The Pan American Road Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Pan American Road - Research Paper Example By this time, after the industrial revolution, it had become clear that the two American continents not only needed to be connected but that they also needed to be have a good network of roads which would connect economically strategic points all over the two continents. The idea was however for development of a single route rather than a network of roads. It was however only until On 29 July 1937 that the United States and eleven countries from South American country managed to sign a convention that would help in each of the countries doing their part in the completion of the highway. By 1950, Mexico finished its portion of the highway and became the first state from the South American continent to finish its portion of the Pan American Road. The rest of he states also cleared their portions later and the highway was completely. However, the highway lacks uniformity because there were no clear standards to help in making sure that the road will have the same standards. Roads Previo usly In Place along the Current Pan Am Route While the Pan American Highway was an idea on its own, most of the roads which today constitute the Pan American Highway were already there and existed way before the countries agreed to build the Pan American Highway. ... As the Pan American Highway joins Canada, it becomes highway 97 which again becomes US highway 97 as it joins the main continental USA. The Pan American Highway can therefore be seen as having come to replace already existing states. The idea of the Pan American Highway therefore only came to reinforce an already existing idea as some of these roads were already in existence. However, the ideas were supposed to help in standardizing roads across two the continents. Whether this was an achievement that has been a source of discussion with some arguing that the idea of a Pan American Highway has failed drastically. How it was developed (construction efforts throughout the different countries, costs, workers) Each state was required to finance its construction of its portion of the Pan American Road. However, some states got partial financing from other states within the Pan American association. For instance, Panama got partial financing of the construction of the Pan American Road fro m United States of America. In Panama, for instance the cost of construction amounted to twenty million, five of which was provided by the United States of America. However, the cost of construction for the highway cannot be clearly established due to the fact that some of these roads already existed even before the official Pan American Road. In every country, the construction was done mainly by the local population from which labour resources were gained. However, those countries which did not have the right technology had to depend on those which had more advanced technology in order to gain this technology needed for the same. What It Was Made Of As already discussed, there were no specific standards which were supposed to be looked at in order to make sure that

Balloon Cars Essay Example for Free

Balloon Cars Essay Repulsorlifts as a Method of Stable Magnetic Levitation| Repulsorlifts were used in the study to find out if they can be used to replace the wheels of a conventional car. It was hypothesized that it will be able to lift a car using magnetic repulsion forces. The different magnets were tested individually with the usual tests for magnetic strength, size, and temperature increase, which were done in the preliminary testing. The prototype road and car were then constructed based on the specifications that had been identified after the preliminary testing. The prototype car’s magnets were permanent magnets while the road magnets were electromagnets. They had been oriented so that the magnets would repel each other.After the levitation tests, the proponents constructed other prototype roads and cars, based on the design which increased the chances for stability of the project. The repulsorlift setups were then tested for levitation. It was found that the repulsorlift was capable of lifting the car, yet its stability and lift would depend on two factors: the strength and the ratio of the strength of the car and road magnets, and the angles at which the car magnets are oriented. Therefore, repulsorlifts can be used as a method of levitation for cars once the lift would be sufficient to resist both gravity and the weights on the car.Further clarification of the procedures and results should be directed to the researchers and adviser.Researchers Earl Angelo B. Panganiban Cebu City National Science High School Cost-Effective Free Fall Apparatus| Cost-Effective Free Fall Apparatus for Elementary and Secondary Students. Public Schools do not have sufficient funds for the purchase of a Free-Fall Apparatus, which is used to measure the time for a falling object to hit the switch pad from a certain point. A cost-effective Free-Fall Apparatus was constructed with the aid of recycled materials to serve as a cheaper alternative for this device. This study was intended for the improvement of the original equipment in terms of materials used, structural design,  function and price. The main structure was built with the use of excess planks of wood. The electromagnet, powered by three volt-battery was assembled. Wires were tapped into the stopwatch and were connected to the electromagnet. The Power Supply Box was connected to the Synchro Box to allow relay function.The electromagnet was finally affixed to the device through the use of a large paper clip. A tape measure was fastened to the equipment. The switch pad was affixed through the use of a lever and magnet. The apparatus was tested for several times until it functioned accurately. The innovation proved to be very efficient. It showed the same function as the original one although the initial design was altered. Special features include the machine’s flexibility and added parts such as the lever. This apparatus can really be used by various public schools throughout the country because of its effectiveness and affordability.Further clarification of the procedures and results should be directed to the researchers and adviser. Para-Toluenesulfonate Doped Polypyrolle as EMF Electrode Source| A conducting polymer was synthesized from polypyrolle doped with paratoluenesulfonate (p-TS) using electrochemical deposition technique to find a substitute for metal electrodes in EMF sources. Samples were produced with varying p-TS molarity, specifically 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2 M. Initial characterization of samples was done using Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM) for surface analysis, and the Energy Dispersive X-ray system (EDX) for elemental analysis. Surface analysis of thin sheets was observed to be fibrillar, while thick samples had globular surface. Traces of Nitrogen, Carbon, Oxygen and Sulfur in decreasing order of concentration, were detected in the EDX system, showing potential as conducting material.To determine potential as EMF source, samples were subjected to Van der Pauw Measurement. Conductivity was found to be within 20 to 200 siemens, resulting in a computed resistivity of 0.05 to 0.005 ohms. These values are  comparable to those of certain conductors such as copper. When used in a chemical cell with copper and zinc sulfate solution, the EMF produced was between 1 to 1.5 volts. This showed that the p-TS-doped polypyrolle is a good conductor and could be a possible electrode of a battery. Thermal analysis yielded a peak of endothermic reaction at 350 ºCelsius. Degradation point was at 770 degrees celsius. The sodium para-toluenesulfonate-doped polypyrolle opens the prospect of creating lightweight batteries, since they are approximately 80% lighter than common metal electrodes used in EMF sources. This progress signals a breakthrough in plastic electronics.Further clarification of the procedures and results should be directed to the researchers and adviser. Elastomeric Grating for Wavelength Switching in Optical Communication Systems. A diffraction grating was fabricated from an elastic polymer. It was patterned after a plane reflection grating with a pitch of 1,200 lines/mm. It was characterized using HeNe laser to verify grating properties. Angular scanning as a function of applied strain was observed for two individual wavelengths. Intensity of the fiber output was optimized as an application of angular scanning in fine alignment. Beam profiles showed consistency of first order diffraction intensities at different levels of strain. This showed that the elastomeric grating’s efficiency is independent of strain. The elastomeric grating’s variable pitch can be of immense utility in optical communication systems.A stretchable grating can be used to replace typical high-cost architectures of metal or glass gratings of different pitches that correspond to various spectral regions. By changing the pitch, the grating can be used for different ranges of wavelength. The elastomeric grating’s variable pitch can be used to scan different wavelengths over a wide selection since elastomeric grating diffracts different wavelength division multiplexing in optical communication systems. Laser beams of different wavelengths carrying different signals can be transmitted simultaneously through an optical fiber and diffracted to route the wavelengths onto separate wavelength-specific channels.Further clarification of the procedures and results should be  directed to the researchers and adviser.

Polygamy in Canada Should Not be Banned Essay -- International Law, re

Polygamy is an ongoing controversy both in Canada and around the world. Polygamy is referred to as a form of marriage or social practice in which a male individual has more than one spouse or wife (Campbell, 2005). The act of polygamy is illegal and against the law in many countries, though this marriage structure still rarely occurs in some societies or families. Worldwide, the cultures and societies that have accommodated the act of polygamy are well aware that emotional, societal, economic, and physical factors are inflicted upon the well-being of women along with their families. This act has been outlawed in Canada since 1892, and there are many debates in progress of determining whether or not Canada ought to legalize the practice of foreign polygamous marriages (Campbell, 2005). The ban on polygamy should be overturned in Canada, for the reason that different religious and cultural practices that involved polygamy do in fact exist within this diverse nation, as well, it is ben eficial to women and their children in terms of financial support and domestic assistance between the wives. However, this practice is contrary to the values and notions of equality between males and females in the Canadian and western society. Canada, as a multicultural nation, should legalize the act of polygamy as it is practiced within many religions and cultures that exist in the country. Canada is a diverse country and consists of various individuals who have different beliefs and values and carry out certain roles subsequent to their cultures and religions. Many religions, such as Islam, which is practised by many individuals in Canada today, allow the tradition of polygamy under certain circumstances. Individuals who pursue this religion and ... ...l and Social Implications for Women and Children.† Vancouver Sun. The Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre, November 2005. Web. 21 March 2011. http://www.vancouversun.com/pdf/polygamy_021209.pdf Cohen, Marjorie. â€Å"Patriarcal Relations of Production in Nineteenth-century Ontario.† Family Patterns: Gender Relations. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print. Coltrane, Scott. â€Å"Household Labour and the Routine Production of Gender.† Family Patterns: Gender Relations. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print. Department of Justice. â€Å"Equality Rights.† Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 27 March 2011. Web. 28 March 2011. http://lois-laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/charter/page-1.html#anchorbo-ga:l_I-gb:s_1 Department of Justice. â€Å"Polygamy.† Criminal Code of Canada. 27 March 2011. Web. 28 March 2011. http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/page-202.html

Emily Bronte and Wuthering Heights – the authors personal experiences in the play

Critiques say that Emily Bronte overshadowed her sister, although when compared to her more outgoing sisters, Emily was a seemingly trapped young woman. She expressed her wildest dreams through her writing. Emily, born on July 30th, 1818 in Thorton, Yorkshire, had four sisters and one brother. (Encyclopedia Americana PG 596. ) The female authors of the family included Charlotte, Anne, and Emily. Charlotte's most famous novel The Professor, along with Jane Eyre were highly praised. Anne wrote Agnes Gray. The Bronte family lived in Haworth. Mrs. Bronte died during Emily's third year. She first attended Cowan Bridge School, where she received a fairly good education, although her time there broke of early, she returned home due to her sister's death. After returning home focused more on her writing. She focused on her poetry. The imaginary village of Gondal influenced her poems. Her sister Anne co wrote some of these poems with her. She later attended a school by the name of Roe Head, but became deeply home sick and returned home. (Stapleton, Michael PG 99. Her final attempt to go to school was at Law Hill, where her and Charlotte taught. Later their brother Branwell tried influencing them to begin publishing novels because it promised a lot of money. The three sisters formed a publishing company of their own. (Encyclopedia Americana PG 597. ) Then Emily began her work on the famous well-known novel of Wuthering Heights. At first, her novel received little praise compared to her sister's books. But its acknowledgment came later. Soon Emily no longer focused on her family, writing, or school. She withdrew herself from the world around her. Her brother Branwell died on October 1st 1848, after drunken rages, that same year Emily became diagnosed with inflammation of the lungs. She died that same year on December 19th. (Www. lang. nagoya-u. ac. jp. ) Although Emily is gone, her novel Wuthering Heights will always be a legend, with its twisted passion, and compelling opposites of Emily's own life. The story begins in 1801, with a man named Lockwood who comes to rent a room at Thrushcross Grange. Lockwood then meets the master of the Grange and of Wuthering Heights. On his journey to the heights he sees the haunting ghost of Catherine, Heathcliff's long lost love. While lying in bed, he hears branches tapping the window, to put them to a halt he reaches to grab them, but to his surprise he grabs the hand of a person instead! â€Å"†¦ Instead of which my fingers closed on the fingers of a little, ice cold hand! † (Emily Bronte PG 30. ) After this astonishment and returning to Thrushcross Grange, Lockwood asks the housekeeper, Nelly to tell him the tale of Heathcliff. The story begins when Mr. Earnshaw, Catherine and Hindley's father returns home with an orphan. The boys name is Heathcliff. Hindley hates him, but Catherine comes to love him. With the death of both Mr. nd Mrs. Earnshaw, Hindley inherits Wuthering Heights. On one evening Heathcliff and Catherine go to Thrushcross Grange to pick on Edgar and Isabella, the rich children that live there. Catherine is forced to stay there after a dog bites her. After a month or so she returns and has lost her love for Heathcliff. Hindley has a son named Hareton, who he calls upon Nelly to take care of since his wife, Frances, died giving the birth. Heathcliff over hears Catherine telling Nelly about her engagement to Edgar, and runs away. He returns some years later as a young man. He plans to seek revenge on Hindley and Edgar. He soon inherits Wuthering Heights after Hindley dies, and marries Isabella to insure his ownership of Thrushcross Grange. Catherine becomes unhappy with Edgar and her love for Heathcliff returns with his arrival, although her pride will not allow her to follow her heat. She dies giving birth to her daughter Cathy. The story with Cathy begins when Edgar takes Linton, Heathcliff and Isabella's son, into their home. Heathcliff soon claims him and forces a marriage between Cathy and Linton. Edgar and Linton soon die, one right after the other, and then Heathcliff takes control of Thrushcross Grange. Which is then rented to Lockwood. Shortly after Lockwood returns to London. On returning to Wuthering Heights he sees that Heathcliff has become obsessed with the ghost of Catherine and soon dies. Cathy and Hareton, Hindley's son, are in love and plan a wedding. The story ends with Lockwood at Heathcliff and Catherine's graves. Emily's life and experiences had much to do with the writing of Wuthering Heights. Emily used her own life to fuel the writing of Wuthering Heights. Her family, her experiences, her religion, and her bottled up, neglected personality all contributed to her writing of Wuthering Heights. First of all, Emily's religion played a huge part in the story of Wuthering Heights. Emily did not limit her religion to one particular form, but when asked how she worshiped, she replied, â€Å"That is between me and god. † (Critical Essays on Emily Bronte PG 8. ) Emily beheld three main beliefs. One; that Hell exists only on earth, and no souls suffer torments after death, two; A soul that has suffered sufficiently on earth attains its heaven, Three; A soul that has not suffered is in limbo for a time, but is redeemed by others' sufferings if not by its own, after enduring the poena damni, deprivation of the desired heaven. Critical Essays on Emily Bronte PG 9. ) These â€Å"rules† are often reflected in Wuthering Heights. With Catherine, she does not go to either Heaven nor Hell, but remains on earth by the wish of Heathcliff, and states herself in the novel she deserves no Heaven. The only time she achieves heaven is when Heathcliff dies and they are once again united, even if it may not be in actual heaven. Emily also refers to Heathcliff as the devil. (Critical Essays on Emily Bronte pg13. ) When Mr. Earnshaw returns home from a trip, he brings with him a boy, â€Å"†¦ you must e'en take it as a gift from God, though it's as dark almost as if it came from the devil. (Pg 40 of Wuthering Heights) Referring to him, as a devil, but yet a gift from God is actually quite complex. It utters Heathcliff's two personalities, as God, his undying love for Catherine and his ability to control people. With his ability to manipulate a situation, he also portrays devil like qualities. Also, in the book, there is a part where Cathy and Linton are comparing their perfect ideas of a hot summer day in July. Linton's idea was a more peaceful one, while Catherine only wanted to dance and sparkle. † I said his heaven would only be half alive, and he said mine would be drunk. (Pg 237 of Wuthering Heights) Emily immediately relates the differences in their ideas of summer evenings to Heaven. Which implies that Cathy and Linton are not meant for each other. Like every one of us, family holds very important quality. Emily's family played an important role in Wuthering Heights. Influences for character mainly included her family. Emily was brought up in a large family, which was not uncommon for that day and age. As in the story, all the children were close in age. But, in Wuthering Heights, there were only two or three children in each family. Maybe this distinguishes an idea that Emily wished she had so she put it into her novel. Emily's brother Branwell fell victim to drugs, alcohol, and sex. This notes a direct portrayal to Catherine's brother Hindley. Hindley has more evil to him than Branwell, but takes on drinking and gambling. He soon blows all of his money and dies when he has no place in the world. Exactly like Branwell. Patrick Branwell, Emily's father, and an Irish man, took care of his family and loved his children. He also died early on in Emily's life, as did Mr. Earnshaw. Mr. Earnshaw devoted himself to his children. I am going to Liverpool today, what shall I bring you? You may choose what you like† (Wuthering Heights pg 40. ) With the death of Mr. Earnshaw turmoil boils among the family; it brings Hindley's hatred toward Heathcliff to the surface, similar to the Mrs. Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights. At the age of two, Emily's mom died. Mrs. Earnshaw is also not noted in the book for more than one or two pages before her death. Emily gave both the Earnshaw's and the Linton's lives with out parents. Probably because she would not of known how to write parents into there lives not knowing hers very well at all. Other factors that have affected Wuthering Heights are her family history, the novel Bridegroom and Barna, and her experiences at Law Hill School. One even her father was telling his children about their ancestors. One of the stories must have connected with Emily because she used it as an outline for her novel. The story goes that his uncle Welsh abused Patrick's father Hugh Branty, who happened to be adopted. Welsh, a representative of Heathcliff, was found on a boat and adopted by Hugh's Grandpa. Welsh later took over the household, and married the daughter of the house. Pyckett, Lyn PG 3-9. ) The Bridegroom and Barna is a story of Emily's time about two star-crossed lovers from rivaled families. Who are only united in death. Just like the Earnshaw's and the Linton's, their children fell in love and only found peace after death. While Emily attended Law Hill School, the owner of the school had two sons, one adopted and one by birth. The son by birth constantly argued and was jealous of the adopted son. This relates directly to Hindley and Heathcliff, two sons arguing for the love of their own father. (Pyckett, Lyn pg10-15. ) The last found influences towards Wuthering Heights are the traits of Emily herself. She was the only child out of six to be given a middle name. It seems as if her parents knew she would be different. She was a very quiet person who kept to her self. And when her own sister came upon her poems she was furious. (Pyckett, Lyn PG 8. ) During her life she experienced a lot of death. Death is also a main factor dealt with in Wuthering Heights. The amount of characters was cut in half by the end of the book. It also reflects the time period where people all died much earlier than they do today. Wuthering Heights was written towards the end of Emily's life. Which may be the reason the story has no theme of hope. Emily knew she was going to die, and did not want a doctor to be called in her last hours. (Critical Essays on Emily Bronte PG 51. ) She was also in a state of delusion. Probably living out the lives of her characters in her dreams. Wuthering Heights only has two main settings, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. This portrays an example of how Emily felt trapped in her own home. She wrote to venture out. She had no love of her life yet wrote one the most passionate stories ever. In conclusion Emily's experiences, her feelings of being alone, the characteristics of her family members, and her relationship with God, all affected the outcome of Wuthering Heights. Using her religion in her novel allows you to connect with her. It could not have been written the same by any other person; because only she beheld these imaginative believes. The story is extremely personal, using references to her family member, not caring if it affected them, which may exemplify why it was written in the last stage of her life. Instead of writing about a tremendous love she had experienced, this way she has no boundaries, she may write whatever her mind will let her. Being an outsider, she enabled herself to express how she really felt, how she wished she could be. All in all, Emily Bronte and Wuthering Heights will always be remembered for their originality, and their unique qualities, not for their popular, common traits. Emily's legend lives on just like Catherine's. Lingering on Earth even after death.

Value Management

Q. 1 Using your emerging knowledge of Value Management (VM), critically appraise the report and make suggestions as to how the VM study might have been run differently / more effectively. A Value Management report is the basis to a well-constructed project in the sense that all parties involved or potentially affected will be content with the final outcome. It is vital to understand and elaborate on the key aspects that determine a value management study in order to gain an agreeable conclusion. Often these guidelines are met, yet comparatively and with no due culpability, some guidelines are overseen. The causes of these significant errors are often mistakes and rarely intentional however they greatly skew the findings and lead to inevitable issues raised in the future. The Value Management Workshop Report, dated 26 November 2009, is focused on the Road and Traffic Authority’ (RTA) Mount Victoria to Lithgow Project. It incorporates many of the procedures and strategies that are set out in a report titled Total Asset Management, September 2004, which has been developed by New South Wales Government Treasury’s Office. This particular documents basis is value management guideline. In order to construct an argument as to how the Mount Victoria to Lithgow Project workshop could have been run differently and more effectively I will juxtapose these two documents. There are two main criteria that will be focused on; the stages of a Value Management and when such stages should be initiated and pre workshop planning and what it should comprise of. For a major project/program, several Value Management studies may be needed, for example at the service planning stage, the concept development stage, at the construction stage, at the operation and maintenance stage and, ultimately, at disposal’. (Value Management guideline, 2004) There is no question that the 6 major stages of a project listed above require a Value Management Plan. In this particular instance the concept development stage is the main focus of the RTA report. Concept development should include the scope of the project, what the project a ims to achieve and the general reasoning behind such a development. The general concept of this proposed project can be described as ‘light’ meaning that the reason for undertaking a public infrastructure project, estimated in excess of $275 million excluding the three phases included in the Mount Victoria section, is a little unclear. It is stated that ‘The highway upgrade work that has already been completed [on The Great Western Highway] has led to improved travel times for motorists and a safer road environment for all motorists, pedestrians and cyclists’. RTA: Mount Victoria to Lithgow Project, 26 November 2009) The New South Wales Governments plan to upgrade state roads, is therefore a green light to develop and upgrade new roads as the RTA deems fit. There is no thought or mention of rejuvenating existing infrastructure, which would be presumably economically healthier and time efficient. Although such a consideration may have become immediately redundant once ousted, there should have been ample opportunity for consi deration by all members of the workshop, which in fact there wasn’t. It is effective to conduct pre workshops programmes in a smaller group to develop issues that can be readily raised in the major Value Management workshop. Identifying issues early rather than over the two days of the workshop will give organisers and sub sequentially the members of the workshop the ability to address and answer problems with relevant facts, current data and more importantly directly. This would be a substitute of ‘ball park’ figures and broad/ assumed answers that would have been put forward if pre workshop programmes were not conducted.

The Dangers of Prompt Dependence

The Dangers of Prompt Dependence Prompt dependence comes when a student needs a prompt in order to initiate a skill or activity. Often the skill is mastered, but prompting  is so much a part of the students expectations that they will not initiate and sometimes complete an activity without adult prompting.  Often this happens because the parent, therapist, teacher or teachers aide lays on the verbal prompting thick and consistently. Example Case of Prompt Dependency Rodney would sit and wait for Miss Eversham to tell him to start before he would begin the papers in his folder. Miss Eversham realized that Rodney had developed prompt dependency, relying on her giving verbal prompts for him to complete his folder. Dont Talk Too Much Prompting is an important part of scaffolding success with special education students, starting small and working toward more complex academic, functional or vocational skills. More often than not, children who become prompt dependent are those whose classroom aides are not always attentive to the fact that they give verbal prompts for everything. In other words, they talk too much. Too often, students get stuck on the continuum of prompts at the verbal prompt level and require the teacher to verbally direct them in order for them to complete the task or skill. Students can even be stuck at the hand over hand level some  students even need to take the teacher or aides hand and place it on their own hand before using scissors or even attempting to write with a writing utensil. Fading for Independence In each of the cases above, the problem was the failure to attend to the level of independence the child has developed and promptly fade out the prompts. If you start with hand over hand, as soon as you can loosen or relax your grasp, move toward the next level, moving your hand from the students hand to their wrist, to their elbow and then simply tapping the back of the hand. For other kinds of activities, especially for students have mastered the component parts of a larger skill (such as dressing) it is possible to begin with a higher level of prompting. It is important to avoid verbal prompting if possible.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Visual prompts are best, such as pictures of the student completing the activity, step by step. Once your student has clearly mastered the component parts, then employ gestural prompts alongside the verbal prompts, then withdraw or fade, the verbal prompts to finally leave only the gestural prompts, ending with independence. Independence should always be the goal of any educational program, and moving form prompting to independence is always the goal of an ethical and proactive teacher.   Be sure you are providing the kind of support that leads to independence.

Conversation Analysis Definition and Examples

Conversation Analysis Definition and Examples In sociolinguistics, conversation analysis is the study of the talk produced in ordinary human interactions. Sociologist Harvey Sacks (1935-1975) is generally credited with founding the discipline. Also called talk-in-interaction  and  ethnomethodology. At its core, says Jack Sidnell, conversation analysis is a set of methods for working with audio and video recordings of talk and social interaction (Conversation Analysis: An Introduction, 2010). See Examples and Observations below. Also, see: Talking Together: Key Concepts in Conversation AnalysisAdjacency PairAsymmetry (Communication)Broken-Record ResponseConstructed DialogueConversationConversational GroundingConversational Implicature and ExplicatureConversationalizationCooperative OverlapCooperative PrincipleDialogueDirect SpeechDiscourse AnalysisDiscourse DomainDiscourse MarkerEcho UtteranceEditing TermIndexicalityInterlocutorMinor SentenceNonverbal CommunicationPausePhatic Communication and Solidarity TalkPoliteness StrategiesProfessional CommunicationPunctuation EffectRelevance TheoryRepairShort AnswerSpeech ActStyle-ShiftingTurn-Taking Examples and Observations [C]onversation analysis (CA) [is] an approach within the social sciences that aims to describe, analyze and understand talk as a basic and constitutive feature of human social life. CA is a well-developed tradition with a distinctive set of methods and analytic procedures as well as a large body of established findings. . . .At its core, conversation analysis is a set of methods for working with audio and video recordings of talk and social interaction. These methods were worked out in some of the earliest conversation-analytic studies and have remained remarkably consistent over the last 40 years. Their continued use has resulted in a large body of strongly interlocking and mutually supportive findings . . ..(Jack Sidnell, Conversation Analysis: An Introduction. Wiley-Blackwell, 2010The Aim of Conversation AnalysisCA is the study of recorded, naturally occurring talk-in-interaction. But what is the aim of studying these interactions? Principally, it is to discover how participants u nderstand and respond to one another in their turns at talk, with a central focus on how sequences of action are generated. To put it another way, the objective of CA is to uncover the often tacit reasoning procedures and sociolinguistic competencies underlying the production and interpretation of talk in organized sequences of interaction.(Ian Hutchby and Robin Wooffitt, Conversation Analysis. Polity, 2008 Adjacency PairsOne very common structure that has been identified [through conversation analysis] is the adjacency pair. This is an ordered pair of adjacent utterances spoken by two different speakers. Once the first utterance is spoken, the second is required. A few of the many adjacency pairs that have been identified are shown.SummonsanswerCan I get some help here?On my way.Offer - refusalSales clerk: May I help you find something?Customer: No thank you, Im just looking.Compliment  - acceptanceYour hair looks very lovely today.Thank you. I just had it cut.​(William OGrady, et al. Contemporary Linguistics: An Introduction. Bedford, 2001Response to Criticisms of Conversational AnalysisMany people who take a look at CA from the outside are amazed by a number of superficial features of CAs practice. It seems to them that CA refuses to use available theories of human conduct to ground or organize its arguments, or even to construct a theory of its own. Furthermore, it seems unwilling to explain the phenomena it studies by invoking obvious factors like basic properties of the participants or the institutional context of the interaction. And finally, it seems to be obsessed with the details of its materials. These impressions are not too far off the mark, but the issue is why CA refuses to use or construct theories, why it refuses interaction-external explanations, and why it is obsessed with details. The short answer is that these refusals and this obsession are necessary in order to get a clear picture of CAs core phenomenon, the in situ organization of conduct, and especially talk-in-interaction. So CA is not a-theoretical but it has a different conception of how to theorize about social life.(Paul ten Have, Doing Conversation Analysis: A Practical Guide, 2nd ed. SAGE, 2007)

Effective Reading Strategies For Textbooks

Effective Reading Strategies For Textbooks    Newsflash: Your teacher doesn’t care if you read the whole chapter. I know that this sounds like a lie that teachers use to make sure you fail in school and life in general, but I am not kidding. At all. In fact, if youre using effective reading strategies, youre not going to read every single word. You dont really have to. Do you know what your teacher wants, more than anything? For you to learn the material youre supposed to know, and if you use the following effective reading tips for textbooks, youll be sure to do that. Read to learn; dont just read to read. There is absolutely no guilt if you skip around as long as you understand what youre supposed to.   Effective Reading Strategies Involve Less Actual Reading The best way to spend your study hour when you get an assignment to read a chapter is to devote as little time as is humanly possible to actually putting your eyes across the words on the page and as much time as is humanly possible doing these things: Testing yourself on the contentOrganizing the contentReviewing the contentRelating new concepts in the book to ones you already knowIdentifying and memorizing technical terms, formulas, and vocabularyApplying the concepts in the textbook to real-world situations In other words, spend your time learning, not just hacking through the words on the page until they blur into a giant mass of indecipherable grayish figures. Effective Reading Strategies For Learning a Chapter As I said before, your teacher doesnt care if you read the whole chapter. He or she does care if you know the material. And you should, too. Heres how to minimize your reading and maximize your learning when you read a textbook. Just PEEK, ASK, ANSWER and QUIZ. Peek. Effective reading starts with dedicating the first part of your reading time to peeking through the chapter - look at chapter headings, view pictures, read the intro and conclusion, and browse through the study questions at the end. Get a feel for what you need to know.Ask Questions. On a sheet of paper, transform your chapter headings into questions, leaving spaces underneath. Change â€Å"Early Romantic Poets† into â€Å"Who were the Early Romantic Poets?† Change â€Å"The Lithograph† into â€Å"What THE HECK is The Lithograph?† And on and on. Do this for every heading and subheading. Seems like a waste of precious time. I assure you, it is not.Answer Questions. Read through the chapter to answer the questions you just created. Put the answers in your own words underneath the questions you’ve written on your paper. Paraphrasing what the book says is imperative because youll remember your own words much better than someone elses.Quiz. When yo u’ve found the answers to all of the questions, read back through your notes with the answers covered to see if you can answer the questions from memory. If not, reread your notes until you can. Effective Reading Summary If you practice these effective reading strategies, your test/quiz/and exam study time will decrease DRAMATICALLY because you will have learned the material as you go instead of cramming for your test right before exam time: Sample Reading Comprehension QuestionsLearn Those Facts With Mnemonic DevicesHow to Study For Any Test

Comparison between the characteristics of citizens of Germany and Essay

Comparison between the characteristics of citizens of Germany and Qatar - Essay Example As it is explained in the book â€Å"Culture Smart: Germany†, Germans make their best effort to complete a task within the time assigned, and make sure that they do the work rightly the very first time it is done. In short, we can say that they are too committed to their jobs and respect the deadlines. When I compare that to the trend in my country, Qatar, I find a huge difference because most of the people in Qatar are too careless about the work deadlines, and more often than not, work is completed after the deadlines. Regardless of the religion or cultural differences with Germans, I respect them as a Muslim for their hard work, because in Islam, we are taught to do everything with extreme enthusiasm and professionalism. In one saying, our Prophet Mohammed has conveyed that God loves it when someone does something and he/she does it well. Another characteristic that I particularly like about Germans is their straightforwardness. Germans have a habit of saying straight whate ver they have in their mind, and they do not feel any hesitation or embarrassment in being truthful in their speech. There is no hypocrisy in them. Thus, whatever they say, they mean it and they do what they think is right. Straightforwardness to such a high extent may sound rude occasionally, but for me it should not be taken like that. I feel that one should welcome criticism as long as it is just. I would not mind someone telling me to correct myself in a particular way if I am really wrong in that. In my country, people frequently make use of flattery for personal gains. This is a sign of hypocrisy and is strictly forbidden in Islam. In addition to their straightforwardness, I like German’s truth.

Using Business Intelligence to Determine Social Network Essay

Using Business Intelligence to Determine Social Network - Essay Example Business intelligence mainly focuses on the processes and applications that happen within the business as opposed to competitive intelligence which focuses on the external environment, competitive activities especially. One main characteristic of business intelligence is its reliance on facts as opposed to rumors and heresy. Business Intelligence can be used to analyze people’s social networks to an extent that it may impact on organizations’ performances. This paper focuses on the application of business intelligence in analyzing social networks and its potential effects at the organizational level. Business Intelligence and Data Businesses depend on information form the field, which is translated into data, to make strategic business decisions. In many cases, businesses generate data which they store in databases, flat files or spreadsheets. The data that is stored by any business is extremely important to the organization especially if it is properly analysed and uti lized (Inmon and Nesavich 2008). In other words, the data stored by a business should not simply be perceived as information recorded in the past. It should be used for example to monitor sales trends for the purposes of planning market campaigns or to establish the kind of resources that ought to be allocated to certain sales teams. Such information could also be analysed to establish market trends and products that enjoy viability in the current and future marketplace. Yet again, information stored by the business may be used to analyse customer behavior (Negash 2004). Better stated, information can be analysed by organizations to increase profits and maximize revenues through the application of business intelligence. Social Networks A social network is basically a structure that is constituted by a set of actors who are engaged somehow in their interactions, connections or relationships (Liebowitz 2007). In other words, social networks are commonly associated with social groups. The actors or players in a social network may be individuals, businesses or organizations acting at a local, communal or even global level. What this means is that a social network is a group of individuals or organizations that interact with shared goals. While social networking can be done in person, most of the activity is done online. This is the case considering that the Internet is accessed by millions of people with common interests. Websites are commonly used for social networking as online community members who have common interests, or share related views in politics, religion, or hobbies meet and share views and ideas (Liebowitz 2007). Some of the most common and visible social networks in the current business environment include Facebook, Twiter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Google Plus+, Orkut, Tagged, Badoo, and myYearbook, just a few mentioned. While social networks have a great share of advantages, their limitations cannot be undermined. Data theft, frauds and viruses may be p art of the social networking experience. Business Intelligence and Social Networks Any organization that applies business intelligence cannot underestimate the potentiality of the application. Business intelligence can measure and report a vast amount of data real time (Respicio, Adam, and IOS Press 2010). Business intelligence may be used to harness trends, and create business to business and business to customer relationships on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. The data retrieved from social networks can effectively be

The 'Alawis PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The 'Alawis - PowerPoint Presentation Example The Alawis community has survived in Syria as an individual group in spite of repeated threats and massacre by Sunni rulers who did not consider them as a separate religious group. Next to north western mountain ranges, Alawis are also settled in Latakiah province in Syria. Some nearby districts populated with this community involve Southern Turkey and northern Lebanon. When we look into recent years, we can observe that this community has moved to urban areas of Syria. Alawis belong to that Shia group which is considered the extreme sect. When we look into the history of Alawis community, we can clearly observe that they were always persecuted by Sunnis while living in Syria. This was the main reason why this community always preferred to live in mountainous areas as these areas prove to be a save heaven for Alawis. Abu Shu’ayb Muhammad ibn Nusayr (died in 874 AD) was the founder of Alawis community. He started his teachings from Iraq and Persia and finally bought to Syrian land by Al- Khasibi. This was the land where Alawis took their roots and survived with the passage of time. At the end of tenth century, Arabs conquest Syria where Alawis showed extreme hatred and resentment against Arab domination. This was the time when they joined hands with extreme Shia sect as revenge against Arab supremacy. Moreover, they also turned Islamic ideas and teachings into their own mold. Here it is essential to note that Alawis teachings always focused on the superiority of Persia as most of the prominent leaders and writers of this community had roots in Persia. A respectable name among Alawis leaders in the late tenth century was Khasibi who settled at Latakia, a province of Syria. From that time, this province became the centre of this communal group. Alawis again faced great deterioration and massacre by Sunnis during the first Crusades (1096-1099) after their favors for Franks. As

The Effect of Shoe Heel Height And Floor Incline Research Paper

The Effect of Shoe Heel Height And Floor Incline - Research Paper Example Discovered on Egyptian wall paintings dating back to 3500 B.C., high heels were owned by the privileged people and were made by fastening together leather parts, which were set to characterize the emblem for life. The prehistoric citizens of Renaissance, Rome and Greece would put on (kothorni) or buskins shoes with wood or cork soles. These shoes inferred social prominence and significance on the stage of a theater and on the streets of a civilization. Roman women were straightforwardly acknowledged as prostitutes by their high heels. The Middle Ages saw the entrance of designs, or wooden soles, which kept both sexes’ costly shoes from being stained by street rubbish. In the 1400s, chopines were massively prevalent among European women. Venetian women, in particular, made these seven or even thirty inch high heels conspicuous on the perilous Italian streets. For the reason that promenading requisite canes or servants for sustenance, escape from the harem was unmanageable. Chop ines were sooner or later banned for being too hazardous. Fashion dominated functions upon the official invention of high heels by the diminutive imminent Queen of France, Catherine de Medici. So as to appear more astounding and bewitching than her fiancà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s concubine, Diana de Poitiers, Catherine dressed on a pair of 2 inch high heels for her wedding to the Duke of Orleans. She thrived with monarch after monarch ensuing her high heel tendency. High heels turned out to be so well-liked that the word well-heeled acknowledged a person of power or wealth. After Catherine de Medici put on her heels, high heels instigated their strenuous journey through history.  

Beneficiaries of U.S. Welfare Programs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Beneficiaries of U.S. Welfare Programs - Essay Example 3). Therefore, the U.S. Welfare programs aim to stabilize the well-being and healthy balance of people of the U.S. The U.S Welfare programs focus mainly on food needs of children, economics, and education. Among of these welfare programs are the School Milk Program of 1973, the Basic Educational Opportunity Grants, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by Obama. The School Milk Program of 1973 aims to provide free milk in schools especially in needy children. Approximately 111,000 half pints of milk were served daily and 13.5 million cartons were sold daily at reduced prices. Almost 3% of the total nonfarm milk consumption was allocated in school milk program. In 1973, the milk, children received from this program is separate from the milk included in school lunches and breakfasts but the new school lunch act requires application of income rules for free and subsidized lunches to school milk. It is a prerequisite that schools participate in both programs, school milk program and school lunch act, in order to qualify the children for free school lunch and servings of extra milk (Anderson, 1980, p. 217). Education welfare programs such as Basic Educational Opportunity Grants are intended for needy college students and for students in vocational and technical schools.

