Spirituality and Holistic care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Spirituality and Holistic care - Essay Example old among the Australian adults is low (Dick, 2003), it remains a fact that there is a higher probability that individuals who suffer from at least one type of chronic illness may end up becoming partially or totally dependent on other people when performing their own activities of daily living (ADL) such as walking, bathing, dressing, and feeding. The family structures In Australia has significantly changed over the past twenty years. As reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007), it has been very evident that the number of divorce rates had increased whereas the marriage rates had decreased. Considering the high number of divorce, separation, and never been married cases, the number of elderly including the physically and mentally disabled individuals who continuously seek for a long-term care and treatment from the professional nurses has significantly increased over time. Managing chronic illnesses can be very time-consuming and inconvenient on the part of the patients’ family members. (Sawyer et al., 2003) For this reason, spirituality has considered as a principle of practice when rendering holistic care to the patients (Dyson, Cobb, & Forman, 2007). As part of the study, the student nurse will first discuss about the essential nature of spirituality as a core component of holistic care. Aiming to prove that the student nurse has gained a better understanding with regards to the role of nurses in supporting individuals spiritually when taking care of patients who are chronically ill, disabled, and/or dying; several real-life clinical examples wherein nurses should care for the patient will be provided in the study. Caring for the sick individuals is not limited to the administering of medications, symptom management, and personal care. When providing holistic care to the patients, it is essential for nurses to know that their health care practice should be delivered not only to the patient but also the patient’s family members. This

