Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Man was born free and is everywhere in chains Essay Example

Man was born free and is everywhere in chains Essay Example Man was born free and is everywhere in chains Paper Man was born free and is everywhere in chains Paper p. 29. 9 Ibid, p. 33. 10 Alexis de Tocqueville, The old Regime and the French revolution (New York: Double Day Anchor Books, 1955), p. 69. (original published 1856, publisher unknown) 11 Cited in Carter, p. 41. 12 Cited in Andrew Heywood, Modern Political Ideologies (London: Macmillan Press, 1992), p. 127. 13 Richard Sylvan, Anarchism in Goodin, Robert, Philip Pettit (ed. ), A companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy (Cambridge: Basil Blackwell, 1993), pp. 215-242. 14 Andrew Heywood, Political Ideologies: An Introduction (London: Macmillan Press, 1992). p. 193. 15 George Growder, Classical Anarchism (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1991). p. 191. 16 April Carter, p. 169. 17 David Miller, Anarchism, (London: J. M. Dent Sons Ltd, 1984), p. 171. 18 George Growder, Classical Anarchism, p. 192. 19 Ibid,. p. 193. 20 Norman, P. Barry, An intro to modern political theory, (London: Macmillan Press, 1981). p. 83. 21 John Passmore, The Perfectibility of Man (London: Duckworth, 1970), p. 189. 22 Andrew Heywood, Political Ideologies, p. 211. 23 Harold Barclay, People Without Government, p. 134. 24 David Morland, Anarchism, Human Nature and History, in Jon Purkis James Bowen (ed. ), Twenty-first Century Anarchism (London: Cassell Press, 2000), pp. 8-21. p. 21. 25 Goaman, Karen Mo Dodson. , A Subversive Current? : Contempory Anarchism Considered in Jon Purkis James Bowen (ed. ), Twenty-first Century Anarchism (London: Cassell Press, 2000), pp. 83-97. 26 Murray Bookchin, Anarchism, Marxism, and the Future of the Left (Edinburgh: A. K. Press, 1999). p. 154. 27 Andrew Heywood, p. 211. 28 David Miller, Anarchism, p. 183. Andrew Wallace/1592038/Dr. P. Bradshaw/Political Science/MAS2010.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Abstinence Only Education and Sex Education in the U.S.

Abstinence Only Education and Sex Education in the U.S. When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in April 2012 that teen birth rates in the U.S. hit a new low in 2010 and revealed which states had the highest and lowest rates, it prompted a question: Were these outcomes affected by individual states requirements for sex education (sex ed) and/or abstinence-only education? That was soon answered by the Guttmacher Institutes State Policies in Brief paper on Sex and HIV Education in May 2012. The institute has kept the numbers constantly updated since as the trend of lowered teen birth rates has continued to drop nationwide. Required Sex and/or HIV Education Sex ed is mandated in 24 states and the District of Columbia. Of that total, the following 22 states and the District of Columbia mandate both sex ed and HIV education: CaliforniaDelawareGeorgiaHawaiiIowaKentuckyMaineMarylandMinnesotaMontanaNevadaNew JerseyNew MexicoNorth CarolinaOhioOregonRhode IslandSouth CarolinaTennesseeUtahVermontWest Virginia Two states mandate sex ed only: MississippiNorth Dakota HIV education is mandated in 34 states and the District of Columbia. Of that total, 12 mandate only HIV education: AlabamaConnecticutIllinoisIndianaMichiganMissouriNew HampshireNew YorkOklahomaPennsylvaniaWashingtonWisconsin Must Include Contraception When sex ed is taught, some states have specific content requirements. In addition to the District of Columbia, 18 states require that information on contraception be provided when sex education is taught: AlabamaCaliforniaColoradoDelawareHawaiiIllinoisMaineMarylandNew JerseyNew MexicoNorth CarolinaOregonRhode IslandSouth CarolinaVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest Virginia One state allows local schools to include contraception with the permission of the State Department of Education: Mississippi Must Include Abstinence When sex ed is taught, 37 states require that information on abstinence is provided. Of those, 26 states require that abstinence be stressed: AlabamaArizonaArkansasDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIllinoisIndianaKentuckyLouisianaMaineMichiganMississippiMissouriNew JerseyNorth CarolinaOhioOklahomaOregonRhode IslandSouth CarolinaTennesseeTexasUtahWashingtonWisconsin These 11 states require only that abstinence is covered during sex education: CaliforniaColoradoHawaiiMarylandMinnesotaMontanaNew MexicoNorth DakotaVermontVirginiaWest Virginia No Mandate There are nine states with no sex education or HIV education mandate: ArizonaArkansasColoradoFloridaIdahoLouisianaMassachusettsTexasVirginia Five of the states listed above also rank among the top 12 states with the highest teenage birth rates, and four rank in the top 6 (ranking indicated in parentheses): Mississippi (1)Arkansas (3)Texas (4)Louisiana (6)Arizona (12) An earlier report issued by the Guttmacher Institute in September 2006 compiled teen pregnancy statistics state by state. Among the top 10 states with the highest rates of teen pregnancy among females age 15-19, five are states without mandated sex education or HIV education (ranking indicated in parentheses): Arizona (2)Mississippi (3)Texas (5)Florida (6)Arkansas (10) That same report ranked the top 10 states with the highest rates of live births among teenage girls age 15-19. Again, five are states that do not require sex ed to be taught in schools. If and when it is taught, these states do not require information on contraception be provided, but they do require that abstinence be stressed (ranking indicated in parentheses): Mississippi (1)Texas (2)Arizona (3)Arkansas (4)Louisiana (7) Only one state that does not mandate sex education or HIV education appears in the listing of states with the lowest teenage birth rates: Massachusetts ranked at number 2. Sources Guttmacher Institute, State Policies in Brief: Sex and HIV Education. Office of Adolescent Health, Trends in Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Health Care Reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Health Care Reform - Essay Example What is more important is that an individual should consider his or her well being as essential in a given population (Pipes 81-6) Obamacare is one policy that will protect the well being and freedom of each individual. Through this, the government created this law to avoid private sectors or specific persons from harming or exploiting innocent citizens. Failing to agree with this governmental program will mean that a person finds it permissible to be manipulated and be assaulted by the stranger without any penalty accorded to this. Denying this policy is also denying oneself justice and the right to be protected and be taken care of by the government. If citizens agree, then it is inconsistent to reject Obamacare (Pipes 52). The objective of having a healthcare mandate is to promote people's well being. Health is sometimes forgotten when thinking of well being; sometimes it is treated as a luxury, yet it is the physical building block for a person's well being, satisfaction, and happiness. Â  

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

ABU DHABI ISLAMIC BANK - CASE STUDY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

ABU DHABI ISLAMIC BANK - - Case Study Example Islamic banking became popular in Arab countries by 2003 and also in Malaysia. The number of banks increased to 450 during 2009; moreover about 300 conventional banks are observed to offer to Islamic banking products and services to the customers. In the last five years, Islamic banks had witnessed rapid growth in assets, which have doubled during the period (ADIB, 2014a). The Islamic bank is referred to the bank that follows the Shari’a principles with regard to financing, investment and banking. These banks are controlled and supervised by the Central Banks. The banks meet the requirement of the customers by following the Shari’a principles (Siraj, and Pillai, 2012). It provides with a number of options that helps the customers to safe guard their investments and finance. These options are Musharakah (joint venture), Ijarah (leasing), letter of credit, Murahaba (Cost plus) and covered cards. The banks have Shari’a boards, which comprise Islamic jurists, who consult and control the different aspects of the new banking transactions (ADIB, 2014a). During the global financial crisis, it is observed that the banks were affected severely; however, it hardly made any impact on the Islamic banks. Mortgage crisis was regarded as the main cause of the situation in the US. The stability in Islamic banks originates from its nature of business as the financing method is based on Shari’a principle, which dictates Musharakah, Ijarah and Mudarabah (ADIB, 2014a). In light of the above principles and practices that are followed by Islamic banks, the following case analyses the operation of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB). The case highlights the financial condition of the bank post and pre-financial crisis. ADIB was founded in 1980 and presently it has become the largest financial institution operating under Shari’a principle in Egypt. It has received the highest market standards. It employs around 2000 employers who form a dynamic

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Muscular Disorders Case Report Essay Example for Free

Muscular Disorders Case Report Essay A mother presents with her 13 y/o son with a history of frequent falls, difficulty getting up from a lying or sitting position, trouble jumping, large calf muscles and poor grades in school. Based on the description and symptoms given, the likely diagnosis would be Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy, or DMD; although DMD and its symptoms tend to show up at an earlier age but not always. This type of muscular dystrophy is the most common and severe form of the dystrophinopathic diseases. Dystrophinopathic diseases are muscular dystrophies that are of a genetic nature caused by a deficiency in the protein dystrophin. This protein is vital to muscle function and contraction. In the case of DMD, there is a mutation in the gene, called the DMD gene, responsible for producing dystrophin causing a deficiency. This gene mutation is X-linked recessive and is inherited. This means that females in the family carry the gene mutation and can pass is on to their offspring male or female, but it is expressed in the males. DMD is usually diagnosed when a young boy shows signs of muscle weakness and there is a family history of the disease. Per Genome (2010), â€Å"a muscle biopsy for dystrophin studies can also be done to look for abnormal levels of dystrophin in the muscle. † Genome (2010), also states that â€Å"genetic testing on a blood sample for changes in the DMD gene can help establish the diagnosis of Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy without performing a muscle biopsy. † For most individuals, a combination of these testing methods is used to confirm a diagnosis of DMD. There is no known cure for DMD. Treatment involves treating the symptoms and keeping the patient as comfortable as possible. Medline (2012) says that â€Å"steroid drugs can slow the loss of muscle strength and may be started when the child is diagnosed or when muscle strength begins to decline. † Other drugs, such as Albuterol, can be used to control breathing problems that occur in the later stages of the disease and drugs to help with heart functions are prescribed to help control any cardio symptoms that may be present. The prognosis for individuals with DMD is bleak; it is a rapidly progressive disease and patients with DMD usually surrender to the disease or complications from it in their 20’s or 30’s, sometimes even earlier. I grew up with a family next door to me in which the two oldest boys had DMD. The disease eventually took both of their lives. The oldest boy did live long enough to graduate from high school but the younger of the two died from complications when he was 16. It was horrible for the family to stand by and watch their sons slowly decline and eventually die. This disease continued to plague their lives when the daughters passed it on to their boys and probably still plagues them today. There have been great strides in the field of research in regards to DMD but as of yet no cure has been found. Hopefully one day, there will be a cure for this devastating, debilitating disease and no more families will be forced to watch their children die right before their eyes.

Friday, November 15, 2019

To The Lighthouse :: essays research papers

To the Lighthouse, published in 1927 is one of Virginia Woolf's most successful novels written in a stream of consciousness style. The novel is divided into three parts, which revolve around the members of the Ramsey family and their guests during visits to their summer vacationing residence on the Isle of Skye. The central preoccupation within the novel however is not to be found within the lives of the characters, instead they are seen as being secondary to the overall grounding of the novel in the house itself. Woolf examines the actions of the characters and the passing of time from the perspective of the central symbol of the actual physical domestic space of the house.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The characterization of Mrs. Ramsey, who is identified as being the guardian, or the 'angel of the house', cannot be separated from the actual physical space itself. Just as the walls and doors of the house serve to keep out and protect the inhabitants from the outside world, Mrs. Ramsey works to create a domestic space where she can shield the people from the effects of modern life and offer a retreat into a more natural landscape. This natural landscape however can be seen as a threat, the pounding of the waves on the surf turns from a 'soothing tattoo to her thoughts'; to the 'ghostly roll of drums remorselessly beat(ing) the measure of life';, and terrified the sound makes her think 'of the destruction of the island and its engulfment in the sea';(23-24). The simple fact that sound of the pounding waves comes to her suddenly, whereas before it had been concealed by the sounds of conversations being held outside, points to the hollowness of the house. Mrs. Ramsey works to maintain the house as being a protective barrier, which can be seen through her obsession with wanting to keep all the doors closed, effectively trying to bar the outside world from entering: 'At a certain moment, she supposed, the house would become so shabby that something must be done. If they could be taught to wipe their feet and not bring in the beach with them – that would be something…And the result of it was…that things got shabbier and got shabbier summer after summer. The mat was fading; the wallpaper was flapping…Still, if every door in a house is left perpetually open, … things must spoil…it was the doors that annoyed her…'; (38-9).

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Kantianism Essay

The thought of justifying means rather than ends seems to be more ethical in the long run, even if not more productive. As an officer we have trouble in this way of thinking for two reasons. First, we are in a profession in which our ends are what matters. We must produce the results that are needed, when they are needed, or we have failed to perform our duties. This means we have let down those in charge of us, as well as those whom we lead. Second, our means of doing things are also very important. We as officers must be moral in our decisions, for if we aren’t then we also fail to do our jobs. If we go about achieving a good end through bad means then we are no better than our enemies. Maxims are rules of law that we apply in our decision making to be considered rules of the Universe as a way of deciding if our actions are moral or immoral. One example of a maxim would be â€Å"I can use rob a bank or take money from people for financial gain†. When applying Kant’s rules we test it first to see if it can be generalized. This would end up as â€Å"anyone can use force to get what they want. This would not make sense in the long run because if everyone used force to get what they want then the world would be anarchic and full of chaos. Another example of a maxim would be â€Å"I won’t help this drowning person because they probably won’t pay me. † It almost makes sense to do this as doing something for little gain sometimes seems useless. However; if this were to be applied as a general rule then no one would ever get help unless the Samaritan deemed it profitable to them. Both of these show how decision making in Kantianism is the key factor in deciding what to do. There are both good and bad sides to Kantianism. First, as stated previously, we need to do things based on moral reasoning and not just end results. We can’t be officers who can go to the limit of Utilitarianism and allow for things such as an Omelas society. We do need to consider the good of the whole but we must do things that are moral by reason. We need to rationalize why and how we perform so that we can lead the way we’re supposed to. Kantianism is a good means for this and will allow officers to not only have good ends, but a good means of achieving them.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Providing Value Proposition to Customers: A Case Analysis on McDonald’s Essay

They have amazing story of their own organization relative with the organizational learning they have really gained insight from their history which later on made a lot of contribution for what now is MacDonald’s I would like to elaborate their story with two divisions and one of them Is early history and another after 90’s history. Early History When the MacDonald’s family back in 1930s around 90 years back they moved from Manchester to Hollywood where two brothers one is Richard and another is Maurice McDonalds started working. Еheir fathers had a â€Å"Air drome† McDonalds brothers realized that the most of their selling was for hamburgers, they closed down with a careful investigation so that they can open with a new starting and in a bigger way they started with the simple menu of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, French fries, shakes and more So they renamed their restaurant to the new name with McDonalds. After some time they realized one new thing that there was the time they need a new building for their restaurant so that they could improve more and make their goals achieve. The main two goals for them were efficiency and more catching appearance. Architects were chosen for the new ambience and new improvements. So being very careful new improvements were made for the appearance and for the betterment of the McDonalds. Mid History of McDonalds Company actual history was started from 1940 as two brothers Richard and Maurice opened up in the big phase of McDonalds as a restaurant with 20 menus. But the name was McDonald’s McDonalds hamburger as hamburgers were the most famous on their restaurant. As their revenue started increasing and they almost reached to $3500000 till mid 50’s. By then Raymond Kroc shows his interest on developing franchise of McDonalds and shows keen interest on making a chain restaurant so he registered McDonalds as a incorporation. so, in 1955 he became founder of McDonalds and changed the name so the new name and he current name of McDonalds came from that long way.. McDonalds Corporation. So, Kroc was the pioneer for the chain American restaurant for the fast food. Today McDonalds has become world’s largest fast food industry only in California they serve 47 million customers daily. It has managed to become one of the most prestigious values in all over the country. It got VRIO that is value, Ratio, and opportunities. Recent history So very recently from 2010, McDonalds has resigned its website and everything to a sleeker along with the certain changes made to the organization they also have introduced new way of approaching customers that is new advertising material to its website, they have unveil new pictures for restaurant ads, TV commercials, print advertising and online they all consists of real and 3d pictures of their products and services, by looking at that that looks so yummy and mouth watering. They also have make an announcement that the new the world biggest McDonalds restaurant will be built in London Olympics site. Changes made to turn the company As from their staring to till the current phase they have made so much of decisions that has taken the McDonalds to this new phase and I would like to show with the bullet points that how it the changes made to the company. McDonalds ?Firstly at their starting period it was more restaurants in a bus with different menus and lists of products. ? When they did a analysis they found out that the hamburgers were the most sold items so, the brothers decided to change the restaurant plans according to the need of the customers that they have introduced hamburgers, cheese burgers, apple pie, French fries with their core competencies product. ?When the restaurant was a big hit and widely accepted by customers now Raymond Kroc entered with new vision of changing that into the fast food chain and he owned with making McDonalds incorporation and making franchise and food chain were developed all over the America. As a change of this it has now become world’s largest fast food chain with employee of 18000 and more. ?Not changing the main product competencies of the McDonalds they have made other changed in marketing advertising and the environment care. ?With the change in market when they entered into the Indian markets they introduced maharaja burger which made them a big hit in India and they could captivate that market with their good brand name. McDonald’s customer centric plan and principals to win for the future are: The idea of customer centric has been credited to Peter ducker as he was the one to see the customer centric view and need to adopt those for the organization. † since the customer is central management understands that the organization must have a complete understanding of the customer needs and wants they must continuously develop various ways of tracking changes to the need of the customer. So, in overall I understood that the product must always satisfy customers needs and wants through their offerings. The seven principals of customer plan are as follows: McDonalds Drive sustained momentum So diversifying the products is the main theme of this, for example including kids dress, toys and other interactive video for the kids as they are doing it to diversify certain portion of risk and hence to minimize loss in order to successfully run the business. Generating broad based growth business Broad based growth simply for the McDonalds means going global, as they have been reached to 115 countries that is the best example we could have in different countries in different places but with the same name standardization and quality. McDonalds have expanded themselves to all over the world; this was their one of the strategy in order to prosper their organization. It had created huge impact on the profitability. Going beyond the borders as their strategy. Emphasis on 5P’s The five P’s that are people, place, product, price and promotion and making it all together so that the right mix would form for the McDonalds this I view as a focus strategy to the target customers. they have been creating products for the customers and as per customers needs and wants understanding customers which is also depth of customer centric plan. we can take an example of Indian market where beef is not allowed and McDonalds for the first time in their history they have introduced Maharaja burger which is a big success in Indian markets so, taking care of the customers through this 5 P’s. Stay sharply focused on here and now As we see the market is so dynamic and volatile the change is so fast and irrestable there are many organizations which were swept away by the market structure and the change in McDonalds technology so being focused and try knowing how and now are the points to be focused for the organization. Run day to day operations with maximum efficiency and productivity Operational excellence is the final key term for this, excel on what you do so that there will be no room for the competitors and take away your pie. As to captivate the market share organization needs to operate with their maximum efficiency it includes utilizing all their pr, marketing, advertising human skills, experience and even expert solutions to maximize the growth. The right people and process are intent on prospect Right people means human skills ensuing that the right candidate for the right jobs are handled down in order to have good labor relations and maximum efficiency so that the future would be secured. Skilled human will give organization certain outputs that are not even used for today even for the future the result is always positive if the human skills are competent enough to fight with the situation. Develop new innovations Organization In order to be competent and excel the market they must always be innovative and show the new approaches to meet the customer’s requirement. They must be innovative and creativity in order to exploit the opportunities that is in the market. Organizations must took innovations as the first tool to reach the customers and if threat is seen they must back out as soon as possible in order to minimize loss. Adding new product lines and certain changes in the product would be the example for the McDonalds to develop new innovations. McDonalds As for McDonalds as they have always viewed their customer as a treasure and no matter what they have always pays value to the customers knowing customers current needs Current product needs Looking to the problems of the customers through holistic approach I mean what actually the customer is wanting and what do they want is the organization question for example one customer wanting mobile phone with wireless charger could be his need and how the mobile company will address his problems is the secondary question. So what are current product needs for the customer and what actually does the customer wants. Future needs What are their future needs and wants what could be the expectations of the customers if he she buys a mobile phone then what could be the future expectation are the future needs of the customer. So it’s all about forecasting the future needs and wants of the customers it is gained through market research. Where the main aim of the customer centric is the organization where the learning and improvement are in the continuous format. They actually learn from their customers and respond in those manner resources, products and services are well utilized in order to gain the competitive advantage from them. It is well managed according to the strategies and goals of the organization and meeting them with the customers’ needs. So customer centric is the view from the customers need and the need is only the driving force for all the organization decision making. The main aim is to create the value of customer the value driven strategy. So until and McDonalds unless any company gives value to their customers there won’t be any progress made to the organization and there won’t be profitable return.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Great Recession How It Can Be Avoided

Great Recession How It Can Be Avoided The great economic recession is a period marked by persistent decline in the economic growth of different countries across the globe with the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracting within a period that is not less than six months. The 2008-2010 great recession affected the global economy and it arose from the developed economies in the world.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Great Recession: How It Can Be Avoided specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This period is marked by high levels of unemployment, decline in retail sales, real income, GDP, slow growth for businesses, and stagnant wages (Altig Fitzgerald and Rupert 66). When there is high unemployment rate, housing prices decline because of the inability of consumers to meet their obligations. A normal recession does not last longer than a year but the great recession does, and it is milder than an economic depression. Due to its effects, it is necessary to avoid th e great recession at all costs through various measures as discussed in this paper. An economic recession can be avoided through various measures undertaken by the government given the causes of the recession. To begin with, the central bank or the Federal Reserve should increase the level of liquidity in the economy by pursuing expansionary monetary policies. This involves increased supply of cash in the economy through overnight market operations and reduced interest rates. A recession is caused by reduced level of consumption in the economy. Therefore, an increase in the supply of liquidity will increase the purchasing power of consumers thereby stimulating the level of production in the economy. This will reduce unemployment while increasing output and economic growth. The recession can also be avoided by pursuing an expansionary fiscal policy such as increased government expenditures in various sectors of the economy. Such type of a policy would see the government reduce the le vel of unemployment while increasing the purchasing power of the public. This will stimulate the level of productivity while leading to economic growth and ending the recession. In addition to increased spending, the government can end the recession through bailout of bankrupt institutions especially the financial institutions that do not have enough credit for lending out to borrowers.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The economy can avoid the great recession through adjusting the bank interest rates according to the projected economic situation. High bank interest rates discourage investors from borrowing and hence the money circulation in the economy decreases. By reducing interest rates, banks will increase the rate of borrowing and investments since more investors will borrow more funds. This will also encourage payment of bank loans. The government should set an interest ceiling and floor to be applied by commercial banks. This will bring an end to the recession experienced within an economy gradually. An economy should maintain equilibrium in the balance of payment (BOP), which is the graph showing the trade between a country and the other countries across the globe. To avoid the recession, exports should balance with the imports or even exceed the imports. When imports are in excess, it means that imports are cheaper than the domestic products hence there is excess demand and flow of foreign currency causing economic imbalance in the country. This leads to unemployment because the products produced by the domestic companies face a low local demand as compared to imports (Tcherneva 120). Therefore, increased imports could end the recession since the high level of exports increases production, reduces unemployment and promotes economic growth. Altig, David, Terry, Fitzgerald and Rupert, Peter. Okun’s law revisited: should we worr y about low unemployment? Economic Commentary. Cleveland: Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, 1997. Print. Lee, Jim. The Robustness of Okun’s Law: Evidence from OECD Countries. Journal of Macroeconomics 22.2 (2000): 331–356. Print. Tcherneva, Pavlina. Permanent on-the-spot job creation- the missing Keynes Plan for full employment and economic transformation. Review of Social Economics, forthcoming 2.1 (2011): 112-127. Print.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Great Recession: How It Can Be Avoided specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Complete ACT Instructions Expert Guide and Tips

The Complete ACT Instructions Expert Guide and Tips SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips What exactly are the instructions on the ACT? Do they really matter? We will go over the complete ACT directions, including the main directions and the specific directions for each section. We’ll show how they reveal tips for how to do well on the test. You may be surprised by how many hints there are in the ACT directions! Furthermore, knowing these directions before test day can save you time and stress – so you can just focus on the questions! So read on to be as prepared as possible for the ACT. Overall ACT Directions These are directions that appear on the front of your test booklet and apply to the entire test. Read the complete directions below, and then we’ll discuss the most important points. Directions and sample questions via ACT's Preparing for the ACT Guide. We'll break down our observations into categories for the main directions since they're pretty long! Calculators You can only use a calculator on the math section. While you likely won’t be tempted to pull out your calculator for English or Reading, some students get confused since the Science section also contains numbers, graphs and charts. However, you cannot use your calculator on the Science section. If you pull out your calculator for a non-calculator section, you can be disqualified and your scores invalidated. Make sure to only have the calculator out for math! Notice that the ACT lists this rule before the even more basic ones about how to fill in answers, meaning they’re very serious about it. Marking Answers The mechanism for marking your answers is pretty basic if you’re taken standardized tests before: â€Å"Decide which answer is best, locate on the answer document the number that matches the question you’re on, fill in the oval completely.† This seems basic, but you need to be careful to check your answers every few questions to make sure you didn’t start filling out the bubbles off by one. How awful would it be if you found most of the right answers but bubbled in your test incorrectly? Also, make sure to â€Å"Use soft lead and make your marks heavy and black.† That means no ink or mechanical pencil. Make sure you bring enough sharpened pencils with you so you don’t have to get up and sharpen your pencil during the test. We suggest bringing at least four, one for each section, plus one for the essay if you’re taking the ACT Plus Writing. One other caution the directions bring up: â€Å"Mark only one answer for each question†¦erase completely if you change your mind.† Basically, you want to make sure your answer key is as clear as possible. You might leave time in the last few minutes of the test to double check your answer key to make sure all answers are filled in and neatly marked. Finally, only responses marked on your answer document are scored. Your booklet is not scored in any way. If you’re marking your answers in the booklet and then transferring a few answers at a time to the answer sheet, be very careful to make sure you don’t run out of time. Remember, you can only get credit for an answer bubbled onto the answer sheet. Guessing You might think that the ACT doesn’t care one way or the other how well you do on the test. Think again. Notice that they say in all caps, bold, and italic that â€Å"IT IS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE TO ANSWER EVERY QUESTION EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO GUESS† ! They’re right, of course – since there is no point deduction for wrong answers, you can pick up a few extra points by filling in all the bubbles on each section, even if you’ve run out of time and you have to guess. You can read more about smart guessing strategies over here. But as we learn in the next section, you can only guess or fill in random bubbles while a particular section is being tested – you can’t, for example, fill in random bubbles for Math questions when you’ve moved on to Reading. Only Work on the Section at Hand You can work on a section only after the proctor has told you do so. You cannot go ahead to a different section, and you cannot work on a previous section. You can get disqualified for doing this! When I took the ACT last June, that particular rule was repeated several times during testing, so you can bet it’s important. The reason for the rule is that they want to make sure students only use the allotted time to work on each section. This also means you have to lay down your pencil exactly when time is called. You can’t continue to fill in or erase bubbles. Be extra careful when you are in the last five minutes of the test! It’s not worth the risk of having your whole test thrown out just to bubble in one more question. Not all proctors are going to be super strict on this (they might give you a grace period of a few seconds after they call time), but some are – and you don’t want to risk your entire test being cancelled because you’re trying to sneak in a last answer. Also, do not, do not, do not bubble in more answers for a section after you’ve moved on to a new section! Proctors walk around and mark down the last answer you’ve filled in right after a section, so they’ll notice if more bubbles get filled in later in the test. Again, it's not worth getting your test thrown out. ACT English Instructions Here are the complete directions for the English section, followed by the some important points: The directions say â€Å"The test is broken into five passages, each with 15 questions.† This comes out to 75 questions, meaning you have just 36 seconds per question! You’ll have to keep your pacing up during this section to answer all the questions. (This is why we highly recommend you make carefully-timed practice tests an integral part of your ACT practice, by the way!) As to the format, the directions say â€Å"Certain words and phrases are underlined and numbered, the questions each present alternatives for the underlined portions.† The English test is designed to help you move quickly between the question and the part of the passage it’s asking about. Still, you should do practice sections to get used to this format. Check out some example questions below. The test is designed so it's easy to see the part of the passage each question is asking about. The directions also tell you what kind of answers you should be looking for. â€Å"You are to choose the one that best expresses the idea, makes the statement appropriate for standard written English, or is worded most consistently with the style and tone of the passage as a whole.† So if you get stuck on an English question, choose the answer that seems the clearest to you. (Of course, you should read more about the grammar rules you need to know for English so you're not caught unprepared!) Also, for many questions, the wording in the passage is already correct. â€Å"If you think the original version is best, choose 'No Change.'"This can be more often than you think! Don’t be afraid to choose this answer. Some questions are about a paragraph or the passage as a whole, which is why it’s important to at least skim the whole passage. However, we disagree with this part of the directions: â€Å"Read each passage through once before you answer the questions that accompany it.† You don’t actually have to do this. It’s possible to attack the questions immediately and skim the passage for bigger-picture questions. Try a few practice sections using both methods and use the method that works best for you. Finally, keep in mind that â€Å"For many of the questions, you have to read several sentences beyond to answer it.† This is important to remember. Even if you attack the questions immediately, don’t just read the single sentence. Make sure you have enough context to answer with confidence. Remember, you’re looking for the answer choice that makes the passage as a whole as clear as possible! ACT Math Instructions Read the directions below, and we’ll go over the important points: These are the basics of the math section: â€Å"Solve each problem, choose the correct answer, and then fill in the corresponding oval on your answer document.† Again, this seems obvious, but it’s helpful to think of the math section in terms of solving problems. You’re not just finding the right answer, like on the English questions. Math is a bit more involved. The directions offer some very important advice on this, especially given that you’re solving 60 problems in 60 minutes: â€Å"Do not linger over problems that take too much time. Solve as many as you can; then return to the others in the time you have left for this test.† This is a very important strategy. You have approximately one minute per question on math. If you waste five minutes on one question, you lose the opportunity to work on four other questions. We recommend wearing a watch during the test so you can keep an eye on how long you’re taking on each question. Remember from the overall directions that Math is the only section you can use a calculator on. The directions have some good advice about how to use the calculator, as well: â€Å"You may use your calculator for any problems you choose, but some of the problems may best be done without using a calculator.† This is good advice. If you become over-reliant on your calculator you can waste a lot of time on the test or even make silly mistakes if you enter in a number incorrectly. Again, this is why practice is so important. Practice taking math sections with a calculator, and figure out where using a calculator saves you time – and where you tend to waste time. (Learn about the best calculator for the ACT.) Finally, the ACT lays out some ground rules about how the math problems are presented: â€Å"Unless otherwise stated, all of the following should be assumed. Illustrative figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Geometric figures lie in a plane. The word line indicates a straight line. The word average indicates arithmetic mean.† So what does all this mean? The first rule, â€Å"figures are not drawn to scale† means you can’t solve problems just by looking at the picture and estimating. Many pictures are actually deliberately not drawn to scale to prevent you from taking a shortcut. Remember: you can’t solve any problems by using your fingers to estimate length or an angle. You have to do the math to solve the problems! "Geometric figures lie in a plane"means you can assume that geometric figures are on a flat surface. â€Å"The word line indicates a straight line† is straightforward, and basically allows the test makers to save space when writing directions. â€Å"Arithmetic mean† is the more precise word for average. It just means the sum of all numbers in a set divided by how many numbers there are. The ACT probably specifies "average means arithmetic mean" just to save space when writing questions. ACT Reading Instructions Check out the complete directions below for ACT Reading: Notice the directions say, â€Å"There are several passages in this test.† Actually, there are exactly four! One each of Literature, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Science. Read more about ACT Reading passage types over here. Also, while the directions say â€Å"Each passage is accompanied by several questions,† there are precisely 10 per passage. In other words, every passage is exactly one-fourth of the Reading test. You can use this info to help budget your 35 minutes! ACT says to approach the reading section like this: â€Å"After reading a passage, choose the best answer to each question and fill in the corresponding oval on the answer document. You may refer to the passages as often as necessary.† Our advice: You can actually decide if you want to read the questions or the passage first. For some people questions first is easier, others prefer to read the passage first. The best way to tell is to do a few practice sections, trying each method. Stick with the one that feels best to you. Also check out our article about different ways to read the passage for more advice on this. ACT Science Instructions The Science section’s directions are quite similar to reading. Check them out and read our advice below. Again, while the directions vaguely note that â€Å"There are several passages in this test,† actually there are seven! Again, use this to budget your time – you have approximately five minutes for each passage. Just like on the Reading section, the ACT advises you to read the passage first: â€Å"After reading a passage, choose the best answer to each question and fill in the corresponding oval on your answer document. You may refer to the passages as often as necessary.† Again, you don’t have to read the passage first, you can jump straight to the questions – try it both ways and stick with the strategy that works best for you. (When I took the ACT last June, I found it was much more effective for me to read the questions first on Science and then turn to the section, even though my strategy on Reading was the opposite. Practice, practice, practice so you can develop the best possible strategies for you!) Finally, remember that â€Å"You are NOT permitted to use a calculator on this test.† As we covered above, keep your calculator put away for every section except math! ACT Writing Instructions If you sign up for the ACT Plus Writing, after you complete all of the multiple choice sections you have to write an essay – in just 40 minutes. While you should prepare for the ACT by taking full practice tests so you can build up the stamina you need, you should also familiarize yourself with the essay directions so you waste no time on test day and get straight to your essay. That 40 minutes goes by fast. Check out the complete directions below. The basics are as follows: â€Å"You will have forty (40) minutes to read the prompt, plan your response, and write an essay in English.† Only essays in English will be graded, even if it’s not your first language. Also make sure you use that time wisely. It goes by fast. Practicing the essay is important so you can get quick at planning, drafting, and editing an essay within such a short period. (Read more about the essay over here. The directions say that â€Å"Before you begin working, read all material in this test booklet carefully to understand exactly what you’re being asked to do.†This is important! A big part of doing well on the ACT essay is responding specifically to the prompt and not getting off-topic. Taking an extra minute to fully digest the prompt is a better use of your time than an extra minute to scrawl down any idea that pops into your head. The directions also provide a good summary of how your essay will be graded: "Analyze and evaluate multiple perspectives on a complex issue, state and develop your own perspective on the issue, explain and support your ideas with logical reasoning and detailed examples, clearly and logically organize your ideas in an essay, effectively communicate your ideas in standard written English." Translation? Take a stance on the position while acknowledging the other side, stay focused throughout your essay on your stance, use logical arguments and good examples to support your stance, use logical organization, and use clear language. In terms of the logistics, remember this: â€Å"You may use the unlined pages in this test booklet to plan your essay. These pages will not be scored.† Be careful not to spend too much time writing your essay outline – you will only be graded based on what makes it to the lined paper. Also, you might not need all the pages, but don’t skip lines when writing the essay! Even if you think writing every other line makes your essay look neater, this could cause you to run out of room. You can write corrections or additions neatly between the lines of the essay, but do not write in the margins. (These directions actually aren't stated, but they were on the previous year's ACT instructions and we think it makes sense to follow them!) Finally, keep in mind that illegible essays can’t be scored – remember the essay is graded by actual humans! So slow down if you notice your handwriting getting messy. That said, if your handwriting is messy but still readable, your score won’t be affected. This isn’t a penmanship test. So write as fast as you can while keeping your writing decently legible. Longer essays tend to be scored higher than short ones, so don’t sacrifice length for neat handwriting. If you finish early, you can review your essay. Put your pencil down as soon as time is called! Bottom Line The ACT reveals some test-taking strategy in the instructions – some helpful, some not so much. But remember the best way to develop a smart ACT strategy is to take complete practice tests. The more you practice before test day, the better prepared you'll be! Also, make sure you know these rules by heart on test day. You’ll save time if you don’t have to worry about the rules and can just dive into the questions. What’s Next? Looking for ACT practice tests? We’ve got ‘em! What else should you know about the ACT? Get a guide to ACT timing and ACT scoring. How can you prepare for the ACT? Start with our guide to ACT Science, a complete guide to grammar rules for English, and learn how to stop running out of time on Reading and Math. What’s a good ACT score? An amazing one? Find out here. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

The Hughes H-1 racer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Hughes H-1 racer - Essay Example Hughes, Jr.1 In 1934, Hughes formed the Hughes Aircraft Co., a division of the Hughes Tool Company. Their mission was to build the best racing planes in the world. Hughes Aircraft did just that when it built its first internally designed airplane in 1934: the H-1 racer. Howard Hughes, along with Richard Palmer and a small team of engineers, designed the H-1 racer and Glenn Odekirk, together with his team, built it.2 The wood and metal single-seat monoplane was streamlining at its very best, designed for speed, pure and simple. Designing, building, and extensively testing the plane took the team 18 months but it was well worth the effort. On September 13, 1935, Hughes himself piloted the H-1 to a record-breaking 352 miles per hour at Martin Field, near Santa Ana, California. The previous record was 314 miles per hour. The H-1 was not only the fastest plane, but it was the fastest plane that could fly from standard runways, had practical flight characteristics, and had an almost unimaginable range of nearly 4000 miles (Parker, 2002). The H-1 had two sets of wings. The wings Hughes used to break the landplane speed record were of a low aspect ratio and shorter than those which he used for high-altitude transcontinental flight. The former was originally intended only for short flights at low altitudes; in the latter, Hughes set a new transcontinental record on January 18, 1937 for long-distance, high altitude flights when he recorded an average speed of 332 miles per hour over a course of 2,490 miles.3 The H-1 was powered by a Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasp Junior radial piston engine rated at 700 horsepower at 8,500 feet but which could deliver 1,000 horsepower for high-speed flight. According to Hughes (as cited in Michel, n.d.), â€Å"the H-1 racer was fast because it was clean and yet it attained its speed with a Pratt and Whitney engine of perfectly

Friday, November 1, 2019

Action Assignment #1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Action #1 - Assignment Example the individuals builds the desire to find out how well the front office staff receives their guests and what makes the guests come back for the services. The choice utilized the websites of the top hotels in the country, the site with many customers received the most consideration and hence the selection. At the first instance, the front office staff welcomes the guests with a beaming smile. As the guests approach the staff’s desk, she stands up and shakes their hand while welcoming them. She then offers them a seat and tells them to feel comfortable while she is serving them. At this point, the guests smile back and says appreciates by saying â€Å"Thank you.† These non-verbal cues of communication allow the guests to be comfortable while they receive services. Moreover, the welcoming smile and hospitality observed makes the guests come back for the services. As observed, the interaction was in a formal setup facilitating an official interaction between the front office staff and the guests. Firstly, the assumption that a warm welcome often bolsters the relations between the staffs and the visitors holds in this particular instance. Secondly, the first impression depicted by the front office staff warrants the extent to which the guests will give in to the services offered. Finally, the manner with which the staff receives the visitors determines the visitors’ satisfaction. The beaming smile portrayed by the staff demonstrates her hospitality. Additionally, the welcoming mood signals the nature of the services the staff offers. The impressions formed almost immediately as the front office staff seemed jovial, happy, and welcoming. The second observation finds its locale in an informal scenery. The case involves analyzing an interaction between two friends who seem to have been apart for a long time now. Hence, the interactions are informal involving extended non-verbal communication cues. The persons in this context meet and hug each other closely and