Suppose you buy 100 shares of Abolishing Dividend Corporation at the beginning of year 1 for $80. Abolishing Dividend Corporation pays no dividends. The stock price at the end of year 1 is $100, $120 at the end of year 2, and $150 at the end of year 3. The stock price declines to $100 at the end of year 4, and you sell your 100 shares. For the four years, your geometric average return is

 5.57%

Explanation:

Geometric return =

First year return

=

= 25%

Second year return

=

= 20%

Third year return

=

= 25%

Fourth Year return

=

= 33.3%

Geometric return =

Geometric return =

Geometric return =  

Geometric return = 5.57%

metallurgy is your answer

the "study of metals and the process of refining ("

note that it says metal. metallurgy has the word "metal" in it, and so is most likely your answer (and is your answer).

~

the assumption the narrator makes in this excerpt is that the messages he heards were going to hurt the narrator's mom; the narrator just springs in to action. the narrator doesn't specify in this excerpt why he believes that the messages present a problem that requires protection.