Should Same Sex Marriage Be Legal - 968 Words

The Definition of Family What is your definition to the term ‘family?’ The answer to that question varies depending on whom you ask, and everyone seems to have his or her own idea of it. Just this year, same-sex marriage was finally recognized in Alabama – one of the most conservative, southern states that you could possibly drive into. The whole idea of homosexuality regarding important topics such as marriage, psychological health, and parenting have been called into question to scientifically define what the term family should mean. Just to be clear, this topic sparks a grand amount of opinion, and opinion can easily be shut down by facts and relative research. First and foremost, majority of the individuals that are opposed to same-sex marriage are usually just as opposed to same-sex couples raising children (whether or not these children of homosexual parents grow up to be heterosexual or homosexual). These individuals will typically argue that children raised by same-sex parents will suffer psychologically and will grow up to be anxiety ridden, depressed adults with the inability to identify with a sexual orientation. Upon further research, one will find that a child being raised by same sex parents or a homosexual parent has very little influence on the child’s well being (Golombok, Perry, Burston, Murray, Mooney-Somers, Stevens, and Golding, 2003, p. 2). According to Wainright, Russell, and Patterson’s (2004) research on children raised by lesbian mothers, theyShow MoreRelatedSame Sex Marriage Should Be Legal1288 Words   |  6 Pages Marriage is not precisely the same as it used to be interpreted. For example, women used to be their husband’s property. Sometimes the women were forced to marry whoever their parents wanted them to marry and most of the time they couldn’t leave the marriage. Nowadays women have more freedom. They can vote, they can run their own business, and they can marry whichever man they want to. The laws change as the people’s mind change. As they get more comfortable with the idea, they become more openRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Should Be Legal Essay1475 Words   |  6 PagesSame sex relationships relate to when a man or woman are attracted to someone of the same gender of themselves. It is being rejected as same gender marriage denies the obvious purpose between a man and a women which is procreation (Richardson-Self, 2012). Denying same sex couples the legal right to get married, could mean that they are being denied their basic human rights to enjoy human benefits (Richardson-Self, 2012). However, the opposing view is that if gay marriage was granted the legal rightsRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Should Be Legal1403 Words   |  6 PagesSame-Sex Marriage â€Å"I now pronounce you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  At some point in a person’s life, they have heard or will hear those words. What follows, however, has changed somewhat over the years; although, the commitment has remained the same. Those words historically indicate that until the death of a spouse, that couple shall remain together. Who should be able to determine whom that spouse is for that person? Some people judge others for their sexuality and how it is affecting them, but they never stop andRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Should Be Legal1144 Words   |  5 PagesGay Marriage There are many issues the revolve around same-sex marriage. Many issues like: Whether same-sex should be legalized and should there be an amendment on same-sex marriage? There are multiple side to view this, but gay marriage but in my opinion gay marriage is socially accepted. it should be legal and it does affect American teens in a broad spectrum of ways. There have been a lot of issues on whether or not same-sex marriage should be legal or not. According to Burns, â€Å" The unionRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Should Be Legal998 Words   |  4 PagesSame sex marriage ought to be legalized on the grounds that it is uncivilized and unmerited. Marriage is a commitment between two people that cherish one another. In almost every country and culture, marriage is a commitment of loyalty and love. Marriage is an authority contract gathering two individuals together, furnishing them with profits of holy matrimony such as tax cuts and clinical privileges. The debate throughout most countries today is whether or not the rights of these profits and commitmentsRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Should Be Legal1659 Words   |  7 Pages Same-sex couples can hardly remember a time where they were not fighting for their right to marriage in the United States. After several court cases, California Proposition Six, and their struggle against the Defens e of Marriage Act (DOMA), same-sex couples found their way into U.S. society. Many misguided studies appealed to those opposing same-sex marriage, but after several years of integrating in society, same-sex couples found the support they were looking for. Before the Supreme CourtRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Should Be Legal899 Words   |  4 Pages In the United States, same sex marriage became legal nationwide on June 26, 2015, when the United States Supreme Court overruled the court in favor of same sex freedom and marriage. The victory of same sex marriage came to be recognized from the Obergefell v. Hodges case which was submitted when an American Ohio man was denied and regretted to get his name on his late husband’s death certificate. Same sex marriage has been a controversial social issue in the United States for several decades. SinceRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Should Be Legal1491 Words   |  6 PagesSame sex marriage is one of the most debatable issues in the modern world. Marriage has been accepted as the social union between a man and a woman for the past thousand years. Homosexuality was viewed with scorn, and marriages among same sex couples were prohibited in most cultures across the globe. However, gay relationships are slowly obtaining acceptance, as homosexuals have come to be expressive in fighting their rights to marry in the early 90’s. As homosexuality grows in acceptance in theRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Should Be Legal892 Words   |  4 PagesLove Same sex marriage is now allowed in all states across the country. But it took years and years for this â€Å"issue† to be finally laid to rest. The first state to legalize same-sex marriage was Massachusetts in 2004. There was not a last state to legalize gay marriage. The supreme court realized how many states were now legalizing it, so they just had all of the states left legalize it as well. ProCon.org supplies information that â€Å"Twenty-six states were forced to legalize gay marriage becauseRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Should Be Legal2253 Words   |  10 Pages1776). The recognition of same-sex marriage is an issue influenced by numerous factors, and debates continue to arise over whether people in same-sex relationships have the right to marriage. Marriage provides many benefits, legally, financially, and personally. Same-sex marriage can open up those in same-sex relationships to tax benefits and financial demands comparable to those afforded to and required of peo ple in opposite-sex marriages. Same-sex marriage also gives them legal protections, such as

ISO 14001 The Impact Essay - 1721 Words

Sustainability Whether an organization is domestic or international they have social responsibilities to the communities they operate within and to the shielding of the world. Caterpillar, Inc. is one such company that puts social responsibility at the top of their priorities. They have an abundance of engineers and technologists working on solutions to improve on sustainability. According to the 2012 Sustainability Report (2012), â€Å"at Caterpillar, we always ask ourselves, ‘What do our customers need? What does the world need?’ World Resources Institute (WRI) asks those same questions about the communities it serves, and truly delivers some amazing results† (p. 19). Caterpillar’s Chairman and CEO, Doug Oberhelman is a member of the†¦show more content†¦89). The article describes in detail the challenges organizations tussle with in implementing this standard. The ISO 14001:1996 implementation process is extremely lengthy and organizational culture plays an important role. As indicated by Wallace, â€Å"an organizational culture is agreed as a distinction of the day-to-day environment as seen and felt by those who work there† (as cited by Balzarova et al., 2006, p. 90). The first organization, based in the North West of England, which the authors performed a case study on was a manufacturer of brass and steel fabricated components. In the last few years, the organization had seen a loss in their profit margin which has forced them to rethink their strategy within the market they operate in. In order to make change, they took on the philosophies of world class manufacturing and to form on highly skilled work force (Balzarova et al., 2006). At this point, upper management also believed the ISO 14001:1996 was in the need of re-implementation because the company had lost certification. Certification was lost due to inadequate pre servation and the absence of commitment (Balzarova et al., 2006). In order to be successful in the re-implementation, the organization had a detailed plan with milestones and individual responsibilities. They did obtain certification but there isShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Iso 14001 On Asian Firms5604 Words   |  23 PagesTHE IMPACT OF ISO 14001 ON ASIAN FIRMS 1, Challenging World of Business in Asia Firms in developed countries have been faced with increasing amounts of pressure to manage and evaluate the impact of their activities on environment as the impacts went well beyond local and regional levels since around the 1970s. Following the developed countries, the same concern has become increasingly obvious in Asia as most of Asian industries have been developed through the export driven style economy and thisRead MoreStrengths and the Weaknesses of Environmental Management System804 Words   |  3 Pagesconsumer’s social expectation of businesses and government set to tighten regulation have urged environmental management. Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) are strategic management tools that outline the way an organization will address its impacts on the natural environment (Feng et al. 2014, 2901). One business main activities including day-to-day operations, long-term planning as well as other quality management systems have incorporate with environmental mana gement function in an EMS (AustralianRead MoreA Brief Note On The European Union s Ems Standards Essay1904 Words   |  8 Pages(EMAS) and ISO 14000 whereby BS 7750 is referred as the first EMS that published in 1992, finalized in 1996 and as the basis for the other two standards (Cheremisinoff Haddadin, 2006). EMAS is the European Union’s EMS standard that first introduced in July 1993 with the objective of â€Å"promote a harmonious and balanced of develop economic activities by having the commitment from organization and continuously improve their environmental performance† (European Commision, March 4, 2015). Lastly, ISO 14000Read MoreEnvironmental Management Systems And Principles1473 Words   |  6 Pagesnecessary guidance for companies to reduce their impacts on the environment. Environmental Management is not only being applied by the United States (US) regions, but along all countries within the world. Within few decades, other approaches such as social res ponsibility and sustainable development have arisen. According to ISO 26000:2010 Guidance on Social Responsibility: Social responsibility is the responsibility of an organization for the impacts of its decisions and activities on society and theRead MoreImplementing Environmental Aspects Into Business Operations And Product Standards1465 Words   |  6 Pagesto incorporate environmental aspects into business operations and product standards. This series is the ISO 14000. The main goal for the ISO 14000 is to minimize harmful effects on the environment due to the activities performed by a corporation and to improve its environmental performance. Some benefits from the ISO 14000 include: 1) Cost reduction and increased efficiency aspects of the ISO standards. 2) Pollution prevention and waste reduction opportunities 3) Reduction in consumption of energyRead MoreEnergy and Environment1095 Words   |  5 PagesMarital Status: Single Passport No: G-2237865 |Field of Interest | Environnent Management, Environnent Monitoring, ISO-14001 :2008, ISO 9001 :2008, Waste Management, Environnent (PCB), AERB(DoAE) and BEE (MoP) Complaisance. CSR, |Academic Qualifications | Read MoreGranite And Construction Of Granite1405 Words   |  6 Pagesof granite in the streetscape is primarily in the form of kerbstones that act as a barrier between paving and road surfaces. Granite kerbs are selected for use because of their durability and also for their aesthetic qualities. The environmental impacts of obtaining granite are those related to quarrying and the emissions from transporting a heavy material. Granite is no longer able to be sourced from the UK in significant quantities for commercial production. Most Granite kerb suppliers importRead MoreCoca Cola Green Initiatives1032 Words   |  5 Pagescompany has changed the materials used in production. In the Philippines the company has rolled out Ultra Glass which has reduced the use of glass materials by 20%. Ultra glass was introduced in 2000 by Coca Cola, the bottle is designed to improve impact resistance, and reduce weight and cost. The materials are 40% stronger, 20% lighter and 10% less expensive than traditional bottles. The company is investing in recycling programs. Currently Coca Cola recovers approximately 36% of materials sentRead MoreThe Top Management Of Waste Management Essay1410 Words   |  6 Pagespriorities for environmental sustainability strategy. Waste management entails a responsible operation toward the environment and thus ISO certification. The ISO 14001 Environment Management System (EMS) standard is geared to the management of the immediate and long term environmental impacts of an organization’s processes, services, and products. Under the ISO 14001 framework for environmental management best practice, organizations improve their business sustainably; comply with the appropriate environmentalRead MoreIso Standards and Tqm4413 Words   |  18 PagesFOCUS ON TQM, EQM AND ISO INTRODUCTION Environment may be broadly understood to mean our surroundings. It can be divided into non-living and living components. The Environment provides resources which support life on the earth and which also help in the growth of a relationship of interchange between living organisms and the environment in which they live. ISO †¢ What? ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world s largest developer and publisher of International

Molecular Taxonomic Tools Estimates †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Molecular Taxonomic Tools Estimates. Answer: Introduction: In the prospective study, the following research question was prepared: Will vegetation decrease when there is an increase in altitude caused by a decrease in temperature? The research location chosen for the study was the Tongario Alpine Crossing environment. In order to address the research question certain measures were employed to carry out the research methodology in a satisfactory manner. Field techniques such as that of vegetation survey, topographic survey were utilized to derive suitable information in the context. The types and differences in vegetation was noted by vegetation survey as part of the environmental monitoring. The topographic survey was further aimed to identify and map the contours of the ground in addition to the knowledge regarding the features and elevations of the land (Landon, 2014). The global positioning system (GPS) in conjunction with the geographic information system (GIS) was applied as well for accurate assessment of the chosen location (Kitamura et al., 2013). The air temperature was noted in the study by virtue of employing the psychrometer device where the dry bulb temperature along with the wet bulb temperature. Information regarding the relative humidity and the ambient temperature was provided by the psychrometer set up (Callahan, 2015). Further barometric altimeter through measurement of the air pressure determined the altitude of a place that is reflected by the distance of a point above the sea level. The windmill anemometer device was used to measure the speed of the wind as well as the direction of the wind by means of the wind vane attached as part of the instrument (Debnath et al., 2016). Further, the slope aspect that related to the direction that the slope faces was determined by means of the clinometer device. The angle of tilt, elevation or depression of the place with respect to the gravity was noted as part of the observatory data (Tokuoka Hashigoe, 2015). Thus, all the data collected in course of the stu dy was collected by collective efforts with each member of the group documenting the observations pertaining to a specific parameter on a rotational basis. Collection And Recording Of Data: In the given study, primary data was collected from the site of location in the Tongario Alpine Crossing situated in New Zealand. Based on the research topic, a vast array of data was collected from the site to address the research objective in an appropriate manner. Vital information regarding the site location, time of data collection, altitude measurement, air temperature, wind speed, wind direction and slope aspect was procured by adopting definite field techniques in the context of geographical research study. Valid observations, reliable measurements alongside photographing, surveying, utilizing questionnaires, interviewing, accessing secondary resources were performed following suitable conventions to undertake the study in an effective way. Questionnaires were prepared for conducting the interview session with the local inhabitants for the purpose of retrieving adequate information regarding the local vegetation and climate. Further information pertinent to the research topic was derived from secondary sources by referring to the web based research articles that are available from relevant databases via appropriate journals. While collecting secondary sources of information, emphasis was laid upon collecting recent data and the information for the past twenty years was chosen for incorporation in the study. The literature sources that did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded from the study by means of adopting appropriate research strategy. Date Weather Conditions Site Time Altitude Temperature Wind Speed Wind Direction Slope Aspect (AM / PM) (m) (C) (km.hr-1) Western Slope (Bottom) 8:40 AM 1192.99 9 Western Slope (Middle) 10:10 AM 1570.26 8 Western Slope (Top) 11:42 AM 1648.64 8 Northern Slope 01:05 PM 1695 15 Date Weather Conditions Site Time Altitude Temperature Wind Speed Wind Direction Slope Aspect (AM / PM) (m) (C) (km.hr-1) Mountain Peak 11:40 AM 1696 8 Mountain Peak 11: 40 AM 1837 9 Presentation and analysis: The vegetation and the growth and survival of it depend heavily on the climate conditions and water availability. Studies suggest that in the higher altitudes the dropping temperature and the decreasing availability of the water and other soil nutrients rapidly decrease the vegetation diversity (Efford et al., 2014). The purpose behind the assignment had been to discover whether the decrease in temperature brought about by gradual increase in the altitude decreased the vegetation diversity significantly. In this context the temperature drop with accordance to the increase in the altitude has been discussed in the data sheet. For this assignment the western slope, northern slope and the mountain peak was selected as the subject venue for the vegetation survey. The vegetation that is generally prevalent in the Tongariro alpine crossing situated in the New Zealand area include the alpine plants, mountain beech forests and delicate flowering plants orchids, mistletoe and sundew. These plants in this area are generally are the landmark flora and have unique characteristics of adapting to the temperate zone, and are characteristics of this region. The average temperature of this region ranges from 13 to 15C and this colder climate encourages the growth of these temperate plants. In the western slopes within the altitude range of 1000 to 1500 m, where the temperature ranged from 8 to 9 C epiphytic ferns, orchids and fungi grow along with some deciduous plants. The magnificent height of these deciduous plants give them leverage for the lack of sunlight, the canopy is much higher than average to compete for the availability of sunlight (Holzman, Rivas Piccolo, 2014). As the altitude crosses the threshold of 1500 m, pauhatea trees and beech forests were found to expand a vast land, red, silver and mountain beech were prevalently found. The northern slopes however had surveyed altitudes higher than 1500 m and the temperature in 1 in the noon was 15 C which is considerably warmer than the western slope. The northern slopes had the vegetation variety of trussock shrubland and trussock grasses. The mountain peak however is stony and gravelly with very less soil content. The altitude surveyed was 1600 to 1800m and the temperature was close to 8 C, the vegetation was very scanty in the region and was highly unfavorable for any growth however plants like mountain snowberry, snow totara, bristle trussock and bluegrass (Holzman, Rivas Piccolo, 2014). Conclusion: On a concluding note, it can be said that the vegetation of the Alpine altitudes studied changed gradually with increasing altitude and decreasing temperature. For example in the western slopes within the range of 1000 to 1500 meters the vegetation was basically epiphytic ferns and orchids and deciduous plants were found. In this context the temperate deciduous plants are more adapt with dryer climate conditions. It has to be considered that with the elevation in the altitude, other substantial factors like wind flow, humidity and soil characteristics play a significant role in it. With the dryer climate deciduous and epiphytic ferns that have an annual reproductive cycle are more suitable for survival. Along with that the height of these temperate trees gives them leverage in the competition in attaining sunlight, and as the epiphytic ferns require shady colder climate with moist soil, they grow abundantly in the western slopes (Liu, Liu Shao, 2014). In the northern slopes the altitude surveyed was up to and beyond 1500 meters with the temperature much warmer at 13 to 15 C, where the prevalence of beech forests and trussock shrubs were found. In the comparatively warmer temperatures these pants are more prone to grow. Shrubs and grasses grow more effectively in milder temperatures and are found to be dominating the slightly warmer northern slope. In case of mountain peak however we could find a sudden drop to the temperature for the significant increase in the temperature. In the altitude of more up to and beyond 1800 the temperature of lower than 8 C, the vegetation was found to be very scanty. A contributing factor to this can be the dominance of stony and gravelly soil there is very less chances of plants growing. However the snow covered surface will prevent the growth of usual temperate flora further, hence the growth of mountain snowberry and snow totara was found as they can thrive in such colder and adverse conditions (Or han, Ekercin Celik, 2014). From the data collected it is clear that the vegetation decreased with the change in temperature and the diversity of the vegetation changed as well with the increasing altitude and growingly colder and dryer climate. Hence the research question was found to be true that the vegetation decreases with increasing temperature and declining temperature plays a profound role in it but oter confounding actors such as humidity, air and soil chemistry also are important factors (Pauli, Gottfried Grabherr, 2014). Geographic ideas: The two geographic ideas that has been opted out for the assignment are distance and location. In this assignment the exploratory research study has been on the decrasing vegetation in accordance with the increasing altitude and resultant decrease in temperature. It has to be understood that the distance that is relevant to this topic is the distance from sea level, otherwise known as altitude. Altitude has a profound effect on the change in growth patterns of not only the flora but also the habitation of the fauna (Shen et al., 2014). As the distance from the sea level increases the climate condition as a whole continues to change, where in sea level the plants are neumatophoric and water dwelling in the plains the vegetation is diverse with the availability of all kinds of angiosperms. With more increase in the distance from sea level, the vegetation changes from angiosperms to gymnosperms, fungi, bryophytes and algae (Szczypta et al., 2015). As the distance from sea level approach the peak, vegetation gradually decreases with availability of certain cold favoring ferns and bryophytes that can survive in dryer and colder climates, this change in diversity has been highlighted in the assignment. The second idea opted out has been location which also has an impact on the vegetation diversity of a region. For example in the tropical regions the vegetation is more dominated by the members of Palmae family and heat loving angiosperms, whereas in the temperate regions the vegetation is dominated by epiphytic ferns, deciduous and cone shaped gymnosperms, mosses an bryophytes. In this case the assignment focused on the alpine temperate location where the climate is colder and moist in most cases and dry in extremely higher altitudes. The vegetation in alpine regions are dominated by deciduous gymnosperms with magnificent height, epiphytic annual ferns, beeches, shrubs and snowberries (Thompson Newmaster, 2014). The change and gradual decrease in the vegetation unique of temperate regions has been excellently depicted I the assignment. Evaluation: On a concluding note it can be said that the data collected has been adequate for deriving the conclusion. The data that has been collected could provide valuable details of the altitude and the temperature drop according to it and how both factors played a crucial role in the changing diversity in the vegetation that the area exhibited. It has to be understood that the data could clearly depict the vegetation decreasing substantially and the becoming conspicuously scanty in the mountain pea where the altitude is the highest and temperature the lowest. However, different studies have pointed out at the role of other confounding factors like wind, water availability, humidity and soil chemistry on the flora diversity of a particular altitude. This information could not be collected in the assignment due to some restrictions and hence these information could not be analyzed. The research project was planned properly using tools such as global positioning system and topographic survey technique has been utilized to scan the vegetation. The data collection tools such as survey tools, vegetation survey technique and topographic measurement tool gave an accurate results about the vegetation of the selected altitudes. It can be concluded that the data recording and analysis techniques were successful however the air pressure, wind flow, humidity and water availability has been neglected which is the only limitation of the study, the rest of the study was absolutely valid and genuine (Williamson, 2015). References: Bangen, S. G., Wheaton, J. M., Bouwes, N., Bouwes, B., Jordan, C. (2014). A methodological intercomparison of topographic survey techniques for characterizing wadeable streams and rivers.Geomorphology,206, 343-361. Callahan, C. W. (2015).U.S. Patent Application No. 14/841,515. De Keersmaecker, W., Lhermitte, S., Tits, L., Honnay, O., Coppin, P., Somers, B. (2015). Quantifying vegetation resistance and resilience against climate anomalies and their relation with vegetation cover. Debnath, S. B. C., Barua, B., Karim, R., Faisal, M. U. (2016). Design implementation of an efficient windmill anemometer for wind speed measurement using microcontroller. InElectrical Engineering and Information Communication Technology (ICEEICT), 2016 3rd International Conference on(pp. 1-5). IEEE. Efford, J. T., Bylsma, R. J., Clarkson, B. D., Pittari, A., Mauriohooho, K., Moon, V. G. (2014). Vegetation dieback as a proxy for temperature within a wet pyroclastic density current: A novel experiment and observations from the 6th of August 2012 Tongariro eruption.Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research,286, 367-372. Garcs-Pastor, S., Caellas-Bolt, N., Clavaguera, A., Calero, M. A., Vegas-Vilarrbia, T. (2017). Vegetation shifts, human impact and peat bog development in Bassa Nera pond (Central Pyrenees) during the last millennium.The Holocene,27(4), 553-565. Holzman, M. E., Rivas, R., Piccolo, M. C. (2014). Estimating soil moisture and the relationship with crop yield using surface temperature and vegetation index.International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation,28, 181-192. Kitamura, A., Fujiwara, K., Yoshikawa, H., Gomi, K. (2013). Development of utility for on-site recording of dose rate and program for data accumulation, mapping and management using GPS and GIS (DRaMM-GiGs).Genshiryoku Bakkuendo Kenkyu,20(1), 15-19. Landon, J. R. (2014).Booker tropical soil manual: a handbook for soil survey and agricultural land evaluation in the tropics and subtropics. Routledge. Liu, Z. J., Liu, J. Y., Shao, Q. Q. (2014). Optimum temperature of vegetation growth for various land cover types in China.Journal of Geo-information Science,16(1), 1-7. Orhan, O., Ekercin, S., Celik, F. (2014). Use of Landsat Land Surface Temperature and Vegetation Indices for Monitoring Drought in the Salt Lake Basin Area.Turkey. Th. Scien World Jour,1, 1-11. Pauli, H., Gottfried, M., Grabherr, G. (2014). Effects of climate change on the alpine and nival vegetation of the Alps.Journal of mountain ecology,7. Shen, M., Zhang, G., Cong, N., Wang, S., Kong, W., Piao, S. (2014). Increasing altitudinal gradient of spring vegetation phenology during the last decade on the QinghaiTibetan Plateau.Agricultural and Forest Meteorology,189, 71-80. Szczypta, C., Gascoin, S., Houet, T., Hagolle, O., Dejoux, J. F., Vigneau, C., Fanise, P. (2015). Impact of climate and land cover changes on snow cover in a small Pyrenean catchment.Journal of Hydrology,521, 84-99. Thompson, K. A., Newmaster, S. G. (2014). Molecular taxonomic tools provide more accurate estimates of species richness at less cost than traditional morphology-based taxonomic practices in a vegetation survey.Biodiversity and conservation,23(6), 1411-1424. Tokuoka, Y., Hashigoe, K. (2015). Effects of stone-walled terracing and historical forest disturbances on revegetation processes after the abandonment of mountain slope uses on the Yura Peninsula, southwestern Japan.Journal of forest research,20(1), 24-34. Williamson, S. N. (2015).Elevation dependent landscape processes in rapidly warming sub-Arctic mountains: influences of snow, temperature and vegetation(Doctoral dissertation, University of Alberta).

Titanic Essay- the techniques used by James Cameron Essay Example

Titanic Essay- the techniques used by James Cameron Paper For this film to be a success, James Cameron, the director had to modernise it. He had to include all the aspects of a hit film, along with the attraction towards a wide audience. This he achieved by incorporating the well-known story of the unsinkable ship with the new and hottest stars. In theory the older generation was intrigued to see how Cameron interpreted the story, and the younger generation wanted to see the latest actors. The directors objective was to produce a film, based on the true story that would appeal to all age groups, particularly the younger generation. So Cameron used Leonardo DiCaprio to play the role of Jack, a young American living life as it comes making his own luck. He chose Leo to play this part because he was the latest heartthrob of teenaged girls across the nations and would there fore attract a vast majority of the targeted audience, for the male population, Kate Winslet the girl next door was cast as the young, fresh and rich Rose. The combination of the two up and coming stars was a sure hit teamed with the theme of love. Strength and skills they had acquired during previous roles made the actors work well together to produce a convincing and moving relationship. However the story needed to keep the realism of the true event which took place in 1912 yet have enough action, excitement and romance to keep the target audience interested for the record three and a half hour film. The director achieved this by using many different techniques of lighting, sound effects and camera angles. We will write a custom essay sample on Titanic Essay- the techniques used by James Cameron specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Titanic Essay- the techniques used by James Cameron specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Titanic Essay- the techniques used by James Cameron specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer By using many dramatic camera angles it is possible to involve the viewer in the scene as opposed to watching the film from a cinematic perspective. You are instantly drawn in to the scenery with the technique of panning. This is a wide shot of the scene, which slowly moves on a fixed point to allow the viewer to see the full atmosphere and action occurring around that point. Using different camera angles helps to create the affect of where the actor/ actress is. For example, to establish the background behind a character, a long shot is appropriate. This was used in such a scene as the opening view of the ship, because Cameron wanted to convey the true size of the masterpiece. However to get the most dramatic effect of action, a wide angle shot would work better because this will focus on the characters, and the mood of their surroundings. This was used when Jack is seen playing cards in the bar on the dockhands, with titanic visible through the window. Denotation and Conotation were also used to show the symbolism of the images, and what they suggest. The way in which Cameron managed to persuade the audience that they were within the scene, added emotion and realism to the production, concentrating on a particular subject at each time as not to lose the attention of the viewers. The use of romantic, slow calming music allowed the viewer to unknowingly become emotionally involved in the scenes. This, combined with the techniques used on the camera angles and the stunning computer graphics, made the whole film come together. Cameron kept an element of truth in the story by using Rose who was a real survivor from the sinking ship, but put the fire in to it by introducing a fictional character her lover, Jack. The shots and camera angles used presented a good example of denotation, conotation, wide angle and long shots. A long shot was used when Rose is in immense confusion about her life and decides to try and end it by jumping off the back of the ship one evening. The camera shot used to open this scene was a wide shot of Rose running away from the banquet at which she had been in an argument with her fianci. To show the full size of the ship Cameron used a panning wide angle shot. This is most effective because as the shot zooms in to where rose is situated on the half a mile long boat, you begin to grasp the vast size of the vessel in comparison with the tiny figure. As we follow Rose running from the middle of the ship, up and down stairs until she reaches the bow, and comes to an abrupt halt against railings, here a close up view of her is used to show how upset and out of breath she is which relates her to the audience because we understand her pain, emotionally and physically. As Rose decides what to do, we see through her perspective as she looks at the railings on the bow of the ship. Slow sad Irish music plays softly in the background, adding real empathy to her character. When Rose is hanging off the back of the ship, a close shot is again used from the perspective of Rose looking up at jacks face. This is used to show the strength and effort that Jack is putting into pulling Rose over the edge on to the safety of the decks. A similar camera angle is used from Jacks perspective, this time to show the fear and anguish in Roses face and the ferocious, churning and freezing water below her kicking legs. The traditional method of using foreground, middle ground and background to fool the viewer into believing an object is larger than it actually is, was used throughout the film along with the horizontal, wide screens and vertical shots to create atmosphere. Perhaps the most atmospheric device Cameron used was the music and sound effects, without which the film would not seem as intense, action packed or emotional. He used a wide variety of Irish and country music typical of the era in which the film is set to portray the large number of Irish passengers travelling in third class to America, to seek a better life there. Cameron wanted to show how strong this community was by convincing the audience that no matter how poor the conditions were on the third class decks, it was still possible to have fun. He did this by showing a scene in which Rose (a first class passenger) goes below decks to a third class passenger party as guest of Jack. She soon finds that there is no need for money to enjoy them self as the roar of the Irish jig and the lively atmosphere sweeps her into the mass of dancing bodies. The theme of the music is continued throughout the film but the tempo, style or rhythm is changed. Celine Dion had the hit single My heart will go on is famous for the scene in which Jack and Rose are standing on the front of the ship; Jack behind Rose holding out her arms to make her feel like she is flying. This signifying the bonding between the two lovers and their trust. The costumes also contributed towards the meaning of the film as they reflected class division in the era in which the disaster of Titanic took place. There was a pronounced division between first class and third class passengers. Therefore the difference between the main characters was very obvious Jack was third class and Rose was first class. The costumes were accurately researched for the wealthy people of that period. For example, the first class wore colourful bright and clean clothes, which were changed each day. They had such luxuries, as smart dresses, suits and maids to dress them, whereas the third class did not even own the soap to wash with and dressed in dirty drab torn clothes. The comparison between the two is very prominent when Rose joins the third class party below decks as she is in clean, clothing and the other passengers are in dark, melancholy colours. This would suggest Rose is better off than they are and perhaps brought up better, but this is proven not to be so when she joins the lads in a beer and proves she is not just an upper classed snob. James Cameron showed the differences between the classes continuously throughout the film from the opening scene of Jack and a friend gambling for their ticket on the ship compared to Rose arriving by motor car, well dressed with servants to carry every thing for her. Once on board the ship is divided in to different sections for the classes, third not allowed to enter 1st class areas. This is shown when a porter is walking a dog belonging to a first class passenger, and he takes it to the third class decks to let it go to the toilet. An Irish friend of Jacks makes the comment that it is typical that they get treated like that. Perhaps the worst comparison made between the classes is when the ship has hit the ice burg and is rapidly sinking. The lower decks are flooding and the third class passengers are locked down there to stop them from getting in the life boats before the first class passengers have got in. This is a sad prospect that humans could do that to one another. This is now open to debate by historians as to weather it really happened that way. Again Cameron used the key elements of a film angles, lighting and sound to make the sinking of the ship as realistic and horrific as possible. The viewer does not gain an idea of how huge the ship is until a long shot is used as the ship is going down. As all the life boats row away and people jump in to the water u can really see the true size of Titanic-the unsinkable ship of dreams. Cameron managed to link the lighting to the beats and thrills of the music building a climax and sense of fear and evasion. The cool lighting used in the scenes after the tragedy created a sad blue and cold atmosphere, which follows on to Rose, as an old lady, revisiting the memories. This created a stark contrast to her dream that night of revisiting the ship of dreams as a warm friendly glow is created with soft angelic lighting. The theme tune is slowed down and Rose appears, surrounded by her friends family and loved ones. A panning shot curves round the room in which she and Jack first met to reveal the smiling applauding faces. Soft lighting combined with the music symbolises happiness and purity suggesting that Rose, as an old lady fell asleep and died in her dreams that night, a happy contented woman, having returned the heart of the ocean.

