Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies Essay - 8

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies - Essay Example Although Merger and Acquisitions have numerous advantages, the fact that they are faced with numerous challenges and risks is indisputable. This essay will compare a company that has no history of merger and another that has pursued international market after a merger relationship. Economists have delved into market research in order to explain the reason why some companies choose to enter into merges or opt to purchase other companies while others remain adamant to do so. According to Swam and Casy (2012), merger and acquisition involves the transfer of all assets and liabilities to the new company that is formed or to the purchasing company. From this statement, it is clear that the process involves the inheritance of all qualities of the companies so acquired, which points to the need for caution when considering the option. There has been a lot of emphasis on the many risks that a company must be prepared to encounter while considering either a merger or an acquisition. Therefore, the motives of acquiring, being acquired or even merging with another company must be clear and worth during the course of such a transition. In the US, the law provides regulations to govern mergers and acquisition in order to protect the welfare of the shareholders from the ris k of this process. Choose two (2) public corporations in an industry with which you are familiar – one (1) that has acquired another company and operates internationally and one (1) that does not have a history of mergers and acquisitions and operates solely within the U.S Although numerous companies in US have combined in a merger and acquisition process, there is evidence that some companies have remained reluctant to this kind of business strategy. For instance, Bright House Networks has exhibited no history of combining its assets with any other

Evolution of Skyscrapers Essay Example for Free

Evolution of Skyscrapers Essay 1.Historical Development In High-Rise Buildings Ancient Skyscrapers The Great Ziggurat of Babylon Perhaps the most impressive structure in the ancient Middle East, the Great Ziggurat of Babylon was built over a span of several decades in the Sixth Century BC. Its seven stories, built upon a square foundation, stretched 300 feet into the sky. Some think it was the inspiration for the infamous Tower of Babel in the Book of Genesis. In this illustration, King Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled Babylon from 604 to 561 BC, is seen overlooking his capital The towers of Bologna The towers of and were built in Europe, or together until Bologna are slender, as much as 60 meters (150 feet) tall, by the rich for defense and as status symbols. No other site perhaps the world, had so many tall structures crowded the coming of skyscrapers in the late 19th century. Fig. 1 The great Ziggurat of Babylon As many as 180 towers, of many different heights, are thought to have been built in Bologna during the 1100s and slightly later; now there are barely 20. The two most prominent (seen here) are the symbols of the city and have long been known together as the Two Towers. Fig. 2 The towers of Bologna The First Safety Elevators In this period illustration, shoppers ride the elevator in the new Lord Taylors department store on Broadway in New York City sometime during the 1870s. Around the same time, the first-ever elevator in an office building was also installed in New York. It was designed by Elisha Otis, whose company became synonymous with the new contraption. Elevators revolutionized office buildings, literally turning them upside down. Prior to their invention, the lower floors of a structure were the most valuable rental property because of the difficulty and inconvenience of climbing the stairs. But the elevator made it possible for elite tenants to enjoy the view from the upper floors and allow buildings to rise higher and higher. Fig. 3 The first Safety Elevators Great Chicago Fire In this illustration, Chicago residents flee the terror of the Chicago fire which devastated their city over a three-day period in October 1871. The fire caused nearly $200 million in damage, killed some 300 people and left another 100,000 homeless. Despite this toll, the destruction cleared the way for Chicago to build scores of modern steel-framed office towers and to become one of Americas most architecturally striking cities. Fig. 4 Great Chicago Fire The First skyscraper Chicagos 10-story Home Insurance Building, built in 1884 and designed by William Jenney, was arguably the first true modern office tower. It was the first building to use structural steel at least partially in its frame, and was the first tall building to be fireproofed both inside and outside. It was torn down in 1931 but its legacy lives on in thousands of steel-framed and fireproofed buildings around the world. Fig. 5 Home Insurance Building The Tribune Tower Pedestrians walk past the ornate entrance and lower floors of Tribune Tower, home of the Chicago Tribune newspaper, which was built in 1925. The 36-story Gothic Revival structure was designed by John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood, who won a contest held by the newspaper company to create the most beautiful and distinctive office building in the world. Fig. 6 The Tribune Tower The Chrysler Building With its majestic spire, New York Citys Chrysler Building is perhaps the most famous Art Deco structure in the world. Built in 1930, the 77-storey structure was briefly the tallest building in the world. The sculptures at the top and around the edges are actually inspired by Chrysler hubcaps and hood ornaments. The buildings tapering profile is perhaps the best example of form follows zoning by taking New York Citys setback requirements from 1916 zoning laws requiring new structures to leave more open space around them and turning them into an stunning archetype Fig. 7 The Chrysler Building The Empire State Building survives a hit This photo shows the spot where a B-25 bomber struck the Empire State Building in July 1945. The aircraft was ferrying servicemen from Massachusetts to New Yorks La Guardia Airport when pilot William Smith veered disastrously off course in heavy fog. Fourteen people including Smith were killed when the bomber hit the skyscraper. The buildings 79th floor caught fire, and New York City firefighters bravely rushed up into the building to rescue occupants and put out the blaze. The buildings structure and fireproofing both proved strong enough that the New York landmark reopened the following week. Fig. 8 The Empire State Building World Trade Centre The famous twin towers of the World Trade Center were built by the Port Authority in the 1960s as part of an effort to revitalize lower Manhattan. The structure was derided by critics as boring. One wag likened it to a giant pair of filing cabinets, but in time it became a popular New York landmark. The original WTC was the first to use sky lobbies where people would change from express to local elevators, a setup inspired by the New York subway system. It also had wide-open, column-free spaces that were ideal for Fig. 9 The World Trade Centre the cubicles then becoming popular in office design. The towers were destroyed in the 2001 terrorist attack that killed more than 2,700 people Sears Tower When the Sears Tower, later renamed the Willis Tower, opened in 1973, the 108-story structure became the tallest building in the world and held that title until Malaysias Petronas Towers claimed the distinction in 1998. This skyscraper was able to achieve that height through a spectacular engineering innovation that introduced the bundled tube structure the Sears Tower is really nine square towers bundled together. It was the start of a revolution in structural design that permitted higher and thinner towers than had ever been built before Fig. 10 The Sears Tower The Citicorp Building Skirts Disaster The 59-story Citigroup Center building, completed in 1977, had to undergo a costly strength upgrade the following year after it was discovered that the structure was dangerously vulnerable to strong diagonal winds hitting the buildings corners. This weakness was a consequence of the placement of the main support columns at the centre of the sides rather than on the corners because the building had to float over a church that owned the property. This bold design did win praise for the architect but he subsequently had to suffer the consequences largely in secret lest panic break out of experimenting with untested structural elements. If strong dangerous winds had actually toppled the Citicorp building, it is estimated that it might have taken 16 blocks of Manhattan with it. Fig. 11 The Citicorp Building The Petronas Tower Tourists have their picture taken outside the soaring spires of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 88-story towers, which were completed in the mid-to-late 1990s, were for several years the worlds tallest buildings. The project was the harbinger of a global shift in skyscraper building in which Middle Eastern and Asian countries have been racing to erect the tallest and most majestic towers Fig. 12 The Petronas Tower The Gherkin, London One of the more unusual sights in the London skyline is 20 St. Mary Axe, a 41-story office tower opened in 2004, which is nicknamed The Gherkin because of its resemblance to a pickle. Though odd-looking, the structure is a prototype for a new generation of innovative, super energy-efficient buildings. Vertical gaps in the building create a natural ventilation system that allows warm air to rise out of the structure. These openings also allow the interior offices to use more Fig. 13 The 20 St. Mary Axe natural light to greatly reducing electrical consumption The Marina Bay Sands Singapores Marina Bay Sands, a casino and resort complex which opened in 2011, cost an astonishing $8 billion to build. Architect Moshie Safdies unorthodox design, with its trio of 55-story towers, reportedly was inspired by card decks on gaming tables. The three towers are connected by a giant terrace that supports the worlds longest elevated swimming pool. The steel for the pool weighs 191,416 kilos (422,000 pounds) and the water it can hold weighs an additional 1,424,098 kilos (3,139,600 pounds). The towers are constructed to allow movement in the wind up to 50 centimetres and longer-term settling in the soil. Fig. 14 The Marina Bay Sands Burj Khalifa Dubais 160-storey Burj Khalifa, which opened in 2010, is by far the worlds tallest building. Its startling, rocket ship-like appearance, seen in this photo, seems intended to get attention more than anything else. As architectural critic Paul Goldberger has written, You dont build this kind of skyscraper to house people you do it to make sure the world knows who you are. The tall, tapering design is reminiscent of skyscrapers like the Chrysler Fig. 15 The Burj Khalifa and Empire State buildings although you could put the two New York skyscrapers one on top of the other and they still would not be as tall. The New World Trade Centre One World Trade Center (also known as Tower One) rises over lower Manhattan on the site of where the twin towers destroyed in 2001. When completed in 2013, it will have a spire thats precisely 1,776 feet tall (541 meters), making it the third tallest building in the world and the highest in the Western Hemisphere. The new WTCs base is enclosed in thick concrete, steel panels and blast-resistant glass, making it one of the toughest skyscrapers ever built, but security concerns have caused the buildings cost to soar, reaching the vicinity of $4 billion. Fig. 16The New World Trade Centre Fig. 17 Height Comparison of Noticeable Tall Buildings 2. Classification of Tall Building Structure System In 1969 Fazlur Khan classified structural systems for tall buildings relating to their heights with considerations for efficiency in the form of â€Å"Heights for Structural Systems† diagrams Fig. 18 Classification of Tall Building Structure System by Fazlur Khan. Left : steel; Right: Concrete He developed these schemes for both steel and concrete. Khan argued that the rigid frame that had dominated tall building design and construction so long was not the only system fitting for tall buildings. Because of a better understanding of the mechanics of material and member behavior, he reasoned that the structure could be treated in a holistic manner, that is, the building could be analyzed in three dimensions, supported by computer simulations, rather than as a series of planar systems in each principal direction. Feasible structural systems, according to him, are rigid frames, shear walls, interactive frame-shear wall combinations, belt trusses, and the various other tubular systems. Structural systems of tall buildings can be divided into two broad categories: interior structures and exterior structures. This classification is based on the distribution of the components of the primary lateral load-resisting system over the building. A system is categorized as an interior structure when the major part of the lateral load resisting system is located within the interior of the building. Likewise, if the major part of the lateral load-resisting system is located at the building perimeter, a system is categorized as an exterior structure. It should be noted, however, that any interior structure is likely to have some minor components of the lateral load-resisting system at the building perimeter, and any exterior structure may have some minor components within the interior of the building. This classification of structural systems is presented more as a guideline and should be treated as such. It is imperative that each system has a wide range of height applications depending upon other design and service criteria related to building shape, aspect ratio, architectural functions, load cond itions, building stability and site constraints. For each condition, however, there is always an optimum structural system, although it may not necessarily match one of those in the system’s tables due to the predominant influence of other factors on the building form. The height limits shown are therefore presumptive based on experience and the authors’ prediction within an acceptable range of aspect ratios of the buildings, say about 6 to 8. On occasions, an exterior structure may be combined with an interior one, such as when a tubular frame is also braced or provided with core-supported outriggers and belt trusses, to enhance the building’s stiffness 2.1 Interior Structures The two basic types of lateral load-resisting systems in the category of interior structures are the moment-resisting frames and shear trusses/shear walls. These systems are usually arranged as planar assemblies in two principal orthogonal directions and may be employed together as a combined system in which they interact. Another very important system in this category is the core-supported outrigger structure, which is very widely used for super tall buildings at this writing. The moment-resisting frame (MRF) consists of horizontal (girder) and vertical (column) members rigidly connected together in a planar grid form. Such frames resist load primarily through the flexural stiffness of the members (Kowalczyk, Sinn, Kilmister, 1995). The size of the columns is mainly controlled by the gravity loads that accumulate towards the base of the building giving rise to progressively larger column sizes towards the base from the roof. The size of the girders, on the other hand, is controlled by stiffness of the frame in order to ensure acceptable lateral sway of the building. Although gravity load is more or less the same in all typical floors of a tall building, the girder sizes need to be increased to increase the frame stiffness. Likewise, columns already sized for gravity loads need to be slightly increased to increase the frame stiffness as well. MRFs can be located in or around the core, on the exterior, and throughout the interior of the building along grid lines. Table 1 Interior Structures Braced frames are laterally supported by vertical steel trusses, also called shear trusses, which resist lateral loads primarily through axial stiffness of the members. These act as vertical cantilever trusses where the columns act as chord members and the concentric K, V, or X braces act as web members. Such systems are called concentric braced frames (CBF). Eccentric braced frames (EBF) have, on the other hand, braces which are connected to the floor girders that form horizontal elements of the truss, with axial offsets to introduce flexure and shear into the frame (Popov, 1982). This lowers stiffness-to-weight ratio but increases ductility and therefore EBFs are used for seismic zones where ductility is an essential requirement of structural design. EBFs can also be used to accommodate wide doors and other openings, and have on occasions been used for non-seismic zones (Corrin Swensson, 1992). Braced frames are generally located in the service and elevator core areas of tall buildings. The frame diagonals are enclosed within the walls. Reinforced concrete planar solid or coupled shear walls have been one of the most popular systems used for high-rise construction to resist lateral forces caused by wind and earthquakes. They are treated as vertical cantilevers fixed at the base. When two or more shear walls in the same plane are interconnected by beams or slabs, as is the case with shear walls with door or window openings, the total stiffness of the system exceeds the sum of the individual wall stiffnesses. This is so because the connecting beam forces the walls to act as a single unit by restraining their individual cantilever actions. These are known as coupled shear walls. Shear walls used in tall office buildings are generally located around service and elevator cores, and stairwells. In fact, in many tall buildings, the vertical solid core walls that enclose the building services can be used to stabilize and stiffen the building against lateral loads. Many possibilities exist with single or multiple cores in a tall building with regard to their location, shape, number, and arrangement. The core walls are essentially shear walls that can be analyzed as planar elements in each principal direction or as three-dimensional elements using computer programs.

Effect of Physical Abuse on Mental Health

Effect of Physical Abuse on Mental Health Article summary Research Question It has long been known that physical abuse can put individuals at risk of having mental illness. Many studies have proved that there is a connection between physical punishment and mental disorders. A few researches have worked on a cause of particular mental disorders; however, it still lacks of evidence and no one has focused on the long-term outcomes of physical abuse on the development of mental disorders yet. In the research conducted by Tracie et all., the researchers want to find the correlation between physical punishment and mental disorders in an extensive range. The research aims to eliminate the limitations of researches that have been previously conducted. In their research, they additionally cover a range of axis I (clinical syndromes) and axis II (personality and mental retardation) mental disorders, and possible factors that are responsible for physical punishment. Furthermore, they look into the general population that is possible to be another explanation why physic al abuse occur without individual having past experience of child maltreatment. Methodology In 2004 and 2005, the researchers conducted a survey called â€Å"The National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions†. They randomly drew a sample from non-institutional and house hold individuals who were 20 or older in the United States. Participants were interviewed face-to-face by experienced interviewers of the US census Bureau, which gave the high response rate as high as 86.7%. In this interview, physical punishment is the independent variable and the increased likelihood of mental disorder is the dependent variable. Physical punishment is defined as grabbing, slapping, hitting, pushing by parents or adults. The researchers took and revised some questions from Adverse Childhood Experience Study which is based on a 5-point Likert scale. On the survey, participants who â€Å"sometimes†, or greater, experienced physical abuse as a child are considered to have had harsh physical punishment: any physical misconduct that is violent and unacceptable. Mo reover, there are three continuous variables: age, education, and income received within the previous year. Also, there are three sociodemographic variables: gender, marital status, and race. Findings and Implications As a result, the researchers found that physical punishment can contribute to the origin of mental illness to some extent. The findings show that harsh physical abuse is related to the higher possibility of getting mental disorders in the categories of Axis I and Axis II. Interestingly, the tendency to experience Axis I disorders is decreased by 2% to 5% and 4% to 7% to Axis II disorders if the individuals did not encounter harsh physical punishment. Unexpectedly, the researchers also discovered that individuals with high level of education and income are more likely to perform harsh physical punishment. This current study is corresponding to the former researches: there is a significant correlation between physical and Axis I. On top of that, this study further examines and notices that demographic variable also contribute to physical punishment. The findings reveal that males have a higher risk to be punished. In comparison with Caucasian, black people seem to have an elevated like lihood of facing harsh punishment. Nevertheless, age and marital status seem to the only factors that do not increase the probability of harsh punishment. These data have various significant implications that any health care profession practitioners should contemplate. To begin with, pediatricians or anyone whose work is related to children, parents, and family should be knowledgeable about the impacts of harsh physical punishment. This study promotes the use of other discipline methods, and does not support violence as the way of teaching children. If the use of punishment is diminished, the general population having mental illness will be decreased as well. Research Proposal Research Question The research published by Tracie et all is undoubtedly an exceptional work. It reports and brings the adverse outcomes of harsh physical punishment to light. Yet, there are still some limitations that should be studied further. First, the use of cross-sectional design prevents the researchers from finding another possible result. The cross-sectional design is limited, because it only provides us information that is gathered in a short period of time. Since people’s behaviours change regularly, this information can be unreliable. Given that longitudinal study is able to identify changes in behaviours and characteristics of individuals, it might be better to use a longitudinal design in a future research. Next, the question that should be discussed is whether the information that the researchers collected is accurate or not. In the previous study, researchers collected the data from the U.S. representative adults. In this process, the participants may have given wrong informatio n due to false recall. A confirmation call from parents would help researchers avoiding making misinterpretation of data. Last question that I would like to add on to the future research is to find the critical age for children raised with abusive parents growing up without developing mental illness, aggression, and learning disabilities. Methodology In a coming research, the data will be drawn randomly from young children aged from 8 to 15, who have reported of physical or verbal abuse. Participants will have an interview with a trained researcher. While answering questions, the study will also be recorded by a camera to see if there is any body language that is contradict with the given information, and also to see the level of anxiety. Researcher has to be very careful with choice of words, because young children might not understand the question if it is too technical. Also, the participants will be asked to take some psychological tests, such as Connor Rating Scale and Gray Oral Reading Test, to see if an individual has difficulty in performing, and to identify if an individual has learning disabilities. This process of gathering data will last 3 to 4 years. Participants have to do the interview every 6 months. In this study, physical or/and verbal abuse is the independent variable, while having mental illness, showing a sig h of aggression, and having learning disabilities are dependent variables. Physical abuse is defined as an act of other individuals that intend to cause pain, whereas verbal abuse is defined as the use of words that can affect others welfare in both mental and emotional way. Potential Findings and Implications The researcher hopes to find the outcomes correlated to the past researches: supporting the idea that physical abuse can lead to the development of mental disorders, and being able to determine the critical period that gives a child a greater chance to develop mental illness. In addition, the study will reveal the impacts of physical abuse on learning disabilities and expose in what degree of the violence can affect aggression. Essentially, this will give beneficial information to not only practitioners, but also anyone who is related to children or want to know more about the effective way to raise a child.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Essay -- To Kill a Mockingbird Essa

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee To Kill A Mockingbird has several themes included in this classic novel. The theme of a book is defined by the dominating ideas in a literary work. It is an abstract concept that is made solid through the author's use of action, images, and characters. The main theme in this work is the reality of prejudice. Class, sex, and race are some of the prejudices present in the town of Maycomb.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prejudice concerning one's class in society is dominant in the town of Maycomb. Class structure in this novel is important because it creates a caste system for the people to follow. In this system, the black population permeates at the bottom. Families with the Finch's stature would be found at or near the top. According to the caste system people had a position to uphold for example, if you were of a Finch's status you were to act respectably and not act like trash. The Ewells' in this story are just above the colored folks only because they are white. Most people look down upon them resulting in avoidance. This caste system exists because in Maycomb it is the way things have always been. Class structure promotes a sense of security for the people, and that's the way the people want it to stay.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since this story takes place in the 1930s there is also a prejudice towards women. Men believed that women were the weaker sex, and not equal to a man. A prime example of this is when the men believed they should protect their women from Tom Ro...

Dr. King and Bertrand Russell

Famous Thinkers PHL/458 March 19, 2012 Creative ideas are the foundation of the creative process (Goodman & Fritchie, 2011). To change the way a person thinks about an issue, or to find a solution to the problem is what many of the ideas revolve around. The level of greatness that each thinker is famous for is acquired throughout their life. There are a few things that all famous thinkers have similarities in that allow them to hold the position a â€Å"famous thinker. † Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929-April 3, 1929) and Bertrand Russell (May 18, 1872-February 2, 1970) are two famous thinkers that are discussed in this paper.Each of these men changed the way people viewed the issues of the day through the creative process. King and Russell made identifiable contributions to society during an era of difficult social times. The subject matter of this paper will investigate dilemmas or ideas that both of these famous thinkers sought to resolve, and the solutions they came up with for accomplishments. The ideas in conjunction with obstacles from people challenging the change, and a lot of the solutions were in a constant state of improvement.However; each one of their individual solutions all met the test of logic, allowing them to conquer the battles and opposition to resolutions. The thought process of these two men required a substantial amount of time to change the way people think, and developed an outcome of their individual issues for a better cause. King believed in defending the inequality and unjust segregation of man. Russell beliefs lied in the revolt against idealism and analytical philosophy. The two of these men evaluated a problem in special manner to locate distinctive perspectives that no one else had visited.King and Russell both had patience to visualize their ideas and produce solutions to defeat the opposition. Changing the outlook that America had about equality and gaining civil rights for African Americans was the c ontribution to society that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave. He not only had a vision but Dr. King also had a â€Å"dream† that we would live in a nation where â€Å"†¦we will not be judged by the color of our skin but by the content of our character† (King, 1963). Dr. King vision actually challenged America to reevaluate and increase their alue structure to include the embracing diversity. Over the course of Bertrand Russell’s long career, he made significant contributions, not just to logic and philosophy, but to a broad range of subjects including education, history, political theory, and religious studies. In addition, many of his writings on a variety of topics in both the sciences and the humanities have influenced generations of general readers (Irvine, 2010). Dr. King was brought up during a time when there were around many social and political issues that consisted of inequality, racial tension, and oppression.Although he was around these negativi ties, he used positive influences to assist with establishing the required changes to right the wrongs of oppression. According to the King Center, although Dr. King experience racism at a young age and knew of the possible dangers he faced he still continued on his path. However, the dangers only required Dr. King to be more creative in obtaining civil rights and equality. The social and political environment surrounding politics and education influenced Bertrand Russell’s philosophical views.Not only was Russell’s socially active against the war, but he also was a very candid supporter of nuclear proliferation. In 1954 he worked with Albert Einstein and they released the Russell –Einstein Manifesto calling for the curtailment of nuclear weapons (Irvine, 2010). Eventually Russell’s anti-war protest landed him in prison and convictions, which led to him missing out on various teaching opportunities at different colleges. He strived to understand everyone in conjunction with his social philosophy; understanding nature. Dr.King was faced with many obstacles and his goal was to solve that of racism (animosity toward other races) and the injustice of inequality associated with it. This meant appealing to the principle of democracy and making the political system accountable. Mr. Russell’s problem he wanted to solve is the use of a logical analytical approach to determine the truth about common claims based on inference. This implies that every truth or claim should be the foundation of the logical constructions versus inferred entities. In order to offset the immoral acts of racism and segregation Dr.King’s resolution to the problem was advocating civil disobedience among African Americans. His philosophy maintained that it is the responsibility of each individual to disobey unjust laws (Ware, 2009). He had faith that integration was the solution to gaining equality, and he upheld a non-violent policy to achieve his goal. His non-violent policy was based on the belief that the battle against segregation should be fought in a courtroom instead of the street (Ware, 2009). Introducing a distinction between two unlike styles of knowledge of truth was Russell’s solution to his problem.Being direct, infallible, and certain is the first truth style and the second is open to error, indirect, and uncertain. He gave a good explanation for his position by proving that it is essential that indirect knowledge stand up to more fundamental or direct knowledge. Basically stating that theory alone does not show facts and you must have provable facts or direct knowledge. Dr. King’s mission for equal rights was his idea that everyone would stick to a nonviolent policy that encourages civil disobedience, and this assumption could have held him back.To request nonviolence under the circumstances of extreme adversity and ridicule requires a great deal of courage, discipline, and strength. Upon realizing this he revised his solution to reflect a peaceful demonstration in main parts of the country, and that helped to prove his reasons as morally correct. The moral scheme behind his cause and the conviction that this element would improve humanity shows that his solution met â€Å"the test of logic. † Even with his methods were different he still overcame opposition to his solutions.Eventually the methods were extensively accepted and implemented by his followers. Dr. Kings remained true to himself, his beliefs and most importantly his vision. He was profound, he believed in democracy and the persistence to accomplish goals of the civil rights. Dr. King was far from profane; he stood on the crest of ethics. Bertrand Russell’s idea that everyone would be believe all of his theories regarding realism and be as passionate about it was an assumption that could have inhibited his process.In the early part of the 1900’s the views concerning the truth, based on traditional v iewpoints was very real. He perfected his solution by utilizing analytical reasoning and logic to establish the direct relationship between direct knowledge and inferred knowledge. His resolution met the â€Å"test of knowledge† since it was provable and reasonable. By recognizing the myth of accepting a claim without realistic proof to back it up, he utilized the method of teaching and writing educational books to apply his solution.The creative process was used by both of the famous thinkers in this paper to identify a problem and to create the solutions to address the issues of their time. To be accepted by society the creative ideas that were used to resolve the issues had to be refined frequently and the perspectives in which they were viewed had to be distinctive in order to meet the test of logic. References Goodman, M. and Fritichie, L. L. (2011). Thinking like a genius. Study Guides and Strategies. Retrieved March 17, 2012 from: http://www. studygs. net/genius2. tm I rvine, A. D. (2010). Bertrand Russell. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved March 17, 2012 from: http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/russell/ The King Center (na) (2012). The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. Retrieved March 17, 2012 from: http://www. thekingcenter. org Ware, C. (2009, January 19). Martin Luther King and civil disobedience and nonviolence. Retrieved March 17, 2012 from: http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/1383676/martin_luther_king_and_civil_disobedience. html? cat=37

