INPUT ARTICLE: Article: This means that words can be sounded out. Try to sound it out the way you see it and you will most likely be close to the correct pronunciation.  Vowels are harder than in American English, but softer than in a British accent. Also, all the vowels are unrounded, except for /o/.  There are exceptions though: ng is pronounced 'nang' and mga is pronounced 'muhNGA'. The '-ng', which is a single letter, is pronounced as in 'bang' or 'song'. You can learn Filipino or Tagalog by reading books, viewing television, listening to music, or watching videos. Just like other languages, it is still best if you practice by conversing with someone who knows the language. If you have a limited amount of time, focus your studying on common greetings that you are likely to use. Don't try to learn all the grammar and structure of the language if you are visiting in the near future. There is no literal translation for these phrases. Instead, Filipinos greet each other by saying "beautiful" before day, afternoon, or evening.  To say good morning, say "Magandang umaga" (ma-gan-dang u-ma-ga), which literally means beautiful morning. To say good afternoon, say "Magandang hapon" (ma-gan-dang ha-pon), which literally means beautiful afternoon. To say good evening, say "Magandang gabi" (ma-gan-dang ga-bi), which literally means beautiful evening. Filipinos are generally accustomed to English in fact, 96.3% of Philippine population consider English as a second language and Filipinos can speak English fluently also, so you can simply say "Hi," "Hello," 'Good Morning,' etc. The person you are greeting will probably understand your basic greeting in English.  If you get stuck and don't know what to say, just speak in English. It is better to say something in English than nothing at all. However, if you want to impress those you interact with, then go ahead and study the language so you are prepared! If you are trying to impress a new group of friends, say "Kumusta kayó" when you approach them. This is the plural form of "How are you?" It is pronounced /kah - mu:s - ta: ka: - yo:/. If you are talking to someone who is older or of higher social rank than you, always add po to your sentences. Po is usually added at the end of a sentence, for example "Salamat po" means "thank you." Also, use opo to say "yes." This is basically the equivalent of saying "yes, ma'am" or "yes sir."

SUMMARY: Remember that almost everything you read in Tagalog or Filipino is phonetic. Learn a little of the language before you visit. Learn how to say the equivalent of good morning, good afternoon, and good evening. Try English if all else fails. Greet a group of friends. Speak differently to elders.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Use the examples below as "milestones" to help you estimate the size of a hexadecimal number. This will give you a more intuitive understanding of hexadecimal, and let you read hexadecimal numbers without laboriously converting to decimal every time. As you'll see, one advantage to hexadecimal is that the number of digits doesn't increase nearly as fast as it does in decimal:  Humans have A fingers, or 1416 if you count the toes too. (Remember, the subscript 16 means a number is written in base sixteen.) In a residential area, drive below 1916 miles per hour (or 2816 kilometers per hour). A typical highway driving speed is 3C mph (or 6416 kph). Water boils at D4 ºFahrenheit (6416 º Celsius). The median U.S. income is roughly C350 dollars a year. The population of the world is over 1A0,000,000. You can do hexadecimal addition problems without ever converting to another system. It does take some mental effort and practice to remember the new rules. Here are a few methods and tips:  Count up one by one, using hexadecimal digits. For instance to solve 7+5 in hex, count 7, 8, 9, A, B, C. Learn the addition tables. A much faster method is to memorize the hexadecimal addition tables, which you can practice with an online quiz. Once you know that A + 7 = 1116, you don't have to laboriously count it out any more. Carry the one when needed. If your addition gets you past F, you "carry the one" as you would in a normal addition problem. For example, A+5 = F, A+6 = 1016, A+7 = 1116, and so on. Similarly, 3A+6 = 4016, 3A+7 = 4116, etc. Just like regular multiplication, the best way to become competent at hexadecimal multiplication is to memorize the multiplication tables. Here's the hex "6 times table" as an example (all numbers are hexadecimal):  6 x 1 = 6 6 x 2 = C 6 x 3 = 12 6 x 4 = 18 6 x 5 = 1E 6 x 6 = 24 6 x 7 = 2A 6 x 8 = 30 6 x 9 = 36 6 x A = 3C 6 x B = 42 6 x C = 48 6 x D = 4E 6 x E = 54 6 x F = 5A

SUMMARY: Teach yourself to read hexadecimal intuitively. Learn hexadecimal addition. Learn hexadecimal multiplication.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Use the bathroom before you go. Adjust your pillow just right because you're going to be back there for a while. Make sure you've eaten. Take off your shoes and relax! Look out the window and see the beautiful scenery go past.

SUMMARY:
Get comfortable.