Speech Writing Essay Example for Free

Speech Writing Essay ASSESSMENT OF SPEAKING AND LISTENING SKILLS IN ENGLISH (ASL) CCE (Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation) the flagship project of CBSE has clearly outlined the significance of speaking and listening skills as part of co-scholastic areas of achievement by every learner and also stresses the clear integration of evaluation of speaking and listening skills as a part of the curriculum transaction. The formative assessment of these two skills along with other skills have been formally provisioned under CCE . But in the absence of Summative Assessment, we have not positioned the learner’s proficiency in Speaking and Listening thereby leading to a wash back effect of very little or no importance given to Speaking and Listening Skills in many classrooms . As a result a large population of students passes out of schools with inadequate competence in expressive communication skills. As good communication skills raise the self esteem of a student, CBSE essentially desires that the students acquire proficiency in it by the time they leave the portals of the school. In the present day global markets, speaking and listening are considered to be the essential skills of real life. Since CBSE has the onerous responsibility of assessing scholastic and co-scholastic achievement levels of students in over 12000 schools affiliated to it , it has been felt for a long time that CBSE must focus on assessing speaking and listening skills for qualification as Summative Evaluation as much for Formative Assessment . Considering this, CBSE proposes to give weightage in Formative and Summative assessments in ASL (Assessment of Speaking and Listening Skills). This weightage is clearly specified in the 2014 curriculum document uploaded in the CBSE Academic website. Guidelines for teachers to assess Speaking and Listening Skills in the term-end examination: LISTENING The Listening Comprehension section tests the candidate’s ability to listen for basic interpersonal, instructional and academic purposes. A number of sub-skills need to be developed in the every day classroom transaction. Given below are some of the sub-skills of listening which need to be assessed in the formative and summative assessments: i. i. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. Listening for specific information Listening for general understanding Predictive listening Inferential listening Listening for pleasure Intensive listening Evaluative listening 1|Page Role of Assessor: An assessor is a person who is assigned the job of assessing a candidate’s performance in any of the skills that is to be assessed. For the purpose of the Summative Assessment, an assessor will be a t eacher who would also be an examiner or an interlocutor who will conduct the examination and do the assessment if skills. It is extremely important to keep in mind the factors listed below as they can significantly influence the expected outcome of the Listening Test. Therefore, due care and attention must be given to each of the following: ? ? ? ? ? ? Size of the room Seating arrangements Acoustics of the room Equipment used Quality of the recording of the Listening Input Quality of the oral rendering of the Listening Input (in case it is to be read aloud by the Examiner), in terms of volume, clarity, enunciation, intonation, pace etc Test Administration: For the Assessor (Teacher) 1 2 3 4 5 6. Select the time and date of the assessment. Plan the seating arrangements in advance. Decide exactly as to how much time is to be reserved for instructions or any possible interaction regarding clarifications etc and for the actual test. Make the announcement giving General Instructions directed to the Candidate before the recording is played/before the reading of the text. Adhere strictly to the time specified for each of the three phases of the Test (Pre-listening, While Listening and Post-Listening) The general instruction given below should be followed while conducting the test. The Listening Test The Listening test comprises of a variety of task. These tasks are graded according to the length of the task and the difficulty level. Schools may download the sample tasks and reorganize them in two parts transcripts and the marking scheme for the interlocutor or the assessor and the worksheets for the students on which student swill write answers. General Instructions for Students You are not allowed to ask questions or interrupt the Assessor at any point. 1 2 3 You are being tested on your Listening Skills. You will hear a set of recordings of the Listening Input or listen to a reading of the Listening Input. Each of the recording will be played twice. In case there is an oral rendering of the Listening Input, it shall take place twice. 2|Page 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 You are required to answer a set of questions based on each of the Listening Inputs. The test consists of 4/sections. You are required to attempt all 4 sections of the test. Familiarize yourself with the questions on the Worksheet. It will help you to answer them later on. After you have listened to the input, you will be given specified minutes to answer the questions on your worksheet You may answer the questions on your Worksheet while listening. Do not interact/comment until you have moved out of the Examination Room Assessment of Listening The marking key is prepared before the test is administered. It will take about a period of 30-35 minutes to conduct a listening test. At the end of the test, the answer scripts should be collected and marked. It is objectives type of marking. Hence, it is suggested that scripts may be marked on the same day. SPEAKING Speaking skill has acquired a very important place in the communication skills. Like listening skills – a number of subskills of speaking need to be consciously developed amongst students. Some of the sub-skills are given below which can be assessed. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. speaking intelligibly using appropriate word stress, sentence stress and intonation patterns. narrating incidents and events, real or imaginary in a logical sequence. presenting oral reports or summaries; making announcements clearly and confidently. expressing and arguing a point of view clearly and effectively. taking active part in group discussions, showing ability to express agreement or disagreement, summarising ideas, eliciting the views of others, and presenting own ideas. expressing and responding to personal feelings, opinions and attitudes. articipating in spontaneous spoken discourse in familiar social situations. General Instructions 1 The total administration time for the speaking test is approximately 10-12 minutes 2 3 4 The speaking test will be conducted for two students at a time. There will be a single teacher to function as the Interlocutor and Assessor. The Interlocutor/ Assessor s hould be a qualified English Teacher The Speaking Test: Role of Assessor: 1. The (Assessor) should ensure that the room is quiet and has good acoustics. 3|Page 2. The tone, manner and body language of the Interlocutor should be relaxed, encouraging and pleasant. Care should be taken to make the candidates feel at ease. 3. Students must not be discouraged from making a fresh start in case they are unable to do so at the first attempt. 4. The Assessor needs to be flexible, sympatric and reassuring in her/his demeanour. 5. The Assessor should also be a proficient user of the language in order to conduct the speaking test successfully. For e. g . the interlocutor should be skilled in Elicitation techniques. For e. g. Yes/No questions should generally be avoided. 6. Alternatively questions such as Explain how/Why Tell me what you think of. 7. Ideally, the Assessor should award marks after the candidates have left the Examination Room. If necessary, notes can be made discreetly to be later in the scoring so that it does not make the candidates unduly tense and self-conscious. The Speaking test is divided into three sections as given below: I General Introduction The Interlocutor converses with the two candidates. Simple warm up questions based on the candidates’ names, place of residence, leisure preferences etc are asked. II Mini Presentation In this section the Interlocutor gives each candidate the choice to pick up a Role Card or a Cue Card with a topic written on it. The candidates are given 1 minute to prepare. The assessor should be ready with sheets of paper and pencil. Candidates may organize their thoughts and ideas. Prior to the day of the speaking test, as an assistance to students to prepare for the presentations, a teacher can give a choice of 20 to 30 topics in class to students so that they can prepare the topics and organise their ideas on each topic . Similar topics can be given in the formal testing . Please note that candidates are not allowed to write full length answers. They may jot down points only in the sheets given by the Interlocutor. Therefore, pencil and paper should be provided on the table. Students are not allowed to carry pen, paper or mobile in the examination room. After one minute, each student will be given 2 minutes each to present his/her ideas. In case, a student is unable to speak during /for the allotted time, the (Assessor) may ask some rounding off questions. III Pair Interaction The third section of the test is for 3 minutes. Both candidates are given a verbal or visual stimulus and asked to respond to it Both the candidates are given a total of 3 minutes to interact. Both of them will talk together. Closing 4|Page The closing is for 1 minute duration only. In case a student has not been able to speak or has been unable to speak owing to nervousness, the dominance of the second candidate or any other factor, then, the (interlocutor) may use the 1 minute to give a fresh opportunity to that student. Note: In the Summative II assessment it has been proposed to record the candidates’ performance in the MP 3 players/ recorders, so as to validate and make the test reliable and fair. Assessment of Speaking Assessors should familiarise themselves with the assessment scale of speaking. While the students are giving their presentation, assessors may refer to descriptors. It is they may share these indicators with the students while formative assessment tasks are given. As the test will be conducted for two students at a time, it is advised that two to three teachers sit in separate rooms to conduct the assessment of students of one section at a time. Hence 48 students can be assessed simultaneously within one and half hours, in three batches of 16 students each. Assessors are advised to pay due attention to and familiarize themselves with the design of the test items. The sample test items are given here as Annexures here. Similar test items can be framed according to the need and level of students. The descriptors are given below for reference: Interaction ? 5. Can initiate logically develop simple conversation on familiar topics Can take turns appropriately ? 4. Interaction is adequately initiated and developed Can take turn but needs little prompting ? 3. Develops interactions adequately makes however minimal effort to initiate conversation Needs constant prompting to take turns ? 2. Contributions are often unrelated to those of the other speaker ? 1. Contributions are mainly unrelated to those of other speaker Shows hardly any initiative in the development of conversation Very limited interaction 1 Insufficient accuracy in pronunciation; many grammatically errors Communicatio n is severely affected ? ? ? ? ? Generally passive in the development of conversation ? Pronunciation ? Can pronounce correctly articulate clearly ? 4 Mostly ? correct pronunciation clear articulation Can be clearly understood ? most of the time; very few phonological errors ? Is always comprehensibl e; uses appropriate intonation ? 3 Largely correct ? pronunciation clear articulation except occasional ? errors Some expressions cause stress without compromising with understanding of spoken discourse. ? 2 Frequently unintelligible articulations Frequent phonol ogical errors Major communication problems ? ? 5|Page Fluency Coherence 5 ? Speaks fluently almost with no repetition minimal hesitation ? Develops topic fully coherently ? 4 Speaks without noticeable effort, with a little repetition Demonstrates hesitation to find words or use correct grammatical structures and/or self correction Topics not fully developed to merit Can express with some flexibility and appropriacy on most of the topics Demonstrates ability to use complex forms and sentence structures most of the time; expresses with adequate vocabulary to express 3 Is willing to speak at length, however repetition is noticeable Hesitates and/or self corrects; occasionally loses coherence Topics mainly developed, but usually not logically concluded Communicates with limited flexibility and appropriacy on most of the topics Sometimes uses complex forms and sentence structures; has limited vocabulary to/describe/exp ress new points ? ? 2 Usually fluent; produces simple speech fluently, but loses coherence in complex communication Often hesitates and/or resorts to slow speech Topics partly developed; not always concluded logically Communicates with limited flexibility and appropriacy on some of the topics Complex forms and sentence structures are rare; exhibits limited vocabulary to express new ideas ? Noticeably/lon g pauses; rate of speech is slow Frequent repetition and/or self correction Links only basic sentences; breakdown of coherence evident Demonstrates almost no flexibility, and mostly struggles for appropriate words Uses very basic vocabulary to express viewpoints. ? ? ? ? ? ? Vocabulary Grammar ? Can express with some flexibility and appropriacy on a variety of topics such as family, hobbies, work, travel and current events frequently uses complex forms and sentence structures; has enough vocabulary to express himself/herself ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 6|Page ASSESSMENT Grand Total Sr. No. Name of Student Interaction Pronunciation Fluency Coherence Vocabulary and Grammar Total 20 ? can we just write (5) 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 7|Page 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Signature of the Assessor 8|Page Set – I Assessment of Listening Skills Sample Tasks Class IX LISTENING Instructions: a) There are 10 questions in this set. Answer all the questions b) In the first part you will listen to five short extracts. As you listen to each one, answer the questions in your answer sheet. c) Before you begin to listen, read the questions quickly and get familiar with the questions. 0 Marks Part I 1. Transcript of the police announcement: Here is an announcement by a police officer on a local city channel. This is regarding an alleged criminal who is evading the arrest. Anyone who has a clue can come forward and inform the police at 100. So, here is the descriptionThe criminal has a broad face with a thick moustache and a be ard. Which one of the following faces are they describing? A B C D Tick the correct answer: A. B. C. D. Ans: C ____ ____ ____ ____ 2. Here is another situation, listen to it carefully. This is about the garden of Suresh. Transcript Suresh does not want people walking around in his vegetable garden that he has nurtured with great care. What sign board should he put up? 9|Page B C D Tick the correct answer A. B. C. D. Ans: C ____ ____ ____ ____ 3. Monu wants a penpal. Listen to his description of himself and fill in the columns given below: Transcript: Hi! My name is Monu and I’m from India. I live in Raipur near a lake. Since I have always lived here, I love water sports. I am twelve years old and love reading about plants and animals that live in the water. My box number is P. O. Box 002200. Fill in the blanks: Age Nationality . Here is the dialogue between Amit and Anand who have just completed their schooling. They are talking about some of the organizations which offer scholarships to students for different purposes. Amit is research minded and keen to take up a career in agriculture, which organization of the world would he apply to? Transcript: Listen to the dialogue and write your answer: Amit: I h eard about a Tall Clubs International that gives a scholarship of 1000/- per month to men above 6 feet and women above 5 feet 10 tall. Interesting†¦.. Anand: Oh! really, my height is only 5 so I am not eligible. Jokes apart, I have found a society â€Å"CV Raman Society† that awards scholarships to students who have interest in Science Technology. Amit: No, I don’t have any interest in Science Technology. I want to pursue a career in agro industry. Anand: So, in that case, The National Paotato Council has a number of scholarships for students who want to work for agro industries. Amit: But does it award scholarships to undergraduates? 