How Do You Pronounce EU in French

The letter combination EU appears often in the French language, but do you know how to pronounce it? Depending on how its used, the EU takes on the sound of an English U. This French lesson will explain how and when its used and give you some example vocabulary words to use as practice. How to Pronounce the French EU The French letter combination EU can be pronounced in two different ways and they  are quite similar to one another. When EU is an open syllable -- the vowel is the last sound in the syllable -- it sounds more or less like the U in the English word full:  listen.When in a closed syllable, EU is pronounced with a slightly more open mouth: listen. There is an exception to the EU pronunciation rules. When used as the past participle of avoir, eu  is pronounced like the French U. French Words With EU Its time to practice your EU pronunciation with a few words. You can click on each word to hear the proper pronunciation, but give it a try on your own first. neuf  (nine)feu  (fire)peu  (a little) Did you notice how  neuf  used the closed syllable EU while  feu  and  peu  use the open syllable sound? You can almost expect to say full and pull with those two words. Dont Get EU Confused With These If you see the letter combination of EUIL, the sound will be different. This is more of an OO sound as in good followed by a Y. Here it is in use:  une  feuille  (leaf). The  vowel combination of AU  has a closed O sound, as does  the combination EAU.   If youre reading fast, it can be very easy to mistake either for EU.

Leadership And Organizational Behavior Of The Restaurants

Hank’s Crawfish Mona Dangol Md19987@hotmail.com MGMT591 Leadership and Organizational Behavior Dr. Dyrren Davis April 19th, 2015 Introduction Restaurants are small businesses that are found in both rural and urban communities. Restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers from different places such as dine in, and take out. It serves people and give them good environment and entertainment. Hanks crawfish is located in Houston Texas. As a name says Hanks crawfish, it is originally from Louisiana. Hank’s fulfills customers with genuine Cajun cuisine. Hank’s was established on 2010 when there were very few restaurants. This place is located in 11660Westheimer Rd, Houston TX 77077. It is a non-smoking place. It is a good place for family dines in, for the customers who like to watch games and also for the people who want to spend their time with loved ones. We have the drawing paper available for the kids to draw when their parents are having dinner. Hank’s has a bar where people can drink eat and watch games and news. There is also party room for the people who would like to celebrate their birthday, graduation ceremony etc. and patio for the people who like to see views and for the people who like smoking area. I started here working as a cashier and now working as a manager. As a manager the task that I perform includes: †¢ Making sure customers are happy and fully satisfied. †¢ Making advertisement on internet and creatingShow MoreRelatedRelationship Between Leadership And Employee Job Satisfaction Essay1501 Words   |  7 PagesRestaurant industries have lost nearly $6 billion over the last 4 years because of the high turnover rate of employees (Self Dewald, 2011). Managers and owners must use the necessary tools to retain higher quality employees and to increase the level of job satisfactions across the industry. The insufficient data that describes the relationships between the leadership, gender, diversity, education, and job satisfaction for the restaurant professionals is an issue. This study helps to understandRead MoreAnalysis of Robert Fortin as a Leader960 Words   |  4 PagesFortin’s, to their restaurant, and their varying leadership attributes. The textbook Organizational Behavior defines leadership as, â€Å"the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a vision or set of goals.†(Robbins, pg. 369) Here we will focus on Robert Fortin and his experiences as a leader in his family restaurant business. The theory chosen to describe Robert Fortin’s style and the subordinates’ reactions is the path-goal theory. The textbook Organizational Behavior defines it as, â€Å"TheRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Waiting 1604 Words   |  7 Pagesdisplays an entirely different side to the restaurant environment, the audience sees the backstage and all the activities that go on. 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As cultural features of a specific nation play a key role in shaping the management and leadership style, a study shows that effective leadership in one cultural background may be ineffective in another [1]. The international managers should identify cultural differences and then integrate the appropriate cultural and leadership style to lead effectively in a different environment. In addition, it is importantRead MoreOrganizational Culture Shapes And Controls Behavior Within The Organization1543 Words   |  7 Pagesvalues and norms are part of an organization’s culture. According to the textbook, organizational culture is â€Å"the set of shared values and norms that control organizational members’ interactions with each other and with suppliers, customers, and other people outside the organization† (pg. 179). Culture is one of the key ways an organization can increase its effectiveness. Organizational culture shapes and controls behavior within the organization. It influences how people respond to a situation and howRead MoreThe s Building Supply Centers Of San Marcos880 Words   |  4 Pagestwenty-fifth largest restaurant chain in the United States (Schermerhorn et al., 2012). The personal beliefs of the McCoy and Cathy families influenced the organizational culture of their firms by viewing it as a big family. The value and behavior of a company contributes to the unique social and psychological environment of an organization (Organizational Culture, 2015). Organizational Culture consists of the company expectations, experiences, philosophy, attitudes and beliefs (Organizational Culture, 2015)

Causes for College Dropouts free essay sample

For a lot of reasons, we really want people to graduate these days, however; getting people to graduate is not easy. Thousands of students attend college every year, and unfortunately, not all of them succeed in graduating. As, Mara Tyler says, â€Å"A student is more likely to drop out whether for a semester or permanently if he is not able to strike a healthy balance with work, school, social activities and family† (Tyler). Many students find it hard to balance work, life and school especially in a time where finding jobs are difficult and there is more to getting a job than just schooling. Three of the main factors to why students are dropping out of college are causes outside-the-classroom. Many students end up getting the job they want and, because of this, drop out of college. In many cases, students who work during college gain promotions to high-paying positions before graduating. We will write a custom essay sample on Causes for College Dropouts or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Also, students take internships in college that turn into jobs. Since most colleges require a minimum number of courses, school forces students to work fewer hours or give up the chance at a promotion (Tyler). Mark Kantrowitz says, â€Å"Nearly three-quarters (71%) of students who dropped out of college said that work contributed to the decision, with more than half (54%) identifying it as a major factor. About a third (35%) said that balancing work and school was too stressful† (Kantrowitz). Therefore, students end up putting college on hold to pursue their job opportunities. Once a student has a position in the field he desires, he may or may not return to school to finish his degree. For students, the freedom and excitement of being on their own can be too much. Sure, there are perks to college life, such as being able to come and go as you please, eat and drink what you want, and take naps in the middle of the day. But without structure, your good times can come with unpleasant side effects like the â€Å"freshman fifteen† or disciplinary actions and academic probation. Donald J. Foss identifies loneliness and isolation, alcohol, time management, and studying as factors that can trip up students. Foss says, â€Å"A second source of high voltage shocks to college commitment comes from bad decisions about what is important—in shorthand, the alcohol problem. Many students stay up too late, engage in binge drinking and possibly other substances, and over-commit to social activities†¦ Alcohol is still the #1 drug problem on college campuses—schools with a party reputation, fully 60% of freshman drink† (Foss). Drinking, staying up late, and blowing off classes to the point where the student is too far behind to make up for the slack can lead to dropping out. Another reason students drop out of college is a lack of money; many students cannot afford to pay for their classes, fees, and books. Mark Kantrowitz says, â€Å"Other major reasons for leaving school included affordability of tuition and fees (31%)† (Kantrowitz). Unless students have financial help from family or are lucky enough to get scholarships or grants, they are often forced to take out loans or work part- to full-time to pay for school. Often times, students cannot afford the cost of living while trying to complete a college education. So because the cost of college on top of other expenses is so high most students do not feel as though they can afford college and end up dropping out. Not all students succeed with graduating college because of these examples and many other different reasons. Students are finding it harder and harder as the years go on to maintain structure in their busy lives and keep up with college. Every year the number of college dropouts increase and will continue to increase because of these factors. Students without financial burdens, who know how to handle their newly found freedom and job, are the kind of students that graduate in college. Even students with one or two of these problems can graduate college if they really work hard. Students with the proper skills, knowledge, and attitudes can tackle college and graduate.

