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The
power of the Ottoman Empire was waning [fading) by 1683 when the second and last
attempt was made to conquer Vienna. It failed. Without the conquest of Europe and the
acquisition of significant new wealth, the Empire lost momentum and went into a slow
decline.
Several other factors contributed to the (Ottoman Empire's decline:
Competition from trade from the Americas
Competition from cheap products from India and the Far East
Development of other trade routes
Rising unemployment within the Empire
Ottoman Empire became less centralised and central control weakened
• Sultans being less severe in maintaining rigorous standards of integrity in the
administration of the Empire
• Sultans becoming less sensitive to public opinion
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It is widely assumed that people need to engage in intellectual activities such as solving crossword puzzles or mathematics problems in order to maintain mental sharpness as they age. in fact, however, simply talking to other people—that is, participating in social interaction, which engages many mental and perceptual skills—suffices. evidence to this effect comes from a study showing that the more social contact people report, the better their mental skills. which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the force of the evidence cited? (a) as people grow older, they are often advised to keep exercising their physical and mental capacities in order to maintain or improve them. (b) many medical conditions and treatments that adversely affect a person's mental sharpness also tend to increase that person's social isolation. (c) many people are proficient both in social interactions and in solving mathematical problems. (d) the study did not itself collect data but analyzed data bearing on the issue from prior studies. (e) the tasks evaluating mental sharpness for which data were compiled by the study were more akin to mathematics problems than to conversation.