10 | P a g e Anand: Yes, it does. There is another one that gives 500/- per mother to graduates or undergraduates, I will have to find out the field for which it gives. Amit: Thank you, please let me know which organizations award the scholarships. Ans: Amit will opt for___________________ Transcript: 5. Joy wants to live in a village near the city. It should be a small house with low doors and ceilings. He would prefer it to be located near the sea. Which house would you recommend for him? A B C D Tick the correct answer A. B. C. D. Ans: B ____ ____ ____ ____ Part II Instructions: a) You will now listen to the talk by Dr. Praveen Chawla on healthy foods. b) There are five questions to be answered. Read the questions quickly before you listen to the talk c) Now listen to the talk nd write your answers ‘Nature has given us everything that our body needs. If we take care we can avoid pills. Did you know that Mushrooms not only make tasty dishes but are a rich source of Vitamin D so essential for healthy bones? Regular consumption of mushrooms aids in better hearing power too. You must have heard of the Banana smile. Believe it or not this fruit can actually put a smile on your face. It contains tryptophan, a protein which once digested converts into a chemical neurotransmitter called serotonin which is a very important mood regulating chemical and works like an antidepressant. 11 | P a g e Broccoli has also come to be called a disease busting vegetable. It can prevent cancer. About 2000 years ago the curative powers of Ginger for all stomach related problems were discovered. It helps digestion, cures nausea and prevents bowel tumours Cheddar cheese is a very rich source of calcium and phosphate. These strengthen bones and muscles and reduce risk of osteoporosis. Grapes, which look so much like the lobules in the lungs, are rich in proanthocyanidin a chemical which helps circulate fresh oxygen to the blood stream thereby reducing the risk of cancer and also reduce the severity of asthma. If you cut a tomato into half, you will notice that it has four chambers just like our heart. Tomatoes are a great source of lycopene, a plant chemical that reduces the risk of heart disease and several cancers. This also helps lower the unhealthy effects of LDL cholesterol. The gnarled look of a walnut, mimicking the appearance of a human brain, is perhaps the only fruit rich in Omega -3 and fatty acids tends to ward off dementia and to some extent Alzheimer’s disease. (286 words) I. Fill in the blanks with a word or phrase 6. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ are rich in Vitamin D and help in good hearing. 7. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ood regulating chemical can make you feel happy. Ans: Banana 8. Broccoli keeps away †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Ans: 1. Mushrooms 2. Banana 3. Cancer II. Tick the most appropriate answer from the choices given below: 9. The food containing lycopene which reduces heart attack risk is A. grape B. tomato C. cheese D. walnut Ans: B. tomato 10. In the talk, Dr is advising people to A. eat a balanced diet B. be happy; live healthy C. live close to nature D. eat healthy food Ans: D. eat healthy food Closing This is the end of your listening skill assessment. Check your answers. (2 minutes) Hand over your answer sheet to the assessor. 12 | P a g e Set – II Assessment of Listening Skills Sample Tasks Class IX LISTENING Instructions: a) There are ten questions in this test. b) Answer the questions as you listen to the scripts. c) you will listen to four shorts extracts. As you listen to each one, answer the questions. I. Now listen to the news report and write correct answer 10 Marks Transcript 1. Kathmandu, May 14: Thirteen Indians were among the 15 people killed when their 20-seater aircraft slammed into a cliff in western Nepal, less than seven months after 10 Indian tourists were killed in an air accident. Six people miraculously survived the crash. A. B. C. D. Ans. B There was an explosion before the crash The crash was a consequence of collision with a cliff There have been several air crashes in the recent past Indians always die in the air crashes in and around Nepal Transcript 2. E mailing has enabled us to communicate messages to one another at a very fast pace. However, there are times when we have to post important letters and documents by surface or air mail. The postal department is very slow. Listen to the comment by an officer to his colleague. What option do you think the speaker would NOT opt for? A. B. C. D. Ans. C e-mail air mail postal department surface mail Transcript 3. City dwellers often depend on cars, buses or metros to travel from one place to another. Bicycles used to be a popular mode of travel once. I think we need to popularise them once again if we need to tackle the pollution problem. The speaker advocates the use of †¦ Now; listen to an environment activist who is talking to one of his friends. A. cars B. buses C. bicycles D. metros Ans. C 13 | P a g e Transcript 4. ‘The Mars rover Curiosity landed on the Martian surface to begin a two-year mission, seeking evidence that the Red Planet once hosted ingredients for life,’ Nasa said. Mission controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory near Los Angeles burst into applause and cheered as they received signals relayed by a Mars orbiter confirming that the rover had survived a make-or-break descent and touched down within its landing zone. What is the news report about? A. B. C. D. Ans. B invention of Curiosity landing of Curiosity happiness at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory possibility of living on Mars Transcript 5. A V-chip has been developed. In addition to spelling out the age-based ratings, letters will be displayed to warn parents if a show contains violence or other objectionable content. A group of major networks and producers have agreed to go along with the system, but NBC will not. What does the V-chip do? A. B. C. D. It allows the cable company to monitor what TV programs you watch It turns your TV into a virtual reality computer. It allows parents to block out certain programs, so their children cannot watch them. It reduces the use of the remote control device Ans. C II Now you will listen to a long text a) Before you listen to the talk, read the questions for 1 minute. b) Your will listen to a talk about Tigers. Transcript: Tigers are being loved to death. Tourists desperate for a glimpse of a tiger are damaging habitat and harassing tigers. This by no means decides that tiger tourism or wildlife tourism is a bad thing. Wildlife tourism has a lot of advantages. Wildlife tourism helps people of the area who get employ in tourism. In this way, wildlife is valued, rather than poached, or encroached upon. Wildlife also inspires the people who see it. For many, a dramatic view of one of the world’s great beasts — a tiger, a leopard, a whale — is a life-changing experience. Such a sighting makes people aware of the fragility of the planet and the folly of our short-term thinking. Above all, it prompts people to step back from our traditional species chauvinism. Wildlife tourism is similarly equivocal. When carried out with wisdom and responsibility, it is the best possible news for the creatures and the people of the area, and for the people doing the touring. Wildlife tourism can sometimes, with the best of intentions, be stupid, greedy and destructive. 14 | P a g e An adjustment of practice in India’s wildlife tourism is a good thing. It is not tourists that are killing off tigers: it is, above all, the world’s ever-increasing human population, and its incontinent need for room to live in. 231 words) A. State whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F) 6. People’s fascination with the tigers is causing them harm. 7. Wildlife tourism should be banned. 8. Tigers tourists are destroying their living places. Ans: TRUE Ans: FALSE Ans: TRUE B. Fill in the blanks with a word or phrase. 9. Wildlife tourism helps in †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ . 10. Ans: employing people/ generating employment Wise and responsible behaviour is expected from tourists who go for wild life sightings Ans: human population. 15 | P a g e Set I Assessment of Speaking Skills Sample Tasks Class IX SPEAKING Instructions: ) The speaking test will be conducted for two students at a time. b) Students should not have pen, paper, mobile phone etc. c) The teacher will be an interlocutor and an assessor both. I. GENERAL INTRODUCTION (1 min) (The Interlocutor makes the students feel comfortable) Interlocutor: Good morning, I am -. Hope you are looking forward to this brief interaction. Student A: Yes -/ I am Interlocutor: And what about your? (Looking at student B) Student B: Interlocutor: What do you do in your spare time? To Student B) Student B: Interlocutor: And how about you? (To student A) Student A: -Interlocutor: What makes you special? (To student A) Student A: -Interlocutor: What about you? (To Student B) Student B: -Interlocutor: What do admi re in other people? (To student A) Student A: -Interlocutor: How about you? (To Student B) Student B: Interlocutor: Thank you, this is the end of the first part of the test. II MINI PRESENTATION (1 min Preparation+ 2 each min each for the students= 5 min) 0 Marks Now, in this part of the test, candidates are given a topic with some points. They have a minute to prepare on the given topic and two minutes for the presentation. 16 | P a g e Students are given the following sets of inputs on cards or papers. Three options are given. Only one option has to be used at a time. Interlocutor: (To both A and B) Here is your topic. Both of you prepare your presentation on it. You are given one minute for preparation. Please use pencil and paper for writing points. After one minute I am going to ask you to present your views on the topic. I can ask anyone of you first. So be prepared and get ready. (Interlocutor hands over one card with cues to both A B) I. 1. 2. 3. Mobile phones in school Security Multiple uses Distraction If the student is not able to speak at length the teacher could ask rounding off questions ? Do you think mobile phones should be allowed in school? ? Give two advantages of carrying a mobile phone to school. ? Do you think advantages outweigh the disadvantages? II. Changing Concepts and Methodologies of Teaching-learning in India 1. Examination Pattern 2. Variety of Subjects 3. Assessment Parameters If the student is not able to speak at length the teacher could ask rounding off questions ? Do you like this present system of evaluation? ? Do you learn better when you are stress free? ? Do you think some students take this system very casually? III. An incident/person/book that changed my life. 1. What it is 2. What it is about 3. How it affected me If the student is not able to speak at length the teacher could ask rounding off questions ? What was that specific quality that remained with you? ? What did you learn? ? How would you like to be now? III PAIR INTERACTION (3 mins) Interlocutor: In this part of the test the candidates A and B will discuss the given topic together . The interlocutor can refer to the assessment scale while the candidates are discussing together. Students respond to visual/ verbal stimulus. 1. Changing roles of women- a multitasker, works in office, answers phone calls, always under pressure of work. Working at home additional. 17 | P a g e 2. Growing Pollution, all kinds of pollution water, air and tourism pollution. 3. Discipline issues in schools are now becoming a serious concern. As responsible citizens discuss i. ii. iii. Kinds of indiscipline issues Reasons for growing indiscipline Advice / solutions to your fellow students. Closing (1 min) Thank you very much. That was the end of your test. The interlocutor retrieves the pencil and paper . 18 | P a g e Set II Assessment of Speaking Skills Sample Tasks Class IX SPEAKING Instructions: a) The speaking test will be conducted for two students at a time. b) Students should not have pen, paper, mobile etc. c) The teacher will act as an interlocutor (who is involved in a conversation) as well as an assessor who will also give marks to the candidates. 10 Marks I GENERAL INTRODUCTION (1 min) The Interlocutor makes the students feel comfortable) Interlocutor: Hello! Good morning, I am -. May I know your name please? Student A: My name is -/ I am Interlocutor: And yours? (Looking at student B) Student B: Interlocutor: Where do you live? (To student B) Student B: Interlocutor: How about you? (To student A) Student A: -Interlocutor: What do you do in your leisur e? (To student A) Student A: Interlocutor: And what do you do in your free time? To student B) Student B: Interlocutor: What hobby would you like to cultivate? (To student A) Student A: -Interlocutor: How about you? (To student B) Student B: 19 | P a g e II MINI PRESENTATION: In this part of the test teacher will give 1 minute to prepare and 2 minutes each to both students to present (5 min) Oral examiner can frame any inputs; the following two frames are suggested: (1) To student B, describe something that you own and you value it tremendously. You have 1 minute to prepare and 2 minutes to present. ? ? ? Where did you get it from? How long have you had it? What do you use it for? Why is it so important for you? If the student is not able to speak at length the teacher could ask rounding off questions ? ? ? Did you buy it/ was it a gift? Would it be easy to replace it? Is it valuable in term of money? (2) To student A: You will be given one minute to prepare on your most memorable journey you will have 2 minute to describe your journey. (Each student is given 2 minutes to present) For student A ? ? ? ? Where did you travel to? What was the highlight of your visit? monument/temple/park/relatives) Which place would you like to visit next? Why are journeys relaxing? If the student is not able to speak at length the teacher could ask rounding off questions ? Was it a trip organized by the school? ? Did you go with the family? ? Was it a place you had never seen before? ? What fascinated you? Ask student B to ask a question. To student A: (Repeat) (2) Qualities that I value in a friend For student B ? ? ? ? Qualities I like in a friend Why do I consider these qualities important How many of these qualities do I have What is that one quality that I would like to inculcate If the student is not able to speak at length the teacher could ask rounding off questions ? Do you have a lot of friends? ? Why did you pick on them? ? Why do your friends care for you? Ask student A to ask a question 20 | P a g e (3) Changing role of women ? ? ? ? Varied jobs Working mothers Financial security Economicsocial independence If the student is not able to speak at length the teacher could ask rounding off questions ? ? ? Do women in your family work outside the house? Do you appreciate women working? Why? Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? III PAIR INTERACTION (3 mins): Instructions: a) Teacher to both students A and B Look at the visual carefully. Talk together for 2 minutes. Students are given 1 minute to think and prepare. And then their respond to visual/ verbal stimulus. (1) Child Marriage (2) Growing Obesity 21 | P a g e Verbal Stimulus (3) How do you imagine life in cities in the future? The interlocutor can give the following hints: ? Work ? Leisure/Entertainment ? Travel (4) What responsibilities do you think individuals have towards the environment? The interlocutor can give the following hints: ? Life style ? Shopping ? Finance IV Closing (1 min) Thank you very much. That was the end of your test. The interlocutor retrieves the pencil and paper. 22 | P a g e Set – I Assessment of Listening Skills Sample Tasks Class XI LISTENING Instructions: a) You will listen to the librarian of a new town library talking to a group of people who are visiting the library b) Before you listen to the talk, look at the plan of the Town Library given in your answer sheet. 1. As you listen, answer questions 1 – 5 in not more than one or two words. 