The Cave by Jean McCord Essay Example

The Cave by Jean McCord Essay CrimeThe Cave by Jean McCord teaches us that we should be individuals and value other peoples lives, which is a very important lesson in life. McCord combined irony, a believable main character developed throughout the story, and an excellent writing style to produce her short story. This short story is about a boy named Charley and a bum named George. Charley met George one day while running and liked him. The next week, Charley found an entrance to a cave, but he did not realize it was Georges home. Charley told his gang about it, and they wanted it for their clubhouse. Charley went down the entrance, explored the cave and realized that it was Georges cave. When he got back up to the gang, he said it was a worthless cave to discourage them from wanting to explore the cave. The gang did not quite believe him. When they saw a fawn statue that George had given him, they asked about it. In order to avoid further questions about the cave, Charley ran home, upset that he had allowed them to suspect him. After that, Charley left the gang and began visiting George regularly. George liked to carve statues of famous people into the walls of his cave. He tried to recruit Charley to become an artist. During Charleys final exam session in spring, Charley had no time to visit George. When summer came, he could finally go see George. Instead of finding George, Charley found his former gang who had smashed all of the statues. Charley got angry and fought with Pat, the leader. Charley got badly beaten and lost. Then to get even with his former gang, he decided to join the River Rats, the toughest gang around. We will write a custom essay sample on The Cave by Jean McCord specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Cave by Jean McCord specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Cave by Jean McCord specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer He was determined to fight his way to the top of that gang and then go fight Pat again. Thats the plot line of The Cave. However, there is more to a story than the plot. Another important element that was used in this story was the irony. Charley was part of a gang to begin with, but when he met George, he learned how to be an individual and make his own decisions. There was no real reason except I thought Id try being an individual for a change, instead of just one of a group who all did and thought the same things (121). He learned that he did not need to always be part of a group. It is all right to be different from everybody else. Then I stayed away from the gang for a while. Id see the fellows in school since we were in the same classes, but I didnt go to the clubhouse, nor join them at the drugstore like I always had (121). This is the first instance of Charleys showing individuality. Charley was beginning to develop an admiration for George and his approach to life. He was a pretty smart old buzzard, and he seemed to know some secret about life. What I mean is, he had kind of come to terms with life, and he had made all the conditions (121). Charley admired George for being such an individual and living life on his own terms. George made Charley feel good about himself. I liked being with George. He didnt expect anything of me like my Dad always did, and by now, I was getting pretty fond of the old guy (121-122). Charley had learned many things about being an individual; however, in the end he decided to just for

Hemingways Novels essays

Hemingways Novels essays Frederic Henry, an American serving as an ambulance driver with the Italian army during the First World War, meets Catherine Barkley, an English nursing aide whose fianc was killed in the war in France. At first he considers their relationship a game; after he is badly injured and taken to Milan for surgery he falls deeply in love with Catherine. Catherine becomes pregnant, but they are unable to get married in wartime Italy. Frederic returns to the front, where he takes part in the retreat of the Italian army from Caporetto, in which there is much confusion and demoralization. Separated from his unit, Frederic is arrested by a military patrol and about to be shot for desertion as an officer when he escapes by jumping into a river. Realizing that the war no longer matters to him, he rejoins Catherine; to avoid arrest, they escape to neutral Switzerland in a small boat. After living happily together in the mountains for several months, they move to Lausanne before Catherine is to del iver their child. She has serious difficulty in labor. The child, delivered by a Caesarean section, dies; shortly afterwards Catherine dies. Frederic is left alone, with the realization that one is always 'trapped', that his search for happiness has been doomed by the nature of life. High in the pine forests of the Spanish Sierra, a guerilla band operating behind the lines of Franco's army prepares to blow up a vital bridge. Robert Jordan, a young American volunteer, has been sent from the Republic to handle the dynamiting. In the mountains he finds the dangers and the intense comradeship of war - and he discovers Maria, a young woman who has escaped from Franco's rebels... The Sun Also Rises was Ernest Hemingway's first big novel, and immediately established Hemingway as one of the great prose stylists, and one of the preeminent writers of his time. It i ...

Bycatch Essay Example

Bycatch Essay Example Bycatch Essay Bycatch Essay Bycatching is when fishermen only concentrate on few fish species with the high commercial value such as salmon, tuna, and flounder, while other species are unintentionally caught and then discarded. â€Å"Particularly the Northeast and Western Pacific and in American legislation Bycatch means species/sizes/sexes of fish which are discarded,† (2008, July 29). The FAO Corporate Document Repository (2000) stated, â€Å"Majority of these catches, however, originates from the Sicilian Channel during high summer, being due to trawlers based in Sicily† (para. 0). My plan is to sustain by reducing the amount of Bycatch and developing uses for the Bycatch that remains. Making sure that the community agrees with me, which we can stop killing off the different species in the ocean or find a better use of the animals’ remains when they do can them. Develop a program with activities and their affects, schedule a presentation day and time, invite the people or participants in the community, and research the effects of Bycatches. Meaning we have to address the problem Bycatching is causing to the people or other species. In the meantime there will be some people thinking that is alright to catch these different species, so that they will not be in danger when they are out in the ocean. While the other people wishing that they would stop killing these animals for just the money. How could someone just do it for the money? That is the main question they are asking others. People go around saying, â€Å"they are going to kill each other anyway and they are doing them a favor Bycatching. Every living creature should be treated as if they were human like the people in the surrounding community. They do not see how it will affect the other animals by throwing the remains back into the ocean. Not knowing they are affecting the water, which might leave the other animals sick or they began to die off one by one. For example, Sea turtles, dolphins, seals, whales, and other aquatic organisms are accidentally caught and killed in addition to the target fish. According to the plan my challenges are as follow; the fishermen are trying to catch the different fish such as salmon, tuna, and flounder; while their nets are in the water they do not intend to catch the sea creatures such as dolphins, sea turtles, et cetera. The limitations many nations extended their limits of jurisdiction to 320 km (200 mi) offshore. Which we can only do so much about the fishermen accidently or intentionally catch sea turtles, dolphins, seals, et cetera. They will have to implicate the other people who intend to elp out with the plan. This action removed most fisheries from international use, because more than 90 percent of the world’s fisheries are harvested in fairly shallow waters close to land. This policy was supposed to prevent overharvesting by allowing nations to regulate the amounts of fishes and other seafood harvested from their waters. However, many countries also have a policy of open management, in which all fishing boats of that country ar e given unrestricted access to fishes in national waters. My plan will not put the fishermen out of a job, but to ensure that they are trying to watch out for catching the endanger species in their nets. If the fishermen did not have a job the people in the community will not be able to eat the fish and this may cause a riot or protest against them for trying to Bycatching. This will have scientist out of jobs also, because they are studying the species and how they are important. People would not know about these different species if they were not caught at all, which would have left everyone speechless. For example, people were to get attacked by or came in contact with these species. They would not know what to do or what it was. My plan will not only save, reduce Bycatching, and find something to do with the remains but help the community. References Bycatch. (2008, July 29). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:29, August 10, 2008, from http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Bycatcholdid=228538447 FAO Corporate Document Repository. (2000). THE IMPACT OF FISHING ON VULNERABLE GROUPS AND HABITATS. Retrieved August 10, 2008, from fao. org/docrep/007/y5594e/y5594e04. htm#TopOfPage

Street Protests As The Aftermath Of 2009 Presidential Election And Essay

Street Protests As The Aftermath Of 2009 Presidential Election And Human Rights Violation - Essay Example Torture involved rape, mutilation, and stoning of the activists. Execution of political prisoners spread widely in the country, capital punishment, and oppression of juveniles was a usual act in the news (Brohmer 67). The government was accused of stopping the publication of opposition newspapers, books, and websites. In addition, there was extreme censorship, and rapid quelling of peaceful demonstrations. The Guardian council, which is composed of six Islamic judges came up to exercise significant power over Iranian politics, economic and social issues, the candidacy of aspiring politicians, and cultural life hindered legislation that endorsed human rights, and promoted leaders and policies that would strengthen the imbalanced power organized at the cost of the citizens of Iran. The street protests According to Leimbach, during the 2009 presidential elections, the comparatively reform-based Mir-Hussein Mousavi contested against the serving Ahmadinejad. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declar ed the winner of the elections, though suspicions of fraud spread widely in the country. For instance, voter turnout in two provinces accounted for over 100% of the total ballots to be lawful. Simply, there were more casted votes than voters. Given the little local migration and lower historical turnout, it was highly improbable that the ballots were fairly cast. After citizens went to the streets to protest against the voter results, the Guardian Council arranged for a partial recount of the casted votes, but there was no difference in who emerged the winner. Following this, Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme leader announced that the reformist leaders were to be blamed for any aggression brought about by clashes in the government forces and the protesters (Leimbach 50). More than 100,000 Iranians took to the streets of Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, Mashhad, Kermanshah, and Rasht cities to protest against the ruling government. The protest materialized from 14TH February, 2011. To curb the protests, forces were sent to raid homes at night in an effort to scare the citizens. The solidarity protests became nearly like an anti-regime demonstration where the police used paintballs and fired tear gas at the protesters. On the other hand, protesters set fire in garbage bins to protect themselves. Many famous human rights and democracy activists, lawyers, demonstrators, and opposition leaders were arrested and killed by the regime. Most protesters flew away, as the government threatened to kill them; they were not even allowed to contact lawyers or their families. According to the authorities in Iran, there were 20 causalities, more than 1000 detainees, and 500 injured individuals. However, this may not be the exact numbers, due to the suppression of data and internet blocking in the nation. Unofficial sources claim that the number of people who died from the street protests were approximately 300. As forces attacked protesters who had no arms, the ruling government was per ceived to go to extremes in dealing with the issue. Even those who did not take part in the protests were brutally killed so long as they appeared in the streets (Human Rights Watch 414). Iranian Students Association of America argues that Iran violates human rights, simply because some of the provisions are guaranteed in the Islamic law, and for the regime in power to continue enjoying the privileges of ruling. Some of the human rights violated by Iran include: Failure to adhere to the law processes of the country; use of torture and other hostile inhuman treatment and the use of false confessions. Executions performed both publicly and in secret