Teaching English to Absolute and False Beginners

Teaching English to Absolute and False Beginners Most ESL / EFL teachers agree that there are two types of beginning students: Absolute Beginners and False Beginners. If you are teaching in the USA, Canada, Australia, a European country or Japan, chances are that most beginners you teach will be false beginners. Teaching false beginners and absolute beginners require different approaches. Here is what to expect from false and absolute beginners: False Beginners Beginners that have already studied some English at some point in their life. Most of these learners have studied English at school, many for a number of years. These learners have usually had some contact with English since their schools years, but feel that they have little command of the language and therefore want to begin from the top. Teachers can usually assume that these students will understand basic conversations and questions such as: Are you married?, Where are you from?, Do you speak English?, and so on. Often these learners will be familiar with grammar concepts and teachers can launch into descriptions of sentence structure and have students follow along reasonably well. Absolute Beginners These are learners who have had no contact with English at all. They often come from developing nations and often have had very little education. These students are often more challenging to teach as the teacher cannot expect learners to understand even a minimal amount of English. The question,How are you?, will not be understood and the teacher must begin at the very beginning, usually with no common language with which to explain the basics. When teaching Absolute Beginners there are a number of things to keep in mind: Absolute Beginners have had no contact with EnglishWhen teaching someone who has had no prior (or very little) contact with the language, you need to carefully choose what you present. Here is an example of the type of thinking that needs to go into  planning a lesson:If I begin the first lesson with, Hi, my name is Ken. What is your name?, I am presenting three  (!)  concepts at once:The verb bePossessive pronouns  my and yourSubject and verb inversion in the question formIt would be much better (and more comprehensible) to the students if I began the lesson with, Hi, I am Ken. and then gesture to the student to repeat a similar phrase. In this way, the student can repeat by rote and begin with something easy which can then lead to something like: Hi, I am Ken. Are you Ken? - No, I am Elmo. By limiting the linguistic concepts absolute beginners can more easily assimilate the pieces.Do not assume familiarity with linguistic conceptsThis is rather  obvious  but often ignor ed by many teachers. If you write a grammar chart - even a simple one - on the board, you are assuming that students are familiar with grammar charts. Students may not have had the type of education that involves charts and representations. By keeping things aural and visual (gestures, pictures, etc.) you will be appealing to learning styles that students are sure to have acquired in everyday life. Use exaggerated visual gesturesUsing gestures such as pointing to yourself and saying, I am Ken, and then pointing to the student to repeat helps students understand what you want of them, without confusing them by more language such as; Now, repeat. Develop specific gestures as codes for certain linguistic operations. For example, to illustrate the idea of inversion in the question form you can extend your two arms and say, My name is Ken and then cross your arms and ask, Is your name  Ken?, this gesture can then be repeated as linguistic skills become more advanced and the students will understand that a question needs to be asked. For example, I live in New York and then cross your arms and ask, Where do you live. When a student makes a mistake asking a question, you can then cross your arms and the student will understand that  he / she  needs to invert in order to ask a question.Try to pick up a few phrases of the learners native tongueThis is purely a psychological trick. Learners - especially adult learners - who are learning English with no prior experience are not only undergoing a difficult learning experience. In many cases, they are also learning how to learn a language. If you put yourself on the line by expressing the desire to learn a few phrases of your students native language, you can go a long way towards building a rapport with students which will help them feel more at ease in class. When teaching False Beginners you can be a bit more adventurous in your approach to teaching. Here are some things that you can count on - and some points to watch out for: Make Allowances for the Different Levels of Your Class False beginners will all have had some English training at some point in the past and this can cause some special problems. Some learners will really know more than they admit and, with the passing of time, might become bored with some of the basics.Different levels can quickly create tensions between learners, as those who know more can become impatient with others who require more time.Some learners might be false beginners because of inherent learning problems. Some Solutions Give more  advanced learners  more difficult tasks.  - For example, when asking questions of students ask the more advanced learners questions beginning with Why which will require a more advanced response.Give more advanced learners extra work in class and at home.  - By having a few extra tasks at hand you can bridge the gap that is often created when those who are faster finish earlier.If more advanced false beginners become impatient dont hesitate to ask them something that is over their head.  - This might be a little harsh, but will work wonders!Remember that things will eventually even out after the first few weeks.  - Usually, false beginners are there because they really do need to review from the very beginning. This implies that sooner or later all of the learners will be learning something that is truly new for them and problems with impatience will quickly disappear.If a learner is a false beginner because of learning problems, you will need to consider diffe rent learning styles  - People learn in different ways. If grammar explanations, etc. are not helping a particular learner, you can help that learner with visual, audio and other methods appropriate for different learning styles. For more information on different learning styles take a look at this feature. Some Helpful Assumptions About Your Students Your students will have  basic  familiarity with linguistic concepts.  - False beginners have all studied English at school and will  therefore  find things like conjugation charts and timelines useful.Standard themes will probably be familiar.  - Most false beginners are comfortable with basic conversations such as: ordering food in a restaurant, introducing themselves, talking about their immediate family, etc. This will give you a good starting point on which to build when beginning your course and getting to know your students. Absolute Beginner Exercises - 20 Point Program These exercises are meant to be taught in order to progressively build skills that  ESL students  will need to communicate the basic necessities of everyday life in an English speaking environment.

Sample Common Application Essay Option 5 with Critique

Sample Common Application Essay Option 5 with Critique Jill writes about a person who had a significant influence on her. Her response works well for the 2018-19 Common Application essay option #5: Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. As you read the essay, note how it is about much more than the woman who influenced Jill. Jill uses her interactions with a strong-willed and difficult woman to reveal to the admissions folks an important moment in her own personal growth. Sample Common Application Essay Buck Up  by Jill Susan Lewis is a woman that very few people would consider a role model for anything. A fifty-something high-school dropout, she has little more to her name than a beat-up truck, a Jack Russell Terrier and a ragtag herd of aging and/or neurotic horses with which shes run a largely unsuccessful riding lesson program for twenty years with no business plan to speak of and little hope of ever turning a profit. She curses like a sailor, is perpetually un-punctual, and has an erratic and often terrifying temper. Ive taken weekly riding lessons with Sue since middle school, often against my own better judgment. Because for all her seemingly unredeemable qualities, she inspires me - not necessarily as a person Id strive to emulate, but simply for her unwavering perseverance. In the five years Ive known her, Ive never once seen her give up on anything. She would sooner go hungry (and sometimes does) than give up on her horses and her business. She sticks to her guns on every issue, from political views to hay prices to her (frankly terrible) business model. Sue has never once given up on herself or her horses or her business, and she never gives up on her students. My dad lost his job not long after I started high school, and horseback riding quickly became a luxury we couldnt afford. So I called Sue to tell her that I wouldnt be riding for a while, at least until my father was back on his feet. I hadnt expected an outpouring of sympathy (Sue, as you may have guessed, isnt an overwhelmingly sympathetic person), but I certainly wasnt expecting her to yell at me, either. Which was exactly what happened. She told me in no uncertain terms that I was ridiculous for thinking that money should stop me from doing something I loved, and she would see me bright and early Saturday morning regardless, and if she had to drive me to the barn herself that she would, and Id better be wearing a good pair of boots because Id be working off my lessons until further notice. Her refusal to give up on me said more than I could ever put into words. It would have been easy for her to just let me leave. But Sue was never a person to take the easy way out, and she showed me how to do the same. I worked harder in Sues barn that year than Id ever worked before, earning every minute of my riding time, and Id never felt more proud of myself. In her own stubborn way, Sue had shared with me an invaluable lesson in perseverance. She may not be much of a role model in any other respect, but Susan Lewis does not give up, and I strive every day to live by her example. Analysis and Critique of Jill's Common Application Essay What can you learn from how this essay was written? The essay is interesting and written in an engaging style, but how well does this work for the purpose of the Common Application essay? The Essays Title The title is the first thing a reader sees. A  good title  can immediately pique your readers curiosity and grab his or her attention. The title frames and focuses the words that follow. A missing title is a lost opportunity, and a weak title is an immediate handicap. Unfortunately, coming up with a good title can be  remarkably  difficult. Jills title Buck Up is good in that it plays with the word buck. On the one hand, the essay is about horses. On the other, it is using the phrase buck up to mean showing some courage or backbone. This kind of playfulness can work well in a title. Buck Up, however, does have some shortcomings. Namely, it isnt entirely clear to the reader what the essay will be about. The admissions folks may end up appreciating the title, but only after they read the essay. A title that makes sense only in retrospect obviously isnt doing the best job preparing the reader for the essay. The Essays Focus By focusing on Susan Lewis, someone who in many ways isnt even likable, the essay isnt typical, and it shows that the author can recognize the positive in a person who has a lot of negatives going for her. The college admission reader will be impressed that the author has shown she is a creative and open-minded thinker. The essay fully explains the influence Susan Lewis has on the author, leading her to appreciate hard work and perseverance. This was an important step into adulthood for the author. Also, think about the broader implications of the essay. If a teenager is able to recognize the positive qualities of someone as unlikable as Susan Lewis, that student is also likely to do well in a residential college where different personalities are thrown together in close quarters. The Essays Tone Striking the right tone can be a big challenge in a college application essay. When writing about someone who is rather unlikable, it would be easy to come across as mocking or condescending. The essay points out many of Susan Lewiss shortcomings, but it keeps a light an playful tone. The result is that the author comes across as loving and appreciative, not deprecating. However, it takes a skillful writer to provide just the right balance of levity and seriousness. This is a danger zone, and you will need to ensure you dont fall into a negative tone. The Quality of the Writing Buck Up is not a perfect essay, but the flaws are few. Try to avoid clichà © or tired phrases such as sticks to her guns and back on his feet. There are also a few minor grammatical mistakes. Jill does well when it comes to the essays style. The narrative has a pleasing variety of sentence types ranging from short and punchy to long and complex. The language is playful and engaging, and Jill has done an admirable job painting a rich portrait of Susan Lewis in a few short paragraphs. Every sentence and paragraph  adds important details to the essay, and the reader never gets the sense that Jill is wasting space with a bunch of unnecessary fluff. This is important: with the 650-word limit on Common Application essays, theres no room for wasted words. At 478 words, Jill is safely within the length limit. The most admirable thing about the writing here is that Jills personality comes through. We get a sense of her humor, her power of observation, and her generosity of spirit. A lot of applicants feel like they need to brag about their accomplishments in their application essay, yet Jill shows how those accomplishments can be conveyed in a pleasingly understated way. Why Colleges Ask Applicants to Write Essays Its always important to keep in mind why colleges ask applicants to write essays. On a simple level, they want to make sure you can write well, something that Jill has demonstrated effectively with Buck Up. But more significantly, the admissions folks are indicating that they have holistic admissions and they want to get to know the students they are considering for admission. Test scores and grades dont tell a college what type of person you are, other than one who works hard and tests well. Whats your personality like? What do you truly care about? How do you communicate your ideas to others? And the big one: Are you the type of person we want to invite to become part of our campus community? The personal essay (along with the  interview  and  letters or recommendation) is one of the few pieces of the application that helps the admissions folks get to know the person behind the grades and test scores. Jills essay, whether deliberately or not, answers these questions in ways that work in her favor. She shows that she is observant, caring, and funny. She demonstrates self-awareness as she narrates the ways in which she has grown as a person. She shows that she is generous and finds positive qualities in people who have a lot of negatives. And she reveals that she gets pleasure out of overcoming challenges and working hard to achieve her goals. In short, she comes across as the type of person who would enrich a campus community.

Violence in the Media Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Violence in the Media - Term Paper Example This paper shall specifically discuss the thesis that the media is responsible for societal increase in violence. This thesis shall be discussed based on strong philosophical argumentation. A sympathetic consideration of both sides of the argument shall be presented with arguments towards one conclusion established. An identification of the ethical issues at hand shall also be considered. Body Violence in the media is apparent with the coverage of different violent events happening around the globe. The media holds a significant amount of responsibility in terms of its content and the impact of its content on their audience. The narrow cultural imaginings which may directly impact on the beliefs of those involved in political violence is very much ingrained in the wider cultural milieu where the media is an important, as well as an overwhelming part. And in these instances political violence is a kind of violence worthy of consideration (Held, p. 132). In instances when the media sup ports a culture of violence, this may also lead to a promotion of political violence, and all violent activities that coincide with it. Reports provide support for the argument that media in the US does promote a culture of violence (Held, p. 133). Held (p. 133) declares that there is a significant relationship between violence in the media, however attempts to blame the media for such violent acts are tantamount to efforts towards diverting attention and responsibility from the actual causes of violence. Those who are not predisposed to admitting the social issues of society find the media an easier excuse or target. However, Held (p. 134) believes that this would not change the fact that the media are partly to blame for the increased incidents and social injustice in the US. Even as the media refuses to own up to their responsibility in the outbreak of violence, their impact on the viewing public remains persistent. The media decides what sort of descriptions to give to violent a cts. A pertinent issue for the media is that the way they describe or label the violent activities is sometimes sensationalized or ‘tabloidized, ’making the violence seem grand or heroic. The media also often portrays sympathetic attitudes towards rebels or freedom fighters, and later such attitudes sends the wrong message to the people, making them think that it is acceptable to violently seek a redress for their grievances. In some ways, there is often a thin line between sympathy for these freedom fighters and sympathy for terrorists. Moreover, even the label ‘freedom fighters’ may be a problematic term because they make these people seem noble and heroic, where in fact, to their victims and to the governments they plague, there are nothing more than terrorists. The issue of terrorism or retaliation is also a major consideration in this case because some acts may again be labeled different by the media, and their labels can serve as basis for the peopleà ¢â‚¬â„¢s actions. The media deciding whether a certain act is terrorism or retaliation is filled with bias. However, responsibility for these labels and these acts cannot be avoided in the face of the actual negative influence that they potentially bring to the vulnerable population (Held, p. 134).

How to Increase the market share in organic product market A Case Essay

How to Increase the market share in organic product market A Case Study of PARKnSHOP in Hong Kong - Essay Example To get a feel of what marketing strategies would work for PARKnSHOP, 300 regular shoppers are surveyed at 30 of the 40 superstores controlled by PARKnSHOP all over Hong Kong. Simple analytic tools are employed to analyze their responses. And appropriate recommendations for marketing strategies are provided, based on the findings from the survey. Established in 1973, PARKnSHOP is Hong Kong’s leading supermarket chain. With its perpetual commitment to innovation, quality, service and value, PARKnSHOP is well regarded in the industry and broader community through many quality awards. PARKnSHOP started its first superstore in 1996 and giving customers a modern one-stop stopping solution. The store sells over 20,000 product categories ranging from snacks to electronics household appliances. PARKnSHOP is also linked with three other supermarkets by the names of GREAT, TSTE and GOURMET. These three high-end supermarkets cater mostly to the expatriates and more affluent clientele in Hong Kong. These stores also sell a wide variety of organic products as in some Agri-foods like instant and canned soup and noodles; plain noodles and dried pasta; processed food and seafood products; ready-made meals and drinks (PARKnSHOP, 2010). However, as the number of customers that go for ready-made organic food increases, many superstores are jostling to control a larger share of the organic product market. This study investigates the appropriate steps PARKnSHOP management should take in arriving at a good conclusion about the most effective marketing strategies to adopt in capturing a greater share of the dynamic market for organic products. As a former colony and a trading outpost of the British Empire, Hong Kong has developed itself into a formidable economic wonder, turning into a global financial center where most financial institutions, banks, credit facilities and others have decided to establish their branches (Schenk, 2001).

A Spectrum Through Time Essay Example for Free

A Spectrum Through Time Essay Museum of the Moving Image is the countrys only museum dedicated to the art, history, technique, and technology of the moving image in all its forms. It is one-of-a-kind destination for audiences of all ages and interests, from connoisseurs of classic cinema to children and families to avid gamers. The Museum is located the state of New York in Astoria Queens and has a collection of approximately 130,000 artifacts relating to the art, history and technology of the moving image. The collection is the largest and most extensive in the United States, and is considered one of the most important collections of its kind in the world. Soon as one steps into the building the whiteness of the interior decor makes us wonder what is behind the walls. The museum embracing a wide range of subjects, including artifacts from all stages of film creation from nineteenth century optical toys to the latest in digital art and explores every phase of the production, promotion, and exhibition of moving images. Artifacts include costumes, fan magazines, games, design materials, licensed merchandise, and technical apparatus, still photographs, marketing materials for all kinds, video and computer games, and movie furnishings. It offers an engaging, highly interactive core exhibition, discussions with leading figures in film and television, programs of contemporary and classic films from around the world, a unique collection, stimulating changing exhibitions, inspiring educational programs for learners of all ages, and groundbreaking online projects. After everyone arrived of our ENG101 class, we got divided into small groups. My group started its 90 minutes tour on the third floor where we visited the primitive projectors and experienced the process of creating a moving image. Viktor, who was guiding our group, explained that any moving image is just an illusion. To create a moving image we need two preconditions. We must have speed and a split second of rest which is a moment of rest is given to the eye. Viktor also pointed out that the moment of rest could be achieved in several different ways. The first three we had looked at was the Phenakistoscope, Praxinoscope and the Thaumatrope. Viktor demonstrated all three methods which was fascinating. These popular devices were inspired in the nineteenth century by Peter Mark Roget’s theory of visual persistence, which held that our eyes retain an image for a fraction of a second, ermitting a series of still images to become â€Å"fused† as a moving image. Another way to break down movements into a series of still pictures is a so called â€Å"video flipbook†. A flipbook is the simplest way of making a sequence of still pictures appears to move. The intervals of darkness necessary for the illusion of motion are provided by the turn, or flip of each page. The nineteenth-century photographic experiments of Eadweard Muybridge and Etienne-Jules Marey broke down the movements of animals into a series of still pictures. When displayed in rapid succession, these pictures appear to be moving, recreating the original motion that the images document. Moving further in the exhibition, we looked at Brooklyn-based artist Gregory Barsamian’s kinetic sculptures animate three-dimensional objects in real time. He called it †Feral Fount† which is a physical representation of a dream he had in which drops of water from his kitchen faucet transformed into a bomb, and then a paper airplane before crashing into his dishpan. The artwork is a stroboscopic zoetrope made up of series of ninety-seven small sculptures, each slightly different from the preceding one. These sculptures function in the same way as the individual drawings in the frames of an animated film. The sculptures are mounted on a rotating armature. A strobe light flashes thirteen times per second, illuminating the sculptures. Because there are intervals of darkness between the flashes, we do not see a blur as the sculptures spin by, but perceive a â€Å"moving image†. The illusion of motion is convincing, although the flash rate of thirteen per second is slow enough for the eye to detect some flicker. Thirteen â€Å"frames† per second is just at the boundary between where we can and cannot detect individual images. There were so many more mind absorbing artifacts like the Three-Strip Technicolor Camera and Special Effects just to name a few. After Viktor described how all of these cameras worked in the past and how special effects were utilized even in today movies we continued our little tour to the second floor. We spent half as much time on the second floor, but none the less it was all so engaging as well. Gaining insight to all the subjects the movie makers implement to make a final project is quite fascinating. Visiting the Museum of Moving Image helped us understand what it takes to make a movie from start to finish, and comprehend the difficulties of every aspect of the movie and throughout its process. To view it all on a â€Å"canvas† white walls, truly makes the Moving Image Museum a spectrum through time.