Doctrine of Separation of powers in Australia Essay

Doctrine of Separation of powers in Australia - Essay Example It is evident that â€Å"separation of powers† limits the control and authority of each arm. This is because when power is divisible between the three branches of government, a division that is too strong or manipulative lacks. Notably, none of these branches is entirely separate from the other. The three arms of government are interdependent and connective (Patapan, 2000). Separation of powers The Commonwealth Constitution provides for separation of legislative, judicial and executive power. The high court separated judicial power from both executive and legislative in several cases involving constitutional matters. The courts are not allowed to separate the authority exercised by the legislature and executive. A useful example of separation of power in commonwealth countries is Australia. The authors of the Australian constitution borrowed this concept from both the American and British constitution. This enabled them to devise a document called Hybrid constitution (Coper & Williams, 2001). The Australian constitution draws distinctions between the legislative, executive and judicial powers. This means that, in accordance with the commonwealth governance, the branch that abuses power can have its actions declared illegal by a court. The parliament is also the legislative organ in the Australian constitution. Its role is to make, review and amend laws. It comprises of a House of Representative members who are also the lawmakers. The executive comprises of ministries that help to put the laws into action. The ministers and permanent secretaries oversee the executive. The judiciary is mandated to make laws and judgements on issues affecting the country. It is made of the federal courts and high courts. The executive is selected by parliament while governor-generals who are also members of parliament appoint the judiciary (judges) with the principle of separation of powers, (Patapan, 2000). Commonwealth judicial officers have a security of tenure. However, the judicial officers retire at seventy. It is equally evident that the executive makes the appointments. After appointing the officials, their names are gazetted to make it official. The executive can dismiss judicial officers through Governor-General after approval by the parliament. The officers can be fired if they misbehave or are unable to perform (Lee, 2003). Benefits and issues The system of power separation is the main standard of governance in Australia. It is effective in checking corruption and power misuse in the government. This is because it eliminates the concept of monopoly by dividing power to the different organs. This is because each group operates within its area of jurisdiction to keep check on the status and actions of the other group. (Lee, 2003).The coalition works towards the maintenance of support from the majority members of house representatives. This enables them to stay in the government. It also provides a valid check on the executive by ensuring res ponsibility to parliament. The theory of power separation guides the government into implementing and managing the state laws. This results in responsible government that is imperative to maintaining the government. The principle of â€Å"separation of powers† is associated with fair governance. The separation in Australia is not strict as it works towards the building of essential democratic concepts

Beneficiaries of U.S. Welfare Programs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Beneficiaries of U.S. Welfare Programs - Essay Example 3). Therefore, the U.S. Welfare programs aim to stabilize the well-being and healthy balance of people of the U.S. The U.S Welfare programs focus mainly on food needs of children, economics, and education. Among of these welfare programs are the School Milk Program of 1973, the Basic Educational Opportunity Grants, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by Obama. The School Milk Program of 1973 aims to provide free milk in schools especially in needy children. Approximately 111,000 half pints of milk were served daily and 13.5 million cartons were sold daily at reduced prices. Almost 3% of the total nonfarm milk consumption was allocated in school milk program. In 1973, the milk, children received from this program is separate from the milk included in school lunches and breakfasts but the new school lunch act requires application of income rules for free and subsidized lunches to school milk. It is a prerequisite that schools participate in both programs, school milk program and school lunch act, in order to qualify the children for free school lunch and servings of extra milk (Anderson, 1980, p. 217). Education welfare programs such as Basic Educational Opportunity Grants are intended for needy college students and for students in vocational and technical schools.

Budget 1. Describe the budget process apply appropriate budgeting Essay

Budget 1. Describe the budget process apply appropriate budgeting techniques and explain its significance in the business environment - Essay Example In any organization, budgets are a representation of the future revenues and costs. The main characteristic of budgets is that they are prepared in advance and are derived from long term strategy of a company. The budgets relate to the goals and objectives of the organization and express in quantitative form, the monetary and physical units of activities. The main activities in companies include control and planning, and budgets are the centre of these activities. Budgets are crucial control systems that show estimates of expenses and revenues of a company over a certain period of time. Budgets are usually compiled and evaluated after certain periods. There can be a surplus budget when the company anticipates to get a profit, it can be balanced when the company expects the expenses to equal the revenues, or it can be deficit budgets when the expenses are expected to exceed the revenues. Budgets are usually prepared in companies based on their goals. The process of planning budgets involves preparing detailed, short-term plans for the organizations. Budgets are prepared by starting with an overall budget for the whole organization, which can then be broken down into smaller budget based on departments. The planning process involves consultations with the whole organization in order for the objectives of the company are achieved. The process of developing a master budget starts by preparing the sales budget. This is because the sales budget acts as the limiting factor in this company. This budget also affects other components of the master budget directly or indirectly. This budget shows the sales expected over a period of time. It is simply a product of the expected units of sales and the expected price per unit. This budget needs to be prepared carefully because other components of the master plan rely on it; otherwise the master budget will be ineffective for control and planning purposes. Once the sales budget has been done,

The Influence of Technology in Business Essay Example for Free

The Influence of Technology in Business Essay Technology has changed the way the world operates and conducts business. I remember walking into an office and being impressed at how cool the receptionist was by instant messaging the person I was there to see to let them know I had arrived instead of picking up the phone and ringing their office. She received an immediate reply to have me seated and said the he would be right with me. What was really happening is that he was on a phone call but was able to multitask more efficiently due to the instant messaging software, filling the need for instant gratification. That was well over ten years ago. Today, managers can hold global staff meetings and significantly cut costs with regard to travel and expense accounts while fulfilling the new trend of being â€Å"green†. Much of corporate America now has people in telecommuting programs, and the number of people involved is continually growing. Information sharing is faster and more convenient than ever before. You never have to leave your home or book a flight out to acquire information or survey a property or even meet clients thanks to teleconferencing where you can see the other person virtually face-to-face. While there are many advantages to the new virtual office up rise there are challenges as well. Many businesses find one of the biggest hurdles in setting up the virtual office is the responsibility of providing technical support. Whereas, technically proficient employees usually improve their skills while learning on their own, those that don’t understand computers can end up costing much more because of support costs. Interestingly, IT departments are behind the virtual workplace curve: As employees overall are increasingly distributed geographically (more than 90% work someplace other than headquarters), IT departments are increasingly centralized. Telecommuting is actually considerably rarer in IT departments than in the workforce at large, (Johnson, J. , 2009). This may be causing them to miss out on a revolution that the rest of the company may be experiencing. Another hurdle that companies must face is that they must evaluate virtual workers without directly supervising them. To do this successfully, the employee must be evaluated on the quality, quantity, and timeliness of the work as opposed to the hours involved, so it is imperative that the work be specific and measurable (Roman H. Kepczyk, 1999). The demand for the virtual office is on the rise and will continue to develop and progress as companies realize the significant savings impact it can have on their budget and the increase in productivity it has been shown to have. From the employee’s perspective it also saves them money by not having to commute and buy lunch, therefore, increasing their retained income. They are more engaged due to the lack of interruptions by colleagues such as those present in a brick and mortar office setting and typically, employees use less sick leave when working from home. Reduced stress levels and a more productive and balanced lifestyle contribute the employees level of job satisfaction. An employer can save around $5,000 on cubicle and office equipment for just one employee. Telecommuting is the same thing as operating a virtual office. An employee can work from home but still communicate effectively with managers and colleagues. Employees may create a sort of â€Å"social working network† to compensate for the â€Å"water cooler† action they may miss from having human contact at the office. Judy Duplisea, a regional vice president for the company CheckFree, lives in Canton while other members of her sales and client relationship staff live in Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, and New York. They work out of their houses, connected by computers, fax machines, and conference calls in a virtual office. My group is probably tighter now than any of the groups that I was working with in regular offices, Duplisea said. We go out of our way to stay in contact with each other. You can get real lonely if you dont (Cindy Krischer Goodman, 2010). The advances in technology and business will increase the rate of global expansion of companies in general. Not having to budget money for international travel or physically exhaust employees with the act of actually traveling but being able to conduc t business effectively in over seas markets is a huge benefit to any company’s the bottom line. While business relationships should still incorporate some kind of human one-on-one contact with their clients and colleagues, businesses can communicate more effectively and more often, globally and domestically, with the increasing technological advances available to them. Clients, colleagues, suppliers and the like, are more than just a telephone call away, they are a teleconference, an email, and quite recently as demonstrated in the last presidential campaign on CNN, a hologram away.

American Views on Sexuality

American Views on Sexuality (Jump to) Introduction Discussion Americans’ Contacts with Homosexuals LGBT Americans Opinions Social Acceptance by American Society Religious Belief References INTRODUCTION Being a bisexual means getting attracted to both people of their own gender and another gender also. Women who get attracted to the female gender are known as lesbians and similarly the men who get attracted to the male gender are known as gay. The bisexual women and men get attracted to both the male and the female gender. Getting attracted to the same gender is also known as homosexuality. The attitudes towards the homosexuality differ in different cultures, because all the cultures have their own values regarding sexuality. Some countries approve the homosexual behavior whereas some disapproves it. The research has been done and it is found that the certain populations have accepted the homosexuality more than others. Homosexuality may be illegal in some countries, but where it is legal, there a age has been defined and that age differs from country to country. Homosexuality is neither a mental illness not a matter of an individual’s choice. It does not threaten the healthy and secure homosexuals. Therefore, there is no need to oppress the homosexuality. But in our society, discrimination occurs daily against gays, lesbians and bisexual people which greatly affect them (Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues). Due to which the gay, lesbian and the bisexual people feel depression and the relationship problems same as the heterosexual people feel. DISCUSSION I agree with your statement, as in my opinion also, being a lesbian or bisexual woman is more accepted than being a gay or bisexual man by the current American society. A research has been done and it has been found out that the most Americans don’t bother while getting surrounded by the homosexuals. Various studies has been done and results into various factors, such as: 82% of the Americans don’t bother when around homosexuals (Views of Gay Man and Lesbians, Roots of Homosexuality, Personal Contacts with Gays, 2013). Whereas, 14% of the Americans say that, it bothers them while surrounded by homosexuals. In 2003, about 76% of the Americans do not bother to be around homosexuals. Few years ago, the balance between the gay and the lesbians was not favorable. As: Gay men were viewed favorable only by the 37 % of the Americans, whereas 51% of the Americans viewed them as unfavorably. Lesbian women were viewed favorable only by the 39 % of the Americans, whereas 48% of the Americans viewed them as unfavorably. By a 2 % margin, the American people are more favorable to lesbian women than gay men. But today, 58% of the American people view the lesbian women favorably while only 29% of the Americans view them as unfavorably. And, 55% to 32% margins (Views of Gay Man and Lesbians, Roots of Homosexuality, Personal Contacts with Gays, 2013) have favorable views towards gay men than unfavorable views. Still, the percentages of Americans who have the favorable views towards lesbian women are more than the ones who have favorable views towards the gay men. The study has found out that the Americans’ views are rapidly changes to acceptance of gay men and lesbian women with time (Harms, 2011). Americans now approve the same-sex relations and moreover, they provide the lesbians and gays the freedom of expression. Moreover, public have different views about the fact that why people are lesbian and gay? And, about 42% of the public thinks that the people choose themselves to live as gay or lesbian. About 8% thinks that it’s a result of upbringing, due to which the people are gay or lesbian, and Others think that they are born as lesbian or gay. In American society, about 66% of the Americans think that the people choose themselves to live as gay or lesbian. About 20% of the Americans think that they are born as lesbian or gay. But overall, 58% of the people thinks that the homosexuality should be accepted as they thinks that its by birth, and 63% of the people think that it should not be accepted as they thinks that it’s just a choice of people of being gay or lesbian. Americans’ Contacts with Homosexuals In Americans Society, different people have different views to share about their contacts with the homosexuals. And, 87% of the Americans are somehow in contacts with ones who are lesbian or gay. 23% of the Americans say that they know personally some people who are gay or lesbian. 61% of the Americans had gay or lesbian contacts (Views of Gay Man and Lesbians, Roots of Homosexuality, Personal Contacts with Gays, 2013). The contacts with gays and lesbians also differ in different religions. As 30 % of the religions say that they know some gays and lesbians, and Only 8 % says that they don’t know any. LGBT Americans Opinions Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender (LGBT) adults are asked the question and it has been found out that the society is accepting them as compared to past decades and more will accept it in upcoming decades (A Survey of LGBT Americans, 2013). And, 39% of the LGBT Americans say that they are not accepted by their families. 30% of the LGBT Americans say that they are attacked physically. 29% of the LGBT Americans say that they are not allowed to go at worship places. 21% of the LGBT Americans say that they are not treated fairly by their employees. 21% of the LGBT Americans say that they are the targets of jokes. Moreover, At the age of 17, the people gets the feel that they are homosexual, and at the age of 20, they share this information with their families. LGBT adults say that their acceptance is increasing as the time passes. But some of LGBT adults say that they still feels discrimination in the society. They said that they need more acceptance in mostly all the societies. Thus, their views needs to be focused on. Social Acceptance by American Society Most of the LGBT adults have said that they have got social acceptance and moreover, there is significant progress towards the social acceptance of LGBT adults. The study has been done to see the criteria of social acceptance. And 19% says that there is progress towards social acceptance of LGBT adults. 59% says that there is some (A Survey of LGBT Americans, 2013), and 21% says that there is no progress in socially accepting the LGBT adults. Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender (LGBT) adults are more accepted by the American society as compared to past and others socities. But, still a more acceptance is needed, so that they don’t feel any discrimination. According to some LGBT adults, they are accepted by most of the American society whereas some LGBT adults said that they need more acceptance in the American Society as they feel discriminants. The views of different LGBT adults are needs to kept in perspective. In compared to all other socities, Americans are found to be ore tolerant towards the lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender (LGBT) adults than they al were in past decades. Only 2 out of 10 said they are not socially accepted as they are treated unfairly by the public, they are not either accepted by their own families, they are physically attacked, and moreover, they are the target of jokes. Religious Belief In opposition to the social acceptance of LGBT adults, Religious belief is an important factor (Religious Belief and Views of Homosexuality, 2013). Over the past decades, 47% to 60% of the Americans belief that the homosexuality should be accepted. While only 45% to 31 % of the Americans think that it should not be accepted. When the Americans who think that the homosexuality should not be accepted are asked why they feel so? Then 52% of them said that, homosexuality is against their religion. As Religion is a big factor, due to which some Americans are against the homosexuality. Moreover, they belief that the homosexuality is traditionally wrong. But, there is only small percentage of Americans who think that the homosexuality is against their religion. 58% of the Americans say that the homosexuality should br accepted by the alw and should be legal according to the laws. They said, it should be supported same as the traditional relations are supported. Thus, It has been notices that the lesbians are more accepted than gays in American Society, But overall, their acceptance in this society has been progressed. REFERENCES A Survey of LGBT Americans. (2013, June 13). Retrieved November 5, 2014, from http://www.pewsocialtrends.org: http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/06/13/a-survey-of-lgbt-americans/# Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2014, from http://cms.bsu.edu: http://cms.bsu.edu/campuslife/counselingcenter/newsfooteritems/diversityresources/diversityinformationandlinks/glbt Harms, W. (2011, October 5). US VIEWS ON GAYS, LESBIANS SHIFT SHARPLY. Retrieved November 5, 2014, from http://www.futurity.org: http://www.futurity.org/us-views-on-gays-lesbians-shift-sharply/ Religious Belief and Views of Homosexuality. (2013, June 6). Retrieved November 5, 2014, from http://www.people-press.org: http://www.people-press.org/2013/06/06/section-3-religious-belief-and-views-of-homosexuality/ Views of Gay Man and Lesbians, Roots of Homosexuality, Personal Contacts with Gays. (2013, June 6). Retrieved November 5, 2014, from http://www.people-press.org: http://www.people-press.org/2013/06/06/section-2-views-of-gay-men-and-lesbians-roots-of-homosexuality-personal-contact-with-gays/

Testing in Educational Facilities Essay -- Learning Test Tests Argumen

Testing in Educational Facilities A puddle of saliva covers my book as I wake up to the buzzing of my alarm. Oh no! My head was heavy and waking up was not something I wanted to do, especially when I realized that I fell asleep while I was studying for my chemistry test. I had fifteen minutes to get ready for school. At that point showering was not going to be my priority. I had fifteen minutes to memorize as much information as I possibly could. But I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, in fact, merely impossible. So, I threw on my clothes, grabbed a piece of gum, and tossed my books into my bag. Today was not going to be a good day. Since the day we are born we are watched. We are observed, then analyzed, and then soon tested. All of these things are simply done for our own good. They are there to make sure that we, as children, are off on the right start. But, at what age does it turn bad? When testing gives us the wrong ideas about competitiveness, when testing is used to compare us to others, and when testing puts unnecessary pressures and stress on us, it is no longer good as a whole. Because of these reasons, and many more, testing in educational facilities is detrimental to the learning process. On the opposing side, testing is not looked upon to be detrimental to the learning process. Some even consider it to be crucial to learning. Testing is often considered to be used simply as a measure of progress throughout the progression of learning. Some people view testing and grading as a motivation to allow students to strive to be the best and push to be better than those around them. Some people even believe that testing and grading is an important tool to prepare some students for the real world. S... ...ntage of there education is a gift. And with this gift I want to make it a celebration. Every student in America should no longer have to worry about there academic standing but rather there intellect and intelligent piece of mind. Learning has gotten to the point where it no longer is encouraging but rather discouraging. And I am no longer going to just sit around and watch it happen. I was once part of it, and I will not be part of letting it go on. Learning is an important factor of this world, and if we wont settle for bad grades, then why should be settle for bad learning habits. Works Cited Hillocks, Jr, George. The Testing Trap: How Assessments Control Learning. New York, NY, 2002 Henning-Stout, Mary. Responsive Assessment. San Francisco, CA,1994 Gellman, Estelle. School Testing: What Parents and Educators Need to Know.Westport, CT 1995

Attack Essay

â€Å"Attack† is a poem written in 1917 by Siegfried Sassoon while he was convalescing from his wounds in a hospital in Scotland. He was a soldier who fought in the First World War. Attack is a short, 13-line poem written in speech rhythm with some rhyme. The poem is described in a very vivid way which makes the reader think that the author himself witnessed the scene. The poem begins with the poet describing the setting of the poem. The landscape is in a battlefield where there are still remains of previous battles. The poet pictures it in a way that makes the scene very menacing and uncomfortable. The poem goes on with the soldiers fighting in the attack with their hopes struggling in the midst of war. Sassoon then ends the poem with an impassioned plea, â€Å"O Jesus, make in stop! † One major technique that the author uses in order to convey of the horror of the battlefield and what it seemed to be like to be in an attack is literal and figurative imageries. Examples of literal images are â€Å"the ridge emerges†, â€Å"bombs and guns and shovels and battle-gear†, â€Å"lines of grey, muttering faces†. The poet uses very striking diction that makes the poem sounds more uncomfortable, for example, â€Å"scarred slope†. The colour of the atmosphere is described as dun and wild purple which accentuates on the menacing atmosphere of the setting. The verbs at the beginning of the poem are very significant as they seem to be particularly strong in this poem, like the description of the tank â€Å"creep and topple† over the ridge, the barrage that â€Å"roars and lifts† or the men who â€Å"jostle and climb to†, etc. On the other hand, the poet also uses a lot of figurative images. These figurative images include: â€Å"time ticks blank and busy on their wrists†, â€Å"and hope, with furtive eyes, †¦ , flounders in mud†, etc. These images help to personify and emphasize the meaning of the poem, for example, in line 11: â€Å"While time ticks blank and busy on their wrists† The figurative image here delivers the meaning of the soldiers while fighting in the attack, are not aware of the time and how it ticks blankly and busily on their wrists. These two adjectives creates an alliteration that further emphasizes the meaning of how the soldiers are just spending meaningless time on the battlefield, forgetting who they are and what they do. Furthermore, the same kind of hopelessness is caught by the image of the time ticks blank and busy. This idea is brought out to us more clearly by the two last lines of the poem. Hope is personified as something with furtive eyes and grappling fists that flounders in mud, as if to compare it to the soldiers. The short statement, â€Å"flounders in mud† is also mentioning the solders falling down and dying in the attack. The impassioned plea at the end by the author seems to have a great effect on the readers as it shows the emotions and how sincerely the poet wants everything of this to stop. The mood of this poem if mostly menacing to the readers, it somehow makes us sympathize for the soldiers. Seeing the images of the attack, it also seems to have an emotive effect on the readers. The punctuations in the poem also help the poem to create a bigger effect of this. In many lines, a caesura is used to make the previous sentence emphasized and creates suspense as well as having a greater effect on the readers. Overall, Siegfried Sassoon has showed through the poem Attack shows how the soldiers have to go to the battlefield to fight on the lands of previous battles, having time ticking through and as they fall down, their hope also flounders, leaving them with their faces muttered, their fists grappling†¦

John Locke Provisos Essay

John Locke was an English philosopher who had the idea that all people have natural rights. Their natural rights included that of life, liberty and property and the idea of these rights being held by each individual is often said to be the primary influence of the American Declaration of Independence. Locke further explains his rationale behind natural rights in Two Treatises of Government and particularly property right in his â€Å"Provisos,† stating the conditions the make property public or private. Locke’s â€Å"Provisos† discusses the idea that property becomes private when a person labors upon the property. His reasoning that the land becomes the person’s private property is that a person has the right to the fruits of his labor, and he also has the right to the resource that bore his fruits, in this case the property. As Locke says, â€Å"He by his labor does, as it were, enclose it from the common† (page 437). By this he means that by laboring over the land, the land is taken away from the rest of society, the common, and becomes the private property of the individual. Locke also believes that â€Å"as much as a man tills, plants, improves, cultivates, and can use the product of, so much is his property† (page 437). In this, he is stating that a man can own as much as can be useful to him; claiming property in excess and not being able to make it productive is wrong because the property will then go to waste instead of bearing fruit. This is wrong because â€Å"nothing was made by God for man to spoil or destroy† (page 436) and having land lying to waste is along the same lines as ruining the land. This idea from Locke’s â€Å"Provisos† follows from his idea of general property rights. He believes that land that has not been influenced by an individual’s labor is land available for all of society. Man should still respect the land and not exploit it, but â€Å"were it not for the corruption and viciousness of degenerate man, there would be no need of any other, no necessity that men should separate from this great and natural community† (page 441). However because mankind cannot be trusted, Locke believes that once a man does put forth effort to improve a piece of property, that land and the products of it belong to him. Although that land might belong to one man, it is still benefiting the rest of society because â€Å"the provisions serving to the support of human life produced by one acre of enclosed and cultivated land are ten times more than those which are yielded by an acre of land of an equal richness lying waste in common† (page 437). This is similar to the way in which both a farmer and society benefits from his harvest. The farmer and society both can receive nourishment from his harvest and what harvest goes to the rest of society, he is repaid for, which allows him to continue sowing seeds that will continue to nurture the common. A situation of private property that would conflict with one of the Lockean provisos is property that is acclaimed through forcing Native Americans to agree with the American customs that were being imposed and the American rule, or to leave, such as with the Indian Removal Act that was signed into law in 1830. The Native Americans had worked the land and made it suitable to support their lifestyle and in the quest to achieve Manifest Destiny, nothing would hinder the determined minds of the Americans. According to Locke, the land rightfully belonged to the Native Americans because they had labored on the land to make it prosperous. They did not exploit it; they used the resources wisely and nothing went to waste with their minimalist lifestyle. With the Indian Removal Act that President Andrew Jackson signed into effect, all Native Americans had to be relocated to areas west of the Mississippi River. The Native Americans were removed on the basis that American colonizers needed the land and wanted to achieve Manifest Destiny. Another situation involving private property that would violate one of the Lockean provisos would be that of the government seizing land due to unpaid taxes. In this situation, a farmer could have yielded a large harvest, but the demand for his crop declined greatly to the point that he is unable to make a large enough profit to pay his taxes. This could fall into a pattern for many years to come, eventually reaching the point that the government can no longer just keep putting the farmer into more debt. The farmer would have to claim bankruptcy and the government would seize his land. This would violate Locke’s idea that the land a man works, is his. The farmer was doing the best he could, was benefiting society, and never consented to losing his right to his land, but the government took it away anyway. I believe that Locke correctly draws the line on private property because we have the right over our own bodies, and if the work of those bodies can combine with resources to create something, then we have the right to claim that product and the resources we used to make it. No one else put forth the effort and therefore the fruit of our efforts are ours. I believe that hard work deserves reward and that reward is the right to the product. As Locke says, â€Å"The labor of his body and the work of his hands, we may say, are properly his† (page 436).

What is the Environment?

The term ‘environment' has been widely used and has various meanings and interpretations. The word environment originally is take from the French word â€Å"Environia† which means the surround. The environment also means of nature. In other words, environment is the natural world, as a whole or in a particular geographical area, especially as affected by human activity. The environment can also be meant for all things around us including living things or non-living. For example, natural forces, human beings, animal, plants and other living things such as water, climate temperature and pressure which provide growth and development as well as damage to the earth itself. According to P. Gisbert â€Å"Environment is anything immediately surrounding an object and exerting a direct influence on it.†. According to E. J. Ross â€Å"Environment is an external force which influences us.† The environment can be referred to anything that surrounds by an object and anything that give impact to it. It also refers to things surrounded and may made changes due to factors such as natural, artificial, social, biological and psychological. According to Islam, ‘environmentalism' is based on the teachings of monotheism or unity of understanding that combines human, nature and Allah. Islam has made morality as the core of the relationship between human, nature and Allah. Based on this theory, it is proven that any problems or environmental pollution arise from the imperfections of human morality against himself, nature and Allah. The concept of human being as a Caliph indicates that this environment is the right of Allah and His creation that man must carry out the trust. In addition, this nature is an implied sign or symbol of Allah's greatness and powers.The Islamic View of the EnvironmentIn Islam, God is the real owner of the universe. The sky and the sun, the moon and the stars are decorating the sky, also the flowers, trees, and various other plants and assort kinds of animals are the creation of Allah SWT. He is the one who causes the rivers to flow on the earth, upholding the sky without pillars or support and making the night and the day. In the creation of the earth and the universe as described in the Quran, there are signs of the Power of Allah that we can see and observe. Besides, Allah also states in several other verses that clearly describe the process of creation of the earth and the universe.Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding. (QS. Ali Imran: 190) Another verse in Quran refers to creation of earth,Surely your Lord is God, who created the heavens and the earth in six days — then sat Himself upon the Throne, covering the day with the night it pursues urgently — and the sun, and the moon, and the stars subservient, by His command. Verily, His are the creation and the command. Blessed be God, the Lord of all Being. (QS. Al A'raaf: 54)As we know, the earth is created for humankind, it can be used for any purpose as long as it does not give a bad effect on the environment and ecological balance. Islam is a religion that strictly prohibits its Ummah to excessive in search of worldly things. Allah has created everything in this world with its own measurement. There is nothing to be underestimated and nothing is over him, everything is enough and perfect, as Allah states in the Quran, which means,who has created all things well. And He originated the creation of man out of clay (QS. As Sajda: 77)Muslims believe that Allah created the heaven and the earth in the best possible way. He made the mountains, the rivers and the sea so that humans could find their livelihood. Water is a very important element in Islam. Furthermore, water is also one of the blessings of the world given by Allah to his creatures. It is an evident and proven with a repeat of the Arabic word for water (Ma') 63 times in the entire Quran. The total number of words in the Quran is 6,666 fractures if divided by 63 fractions it almost reaches 1% of the whole Quran verse. This proves that almost 1% (0.945%) of Quran content is about water. It can be seen that 60 percent of the human body is water and most of the amount of water is found in human cells. Besides, nearly 71 percent of the earth is filled with water. Not only in the sea, water also exists in the air (water vapor), rivers, lakes, ice caps, glaciers, soils and aquifers. Moreover, water is very important in human life because it is used almost in every aspect of human life. Not only for drinking, water is also used in various forms of daily activities such as washing, bathing, worship and so on.Apart from being used for domestic uses, water is also very important in economic activities such as industry, manufacturing and transportation. In fact, water also helps generate electricity in the dam. But water can also have adverse effects on humans such as floods, mud floods and water pollution in the rivers and acid rain. However, such catastrophic events will only happen when humans themselves fail to manage the water and the environment well. When humans do not care for cleanliness, letting the garbage scattered unmanaged, cutting down trees, ponding the merciless land, releasing pollutants into the water, developing areas without smart and eco-friendly planning, then that's when water brings disaster to human life. It is undeniable that animals and plants are important in life as it is a source of life that brings great benefits to human life. This is because, without any other species on the earth humans can not survive in life. There a says â€Å"If you believe in tomorrow, you plant trees today.† Trees are often related with nature and wildlife as it helps to preserve life on the planet through the oxygen cycle. The plants are considered like the lungs of the earth. However, as smokers who damaging their lungs, pollutions that occur like open burning and uncontrolled deforestation have damaged these trees.Protecting trees and nature is a beautiful Islamic concept. But sometimes they had been ignored. Allah states in different verses in the Quran laid it related to the protection of the environment and also tells us about the blessings that he has given us. The forest is one of the valuable assets that is given to us as it provides great ecosystem services by put in biodiversity, fill up underground aquifers, preventing soil erosion, reducing the effects of lightning floods, reducing climate change and global warming. Therefore, as the forests have a very important significance, we should take special attention to the forest destruction and reforestation can take place simultaneously.Moreover, animals that give a big contributions to plants and humans. For example, they will move and migrate to help plant distribution. Besides, animals also contributed in terms of producing leather goods, stuff from wool, and also beigns food sources such as milk, meat and honey. Islam strongly emphasizes the considerable attributes of maintaining the survival of fellow beings so as not to extinction the habitat in any animal or plant species. In order to safeguard the good of humans and all other creatures as well as to preserving the diversity of life on earth.The concept of behavior towards nature In Islam, Allah has set man as a stewardship on earth. A term which same meaning as successor, khalifah, trustee, viceroy, and guardian. People not only affords the rights to use the nature resource but they also must follow the environmental ethics by using it without damaging the beauty of the environment. There are several concept that help people in behaving according to certain boundaries.†¢ ShariahIn general, shariah is a living law in Islam that is based on Quran and Sunnah. Implementation of sharia in the concept of environmental care will have a huge impact. This is because by implementing Islamic-based rules, environmental environments can be maintained and applied according to the rules that have been set and not just according to human desires.The environment is one of the gifts of Allah to his people in fulfilling human nature demands. In fact, the earth is simply empty land if it is not given a beautiful environment that becomes a home for humans and other beings. In fulfilling the demands of living as human beings and the khalifah of Allah on this earth, mankind has been guided and taught by Islam. Islamic education is one of the ways in educating people on environmental protection. this is very different from western education where Islamic education covers physical and spiritual aspects but western education only emphasizes physical aspects. As time goes by, development is intensively implemented. but along with that, people must maintain the boundaries in the use of the environment in order to explore the area without redundancy.AqidahNext is the Aqidah. Aqidah is an Arabic word which means a bond or knot. It is also means a strong belief and faith in God that will not be broken and cut off in any situations. The strong aqidah holds with the guidance of the Quran can make one act according to the recommendations of the Quran. for example, the Quran clearly describes the environment as a command not to do damage to the earth, the effects an d consequences of human action, and so on. The examples of Quran verses that mention environmental matters is the command to do no damage to the earth,When it is said to them, ‘Do not corruption in the land', they say, ‘We are only ones that put things right.' (QS. Al-Baqarah:11)If every human being in the world understands and adheres to each of the Quran explanation clearly as described, then this earth's damage can be reduced apart from the earth's age factor. But in reality there are not many who are able to obey the abide to the ordered because the weakness of the Aqidah has affected the environment.Morality (Akhlak)Morality is the word jama ‘from the word (al-khuluqu) meaning habits, behavior, personality, custom, and even the religion itself. While from the perspective of the term it is the inherent nature of the self that can produce something easily and without thinking, researching or coercion. Morality is also a human behavior in relation to God, human relations and human relationships with the en vironment. The concept of environmental care in Islamic perspectives also emphasizes from the angle of morality. This is because morality plays an important role that is born of a complete Aqidah and a detailed understanding of shariah. Through morality, the personality of a Muslim is build with praiseworthy qualities in action against the environment. There are four examples of the commendable nature of Islam that must be present in each individual who are able to affect the care of the environment are Qanaah, Mahabbah, and Ihsan. Qanaah is the gratefulness of all the gifts of Allah for the necessity of life. In other words, it is an attitude that is not greedy and always grateful to the grace of God. for example, this type of people will not involved in excessive logging activities that damage the shape of the earth. Furthermore, the attitude of the Mahabbah is the attitude of loving people and other beings. Loving humans and other creatures include love for the environment and to strive for the best of the environment. Through a high surrender attitude it will control the individual not to be harmful to the environment and to be on the lookout for something that involves environmental sensitivity. Finally, Ihsan is a human attitude that is always careful in doing action because knowing God is always watching it. Through this attitude, it is able to train people to be more aware of the surroundings. As an example that can be attributed to the concept of environmental care of an Islamic perspective is someone who is in a state of anger able to control himself from damaging the plants around him as there is still a kindness in him.ConclusionThe environment plays an important role in life of mankind and all who live in the environment. This is a sign of Allah's glory and becomes a ways in understanding the reality of the existence of Allah. This natural welfare needs to be preserved as a sign of gratitude of Allah. The task of preservation and conservation of nature is the responsibility of every human being who lives in this universe, irrespective of the limits of religion. It is undeniable that the more rapidly the world develops in line with the latest technology, the increasingly environmental problems. The global warming climate is one of the easy examples of how human failures are in preserving the environment. Indeed, Islam encourages the ummah to continuously advance themselves with the blessings of this world. It should be noted however, that it can not extend beyond the limits set by the Shari'a. Islamic approaches to environmental issues are based on justice and equity. this is because exploration that destroys other habitats is prohibited in Islam. Environmental destructions not only affects life but also an unpredictable generation that is equal to the right to live and enjoy from the environment as the present generation lives and enjoys.

Micro and Macro Economics (marginal revenue; marginal cost; Essay

Micro and Macro Economics (marginal revenue; marginal cost; elasticity) - Essay Example Define marginal revenue and explain its relationship with total revenue. â€Å"Marginal revenue (MR) is the rate of change in total revenue with respect to quantity sold†. In other words marginal revenue is the additional revenue from a product earned by a producer through the production and sales of an extra unit of the product. Algebraically, marginal revenue is the difference between total revenue earned by producing and selling ‘n’ units of a product instead of ‘n-1’ units. Formula for calculating marginal revenue is MR = ∆TR/∆Q Marginal revenue is the addition to total revenue associated with a unit increase in output or sales. There is a direct relation between marginal revenue and total revenue. When marginal revenue is positive, total revenue increases and it falls when marginal revenue is negative. B. Define marginal cost and explain its relationship with total cost. â€Å"Marginal cost is the change in total cost associated with a unit change in quantity†. Marginal cost is thus the additional cost incurred by the producer in producing an additional unit of product. Marginal cost is thus a cost incured in addition to previous cost ie. cost of producing ‘n’ units of output inplace of ‘n-1’ units. Formula for calculating marginal cost is MC = ∆TC/∆Q Marginal cost is related to the average total cost in the short-run since a change in total cost is reflected in the total average cost. The total variable cost is got by summing up marginal cost. C. Define profit and explain the concept of profit maximization. â€Å"An economist measures a firm’s economic profit as the firm’s total revenue minus all the opportunity costs (explicit and implicit) of producing the goods and services sold† (Mankiw, 2011, p. 262). Profit is the reward received by an entrepreneur for the risk taken during the process of production or for alloting scarce resources for production. Profit maximization is a method used for determinig the quantity of output to be produced and price to be incurred by an entrepreneur so as to receive maximum profit. D. Explain how a profit-maximizing firm determines its optimal level of output, using marginal revenue and marginal cost as criteria. A profit-maximizing firm will determine its optimal level o f output at the point where marginal revenue of the firm equals its marginal cost. At this point the firm receives maximum profit. E. Explain what action a profit-maximizing firm takes if marginal revenue is greater than marginal cost. If marginal revenue is greater than marginal cost, then a profit maximizing firm will increase production which will be followed by a movement from earlier point of marginal revenue to a new intersection point where marginal revenue equals marginal cost. This step is adopted by the firm as there is room for further revenue at the earlier stage. F. Explain what action a profit-maximizing firm takes if marginal revenue is less than marginal cost. In a situation where marginal cost of a profit-maximizing firm exceeds its marginal revenue, the firm will cut short its production up to a level where it will equalize its marginal cost to marginal revenue. At the earlier level the firm was incurring loss. Task 2: A. Define the following three terms 1. Elastic ity of Demand: Elasticity of demand has various definitions. â€Å"The price elasticity of demand is a measure of the sensitivity of the quantity demanded of a good to the price of a good. ‘Price elasticity of demand’ is sometimes shortened to ‘elasticity of demand’† (Taylor & Weerapana, 2009, p. 93). 2. Cross-Price Elasticity (includes substitutes and complements): Cross-price elasticity is the degree of responsiveness to change in the price of a related commodity on the demand for a good. â€Å"