Ford Motor Company Analysis Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Ford Motor Company Analysis Report - Essay Example The contingency perspective has been demonstrated with the technologies that are used along with the justification of their fitness in the organisational structure. In this regard, the structural problems have also been identified and analysed. The next part of the report demonstrates the cultural aspect of the organisation assessing its goals, norms and rules and how effectively the organisational structure fits into its present culture. Lastly, the report analyses the political perspective in the company while explaining the way in which power is distributed between stakeholders and managers. The project also proposes suitable recommendations based on the analysis of the above four perspectives and identification of the challenges. The Ford Motor Company is one of the largest manufacturers of automobile products in the world. The company had initially started with manufacturing twin cylinder engines which had a potential of 20mph. Later on, the company diversified into developing o ther models. The Model-T had become particularly popular since 1909 because of its price at $850, engine size, fuel consumption and speed in the range of 40-mph. The company had confronted an economic slowdown during the Second World War, but had gradually regained its potential since then. Even amidst very stiff competition, Ford has retained the topmost position with its constant production of innovative products. The worldwide popularity of the company can be attributed to its low price, innovative styles, enhanced production and customer satisfaction (Bryant University, 2004). Analysis Bureaucratic The Ford Motor Company, which is an America based multinational automaker, is located in... This essay stresses that the company has a proper hierarchical structure in which each ones’ roles and responsibilities are clear and well defined. The rules and regulations are designed by the top management and implemented at the ground level. However, this often becomes difficult for the global organisation to incorporate. Ford is a global organisation where the business units are located at different geographic locations. This is the reason why the company has been decentralising at rapid rate. It is recommended that there should be greater decentralisation efforts from the top management. It is not easy to control the entire business from one place. Each business unit must have a specific implementation and management control. This paper makes a conclusion that the company faces problems integrating the different cultures across the different global units. As the company has globalised, the bureaucratic structure has become increasingly obsolete. In order to create a single corporate culture, it is crucial for the top management to allocate power and authority to the individual managers. They should be accountable for implementing the culture, norms and regulations in the individual business units. Maintaining a single culture from a single location would be impossible. This is where the bureaucratic structure fails. Greater decentralisation and allocation of power and authority would be the most effective method of integrating the diverse culture of the global organisation and focussing one single and common norm.

The Evolution of Voice Recognition Essay Example for Free

The Evolution of Voice Recognition Essay Aw the Dictaphone! What an extraordinary invention. This device has been used to record spoken notes of medical professionals to be transcribed at a later date for over a century. The Dictaphone has truly been an icon in the health care industry and will be missed. Since its invention health care has underwent so many changes and introduced so many technological advances. To follow suit the way in which medical notes are recorded and stored must too undergo change. And so it did. There has been skepticism along the way however, voice or speech recognition is beginning to be more accepted and widely used in the health care field. Voice recognition software was developed to produce text from spoken words. Instead of typing the words a computer user only needed to talk to the computer, and the text is typed by a program which is integrated into the software. Voice recognition was being experimented with by the government agencies for over six decades however, did not become reality in the public until the last two decades of the 20th century. This new technology allowed the user to enter comments or commands without keyboard functions or a mouse. This was truly hands free (Parente, Kock, Sonsini, 2004). The mid 1990s finally brought the induction of voice recognition into the health care industry. Many doctors feared the use of this new technology and others disbelieved the capabilities which prevented them from using the system. The vocabulary of the technology lacked the sophistication which would be required for its purpose. This program required the user to adapt to its capabilities instead of the program adapting to the user; this was backward to how the program would ideally work. Having a cold or an accent made the technology quite difficult to use. Computers were slower at processing information during this time in technological history; this made the problem worse. With the early version of voice recognition it was sometimes hard to tell the difference â€Å"between background noise and the user’s speech† and the technology was much less than cost effective. The system generally started at â€Å"$27,000 per workstation† (Parente et al. , 2004, Historical Development of Speech-Recognition Technology, para 6). The voice recognition system would be improved upon and become an important part of the technology used in hospitals today. A wider understanding of medical vocabulary would be important for doctors to hold any faith in the system. Improvements were indeed made over time. †Accuracy rates rose dramatically, and doctors were no longer struggling for the right words for the system to understand and record. Newer systems even provided each user with an opportunity to teach the computer to understand† the way that he or she speaks (Parente et al. , 2004, Historical Development of Speech-Recognition Technology, para 7). According to Business Source (2006), many hospitals are now using voice recognition technology with ease and finding the system quite dependable. Though expensive, using this â€Å"technology to replace transcription can lead to savings of over $10,000 a year. Thus, adopting voice recognition solutions can eliminate the need for in-house transcription staff, resulting in huge cost reduction† (para 3). The voice recognition technology has many functional uses; they â€Å"include transcription, patient monitoring, interactive response systems, telemedicine as well as electronic health record generation, maintenance and security† (Business Source, 2006 para 2). Though one must always be sure that patient privacy is protected, Wager, Lee, Glaser (2005) describes voice recognition, as a â€Å"method used in health care† which can best be used in â€Å"work environments where using a keyboard, mouse, or touch screen is not practical. † The newer systems are capable of understanding the speech of the user and how he or she applies the voice, through tone, pitch, and pattern; then this â€Å"is converted to computer-readable data† (Wager, et al. , 2005, p. 220). The voice recognition does not come totally without disadvantages. The disadvantage of these systems is the time it takes to train the computer to recognize the speech. This is a particular challenge in an area with many users. Higher-end systems are designed to understand any person’s speech, but most of these systems have fairly limited built-in vocabularies. Most would agree that speech recognition is still under development and its use is most likely in certain segments of health care, such as radiology, pathology, and emergency medicine. However, it does have the potential to be used with many other types of health care applications (Wager, et al. , 2005, p. 220). The use of voice recognition systems also requires the user to be aware of his or her surroundings. One must take precautions to restrict use to areas which are not accessible to the public, as the voice may carry and patient information may be heard by wandering ears. Depending on the information this could be harmful to the patient (information used may lead to identity theft if overheard) and violate confidentiality laws.

Halfway There :: essays papers

Halfway There People. Droves of them, hustling off to their appointed gates with seventeen suitcases strapped to themselves like pack mules. All scowling, furrowing their brows. Hoping to get to where they want to go, and with all seventeen suitcases they came with. Me? I only had two bags, but one of them was large enough to be a body bag. Beside me was my cousin, a tall 16-year old, the jock type, with broad shoulders and pimple covered cheeks. He, of course, got stuck carrying my oversized bag. As we made our way past the ticket counter the automatic doors whooshed open, nearly sweeping us away in a blast of icy air. It was December in Vermont, which means one thing: cold. The kind of cold that hurt the skin, just breathing made people cough. As we zigged and zagged our way through the seething maze of bodies, we kept looking down at the flight information in my hands. â€Å"Gate B-17, I’m sure of it† I said, none too convincingly apparently, for he kept reading aloud the gates and their destinations. We reached a fairly quiet section of the airport, and all the sounds became subdued. It had the feel of a library to it: old, peaceful, and undisturbed. â€Å"Is that our gate?† I asked. He looked up at the monitor and said, â€Å"Flight 182 to Pittsburgh, I think that’s us.† We stepped up to the woman behind the counter and handed her our tickets. She looked up at us, crows’ feet at the edges of her eyes, soft blond hair, and slightly delicate hands, a very attractive middle-aged woman. She had a soft voice, meek and unassuming. â€Å"Right this way please,† she said. We followed her down the steep incline to the plane. The closer we got the louder the noise became, threatening to deafen us. I could see the pilots huddled over the glowing panels in the cockpit, pressing a button here, turning a knob there, and making me feel secure just by looking busy. We stepped into the cabin and the sound became suddenly muffled, like someone threw a wool blanket over us. As we sidestepped down the aisle, I kept glancing over my shoulder into the cockpit, maybe out of curiosity as to what all the flashing buttons did, or maybe to continually remind myself that the pilots knew what they were doing.

