At first, they marvel over how long and lean their legs look, and how different it is than their normal look. They feel beautiful, because they think they look more grown-up and glamorous. The novelty of this new experience wears off, however, when they wear the shoes out of the house and walk down to the corner. When they reach the corner store, the owner Mr. Benny tells them that the shoes are dangerous and that they better take them off. This frightens them and they run away. After that, they run into a boy on a bike who hollers at them, confusing them. Finally, a bum on the street tells Rachel that she looks pretty and offers her a dollar to kiss him. This frightens Lucy, who grabs her hand and the girls run all the way back to Mango Street and hide the shoes in a bag under the back porch. Because of the unwanted attention from multiple boys and men that they've recieved, they no longer wish to feel beautiful. They decide that it might not be worth it after all. 

What are some solid anecdotes from To Sir with Love by E. R. Braithwaite?

When E. R. Braithwaite assumes a teaching position at a high school in London's East End, he experiences a culture shock.
Here are some anecdotes from the autobiographical work:

After being appalled at what poor reading skills the students have, followed by a disruption by a boy with a naked female doll that when squeezed inflates as though she is pregnant, Braithwaite tries to regain his composure and settle the class by moving to a lesson in mathematics after the mid-morning break. "Our arithmetic lesson will be on weights and measures," he announces. "Does anyone know the table of weights, avoir-dupois?" A heavyset boy responds, "Yeah, I know."
The young man named Denham, who likes to box, is familiar with this system. Another boy named Tich Jackson also contributes. But, when he adds that troy weight is used by jewelers weighing "precious metals like gold, silver or platinum," a girl then quips sarcastically, "Diamonds are a girl's best friend," causing raucous laughter.
Braithwaite tells the class that he finds it "encouraging that [they] have a sense of humor." Nevertheless, he has made some breakthrough with the participation of Denham and Jackson.

• Chapter 11

On a Thursday morning, Braithwaite lines the boys up for P.E. and they ask if they can have boxing first. Braithwaite agrees; however, Denham steps up, saying that his partner is crippled and asking if Braithwaite will box with him in the other's place. Braithwaite sees that the boys think he is afraid, so he agrees. Unfortunately, Braithwaite realizes too late that he has been tricked into this boxing match and Denham scores several punches against him. Suddenly Denham puts his weight into a punch and hurts Braithwaite; however, he becomes so angry that he retaliates by punching Denham in the solar plexis, knocking the wind out of him. However, the boys are impressed with Braithwaite's courage and perceive him differently after this incident.

The incident marked a turning point in my relationship with the class. Gradually Denham's attitude changed, and like it that of his cronies.

Afterwards, Braithwaite realizes that the respect now shown to him brings about genuine feelings for his students. He learns more about them every day, and at recess some of them stay in the classroom to talk with him.

• Chapter 19

A boy named Richard Buckley, who is clearly not athletic, is humiliated and even hurt when his physical education teacher makes him his "whipping boy." Buckley is forced to perform the "astride vault," which is a rather difficult jump.

...Buckley launched himself at the buck in furious assault, and in spite of Bell's restraining arms, boy and buck crashed on the floor with a sickening sound as one leg of the buck snapped off.

A normally good-natured boy named Potter grabs this broken leg and attacks Mr. Buckley. Fortunately, Tich Jackson runs for Mr. Braithwaite, who intervenes. Braithwaite scolds Potter and tells him Mr. Bell deserves an apology, but several boys explode with the unfairness of such an act. Hearing this, Mr. Braithwaite tells him that he, too, has endured injustice and relates some incidents. Potter seems to become more reasonable and the other boys gain a new feeling for Braithwaite. Soon, Potter is convinced that he should apologize. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Bell comes to Braithwaite's classroom and tells the boys he is sorry about what happened.

What does Daisy want her daughter to grow up to be?

When her daughter is born, Daisy is initially unhappy. The text strongly suggests that Daisy had been hoping for a boy. Eventually, when she comes to terms with Pammy's birth, Daisy hopes that her daughter will grow up to be a "beautiful little fool."

Daisy's hopes for her daughter illustrate her views about femininity and motherhood. In the story, Daisy sees Pammy as a reflection of her; yet, beyond seeing that Pammy is well-dressed and...

When her daughter is born, Daisy is initially unhappy. The text strongly suggests that Daisy had been hoping for a boy. Eventually, when she comes to terms with Pammy's birth, Daisy hopes that her daughter will grow up to be a "beautiful little fool."

Daisy's hopes for her daughter illustrate her views about femininity and motherhood. In the story, Daisy sees Pammy as a reflection of her; yet, beyond seeing that Pammy is well-dressed and coiffed, she has little interest in her daughter. When Nick asks her about Pammy, Daisy answers with little enthusiasm: "I suppose she talks, and—eats, and everything." To Daisy, Pammy is an afterthought, nothing more than the product of her suffocating and sterile relationship with Tom, her husband. Pammy is no more in Daisy's thoughts than Tom is.

The text strongly suggests that Daisy used her beauty to snag a wealthy husband. This is presumably the main reason that Daisy wants Pammy to grow up to be a "beautiful little fool." Daisy really believes that this is the only way her daughter will have a good life; she doesn't realize that an intelligent woman can be very attractive to a man. Daisy apparently believes that a woman can either be beautiful or intelligent, but not both.

Because she doesn't realize how her self-indulgence and superficiality affects men, Daisy fails to see her part in her own unhappiness. She makes Nick feel vaguely uncomfortable, and he thinks her an insincere character; however, Daisy is oblivious to the impression she creates. Unfortunately for Pammy, her legacy from Daisy will be a difficult one to overcome.