20 Marks Transcript: Good morning, dear students. Now we are at the entrance to the town library. My name is Anita, and I’m the chief librarian here, and you’ll usually find me at the desk just by the main entrance here. So I’d like to tell you about the way the library is organized, and what you will find where. All of you have a plan in front of you. Well, as you see my desk is just on the right as you enter, and opposite this the first room on your left has an excellent collection of reference books. Here is the place where people can read or study peacefully. Just beyond the librarian’s desk on the right is a room where we have an up- to- date periodicals section. This houses the newspapers and magazines. This room also has a photocopier in case you want to photocopy any of the articles. If you carry straight on you’ll come into a large room and this is the main library area. There is fiction in the shelves on the left, and non-fiction materials on your right, and on the shelves on the far wall there is an excellent collection of books relating to local history. We hope to add a section on local tourist attractions too, later in the year. As you walk through the far door in the library just past the fiction shelves, there is a seminar room. This room can be booked for meeting or talks. The next door leads to that is the children’s library, which has a good collection of stories and picture books for youngster below eleven. Then there’s a large room to the right of the library area – that’s the multimedia collection, where you can browse through and borrow videos and DVDs. We also have CD-Roms you can borrow to use on your computer at home. It was originally the art collection but that’s been moved to another building. And that’s about it – oh, yes before I forget; there’s also the Library Office, on the left of the librarian’s desk. Ok, now I hope you all are fairly well acquainted with the layout of the library. (360 words) 23 | P a g e Instructions: You will listen to two short extracts. As you listen, tick the correct answer. Transcript: 11. The tiger population has dipped from thousands to few hundreds. Look at the graph depicting the tiger world population which is very dismal. It reflects a dramatic fall in the tiger population. Identify the graph. Tick your answer. A. B. C. D. A Ans: D B C D 1 mark 12. Now look at the Pie chart of populations of English native speakers. The pie chart reveals that the USA by far had an overwhelming majority. This was followed by the United Kingdom. Australia seemed to have the least numbers of English native speakers. Choose the pie chart which reflects the situation of native speakers of English. B A C D A B C D Ans: D 24 | P a g e 4 Marks 1. Before listening to the narration by one of the campers please read the question 1 – 4 given in your answer sheet. Listen to the narration and with the words that you hear. Transcript: One day in 1924, five of us who were camping in the Cascade Mountains of Washington saw a group of huge apelike creatures coming out of the woods. We retreated in terror and locked urselves in our cabin. The creatures pelted rocks against the walls of the cabin. All of us inside were quaking in our shoes. 8. 9. 10. 11. The number of campers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Place of camping†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Intimidated by†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Method of attackâ⠂¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4. pelted rocks Ans: 1. Five 2. Cascade Mountains 3. huge apelike creatures 2. Here is a dialogue between Neetu Kumar and the receptionist. Neetu Kumar is fixing a doctor’s appointment. Listen to this dialogue and answer the questions given in your sheet. Transcript: Receptionist: Good morning, KVG Hospital. How can I help you? Neetu: I am Neetu Kumar. I’d like an appointment with your cardiologist, Dr Suresh Reddy, please. R: For when would you like the appointment? N: For tomorrow? R: Please hold the line. I’ll check if I can fit you in tomorrow. N: Sure, thanks. R: Thanks for holding. I’m afraid Dr Suresh is fully booked tomorrow. Would you like to see our other cardiologist Dr Dinesh Mehra instead? N: I’m sorry, but we’d prefer to see Dr Reddy. R: That’s all right. In that case, would you like an appointment with him for the day after? N: That’d be fine. R: Would 12 noon suit you, Ms Kumar? N: Sure. R: Could I have the patient’s name and age? N: It’s Mrs Prema Kumar. She’s 65. R: Is this her first visit to KVG? 25 | P a g e N: Yes. R: Are you consulting Dr Reddy on your physician’s advice? N: No, a friend of mine suggested we see him. R: OK, I’ve put you down for 12 noon, Friday, 15 September. Please be here by 11. 30. N: Thanks! R: You’re welcome. Can I have your phone number, please? N: 9940109932 R: Thank you, Ms Kumar, have a nice day! Task Fill in the information in the appointment book. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Doctor ________________________ Day and date __________________________ Time ________________________________ Name of atient _________________________ Age _______________________ Referral Yes/No If Yes, doctor’s name ____________________________ Contact person __________________________ Contact phone number ___________________________ 26 | P a g e Set – I Assessment of Speaking Skill Sample Task Class XI I GENERAL INTRODUCTION (1 min) 10 Marks (The Interlocutor makes the students feel comfortable) Interlocutor: Good morning, I am -. Student A: My name is -/ I am Interlocutor: And yours? (looking at student B) Student B:Interlocutor: How would you describe yourself? to student B) Student B: Interlocutor: What about you? (to student A) Student A: Interlocutor: What is that one thing that you would like to change in yourself? (to student A) Student A:-(The interlocutor/assessor gives instructions for the mini presentation. ) II MINI PRESENTATION In the mini presentation, students are expected to speak for two minutes on a given topic. The interlocutor gives them pencil and paper to write points. They are not supposed to write complete answers. (1 min Preparation+ 2 each min for students= 5 min) The input cards are given to the students. Any one out of the four can be given to the pair. The Interlocutor may ask any student A or B begin first. After one student has finished his or her presentation, the student should be asked to ask a question on the mini presentation. The same process should be repeated with the other student also. a. What skill would you like to learn most in the future? Why? (1) My choice of a career ? ? ? Why is it important? How do you hope to achieve your goal? How do you think would you be a productive member of the society? If the student is not able to speak at length the teacher could ask rounding off questions 27 | P a g e ? How did you decide on your choice? Do you have other options? (2) What would you preferlife in Rural or Urban area? ? ? ? Choice Three reasons Difference If the student is not able to speak at length the teacher could ask rounding off questions ? Have you been exposed to both the life styles? ? How is it different? (3) Advantages of co education ? ? ? Society consists o f men and women Rapport is built Helps in adult life If the student is not able to speak at length the teacher could ask rounding off questions ? ? What do you prefer? Why? Does it add to your comfort? (4) A book that I enjoyed reading ? ? Why did you pick up the book? How long did you take to read it? Genre of the book If the student is not able to speak at length the teacher could ask rounding off questions ? What kind of books do you enjoy? ? Have you heard or of seen a book that has been filmed? III PAIR INTERACTION (3 mins) Students respond to visual/ verbal stimulus. Students AB look at the picture and talk together to describe it. (1) Rag Pickers 28 | P a g e Teacher could ask prompt question: 1. 2. What are the environmental hazards if the waste is not managed in time and properly? What kind of a holiday would you prefer? Students look at the pictures and choose one, then talk together? Teacher could ask a prompt question. 3. ? ? ? Studying abroad High cut offs Easy money from parents Brand value and status symbol 4. Changing Values ? things that give status to people in your country ? changes since your parents’ time ? Reasons for changes IV Closing (1 min) 29 | P a g e Assessment of Listening Skills Class XI Set – II 20 Marks Instructions: a) Before listening to the passage on Tsunami read the questions. (1 min) b) Listen to the passage on Tsunami that caused devastation in Japan. While you listening complete the blanks. Transcript: The tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011 has been labelled the countrys worst tragedy since World War II. The 8. 9-magnitude earthquake that hit north-eastern Japan and the 23-feet tsunami it triggered has left a trail of devastation in its wake. After the Ferocious Friday some numbers continue to haunt: tens of thousand dead; even more missing; 4,50,000 rendered homeless. The Japanese are familiar with natural disasters and are trained in handling a calamity and ways of evacuation. Statistics speak of a tremor occurring somewhere in the country about every five minutes with annually there being up to 2,000 quakes. But no amount of preparation proved enough for the recent calamity of colossal proportion. Natures fury swept aside every safeguard in place. Many perished in split seconds and those who escaped the wrath pleaded for aid in every possible way. The catastrophe has lead to an outpouring of grief from around the world. The quake-tsunami double blow wrecked parts of a beautiful country and scarred lives. It couldnt, however, crack the inherent willpower or destroy the strength of character of its beautiful people; the people who have stayed admirably calm under chaos and begun regrouping forces to rebuild what they have lost. Most eyewitness accounts from the affected zones spoke about residents experiencing power outages, shortage of drinking water and food but there being no panic, arson or emotional breakdown, as reported from other countries where similar disasters have struck. It’s temperament reflecting a society that cares for its neighbour. It was not the countrys technical competence which endeared, it was its people. They displayed dignity, discipline and a genuine desire to assist. (274 words) While you listen to the passage, tick the correct option 1. The tsunami of 2011 has been labelled the †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. . the countrys worst tragedy since World War II. b. the countrys worst natural calamity c. the countrys worst earthquake d. the country’s worst economic disaster Ans: b. the countrys worst natural calamity 30 | P a g e 2. The Japanese are familiar with natural disasters because†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. a. there is a tremor in the country about every five minutes b. they have nerves of steel and presence of mind c. they are technologically advanced and can cope with disasters d. they are used to being hit by a tsunami Ans: a. there is a tremor in the country about every five minutes B. Fill in the blanks 3. The quake-tsunami wrecked the beautiful country and scarred lives but it couldnt destroy †¦.. 4. The Japanese experienced shortage of drinking water and food but they did not resort to†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5. What endears the Japanese to the world is their †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Ans: 3. the strength of character/ the will power 4. unlawful means/ panic, arson or emotional breakdown 5. dignity, and discipline II. 1. Listen to James talk about his routine, and fill in the blanks given in your answer sheet: Transcript I guess I should tell you about what I do everyday. First, everyone has to get up at 5:30 A. M. The silly old rooster amed Harry loves to wake us up. Next, we have to make our beds and tidy up the cabin before our camp counsellor, Jeff, comes to inspect the place. Then, we have breakfast around 6:30 A. M. After that, we have some free time, so Ive been going down to the nearby stream to fish for a couple of hours. But yesterday, the only thing I caught was a n old shoe and a tree branch. Great catch, huh? Then when I was trying to swat a mosquito buzzing around my head, I slipped and fell in the stream and lost my fishing pole. That ended my fishing career. 6. 7. 8. 9. James is woken up by. The first thing that James does is†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ He eats breakfast at about †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ James talks of two mishaps when he went†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2. Listen to the town planner describes the road. Which one is he talking about. Transcript Many types of road exist around the world. We are looking for well laid out thoroughfare which will be aesthetically laid out with a canopy of trees. 31 | P a g e A B C D Ans. C 3. Match the graphs to the correct definitions Transcript 10. 11. 12. 13. Ans: 1. 2. 3. 4. Sales fell steadily through over the year. Sales rose steadily over the year Sales increased sharply from June. Sales bottomed out in May C A B D A B C D 32 | P a g e 4. Match the images with the correct descriptions B C D Transcript 14. 15. 16. 17. Ans: a. b. c. d. 5. Youngman with dark glasses and a happy face Good-looking young man with black eyes Young man with glasses and a beard Old man with curly hair and glasses D A B C Listen to the telephonic conversation and fill in the blanks Transcript F: Hello Mrunal, Mira here. M: Hi Mira, how are you doing? F: I’m good but busy as always. Actually, I’m completing a project with Wipro. In fact I wanted to talk to you as I’m looking for an assistant – any ideas? M: Is it the database project? F: No, it’s about developing our brand. M: I see. Do you know what kind of person you are trying to find? F: The person needs excellent qualifications – it’s more the creative side of things. Moreover we need the person to be involved in. M: You could give Neera a call. She’ll help you as she’s doing all kinds of consultancy work. Currently she’s an advisor to a couple of large companies I believe. I can email you her details if you like. F: Great, thanks Ans a. b. c. d. 33 | P a g e a project an assistant creative / involved neera 18. Mrunal was busy completing †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 19. Mrunal wanted to Mira to help him find †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 20. Mrunal wanted the person who was†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. and †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Closing 34 | P a g e Assessment of Speaking Skill Set II Class XI 10 Marks I GENERAL INTRODUCTION (1 min) (The Interlocutor makes the students feel comfortable) Interlocutor: Good morning, I am -. Student A: My name is -/ I am Interlocutor: And yours? (looking at student B) Student B: Interlocutor: What do you do in your leisure time (To student B) Student B: -Interlocutor: What other hobby would you like to develop? To student A) Student A: -Interlocutor: what would you like to develop? (To student B) Student B: Interlocutor: who is your favourite actor? (To student A) Student A: -Interlocutor: And yours? (To student B) Student B: II MINI PRESENTATION (1 min Preparation + 2 each min for both the students= 5 min) 1. Your school is planning to organize an adventure camp during summer vacations. The Secretary of the School Adventure Club has offered the following three choices. As a member of the club which place would you prefer? Give reasons for your choice. (Interlocutor gives different input card to both students. Four samples are given) ? ? ? Seven day swimming camp at lake Bhimtal Four day trekking camp at Pehalgam, Srinagar Five day river rafting camp at Rishikesh 35 | P a g e 2. Talk about a book you have read recently ? ? ? Why did you decided to read that book? How long did it take to finish the book? What genre of book it was? 3. Talk about your favourite news channel. ? ? ? 4. ? ? ? ? III How often you use this news source Why do you use this channel What other sources you use E-learning. Autonomous learning Adds variety Gives choices Clarifies concepts PAIR INTERACTION (3 mins) Students respond to visual/ verbal stimulus. Students look at the pictures and talk together for three minutes 1. Elderly –sad and lonely, neglected by their family members. Dependent on others for their physical needs. Money not adequate to meet the expenses of medicines. 36 | P a g e 2. E-revolution in India. Awareness in villages about computers. Government has brought out e-tablets which are cost-effective Energy Saving devices in new computers. Closing 37 | P a g e

Langston Hughes Essay -- essays research papers fc

Langston Hughes Throughout many of Langston Hughes' poetry, there seems to be a very strong theme of racism. Poems such as "Ballad of the Landlord", "I, Too", and "Dinner Guest: Me" are some good examples of that theme. The "Ballad of the Landlord" addresses the issue of prejudice in the sense of race as well as class. The lines "My roof has sprung a leak. / Don't you 'member I told you about it/ Way last week?" (Hughes 2/4) show the reader that the speaker, the tenant, is of a much lower class than his landlord. It also shows that the landlord could care less of what condition his building is in as long as the money is still coming in. "Well, that's Ten Bucks more'n I'll pay you / Till you fix this house up new." (Hughes 11/12) shows that the speaker may be cleverer than originally thought because he is hitting the landlord right where it hurts: his wallet. At this point it seems that the speaker may actually win and get his home fixed up, until he threatens the landlord in fifth stanza. That’s when it all turns around. The landlord uses that threat to get the speaker, who we now find out, is black, thrown in jail. Richard K. Barksdale wrote "in 1940, ['Ballad of the Landlord'] was a rather innocuous rendering of an imaginary dialogue between a disgruntled tenant and a tight-fisted landlord." He then goes on to comment about the literature having once again pitted the haves against the have-nots. According to him, the landlord / tenant confrontation was "just another i...

Defenders Of Art And Life Differ On Everything In Between

In Robert Browning's â€Å"Fra Lippo Lippi†, a 15th century painter discusses the illogic of his patrons who want him to paint less of the real world—in turn for more spiritually uplifting scenes.   This poem gives Browning a platform to put forward his philosophy on art, which holds equal respect for the high and the low alike.   Similarly, in â€Å"Why The Novel Matters†, D. H. Lawrence forms a postulation that there is more to life than just the label of â€Å"spirit†.   But he goes further to say that there is a difference between that which is alive, and that which is inanimate.He contends life is more important—and a well-written novel is the equivalent of life.   He puts novels on a pedestal, while everything else is lesser than the living things.   Browning's character Lippi, however, while also detesting the barrier of the word â€Å"spirit† , does not go so far as to say the material mortar of the world is somehow more imp ortant than the soul.   He merely defends its equivalence.   He does not believe his paintings are more important than living things; he believes that they share equal value.Although Lawrence is willing to include the human body in with the word â€Å"spirit†Ã¢â‚¬â€he draws a line at the fingertips, and calls everything else (except for the novel) of lesser substance; alternately, Lippi is more liberal in his view, for he does not dwell overlong on the delineation between life and immaterial things—but just on their symbiosis.   Ultimately, Lippi is more humble about his art and life in general.For Lippi, painting for his patrons is only half of a life: carousing about town is the other part.   This is why he regularly escapes for release from the dogged work.   Although the religious service is a career for him, he cannot sustain it without proper romps on the town.   Therefore, by living in worlds both saintly and debauched, Lippi is able to see through the Prior's facade, when he is asked to only paint the spirit—not the body.   The Prior says: â€Å"Your business is not to catch men with show †¦Ã‚   Your business is to paint the souls of men† (Lines 175-184).   Lippi, however, would rather include everything in his art, and therefore more accurately reflect the world—and make better use of art.   â€Å"Now is this sense, I ask?†(198) Lippi says.â€Å"Why can't a painter lift each foot in turn, †¦ Make his flesh liker and his soul more like †¦ You should not take a fellow eight years old / And make him swear to never kiss the girls.†(224-225).   Lippi rails against simplifying existence into a word or an image: â€Å"The world and life's too big to pass for a dream †¦Ã‚   The only good of grass is to make chaff†(251-257).   Lippi cannot settle for a narrow view of the order of things—while Lawrence only partly concedes that there is more to â€Å"spiri t† than just vapor.  Lawrence contests that life's ether is as vital as the shell—and by singling out, labeling—or falsely idolizing any one part of its essence, we are hindering ourselves from fully living.   For instance, Lawrence rants on the fallacy of labels: â€Å"We think of ourselves as a body with a spirit in it †¦ Mens sana in corpore sano.   The years drink up the wine, and at last throw the bottle away, the body, of course, being the bottle†(2446).   Indeed, Lippi's dead shell of a horse is Lawrence's empty bottle of spirits—and the two of them seem to agree that definitions of the â€Å"spirit† are just distractions from the truth of existence.Lawrence, however, sets aside one exception, being that the Bible itself, when read as an entire piece, achieves some spirit similar to that of the humankind: â€Å"The Bible †¦Ã‚   [It sets] the whole tree trembling with a new access of life, [it does] not just stimulate growth in one direction†(2448).   Herein lies one key difference, then, between Lippi and Lawrence, which is that Lawrence makes exception for the novel as being at the rank of a living entity—while Lippi does not go so far as to suggest that art is exclusive from the rest of the lifeless world, although he does believe it is as important as life.   After all, Lawrence says the novel can â€Å"make the whole man alive tremble.Which is more than poetry, philosophy, science, or any other book-tremulation can do†(2448).   Moreover, while he does not specifically call out painting as one of the lesser â€Å"tremulations†, it seems safe to say this is implied—since he even excludes poetry from his sacred circle of life—which, ironically, is the medium through which Browning's Lippi is experienced.   In contrast, Lippi says that life's everyday details are â€Å"better, painted—better to us †¦ Art was given for that†(300 -304).—and again, Lippi does not put art above life—only beside it.   He says: â€Å"Do you feel thankful, aye or no, / For this fair town's face, yonder river's line, †¦ What's it all about? / To be passed over, despised? or dwelt upon†(286-291).Of course, Lawrence, does distinguish the particularization of his own body, and how each part is equal to the whole—but nothing beyond himself: â€Å"Why should I imagine that there is a me which is more me than my hand is?†(2446).   But Lawrence's â€Å"me alive† theory excludes the static objects of the order of things as merely props—that are not to be confused with life or novels.Ultimately, Lippi sees no place for the soul without the bodily elements, and rhetorically argues: â€Å"What need of art at all? A skull and bones, / Two bits of stick nailed crosswise†(321).   Lawrence, however, sees the various mediums of communication as â€Å"words and thoughts and sighs and aspirations that fly from [us], they are so many tremulations in the ether†(2447).   Lawrence merely concedes that the lifeless elements are â€Å"tremulations† that may â€Å"reach another man alive† and â€Å"he may receive them into his life, and his life may take on a new color†(2447).So, while Lawrence agrees with Lippi that the baser elements are important, he goes on at length to flesh out the reasons why life and the novel are substantially more important:   â€Å"All things that are alive are amazing.   And all things that are dead are subsidiary to the living†(2447).   He builds a wall between life and the novel—and the rest of existence: â€Å"I, who am man alive, am greater than my soul†(2447).   In this way then, while Lawrence agrees with Lippi that the parts cannot be distinguished from the whole, without excluding the essence—he differs in that he goes further to impose a privileged position upon th e energy of life and novels, whereas Lippi simply thinks that art and the lesser units ought to have equal exposure in the spotlight life.So Lawrence is circular in his theory, insisting â€Å"spirit† is limiting in its language—while touting the transcending power of the novel.   Indeed, despite arguing that limitations abound under labels, and that any â€Å"particular direction ends in a cul-de-sac†(2448)–Lawrence is still making divisions: â€Å"A character in a novel has got to live, or it is nothing†¦.   We likewise, in life have got to live, or we are nothing†(2449).  Ã‚   Plus, he is proud of his specialness as an artist, in a way that Lippi is too humble ever to approach: â€Å"Being a novelist, I consider myself superior to the saint, the scientist, the philosopher, and the poet, who are all great masters of different bits of man alive, but never get the whole hog†(2448).Ultimately then, at the root of their respective p hilosophies on art and life, Lippi is more adverse to divisions of all kinds, not putting himself or his art above the world, put equal to it.   One senses that he is not likely anymore proud of himself than the subjects he paints about, while Lawrence is more proud of the novels he writes than the objects described in them.

Impact of Social Networking Websites on Business

IMPACT OF SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES ON BUSINESS | Asheri George MatembeleApril 16, 2013| Table of Contents Abstract2 Introduction3 Literature Review3 Comparison of Social Networking Websites5 Benefits of using social network websites for business6 How to Use Social Networking Websites for Business8 Problems Associated with Social Networking Websites10 Conclusion10 References11 AbstractA social networking website is a social structure build-up of individuals or organizations called â€Å"nodes†, which are connected by one or more specific types of mutuality, such as friendship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike relationships of beliefs, knowledge, prestige and information. This paper focuses on social networking websites and their impact on business. It aims to identify opportunities and ways to be effective as promoters of businesses to Internet users all over the world, 24 hours and 7 days, creating unlimited possibilities for advertising potential.This paper revi ews the best social networking websites currently used as well as examples of ways in which business can use these types of websites to expand their target markets. This article also gives insight about the threats and challenges associated with social networking websites, as well as things for businesses to watch out for if they determine to use these types of websites. Social networking websites will continue to shape the ways in which businesses collaborate and communicate, both inside and outside of enterprise.Introduction A social networking website consists of a social structure build-up of individuals or organizations called â€Å"nodes†, connected by one or more specific types of mutuality, such as friendship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike relationships of beliefs, knowledge, prestige and information (McLaughlin, 2012). This paper focuses on social networking websites and their impact on business. It aims to identify opportunities and ways to be effecti ve as promoters of businesses to internet users.Social media are a platform for business visibility. Keywords create a marketing buzz. The most relevant social networking websites currently used are reviewed first and ways in which businesses can use these types of websites to expand their target markets considered next. Some of the threats and challenges associated with social networking websites as well as red flags for businesses to watch out are then discussed. Literature Review – What is Social Networking Website?A social networking website is an online service or website filled with millions of individuals who are seeking to meet other people, to gather and share first-hand information and their experiences about golfing, gardening, cooking, developing friendships or professional alliances, seeking employment, marketing such as advertising, get customer’s feedbacks and even groups sharing information. It is an online service, website or platform that focuses on b uilding and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities.Social Network Services are also increasingly attracting the attention of academic and industry researchers intrigued by their affordances and reach. – Facebook Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg, while he was a student at Harvard in 2004 and originally called thefacebook and that domain was registered by someone else back in 1997. The general concept was to digitize the legendary freshman-year â€Å"Facebook,† and allow students not only to gawk at one another’s photos but also to flirt, network, interact.Eventually, the web site moved beyond college to everyone and nearly 1 billion people have a Facebook profile. Facebook users can create a profile page that shows their friends and networks information about them-selves. The choice to include a profile in a network means that everyone within that network can view the profile. The profile typically includes Friends, Friends from other Networks, Information, Status, Notes, Groups, Likes, Photos, Videos and The Wall which is the major feature of Facebook. – Google+Google+ is basically Google's latest attempt at creating a social network. Unlike with Facebook where uploading a post will show up on user’s profile for all of user’s friends to see, Google+ lets users do things a little differently. Circles, Sparks, Hangouts, Instant Upload and Huddle are major features of Google+. The concept of Circles is user can have a family Circle, a BFF Circle, a co-workers Circle, and even an â€Å"Epic bros† Circle. Sparks is a feature that lets users select certain areas, interests or hobbies that user particularly like.Google+ Hangouts are quick video â€Å"conferences† that enabling broadcasters to go live with friends and fans, for around the world to see. Instant upload which lets users take a photo and instantly upload it to a priva te album in the cloud server. Huddle is one of the best features of Google+ is Huddle, which lets users coordinate with friends and family in real-time. * Twitter? Twitter was started out as a micro-blogging website has quickly grown into a social messaging platform and one of the top social networks in the world that allows users answer the question, â€Å"What are users doing? by sending short text messages 140 characters in length, called â€Å"tweets†, to their friends, or â€Å"followers†. Twitter is phenomenon that transcends social networking to provide an outlet for news, trends, buzz, and chat among many other uses. Twitter is a combination of various forms of communication such as email, instant messenger, VOIP like as Skype, Blogs and distribute content rapidly on the web through RSS feeds. – LinkedIn LinkedIn is a social networking website designed specifically for the business community with over 120 million members which were officially launched i n May 2003.A LinkedIn member’s profile page, which emphasizes their working experiences and education background, has professional network news feeds and a limited number of customizable modules. Network members are also known as â€Å"connections† and unlike other social networking websites such as Facebook or Twitter. LinkedIn needs connections to have a pre-existing relationship. The members of can seek for jobs, join groups, research companies, and network with members of their network. Companies can post information about the company and career opportunities listings on company pages.Companies can also establish the connection with LinkedIn members for recruiting purposes. – MySpace MySpace is a popular online social networking website that composed of personal profiles aimed for mostly at a younger membership. It is extremely popular with teenagers and young adults. It allows users to post images of their self, blog about their ideas and concerns, and post comments on other users’ profiles. MySpace included features such as chat rooms, forums, classified ads, newsgroups and a venue for sharing videos or music like as other online social networking websites.A MySpace profile can be a very important connection to fans of celebrities because MySpace was originally founded as a venue for aspiring musicians and bands to share music and concert dates. The variety of details included in the profile is submitted voluntarily by users. MySpace is easy to use for anyone to submit profile information, even if they have lack of online experience. Comparison of Social Networking Websites There are several different social networking websites and hard to decide which are best for the business. Following figures and tables will give insight to choose suitable one for business somehow.Figure 1: Number of registered users on Major Social Networking Websites According â€Å"Figure: 1†, vast amount of users are registered in Facebook. Goog le+ and Twitter has only 25% of number of Facebook’s registered users. Businesses can be reached many targeted users on the Facebook easily more than other social networking websites. Figure 2: Percentage of Gender distribution by major social networking websites Benefits of using social network websites for business Businesses are getting insight about the benefits of using social networking websites to retain and attract customers.They began to see that their competitors are taking many advantages because of using social networking efforts, they quickly followed suit. Nowadays most of the businesses can be found on asocial networking websites. They are communicating with their customers and clients via social networking websites. They are updating their information or statuses and occasionally acting like they are a part of community. For some people, interacting with businesses on social networking websites gives them an opportunity to experience first-hand how that compan y deals with the public.Most people are becoming accustomed to receiving customer support via a social network. Social networking websites can break the barriers of customer contact significantly so that businesses are using social networks to help their marketing campaigns. For businesses that are willing to shoulder the load, this new medium represents an opportunity in order to keep in touch with customers and update them constantly about companies’ information. This represents are an unprecedented opportunity for businesses which are willing to add values and engaging with customers.The benefits of social networking for business cannot be underestimated as it becomes a crucial component to business. The benefits of using social networking for business are as follows: – Online Presence and Branding Business can create their profile in social networking sites and allows people to see their brand or products and get awareness from user that their business exists. They can post valuable content to those web sites to attract the users. – Customer Service and Engagement Social networking provides a channel for business to interact with their customers and enables customers to provide feedback on the marketing message quickly.It provides as a useful tool to have a direct conversation with their customer base and see patterns of customer’s feedback. It also gives company a platform to be creative in using different social media tools to engage their customers and gain their loyalty to the business. – Lower Cost/Free Advertising Businesses can advertise their products and services for free or at lower costs when they make full use of social networking sites. Social networking sites can be used as a media which help companies find new customers and break the barriers of customer contact. – Find Business Partners or EmployeesAt social networking sites, businesses can find out new business partners, employees, other brands and even their competitor. Businesses can send out messages to notify people they are hiring or accepting applications and they can use these social networking sites to seek out employees. How to Use Social Networking Websites for Business Businesses can establish and maintain business relationships with colleagues and their customers on social networking websites. Some firms are taking it further still and using social networking sites to actively promote themselves and their businesses.Businesses have a number of ways to develop unique advertising methods on each social networking websites and those websites offer several avenues such as the banner ad advertising, creating a profile and page or creating events and groups. * Banner Ad Advertising? Banner Ad advertising is a most popular and majority of advertising method on the Internet. Most of social networking websites have that kind of advertising method and running on every web page which a user must access to view messages, comm ents, and others’ profiles.Often these ads are animated or still images, making them users to see and click on them. eMarketer reported that the global revenue of banner ad advertising from social networks is expected to reach $10 billion by 2013. Figure 3: Social Networking Websites’ Ad Revenues Internationally Figure 4: Percentage Change of Social Networking Websites’ Ad Revenues Internationally – Creating a Profile and Page Many companies have profiles on social networking websites and the information on a profile reflect on those businesses.Therefore they post or upload about their services or products so that users may view them and engaging for clients. This would be a way to keep in touch with their customers for businesses. At the companies’ profile, the user could post concerns, comments, and ideas while viewing blogs on product updates. Companies can review the likes, interests and expressed needs of their customer base from profiles. The y can also use this information to determine how customers’ profile characteristics fit into their marketing targets. Creating groups and Events Another way to use social networking websites is the creation of groups or events according company’s product or service. Moreover, the business can create a group of people who like or interest the product and open discussion forums so that users can share about their experience with the products. Most of the social networking websites are allowed users to create events and those events could be sponsored by the company. The social networking website’s users are partically doing the advertising for the company. Problems Associated with Social Networking WebsitesMost of the businesses concern about privacy and security issues in social networking websites. This is the majority problem since the purpose of social networking websites is for public for personal reasons, a person’s whose privacy is compromised suffer s much distress. Increasing of hacking the account is also another problem suffered by social networking websites. Even though it is a problem, can be protected by user reducing the amount of their personal information they post on the internet. Some of social networking websites services do not agree security is not a major problem.Although many social networking websites have enhanced their security and privacy system, much remains out in the open for regular predators to harm and affect the lives of others. The purpose of visiting social networking websites for most of the people is for their personal reasons or for leisure. So that businesses should realize how to be contributing about their information among users with lack of risk and beware of the personal space of the users. Conclusion Social networking websites are becoming popular among current generation.Even there are many opportunities as well as challenges of social networking websites for business. Most important step for any business is to create a policy of using social networking websites. Businesses are struggling with rapidly developing of technology. Technology is constantly changing the way of doing business at internet and businesses should be aware of these changes. It is in the best interests of a company to know what social networking websites are suitable to its References Daniel Nations, The Top Social Networking Sites, AUG 12, 2012, from http://webtrends. about. om/od/socialnetworking/a/ social_network. htm Darren McLaughlin, Benefits Of Social Networking Websites For Business, AUG 20, 2012, from http://mosthostserver. com/? p=5118 Google+: A Basic Cheatsheet for Marketers, AUG 19, 2012, from http://www. sociableblog. com/2011/10/04/googlepl us-cheatsheet-for-marketers/ Jennifer Bergen, Google+: What is it, and how do I get it? , AUG 15, 2012, from http://www. geek. com/articles/mobile/google-what- is-it-and-how-do-i-get-it-20110628/ Part of the Internet acronyms and lingo glossary , LinkedIn, AUG 15, 2012, from http://whatis. techtarget. om/definition/LinkedIn Part of the Internet applications glossary, MySpace, AUG 17, 2012, from http://whatis. techtarget. com/definition/MySpace Using social networking sites for business marketing: Advantages and disadvantages, AUG 25, 2012, from http://brooger. com/using-social- networking-sites-for-business-marketing- advantages-and-disadvantages/ What is Facebook? , AUG 12, 2012, from http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-facebook. htm What Is Social Networking? , AUG 12, 2012, from http://www. brickmarketing. com/what-is-social- networking. htm What is Twitter? , AUG 15, 2012, from http://mashable. com/what-is-twitter/

Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase

Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase was one of the largest land deals in history. In 1803, the United States paid approximately $15 million dollars to France for more than 800,000 square miles of land. This land deal was arguably the greatest achievement of Thomas Jeffersons presidency, but it also posed a major philosophical problem for Jefferson.​ Thomas Jefferson, the Anti-Federalist Thomas Jefferson was strongly anti-federalist. Although he participated in the writing of the Declaration of Independence, he did not author the Constitution. Instead, the Constitution was mainly written by Federalists such as James Madison. Jefferson spoke against a strong federal government and instead advocated states rights. He feared tyranny of any kind and only recognized the need for a strong, central government in terms of foreign affairs. He was concerned that the Constitution did not address the liberties that were protected by the Bill of Rights and did not call for term limits for the president. Jeffersons philosophy regarding the role of the central government is most clearly seen when investigating his disagreement with Alexander Hamilton over the creation of a national bank. Hamilton was a staunch supporter of a strong central government. A national bank was not expressly mentioned in the Constitution, but Hamilton thought that the elastic clause (U.S. Const. art. I,  § 8, cl. 18) gave the government the power to create such a body. Jefferson completely disagreed. He held that all powers given to the national government were enumerated or expressed. If they were not expressly mentioned in the Constitution, then they were reserved to the states. Jeffersons Compromise In completing the Louisiana Purchase, Jefferson had to put aside his principles because this type of transaction was not expressly mentioned in the Constitution. Had he waited for a constitutional amendment, however, the deal might have fallen through. With the support of the American people, Jefferson decided to go through with the purchase. Jefferson needed to move quickly when he discovered that Spain had signed a secret treaty with France in 1801 ceding Louisiana to France. France suddenly posed a potential threat to America. The fear was that if America did not purchase New Orleans from France, it could lead to war. The change of ownership from Spain to France resulted in the closure of the ports warehouses to Americans, and it was feared that France would move to cut off Americas access to the port entirely. Jefferson sent envoys to France to try to secure the purchase of New Orleans. Instead, they returned with an agreement to buy the entire Louisiana Territory as Napoleon needed money for the impending war against England. Importance of the Louisiana Purchase With the purchase of this new territory, the land area of America nearly doubled. However, the exact southern and western boundaries were not defined in the purchase. America would have to work with Spain to negotiate the specific details of these boundaries. When Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led a small expeditionary group called the Corps of Discovery into the territory, this was just the beginning of Americas fascination with exploring the West. Whether or not America had a Manifest Destiny to span from sea to sea as was often the rallying cry of the early to mid-19th century, its desire to control this territory cannot be denied. Sources â€Å"Louisiana Purchase, The.†Ã‚  Monticello, Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc., www.monticello.org/thomas-jefferson/louisiana-lewis-clark/the-louisiana-purchase/.Mullen, Pierce. â€Å"Financing the Purchase.†Ã‚  Discovering Lewis Clark ®, Lewis Clark Fort Mandan Foundation, Lewis Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, and the National Park Service Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, www.lewis-clark.org/article/316.

How to Report Voting Rights Problems

How to Report Voting Rights Problems Due to the protections of four federal voting rights laws, cases of qualified voters being improperly denied their right to vote or register to vote are now rare. However, in every major election, some voters are still improperly turned away from the polling place, or encounter conditions that voting difficult or confusing. Some of these incidents are accidental, others are intentional, but all should be reported. What Should be Reported? Any action or condition you feel prevented or was intended to prevent you from voting. Just few examples include; polls opening late or closing early, running out of ballots or having your identity or voter registration status improperly challenged. Any action or condition you feel made it difficult for you to vote, including but not limited to; lack of handicapped accessibility and accommodation, lack of assistance for people with limited English ability, confusing ballots, lack of privacy while voting, generally unhelpful or unknowledgeable poll workers or officials. How to Report Voting Problems If you experience any problem or confusion while voting report the situation to one of the poll workers or election officials immediately. Do not wait until you have finished voting. If the election officials at the polling place are unable or unwilling to help you, the problem should be reported directly to the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. There are no special forms to use or procedures to followjust call the Civil Rights Division toll-free at (800) 253-3931, or contact them by mail at: Chief, Voting SectionCivil Rights Division Room 7254 - NWBDepartment of Justice950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.Washington, DC 20530 The Department of Justice also has the authority to station federal election observers and monitors in polling places considered to present a potential for discrimination or other voting rights violations. The jurisdiction of DOJ election observers is not limited to federal-level elections. They may be dispatched to monitor elections for any position, anywhere in the nation, from President of the United states to city dogcatcher. Any observed potential violations of the Voting Rights Act, or any other action determined by the observers to be an attempt to influence certain voters or to prevent them from voting will be reported to the DOJs Civil Rights Division for further corrective action. In the Nov. 2006 elections, the Department of Justice sent 850 Civil Rights Division election monitors to 69 jurisdictions in 22 states.

The Economic Struggles of Landlocked Countries

The Economic Struggles of Landlocked Countries If a country is landlocked, it is likely to be poor. In fact, most countries that lack coastal access are among the world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and their inhabitants occupy the â€Å"bottom billion† tier of the worlds population in terms of poverty.* Outside Europe, there is not a single successful, highly developed, landlocked country when measured with the  Human Development Index  (HDI), and most of the countries with the lowest HDI scores are landlocked. Export Costs Are High The  United Nations  has an Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States. The UN-OHRLLS holds the view that high transport costs due to distance and terrain detract from landlocked countries’ competitive edge for exports.   Landlocked countries that do attempt to participate in the global economy must contend with the administrative burden of transporting goods through neighboring countries or must pursue costly alternatives to shipping, such as air-freight. The Wealthiest Landlocked Countries However, despite the challenges that most landlocked countries face, a few of the world’s wealthiest countries, when measured by GDP per capita (PPP), happen to be landlocked, including: Luxembourg ($92,400)Liechtenstein ($89,400)Switzerland ($55,200)San Marino ($55,000)Austria ($45,000)Andorra ($37,000) Strong and Stable Neighbors There are several factors that have contributed to the success of these landlocked countries. First, they are simply more geographically fortunate than most other landlocked countries by virtue of being located in Europe, where no country is very far from a coast. Furthermore, the coastal neighbors of these wealthy countries enjoy strong economies, political stability, internal peace, reliable infrastructure and friendly relations across their borders. Luxembourg, for example, is well-connected to the rest of Europe by roads, railways, and airlines and can count on being able to export goods and labor through Belgium, the Netherlands, and France almost effortlessly. In contrast, Ethiopia’s nearest coasts are across borders with Somalia and Eritrea, which are usually beset with political turmoil, internal conflict, and poor infrastructure. The political boundaries that separate countries from coasts are not as meaningful in Europe as they are in the developing world. Small Countries Europe’s landlocked powerhouses also benefit from being smaller countries with longer legacies of independence. Nearly all of the landlocked countries of Africa, Asia, and South America were at one time colonized by European powers that were attracted to their vast size and plentiful natural resources. Even when they gained independence, most landlocked economies remained dependent on natural resource exports. Tiny countries like Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and Andorra do not have the option of relying on natural resource exports, so they have invested heavily in their financial, technology, and service sectors. To remain competitive in these sectors, wealthy landlocked countries invest heavily in the education of their populations and enact policies that encourage business. International companies like eBay and Skype maintain European headquarters in Luxembourg because of its low taxes and friendly business climate. Poor landlocked countries, on the other hand, have been known to invest very little into education, sometimes in order to protect authoritarian governments, and they are plagued by corruption that keeps their populations poor and bereft of public services – all of which precludes international investment. Helping Landlocked Countries While it may appear that geography has condemned many landlocked countries to poverty, efforts have been made to soften the limitations posed by a lack of sea-access through policy and international cooperation. In 2003, the International Ministerial Conference of Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries and Donor Countries on Transit Transport Cooperation was held in  Almaty, Kazakhstan. Participants designed a Program of Action, recommending that landlocked countries and their neighbors, Reduce customs processes and fees to minimize costs and transport delaysImprove infrastructure with respect to existing preferences of local transport modes, with a focus of roads in Africa and rail in South AsiaImplement preferences for landlocked countries’ commodities to boost their competitiveness in the international marketEstablish relationships between donor countries with landlocked and transit countries for technical, financial, and policy improvements Were these plans to succeed, politically-stable, landlocked countries could feasibly overcome their geographical barriers, as Europe’s landlocked countries have done. * Paudel. 2005, p. 2.

The Global Pharmaceutical Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Global Pharmaceutical Industry - Essay Example Using PEST-L analysis to prepare for strategic plans in taking advantage of opportnities in the external environment and addressing eminent threats, one understands that the consumers of the pharmaceutical industry are patients who need the drugs and medications to address various health concerns. As the prices of medicines were highly dependent on the amount, level and extent of research and development, consumers have no control nor say on the strategies involving prices. As shown in the chart on one of the branded prescription drugs marketed in the U.S., when compared to other areas around the world, the chart would reveal that the price of Lipitor was highest in the U.S.. Buyer power, is therefore considered restricted and limited as it is highly dependent of the prices dictated by drug manufacturers. In addition, the demographic profile of consumers affect and influence strategies designed by drug manufacturers as these profiles affect the demand and purchase of the products. As disclosed from the case, ageing population significantly affect the stragies designed since consumers from this age range more frequently buy drugs than those from the younger age ranges. Therefore, aside from considering the prices of this drugs to ensure that they could be afforded by the older generation, strategies would also consider the media by which products are advertised and promoted; the availability of substitutes, as emphasized in Porter’s threat of substitutes; and the manner by which these products are distributed and made available to the consumers. Political factors could be closely evaluated using the PEST-L analysis where laws and regulations impact on the industry’s operations and performance; as well as in the development of strategies. As the industry was characterized to be â€Å"subjected to rigorous regulatory scrutiny† (Holland, 2010, p. 548), the length required for clinical trials to ensure safety and security of consumers are considerably long. Further, the patent protection of 20 years also influence strategies of manufacturers of pharmaceutical drugs since upon expiry, the threat of entry from generic drug manufacturers rise and significantly affect the level of sustained demand and consumer purchase. Legal factors encompass laws in terms of government controls on pricing and the extensive efforts taken into consideration from discovery and clinical trials to approval and final marketing. The imposition of parallel trade strategies in response to price control have influenced the global pharmaceutic al industry in terms of protecting not only drug manufacturers but moreso the consumers who get to evaluate significant price differentials as drugs could be sourced from other low priced markets. The implication for this is that international health organizations, like the World Health Organization, must monitor and address pricing strategies of global pharmaceutical companies to ensure uniform standards and benefits are accorded on a universal perspective. In an article written by Shah (2010), the author clearly cited Stiglitz work which

Evaluate the claim that biometric technology is a viable and effective Essay

Evaluate the claim that biometric technology is a viable and effective alternative to traditional security methods - Essay Example Experts suggest that biometric technology is the most viable and efficient security measure compared to traditional methods, therefore, the paper aims to validate this claim. Discussion Biometric is the automatic person identification depending on the behavior or physiological attributes of that person. This authorization strategy identifies and verifies a person based on who he is before giving him access permission. The quest for increasingly reliable method of authorization to protect company information has called for biometric revelation and various companies and businesses have shown increased interest in the method. Commonly used physical biometrics is fingerprints, geometry of palms, characteristics of the face and retina, (Schuckers, 2010, p.89). Similarly, behavioral attributes are things such as voice recognition, patterns of keystroke, peoples’ signatures and gait and these technologies, voice recognition and signature are highly developed. Biometric security metho ds are indeed most effective authentication method compared to traditional methods such as smart cards and PINS or both. ... Technical support managers may have difficult time offering instructions to PIN users who have challenges with more basic associated technologies of signing in to certain network. Therefore, biometric technologies are more promising because they solve such problems and relieve the company of such expensive cost of hiring technical support staff, because in a system that uses one log in, biometric technology will be efficient in user authentication. Increasing number of organizations are recognizing biometric method efficiency in various applications, for example, in hospitals traditional methods are being replaced with biometric methods for authentication of users to ensure patients information privacy and confidentiality. Traditional methods such as swipe cards and passwords can be lost or stolen, and bad password management has left users writing passwords on papers and other materials or choosing general and possible works for faster remembrance, an activity that expose such pins to fraud and intruders. Biometric technologies, on the other hand, can be viable and efficient methods in solving these problems because they have strong techniques of authorization and authentication that can assure users of excellent security, (United States, 2004). Similarly, because biometric techniques uses user’s behavioral and physiological attributes in authentication and authorization, it is easy to detect and trace fraud and intrusion, (Ratha and Jain, 2005, p.85). Unlike traditional methods of authentication based of known characteristics – such as passphrases, smart cards – biometric techniques utilize distinct human traits such as voice recognition and prints of fingers that cannot be misplaced, forgotten, or lost. This is because human

Masters Degree in Jazz Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Masters Degree in Jazz Music - Essay Example What makes the situation even more distressing is the lack of recognition from the authorities. The government likes to promote Thailand as a land of traditional music and art. The traditional music is encouraged whereas the more contemporary forms are sidelined. As receiving recognition itself is very difficult in the country, the prospects of studying music are bleak. Further, the perception of music is distorted by the media. There is little or no understanding of the various genres of music even by some of the popular music companies in Thailand. Hence the people of my country do not place artists, especially musicians in high regard. My country, which is a developing one, considers engineering sciences, medical sciences, and other such fields to be more respectable than arts and music. The common misunderstanding of the people of Thailand is that there is no future in fields like music. The outlook is extremely narrow and their beliefs stem from their lack of knowledge of anything outside their immediate career interests. This disturbing misplaced sense of superiority among the supposedly more educated class of professionals in the various fields of sciences is more detrimental to the growth of the young musical talent in the country than anything else. These ideas tend to be passed down from the older generations to the younger ones thereby discouraging latter to seriously consider music as a full-time career. The youngsters shy away from music careers as they are afraid to be thought of lesser than their peers for their choice of career. In countries like the United States of America, children are given a free reign as far as their careers choices are concerned and person’s abilities and interested are given importance to. In Thailand, however, the people are driven by their traditionalist and conservative ideas.  Ã‚  

Mandatory Sentencing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Mandatory Sentencing - Research Paper Example The paper tells that crime does not pay. We can seldom argue with this premise, and the need to inculcate this idea among the local populace of our cities and towns. However there is also a fear that in our zest to single out and punish those who are guilty of crimes against society and humanity, we are creating situations where too many people are behind bars. Indeed the rate of incarcerations in the USA is one of the highest in the world, which is shameful for a country that considers itself the world’s foremost superpower and protector of human rights. Mandatory sentencing has been cited as one of the reasons behind the overpopulation in our prisons, creating situations where crime is further exacerbated by the formation of gangs, hardcore and small time criminals being grouped together, and the fact that some criminals are in need of medical attention rather than a life of incarceration that does not remedy their particular situation or suit their particular needs. Mandato ry sentencing is a form of judicial punishment in which the terms and duration of the punishment have already been set in Law depending on the crimes committed and the charges filed and proven against the accused law breaker. This being the case, there is usually no or little room for a judge to intervene and set his own ruling depending on the individual circumstances of the case. Originally the need for mandatory sentencing was seen in cases of drug dealing and related offences. But later the effect of mandatory sentencing minimums was extended to gun related crimes as well, as they initially proved an effective deterrent to crime. However as we shall see much of the initial laws have been repealed and the sentencing reduced on humanitarian grounds. Even today, the debate rages on as to whether mandatory minimums still have a place and effect in law or not. There is much to support both points of view, as we shall see. The History and Uses of Mandatory Sentencing In the USA it was the 1951 Boggs Act that started the Federal mandatory minimum penalties for drug trafficking. The length of some of these sentences was then increased in 1956. However the comprehensive reforms of the 1970 Drug Abuse and Control Act repealed the earlier Boggs Acts. This was followed by the enactment of the Rockefeller Drug Laws in 1973 which helped establish minimum 15 year and life sentences for various kinds of drug offences. Obviously the intent would have been to get the offenders off the streets for a considerable amount of time and in doing so make it safer for the targeted population. Laws such as Michigan’s 650 Lifer Law took a much harder stance on drug offences and established a minimum of life imprisonment without possibility of parole for possession and dealing with 650 grams of drugs such as cocaine and heroin- it also increased the penalties for smaller offences. In 1984, the Comprehensive Crime Control Act resulted in the creation of a U.S Sentencing Commissio n. It also phased out parole and set mandatory sentences for gun related crimes. Two years later, in 1986 the Anti-Drug Abuse Act creates new federal minimum mandatory sentences for drug related offences. One year later, in 1987 the US Sentencing Commission enacted some guidelines to help the Courts in convicting and sentencing all federal drug related offences. In 1988, the Omnibus Drug Abuse Act not only added a mandatory minimum penalty for the possession of crack but also included conspiracy convictions in the mandatory penalty scheme. This has had little positive effects on the system since ruthless drug dealers do not care who they choose to carry out their dirty schemes to transport drugs across borders and it could often be an unwary traveler that has been trapped for no fault of his own except