The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Thirty-Two

Moonlight shone in the window, iluminating a long swath of Elena's bed. Meredith had tossed and turned for a while, but now Elena could hear her steady breathing. It was good that Meredith was sleeping. She was exhausting herself: working out constantly, patrol ing every night, making sure al her weapons were in prime condition, wild with frustration that they weren't able to find any solid clues as to the kil er's identity. But it was lonely being the only one awake. Elena stretched her legs under the sheets and flipped over her pil ow to rest her head on the cooler side. Branches tapped against the window, and Elena wiggled her shoulders against the mattress, trying to calm her busy mind. She wished Bonnie would come home. The tapping on the window came again, then again, sharp peremptory raps. Slowly, it dawned on Elena, a little late, that there weren't any trees whose branches touched that window. Heart pounding, she sat up with a gasp. Eyes black as night peered in the window, skin as pale as the moonlight. It took Elena's brain a minute to start working again, but then she was out of bed and opening the window. He was so quick and graceful that by the time she shut the window and turned around, Damon was seated on her bed, leaning back on his elbows and looking total y at ease. â€Å"Some vampire hunter she is,† he said cool y, looking over at Meredith as she made a soft whuffling sound into her pil ow. His gaze, though, was almost affectionate. â€Å"That's not fair,† Elena said. â€Å"She's exhausted.† â€Å"Someday her life might depend on her staying alert even when she's exhausted,† Damon said pointedly. â€Å"Okay, but today is not that day,† Elena said. â€Å"Leave Meredith alone and tel me what you've found out about Zander.† Sitting down cross-legged on the bed next to him, she leaned forward to give Damon her ful attention. Damon took her hand, slowly interlacing his fingers with hers. â€Å"I haven't learned anything definite,† he said, â€Å"but I have suspicions.† â€Å"What do you mean?† Elena said, distracted. Damon was stroking her arm lightly with his other hand, feather touches, and she realized he was watching her closely, waiting to see if she would object. Inwardly, she shrugged a little. What did it matter, after al ? Stefan had left her; there was no reason now to push Damon away. She glanced over at Meredith, but the dark-haired girl was stil deeply asleep. Damon's dark eyes glittered in the moonlight. He seemed to sense what she was thinking, because he leaned closer to her on the bed, pul ing her snugly against him. â€Å"I need to investigate a little more,† Damon said. â€Å"There's definitely something off about him and those boys he runs around with. They're too fast, for one thing. But I don't think Bonnie's in any immediate danger.† Elena stiffened in his arms. â€Å"What proof do you have of that?† she asked. â€Å"And it's not just Bonnie. If anyone's in danger, they have to be our top priority.† â€Å"I'l watch them, don't worry.† He chuckled, a dry, intimate sound. â€Å"He and Bonnie are certainly getting close. She seems besotted.† Elena twisted away from his careful hands, feeling anxious. â€Å"If he could be dangerous, if there's anything off about him the way you say, we have to warn her about him. We can't just sit by watching and waiting for him to do something wrong. By then, it might be too late.† Damon pul ed her back to him, his hand flat and steady against her side. â€Å"You already tried warning Bonnie, and that didn't work, did it? Why would she listen to you now that she's spent more time with him, bonding with him, and nothing bad's happened to her?† He shook his head. â€Å"It won't work, princess.† â€Å"I just wish we could do something,† Elena said miserably. â€Å"If I had gotten a look at the bodies,† Damon said thoughtful y, â€Å"I might have more of an idea of what could be behind this. I suppose breaking into the morgue is out of the question?† Elena considered this. â€Å"I think they've probably released the bodies by now,† she said doubtful y, â€Å"and I'm not sure where they'd take them next. Wait!† She sat up straight. â€Å"The campus security office would have something, wouldn't they? Records, or maybe even pictures of Christopher's and Samantha's bodies? The campus officers were al over the crime scenes before the police got there.† â€Å"We can check it out tomorrow, certainly,† Damon said casual y. â€Å"If it wil make you feel better.† His voice and expression were almost disinterested, provokingly so, and once again, Elena felt the strange mixture of desire and irritation that Damon often sparked in her. She wanted to shove him away and pul him closer at the same time. She had almost decided on shoving him away when he turned to look her ful in the face. â€Å"My poor Elena,† he said in a soothing murmur, his eyes glinting in the moonlight. He ran a soft hand up her arm, shoulder, and neck, coming to rest gently against her jawline. â€Å"You can't get away from the dark creatures, can you, Elena? No matter how you try. Come to a new place, find a new monster.† He stroked her face with one finger. His words were almost mocking, but his voice was gentle and his eyes shone with emotion. Elena pressed her cheek against his hand. Damon was elegant and clever, and something in him spoke to the dark, secret part of her. She couldn't deny that she was drawn to him – that she'd always been drawn to him, even when they first met and he scared her. And Elena had loved him since that winter night when she awoke as a vampire and he cared for her, protected her, and taught her what she needed to know. Stefan had left her. There was no reason why she shouldn't do this. â€Å"I don't always want to get away from the dark creatures, Damon,† she said. He was silent for a moment, his hand stroking her cheek automatical y, and then he kissed her. His lips were like cool silk against hers, and Elena felt as if she had been wandering for hours in a desert and had final y been given a cold drink of water. She kissed him harder, letting go of his hand to twine her fingers through his soft hair. Pul ing away from her mouth, Damon kissed her neck gently, waiting for permission. Elena dropped her head back to give him better access. She heard Damon's breath hiss through his teeth, and he looked into her eyes for a moment, his face soft and more open than she'd ever seen it, before he lowered his face to her neck again. The twin wasp stings of his fangs hurt for a moment, and then she was sliding through darkness, fol owing a ribbon of aching pleasure that led her through the night, led her to Damon. She felt his joy and wonder at having her in his arms without guilt, without reserve. In return she let him feel her happiness in him and her confusion over wanting him and stil loving Stefan, her pain at Stefan's absence. There was no guilt, not now, but there was a huge Stefan-shaped hole in her heart, and she let Damon see it. It's all right, Elena, she felt from him, not quite in words, but in a rock-solid contentment, like the purr of a cat. All I want is this.

Nutrition concepts and controversies

Mammals, like humans, have a unique way of bearing an offspring. They carry this offspring in their womb for several days or months until their offspring are ready to face the world. This process is called pregnancy. In scientific terms, pregnancy is the phase from conception until birth wherein a fertilized develops into a fetus inside a mother’s womb. Pregnancy is a delicate situation, and needs utmost care and attention. During pregnancy, a mother is exposed to a lot of risks, so risky practices should be avoided. One practice that should be avoided is doing strenuous sports, particularly sports with risks of falling. A fall would cause an impact, and this impact may initiate the separation of placenta from the uterus, a condition known as placenta abruptio. This might cause an excessive loss of blood to the mother. Death to the unborn child would be the other risk. Another habit that should be avoided is smoking. This increases the risk of miscarriage for the mother, and possible health problems and lower birth weight for the offspring. This might also trigger an event known as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).   Another practice that should be avoided is drinking alcohol. A drunken mother is more prone to accidental fall which may trigger a miscarriage, and therefore excessive loss of blood or death of the unborn child. The child might also have some health problems after birth like a heart problem. Drinking great amounts of caffeine are also strictly prohibited for pregnant mothers. Caffeine affects the nervous system, making you more nervous, irritable and unable to sleep. Too much caffeine in a pregnant mother’s body might increase the likelihood of a miscarriage. This would either lead to excessive bleeding and loss of blood to the mother, and death to the offspring. Lastly, a pregnant mom should also avoid hot bath tubs and sauna baths/steams. These practices increase the core body temperature of the mother. This would increase heart rate to increase the blood flow on the body. It makes the heart work even harder and therefore might result to fainting. The increased heat in the environment of the fetus might also have a significant impact on the health of the child after birth. Reference: Children and Youth Health. (2007). Pregnancy – risks. Retrieved May 1, 2008 from http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=304&id=1964   

Sensitivity essays

Sensitivity essays Each body part has different levels of sensitivity. Some places can sense things much better then other parts can. For instance your fingers would probably be more sensitive then the back of your elbow. This is because there are more nerves in one given area then another and therefore the area is more likely to differentiate between how many points that spot has been touched with. But whats the limit of which the part can tell the difference? 2 inches? 1 inch? This lab helps us all understand at what point our body parts cannot differentiate between one or two points of a compass. My hypothesis is that your fingers will be much more sensitive to the compass points then other parts like your arm. The very first thing you will need to do is gather the materials. Youll need a compass, a ruler, and something to draw a graph with. Youll have to pick out at least 3 or 4 different body parts of a group from a group of people. There will first have to be a test trail on each body part to find the measurement of about 50% accuracy. Take note of the measurement and make other measurements based on that number. Then select the parts of your body you will be experimenting with. In this case it was your fingertips, your fore arm, and your upper arm. Now take the compass and set the width of the two compass points to the largest measurement. Randomly pick how many points will touch the person who will be tested and record it onto the chart. Its recommended that you go through the procedure around 75 times. Once you have figured out when you will touch the person with one or two points, go through the process of gently touching the body part with the compass with the number of points t hat the chart says. The person will say whether he/she feels one or two points. Record that onto the chart, change the compass angle to another measurement, and repeat the procedure on the next body part. Once you have tested all the body pa...