Parole Should Be Abolished Essays -- Argumentative Persuasive Crime Es

Parole Should Be Abolished The procedure known as â€Å"parole† in the criminal justice system has been in practice in the United States since the late 1800’s when it was begun in a reformatory in Elmira, New York. It’s process provides for early conditional release from prison for convicted felons, after part of their prison sentence has been served, and they are found to be eligible for parole based on factors such as: conduct while incarcerated, rehabilitative efforts/progress, type of offense, and remorse for their crime. Its use has been expanded to many states, and today has become the primary way by which offenders are released from prisons and correctional institutions. Unfortunately, parole is not always rewarded to worthy inmates, thus putting society at risk for repeated crimes that often outweigh the benefits of parole, therefore, parole should be abolished and inmates should be made to complete their full sentences. Prison inmates are usually sentenced by the severity of their crimes, as well as their mental intention at the time of the act. For example: a person who commits murder intentionally expects to take the life of another in reckless disregard for human life, and knows that the act itself which he or she has decided to commit, will surely bring about death. However, in the case of manslaughter, which is also the taking of a human life, there is no actual intention to bring about death. The act that lead to someone’s death, is measured by the circumstances that made the person kill such as self-defense, or a crime of passion because the killer was provoked in such a way that a chain of events lead to violence which eventually resulted in peril. Because of the difference in how these crimes are carried out, inmates are sentenced differently; some are sentenced to life in prison, and others are sentenced to several years and will be eligible for parole after serving part of their sentence. In lieu of inmates completing their full sentences, parole tries to achieve releasing inmates early based on the idea that the inmate has been sufficiently punished, and should be given the opportunity to become a law abiding citizen, capable of functioning in our society with adequate supervision. Although parole attempts to carefully screen inmates prior to granting early release, their decisions often do not merit wise choices. As a social worker, I e... ...niors who brought us into this generation. We deserve to be protected as much as any other human race. Our tax dollars spent on housing inmates are a lot cheaper for us to pay when one considers the cost of irreparable pain and suffering, of a victim who falls prey to a parolee who had no intention of reversing his or her former lifestyle and recommitted their life to crime. One cannot put a price tag on scarred lives. It would be worth every penny to keep these criminals behind bars until they have completed their full sentences, if it meant even saving one innocent life, or sparing someone an unforgettable damaging experience. In conclusion, parole serves to benefit the inmate who is seeking his or her freedom, while society seldomly benefits from progress or efforts implemented by parolees in the community. We must understand that parole is a privilege, not a right. We must take into consideration that if almost half of the population that is released on parole returns to pris on; parole is not working and should be abolished. Law abiding citizens have earned their right to freedom, and criminals have earned their right to confinement, and should remain that way, as sentenced.

Patient Profile

Mrs Mary Martins is an eight four year old lady who was admitted to a local community hospital after falling at home while going to the toilet in the early hours of the morning. Mrs Martins had sustained a chipped bone in her left foot, had no plaster cast in situ and was non weight bearing. Mrs Martins lives alone in her own bungalow; her husband had died 4 years earlier. She has a son and daughter who both live in the south of England and a granddaughter who lives close by. The granddaughter pops in every week to help her with the shopping and various other tasks that may need doing. She also has a very good neighbour who she sees every day and who helps out whenever needed with tasks such as shopping. Mrs Martins has been retired for a number of years now and enjoys driving her car very much and socialising with friends. She also used to play golf and travel to the United States of America (USA) every year to visit family. Mrs Martins main concern was her ability to drive her car again. Mrs Martins has never smoked, but does like to have the odd alcoholic drink of a night time. She has no past medical conditions and no medication history, although the doctor has put her on 1g of paracetamol to be taken four times a day or as and when required to help with the pain. Before the fall Mrs Martins was a fit and active lady who lived a very independent life.

Is Creativity Essential in Learning?

After the review of three elt designer approaches-the silent way, suggestopedia and total physical response, we have devised our own philosophy of teaching. We believe that creativity is essential to learning and if the students are making an effort on their part and discovering things for themselves; the factor of self-reliance is evolved and since the students are active and autonomous in exploration so the learning would be more effective. We believe that for language learners, the language would present itself as a problem or a riddle to be solved. Learners are required to engage with the language and try to discover and explore it. We believe that peer cooperation is an important factor in learning. This enhances the level of confidence and patience among the students and students learn a lot from each other but one drawback to this is that they also learn each others mistakes. Furthermore, students are asked to review and overview what they have learned in the class. It is by this activity of self correction through self-awareness that the students learn to deconstruct and then reconstruct. We believe that the use of sound-color chart is really effective in language learning. This chart contains all the sounds of the target language in different colors. Students learn syllables, words and then sentences of the target language through these charts. We believe that the psychological barriers that students bring with them be desuggested. These can be desuggested both by direct and indirect way. Once the student succeeds to clear his doubts and fear, his performance in learning will become quite easy and effective. We believe that activating the learner’s imagination will aid learning. For example, the learner’s can perform or take up a role or character in the target language that could place them inside the language they are learning. We also believe that when the students are exposed to the information as part of an environment, they grasp it more conveniently with less effort. The use of charts and posters related to the target language are one example of this. Moreover, the teacher’s authoritative role is of prime importance. The main role of the teacher is to deconstruct the self-perceived barriers and to encourage and support the students so that they have enough confidence in themselves. This would improve and enhance their learning ability. Error toleration encourages the students to learn from their mistakes and improve upon. Language is more effective when it is fun and here the main focus is on the spoken language. The use of commands in language learning makes it interesting. A complete lesson can be designed on the verbs by employing this technique. For example: Slice some bread. Spread the butter to all corners of bread. Put piece of meat on one slice of bread. We believe that the use of â€Å"The Arts† incorporate fun in the class and the students can enjoy their learning. The Arts enables suggestions to reach the subconscious of students. This method maintains a modest enthusiasm among the students. We believe that students should be encouraged to understand the target language before speaking. This method will provide the quick response from students. This will activate the learner’s imagination and help in learning. Motor activities involved plays an important role upon the cognitive learning of students . We believe that humor in the class make students stress-free and learning is more effective when students are in a relaxed state of mind.

To What Extent Did The Government Show Excessive Concern to essays

To What Extent Did The Government Show Excessive Concern to essays Between 1815 and 1820 Britain was suffering from out brakes of public disturbances and general unrest. The party in power was the Tories and the prime minister was Lord Liverpool. Many bills and laws were past during this time which dealt with law and order issues. This was a reaction to the perceived threat of revolution in Britain. But did the government overreact to the situation? British society in 1815 was under radical change. The industrial revolution had meant that urbanisation was taking place. Badly designed and polluted cities were populated by millions of poor factory workers that lived in crowded and squalid conditions. Many writers and poets of the time recognised the harsh lives that the working class had to live in. Many writings of the time comment on the civil unrest and the affect that the rapid growth of industry was having on the working class. The unhappiness felt by the working class manifested itself into many well-known examples of the disillusionment felt towards the government. The Radical party was seen as the voice of the people for this period of unrest. Famous leaders such as Major John Cartwright created debating clubs all over Britain to give the working class a voice. Henry Hunt gained a reputation as a good public speaker and began to attract huge crowds. The Radical press was begun with magazines such as Black Dwarf and newspapers like the Political Register. Movements like Luddism and events like the Spa Fields Riots caused great concern in the government. Lord Liverpool was expected by his party to protect their interests. As most of the Tory party and most of its followers were aristocrats, Lord Liverpool came under immense pressure to be seen to be taking firm action against the disillusioned citizens of Britain. Lord Liverpool had appointed lord Sidmouth as home secretary, a fact that undoubtedly influenced the reaction of the government to the disturbances. Lord Sidmouth wanted harsh ...

SAT Book Guide The Best Books for Intense Study

SAT Book Guide The Best Books for Intense Study SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're a student who wants to leave no stone unturned as you prep for the SAT,then this SATpreparationbook guide is for you. These are the best SAT books for students committed to devoting significant time, like 100 or more hours, to get ready for this important test. The recommendations on this book list go beyond a general review of the SAT and provide the skills, strategies, and insights you need to get a top score. Before diving into the SAT book list,let's consider an important question: are books the most effective way to study for the SAT? Are Books the Best Method for Intense Study? Since you're puttingin hard work to achieve your target scores, you also want to make sure your prep materials are working for you. If you're devoting asignificant amount of time to studying, you should see results. So what methods of test prep will be most effective in preparing you for the SAT? If you're looking to use books to prep, you should be aware that all test prep books have pros and cons. Some excel in teaching content while others focus on strategies. On the flip side, somehave unrealisticpractice questionsorbring in concepts that will never actually show up on the SAT. To truly delve into all sections of the SAT, you'd be best served by studying from several of these books together in a coherent sequence. Given this, I'll recommend a possible approach to tackle these books effectively, rather than trying to read them from cover to cover. Even with this plan of attack, studying from books requires a lot of self-discipline and self-motivation. Besides getting ready for the SAT, books pose the extra challenge of designing a logical study plan, prioritizing some concepts over others based on your needs, and sticking to your schedule. Because this degree of discipline is tough for students at all levels and ages, an alternative method of studying that can be very effective is online test prep. PrepScholar's online SAT program incorporates the most useful aspects of these books - content, strategies, high quality practice questions - while adding that helpful component of accountability. Plus it goes one step further and customizes the study plan to you. PrepScholar diagnoses your strengths and weaknesses, helps you design a study plan based on your individualprofile as a test-taker, and tracks your progress along the way. Books can be very useful for students looking to study intensely for the SAT. If you're using books, I recommend taking the time to develop a thoughtful approach and study plan customized to you, setting benchmarks along the way, and finding ways that help you stay accountable to your goals (even when a marathon of your favorite show is on). First on this list is the critical book that all students need for SAT prep. The Critical SAT Prep Book for Practice Tests The book that all students should use to prep for theSAT comes from College Board itself: College Board's Official Study Guide, otherwise known as the Blue Book. While this book is a must have, it also doesn't stand on its own as your only resource. Let's look at the pros and cons of the Blue Book. College Board's Official SAT Study Guide, or the "Blue Book" Amazon price: $16.43 Pros Why is this book so critical? The Blue Book has official practice questions from previously administered SATs. It has 10 official practice tests, meaning over 35 hours of practice testing and 1700 practice questions! Ambitious test-takers shouldnot just take these tests for practice, but also study them deeply. Take the time to understand exactly what each question is asking, as well as any mistakes you made and why. Was it a lack of knowledge? Difficulty managing time? A careless error? By scouring answer explanations and practicing thoroughly, you can become an expert in taking the SAT. Then the real one will just be another 3 hours and 45 minutes that you're well accustomed to. Students who want the full test-taking experience should note that these practice tests are actually only 3 hours and 20 minutes. Why? The real SAT will have an extra 25 minute experimental sectionfor the purpose of testing out future material and maintaining accuracy in scoring. The experimentalsection can be math, critical reading, or writing, but you won't know which one until you finish the test. Even then, you'll only know which section had extra time, but not specifically which 25 minute section was experimental. If you want the true experience in terms of testing time, you might consider adding an extra 25 minute section when you take practice tests. Since official questions are the gold standard, we've gathered 8 official SAT practice tests here that you can use, as well. Four of the tests are from the current version, while the other four are older. The drawback of these is that the answer key doesn't have explanations of each question. Besides the hours of practice testing and studying the Blue Book provides, what are some areas in which it's lacking? Cons The Blue Book stands above the rest for officialquestions, but taking practice tests is not the only part of SAT prep, especially for intense studiers. You want a thorough review of content and skills, plus those extra insights and strategies that will help you avoid the common SAT tricks and pitfalls. The Blue Book is not the best source of instructionor strategies. Since it's created by the test-maker, College Board, it's not going to give away its secrets! The other drawback of the Blue Book is that its answer explanations are not particularly thorough. It only gives a brief explanation why an answer choice is correct, but it usually doesn't delve into why the other answer choices are wrong. Since on the SAT most answer choices usually sound reasonable, this could leave you still feeling confused. Intense studiers should thoroughly understand what a question is asking, along with the common "distractor" answer choices that pop up, especially among passage-based Critical Reading questions. It's also helpful when books guide you through a question type step by step, so you can use that same thought processfor next time. Luckily, there is a book that provides more thorough answer explanations to some of the hardest questions in the Blue Book. You can think of it as the Blue Book's companion: the similarly named Black Book. The Critical SAT Prep Book for Strategy The SAT Prep Black Book by Mike Barrett supplements College Board's Blue Book and refers directly to official SAT questions. If you're looking for a deep understanding of SAT structure and question types, then this book is a must-have on your SAT prep book list. SAT Prep Black Book by Mike Barrett Amazon price: $17.97 Pros According to Barrett, the SAT is actually an easy test. It doesn't test particularly high levelskills, nor does it require you to have learned advanced concepts in math, reading, or writing. Instead, the SAT is difficult for students because it asks about basic concepts in strange ways. Barrett asserts that students can perform well on the SAT by learning about its "strangeness." By seeing through the tricky wording and distracting answer choices, students can use his strategies to greatly improve their scores. While his take may not resonate with everyone, I think he has highly useful insights to share about the test. He can help change the way you think about the SAT and approach and process each question. For instance, Barrett emphasizes that every multiple choice question has only one unambiguously correct answer. When students start to overthink all the realistic-sounding answer choices, that's when they run into trouble. He helps you identify which one is correctfor each question type, along with understanding exactly why the other ones are not quite right. The SAT Prep Black Bookgives thorough explanations of official practice questions, which is a key part of SAT prepfor any motivated student. A lot of his strategies influenced the developers of PrepScholar's online prep program and were incorporated into the way PrepScholarteaches students about the SAT. Cons Because the Black Book delves deeply into the SAT, it requires a lot of commitment from students. To get the most out of it, you really have to be disciplined and engage with the material. Some students find it overly wordy, which can make it hard to stick with. That's why the Black Book tends to be used by the most dedicated SAT studiers. While the Blue Book and Black Book supplement each other well, they are still not sufficient as your only sources of test prep (sorry!). You've probably noticed I talked about practice tests and strategies. So what's missing? Good old-fashioned instruction of content and skills. Drilling yourself on grammar rules, practicing solving algebraic equations, and sharpening your critical reading skills are still essential for doing well on the SAT. The Black Book's strength does not lie here. Instead, it assumes most students have a strong foundation of knowledge. For this kind of test prep, let's look at the best book for overall prep and then the best books by SAT section. The Best SAT Prep Book for General Study For students planning to devote a good amount of time to SAT prep, I recommend Barron's SAT for an examination of all sections of the SAT. Barron's SAT Amazon price: $14.31 Pros Barron's SAT has a comprehensive review of all sections of the SAT. It explains the various question types on Critical Reading and the grammar skills you need for Writing. It's especially thorough in its coverage of SAT math, which it breaks down into numerous subtopics, like percents, solid geometry, coordinate geometry, and logical reasoning, to name a few. Barron's helps you build your vocabulary with a High Frequency Word List and a 3,500 Word List. If you purchase the book, you can also access an online component that helps you design a study plan. Barron's encourages you to start out with a diagnostic test and pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses. In addition, it includes 6 full length practice tests with answer explanations. That's an additional 24 hours of testing and 1,020 practice questions! Combine that with the Blue Book practice tests, and you'll be well on your way to becoming an SAT expert. Cons Barron's SAT is a very thorough book, which is both a strength and a weakness. Because it covers so much, it can feel overwhelming to students. While the book suggests you customize your study plan based on your diagnostic test, this can feel like a lot of added planning. Another weakness of Barron's has to do with its strategies. The introductory chapters offer some suggestions for time management and identifying question types, but it doesn't go much beyond the obvious. It doesn't offer asinsightful a take asthe Black Book or some of the subject-specific books. Finally, many students find that Barron's SAT actually overshoots the SAT with overly advanced concepts, and that its practice tests are unrealistically hard. While overpreparing isn't necessarily the worst problem, you don't want to waste time with concepts you don't need or get an unrealistic sense of your scoring level. When using Barron's SAT practice tests, try to keep an eye out for its similarities and differences with official College Board practice tests. Having a critical eye will help you make the most use out of these unofficial practice questions. Another approach to delving into SAT material is to divide it up by section. These are my recommendations for the best books for SAT math, reading, and writing. Best SAT Prep Books to Study Math These three books - PWN the SAT, Dr. John Chung's SAT Math, and the Powerscore Math Bible - are designed for motivated students looking to gain a top math score. Let's consider the pros and cons of each. PWN the SAT: Math Guide Amazon price: $28.28 Pros According to the author, Mike McClenathan, he wrote PWN the SAT to help "ambitious, highly motivated kids maximize their SAT math scores. He takes a more engaging, personable approach than a lot of other test prep books, as you can tell right away in the introduction: "Do you crave a higher score? Are you willing to do a little hard work to achieve it? Good. I knew I liked you." Given the fact that other test prep books can be a little, ahem,dry,PWN the SAT is a welcome departure in style and tone. He spends the first 30 pages on test-taking strategies and techniques, discussing how best to read the math questions, how to not get fooled by questions that appear easier than they are, and useful guessing strategies that go beyond the obvious. McClenathan breaks each math concept into numerous subtopics, like ratios, prime factorization, symbol functions, circles, and probability. This detailed approach will truly help you leave no stone unturned in your review of any and all math concepts that may show up on the SAT. Like the Black Book, PWN the SAT is best used in conjunction with the Official Study Guide, or the Blue Book. It refers directly to official practice questions, giving detailed answer explanations for all the math questions you'll find there. These go beyond the answer explanations in the Blue Book and are usefulfor understanding your errors and applying the same skills and thought process to similar questions on future tests. In addition to referencing official questions, PWN the SAT has its own diagnostic drills to assess your skills. You can also check out the PWN the SAT website for useful blog posts and a discussion forum where you can connect with other students and leave questions and comments for the author himself. By the way, for any non-gamers out there (myself included), PWN means to conquer and is pronounced "pone." The more you know. Cons PWN the SAT excels in instruction and review, but it doesn't have a ton of its own practice questions. It has to be used alongside the Blue Book, to which it explicitly refers. You should also seek out more practice questions if you need to drill particular skills, like shape geometry or functions. Similar to Barron's SAT, PWN the SAT has been criticized for having overly challenging math questions and examples. Again, you want to keep a critical eye. If you become familiar with the SAT, then you'll be able to sense when a concept or wording of a question exceeds the difficulty level you'll actually encounter. It's also relatively expensive for a book that covers only one section of the SAT. Finally, some students find this book too wordy. I personally find it engaging and funny, at least as far as test prep books, but how much it resonates with you is a matter of individual opinion. You can check out a free preview at Amazon and decide if it speaks to you. Dr. John Chung's SAT Math: 58 Perfect Tips and 20 Complete Tests Amazon price: $26.59 Pros While some books are on the wordy side, Dr. John Chung's SAT Math is not one of them. It cuts down the math section to rules and practice problems. The 58 "tips" are the most important concepts you need to know for math, like linear functions, slope, and proportions. There isn't much here in the way of explanation, so it's geared towards highly achieving math students with a strong foundation in these concepts. It gives you lots of practice problems - 20 practice tests - to drill each of the 58 skills, with thorough, if concise, answer explanations. Cons One downside of this book is the cost, considering it covers only one section of the SAT. It is definitely geared towards more advanced math students, and doesn't offer much in the way of clarifying instruction. Students who don't want to do a lot of reading in their math review will like this approach. Again, check out the free preview on Amazon to see if this style resonates with you. Another con is that the questions can be overly challenging. They are still valuable, especially with the answer explanations, because they drill all the important math concepts. That being said, you want the most realistic practice questions possible to get a true sense of the SAT. Finally, this book has some typos and errors in layout. While this doesn't detract from the quality of the instruction, it can be distracting. Powerscore SAT Math Bible Amazon price: $25.08 Pros The Powerscore SAT Math Bible is a great resource for students with strong math backgrounds and those who feel less confident in this area. It starts with an "operation mastery" section to review important concepts, along with drills to reinforce each skill. It offers 8mainpractical strategies for attacking SAT math questions, along with example problems that show you exactly when and how to apply each strategy. It also explains confusing SAT wording with its "highlighted arithmetricks" and "SAT traps." The chapters are divided by content area - arithmetic, algebra, algebra II, geometry, coordinate geometry, data analysis, statistics, and probability - which are further broken down into subtopics. It also has a glossary to ensure you understand all the math-related terminology. Overall, the Powerscore SAT Math Bible has over 375 high quality example and practice questions, along with detailed explanations. Its online supplementary component also refers to official questions from the Blue Book and has extra study aids like math flash cards. One particular strength of this book is its frequency guide, which rates the importance of concepts from 1 to 5. This helps you prioritize your studying. While books like Dr. Chung's 58 Perfect Tips throw all the concepts at you at once, the Powerscore SAT Math Bible helps you sort them by frequency and importance. Cons While this book has numerous example and practice questions, it's not as substantial when it comes to actual practice tests. You'll want to make sure to incorporate at least a pre-test and post-test into your study plan to gauge your progress, as well as others to measure it along the way. Because this book is geared for students at all levels, it may have extra material you don't need if you're already well versed in the math concepts. For more advanced math students, it may not be immediately challenging because of its introductory sections and material. All three of these math books have strengths and can be effective as you work towards a high score. If you're looking to focus especially on Critical Reading and/or Writing, I recommend the guides by Erica Meltzer. Best SAT Prep Books to Study Critical Reading and Writing Erica Meltzer, who runs the blog, The Critical Reader, has written complete guides to the Reading and Writing sections of the SAT. They're both high quality books useful to students looking to master these sections. The Complete Guide to SAT Critical Reading by Erica Meltzer Amazon price: $31.95 Pros Erica Meltzer has a very lucid take on the SAT Critical Reading. She was an English major in college, but she recognizes that the skills you pick up in English classes don't necessarily translate to a high score on the SAT Reading. Instead, she teaches students about the types of questions and specific skills that SAT Critical Reading calls for. With these insights, she demystifies this section of the test that can otherwise be quite tricky to study for. She breaks down questions into types, like main point and vocabulary in context, and drills each skill with practice questions. Her passages are highly realistic, and she gives practical strategies for managing time and processing key information easily and efficiently. Besides the questions and in-depth explanations, this book has a comprehensive vocabulary section with high frequency words, multiple meaning words, and common roots. To help you prep for sentence completions, she has 75 practice questions featuring commonly used SAT words. Cons One con of this SAT book is the layout and visual presentation. It packs a lot of small font words into each page and doesn't break them up with graphics. This can get old when you're tired from studying for the SAT for hours. Some also find Meltzer's style on the dry side, while others appreciate that she doesn't add unnecessary fluff. It's also on the expensive side, especially taken together with The Complete Guide to SAT Grammar. Another aspect to consider is the way she organizes content by skill. It can be helpful to drill each skill you need for Critical Reading, but remember that the actual tests will present questions in random order. You'll need to both learn the skills and be able to identify what skill each question is testing on your own, without it already being labeled into categories for you. Her guide to SAT grammar similarly organizes content by rule and skill, which is especially useful for reinforcing your knowledge of grammar. The UltimateGuide to SAT Grammar (and SAT Grammar Workbook) by Erica Meltzer Amazon price: $27.86 ($28.45 for workbook) Pros The UltimateGuide to SAT Grammaris a must-have if you're looking for a detailed breakdown and drill of each and every grammar rule that is likely to appear on the SAT. There are dozens of exercises and practice questions to reinforce each rule. This book will help you recognize and correct errors, as well as identify question types so you can predict exactly which rule each question is testing. There are thorough explanations for each practice question, and you can find additional practice questions in the SAT Grammar Workbook. Similar to PrepScholar's approach to SAT Writing prep, Meltzer breaks the section down by skill and clearly instructs students on each one. Cons One major con of these SAT books is the price. If you purchase the reading, grammar, and grammar workbook together, then you're looking at almost $100 already. Since these books don't have a ton of practice tests, you'd also be using at least one or two other books for additional practice testing. While this book helps you drill each skill, you'll want to make sure you can identify and predict the skills on your own. This is another reason why you'll want to reinforce the lessons with practice tests, in which the skills tested byidentifying errors, improving sentences, and improving paragraph questions are all mixed up in random order. Now that you've read my recommendations for the best SAT books to read for intense study, you might be wondering how best to use these books to prepare. Stacking them up in a huge pile will just be daunting, increasing therisk that all these books just end upcollecting dust in a corner of your room. Let's talk about how you can approach these hundreds of pages of material in a manageable, scaffolded way. One step at a time to reach your target scores... How to Study from these SAT Prep Books How can you take this daunting amount of material and break it up into smaller, manageable goals, like taking steps up a long ladder? First, I would recommend taking a diagnostic practice test from the Blue Book. Score your test and use your results to gauge your level and determine which areas require the most focus from you. Depending on how long you plan to study, you can spread out other practice tests in increments. These can be used as benchmarks to track your progress. Remember to leave one for the end of your test prep, close to your actual SAT, to record your score improvements and if need be, do any last minute studying. Review each practice test section by section and mark the questions you miss by practice type and skill. Mike Barrett's Black Book can help you identify question type more clearly, as well as apply strategies to save time and eliminate "distractor" answer choices quickly and easily. After analyzing your results,I would suggest reviewing content and skills where you need tomost. If you're strong in math, you couldstart out by drilling yourself on reading, vocabulary, and grammar. If you scored well on reading, then you might turn to math first. Throughout, you can use practice tests to gauge your improvement and shift to another section once you've improved in the first. If you are a freshman or sophomore, you can start studying a year or so before your first real test. You can devote several hours a week to studying and then ramp up this time commitment in the months leading up to your test. To customize your study plan to your individual needs,I highly recommend analyzing your practice tests and then diving into your weaknesses with relevant recommended SAT prep books. This can help you build up both skills and confidence where you need it most. As planning and sticking to an effective study schedule is a challenging aspect of your test prep, you also might want to look into other options that help you with this planning. Which option will getyou the prize of a high SAT score? Is Studying from Books the Best Option for Intense Prep? Some of these recommended SAT books are highly comprehensive, while others dive into specifics. There are ones that focus on math, reading, and grammar instruction, and others that reveal test-conquering strategies. Taken together, they have the content you need to become an expert in the SAT and achieve top scores. At the same time, self-study from these books requires a ton of discipline. You need to customize your study plan to you, and make sure you sit down and put in the time. There's no one else who's going to know whether you're making time to prep or doing it effectively (except maybe your parents staring over your shoulder). Some students are able to chip away one day, week, and month at a time keeping their end goal in sight, but for most this is a trying test of willpower and motivation. Apart from the isolation of self-study, all these SAT preparation books can get expensive. If you wanted to draw on the strengths of all of them, you'd already be spendingover $200. Sadly, there's no great SAT preparation books with free pdfdownloads. PrepScholar's online program was developed with all this in mind. It has the expert content, strategies, and practice questions, while also understanding the stress, pressure, and challenges of scheduling surround test prep. It's not like you have all the free time in the world tostudy for the SAT, nor do you want to waste time on concepts you already have down. We understand that you want to make the most of your test prep, while getting the intensive prep you need to achieve top scores and be a competitive candidate on college applications. Because PrepScholar has an affordable, all-in-one program that helps you devise a study plan, keep track of your progress, and focus on the areas you need to the most,it has helped many highly achieving students find success. It also has the additional option of a one-on-one tutor, combining the best parts of customizable educational technology with the motivating coaching of an experienced tutor. Besides online prep, you can also find a plethora (10 points for SAT vocab!) of online resources with information and practice for the SAT. Among PrepScholar's SATstrategy guides are The 21 Critical SAT Math Formulas You Must Know How to Get an 800 on SAT Reading The Complete Guide to SAT Grammar Rules 6 SAT Essay Examples You Can Use to Answer Every Essay Prompt Should You Guess on the SAT? 6 Guessing Strategies The Best Way to Review Your Mistakes for the SAT How to Get a Perfect SAT Score, by a 2400 Full Scorer Before adding all these SAT books to your Amazon cart and clicking purchase, I would encourage you to explore and compare the various methods of test prep. If you're committed to working hard for your SAT scores, then make sure you're going about it in the way that's most enjoyable and above all, most effective for you. What's Next? The strategy guides listed above are just a few of the free resources we provideon the SAT. You can explore more practical strategies for the math, Critical Reading, and writing sections of the SAT here. Have you decided when exactly you're taking the SAT and how many times you plan to take it? Read about all the important considerations in choosing your SAT test dates here. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points?We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today: