Learning styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Learning styles - Essay Example This climate has led to an interest in the learning styles of students. There are four main styles of learner, identified by Kolb and developed his Learning Style Inventory (LSI) to establish an individuals relative emphasis on each of the four styles. Kolbs LSI is based on the work of John Dewey, Kurt Lewin, and Jean Piaget. John Dewey emphasized the need for learning to be grounded in experience. Kurt Lewin stressed the importance of active learning, and Jean Piaget articulated a theory of intelligence as the result of the interaction of a person and his or her environment (Jarvis, Holford, Griffin, 2003, 171). Kolbs learning style model separated learners on the basis of four steps of learning defined from a two-dimensional model. The first dimension is based on task, and the second dimension is based on the soul or ego. The dimension based on task ranges from performing tasks to observing tasks. The model is usually shown with the task dimension displayed horizontally and the soul dimension displayed vertically. The four resulting quadrants are labeled with four steps to learning and four personal learning styles. The four steps to learning are labeled (1) concrete experience, (2) reflective observation, (3) abstract conceptualization, and (4) active experimentation. The four personal learning styles are (1) theorists, (2) pragmatists, (3) activists, and (4) reflectors (Race, 2005, 52). The personal learning style labeled theorist represents a person who likes to learn using abstract conceptualization and reflective observation. Theorists strength lies in the ability to create theoretical models. They prefer case studies regarding Accountancy or law, theory readings, and thinking alone. This learning style is characteristic of those gravitating toward basic science and mathematics. The theorist adapts and integrates observations into complex but logically sound

Scottish Folk Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Scottish Folk Music - Essay Example It was introduced in the Scottish music industry many years ago (around the 15th century) and was recognized as a family and professional instrument. It passed on from generation to generation. The bagpipe is used in dances all across Scotland. Also, singing along with the music played from traditional instruments like Harp and bagpipe is also a common practice in Scotland. Some Scottish music is also specific to certain region and hence all in all, Scottish folk music is considered to be very unconventional and diverse. Many different musical instruments are used in playing Scottish music. One such instrument is the accordion which is mostly used by the countryside musicians. The bagpipe is another very popular instrument and it has already been discussed earlier. The Fiddle has been used to create regional music and is said to have evolved over time. It is used for playing cheerful and lively beats. The guitar is considered to be new in Scottish music and the harp, which is treated as an ancient musical instrument. Although Scottish music was never dull enough to be revived, it is said that Scottish music underwent a revival in the 1960s. Scottish singers always had an international following and heavy sales, in 1960s came the innovation to rejuvenate the spirit of the music. In 1970s, the music evolved from being completely a solo affair to being a band. In the 1980’s duos started and a popularity of rock and metal was observed. Ad in the present times, Scottish music is enjoyed in the form of symphonies and operas. Also Jazz is especially liked in Scotland and numerous famous artists have played their part in mingling Jazz with traditional Scottish music. One vocal genre of Scottish music is the Bluegrass music. It is a form of Jazz and is symbolized by tunes called breakdowns. It’s just like the old-time music in which only one instrument would dominate and continue to be played while other instruments would accompany it. Different people fro m all over the world like Bluegrass music and enjoy it. It is played on traditional acoustic music string instruments. It is also characterized by upright bass and guitar. But apart from instrumentation, the distinguishing aspect of Bluegrass music is the vocals. Inclusion of other musical instruments like accordion, harmonica, drums, harp and electric guitar resulted in an evolution of Bluegrass to Newgrass. Vocals are also done very differently with two, three or four parts. It is done with a deviating sound in the highest voice. This style of music is called ‘high lonesome sound’ The music itself is influenced by the music of African Americans. The orientation of the vocals and its synchronization is called Stack. A stack principally has a background voice, a main lead voice and a tenor voice. However, it is not necessary that one sticks to this sequence while singing a stack especially when female voices are included. The early days of the genre followed this trio t ype arrangement. Famous vocalists in this field include Alisson Krauss, Howard Watts and Osborne brothers. Blue grass music is enjoyed all over the world because people can easily relate to it; it is actually a narration from the everyday lives of people. This might include their love life, other tensions, unhappiness with changes that were unwelcomed or financial burdens that people face. It ranges from discussing the difficulty of living in

Behaviorism. Neo Behaviorism and Gestalt Psychology

Behaviorism. Neo Behaviorism and Gestalt Psychology John B. Watson (1878 1958) was known as the father of behaviorism. Watson did not believe that the definition of psychology was the science of the mind. He believed that psychology should be viewed as a purely objective experimental branch of natural science and that the goal of the psychologist is not to understand the mind but to understand behavior. (Wozniak, 1997) Watsons studied behavioristic psychology in neonates at the Phipps Psychiatric Clinic in Baltimore. Hothersall stated that Watson found that there were three main classes of emotional responses that were distinguishable in human neonates: fear, rage, and love. These emotions were elicited by a set of certain stimuli. (Hothersall, 2004, pp. 471 472) Watson also conducted experiment and believed that children should be kept on a very strict schedule. He believed that children should not be hugged, kissed, and that they should be treated as little adults. (Wozniak, 1997) Watson began research with a child named Albert wh o was a child of one of the nurses in the Hospital. Albert was chosen because of his temperament. Watson wanted to study conditioning behavior of fear in a child. He wanted to see if a child could be conditioned to fear, the reconditioned to resolve tat same fear. (Hothersall, 2004, p. 472) Watsons behavior conditioning of fear was a success and was a widely known research project. He had now proved that fear can be acquired through conditioning and that most fear was probably acquired through a constant exposure. (Hothersall, 2004, p. 474) Albert was removed from the program by his mother before he could be reconditioned to not fear the animals that he were conditioned to fear. Eventually, Watson discovered a new subject whose fears were actually similar to little Alberts fears. Watson and his assistant Jones began to use conditioning methods on Peter to cure him of his fears. (Hothersall, 2004, p. 477) Peters conditioning went from fear to indifference to him being fond of rabbits . Watson kept in touch with Peter and his family and Peter remained found of rabbits for quite some time after the direct conditioning had finished. (Hothersall, 2004, p. 478) After Watsons forced resignation from Johns Hopkins Department of Psychology, he went to work in advertising. Because he understood advertising from a psychologist view, he was able to apply his behaviorist psychology to advertising and use behaviorism to sell products. He was able to use demographics surveys to target consumers. Watson was a very successful advertiser and was also the first to use radio effectively for advertising. (Hothersall, 2004, pp. 476 477) Watson was a very successful advertiser but was never able to return to academics which was his love. 2. Compare and Contrast the Little Albert and Peter case studies. Watsons study of children led him to the two case studies of fear in children. Watsons research with children began at the Henry Phipps Psychiatric Clinic in Baltimore in 1916. Adolf Meyer was sympathetic to Watsons behaviorism and allowed him to set up a research laboratory at the clinic where he studied child development. At Phipps he studied more than 500 infants. He studied their reflexes and emotional reactions. He believed that the newborns had a number of reflexes but only 3 main classes of emotional responses: fear, rage, and love. (Hothersall, 2004, p. 471) Watson experimented with a normal developing baby at an invalid hospital whose mother was a nurse at the hospital. Watson wanted to see if he could condition the child to elicit a fear response. First he began to create a fear in the child by striking a pole with a hammer until the child became afraid of the sound. Once Little Albert was afraid of the sound, Watson paired the sound to an animal that Little Albert was not afraid of. Whenever Little Albert would reach for the animal, the experimenter would strike the pole with the hammer. At first, little Albert would pull away from the animal. By the third attempt to pair the animal with the sound, Little Albert would cry. Once he elicited the responses that Watson was hoping for, Watson would then begin to introduce more animals to see if Little Alberts fear would cross over from animal to the other. The experimenter would now introduce other animals and objects to Little Albert. Watson received the results that he was looking for. Although Little Albert never finished the study, the Little Albert study is extremely important in psychology. The research conducted on Little Albert had a tremendous effect on the world. Watsons research and experiments continue to influence psychology and therapy. (Little Albert, 2009) Because Little Albert didnt complete the study, Watson was left without a subject and without the result he was looking for in order to show that people can also be conditioned to not fear. The case of Peter made it possible for the experiment to continue where Dr. Watson had left off. First Watson would have to condition Peter to not fear a stimulus. Once the fear of the stimuli was gone, he would have to test to see if the resolution of the fear of that stimulus had transferred to his fear of other stimuli. (Green, 2001) Peter was overly afraid of a white rat which transferred to a white rabbit, a fur coat, a feather, and cotton wool. Te begin unconditioning Peter, he was shown a white rat. When he was shown the rat while sitting in the crib, he begins to cry. Afterwards, Peter was sat in a chair as he watched one of the experimenters handle the rat without fear. Peter was then gradually exposed to a white rabbit. Tolerance began with stage A bringing the rabbit into the room in a cage to stage F being free in the room to stage Q nibbling on Peters fingers. These degrees of toleration were represented in stages i n which the improvement or tolerance occurred. Some things that the stages did not show was the set-backs that Peter experienced such as a sudden change or fear of the rabbit again or the longer time it would take to reach the next stage. (Green, 2001) Watson and Jones research and experiments with Peter found that the most effective method for overcoming fear was direct conditioning to that fear. (Hothersall, 2004, p. 477) 3. What are the major tenants of Gestalt psychology as developed by Wertheimer, Kohler, and Koffka? How do their ideas oppose those of Watsons Behaviorism? Initially the three founders of Gestalt (meaning shape or form) Psychology, Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, and Wolfgang Kohler were all German Psychologist whose interest included perception, learning, problem solving, and cognition. (Hothersall, 2004, p. 207) Max Wertheimer (1880 1943) was a young Jewish boy whose parents sent him to study at a Catholic Gymnasium. They also taught him Hebrew and the Torah while at home. His parents bought him the collective works of Baruch Spinoza, a philosopher. He attended the University of Prague where he studied law. He became interested in Psychology and studied under Stumpf at the University of Berlin. He received his Doctorial degree under Kulpe at the University of Wurzburg. (Hothersall, 2004, p. 208) Kurt Koffka (1886 1941) was born in Berlin and attended the University of Berlin and earned his PhD in 1909. Koffka had studied movement phenomena under Stumpf at the University of Berlin. (Green, 2000) Wolfgang Kohler (1887 1967) was born in Reval and earned his PhD in 1909 at the University of Berlin under Stumpf. (Hothersall, 2004, p. 209) As Rallman stated, Gestalt is the German word for form, and as it applied in Gestalt psychology it means unified whole or configuration. The essential point of gestalt is that in perception the whole is different from the sum of its parts. (Rallman, 2010) Wertheimer, Kohler, and Koffka began working together after Wertheimer consulted with Professor Schumann of the Psychological Institute at the University of Frankfurt about some questions that he had. Wertheimer wanted to know where movement came from. His work with Kohler and Koffka led to phi phenomenon and the 4 principles of Gestalt Theory (Holistic Thinking, Phenomenological Basis, Methodology, and Isomorphism). (Hothersall, 2004, p. 209) Gestalt Psychology differed from Behaviorism because behaviorism was founded on the ideas that people can change their behaviors. Its basis is that the person can control the mind and their behavior. Gestalt psychology grew out of perceptual theories and its basis is looks at the human mind an d behavior as a whole. (Hothersall, 2004, pp. 209-211) The basis of Gestalt Theory is that the form is always a constant. No matter how the sensation or surroundings change, the form remains constant. (Hothersall, 2004, pp. 207 208) 4. Outline the major ideas of the Neo-Behaviorists: Tolman, Guthrie, Hull, and Skinner. Edward Chace Tolman (1886 1959) was a Psychologist born in Massachusetts and the brother of a famous Physicist. Tolman received his Bachelors from MIT, but didnt want to feel like he was following in his brothers footsteps. He changed universities to Harvard University where he studied Philosophy and Psychology. He received his PhD in Psychology in 1915. (Hothersall, 2004, pp. 487-488) Tolmans theory of Neo-behaviorism is rooted in Gestalt psychology and Behaviorism. Edwin Ray Guthrie (1886 1959) was an American Philosopher and Behaviorist Psychologist. Guthrie showed academic talent even as a young boy. Guthrie was a mathematics major at the University of Nebraska and received his Masters and PhD in Philosophy. (Hothersall, 2004, p 496) Guthries most important contribution to psychology was his theory of learning or what he called his point of view or his rudiments of a system of learning. (Hothersall, 2004, p. 498) In his book, The Psychology of Learning, he stated that the principle of contiguity in similar words: a combination of stimuli which has accompanied a movement will on its recurrence tend to be followed by that movement. (Hothersall, 2004, p 499-500) Guthries work played an important part in understanding all the processes that take place as people develop the knowledge and develop the skills which help them to interact successfully with the environment and with the people around them. (Hothersall, 2004, p. 499) Clark Leonard Hull (1884 1952) attended a one room school where he took all of the courses and taught there for a year. As a child he had a strong need to succeed. Because of his need to succeed, he spent long hours working and studying. (Hothersall, 2004, p. 504) After taking a one year break due a typhoid infection, Hull entered the Alma College studying mining engineering. After his second year at Alma College, he has a severe attack of poliomyelitis which left one of his legs paralyzed. Because of his paralysis, Hull would not be able to have a successful career as a mining engineer and decided to study either religion or psychology. (Hothersall, 2004, pp. 504-505) Hull graduated from the University of Michigan with a BA degree and a year later he entered the University of Wisconsin where he was assigned as a research assistant to Joseph Jastrow. (Hothersall, 2004, p. 505) While Hulls work on aptitude and hypnosis was important, his attempt to develop a comprehensive behavior sy stem was his most important contribution. (Hothersall, 2004, p. 506) His work was cited in the American Journal of Experimental Psychology more than any other Psychologist from 1949 1952. Hulls contributions were recognized by his colleagues and he attained the presidency of the American Psychological Association as well as being elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1936. (Hothersall, 2004, p. 513) Burrhus Frederic Skinner (1904 1990) attended Hamilton College in Upstate New York and aspired to be a writer. After graduating, he set-up a study and spent a year trying to write. At the end of the year, he concluded that he had nothing to write and begin a new career. Skinner purchased Watsons books on Behaviorism. After Skinner read Pavlovs book, he decided that his future was in psychology. (Hothersall, 2004, p. 515) He invented the operant conditioning chamber and developed his own philosophy of science. Skinners radical behaviorism sought to understand reinforcement on behaviors. (Hothersall, 2004, pp. 517 519) To Skinner, reinforcement is integral in the shaping of a persons behavior. Skinners radical behaviorism and operant conditioning is used in child rearing, teaching, and business now. (Hothersall, 2004, pp. 524 528)

Killing Mr. Griffin, by Lois Duncan :: Killing Mr. Griffin Lois Duncan

I read the book Killing Mr. Griffin, by Lois Duncan. There was an English teacher, Mr. Griffin, which nobody liked. He was a tough teacher, and didn’t give anyone an A. Not even the smartest student, Susan McConnell. They disliked him so much that they wanted to try and scare him by kidnapping him. One day after school, Mark told his friends his idea of what to do to take care of Mr. Griffin. He decided that they should threaten to kill him so he would give them better grades but not actually kill him. After some convincing, all Mark’s friends agreed to his plan. Then they carried out their plan and got Mr. Griffin where they wanted him. They left him all alone and tied up in the mountains. Susan and David were worried about Mr. Griffin, so after a couple of hours they just went to check on him. But when they got there, they found and realized that Mr. Griffin was dead! They panicked, and didn’t know what to do. They went back and told the others. They all promised each other that they wouldn’t tell anyone what had happened. Now they had to cover up all the evidence that my lead to them. Mark was willing to do anything to do that! After a few days, Mr. Griffin’s disappearance was on the news. Of coarse, no one knew where Mr. Griffin really was, and what had actually happened to him. It was hard for them to keep it in. They all felt so bad, except for Mark. Mark was the leader of this plan, and he secretly did things to cover up evidence that his friends didn’t know about. Not at first anyway. He killed David’s, but Susan figured that out. He also tried to kill Susan because she was going to tell the police the whole story. She couldn’t stand keeping it in anymore. But after a while, people started putting things together and figured out what had really happened.

Abou Shakra Essay

Q 01: Describe Abou Shakra in terms of the value it provides for customer. Ans: Abou Shakra has managed to maintain its own identity by having satisfied customer over the years. It was only possible as it followed some values since its inception to uphold its true identity as a restaurant. These values are as follow – Advantage – As a new restaurant when it started, it had to compete with the whole market as there was not many different cuisines available like now. So the competitive market necessitate that Abou Shakra had to offer something that would give him some advantage over the other competitors. This advantage turned out to be the greatest customer value offered by Abou Shakra, which was not offered by the majority of his customers. See more: Defining research problem and setting objectives Essay Persistent Focus on Customer – This restaurant have maintained the persistent focus on customer well-being and satisfaction and that had originally been the key factor to their success. This customer based marketing has been proved as the right track for their successive triumphs they have reached so far. Philosophy – Since its beginning, Abou Shakra has placed importance on its elegant dishes, prepared them with passions and provided a memorable experience to their guests. Abou Shakra has been following this philosophy ever since its establishment. This philosophy has brought in some other values n different ways. Such as – Abou Shakra has always ensured that its supplies are provided daily and they are preserved with appropriate standard. They have their own farms for meats and vegetables so that they can best product in the market. Over the years, it has kept its menu as simple as possible. Following no complexities has allowed it provide the best food so far. It has also maintained a hygiene environment for its customers so that they can feel like home. Their best feature would be their well trained employee wing that that ensure the utmost customer satisfaction. Q 02: Do you think Abou Shakra should develop a high-growth strategy? Why or why not? Ans: No, I don’t think Abou Shakra should develop a high growth strategy. Abou Shakra has successfully managed to collect good amount of profit over the years by following its existing strategy. This strategy has ensured its high efficiency rate all the way from its beginning. The reason behind this successful strategy – 1) Outstanding service – From its day one, Abou Shakra has emphasized on one thing only and that is customer  satisfaction. Through its amazing services, this restaurant has managed to satisfy almost all the customers it attends every year. Elegant dishes, friendly employees and hygiene environment have helped it to achieve its peak. 2) Correct Locations – Though it was first established in 1947, it only has 12 outlets in Egypt including 2 international branches. This way of choosing correct locations for the food lovers proves to be one of the best strategic ways it has followed. But these various locations didn’t come out as a hectic way of managing as Abou Shakra has always ensured its fresh deliveries to its each outlet. 3) Fresh Ingredients – Fresh ingredients also helped it to maintain the equal interest in all outlets. They never compromised with any of its ingredients even it was their overseas outlet which has proved as one of the best way to ensure satisfied customer. 4) Low budget on Advertisement – As Abou Shakra believes that satisfied customer is the best advertising tool, they always tend to reduces expenses instead of spending a large amount of money. They even try to spend that money on increasing the quality of the food and service provided.

Program of Study Essay

I have one main goal and that is to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. Receiving my FNPI will allow me to be able to work in a variety of areas. There are several areas that I have a passion for and I still remain undecided in which path to take. Several of my interests are Telemedicine, Diabetes and Rural Health Nursing. Professional and Academic Background I began as a License Practical Nurse in 2004 at Ozark Technical School; I received my Registered Nurse in 2011 at the University of Fort Smith, Arkansas. I was not satisfied with my ADN, so I decided to advance and acquire my Bachelor ´s in Nursing via Oklahoma Wesleyan University. While attaining my BSN, I decided to go further and obtain my Family Nurse Practioner. Professional Goals I chose the Family Nurse Practitioner route due to my interest in working with families and my interest in Diabetes. Obtaining my FNP will hopefully allow me to work near my home, increase my yearly salary to send my two children to college. The decision to become a FNP was not hard due to my ability to assist the physician in ordering labs, assist in minor procedures and the ability to quickly assess a situation and react appropriately. Course Outcomes Obtaining my Family Nurse Practioner through the Master ´s program at Walden University will enable me to work, spend time with my family, and acquire the skills and knowledge to either work in a rural clinic, work with telemedicine or work mainly in Endocrinology. Practicum My goals are to use preventive and educative methods in controlling the epidemic of Diabetes. I would like to see rural and urban clinics using telemedicine to correspond with individuals with diabetes to assist them in lowering their A1C levels, eating healthy and leading healthier lives. The project I propose is whether or not using Telemedicine in the patient ´s home to interact with individual ´s with diabetes daily will lower A1C level ´s, assist them in eating healthy and leading healthier lives. Conclusion I am at the time in my life that I am able to pursue my FNP. My children are in their teenage years, and I am financially stable to pursue my dream of a Family Nurse PR actioner. References Catalog Search. (2014). Retrieved from Walden University Student Publications: http://catalog.waldenu.edu/search_advanced.php?cur_cat_oid=89&search_database=Search&search_db=Search&cpage=1&ecpage=1&ppage=1&spage=1&tpage=1&location=33&filter%5Bkeyword%5D=The+Essentials+of+Evidence-Based+Practice+ Transforming Nursing Practice through Technology and Innovation. (2011). Retrieved from www.himss.org: http://blog.himss.org/2011/07/08/transforming-nursing-practice-through-technology-and-innovation/ Program of Study Form Master of Science in Nursing, BSN Track Based on the information that you provided, the following credits may be transferred into your program at Walden University. This information is unofficial until all official transcript(s), international evaluation, and course description or syllabus is received. Academic changes in the program you are considering may also influence the final review. For the most updated information once you start your program, please refer to your degree audit located on your student portal. Name: Angelisa Lambert

The Mysterious Tunguska Explosion of 1908

The Mysterious Tunguska Explosion of 1908 At 7:14 a.m. on June 30, 1908, a giant explosion shook central Siberia. Witnesses close to the event described seeing a fireball in the sky, as bright and hot as another sun. Millions of trees fell and the ground shook. Although a number of scientists investigated, it is still a mystery as to what caused the explosion. The Blast The explosion is estimated to have created the effects of a magnitude 5.0 earthquake, causing buildings to shake, windows to break, and people to be knocked off their feet even at 40 miles away. The blast, centered in a desolate and forested area near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Russia, is estimated to have been a thousand times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The explosion leveled an estimated 80 million trees over an 830 square-mile area in a radial pattern from the blast zone. Dust from the explosion hovered over Europe, reflecting light that was bright enough for Londoners to read at night by it. While many animals were killed in the blast, including hundreds of local reindeer, it is believed that no humans lost their lives in the blast.   Examining the Blast Area The blast zones remote location and the intrusion of worldly affairs (World War I and the Russian Revolution) meant that it wasnt until 1927 19 years after the event that the first scientific expedition was able to examine the blast area. Assuming that the blast had been caused by a falling meteor, the expedition expected to find a huge crater as well as pieces of the meteorite. They found neither. Later expeditions were also unable to find credible evidence to prove the blast was caused by a falling meteor. Cause Of the Explosion In the decades since this huge explosion, scientists and others have attempted to explain the cause of the mysterious Tunguska Event. The most commonly accepted scientific explanation is that either a meteor or a comet entered the Earths atmosphere and exploded a couple of miles above the ground (this explains the lack of impact crater). To cause such a large blast, some scientists determined that the meteor would have weighed around 220 million pounds (110,000 tons) and traveled approximately 33,500 miles per hour before disintegrating. Other scientists say that the meteor would have been much larger, while still others say much smaller. Additional explanations have ranged from the possible to the ludicrous, including a natural gas leak escaped from the ground and exploded, a UFO spaceship crashed, the effects of a meteor destroyed by a UFOs laser in an attempt to save Earth, a black hole that touched Earth, and an explosion caused by scientific tests done by Nikola Tesla. Still a Mystery Over a hundred years later, the Tunguska Event remains a mystery and its causes continue to be debated. The possibility that the blast was caused by a comet or meteor entering the Earths atmosphere creates additional worry. If one meteor could cause this much damage, then there is a serious possibility that in the future, a similar meteor could enter Earths atmosphere and rather than landing in remote Siberia, land on a populated area. The result would be catastrophic.

US vs. British English Knowing the Difference

US vs. British English Knowing the Difference US vs. British English: Knowing the Difference Those crazy Brits with their Royal Families and metric systems (among other weird things). Whatll they think of next? We’re guessing more linguistic tricks, as they’ve already got plenty of strange spellings going on. It’s therefore important to know the differences between US and British English, especially since British spellings are confusing sometimes. I mean, come on Britain, who spells â€Å"center† with â€Å"re† at the end? Just because you invented English doesn’t mean you’re right. Herein, we run through some of the differences between US and British English, which should help you when reading texts published in the UK or writing for a British audience. Spelling Differences Rather than focus on individual words, it’s easier to learn the systematic differences between US and UK spelling: -er/-re English is full of words borrowed from other languages, and British spelling tends to keep the original forms. This includes in words that end -er/-re, such as â€Å"center† (UK = â€Å"centre†) and â€Å"fiber† (UK = â€Å"fibre†). -or/-our Another word ending to look out for is -or/-our, since British spelling adds a â€Å"u† to words like â€Å"humor†Ã‚  (UK = â€Å"humour†) and â€Å"color† (UK = â€Å"colour†). -ize/-ise Words that end â€Å"-ize† in US English – like â€Å"characterize† or â€Å"organize† – can also be spelt with â€Å"-ise† in British English (e.g., â€Å"characterise† and â€Å"organise†). The same applies to variations of these words where â€Å"-z-† appears in the middle (e.g., â€Å"organization† can also be spelt â€Å"organisation† in the UK). Weirdly, although British English accepts either â€Å"-ize† or â€Å"-ise,† this isn’t the case when a word is spelt with a â€Å"-yze.† As such, words like â€Å"analyze† are always spelt with an â€Å"s† (i.e., â€Å"analyse†) in the UK. Vowel + L Words that end in a vowel plus an â€Å"-l,† like â€Å"travel† or â€Å"shovel,† use a double â€Å"l† in British English when adding a suffix beginning with a vowel (e.g., â€Å"-ing,† â€Å"-ed,† â€Å"-er†). For example, in the UK, â€Å"traveling,† â€Å"traveled† and â€Å"traveler† become â€Å"travelling,† â€Å"travelled† and â€Å"traveller† respectively. -s-/-c- Some words that contain an â€Å"s† in US English are spelt with a soft â€Å"c† in British English, particularly when the word ends â€Å"-ense.† â€Å"Offense† and â€Å"defense,† for instance, are spelt â€Å"offence† and â€Å"defence† in the UK. Confusingly, the British also have two spellings for â€Å"practice.† This depends on whether it’s used as a noun (â€Å"practice†) or a verb (â€Å"practise†), so it pays to be careful with these words. Vocabulary As well as spelling, there are many differences in vocabulary between US and British English. In the USA, for example, we walk along the sidewalk, eating a cookie on the way to the movies. But in Britain they walk along the pavement, eating a biscuit on the way to the cinema. We won’t list all the differences here, but it’s worth keeping vocabulary in mind if you’re writing for a British audience.

An Analysis of Langston Hughess Poetry

An Analysis of Langston Hughess Poetry Essay Two of Mr.. Hughes poems, l, too and Democracy, one expresses feelings from an African American mans point of view at a time when they werent allowed to have a voice to have a point of view. The other poem basically saying they would never see democracy with the huge cloud of injustice that rises. In Hughes poem l, Too, the speaker is not an individual as the word l implies. In fact, the l represents the African-Americans as a whole living in the United States. Hughes also writes l am he darker brother instead of we are the darker brothers is no accident. The use of the word l as to not using we are words of a lonely individual, who doesnt see a winning chance. The speaker says They send me to eat in the kitchen, enforcing they are the enemies. As used in this poem, the first-person voice highlights the weakness of the African-American people. However, this is not the only way that Hughes uses l in his poetry. The speaker claims that he, too, sings America. He is the darker brother who is sent to eat in the kitchen when there are guests visiting. However, he does laugh and he eats well and grows bigger and stronger. Tomorrow, he will sit at the table when the guests come, and no one will dare to tell him to eat in the kitchen. They will see his beauty and be ashamed, for, as he claims, l, too, am America. The poet is trying to elaborate the feeling of being seen as nothing to taking it day by day, and becoming something to unapproved eyes. Hughes published l, Too, Sing America in 1945, a good ten years or so before the start of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Racism and prejudice was normal in the US at the beginning of the 20th century much more than they are now and so Hughes poem envisions a day in which whites and blacks will eat at the table together, in which black citizens will be truly classified as equal Americans. In the poem, Democracy Longs expresses that democracy will never come during his time living or ever. He feels that he has as much a right as a citizen to have property just as the next person does. He gets tired of seeing peoples attitudes, such as a whatever happens happens attitude. It is no surprise that democracy in the United States was nonexistent in the early sass and throughout the Jim Crow era, when blacks had no rights. Democracy back then was Just a label not reality and outright biased. Government rule by the people consisted of whites only, excluding all African Americans. In Longs Hughes case, he knows that by birth hes an American citizen. But as a black man in the pre-Civil Rights United States, he sure isnt being treated like one. So somethings got to change. l, Too, Sing America reminisces back to the days of slavery, when African Americans were supposed to be non-visible abort, not actual human beings. The implication of this poem is that not a whole lot has changed since then. In conclusion, Can anyone blame a man for having such a negative view on democracy while living in a racist society? Absolutely not! Thousands of Black Americans had the same feelings. In reality, democracy was one-sided, for blacks were not allowed to be involved with any decision making, voicing of an opinion, etc. Freedom and equality summarize the entire poem, which is what Hughes wanted at the time, to have basic equality for all.

Synopsis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Synopsis - Assignment Example Stokes contends that, when Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev and his counterparts in other communist countries in the European east decided to crush down the movement and use force to do it, they signed and sealed a death warrant of the system they thought they were saving. Prague Spring lasted from January 1968 till August of the same year, when Warsaw Pact invaded Czechoslovakia and forcefully stopped reforms. Although short in duration Prague Spring echoed throughout eastern Europe and in the next two decades there will be other movements and attempts to change the system. Stokes talks about events in Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania in the late 1970’s, he gives a lot of space in the book to Poland’s Solidarity Movement in the 1980’s , all of which culminate in 1989. The events in Poland according to the author show resilience of reformists. There, the workers struck again and again as an effort to force the government to negotiate with them. Solidarity was the cu lmination of those attempts. Stokes writes that Lech Walesa, the leader of the movement skillfully led it as he tried to keep demands outside of ideological and political sphere. This strategy paid off as Warsaw was forced to recognize the movement and its demands. Stokes belief is that 1989 is as important in European history, as 1848, or 1917 or 1789 were. He is surprised that the whole world missed an opportunity to se 1989 revolutions in Eastern Europe coming. Stokes says that this pivotal year in history was unexpected by everyone, from Washington through Communist regimes, to even rebels themselves. Stokes, also, explores historical figures of the era and area. He talks about Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu and his self-glorification, about changes occurring in Hungary when country officials decided to turn toward market-based economy. When talking about Polish President Gierek, Czech Vaclav Havel or

The Life and Work of Joseph Hayden Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Life and Work of Joseph Hayden - Essay Example Hayden was by all accounts a healthy, fun loving person equally loved by friends and admirers, and his works are known for their humor with several false endings and the occasionally chord that stands out above the rest. He died a celebrity, though born in humble settings. Music came his name, fame and considerable wealth. The performance of the Creation, organized in his honor the year before he died was attended by the who’s who of European music as well several members of the aristocracy. This paper is an exposition of his life and work and is the author’s tribute to one of the greatest composers of the western world. The classical period of western music is widely considered to be between 1750 and 1830; and followed by the Baroque period that began circa 1600. The classical period is thus named due to the general adulation for classical antiquity, particularly Ancient Greece, that permeated all creative fields such as Art, Architecture and the sciences. There was a general appreciation for grandeur and the preference for simplicity and homophony over the polyphony of the Baroque period. While Bach was one of the leading maestros of the previous era, the classical period will bear the names of Hayden and Mozart. ... Hayden grew up in the village in a musical environment, with frequent singing sessions in his house and the village. From this rustic musical setting to the sophistication of Austrian music was a big leap for the young Haydn; one that would not be accomplished without a great deal of suffering. Haydn being musically gifted, his uncle Johann Matthias Frankh, the schoolmaster and choirmaster in Hainburg, took him in as his ward so that he could receive formal training in Music. Haydn went with Frank to Hainburg when he was six years old and never again lived with his parents. For reasons that are not really clear – perhaps due to poverty or simply due to indifference, Haydn was not fed very well in this household and writes of being constantly hungry. However, he did learn to play the violin and the harpsichord. He also played treble parts in the church choir, which soon attracted the attention of the general public. After here, he was accepted as the ward of Georg von Reutter, the director of music in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna in 1740 moved to Vienna, where he worked for the next nine years as a chorister and his younger brother Michael joined him in 1745. However, he still continued to be hungry though Reutter did give his education in Latin, the languages and the violin (Geiringer & Geiringer). Moreover, St Stephen’s Cathedral was at the center of Austrian Musical tradition and Haydn benefitted enormously simply by means of the exposure and collaboration that he was able to form there. With his physical maturity, he was soon unable to be a choirboy any longer and by 1749, declared his independence from Reutter, and began work as a freelance musician. The time as a freelance musician is not particularly fun to anyone but given

601.2.08 human learning and development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

601.2.08 human learning and development - Essay Example Each student is given a reading assignment with the information they need and an outline organizer to help them record the most important information. On this sheet there will be a place to note the definitions relevant to their section. They are to define the term using context clues in the reading. This step is vital to the success of the final group project. Slavin suggests that students be randomly assigned to their topic (1994) but students must be given reading that is on their level in order to succeed. I feel this step is a great place to differentiate instruction. For example, the student with the lowest reading ability in each Jigsaw group could be assigned to study animals. The reading and outline for these students can be differentiated according to their readiness to learn. This type of differentiation has been shown to improve student understanding of material (Tomlinson, 1999). Once students have become experts through their independent study of the assigned topic, they are ready to meet in the expert group. In the expert group, students share their information with one another. This serves two purposes. First, the students can check to be sure the information they have recorded is accurate. Second, the students can practice how they will present their information to the other students in their Jigsaw group. This step is important because it results in uniform and accurate information being shared in each Jigsaw group. After this step, the original Jigsaw groups are gathered again. One by one, the students share their information with each other. The two students listening take notes using an organizer that helps them listen and record the spoken information. Specifically, the organizer helps the students look for ways the information being presented can be integrated into their own information. This will help the students prepare to

Management information system Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management information system - Assignment Example Membership level is categorised in three levels: red membership, green membership and white membership. This open space has free internet access, a coffee shop, among other things that make one comfortable while working. The mission statement of the company is to spread the impact. The impact here refers to betterment of life that comes by provision of good working environment. By ensuring quality services to customers and good payment to workers, the company spreads the impact. BPO’s has become and emerging trend and many organisations are adopting this kind of business stracture. As a result, it is important to understand the external environment and how it affects the business. This section will use Porter’s Five Force Model to evaluate opportunities and threats to iTech. It will look into threat of entry, threat of substitute, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers and the extent of rivalry between iTech and other competitors. This is a new venture that most organisations are competing for. Initial cost of starting a BPO is high, however it has good returns. This makes this venture worth undertaking and many businesses with attempt to enter the market and offer competition. However, iTech has taken roots. It has been operation for the last 15 years. In addition to that, it is well experienced in the field. Therefore, if other firms find their way into the market, they will still have to work for a couple of years to gain enough experience for their influence to be felt. iTech has succeeded in dominating the market share. It has captured almost all suppliers and customers. This means that for new firms to succeed, it will take time to earn trust and confidence from loyal customers of iTech. Finally, as it has been stated above, iTech offers both BPO and open space services. With this differentiation of services, it gives community with types of services which a new entrant may not be in the position of

Strategies for Control Dissent of Social Movements Essay

Strategies for Control Dissent of Social Movements - Essay Example This therefore means that, the social movements should devise sound strategies to deal with dissent. The section that follows, gives detailed information on the strategies used to fight dissent. Transforming Perceptions of the History This strategy works well during the early days of social movements. At this time, the target audience have little information of existence of problems in the past. In addition, the social movement at this stage is not very vibrant and bold in its approach to solving the existing problems (Charles 302). Moreover, the group lays a lot of hopes in future. Various institutions such as social and professional unions, religious organization, labor unions, and mass media help to complement the efforts of social movements. Other partners include schools, courts, and government. These institutions sensitize people to search for ways to fight the challenges at hand. At the same time, the institutions plead to society to bury the past and forge for better ways to deal with the situational demands. It is a workable strategy that aims to make the audiences to forget the past, and encourages them to challenge their current situations with a lot of zeal. This makes the audiences focus on the current situational demand. Transforming perception of history strategy strengthens the audience to resist boldly the forces of those who long for the past way of living. Such a group lives in the past and it will always think of how things could have been better at that time. This makes them to lose the grip with the current situation. They do little to challenge the present. Transforming the perception of history helps the audiences to stand strong to those who are afraid of changes. Some members of the society associate the current achievements with the past (Charles 302). They fear that, positive societal changes may be so much that their enemy takes them back to their old way of living. The strategy shifts the minds of audiences and they focus on the sa me direction; to fight unpleasing changes or call for changes. It seeks to unite different social movements through winning members and advocating for same grievances and solutions as a whole. Transforming the Perceptions of the Society Strategy This is a prudent strategy because it informs the audience of the importance of societal changes. This strategy endeavours to transform the perception of audience on the opposition forces. Some society members view that it is a waste of time and resources to wage an opposition on either government or those in authority. Charles (304) perceives that the role of this strategy is to revitalize the way movements should respond to opposing forces. This strategy seeks to make the audience and other social groups with different ideologies to see the sense of opposition groups. The social movements acknowledge that it is only through these eye-opening forums that the society knows what is afflicting their life. They also see the evident gaps that we re inconspicuous before. The overall effects of such interventions are strong social movements. It also makes the social movement gain recognition. The grievances of the members undoubtedly receive the right attention with a lasting solution. Moreover, the society realizes the value that the social movements possess. This helps social movements to gain confidence in their pursuit for meaningful changes that accommodate the needs of every member in the society. The audience realizes that they are human beings and it

601.2.08 human learning and development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

601.2.08 human learning and development - Essay Example Each student is given a reading assignment with the information they need and an outline organizer to help them record the most important information. On this sheet there will be a place to note the definitions relevant to their section. They are to define the term using context clues in the reading. This step is vital to the success of the final group project. Slavin suggests that students be randomly assigned to their topic (1994) but students must be given reading that is on their level in order to succeed. I feel this step is a great place to differentiate instruction. For example, the student with the lowest reading ability in each Jigsaw group could be assigned to study animals. The reading and outline for these students can be differentiated according to their readiness to learn. This type of differentiation has been shown to improve student understanding of material (Tomlinson, 1999). Once students have become experts through their independent study of the assigned topic, they are ready to meet in the expert group. In the expert group, students share their information with one another. This serves two purposes. First, the students can check to be sure the information they have recorded is accurate. Second, the students can practice how they will present their information to the other students in their Jigsaw group. This step is important because it results in uniform and accurate information being shared in each Jigsaw group. After this step, the original Jigsaw groups are gathered again. One by one, the students share their information with each other. The two students listening take notes using an organizer that helps them listen and record the spoken information. Specifically, the organizer helps the students look for ways the information being presented can be integrated into their own information. This will help the students prepare to

Strategies for Control Dissent of Social Movements Essay

Strategies for Control Dissent of Social Movements - Essay Example This therefore means that, the social movements should devise sound strategies to deal with dissent. The section that follows, gives detailed information on the strategies used to fight dissent. Transforming Perceptions of the History This strategy works well during the early days of social movements. At this time, the target audience have little information of existence of problems in the past. In addition, the social movement at this stage is not very vibrant and bold in its approach to solving the existing problems (Charles 302). Moreover, the group lays a lot of hopes in future. Various institutions such as social and professional unions, religious organization, labor unions, and mass media help to complement the efforts of social movements. Other partners include schools, courts, and government. These institutions sensitize people to search for ways to fight the challenges at hand. At the same time, the institutions plead to society to bury the past and forge for better ways to deal with the situational demands. It is a workable strategy that aims to make the audiences to forget the past, and encourages them to challenge their current situations with a lot of zeal. This makes the audiences focus on the current situational demand. Transforming perception of history strategy strengthens the audience to resist boldly the forces of those who long for the past way of living. Such a group lives in the past and it will always think of how things could have been better at that time. This makes them to lose the grip with the current situation. They do little to challenge the present. Transforming the perception of history helps the audiences to stand strong to those who are afraid of changes. Some members of the society associate the current achievements with the past (Charles 302). They fear that, positive societal changes may be so much that their enemy takes them back to their old way of living. The strategy shifts the minds of audiences and they focus on the sa me direction; to fight unpleasing changes or call for changes. It seeks to unite different social movements through winning members and advocating for same grievances and solutions as a whole. Transforming the Perceptions of the Society Strategy This is a prudent strategy because it informs the audience of the importance of societal changes. This strategy endeavours to transform the perception of audience on the opposition forces. Some society members view that it is a waste of time and resources to wage an opposition on either government or those in authority. Charles (304) perceives that the role of this strategy is to revitalize the way movements should respond to opposing forces. This strategy seeks to make the audience and other social groups with different ideologies to see the sense of opposition groups. The social movements acknowledge that it is only through these eye-opening forums that the society knows what is afflicting their life. They also see the evident gaps that we re inconspicuous before. The overall effects of such interventions are strong social movements. It also makes the social movement gain recognition. The grievances of the members undoubtedly receive the right attention with a lasting solution. Moreover, the society realizes the value that the social movements possess. This helps social movements to gain confidence in their pursuit for meaningful changes that accommodate the needs of every member in the society. The audience realizes that they are human beings and it

Legal, Social, and Economic Environments of Business Essay Example for Free

Legal, Social, and Economic Environments of Business Essay There are several categories that a small business can fall into. Within these businesses there are legal, social and economic environments that effect how the business is run and whether the business is a success or failure. From the cost to run to how the tax return is filed; all three have their advantages and disadvantages. All three also can produce a lucrative income for the right person or people. It is imperative to the business for the owner(s) to choose which path is the best way to go while taking in consideration the pros and cons of each type. Legal, Social, and Economic Environments of Business The idea of a three pronged cord came to me when I noticed how many cords have burned up on my appliances. The third prong on the cord would distribute the current better. My goal is to manufacture and sell my product. Small businesses are what formed our country. From the forming of our governments to starting computer companies in our garages business decisions had to be made. There are three main organizations of small businesses: Sole Proprietor, Partnership, and Corporation.  When opening a business the owner or owners need to know how each organization operates and which would be the best for them. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, but every business falls into one category or another. Business Organizations Sole Proprietor: A sole proprietor is a single individual who makes all the decisions in the business. There is no one to run to and ask â€Å"What do you think about this? † It is the most simple of the three types because there are almost no legal requirements. As a sole proprietor there is more freedom to do what the individual wants which makes it much easier to run. Also, the individual can get a tax benefit and there is a lower cost to start (Tavassoli, 2013. Slide 9) Almost anyone can have a small business as a sole proprietor. Although saving some money on the start up and from tax exemptions are a plus, there are some things one has to take into consideration. One is the limited resources because there is no one else around to bounce ideas off of and most people don’t have the business sense to run their own company from the start, unless they’ve had previous experience and knowledge in that field (Tavassoli, 2013. Another is the difficulty of borrowing money. Most banks or investors are hesitant to lend funds to one person because their financial resources are limited. Finally, all the liability of the business is put directly on the individual (Tavassoli, 2013. Slide 9). Whatever happens in the business is solely on the owner and there usually isn’t anyone to fall back on for help. Partnership: The second type of business is a partnership. There is more room for growth in this type of business because now we have an added talent or experience (Tavassoli, 2013). You automatically have someone to get insight on ideas and bring more ideas to the table. There is a better opportunity to borrow money. Now instead of one persons income and assets there are two. Someone is more likely to help finance a partnership than an individual person (Tavassoli, 2013, Slide 10). In addition, the business return flows into the individual/joint return. Just as a sole proprietor, a partnership has unlimited liability. The only difference is now there is more than one person involved so burden is split. In a partnership the owners are responsible for all the debt and expenses of the business (Ebert Griffin, 2005). Something else to consider is the difficulty to sell a business owned by a partnership. Why is it difficult? Consent is always needed from the other partner. No decision can be legally made without the other partner agreeing. Corporation: The third decision is a Corporation. Companies like Apple, Ford, and Microsoft all fall into corporations. One good thing about a corporation is the stockholders of a corporation have limited liability which means they are only liable for the amount they invested (Tavassoli, 2013. Slide 11) When there are law suits or debts only the corporation loses money. Lenders and investors are most like to provide funding for a legitimate corporation before others. Another thing is there is a better chance to find talent and pool ideas. The opportunity to create more jobs is another plus for being a corporation. With the good comes the bad. In a corporation there are multiple stockholders that have to be answered to when it comes to business decisions (Tavassoli, 2013. ) Theses owners will have their own opinions on how things should be done and which ideas to be taken into action. A corporation can be easily taken over if it is agreed upon by the majority of the owners. The financial reporting requirements are more extensive. Finally, at the corporate level businesses are double taxes not only as a corporation but on the paid dividends to its stockholders (Ebert Griffin, 2005). After careful consideration I feel a limited partnership is the best choice for my business. A Limited Partnership would allow us to obtain financing in the future, rather than trying to get financing on my own as a sole proprietor. Also, the amount of liability is reduced because we are only liable for the amount of our individual investments. This allows my partner not to have to take an active role in the partnership. A limited partnership agreement is not required but will be put in place to protect each partner (CEC, 2010).

Features of a Professional Assessment

Features of a Professional Assessment This assignment will focus on addressing the distinctive features of a professional assessment in social work. It will look into the importance of assessment, the assessment process and law and policy which relates to assessment. Finally it will address assessment in practice with regards to two service user groups namely older people and mental health. Assessment is part of the foundation of social work practice, the better the quality of assessment the more effective it would be (McDonald, 2006). Coulshed (1991) describes assessment as analysing process of selecting, organising and synthesising information. McDonald (2006) describes it as an intellectual process, it is a tool used to make sense of information relevant to issues examined. Assessment is used in many different forms and with different service user groups, some forms of assessment include; risk assessment, the single assessment processes and mental health assessments. Assessment is essentially identifying the needs and risks in an individual situation to judge which intervention, services and resources would be most appropriate (Adams, Dominelli and Payne, 2009). The 1990 National Health Service and Community Care Act placed the assessment of community care services as statutory work. This enabled social workers to justifiably claim to be doing statutory work, which n eeded extensive knowledge and to be done quickly (McDonald, 2006). Community care assessment can be a gateway to other services, depending on the level of the patients need. The assessment process varies between social workers because of their social work experience, theoretical orientation of the social worker, the social workers values and the relationship between service user and social worker (McDonald, 2006). Social workers also need certain skills to be able to achieve an effective assessment these include listening and communicating skills, being able to counsel and understand a service users problem, have an insight of other services available to the service user and be able to weigh the risks the service user may face daily against the resources that may be available to the service user (McDonald, 2010) (Harding and Beresford, 1996). The Victoria Climbà © inquiry stressed the importance of assessment (Laming, 2003). If assessment is done properly and as a cycle constantly evaluating Laming (2003) predicts that social work practice and the help given to the family would be more effective. Parker and Bradley (2005) understand that assessment is a continual process and use the ASPIRE model to show how assessment should work. The ASPIRE model stands for assessment, planning, intervention and review and evaluation (Sutton, 1999). This model shows assessment as a process that never stops because service users situations change over time, reviewing and evaluating the situation and continually reassessing helps to discover if the approach taken is effective or if the service user needs a different one in place. Milner and OByrne (2002) have similar recommendations to Laming (2003) they conclude that intervention is more likely to succeed when assessment is effective (Parker and Bradley, 2005). Within any setting assessment involves a number of features according to Milner and OByrne (2002) these include preparation, planning and engagement. The first step involves identifying the main people surrounding the case and then establishing a deadline under which information has to be collected. The next step involves the collection of information. This includes what the individual wants, their problems and information from other sources for example professional statements. The next part of the assessment process involves looking at the data and assessing their needs, by taking into account how they are currently functioning and weighing the risks. The last step involves producing an action plan. This concludes what help is needed, what resources are available and when reviews will take place (Milner et al, 2002). There are a number of policies and guidance which highlight the importance of assessment and the need for them to be used by social workers. The National Health Service Community Care Act, 1990 section 47: Assessment of Needs for Community Care Services is an essential part of the legislation when assessing an individuals needs. Under this section when it appears that any persons for whom the local authority may provide community care or services or may be in need of any other such services the local authority should carry out an assessment of their needs for those services. Upon receiving assessment results the local authority can then decide whether their needs are great enough to be given provision of services. Fair Access to Care Services (2003) guidance understands that consistent access to services should be across the country but provision is prioritised into set criteria according to risk and independence. All local authorities have the same eligibility criteria. However they can come to different decisions. This is guidance not law, so any local authority can decide on the scale the individual would be on before services can be given (Clements, 2004). Features of assessment in relation to older people The NHS plan (Department of Health, 2000) and the National Service Framework for Older people (2001) introduced the single assessment process (SAP). The aim of this process is to provide person centred care to service users and also their carers. Parker and Bradley (2003) concluded that the government produced this new process because historically there were a number of criticisms involving team working within different disciplines. The SAP was produced to prevent questions being needlessly duplicated by different disciplines and to share the information between all and to ensure person centred care. The National Service Framework for Older People was the first wide-ranging strategy that focused on fair, quality health and social care for older people (National Service Framework for Older People, 2001). The aim of person centred care is to ensure all older people are treated individually, that they receive care appropriate to them. Social workers must also take into account anti disc riminatory practice when involved in assessing any individual, the service users decisions must lead the process. Social workers will have previous experience of the assessment process, and possibly of older people in similar situations, its imperative that the service user is safeguarded against direction from the social worker to ensure that the social worker does not lead the assessment. The process must focus on the service users views and perspectives throughout. The SAP involves three broad levels (McDonald, 2010). Contact assessment, which includes individuals who may need support from different services. Overview assessment involves mental, physical and social needs including the impact of their needs on the family and carers this level supports multi disciplinary teams. The last level is a specialist assessment, taken when more understanding is needed regarding an individuals need and how they can meet it. Another assessment available is a comprehensive assessment. This is offered when the older person needs intensive and long term treatment. A comprehensive assessment involves basic details, the category of need, the support network the individual has, current problems, carers views, a risk assessment of their current lifestyle, the individuals current strengths, social network and living situation as well as more extensive information. Assessment uses theory and practice to understand the situations of an older person. It involves problems, risks, needs and resources of the older person. It requires professional judgement to take into account all information to give an opinion, whether the older person needs services and resources to be available for them (McDonald, 2010). When processing an assessment with older people there are key elements the professional must consider. McDonald (2010) suggests that good quality assessments of older people involve specific components. These include using a strengths perspective, the older person still has the ability to know where their problems lie and how they would deal with them using this throughout the assessment identifies their strengths. Another component includes coping skills, as they grow older they focus more on what they can do and less on what they have difficulties with. Focusing on their strengths rather than problems ensures a positive approach to the assessment process. Social workers must ensure anti discriminatory practice takes place, an important component of this is citizenship, it involves the service user participating in decision making. When moving to a care home for example the older persons care plan should involve advocacy so they can continue to make decisions regarding their health and social care, societal changes and their living environment within the care home. Respecting their decisions is a value social workers should have in practice. Social workers need to understand that family and carers needs may be different to that of the older person and these may need to be a priority. The social worker must also tell the older person about the assessment process giving information about why its being conducted and what the aim of the process is. Although the SAP was produced to bring all information together there were criticisms of working with different disciplines. A literature review by Challis, Clarkson, Williamson, Venables, Hughes, Burns and Weinburg (2004) found that there was a lack of trust between disciplines when implementing the SAP. The SAP is a long process and each level takes time that some professionals dont have. Also if the older person is having difficulty they may need to make provisions to enable them to continue with tasks they find difficult until a decision is made regarding resources available to them. However they may not be given the amount of resources and services that the service user expects. Those who are not eligible have needs but are concluded to have not sufficient needs to receive help. These older people are expected to use provisions around them, for example family and friends to help with the problems they face (Henwood and Hudson, 2008). Henwood and Hudson (2008) found that those ol der people who had sufficient money to fund their services felt that they had to discover their own way to find the right services available, having not received the advice and information that other older people going through the assessment process would get. Following from the assessment process the older person then receives an individual care plan. This care plan shows the objectives and outcomes from the support provided. The individual care plan builds on the older persons strengths, how they can address their needs, the older person should also agree to the care plan being implemented. Personalisation is now being introduced in the UK. This new method of assessment involves a self assessment of needs. A Personal budget questionnaire is then completed. This questionnaire is simple and designed to help the older person give information about their needs. The social worker will complete it with the service user and family member. The decision of eligibility is then decided. If they are eligible they will be allocated a sum of money through a personal budget, further assessments would be completed to calculate how much the service user would have to contribute. Once the budget is agreed upon the service user can plan where they want to spend their allocated money on the support they want. Features of assessment in relation to mental health There are a number of different assessments which are involved in the mental health services. Depending upon the individuals circumstances specific assessments would take place. Section 47 of the National Health and Community Care Act (1990) states that any individual who has needs of services under a local authority the local authority must carry out an assessment. A decision then follows this assessment. Depending on the mental health of an individual the assessment would focus on their problems and needs and how they could achieve the best outcomes. Standard 2 of the National Service Framework for Mental Health (1999) specifies that any service user that has contacted their primary health care team with a common mental health problem should have their needs identified and assessed. Previously the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Common law of necessity have been used to assess the needs of individual with mental health problems. Recently the common law has been replaced by the Mental Capacity Act. Assessors within this service now use a broader approach to include the criteria of both the Mental Health Act, 1983 and the Mental Capacity Act, 2005 (Barber, Brown and Martin, 2009). Mental health assessment involves a broad scope of information to collect. The Mental Health Act considers the mental disorder, the nature of the disorder, whether the person or others are at risk, the type of treatment necessary for example if the individual needs hospitalisation or if its possible to use community based mental health services and if its possible to give services without the individual being hospitalised (Barber et al, 2009). Its much less intrusive to the individual if it is appropriate for them to receive care in their community rather than going into hospital and because of the stigma attached to using a section 2 or 3 of the Mental Health Act any social worker or professional in this setting would chose community care if they could. Assessment with regard to the Mental Capacity Act draws upon information involving the impairment of the individual, the age of the individual, the individuals capacity of making decisions and if the care they would receive would be a deprivation of liberty (Barber et al, 2009). An assessment under the Mental Health Act can be done compulsorily when there is a mental disorder, or if it is in the patients safety or health and to protect others. Before the assessment takes place the social worker should look into previous history and liaise with other professionals involved in the case. Depending on whether you use a section 2 which last 28 days or a section 3 which lasts up to 6 months a team is needed to admit the individual. When assessing under these sections the social worker must ask questions regarding evidence of mental illness and the risk towards the individual or others, if the patient consents to informal admission or if there are alternatives to hospitalisation. A Care programme approach assessment may be offered when an individual leaves an inpatient psychiatric unit or uses a community mental health team. This assessment is encouraged as all aspects of care are co-ordinated by one person. The assessment involves personal history, social situation, description of the illness and symptoms and length of treatment and what the individuals needs are. The care programme approach incorporates four specific elements, as defined in Building Bridges: a guide to arrangements for inter-agency working for the care and protection of severely mentally ill people (DOH, 1995). These elements include the assessment of health care and social needs. The formed care plan, the appointment of a key worker who has a responsibility to monitor the care of the service user and the last element includes regular reviews of the care given and if needed how to adapt the care because of changes of need. Mental health assessments are complicated because of individuals complex situations assessing risk and needs as well as resources available. Social work practice must encompass a number of strategies when undertaking assessment for it to be effective. The care programme approach enables social workers to focus on the individual directing through all aspects of care and co-ordinating their care when the assessment process is finished. The social worker is constantly receiving information including guidance from governments, evidence from research and literature. There is only vague guidance on how to undertake the assessment of the individual, even though assessment is so important because the results will undeniably affect the individuals life for the upcoming future for a substantial amount of time. Social workers must balance risk, resources and the individuals needs whilst undertaking the assessment, a process which can be very intricate and complicated when an individual has diverse needs and their risks are so great. However as social workers reflect on their previous assessments they will take away a strong idea of what works and this over time will help make assessments more effective. Assessment is vital within social work and the features of assessment differ depending on the type of service the social worker is within. However within any service the assessment process still requires similar techniques including individualisation and citizenship and being open and honest. Many reports and papers have shown that when assessment is done correctly and uses an ecological approach which covers society and familial relationships as well as at an individual level then the assessment process will be more effective.

Norman Rockwell :: biographies bio biography

If you want to learn about a famous artist named Norman Rockwell then you have come to the right place. This essay contains some interesting and funny facts about this famous American. Some of the subjects are his early life, his birthday and birth-town. Other subjects are his accomplishments, comical stories and his patriotism. Norman Rockwell was born on February 3, 1894. His birthplace was New York City. At the age of 5 he attended the Triumphal Parade welcoming home Admiral Dewey. When he was 9 years old the Rockwell family relocated to Westchester, Pennsylvania. In 1909, at the age of 15, Norman disliked high school so much that he dropped out. He then attended Chase School, where he took art classes. He was given smaller, less important assignments because he was a student. By the age of 17, after illustrating his first book, ?Tell-Me-Why?, he knew he wanted to be an illustrator even though the masses thought illustrating was an inferior type of art and he would never amount to anything. Wow, did he surprise them! Norman Rockwell accomplished so much during his lifetime. In 1913, at the age of 19, he became the art director of Boys Life Magazine and in 1916 he painted his first of 318 Saturday Evening Post covers. During WWII, he painted a series of pictures titled ?The Four Freedoms?. These were based on a speech President Roosevelt made to Congress. Though these paintings, meant to be used by the military as recruiting posters, were rejected by the military, he later submitted them to the Postal Service and stamps were created from his works of art(Marling38) . He also had some funny things happen to him. During WWII he wanted to join the Navy. He was tall enough but was 4 lbs. to light. He decided to try again so the night before his second try he gorged himself with bananas, doughnuts and warm water! He succeeded! Rockwell had many friends. One of them was Walt Disney who was going to make a robotic replica of one of Rockwell?s paintings but never got around to it. Most of his paintings included his friends. His friend Carl Hess, the owner of the local gas station, can be seen in a painting as well as many townspeople from Vermont.

Different Sides of Embryonic Stem Cell Research :: Stem Cell Biology

The field of stem cell research remains highly controversial because of its ethical and moral values. â€Å"Despite the news in 2006 that researchers had found a way to harvest human embryonic stem cells without having to destroy embryos, controversy still surrounds potentially life-saving stem cell research.† (Gruen, 2007). Due to the strong emotional responses to some of the subject matter by the pro-lifers and certain religions and politics in general, I will attempt to explain different sides of embryonic stem cell research (ESC). This study describes what viable embryos are and the issues connected with them. Are stem cells viable embryos? Can they ever be a human being? Stem cells are no more than a precursor for some type of cell. They are not tiny embryos nor can they ever become embryos. Are human embryonic stem cells embryos? Although stem cells of themselves are not embryos, they are pluripotent; they can develop into any cell or tissue of the body. They are not ca pable of forming a new individual, as a fertilized egg or single cell taken from a four-cell embryo might if cultured in vitro and placed in a uterus. Stem cell research has become a subject of political discussion in recent years because of its social and ethical implications, but what is the big controversy with stem cell research? Most diseases are caused by the death of healthy cells in a particular organ. Parkinson’s disease is caused by the death of brain cells that produce a chemical call dopamine and diabetes is caused by the death of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. None of these organs can replace the cells that die. With stem cell therapy, these cells can be replaced. Researchers and scientists study stem cells to get a basic understanding of the process in cell development and disease. â€Å"The opposition of research on human embryos usually start and finish their argument with the claim that the human embryo is, from the moment of conception,a living , innocent human being. But the morality of using a being for research should depend on what the being is like, not on the species to which it belongs.† (Singer, 2001) This being of 64 cells has no brain and has never been conscious and can feel no pain. Take for instance researchers who do research on rats, the rats are not capable of preferring not to be in situations that are painful and frightening to them.

With whom does the responsibility of the holocaust ultimately lie?

The Holocaust was the end result of a long chain of events that lead all the way back to 1919 when Hitler became part of the Nazis. But to find out who was really responsible for the Holocaust, we shall need to go way back, back to 1918. In 1918, there was a small group of right-wing extremists formed a Nationalist party, which appealed to the working classes led by Anton Drexler. In 1919, Adolf Hitler joined as a member of the National Socialist Germany Workers Party (‘Nazi' for short). In 1920 the Nazis put out a 25 point statement of their beliefs. This programme was the work of Hitler. Its main ideas were nationalism, anti-Semitism and anti-capitalism. The Nazi programme called for the creation of a ‘Greater Germany' in which all German-speaking peoples were united. It also called for the destruction of the Treaty of Versailles. There was nothing unique in these nationalistic ideas. They were shared by other German right-wing extremists. Anti-Semitism was widespread in the right-wing circles in Germany and Austria in the early 20th century. Hitler seems to have become infected with the idea in Vienna before 1914. By the early 1920s he was making speeches which contained frenzied attacks on Germany's Jews. The Nazi programme of 1920 was openly anti-Semitic although it did not employ the violent language which Hitler used in is speeches. For nearly two decades after 1945 it was generally assumed that Hitler was totally responsible for the Holocaust – and everything else that happened in Nazi Germany. The Third Reich was seen as a one power state where all power was concentrated in the Fihrer's hands. Hitler's vitriolic hatred of all Jews was seen as sufficient on its own to explain the murder of millions of Jews. Many historians still believe that Hitler was an all-powerful dictator whose will was translated into action. Some historians see him conceiving the idea of the extermination of the Jews in the 1920s and pursuing this intention remorselessly once he was handed power in 1933. But back in 1918, Anton Drexler was the key point that turned Hitler (and him being refused a place at the art school by the Jews at Vienna), so really, he played a massive part. Without him, there might have not even been a Nazi party at all. But on the other hand, Hitler was not the only one responsible for the industrial removal of countless numbers of Jews. Nazi Germany was a ‘totalitarian' country. Totalitarian countries can be thought of as ones which try to establish total control over the lives of their citizens. They always only allow one political party, the ruling party tries to force its ideas on the rest of society and tries to stop people believing in other ideas and the ruling party aims to control all aspects of people's lives – there is no area where the citizen is left to think or act as he or she pleases. In Nazi Germany the tasks of detecting and stamping out opposition was the responsibility of the SS. The SS was created in 1925. Its full name was the ‘Schutzstaffel'. This means ‘protection squad'. The purpose for which the SS was formed was to provide Hitler and other Nazi leaders with a bodyguard. Things changed when the SS got a new leader in 1929. This was Himmler. Himmler came from a well-off middle-class family. He joined the Nazi party in 1923 after service in the army and the Free Corps. In 1929 he was only 29 years old. Special SS units called ‘Einsatzgruppen' (action squads) were set up to deal with resistance to Nazi rule in German-occupied countries. These units were murder gangs. They went into invaded countries behind the German army and rounded up and killed anyone who was felt to be a threat. In Eastern Europe the Einsatzgruppen were responsible for hundreds of thousands of people. Their victims included Jews. This was another example of the SS and Himmler killing Jews, and overall contributing to the Holocaust. Himmler ensured that Hitler's orders were carried out. An extreme racist who was totally loyal to Hitler, Himmler is often regarded as the ‘architect of genocide'. However, Himmler delegated considerable authority in Jewish matters to Reinhard Heydrich, his loyal henchman. At the Wannsee conference in January 1942 it was Heydrich who formalised the administrative arrangements of the Holocaust. The SS was a perfect instrument for genocide. Its members were fanatical Nazis and had a grossly distorted sense of duty. Few doubt that Himmler, Heydrich and the SS played a vital role in the Final Solution. However, Himmler and Heydrich were not the only leading Nazis involved in anti-Jewish initiatives. Nor were the SS the only killers. It was a combination of everyone in Germany who caused the holocaust. After 1937 relations between Hitler and his generals turned sour. The generals were unenthusiastic when Hitler told them of his plans for a war of conquest in Europe. Hitler decided that they were spineless.. During the war he took little notice of the expert advice of the Generals and was quick to sack them if they failed. It was once claimed that the German armed forces were untainted by Hitler's racism and not responsible for the Holocaust. After 1938 Hitler treated the Generals with a certain amount of contempt. In 1934 he had promised them that no military force other than the army would be permitted in Germany: he broke his promise when he allowed the Waffen SS to be set up . After 1945 many of Germany's top officers claimed they were unaware of what was happening to the Jews. Most historians now, however, believe that the army was massively implicated in the Final Solution. German historians have argued that the bulk of leading army officers were anti-Semitic and, regarding the was against the USSR as a war to the death, were quite content to support the brutality of the SS. The letters and diaries of ordinary German troops suggest that the majority were also extremely racist. Many seem to have carried out horrendous massacres with enthusiasm. In the 1920s and early 1930s foreigners working in Germany as diplomats or journalists sometimes suggested that of Hitler getting into power he would become respectable and leave anti-Semitism behind. In 1933 there were about half a million Jews living in Germany. When in power the Nazis put their anti-Semitic beliefs were savagely put into practice. It should not be thought that they were a number of people who were somehow living apart from the rest of the population in Germany and else where . In the 1920s Jewish community provided the Weimar Republic with some of its most celebrated citizens . 100,000 German Jews had fought and died alongside non-Jews in the German army during the first world war. Most members of Germany's population . Nazi claims that Jews controlled the political and economic life of the Weimar Republic were pure fantasy. The first official attack made on Germany's Jews came in the form of a boycott of Jewish shops ordered by Hitler for 1 April 1933. There were other anti-Jewish moves in 1933 apart from the one-day shops boycott. The most important of these was a law which forced Jews out of the German civil service. In the five years after Hitler came to power Jews in Germany were viciously persecuted. Over 200 were murdered. Large Numbers emigrated. In the 1930s half of Germany's Jewish population left the country. Others Stayed. Perhaps they thought that after the Nuremberg Laws things could not get worse. After 1945 most Germans insisted they had no idea of what was happening to Jews in the east. Many may have been telling the truth. There is no doubt that the Holocaust was implemented with the utmost secrecy. There are no public opinion polls results to tell us so it is very hard to say how much opposition there was to Nazism in Germany after 1938. It is most likely that the number of people who disliked Nazism was very large, although people wouldn't come forward to admit it. There is, however, a difference between disliking something and actively opposing it. The number of people who either protested openly against Nazism or who tried to overthrow it was very small. These people were people of extraordinary bravery. The penalty for resistance was at very least detention in a concentration camp and was normally death. Most people who disliked but did not resist Nazism appear to have tried to shut themselves off from what was happening. This became known as ‘inner emigration'. In 1963 the Jewish scholar Hannah Arendt claimed that: ‘if the Jewish people had really been unorganised and leaderless, there would have been chaos and plenty of misery but the total number of victims would hardly have been between four and a half and six million people'. Arendt charged Jewish leaders with helping the process of destruction by complying with Nazi orders to supply names and groups of Jews for transportation to the death camps. Many scholars have rejected this thesis. Isaiah Trunk, for example, focused attention on the dilemma confronting Jewish leaders in the Polish ghettos. His Conclusion was that they were in an impossible position. Having little option but to obey Nazi commands, they did their best to protect their communities. So, in conclusion we can see that there were many areas were people have helped along the Holocaust, and some who tried to stop it. It is a difficult question to answer, as responsibility lies in many areas. If you are talking about the killing in the concentration camps, then it would be the Nazis because they used the British idea and worked on it, then systematically moved allot of European Jews from their homes to the camps. If you are talking about the entire anti-Semitic campaign, then responsibility lies in many areas, the Nazis, even Jews themselves. So, in conclusion, I think that overall everyone in Germany at that time had a part to play in the way things went.

Automobile and Private Cars Essay

Advantages and disadvantages of television The advantages and disadvantages of television Nowadays many people all over the world spent most of their free time watching television; but since its appearance, television has brought to man many advantages as well as disadvantages. First, television plays an important role in our daily activities: it keeps us informed of all current affairs in the world. Events through television are more vivid than those through books and magazines. Second, television helps us enrich our spiritual lives. Our knowledge is broadened in many ways. Through language teaching programs, we can learn the language we like such as: English, French, German, Chinese, Japanese and so on. We can become skilful and clever at doing jobs, making cakes or arranging flowers through practical courses taught on television. Finally, television is a source of recreation. Humorous stories and funnyfilms bring us minutes of relaxation after a hard day’s work. For me, sitting comfortably in an arm-chair to watch an international football match on television is more interesting than having to queue for tickets at a crowded stadium. Apart from its advantages, however, television also brings lots of disadvantages to viewers too. First, television viewers gradually become passive in their action. Television may be a splendid media of communication, but it prevents us from communicating with each other or with the outer world. The world seen through television is only the restricted one: It separates us from the real world. Second, television, with its fascinating power, makes people of all ages sink into oblivion: whole generations are growing up addicted to the telly. Pupils and students are so absorbed in television that they neglect theirschool activities. Food is left uneaten, homework undone and lessons unprepared. Housewives are so keen on watching television that they neglect their duties toward their husbands and their children. Instead of watching television, we may use the time for a real family hour. Without the distraction of television, we may sit around together after dinner and actually talk to one another to know and like each other better. Finally, the evil influence of television on the young generation is inevitable; it encourages them to commit crimes. Spectacles of sadism and violence on television lead them to robbery, theft, rape and murder. In a nutshell, television is useful to us when we know how to use it: Be careful not to overindulge ourselves in it and use it in a discerning manner. Today there is some changes in the educational system. In your opinion, how should we change to raise the quality teaching? Education is to draw the best in children and to develop their faculties. Education is a complicated affair as it is supposed to equip children for life. Since life styles are always changing, the contents of education must also be changed accordingly. The school is supposed to provide necessary experiences to the child. When a child leaves the school, he may lead a useful life. But in the traditional school, the child was supposed to learn mainly the 3 R’s. So the chalk bard and the text books were the main stay of theteacher who was to shape the character of the child. Rote memory was insisted upon and examinations were based on this learning technique. There was not much of a difference from year to year on the way children were tested. The examinations conducted did not test all the faculties of the child. So, it was necessary for those who got through examinations to be trained afterwards. In short, children were very rarely taught to learn for themselves. This had continued for so long and the practice had to be abolished. Once this was realized, many new methods of teaching were tired and many new aids had been used for a better education of children. Today the school is a very complicated organization; the teacher is no longer the sole arbiter. The children, instead of being passive listeners, have been made active participants. They are handling, feeling, planning, creating and learning with newer tools and aids. The subjectivity has give place to healthy objectivity. In order to make education relevant and meaningful, children are exposed to almost life like situations. They must know how to live as good citizens and honest members of society. They must know how to live as good citizens and honest members of society. The way the school creates situations with these ends in views is important. On the intellectual side, the library and the laboratory must play a vital role. They complement and supplement more and more, and the use of library and the laboratory must be encouraged through proper assignments. The playing field, various camps, many organizations like the Junior Red Cross, etc. have to be fully utilized to shape the character of the child. Beside the text books, there are other aids for learning. They much be judiciously used. In fact, there are hundreds of ways in which the audio-visual aids can be used with advantage. Examinations must not be used to show weakness but must be a yardstick for proving the all-round education of the student. The questions must be objective and reliable. The examinations must be welcomed by the students. In order to satisfy the diverse population, there must be diversity in programs, approaches, resources and aims and room for experiment. Examinations should be a challenge for students. The world is shrinking and nobody can feel parochial. So education must equip students for world understanding and world citizenery. Science and technology must find their places in any scheme of education. Any system of education must help turn out a fully developed and all-rounded personality. The difficulties in learning English and how to overcome them. Beginners of foreign language always meet difficulties from the outset. For me, I had to overcome these problems when I started learning English. English pronunciation is my first obstacle. The pronunciation in English puzzles me a lot because the same letter has different sounds. For example the letter â€Å"a† in â€Å"bath† is not pronounced in the same way of that in â€Å"bathe†. The â€Å"ou† in â€Å"South† is also different from â€Å"ou† in â€Å"Southern†. Generally verbs and nouns are pronounced differently although they are written the same. Record is a good example to illustrate it. In order to solve this puzzling question I carefully study The A.P.A (The International Phonetic Alphabets) which helps me pronounce English words correctly. In order to have an accent just like the native speakers, I often listen to tapes and repeat after them, trying to imitate them. Moreover, myeveryday conversation with the foreigners I meet in the street will enable me to acquire a proper accent. Compared with French, English grammar is much easier. However, this does not mean that learners meet no difficulties in learning it. It took me a long time to learn how to master the tenses in English grammar, to endeavor to do as many grammar exercises as possible and read various grammar books. In writing English, English language has its own style. In order to drillwriting skills, I have tried to read famous novels of distinguished America and English writers. I enjoy the humorous style of writing in Mark Twain’s masterpieces, the elaborate and polished style of George Eliot and the sentimental and lyrical style of John Keats. After long and hard years of English study, how pleased I feel when I am able to read English and American authors without any obstacles and difficulties at all. Your favorite hobby Everybody has his or her own hobby. For me, my favorite hobby is reading books. My father was not only a writer but a researcher as well. He had a great collection of books on many fields: literature, science, art, fiction and non-fiction. After his death, I inherited the most valuable treasure which has been preserved carefully up to now. As I have a large collection of books of my own now, I usually spend hours reading and thinking about facts described in each kind of books. Sitting comfortably in an arm-chair in the library with a book open on my knee, I recall my father who was absorbed in his reading, perusing the poems of John Keats, William Words Worth, Chateaubriand and Lamartine. I still hear his sonorous voice reciting rhythmical lines of poems in Kim Van Kieu’s story while his face was radiant with ecstasy and raptures. Through books I see many countries rise and fall. Kings and Presidents pass before my eyes and I can follow the history of nations. Each book has a story to tell me of remote countries and strange people. I am greatly indebted to books indeed. For me a good book is not only a true companion but also a well-experienced teacher guiding me through my life. It has the miracle to relieve my suffering and my hardship and reveal to me strange and new horizons. Reading books broadens my mind and improves my knowledge. Instead of indulging myself in futile entertainments, I am often keen on reading books which are always a source of comfort and relief to me and I am determined to preserve my father’s valuable treasure for my posterity. In a few words, the reading of books contributes to the moral and intellectual formation of a man’s personality. A shopping day We live in the suburb of HCM city. Twice a week my mother and I usually take a bus to HCM city to do some shopping. Yesterday was my mother’s off-day. Early in the morning we took a bus to town. We were in town just after seven and we had the whole morning for shopping. First, we went to the ready-made clothes department. My mother bought two white shirts for my father, a pair of blue jeans for my brother. I chose a pink woolen sweater. I liked it very much because it perfectly suited my complexion. At this department prices were moderate and we did not need to bargain. Before leaving, my mother bought herself two pairs of gloves. Next, we went straight to the shoe department. The shop-assistant greeted us warmly. He showed us pairs of shoes of really good quality leather. Leather shoes and sandals of various sizes and colors were on sale. The store was crowded with customers. They were either looking at the shoes or buying them. We both chose fashionable pairs of shoes and left. It was nearly eleven o’clock. We called at a little cafà © by the street-side to have lunch. After lunch we went to the park nearby. We took a rest on the bench in the shade of tall trees, waiting for the shops to be open again in the afternoon. At 2:00 p.m. we returned to the shopping center. We went to the Chinaware department. My mother needed a dozen of dishes and bowls. Enameled chinaware of different beautiful patterns attracted housewives’ attention. Finally, before returning home, we went to the stationer’s. My mother bought lots of stationery: ink, pens, ball-point pens and writing pad. On the way to the bus station we called at the fast food department to get some ready-cooked food for the family when we got home. Returning home, I felt quite tired but how interesting a shopping day it was!e Life in the city, compared with life in the country In my opinion, urban life or rural life has its own advantages and disadvantages. First, living in the city we may enjoy those benefits. – Communication and transportation systems are better. There are so many means of communication and transport that we can choose the ones we like best. We can get in touch with a friend or talk to him by phone without having to go out of home. – Thanks to electricity network and running water, our material lives are more comfortable. Supermarkets, markets and shops are found everywhere and we can buy anything we need providing that we can afford it. – Urban life provides us with all sorts of entertainments: televisions, radios, movies, theatres, concerts and famous recreation centers. – Living in town we can improve our knowledge easily by attending any schools, universities or evening classes where experienced teachers and professors are ready to satisfy our thirst for knowledge. Besides its advantages, urban life also has its disadvantages: – Our health is in danger: pollution by factories and heavy traffic may cause serious diseases to all of us. – Evil influence upon the young generation by obscene video films is inevitable. – Violent deaths happen regularly in such a crowded city with all kinds of vehicles. On the contrary, rural life seems ideal to all of us, especially to the old. – We can enjoy fresh, cool air and behold beautiful landscapes in the country. – How safe and delighted we are when we can sleep a sound sleep at any time of the day without being disturbed by sirens of cars or by deafening noises from manufacturing factories. – Our social lives in the country are easier: we can eat the food and vegetables we grow, the chickens and goats we raise. The countrymen lead a very simple life and they are quick at mutual help in any case. Apart from these advantages, living in the country we may meet lots of difficulties too. – Communication and transportation are obstructed by lack of means of transport or by floods in the rainy season. – Our knowledge is limited by being short of mass media. – Our social and physical lives are not as comfortable as those in town because of lack of electricity and medical care. In a nutshell, our love for town life or country life depends on our outlook and age. As for me, I always prefer rural life to urban life. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Private Cars. Nowadays, as people’s life quality develops, more and more families can afford to buy private cars. On one hand, private cars can make the travel more convenient, A case in point, if you have a private car, you will not have to go to work in a crowded bus everyday and still worry about if you are going to be late. And when you want to travel in someplace, driving by yourself in your own car is the most convenient and comfortable way. While on the other hand, private cars can be very expensive and the price of petrol is getting higher and higher, taking a bus is a less expensive way when travelling. When a city has too many private cars, it becomes easy to cause traffic jam, especially when people go to work and go home after work. And you may need to wait for hours in your car.What’s more, more and more private cars also means more and more pollution to the environment. The gas that cars discharged is a serious pollution to the atmosphere. All in all, there are both advantages and diaadvantages of private cars. In my opnion, you can use your own car when it is necessary and if you are not in a hurry, you can take a bus instead.the birth of cars have made an enormous change to our life.in the past,we travel from one place to another only by foot,nowaday,cars can do it .its goes withour saying that the invention of cars bring great benefit to all of us. But as proverb goes:no garden without weeds.car is not exception. owing a car has a lot of advantages.for one thing,car provide us the most convient way of transportation.we can get around freely without spenting a lot of time.emotionally,i always found driving is so exciting.for another,its the comfortable to drive a car. In winter.drivers always can stay warm and dry even in rainy whether,in addition,drivers are usuall y safe in their cars when they are out at night. Cars bring the human merits,their side-effects graudually come to the surface.firstly,to run a car need a lot of oil,which is getting less and less.the increasing number of cars contribute the lacking of energy. Secondlly,as more and more cars are used,the traffic ecpecially in big cities is getting heaver and heavier,which lead to the serious social problem–traffic jam.in addition,the inceasing numbers of cars ,which excaust sent a huge quantities of carbon monoxide into atmosphere.it make the air of cities unbreathabe,it strip people contact with frensh air. therefore,the new energy should be explored to replace the oil so that our en vionmental pollution can be avioded .and the strick law should be issued to keep the numbers of cars under control.thus,our heavier traffic can be solluted! —- There are some advantages to owning a car in an urban area. First, sitting in your car is much more comfortable than having to wait a long time for the arrival of the bus or train. In bad weather the driver of the car is warm and comfortable and is always guaranteed a seat. Second, in urban areas it is much safer to be in your car, especially at night, than having to walk down a dark street to get to a bus stop or train station. On the other hand, there are some disadvantages to owning a car. First, a car is expensive. Gasoline is not cheap and car insurance rates in urban areas are very high. There are other expenses to be considered too, such as car maintenance and repairs as well as having to pay for parking. Second, owning a car causes a lot of worry and stress. If you leave your car in the street it might get stolen or its parts might get stolen. It is also very stressful to be driving on the freeway or in traffic jams and there is the constant fear and stress of being involved in an accident. Advantages & Disadvantages About Social Networking. 1. Purpose: To inform about social networking. 2. Main Idea: By the end of my speech the audience should get an idea about the advantages & disadvantages about our every day’s use of the social network. 3. Developed Main Ideas: There are 2 points I want you guys to be informed about. Social networking is a wonderful task we can do on the internet, although, there are advantages & disadvantages that comes with it. 4. Sub points: The advantages of social networking: – keep in touch with friends and family – be informed about around the world – get feedback about ideas or thoughts – ask questions, get fast answers – helps you learn more diversity and get exposure to multiple points of view.