Verb Tenses and Forms on ACT English Grammar Rule Strategy

Verb Tenses and Forms on ACT English Grammar Rule Strategy SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Knowing when to use different verb tenses and forms will be extremely beneficial to you on the ACT English section because these concepts are tested repeatedly on the ACT. Get excited for a fun-filled journey into the vivid, action-filled world of verbs. In this post, I’ll do the following: Define the verb tenses and forms that are tested on the ACT. Provide information about when to use different verb tenses. Detail how to construct verbs in different tenses. Explain and demonstrate how verbs are tested on the ACT. Provide practice questions to test you on what you’ve learned. Verb Tenses You Need To Know While you don’t need to know the names of verb tenses for ACT English, you do need to know when and how to properly use different verb tenses. Present Function The present tense is the verb tense you use when you're talking about things that are currently happening or things that are considered facts. Examples of verbs in the present tense are â€Å"jumps," â€Å"sings," and â€Å"explain.† Also, the present progressive is considered a form of the present tense. The present progressive is formed with the present tense of â€Å"to be† + the gerund (â€Å"ing†) form of the word. Examples include "am explaining," "is running," and "are laughing." Typically, words like â€Å"currently† or â€Å"now† indicate that you should use the present tense of a verb. Check out this example sentence: Currently, I am taking over the world. Construction Here is the conjugation of the verb "jump" in the present tense. Singular Plural I jump We jump You jump You jump He/She/It jumps They jump The present tense is not specifically tested on ACT English, but you do need to know how to properly conjugate verbs in the present tense for subject-verb agreement questions. Simple Past Function Generally, any sentence that describes a completed action should contain a verb in the past tense. Construction Typically the simple past tense of a verb is formed by adding â€Å"ed† to the verb. The past tense of â€Å"play† is â€Å"played.† The past tense of â€Å"listen† is â€Å"listened† and the past tense of â€Å"discuss† is â€Å"discussed.† Here's an example sentence with a verb in the simple past tense: Yesterday, George listened to Miley Cyrus songs for seven hours. Many verbs don't follow this construction and thepast tense is formed irregularly. For example, "buy" becomes "bought," "come" becomes "came," and "grow" becomes "grew." Present Perfect Function Use the present perfect tense for actions that began in the past but are still continuing in the present. Construction The present perfect is formed with has/have + the past participle. For regular verbs, the past participle is formed by adding "ed" to the verb. Examples of present perfect verbs include "has talked," "have done," and "has brought." Check out this example sentence: For the past seven hours, George has listened to Miley Cyrus songs. As shown in this example, the words â€Å"for† and â€Å"since† often indicate that the present perfect tense is needed. Be aware, however, thatthere are other instances when context determines that you should use the present perfect tense. Past Perfect Function When a sentence describes two completed actions, the past perfect is used for the action that came first. Construction The past perfect tense is formed with had + the past participle. Examples of past perfect verbs include "had talked," "had danced," and "had grown." Take a look at this sentence that shows the past perfect tense used correctly: By the time his mom came home from work, George had listened to Miley Cyrus songs for seven hours. The seven hours of listening werecompleted before George'smom came home, so we use the past perfect tense of the verb "to listen." The action that comes firstshould be in the past perfect tense. Now that we're familiar with these basic verb tenses, we have the necessary foundation to discuss exactly how verb tenses and forms are tested on the ACT. How Are Verb Tenses and Forms Tested on the ACT? Most of the verb questions on ACT English correspond with only a couple of rules. Proper verb tense or form is determined by the context clues given in the sentence and the surrounding sentences. Here are some of the specific ways in which verb forms are tested on the ACT. Consistency Most of the verb tense questions on the ACT English section have to do with consistency. The basic consistency rule regarding verbs is that verbs should remain consistent in tense or form throughout a sentence. Sentences that start in the past should stay in the past and sentences that start in the present should stay in the present. Here's an incorrect sentence that doesn't follow the consistency rule: Maria studies science and played lacrosse. The verb â€Å"studies† is in the present tense and â€Å"played† is in the past. The verb tenses should be consistent. This is the corrected version of the same sentence: Maria studies science and plays lacrosse. We could have corrected the sentence by changing "studies" to "studied". The important thing to remember is that the verb tenses should be consistent. Sometimes, however, you can have a shift in tense and the sentence can still be correct. This kind of construction is only possible if the verbs are in different clauses. Take a look at these examples: Justin bought a Honda and saves money on gas. Justin bought a Honda so that he can save money on gas. The first sentence is incorrect since "bought" and "saves" are in different tenses but the same clause. The second sentence, on the other hand, is correct. The tense shift takes place in a different clause and the two verbs are occurring at different times: Justin bought the car in the past, but he can save money on gas in the present. Justin rolls in style. On the ACT, the verb tenses of surrounding sentences can provide context clues for the proper tense to use in a given sentence to maintain consistency. Take a look at this example: Unsurprisingly, Suzanne likes frozen yogurt. It was delicious. The shift from the present tense, "likes," in the first sentence to the past tense, "was," in the second sentence doesn't make sense in context. The tenses should remain consistent. Here's the correct version of the sentences. Unsurprisingly, Suzanne likes frozen yogurt. It is delicious. Now, let's go over some tips for answering ACT questions that test verb tense consistency. Strategy Here's some strategic advice for you: if a verb is underlined and the answer choices are different tenses of the same verb, look at the surrounding sentences (a sentence or two before and after) for context clues about the proper tense to use. If there are multiple verbs in a sentence, identify the tenses to make sure they're consistent. If there's a shift from past to present or vice versa, determine if the variation is acceptable given the context of the sentence. Use these tips to answer the following example from a real ACT. Actual ACT Example Rely on your verb knowledge to figure out this actual ACT English question. Explanation: From the answer choices, we can tell that we're most likely dealing with a verb tense question because three of the four answer choices are in different verb tenses: "they were," "they would," and "they're." Whenever you have an underlined verb, check for possible verb tense errors. The verbs "continue" in the first sentence and "score" in the second are in the present tense. The shift to the past tense, "were," doesn't make sense given the context. Therefore, to maintain consistency, the verbs should be in the present tense. Immediately, we can get rid of answer choices A and B. Answer choice D is wrong because it unnecessarily adds the infinitive "to be."The correct answer is C. Here's another example of an actual ACT question that tests verb tense consistency. Actual ACT Example Go through the same process that we went through in the previous question to answer this ACT English question. Explanation: This is an obvious verb tense question. Only the verb is underlined and each answer choice is in a different tense. In the first sentence, the simple past tense verb â€Å"encountered† indicates that we’re referring to completed actions. However, the present perfect verb â€Å"have borrowed† can only be used for an action that is still happening. The context of the sentence implies that the sentence is referring to a completed action and the verb tenses in the two sentences should be consistent. Once you identify that this is a consistency question, you can immediately eliminate any answer choice that isn't in the simple past tense. After eliminating answer choices, we're left with J. Here's one final verb consistency example for you. Because tense consistency questions are the most common verb form questions, I want to make sure you fully understand them. Actual ACT Example Employ your verb expertise to figure out the correct answer to this real ACT question. Explanation: Once again, we're dealing with an obvious verb tense question. Only the verb "have" is underlined and the answer choices are all different verb tenses. The verbs â€Å"took† in â€Å"took part† and "conducted" are in the simple past tense. The first sentence is referring to completed actions that took place from 1942-1945. Based on context, we can imply that the verb â€Å"have† is referring to what happened before 1942. Therefore, we should use the past perfect tense because we are referring to the completed action that came first. Instead of â€Å"have been using,† the correct verb form is â€Å"had been using.†The answer is G. Even if you didn't recognize that you needed to use the past perfect tense, you could have recognized that you needed tochange "have" to the past tense due to verb consistency rules. Remember to keep verb tenses consistent. Would and Will Verb forms with "would" and "will" are less frequentlytested on the ACT English section, but they do occasionally appear. For the ACT, just keep in mind to use "would" in sentences with past tense verbs and "will" in sentences with present or future tense verbs. The construction of verbs with "would" and "will" are "would" + the verb, known as the conditional tense, or "will" + the verb, known as the future tense. Some examples include "would run," "would go," and "will talk." Use the conditional tense to describe things that could occur or things that haven't yet occurred from the perspective of the past. Use the future tense to describe things that have not yet occurred or could occur in the future. On the ACT, answer choices containing â€Å"will have† and â€Å"would have† are almost always incorrect because they tend to cause improper tense switches and make sentences unnecessarily wordy. The â€Å"would have† construction can only be used for something that could have happened, but didn’t. The â€Å"will have† construction describes an action in the future that will be finished before a second action. Check out this basic strategy for these questions. Strategy If â€Å"would have† or â€Å"will have† is underlined, assume it’s incorrect. These tenses can only be used in very specific situations. That's pretty much all you need to know. I'm not going into more depth because "would" and "will" questions very rarely appear and this is the only strategy you need to use on the ones I've seen. Most of them simply require you to pay attention to consistency rules. Here's one final type of verb form question that can appear on the ACT. It's the least common, but questions of this type have appeared on previous tests. Verbs That Don't Act Like Verbs Gerunds, infinitives, and participles are all verb forms that don't act like verbs. Gerunds and infinitives function like nouns. A gerund is formed by adding "ing" to the end of the verb and an infinitive is formed by adding "to" + the verb. A participle is a verb that acts like an adjective. Typically, participles end in "ing" or "ed," but there are irregularly formed participles. On the ACT, on rare occasions one of these types of words will be used in the place of a verb or vice versa. Strategy If a verb or one of these "verbs that don’t act like verbs† is underlined, make sure that it is being used properly. Each sentence must express a complete thought. Realistic ACT Example The extreme length of this article suggests that writing for an extended period of time. A. NO CHANGE B. the manner in which writing C. that I wrote D. which had written Explanation: The use of the gerund, â€Å"writing," makes the sentence an incomplete thought. The sentence needs to express a complete thought. Changing the gerund to a verb and putting in a subject (the person who did the action) corrects the sentence fragment without adding an additional clause. The answer is C. All of the other answer choices are sentence fragments. Here are some more general rules to keep in mind that will help you correctly answer all verb questions on the ACT. Remember these tips!! General Strategies for Verb Questions #1: If a Verb is Underlined and the Answer Choices are Different Tenses, Make Sure To Use the AppropriateForm of the Verb If the answer choices are different tenses of the same verb, thenyou're probably answering a question about verb forms. Make sure that the verb follows consistency rules and the tense is correct. If the answer choices are different conjugations of a verb in the present tense, you're most likely dealing with a subject-verb agreement question instead. #2: Look for Words/Phrases That Indicate Which Verb Tense Should Be Used Often, words or phrases elsewhere in the sentence or in surrounding sentences will let you know what tense to use. If a date in the past is referenced, you should probably use a form of the past tense. If the word â€Å"since† is written, there should probably be a present perfect verb. Context clues are placed around the verb to indicate the proper verb tense. Additional Practice 1. In the next five years, Jessica says that she will become a doctor and she would buy a house. A. NO CHANGE B. buy C. would have bought D. might buy 2. As the breakdancer effortlessly contorts his body, he was also smiling at the crowd of people watching. A. NO CHANGE B. has also smiled C. will also smile D. is also smiling 3. Last week, Olga participated in a charity event to raise money for autistic children. She was praised by the organizers of the event for her dedication to the cause. A. NO CHANGE B. has been praised C. will be praised D. praises 4. My brother claims that he will have become the president of the United States if he is able to raise enough money to run an effective campaign. A. NO CHANGE B. has become C. became D. will become Answers: 1. B, 2. D, 3. A, 4. D What's Next? Congratulations on taking the time to learn all about verb tense questions on the ACT English section. Check out this post for information on all the parts of speech you need to know for the ACT. For those of you who are debating between taking the new SAT and the ACT, read this article comparing the two tests. Before you take the ACT, make sure you know if you should send the four free ACT score reports. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this English lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Bis 220 Wk 4 Essay Example

Bis 220 Wk 4 Essay Example Bis 220 Wk 4 Essay Bis 220 Wk 4 Essay Efficiency and Collaboration Proposal Cynthia Vargas, Carmen Calvillo, Greg Rudie BIS/220 July 18, 2011 Dr. Kathryn Moland, PhD Efficiency and Collaboration Proposal The purpose of this proposal is to address the efficiencies Party Plates may realize by migrating to a relational database system such as Microsoft Access. The current system we are using is Microsoft Excel, which has served the company well. The following will outline the benefits Access has to offer and how they apply to Party Plates business. Benefits of Access Microsoft Access has evolved into very user friendly tool and has become simple to learn. It provides for the easier adding, subtracting, and altering of data once the database. Access offers the ability to construct queries to extract reports from the database to analyze all aspects of the data captured in the database (Grauer, 2011). Whereas this is possible in Excel, it is much more cumbersome. Access also offers the ability for more than one user to update tables at the same time but will not allow for the updating of one record by two individuals at the same time. Access offers the ability to apply rules while entering data so the product will contain the data needed to make calculated business decisions. Access offers the ability to create many reports from the same data set to learn different things about the business (Debasis, 2009). Benefits of Converting Current Data to Microsoft Access By converting the data we currently hold in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets to Microsoft Access, we will be able to track different aspects of our business more effectively. We will also be able to use the reports we will be able to run to drive positive business results. Building a database to capture the data surrounding our business we will be better able to employee records. Once all of the data has been entered in Access, we will be able to track sales trends by associate. We will also be able to track the buying patterns of our customers allowing us to stock the appropriate items by sales surges. Our sales force will be able to use the database to more effectively streamline their work and understand how to be more productive with our customers. While many of the items listed above are possible in Microsoft Excel, the data must be inputted to the spreadsheets and work books and can be more difficult to find the information the user is looking for. Conclusion In conclusion, we believe that converting our data currently held in Microsoft Excel to Microsoft Access holds many benefits for the company. The added ability to analyze data from all aspects of our business will give us the ability to target our weakest performing areas of the business and make them more profitable. Moving to Access will also give us the ability to more effectively enter records and data by more than one individual. References Debasis, D. (2009, July 1). Bright Bulb. Retrieved 7 18, 2011, from brightbulb. com: brighthub. com/computing/windows-platform/articles/41003. aspx Grauer, R. P. (2011). Micrsoft Office 2010 (Vol. Volume 1). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

The Boldness Of Courage Essays - Salem Witch Trials, The Crucible

The Boldness Of Courage Essays - Salem Witch Trials, The Crucible The Boldness of Courage ?You?re the Devil?s man!? (118), Mary Warren cried out when she accused John Proctor of working for the devil. Courage is defined as mental or moral strength to face danger without fear. This is supported in Arthur Miller?s The Crucible. Throughout the Salem witch trials in the 1600?s, courage was that good people held in to, even through the toughest times. To illustrate this, an example of someone with courage is John Proctor. Proctor is a farmer with a wife, Elizabeth, and three young boys. He quietly suffers from guilt caused by an affair he had with a young woman named Abigail Williams. He is contrite and solicitous in his wife?s presence, and he yearns to regain her respect. John shows his courage when he has to make a life and death decision to lie and say that he is involved in witchcraft, which will prevent his execution, or to deny being a witch and be hanged. Proctor, after being questioned by Judge Danforth about being involved in witchcraft, stated that he was. Danforth was then having Proctor sign a confession, but he argued with Danforth saying, ? I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be in public? God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are!? (142). When Danforth would not give up the argument with Proctor to sign the confession, he asked, ?Then explain to me, Mr. Proctor, why will you not let me have it? ? (143), Proctor answered, ? Because it is my name... Because I lie and sign myself to lies!... I have given you my soul; leave me my name!? (143). Danforth then explained to Proctor, if the confession was a lie, he would not accept it. Proctor, with his breast heaving and his eyes staring, he tore the confession and crumpled it up, while he wept in fury. Danforth then ordered for him to be hung ? high over the town ? (143). John Proctor showed courage for his friends and family and by doing it, helped put an end to the unfair courts of Salem. Another good example of with a good deal of courage is Giles Corey. Giles is a 83-year old landowner who is sturdy, mettlesome, and fiercely independent. He?s unenlightened and pig-headed, but at the same time, warm-hearted and undaunted. He reveals himself to be a great man of awesome courage and will when he would not answer ?aye or nay to his indictment? (135). When Elizabeth Proctor was telling her husband, John, about it, she explained, ? great stones they lay upon his chest until he plead aye or nay. They say he give them two words. ? More weight?, he says. And died. ? (135). Giles Corey?s wife, Martha, and all of his friends, had already been convicted of witchcraft, so he had probably decided that he had nothing to live for. Giles humbly protested the one-sided courts by sacrificing himself as an example to his friends to stay strong and to not give up in what they believed is wrong. John Proctor could have easily used Giles Corey as an example, because Proctor learned of Giles? death before he had to make his decision of confessing or being executed. The next courageous person in The Crucible is Reverend John Hale. Reverend Hale is the church authority on demonology. He is summoned to Salem to find out if Reverend Parris? daughter Betty, who is suffering from an unexplained illness, has been hexed by witchcraft. Reverend Hale is proud of his scholarly expertise, and is glad to come to Salem to give his professional input on the situation. He displayed acts of courage when he got extremely frustrated about how unjust and ridiculous Danforth and the trials were, so he stood up and yelled, ? I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court! ? (120). Reverend Hale then comes back later to help those convicted by trying to persuade them to confess and live, rather than be hanged. By doing this, Reverend Hale shows great moral courage. He gives up everything he has worked for in his demonology career by going against the court, and trying to persuade innocent people to confess because he feels horribly responsible for bringing the hysteria to Salem. Reverend Hale is one of

Communication is the Essence of Any Relationship Essay

Communication is the Essence of Any Relationship - Essay Example As the report declares the women in both the stories crave for love and attention; they crave for happiness. In Hills like White Elephants’ the couple is just starting out in life. The girl repeats that she would go in for the operation if that made him and them happy. She says, ‘and you think then we’ll be all right and be happy’. She again says, ‘and if I do it you’ll be happy and things will be like they were and you’ll love me?’ She wants to keep the child but he does not. She agrees to abort the child because she fears losing his love in case she does not. According to the report findings love is not possessiveness; love is to allow space with faith and confidence. In Hills like White Elephants he expresses possessiveness for her when he says, ‘I don’t want anybody but you’. He may be loving her but at the same time he is unable to understand that she wants to keep the child. He says, ‘I don’t want you to do it if you don’t want to. I’m perfectly willing to go through it if it means anything to you’. Such words make the reader feel that he has not been able to understand her feelings at all. He has been able to understand that it does mean a lot to her. She has been repeating that she would go in for it for the sake of happiness. So either he does not understand or chooses to ignore because he wants her exclusively. This amounts to selfishness and possessiveness. Is it merely lack of communication or is it lack of love? Love is neither selfish nor possessive. Love knows to give and not to take.

I want you to choose a suitable topic for each page Assignment

I want you to choose a suitable topic for each page - Assignment Example I think the film exhibits Curley more as a â€Å"Mayor of the Poor† evident in the way he offers himself to be the most approachable person of that rank in comparison to others that assumed the same position before. This is evident in the way he constantly makes contact with the people whom he thought desperately needed money and voted for him immensely. Hence, disentangle them from what they were struggling with in financially. Literally, he had no business with the rich but more specifically the poor who comprised the immigrants and supported him politically in maintaining his mayoral position. Curley extensively utilized his charismatic and magnetic speaking prowess in outdoing his competitors (Allison & Bulger 33). Hence, it is for this reason he manages to offer series of speeches throughout the city and country to win people’s heart. One incident that he successfully managed to outdo his competitor was when he was challenging Kenny. He took his speech and read impeccably to the people besides later repeating how Kenny would have done while repeating sections and statements that his competitor showed flaws in delivering it. Hence, revealing the dull and weakness side of Kenny. Curley’s house is a metaphorical representation of his life and political career. It signifies his rise in politics and personal life from a poor background to the level he is at the top of everybody by being a mayor in Boston. Similar to any political career that has a climax, this also happens to Curley whereby after loosing power, skills as well as other political antics becomes obsolete to the extent together with his wife moves to a small house. This is shifting of power from one personality to another especially, which is a common scenario when attached its attachment encompasses material and position. The film utilizes Curley’s climax in his political career in revealing the true traits of this charismatic mayor. This is because while he was poor and

THE RETAIL GROCERY MARKET Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

THE RETAIL GROCERY MARKET - Essay Example dominate the UK grocery market, accounting for around three quarters of total sales, which IGD values at  £88.2billion  in 2005.   However, this share of total grocery has fallen slightly in recent years as other sectors have grown more quickly. The Convenience sector continues to be a strong driving force behind the overall growth within the UK grocery market.  Ã‚   For every pound spent on food and grocery, consumers now spend 20p in convenience stores and IGD currently values the sector at  £23.9billion, up 4.9% on 2004, which now accounts for a 19.9% share of total grocery. So let’s try to identify the mission objectives and responsibilities of an organisation within its environment. To make our ideas more clear we’ll take a certain retailer, using for instance Tesco Company. Everybody can agree that the main aim of any business is profit earning. Even the relevant definition of â€Å"business† approves that any enterprise or company is created to earn money. Of course, shareholders of any business are its owners and want to get maximum profits. If a company stops producing profits it can be adjudicated a bankrupt. Everybody knows that retail is one of the most competitive economics sector. Shops, marketplaces, boutiques, super- and hypermarkets offer us great choice of different goods and foodstuffs. That’s why if any company has been taking the top positions for almost 10 years, - it is considered as a great success. Britain hypermarket net Tesco is one of such leaders. This company sails one third of all foodstuffs in the country. Tesco can firmly be named as a â€Å"national shop†. Rich, average and poor customers can find the foodstuffs according their wishes and financial abilities. Comfortable location, competitive prices, polite staff, great variety of goods and products, mainly, circumspect development strategy helped Tesco to become a really national shop. Let’s analyze the most important responsibilities, among which the main is

Factors that effect achievement on BTEC level 3 extended diploma in Literature review

Factors that effect achievement on BTEC level 3 extended diploma in sport courses - Literature review Example This is because college graduates will, on average, make a million or more – throughout their working lives – above their non-graduate counterparts that went to the high school level. The bad news in the way of student achievement, which affects the success of BTEC level 3 courses, include that enrolment and persistence levels among learners from low-earning communities remains lower. The groups affected include those from different backgrounds, including native and non-natives. The case is more severe for those suffering from disabilities. The other issue is that the preparation offered at high school is not sufficient, and in pace with the interests of those attending college, therefore, this affects their performance levels at the BTEC level 3 course. This report will explore the wide array of critical issues that affect student achievement at the BTEC level 3 sports course. Factors that lead to low college achievement The situation of being disadvantaged is believed to be the leading cause of low college achievement (Sylva et al., 2004). Such disadvantage is mostly associated with poverty, which makes it difficult for the students to access basic resources such as proper housing, diet and health. In connection with this is unfavourable home learning environment, including the inability of parents in supporting their children in achieving their educational goals (Sylva et al., 2004). The home learning environment is connected to other factors such as parental educational levels, social class as well as what parental involvement in children’s affairs. Educational performance is also associated with cognitive factors, where children of professional parents are found be affected by cognitive deficit than their counterparts from non-professional backgrounds (Feinstein, 2003; Melhuish et al., 2001). Also, children from poor socio-economic status have problems in developing good language skills, which affect their comprehension and learning as well as numeracy and acquisition when they join BETC level 3. Children from poor backgrounds also tend to interact less with their parents, hence they end up receiving little or no parental support, a situation that also hinder their educational achievements when attending their BETEC level 3 (Clegg and Ginsborg, 2006). Gender Low achievement in education has put many students at a disadvantaged position. However, it is important to note that different groups in the population react in a different way depending on their circumstances. OECD studies have shown that, in England, girls outperform boys (Sylva et al., 2004). Elsewhere, Machin and McNally (2005) argue that gender gap has really affected education in the UK, even though the general achievement for both gender has improved. The gender aspect reveals that low academic achievement as a result of low being disadvantaged is very inconsistent, for example because girls from the same family are known to perform differently (Sincl air, 2007). A study published by UNICEF concerning children welfare in rich countries reported the UK at the last ranking out of 21 countries, hence attracting a lot of attention. Some of the factors that led to the poor ranking including the adolescent behaviour which in turn is attributable to background factors such as poor parenting. Margo and Dixon (2006) notes that an inconsistent number of those

Principles of Semiotics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Principles of Semiotics - Essay Example As language with its signs and symbols is a sign, then to many it is linguistics. So, semiotics is a complex subject studying everything that is expressed under the sky. It is no doubt that Saussure, a famous linguist, is one of the early developers of semiotics. Roland Barthes, Greimas, Julia Kristeva, Jakobson are important in modern semiotics. In its course of development, semiotics had close ties with linguistics, structuralism and social psychology. Structuralism looks at language as a set of signs. They explored the underlying structures beneath the language. Modern Semiotics strives to relate signs and their meaning to their social context and situates itself in the wider perspective offered by social semiotics. It is closely allied to Marxist theory in its social concerns. Semiology aims to take in any system of signs, whatever their substance and limits; images, gestures, musical sounds, objects, and the complex associations of all of these, which form the content of ritual, convention or public entertainment: these constitute, if not languages, at least systems of signification. (Barthes 1967, 9) Acknowledging Barthes idea of signs, semiotics concerns itself with everything that can be considered as a sign, according to Umberto Eco. Sign is anything that signifies something else. ‘Signify’ is very important in Semiotics. As Daniel says, â€Å"n a semiotic sense, signs take the form of words, images, sounds, gestures and objects†. It could be a study of signs in the social, personal or philosophical context. It could be read from Feminist, Marxist or Sociologist perspective. To put in other words, a sign... is something which stands to somebody for something in some respect or capacity (Peirce 1931-58, 2.228). Print and other media advertisements can be read closely to reveal themes and trends in the permutations and combinations of signs. It also gives clue of the readers and the advertisers. The

Write a brief communication describing the link and career skills info Essay

Write a brief communication describing the link and career skills info you learn from it - Essay Example By demonstrating his points via illustrations which exhibit comparative analysis between textual presentation and graphics, Parkinson engages the reader to differentiate the consequence of viewing from the outcome of reading in terms of immediate reaction formed. Learning how visuals work based on Parkinson’s research, I suppose that one career skill a professional worker can obtain from it is the potential to improve technical presentations where images may be organized for ease of understanding and amusement. This enables the presenting individual to express ideas more effectively and gain the opportunity to close deals with certain leads. With less talk and an adequate quantity of colorful yet coherent graphs and figures, prospects become further interested in conferences due to better comprehension of the matters being discussed. Thus, since nonverbal communication occurs particularly appealing and comprehensive, the skilled worker can take advantage of enhancing his performance without much use of language. Instead, one can make the most of demonstrative tools as perceived through personality, attitude, creative ability, or any character trait that appears immediately noticeable to others in the

Factors that effect achievement on BTEC level 3 extended diploma in Literature review

Factors that effect achievement on BTEC level 3 extended diploma in sport courses - Literature review Example This is because college graduates will, on average, make a million or more – throughout their working lives – above their non-graduate counterparts that went to the high school level. The bad news in the way of student achievement, which affects the success of BTEC level 3 courses, include that enrolment and persistence levels among learners from low-earning communities remains lower. The groups affected include those from different backgrounds, including native and non-natives. The case is more severe for those suffering from disabilities. The other issue is that the preparation offered at high school is not sufficient, and in pace with the interests of those attending college, therefore, this affects their performance levels at the BTEC level 3 course. This report will explore the wide array of critical issues that affect student achievement at the BTEC level 3 sports course. Factors that lead to low college achievement The situation of being disadvantaged is believed to be the leading cause of low college achievement (Sylva et al., 2004). Such disadvantage is mostly associated with poverty, which makes it difficult for the students to access basic resources such as proper housing, diet and health. In connection with this is unfavourable home learning environment, including the inability of parents in supporting their children in achieving their educational goals (Sylva et al., 2004). The home learning environment is connected to other factors such as parental educational levels, social class as well as what parental involvement in children’s affairs. Educational performance is also associated with cognitive factors, where children of professional parents are found be affected by cognitive deficit than their counterparts from non-professional backgrounds (Feinstein, 2003; Melhuish et al., 2001). Also, children from poor socio-economic status have problems in developing good language skills, which affect their comprehension and learning as well as numeracy and acquisition when they join BETC level 3. Children from poor backgrounds also tend to interact less with their parents, hence they end up receiving little or no parental support, a situation that also hinder their educational achievements when attending their BETEC level 3 (Clegg and Ginsborg, 2006). Gender Low achievement in education has put many students at a disadvantaged position. However, it is important to note that different groups in the population react in a different way depending on their circumstances. OECD studies have shown that, in England, girls outperform boys (Sylva et al., 2004). Elsewhere, Machin and McNally (2005) argue that gender gap has really affected education in the UK, even though the general achievement for both gender has improved. The gender aspect reveals that low academic achievement as a result of low being disadvantaged is very inconsistent, for example because girls from the same family are known to perform differently (Sincl air, 2007). A study published by UNICEF concerning children welfare in rich countries reported the UK at the last ranking out of 21 countries, hence attracting a lot of attention. Some of the factors that led to the poor ranking including the adolescent behaviour which in turn is attributable to background factors such as poor parenting. Margo and Dixon (2006) notes that an inconsistent number of those

Write a brief communication describing the link and career skills info Essay

Write a brief communication describing the link and career skills info you learn from it - Essay Example By demonstrating his points via illustrations which exhibit comparative analysis between textual presentation and graphics, Parkinson engages the reader to differentiate the consequence of viewing from the outcome of reading in terms of immediate reaction formed. Learning how visuals work based on Parkinson’s research, I suppose that one career skill a professional worker can obtain from it is the potential to improve technical presentations where images may be organized for ease of understanding and amusement. This enables the presenting individual to express ideas more effectively and gain the opportunity to close deals with certain leads. With less talk and an adequate quantity of colorful yet coherent graphs and figures, prospects become further interested in conferences due to better comprehension of the matters being discussed. Thus, since nonverbal communication occurs particularly appealing and comprehensive, the skilled worker can take advantage of enhancing his performance without much use of language. Instead, one can make the most of demonstrative tools as perceived through personality, attitude, creative ability, or any character trait that appears immediately noticeable to others in the