Examples of Linguistic Conversion or Zero Derivation

Examples of Linguistic Conversion or Zero Derivation In English grammar, conversion is a word-formation process that assigns an existing word to a different word class (part of speech) or syntactic category. This process is also known as a functional shift or zero derivation. The rhetorical term for grammatical conversion is anthimeria. Examples ofLinguistic Conversion Lets not Rumsfeld Afghanistan.(Senator Lindsey Graham, quoted in Time magazine, Aug. 24, 2009)Boyes spent the night with Mr. Vaughan, and they breakfasted together in the usual way upon bacon and eggs, toast, marmalade and coffee.(Dorothy L. Sayers, The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, 1928)One writer who went on a tour of New Yorks Harlem district was shown the place where Adam C. Powell was funeralised. Another letter detailed an American friends eagerness to see the Prince of Wales coronated. On a flight to Boston, flight attendants promised passengers they would soon beverage, but later, because of adverse weather conditions, they said they were unable to complete beverisation. Asked about this trend, one American quipped: Any noun can be verbed.(Kevin Courtney, Con Text Verbing. The Irish Times, March 18, 2008) The Strategy of Conversion Consider sentences such as:- Henry downed a pint of beer.- Melissa went to town and did a buy.English, we note, lacks a simple means of saying to do something in one fell swoop. This may be why the word down can be converted into a verb to mean drink down in one gulp, and the word buy into a noun which, when combined with the verb do, means go on a single massive shopping spree. This type of fast-moving, thorough activity may represent a change in the pace of life, which is in turn reflected in the language since we increasingly make use of conversionsthe conversion of one part of speech into another.(Jean Aitchison, Language Change: Progress or Decay? Cambridge University Press, 1991) Shakespeare's Conversions Shakespeare was the conversion expert. I eared her language. He words me. Some of his conversions seem really daring. Even the name of a person can become a verb. Petruchio is Kated. But all he was doing was tapping into a natural everyday usage that is still with us.(David Crystal, The Story of English in 100 Words. St. Martins Press, 2012) Which Came First? Almost all the examples [of zero conversion] are of shifts between noun, verb, and adjective. In some instances the direction of the shift is clear. We have had the noun text for a long time, but it has come to be used as a verb only recently with reference to sending messages full of abbreviations via mobile/cell phone. In other instances, we might hesitate to say which part of speech came first, as with plot, for instance. Was it a noun first or was it a verb first?(Barry J. Blake, All About Language. Oxford University Press, 2008) Conversion and Meaning Meaning is crucial to the system of word-classes, [...] as it is to the recognition of instances of conversion. Even if it were not for the homophonous noun plane carpenters tool, we would not wish to relate to plane smooth a piece of wood and a plane aircraft by conversion, because their meanings are not sufficiently close. What is a sufficiently close meaning (and how it can be defined) remains an open question. A slightly dubious example is to bank turn an aircraft and a bank side of a hill which, despite their etymological relatedness, may no longer be close enough semantically for us to wish to say that the same relationship holds between them as between to bridge and a bridge. Somehow, then, we need to operationalise the notion of related in meaning to a sufficient degree to allow us to recognise potential instances of conversion.(Laurie Bauer and Salvador Valera, Conversion or Zero-Derivation: An Introduction. Approaches to Conversion/Zero-Derivation, ed. by L. Bauer and S. Va lera. Waxmann, 2005) Pronunciation: kon-VER-zhun (a/k/a functional shift, role shifting, zero derivation, category shift)

The Controversial Classic of Huckleberry Finn Essay

The Controversial Classic of Huckleberry Finn - Essay Example The book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, has always been a controversial topic of discussion, due to its content. Its content includes a story of a young boy, Huck, which helps his slave friend, Jim, to escape to the North to gain his freedom during the 1830s in the United States. Although Huck is very young, he grew up to that age in a slave society, which consequently leads him to be racist towards other slaves. His racism is seen throughout the novel and is also the main reason the book is so controversial. The racism in the book to some extent encourages a motivation to use the n-word. Many articles about this book suggest that the book should be taught for several reasons. They suggest the book should be taught due to the viewpoint it gives on slavery or the fact that this book was purely a recitation of the radical and unjust events which took place in the South during the period of slavery and therefore, is historically accurate. These arguments do come off as logical, ye t they are insufficient. The damage this book inflicts to black students being taught Huck Finn is very crucial. Black students will experience the pain of the word "nigger" throughout this unit even if it is not applied to them directly. Huck Finn should not be taught due to a multitude of reasons such as its excessive use of derogatory terms, teachers' inability to teach Huck Finn in a multiracial classroom without creating an unjust situation for black students, and due to the better alternative books about this time era.

Advertising strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Advertising strategies - Essay Example They may access the internet but locating Ads with ease and efficiency may be a difficult task. The development of print advertisement should be done with large prints in consideration that the elderly have poor vision or sight impairments. Sponsorship and partnership with relevant organizations are also required. For instance, funding activities in nursing homes and partnering with the institutions provide a significant marketing opportunity. The language or message used in the advertisement should have nostalgic features (Enis & Roering, 2012). The most effective type of exploratory research that should be used is depth interviews. In this approach, the questionnaire is developed in an open-ended way to increase the feedback depth of respondents (Shields & Rangarjan, 2013). In addition, the questionnaires objectives’ is not to develop a statistical result but rather a responsive feedback on the required marketing needs. The project would be more effective with the use of qualitative research. This is based on that; the bookstore is a new venture and acquiring the market perception and references would be more important that acquiring statistical data. The first step would be to locate a target market or relevant person likely to consume the provided services and products. Then development of open-ended would be done. The development of the questions should be based on the desires of the market and how the desires are relayed to the consumer (Shields & Rangarjan, 2013). The questionnaire would then be used in a depth interview

MUSIC (Freewrite) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MUSIC (Freewrite) - Essay Example r contemporary artists carpenters’ greatest sounds Michael Jackson erytha franklin local talents pure inate skills banjo guitar piano groovy nights night out dancing socializing midnight blues spontaneous personal expression sentimental no bounds lyrics crying Christmas medly remembering good days bad days people loved smile faces philharmonic harmony melody noise banging fireworks nostaligic calming spring water warm peaceful merican idol beatles riding radio on google upload swigning breathtaking sopranto alto crescendo mother singing baby lullaby association to music was inferred from one’s family members and the experiences shared with them. As such, music was more of a personal and family experience as memories seemed to have formed through established bonds with loved ones. As evident, the correlation to music was expressed through words that were descriptive of sounds of music: soft, mellow, loud, fast, crescendo, alto, among others. Then, there were adjectives that focused on associating music with particular events or days: Sunday afternoon, father and mother singing, baby’s lullaby, Christmas, fireworks and even watching American Idol. Concurrently, music was clearly related to artists such as Josh Groban, the Carpenters, Michael Jackson, and Aretha Franklin; in conjunction with remembering terms that are specifically related to musical elements and genres: rhythm, harmony, melody, pop, jazz, and rhythm and blues. The fun part was that the freewrite exercise provided one with the opportunity to burst for th with whatever came to one’s mind regardless of order, pattern, grammatical rules, or whimsical sense. Food was evidently part of the musical experience with pizza, potato chips and chocolates topping the list. However, remarkably, since the topic on music was initially provided, the free flow of words, ideas, and associated terms all reverberated to anything that has some special relation to music: people, events, sounds, artists, and even the

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Parliament Essay Example for Free

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Parliament Essay Weaknesses †¢ Investigation and implementation of new laws is time consuming and parliament is not always able to keep up with changes in society. †¢ Delegated authorities are not all elected by the people and there may be too many bodies making laws. †¢ It is not always possible to change the law in accordance with changing values in society. †¢ Parliament can make laws retrospectively, which can be unfair. †¢ Cabinet’s legislative proposals may dominate law-making by parliament, particularly where the government controls both houses. Parliament’s response to community views may not be adequate. * Makes laws whenever the need arises Strengths †¢ Parliament can make law in futuro, which means they can make laws even before the need arises. †¢ Parliament can investigate the whole topic and make a comprehensive set of laws. †¢ Parliament can delegate its power to make law to expert bodies, which can make the regulations much faster than parliament. †¢ Parliament is able to involve the public in law-making. †¢ Parliament can change the law as the need arises (in comparison to courts). Weaknesses Investigation and implementation of new laws is time consuming and parliament is not always able to keep up with changes in society. †¢ The process of passing a Bill is time consuming. †¢ Parliament is not always sitting, so changes in the law may have to wait some time. †¢ Changes in the law may involve financial outlay, which may not be economically viable at the time. †¢ The division of law-making powers between the federal and state parliaments is in dispute from time to time, therefore often a law may be ‘put on hold’. †¢ Parliament’s Upper House can ‘rubber stamp’ or deliberately obstruct legislation. The government of the day might decide for political reasons that they do not wish to make a law, even though there may be a need for it. Following is an extract that critically examines two strengths of parliamentary law-making, as required by the question. It is true that parliament can create informed laws that reflect the views of the community because it is able to consult with the public through speaking with voters and also examining the opinion of voters through investigations conducted by formal law reform bodies such as the ALRC. However, members of parliament may not legislate on controversial issues such as euthanasia because they fear voter backlash. Thus, this can limit the law-making ability of parliament to truly represent the views of the entire community. The political nature of parliament, whereby there are two distinct parties controlling most of the seats can also limit the ability of parliament to reflect the views of the community because MPs will almost always vote on party lines, often preventing law reform that reflects the views of the community.