Gordan Ramsay Essay Example for Free

Gordan Ramsay Essay Gordon James Ramsay was born on November 8th, 1966 in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland. He was raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. Ramsay had played football(soccer) all throughout this life. During his football career he endured many injuries which led up to a career ending knee injury. At the age 19, Ramsay enrolled at North Oxfordshire Technical College to study Hotel Management. After graduating college Ramsay worked in London and moved to France to learn classic French cuisine. While in France, Ramsay worked in Paris under Guy Savoy and Joel Robuchon, both Michelin-starred chefs for three years. After he had learned as much as he could, Ramsay took a year to work as a personal chef on the private yacht Idlewild which was based in Bermuda. Moving back to London he became the head chef at Aubergine which won him his first Michelin-star. In 1998 Ramsay opened his first restaurant in Chelsea which then gave him 3 Michelin Stars. Ramsay is one of only four chefs in the UK to maintain three Michelin Stars for his restaurant. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire from Queen Elizabeth II in the 2006 honors list for services to the hospitality industry. Ramsay has now published many books and has stared in various television shows. Gordon Ramsay has a aggressive leadership style. We classified him as having both Autocratic Leadership and Bureaucratic Leadership. Ramsay has a strong personality and from this comes the Autocratic leadership roles. We saw this in his television shows where he would shut you down if you did not meet his standards. It seems that it is Gordon Ramsay’s way or the highway. Ramsay poses his ideas quite firmly and is also quite by the book. He delegates jobs accordingly based on skill sets and he always demands professionalism. This is also why we thought Ramsay was a Bureaucratic leadership style. By always demanding excellence Ramsay motivates you to be the best you can be. He gives constructive criticism and educates others with his knowledge and skills. Ramsay inspires you to improve your skill set and be passionate.

Computer and its effects on human life

Computer and its effects on human life Introduction: When computers were first invented in the 1970s it had a big effect on peoples lives all around the world. Stop and imagine life without computers. Today living without a computer is almost impossible for most people in the world since they depend on it for their every day programs. People all around the world use the computer to connect with people thousands of miles away and computers has made the lives of todays growing society a lot easier. The amount of computer users has doubled in the past decade with more people trying to get their hands on a computer to make things easier for them. With a click of button and in a matter of seconds you can transfer information from one place to the other side of the world right from the comfort of your room. Computers are the most modern and most important machines in the 20th century. Although computers have influenced people in a good way but there is a bad side to it too. Computers have a negative effect on the environment, society and people. First of all computers contain hazardous elements like lead and mercury which is very toxic and can damage the environment. When computers are not disposed properly or if not recycled then it can ruin the environment with its harmful chemicals. Computers consume a lot of energy which can pollute the environment (atmosphere). Not only computers have a negative impact on the environment it also has a negative impact on humans too (as well). The computer can damage the human brain due to using the computer continuously and it can cause pain in the body like the hands, back legs etc. if not used properly and due to repetitive motion, computers make the society very inactive since people get addicted to it and using it too much leads them to miss out in their daily activities such as exercise. Short History: The personal computer was invented by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak which was called apple I computer in 1976. Since the 1970s computer designs and programs have changed a lot and new models and better designs were built in the coming years. Throughout the late 1970s and the early 1980s computers were developed for personal household use for personal productivity, programming and games. Some larger and expensive systems were for use in an office and small businesses. Later on business computers acquired graphics and sound system and home computers and game system users used the same processors and operating systems as office workers. After the apple I computer Steve Woniak and his friend Steve Jobs created the Apple II computer which was a complete computer. The Apple II computer had color graphics, a full QWERTY keyboard and internal slots for expansion. In the 1980s many other computers were built with improved models such as the TRS-80. Personal computers were not a threat to the environment in the 70s and 80s since only limited amount of them were produced. Computers were expensive back then that only rich individuals, some businesses, companies and corporations could afford them. As more companies came into the computer business competition between other companies caused most of the computer prices to go down. With computers cheaper people could not wait to get their hands on one of them. Later in the 1990s computers started to become a threat to the environment since there was a big demand for it and people were trying to get the brand new computer designs. In the 90s old computers were being thrown away without proper disposal and the toxic chemicals in the computers which were mostly lead and mercury harmed the environment including safe drinking waters. This is still continuing today with more and more computers are being trashed away with landfills of them all around the world. Subject description: Computer disposal has had a big impact on the environment and the society. 75% of obsolete computers are just lying around. A study by the National Safety Council has found that nearly 75% of computers purchased by corporations, companies and individuals are lying around in some attic, garage or store room. Those computers are being disposed but not recycled. Many people are not aware of the hazards of computer disposal in land fills. In the production of computers harmful chemicals are used such as lead and mercury. Materials like plastic are also used in the production of computers. Just like coal lead is also mined from the earth and for that habitats and trees has to be destroyed in order to dig the ground and mine lead. The result is deforestation and many animal habitats will be destroyed and companies would not bother to try to fix it back. Mercury is also consumed from the earth and is very hazardous. The plastics that are used in making computer monitors contain dangerous flame retardants that can be very toxic when released into the environment. When old computers are thrown away into landfills without proper disposal than the chemicals in the computers and the lead and mercury can enter the waters in the environment and make it very toxic, it does not only pollute water but also kills living creatures in the water. When determining the problem of pollution caused by computers and their production it is evident that all computer hardware is responsible for the problem and causes of pollution during production. Pieces of hardware such as keyboards, monitors, mice are all made out of plastic which is usually not recyclable. Other chemicals found in these tools are also harmful and can damage the environment. As the result of the assembly of the pieces inside the computer such as chips and wafers a lot of toxic materials are given off causing more harm to the environment. The creation of computers causes harm to the environment because old computers are often disposed only to be replaced by larger computers which consume more energy causing more pollution. As the demand for larger monitors and more memory chips grow due to the developments in media, the level of toxins and pollution will increase too and cause even more harm to the environment. These toxins and pollution is caused when more monitors and chips are being produced and manufactured. The average 24 kg desktop computer with a monitor requires at least 10 times its weight in fossil fuels and chemicals to manufacture. Researchers found that manufacturing one computer and 17- inch CRT monitor uses at least 240 kg of fossil fuels, 22 kg of chemicals and 1,500 kg of water which is a total of 1.8 tonnes of material. A variety of environmental impacts associated with computer production processes are huge amount of energy used in the production and operation of computers. Long-term health effects on workers, families and neighboring communities due to chemical exposure and emissions from production stages such as microchip fabrication. Health impacts due to exposure to hazardous materials contained in computer products, such as brominated flame retardants and lead. The main risk of exposure comes from computers that have been dumped in landfills or from environmentally unsafe recycling processes in developing countries. The process of safely getting rid of your old computer is recycling. Recycling of computer parts are done in systematic order by recyclers. After the extrusion of elements such as copper, tin, aluminum, and zinc, precious elements like gold and silver are also taken out of the computer parts. The remaining computer and electronic components are then shredded into small parts and is thrown away safely. Individual components such as glass from cathode ray tubes are sold to foundries to be used as flexing agents. The harmful gases generated through this process is mostly trapped and contained. Many manufacturers of computer parts also offer programs to buy obsolete computers for recycling. It is the safest way to always recycle your obsolete computer by giving it to a computer recycling program. This way these old computers are not left in land fills and will not harm or damage the environment. Future trends and Environmental/ social Impacts: Sales of personal computers have skyrocketed in the past two decades. The 300,000 computer sales in the U.S in the 1980s increased by 500% the next year and doubled again in the year after that. Today, despite the high-tech meltdown of the late 1990s, computer sales grow about 10 percent a year and more than 130 million computers are being sold each year around the world. By the end of 2002, one billion PCs had been sold worldwide. In 2001 125 million personal computers were shipped compared to 48,000 thousand in 1977. According to iSuppli the global personal computer shipments were 264 million units in 2007 which was 11.3 percent more than 2006. As of June 2008, the number of personal computers used worldwide hit the one billion mark while another billion is expected to be reached by 2014. About 180 million computers which are 16 percent of the existing installed base were expected to be replaced and 35 million obsolete computers to be dumped into landfills in 2008. Nearly 80% of the personal computers used today are mostly in developed countries with the U.S being one of them. With the computer sales increasing each year, the number of obsolete computers increase too, this causes more environmental damage. Most of the obsolete computers are dumped in landfills in developing countries and most of those computers come from developed countries. This increase of computers in landfills contributes to pollution in our environment and destroys habitats. The number of people worldwide owning a personal computer has been doubled since 2002 and that has a bad impact on humans. Most people try to make their job easier just by using a computer, thats a good thing but that also makes many individuals lazy. The continuous use of computers by individuals increases their chances of pain in the muscles and will have many pain problems in their adulthood. Most people are addicted to computers that they will likely miss their daily exercise and daily routines. As more new technologies are about to come in the near future, more and more computers will be replaced by them and therefore causing a massive destruction in the environment. Conclusion: Overall, a computer is one of the famous and great inventions in human history. This technology is likely to cause more harm to humans and the environment, it does not only make humans lazy but it also damages them mentally and physically. The way computers are being programmed to do a job, due to too much use of technology humans are being programmed as well without being aware of it. The harmful chemicals in the computers cause pollution in the environment and destroys it, third world countries are filled with trash that the western world has produced but can not keep them in their own country instead pays other poor countries to dispose it for them. There are positive impacts as well, such as saving time, increase in knowledge and multi tasking gets jobs done at once and make life easier. Living without a computer is nearly impossible for many people around the world. Today if the use of computers stopped than basically the earth stops. Almost everything today to communication to designing a new model of some sort is done by a computer. Life without a computer is nothing; people are too depended on them now, its time that they should start using their brains as well not just the computers and take action against unsafe disposals of obsolete computers.

Hip-hop, Reggae, and Politics Essay -- Essays on Politics

Hip-hop, Reggae, and Politics Introduction Music is an art form and source of power. Many forms of music reflect culture and society, as well as, containing political content and social message. Music as social change has been highlighted throughout the 20th century. In the 1960s the United States saw political and socially oriented folk music discussing the Vietnam War and other social issues. In Jamaica during the 1970s and 1980s reggae developed out of the Ghetto’s of Trench town and expressed the social unrest of the poor and the need to over-through the oppressors. The 1980’s brought the newest development in social and political music, the emergence of hip-hop and rap. This urban musical art form that was developed in New York City has now taken over the mainstream, but originated as an empowering art form for urban youth and emerging working class. Musically hip-hop spawned the age of DJ’s. With strong influences from Reggae, hip-hop has developed into an empowering form for the expression of ideas, power, revolution and change. Power and empowerment have emerged from these musical styles that now have many commonalities. Hip-hop and Reggae are both forms of protest music. â€Å"Protest music is characterized by objections to injustices and oppressions inflicted on certain individual groups†¦. typically, the intent of protest musicians is to oppose the exploitation and oppression exercised by dominant elites and member of dominant groups†(Stapleton, 221). Hip-hop has developed as a new form of protest music void of the common acoustic guitar. The goal of protest music is to promote freedom through music. Bob Marley expresses his belief that music is a message and route to freedom in the song â€Å"Trench town.† ... ...ap† Miami New Times, February 10, 2000, Thursday. Salmon, Barrington â€Å" Bob Marley’s legacy lives forever† Miami Times, V. 73; N. 22 p. 5A, 2/18/1996 Shivers, Kaia â€Å"This is Reggae Music† Los Angeles Sentinel† V. 66; N. 32 p. B5 11/8/2000 Wilson, Basil â€Å"The politics & culture of Reggae music† The Caribbean-American Magazine v. 24 N. 1 p. 25, 2/28/2000 Discography: Honorary Citizen: Peter Tosh, Sony Music Entertainment:1997 Steffens, Roger. â€Å"In the Tracks of the Stepping Razor: The Peter Tosh Biography† pgs. 42-51 Reflection Eternal: Talib Kweli, Rawkus Records 2000 â€Å"This means you† Run DMC: Run DMC, Arista Records 1983 â€Å"Its Like That† Bob Marley: Confrontation, Polygram Records 1983 â€Å"Chant down Babylon,† and â€Å"Trenchtown† Bob Marley: Suvival, Ploygram Records 1979 â€Å"Babylon System†

Dont Drink and Drive :: Legal Issues, Social Issues, Informative

Topic: Don’t Drink and Drive Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that action is needed to deal with the problem caused by motorists’ who drink and drive. General Purpose: Solving the problems caused by drinking and driving will require action by friends, family, and law enforcement. Thesis Statement: Drinking and driving not only endanger your life, it endangers the lives of the innocent victims whose path you cross. Introduction: While watching TV one night, a special news report came on. There was a terrible accident in Marshal County involving a drunk driver. Six children were killed in the crash, a man driving a blue sedan had hit head-on with a mini van, carrying six children and their grandmother. All the children were pronounced dead at the scene, the grandmother and the man driving the sedan were the only survivors. Body: A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Don’t drink and drive, period. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cemeteries are full of people who thought they were â€Å"Ok to drive† along with the innocent victims whose paths they crossed. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Support law enforcement. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Don’t complain that an officer gave your kid an MIP, DUI, or DWI†¦ thank them. Transitions: Now that we’ve seen how drinking and driving are serious problems for motorists’ and their communities, let’s look at some causes. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"It causes the deaths of over 16,000 people in America every year, an average of 44 each day, one every 33 minutes.† Conclusion: â€Å"Drinking and driving and alcohol abuse are claiming the lives of thousands of young people each year. If you critically injure or kill someone after making

Pilipinas for Sale Gma7

Gerald C. RollonCLHS104 Environmental ScienceMr. Choi PILIPINAS FOR SALE Sa Luzon, tinuklas ang sinasabing nagaganap na bentahan ng ilang isla sa pamosong El Nido sa Palawan. Tulad na lang ng Turtle Island, kilalang breedingground ng mga pawikan. Ang walong ektaryang isla, ngayo'y ibinebenta sa halagang P12 million. Sa Visayas, may ganito ring nagaganap na kalakalan sa Bohol. Gamit ang tax declaration, ibinebenta rin ang ilang islang idineklara bilang protected area. Sa Cebu naman, natuklasang ginagamit ito bilang isa sa transhipment points upang ipuslit palabas ng bansa ang black corals.Sa Mindanao, hinanap sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon ang umano'y pinagmulan ng tone-toneladang black corals na nasabat sa mga pier ilang buwan na ang nakararaan. Sinayasat din ang isyu ng pagmimina sa CARAGA, ang tinaguriang mining capital sa bansa. REFECTION: PILIPINAS FOR SALE This is sad to know that our own land is for sale. People of the Philippines must not only focus on the problems in Manila alo ne but also see the other problems of its other islands because every Filipino people would benefit its preservation.I think the government should do something about it, if they have the responsibility of protecting its people, they might be also have the responsibility to take care of its mother land and everything that was created within it. Most especially the people should be aware of the consequences one thing might happen in the future. Big companies might offer something else as a counter offer for their own gain but whose to blame if the government can't provide the people what they need. Too sad!

Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver’s novel called The Poisonwood Bible beautifully illustrates the lessons learned in a journey that is both physical and metaphysical. As this family travels from Bethlehem, Georgia to the Congo, Africa in order for Nathan, the father, to become a missionary, they each take their own journey of gargantuan proportions. As each character takes very different ideas out of their experiences in Africa, the reader too, is able to experience Africa from the vantage point of multiple narrators. Kingsolver asks the reader from the very beginning to take the journey with this family.â€Å"Oh, but I know better and so do you†¦Take your place then. look at what happened from every side and consider all the ways it could have gone† (Kingsolver 8). In an interview from Book Page, Kingsolver offers some explanation for looking at history. â€Å"We can never know, never look at history with anything but a narrow and distorted window,† says the author. We ca n never know the whole truth, only what's been recorded for us and what our cultural and political predisposition understands. Leah says history is never much more than a mirror we can tilt to look at ourselves† (Kanner).Many members journey from Georgia to the Congo and from ignorance to understanding. In the first section called â€Å"The Things They Carried,† Kingsolver shows the characters packing all the necessary things that they carry into the Congo on this journey. They hide objects in their waistbands that they can’t live without, like band-aids, scissors, cake mixes, and more. The cake solidifies before they are even able to attempts to use it. Before they even get there, Leah realizes these objects weigh her down. What hey realize is that they don’t â€Å"need† any of the objects they brought with them, and that our concept of need is warped by our culture.These possessions stand out against the items of the Congo. The demonstration garde n is a symbol that shows many characteristics of this journey of ignorance and understanding. Nathan’s purpose in the demonstration garden is to show the Congolese agricultural techniques. This garden is symbolic of the attitude that the family carries into the Congo. they believe that their way is superior and Africans are hopelessly backward. However, the plants that they bring are inappropriate to Africa as are the attitudes of the family.The plants are useless; they bear no fruit just like the attitudes of the family. When Mama Tataba tries to advise Nathan, he cannot heed her advice because he believes the Congolese are so backward that she doesn’t know what she is talking about. It never occurs to him that there are reasons other than â€Å"backwardness† as to why there is no agriculture in Kilanga. The journey continues as more attitudes change throughout the course of the novel. Adah believes that it is so terrible that so many children and adults die in Africa of things we can cure.So people like her have brought medicines and inoculations. However, this leads to overpopulation and food shortages and more. Another lesson the family learns on this journey is that human beings cannot change the balance of nature. Nature always finds a way to retain its own balance. Not all characters succeed in taking the journey. Nathan Price never â€Å"sees the light† of his journey. He arrogantly believes that he can change these ancient traditions to his own, and this would be for the betterment of everyone. His way of life is simply superior, but he is blind in so many ways.He actually is physically almost-blind in one eye because of an old war wound. He is figuratively blind to anyone outside his own version of his divine mission. He then loses sight temporally by ignoring Mama’s advice about the poisonwood tree. Kingsolver ultimately longs for the reader to make this journey as well, a journey to explore what really happened in the Congo. She wants the reader to question what we did in the Congo and how we respond to its destruction. This is why we hear the story from five different narrators. There is no right answer; there is only the journey of exploring the possibilities.Orleana is paralyzed at the end of the book. Rachel refuses to accept any part. Leah becomes an activist, attempting to right the wrongs of the world. Adah responds with science, wanting to figure out and understand her world. What this family’s ultimate â€Å"journey† becomes is one of arrogance and superiority to one of understanding and open-mindedness. â€Å"We aimed for no more than to have dominion over every creature that moved upon the earth. And so it came to pass that we stepped down there on a place we believed unformed, where only darkness moved on the face of the waters.Now you laugh, day and night, while you gnaw on my bones. But what else could we have thought? Only that it began and ended with us. What d o we know, even now? Ask the children. Look at what they grew up to be. We can only speak of the things we carried with us, and the things we took away† (Kingsolver 10) Works Cited Kanner, Ellen, Barbara Kingsolver turns to her past to understand the present. 1998 Retrieved June 3, 2007. from First Person Book Page site http://www. bookpage. com/9811bp/barbara_kingsolver. html Kingsolver. Barbara, The Poisonwood Bible. HarperCollins, Canada. 2005.