power of politics Essay -- essays research papers

Power Politics: The Framework Provided Understanding contemporary world politics is by no means an easy feat. To merely begin the process, one must first have an ample knowledge of historical as well as modern trends in international relations, the issues at hand both now and in the past and major events that affect the field. Several groups and styles of thinking have developed throughout the centuries to make attempts at comprehending world politics and most successfully carrying out international relations. One of these styles of thinking is often called power politics and can be referred to as realpolitik or realism. This school of thought focuses on ways in which power affects the international arena by assessing how states influence each other as the most important actors in world politics. Realpolitik pays attention to political power matters such as military preparedness and industrial capacities, ignoring issues of morality, ideology and other social aspects as reasons for actions of states. In this way, realism sets up a strong framework for understanding short-term, interstate relationships, yet leaves the comprehension of deeper, long-term issues weak in the background. Power politics maintains that human nature is generally selfish. This belief comes from their understanding of the trends in international relations. They feel that in the international field, states are the most important actors which act upon their own individual interests. Therefore, a state is deemed powerful if it has the ability to maintain its national interests by influencing other states. These trends date back thousands of years to the beginning of war. Once states came into existence, selfishness caused territorial expansion and war to soon follow. Countries began developing armies to carry out their interests with force, and their neighbors had to respond with their own armies. This began the trends that lead to power politics. The need to focus on defense superseded the need to address more liberal issues. Power politics are not only used in matters of war and defense. The general definition of power can be seen as a state’s ability to get its way, making other states do things that are in the interest of the first state. In realpolitik, states use militaristic, economic, and diplomatic strengths to influence other actors from whom they desire something. The ge... ...ely analyze a modern issue is the conflict between Iraq and Kuwait. When Iraq invaded Kuwait within the last decade, it was in the national interest of the United States to get involved due to the location of the conflict. With the annexed nation an important actor to keeping Iraq from having control of the Persian Gulf’s oil, the US used its superior military force to support its own national interest. This example shows us that a nation with a severely higher GDP and a preferable army can use force to influence other states. Despite the fact that power politics helps to analyze many of the world’s issues, it fails to analyze and represent others. As previously mentioned, realism ignores many of the important issues within the field of international relations. These issues include sub-state actors, alternate goals of states, the importance of change in the global arena to improve the quality of the world, and the collective good. It is because of the complexities of the international stage that we must not assume that one view of world politics is correct and the others are wrong. We must take into consideration each school of thought in order to understand how the world works.

Facebook Games Essay

Facebook is a worldwide social network in which people all around the world socialize with one another. Not only do people log on to Facebook to tell all of their business they also log on to play the free online social games and playing games on Facebook can be addictive. In other words, people sit up all night playing these games and those that have no jobs sit up all day playing them. They somehow forget that there is a real world and that they are a part of the real world. One must remember that games are just animation and a figment of ones imagination and that real life is real life. Although Facebook has hundreds of games to play over one million people log on every day to play them. However, just to name a few, the most popular games played on Facebook are Cityville, Castleville, Chefville, and Farmville 2. These games are also associated with a web site called Zynga. com. Zynga. com allows players to play with people all over the world. For instance, Cityville is a game that lets the players create and run their own city. Players have to build their city from the ground up. They have to plan where they want to build their houses, put down their streets, where they want to build their businesses, parks, public works, and their schools. The players can collect rent, shop, and visit their online friends and have their friends visit them. In addition to completing the building process of their businesses, they have to ask their friends to work in them and they have to accept. Next is castleville, although castleville is a little similar to Cityville it involves players building their own kingdom from the ground up. Players have to build their castle and expand their kingdom by building cottages, barracks, and all the royal buildings. Players can also expand their kingdom by harvesting crops, tending to animals, cooking foods and crafting materials. Again, players have to collect rent and have their online friends to come work in their royal buildings in order for the building process to be completed. Opposite to Cityville and Castleville, players also log on to play Chefville a game where players can run their own restaurant. This game also consists of players having their online friends to come and help them. They might need their friends to help them build their kitchen appliances or help them finish cooking their foods their friends can also come in their restaurant and taste their foods that one has prepared or help them gather some items that they may need to prepare their foods. Players are to decorate their restaurants, buy and build cooking appliances, pick out styles for their tables and floors. Players can expand and design their restaurant any style of their choice. For example, their style can be Mexican, Italian, Country, or any of the other styles that they prefer. Chefville allow players to cook dishes using real live recipes and give players the opportunity to share their own recipes. Finally, you have the game Farmville 2, in this game players create their own farm where players can harvest crops, and plant fruit trees by fertilizing and watering them in a time sequence. In other words if the crops and trees are not watered at a certain time they will wither, and at this point the player can ask their online friends to visit them to fertilize their crops. Players can buy and raise farm animals such as chickens, cows, goats, rabbits, horses, and sheep. These animals produce the products that players may need for crafting, products such as eggs milk, horseshoes, and fur. However if one may need to cook a country feast or craft a wool blanket their farm will provide them with whatever they may need. To sum it all up, Facebook and Zynga. com allow millions of people to live their dreams all on a social network, but yet taking them out of reality to do that. Although it is ok to play games on Facebook but one must not let it take them from what is real and that is life. Whether they are playing cityville, castleville, chefville, or farmville2 players need to set a limit on how much time spent on playing games.

A Comparison of Vietnamese and American Writing-Pedagogy Essay

A Comparison of Vietnamese and American Writing-Pedagogy As an international student and educator from Vietnam, I see a lot of differences in the educational systems of the United States and my own country. In order to illuminate the differences between teaching writing in Vietnam and teaching writing in America, I would like to give a brief introduction to teaching writing in Vietnam and what I have learned from a writing class here at Eastern Illinois University. In my discussion of pedagogy in Vietnam, I would like to highlight two things: how Vietnamese people study Vietnamese, and how Vietnamese study English. Though I need to read more about American writing pedagogy, I see some basic similarities between the two countries. As in the United States, mathematics and language arts are important subjects in Vietnam. In Vietnam, however, writing isn’t a subject per se, and students develop their writing skills through the study of literature. In primary school, the teacher begins by asking the student to write simple and short para graphs about what happens in his/her daily life. Popular writing topics include â€Å"the person you love best,† â€Å"pets,† and so on. When grading, the teacher pays attention to spelling, clarity, and the way students use words. In secondary school, a student begins to write longer and more difficult essays, including plot summaries, movie reviews, character- and other kinds of literary analysis. Students continue to study writing up to graduation, when they are required to demonstrate their mastery of writing skills in an exam. Students who want to go on to university must pass an additional exam. The different is, however, university students do not take courses devoted to writing. They devote their time to their majors. Form is an important element of essay-writing in both countries. As in English, an essay in Vietnam includes three parts: the introduction, the body and the conclusion. There is a major difference, however: In America, the college essay derives from classical rhetoric. Ultimately, Aristotle and the syllogism provide the basis of a linear and logical structure. Milton’s â€Å"Of Education† and his political writings would be examples here. In Vietnam, the classical model derives from the Chinese/Confucian tradition. That tradition emphasizes the elaboration of or commentary upon a classical text or phrase. The Western essay is very linear and à ¢â‚¬Å"thesis-driven,† and compared to it the Vietnamese essay can seem circular. To Vietnamese, it is organic. Models for this form can be found in Zhuang Tzu’s, Meng Tzu’s â€Å"Doctrine of the Mean† or Literati prose. Even though these two classical models have been changed and developed considerably in modern writing, their original ideas have great influence on writing customs between the two countries. Western essay strictly follows the thesis statement and topic sentence. All sentences are coherent and support to topics sentences. Vietnamese essay, however, is circular. Students don’t go directly to their topic but approach to indirectly. The reader knows what the student is doing and tries to enjoy the essay. The approach isn’t as analytical. In Vietnam, academic essays can be of different types: description (van ta), commentary (binh luan), proof-and-explanation (chung minh va giai thich), analysis (phan tich), and critique (binh giang). In the introduction to an essay describing a landscape, a student gives general information about the place, time and setting, and the reason he/she is writing. An analysis or a proof essay is a little different. Most importantly, here a student has to give information about the author, setting and social background of the story. In the body, he/she takes up the selected text and discusses its general characteristics, outstanding f eatures, details and logic. Connections between commentary and text should be clear. The conclusion, in general, offers a brief summary of the main idea and a personal or â€Å"felt† response to the subject. The most important differences between English and Vietnamese writing are linguistic and cultural. English grammar is demanding and prescriptive with regard to such matters as tense, agreement, singular and plural forms, etc. In Vietnamese, however, word-building is very complex, and students devote their attention to morphology rather than syntax. Vietnamese (again like Chinese) has classifiers, a linguistic item unknown to English. Lexical items are variously â€Å"classified† in countless ways, including â€Å"animate† (con), inanimate (cai), â€Å"book-like† (quyen), â€Å"picture† (buc), â€Å"photographic† (tam), â€Å"food or medicine† (thuc). The classifiers can be baffling to non-native speakers of Vietnamese. Student-writers have to know how to use classifiers correctly, however, so they have to master word building skills that English students don’t. Finally, there are pronouns. â€Å"He,† to give only one example, ca n variously be any of the following in Vietnamese: no, anh, anh ay, anh ta, ga, y, ong ay, and ong ta. Knowing  these dedicated differences and using them correctly in each context is very important in writing. These linguistic features perhaps help to account for the Vietnamese love of word- play and elegant variation in many contexts where they would be unusual in English. The beautiful is important. This notion of elegance even carries over into the technology of Vietnamese writing. Computers haven’t reached most VN classrooms, and the technology of penmanship still matters. Because enthusiasm in writing comes from the beauty of nature and internal sensation, sitting with teacher and friends in a writing class is believed to be better than with technology devices. Third, I would like to introduce what a good essay is. A good essay is the combination of good grammar, language and knowledge. When grading, the instructor usually pays attention to the content: accord with the topic, clear form and organization, proportionality between introduction, body and conclusion, cohesive transition, logical phrases and sentences, correct spelling, clarity, neat presentation†¦ The instructo r often would underline obscure sentences or redundancies, cross out sentences that may be incohesive, contradictory and write his/her comments at the beginning of these sentences. Now we come to another question: how is a writing class organized? Because a writing class is in fact a literature class, the teacher lectures most of the time. Sometimes, he/she stops to ask students some questions related to his/her lecture or ask them to give their own opinion about some things. The class is not divided into groups for students to discuss or write collaboratively. Students listen to their teacher and write on their own. After students submit their tests, the teacher grades and comments. Normally, the teacher chooses interesting and good essays to read aloud and points out how they are interesting, what is good about them. Then teacher mentions those essays that are not very good, points out the common errors and teaches students how to avoid these errors in later tests. Since writing an essay in Vietnamese usually means writing about literature, the reader may wonder how a student writes essays on other subjects, such as history or geography. Invention is not stressed as much in Vietnam as here. Students listen to the teacher’s lecture and takes note carefully. Sometimes, professors simply dictate their notes to students. Before exams, teachers often give students a list of questions to prepare at home. Students find the answers in the teacher’ s textbooks or  notes, and then try to get them down by heart. The teacher chooses one or two topics for student to write at the exams. There are no take home exams. Students do their research the same way as here. The teacher gives student topics to write about, and the student then chooses a topic and writes a proposal. The teacher will offer suggestions or advice. After that, the student collects material from books, newspapers and the Internet and starts to write. Thesis topics are often very broad. Therefore, the student needs to convince his/her readers using reasonable and logical arguments. The way Vietnamese learn how to write in their own language is of course different from the way they learn to write in English, which is a foreign language. In the following paragraph, I’m going to point out what the differences are. In theory, a student is supposed to learn every step as a native speaker does. The purpose is to learn how to write good essays. However, a writing class in Vietnam is usually more like an ESL class than an American writing class. Freshman and sophomore students learn to write sentences and short paragraphs. The topics are often very simple, for example: write abo ut the first day at school, an unforgettable memory. The teacher focuses on grammar, and the way of using words. Juniors and seniors learn to write essays, but what they learn is basically the theory; they don’t practice writing essays very often. A student is only required to write essays in final tests or graduate exams. The essay is usually about 1-2 pages in length. A 4-page essay is the longest. The topics are about what happens in daily life. In these essays, a student writes his/her own opinion, what he/she sees and thinks. Because their English is limited, students rarely do research in the language or make many quotations. Students aren’t usually acquainted with MLA/APA styles, and teachers focus mostly on grammar errors. In order for students to practice writing, the teacher gives writing assignments for them to write at home. Then the teacher will ask a student to write the assigned essay on the chalkboard. The whole class discusses the ideas and grammar in this essay and participates in the writing process. We have seen that writing customs vary from one country to another, especially between the cultures of East and West. Differences in writing pedagogy reflect cultural and linguistic differences. Being aware of those differences would be of importance to anyone teaching in a diverse classroom. Appreciating those differences can lead to a richer sense of the possibilities of language for all peoples.

How to Construct a Blooms Taxonomy Assessment

How to Construct a Bloom's Taxonomy Assessment Blooms Taxonomy is a method created by Benjamin Bloom to categorize the levels of reasoning skills that students use for active learning. There are six levels of Blooms Taxonomy: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Many teachers write their assessments in the lowest two levels of the taxonomy. However, this will often not show whether the students have truly integrated the new knowledge. One interesting method that can be used to make sure that all six levels are used is to create an assessment based entirely on the levels of Blooms Taxonomy. However, before doing this, it is essential that students are given background information and knowledge about the levels of the taxonomy. Introducing Students to Blooms Taxonomy The first step in preparing students is to introduce them to Blooms Taxonomy. After presenting the levels with examples of each to the students, teachers should have them practice the information. A fun way to do this is to have students create questions on an interesting topic in each level of the taxonomy. For example, they could write six questions based on a popular television show like The Simpsons. Have the students do this as part of whole group discussions. Then have them provide sample answers as a way to help guide them to the types of answers you are seeking. After presenting the information and practicing it, the teacher should then provide them with an opportunity to practice using the material being taught in class. For example, after teaching about magnetism, the teacher could go through six questions, one for each level, with the students. Together, the class can construct appropriate answers as a way to help students see what will be expected of them when they complete a Blooms Taxonomy assessment on their own. Creating the Blooms Taxonomy Assessment The first step in creating the assessment is to be clear on what the students should have learned from the lesson being taught. Then pick a singular topic and ask questions based on each of the levels. Here is an example using the prohibition era as the topic for an American History class. Knowledge Question: Define prohibition.Comprehension Question: Explain the relationship of each of the following to prohibition:18th Amendment21st AmendmentHerbert HooverAl CaponeWomans Christian Temperance UnionApplication Question: Could the methods that proponents of the temperance movement be used in a bid to create a Smoking Prohibition Amendment? Explain your answer.Analysis Question: Compare and contrast the motives of temperance leaders with those of doctors in the fight over prohibition.Synthesis Question: Create a poem or song that could have been used by temperance leaders to argue for the passage of the 18th Amendment.Evaluation Question: Evaluate prohibition in terms of its effects on the American economy. Students have to answer six different questions, one from each level of Blooms Taxonomy. This spiraling of knowledge shows a greater depth of understanding on the students part. Grading the Assessment When giving students an assessment like this, the more abstract questions should be awarded additional points. To fairly grade these questions, it is important that you create an effective rubric. Your rubric should allow students to earn partial points depending on how complete and accurate their questions are. One great way to make it more interesting for students is to give them some choice, especially in the upper-level questions. Give them two or three choices for each level so that they can choose the question that they feel most confident in answering correctly.

Learn How to Say Goodbye in French

Learn How to Say Goodbye in French Once you know all there is to know about saying bonjour, you can work on saying goodbye in French. Here again, you have some options. The Standard French Way of Saying Goodbye Au revoir is pronounced or voar in modern French. Its not a mistake per se to pronounce the e, but most people would glide over it nowadays. Au revoir always works, no matter what the situation is, so if there is one word to remember, its this one. When you can, add monsieur, madame or mademoiselle or the persons name if you know it after au revoir, its much more polite to do so in French. Be Careful With Salut Salut is a very informal French greeting. It can be used when you arrive, kind of like hey in English. And it can also be used as you leave, with friends, in a very relaxed setting or if you are younger. Bonne Soirà ©e Is Different From Bonne Nuit Now, when you leave, you may also say something beginning with have a good... Bonne journà ©e: have a good day.Bon(ne) aprà ¨s-midi: have a good afternoon (un/une aprà ¨s-midi is both masculine and feminine... Its weird, I know. In any case, no matter the spelling of bon/bonne here, the pronunciation will be the same because of the liaison.) Now, when it comes to saying have a good night, as in a good night out, with your friends, you need to say: bonne soirà ©e. Its a mistake I hear a lot; students of French do a literal translation and say: bonne nuit. But a French person would only use bonne nuit before someone goes to bed, as in have a good night sleep. So you need to be particularly careful about that. Bonsoir Is Hello in the Evening and Goodbye Bonsoir is mostly used to say hello when you arrive somewhere in the evening, we use it from time to time to say goodbye. In that case, it means the same as bonne soirà ©e have a good evening. Saying Bye, Tchao, Adios in French Why are other idioms appropriate here? Well, its very trendy among French people to use other languages to say goodbye. Actually bye, or bye-bye is extremely common! French speakers will pronounce it the English way (well, as much as the French accent permits it...) Formal and Outdated Farewells Adieu literally means to God. It used to be the way we said goodbye, farewell in French, so youll find it in literature and other classic mediums. But it has changed, and today, its really outdated, and carries the notion of forever goodbye.   Gestures Associated With Au revoir Just as with bonjour, the French will shake hands, wave, or kiss goodbye. The French dont bow. And there is no true French equivalent to an American hug. You should also practice your French greetings and kissing vocabulary  and you may also want to learn  how to say see you soon in French.

How Many Extracurricular Activities Do You Need

How Many Extracurricular Activities Do You Need SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You’ve been working hard in high school to get good grades and test scores, but there’s another part of the college application that many students find more confusing: the extracurricular activity section. How many extracurricular activities do you need for college applications? How many are too many? Will you get rejected from a school if you don’t have the right amount? Many students who have participated in activities throughout high school are shockedto look at the Common App and realize there are ten spaces to fill out. Does that mean you have to be involved in ten different activities? In this article I will tell you: The important things colleges need to see in your extracurriculars The ideal amount of extracurricular activities The minimum amount of extracurriculars you can have What to do if you have no extracurriculars What to do if you have too many extracurriculars What Colleges Want to See in Your Activities Before we talk about exactly how many activities you need, let’s discusswhy extracurricular activities are important in the first place and what colleges are hoping to learn about you through your activities. Extracurriculars are one of the most important ways that colleges can learn about who you are as a person and if you will be a good fit on their campus. Why? These activities show admissions officers many of the â€Å"intangibles† that they are looking for in their students. For example, your extracurriculars show admission officers if you can balance your schedule, if you can commit to an activity, the extent to which you can lead or improve something, and what makes you tick. There are three main things that collegesare looking for inyour activities: Dedication: Instead of seeing you jump around from activity to activity, colleges would far prefer to see you dedicate a significant amount of time over an extended period (a few years) to one particular activity. This showsyour willingness to make a commitment and yourpassion for what you are doing. Leadership: Admissions officers like to see students take control in their activities and show off their leadership skills. This could include things like founding a club, increasingparticipation in an activity, or leading a project like a fundraiser. Universities hope that someday their students will go on to be leaders on a larger scale in the community, and these activities are a good way for them to gauge if you have the interest and ability to do that. Lasting Impact: This ties in with the previous idea. Admission officers like students who are going to make a difference in the world and leave it better than they found it. So if you are someone who has done just that in an activity, they are going to be more likely to think that you are the type of student they want on their campus. Did you do something to improve a club or organization you belonged to? Did you streamline a process or innovate how your activity is done? Did you leave something better than you found it? Now that you understand what colleges are hoping to glean about you through your activities let’s see just how many of them you need in order to show off these qualities. What’s the ideal amount of activities you’ll need in order to impress admissions officers? How Many â€Å"Normal† Activities Should Students Have? The Goldilocks â€Å"just right† number of activities is 5 or6. This is a good amount because it's achievable for most students without being overwhelming. Fewer activities than this can show a lack of willingness to branch out and try something new, while having way more than 6 activities is unsustainable for most students. When colleges see students who have 10 or more activities, they will likely assume that you either padded your resume, or that you only showed up to your activities instead of making a real effort to be significantly involved. In your freshman year, try out a lot of different activities to see what you're the most passionate about. In sophomore year and beyond, start whittling down your activities so that you're left with the ones you can really make an impact in.These activities can be almost anything – clubs in your school or community, sports, art, hobbies, or community service. The key is to choose one or two activities that you will focus most of your time on. In these activities, you should be investing a significant amount of time every week. "Significant time," of course, can be interpreted differently depending on what activity you are doing. In general, between 5 and 10 hours per week for each main activity is a good benchmark, depending on how many activities you are involved in and how much time you devote to other responsibilities. (Remember to never let your academics suffer at the expense of extracurriculars!) Duringyour last years of high school, make sure that you show growth or development in these activities and try to take on a leadership role, or at least lead some initiatives. Take note of some specific accomplishments that you are proud of (don’t be too humble) andcan write about on your application – specific details about your achievementswill make your hard work much more impressive to colleges. Round yourself out with a few secondary activities. You won’t be spending as much time on these, so they should be things that you can have fun with and not have to stress about. On your college applications, these activities will help round you out as a person and show aspects of your personality that may not be visible in your main activities. For example, if your main activities are competing in Science Bowl competitions and doingresearch at a local college, having something like a stand-up comedy club on your application could show a completely different side of you. Keep in mind that the main thing is to pursue activities that you are really passionate about. College admissions advisors care much more about getting a good idea of who you are and why you have pursued certain activities than reading a list of activities you couldn’t care less about but thought would sound good on an application. Though 5 – 6 is the most ideal amount, that’s not to say that some students don’t do well with fewer activities – sometimes significantly fewer! What’s the Minimum Number of Extracurriculars I Need for a Competitive School? Surprisingly, you only really need one extracurricular activity, even for a competitive school like Harvard. However, if that’s all you’re going to have, it had better be one very impressive activity that shows your growth, leadership, and impact. You will also need to show that you have been significantly involved in the activity all throughout high school. As an example, let me tell you about a student I knew at college. The summer before her freshman year, she went with her family on vacation to Malaysia, where she was enchanted by the beautiful shawls local artisans made. She realized that many of the artists who produce these pieces were being underpaid for their work. On returning home, she decided to take some classes at the local community college in business and web development and then launched a non-profit company that allows people to purchase these kinds of goods directly from the artisans abroad.Over the next four years, she expanded the business to reach artists in several countries and hired a couple of employees to help her do the work. This kind of activity shows initiative, leadership, dedication, maturity, and passion – which areeach qualitiesthat admissions officers are looking for. Additionally, something of this magnitude would take up pretty much all of your time and not leave a lot of room for other activities. If you only have one activity of this magnitude, you should run with it and not worry about the blank spaces on your application. But is one really the minimum amount of activities you can have? What if you don’t have any at all? Can I Get Away With Having No Extracurricular Activities? The short answer to this question is yes; you can get away with having no extracurricular activities. Some lower-ranked schools completely base their admissions decisions off GPA and test scores. Additionally, there are several state schools that admit a percentage of students entirely based on the same criteria - ignoring extras such as your activities. For example, the University of California system guarantees admission to one of its campuses to all students who are in the top 9% of California high school students. If you have no activities, it's a good idea to check your state school system and see if it has a similar plan. Finally, if you have spent your free time in high school doing something productive such as taking extra classes at your local community college, you may find that schools will also look well on that and be willing to admit you despite a lack of extracurriculars. However,you may not want to go down these paths if you can at all avoid it. While you will almost certainly be eligible for some schools without extracurriculars, they may not necessarily be the schools you were hoping for. Unless you have serious extenuating circumstances, most colleges will look at a complete lack of extracurricular activities with disapproval. A student with no activities often ends up looking lazy, unmotivated, and afraid to leave his or her comfort zone. Therefore, studentswith no extracurriculars will not be competitive at most schools. Furthermore, you will be automatically eliminating yourself from the running for loads of merit- and activity-based scholarships, which are often dependent on your extracurricular activities.If you aren't sure if your after-school activities count as extracurriculars, or if you currently have no extracurriculars and don’t know what to do, see our guide. But what if you have the opposite issue? Is it possible to have too many extracurricular activities? Thereareonly ten spaces for activities on the Common App. What if you have more than that? What If I Have Way More Than Ten Activities? If you have more than ten activities, you do not needto list all of them. In fact, on this part of the application, you can make a good argument that less is more. Instead of having a long list of activities, it’s much more important to be able to show significant involvement in a few activities. Use the Common App to showcase what you consider to be your best activities. Choose the activities that you are most passionate about, have helped you mature and develop skills, have allowed you to make a lasting impact, and that youhave spent the most time doing. This will look different for every student. Some students are genuinely invested in several activities. If that’s the case, then you should list them all. However,most students will only have a couple activities that they have really dedicated themselves to. Keep in mind that colleges will care less about what you have done and more about why and how you have done it. When you're choosing which activities to write about, focus on those that help tell the story of who you are. This means that you probably don’t have to mention the one time you worked backstage on the musical or the ten hours of community service you did freshman year and never thought about again until college applications rolled around. Instead, just focus on those that show growth, leadership, and dedication. If you think about it with that criteria, do you really have more than ten activities? If you are very concerned about making everything fit, see if you can group activities together. For example, if you have participated in several different volunteer activities, you can lump them together as one.The same thing goes for students who have played several different instruments and don’t have room to list them individually. You should also consider not filling up the list. I’ll repeat: It is okay to not fill up the whole list,especially if you're includingactivities that you can’t show to be significant. Why is this a bad idea? Admissions officers may think that you just signed up foractivities to pad your resume, and it may make them doubt your maturity and the sincerity ofyour involvement in the activities you have listed. What’s Next? Check out our list of extracurricular activities if you need inspiration for an activity to choose. Now that you know what extracurriculars arecheck out our guide for how to write about extracurriculars on your college application. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: