How does the film maker use presentational devices to create an atmosphere and introduce a character Essay Example

How does the film maker use presentational devices to create an atmosphere and introduce a character? Essay This essay will analyze all aspects to show how Steven Spielberg used presentational devices to create an atmosphere and to introduce characters. For a nearly three hour war film, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN is certainly not boring. With the added bonus of having a world famous director and a superb cast it was bound to be a success. It won five Oscars not bad considering its bloody content. It was first released in September 1998 and was considered to be horrific, but since then it has become a classic of this genre. I feel that this is a phenomenon with the combination of genres, this is an incredible film made fantastic by realism and hand held camera shots. This film has three levels of depth they each reach to a different target audience. The main audience that the director is attracting is the soldiers who fought in the war that Saving Private Ryan is based on. Both Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks wanted this film to be as realistic as possible. In this essay I will focus on the details of the opening scene in different aspects whether it be sound, camera angles or emotional influences and anticipation other aspects include exploring the Mis en scene and ways that the director expresses key moments by using music, dialogue and actions. The opening sequence begins with the scene The transition from present to past. When I analysed this scene it surprised me on how psychologically in depth the director made it. The opening shot of the American flag makes an American audience feel patriotically connected with the enormity of the death toll. The camera pans to reveal thousands of graves with static shots to make us the audience identify with the last private Ryan. The music begins as funeral music then it crescendos. We are shown an extreme close up which introduces us to the next scene through a flashback using the tear filled eyes as a through way. We will write a custom essay sample on How does the film maker use presentational devices to create an atmosphere and introduce a character? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on How does the film maker use presentational devices to create an atmosphere and introduce a character? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on How does the film maker use presentational devices to create an atmosphere and introduce a character? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer As a stark contrast the next scene is introduced as a horrific, dark and gloomy experience. The sound is portrayed as blood curling bullets hitting the targets with splatters of blood correlating with the effects. The director relies on our emotional connections to demonstrate feelings of hopelessness. Some memorable shots include a shot of power for the enemies where we see the devastation from the Germans point of view. Muffled dialogue expresses a realistic view of the war as well as, when they land it is quiet and all we hear is the rattling of bullets colliding with helmets. The cameras are hand held and show various perspectives in order to portray the overall scene of carnage. This scene makes sure that we the audience are emotionally connected. The audience feel as if we are sharing this experience. Consequently we are aware of the psychological aspects that Captain Miller is feeling during coming face to face with the carnage of this scene. The focus of this scene is to make us identify with the horrors around him by using slow motion and jerky shots. This is a point of view over shoulder shot. It expresses how the men trust and look up to him for leadership. Despite there being no music we still correlate with Captain Miller. The director shows us that he is still human by involving the audience it is almost an out of body experience. As the final part of my analysis this scene the end of battle is hard hitting both emotionally and physically. The director uses the same elements as in the first scene to prepare us the audience for the devastating panning shot. By using clever methods the director twists what would normally be a pleasant saying to a truly devastating devise. Steven Spielberg uses a through way via captain Millers eyes to introduce the wide angled panning shot. The use of the statement thats quiet a view almost prepares us for a pleasant landscape such as a beautiful sun setting. The true fact of this statement is to make us feel as if were aware of what is going to happen so we are shocked about the truth. This is supported with the emotional portrayal of captain Millers eyes. When the camera angle pans we witness the bloody sea lapping at the horrific imagery of the still and lifeless bodies now at peace after the mass slaughter of the bloody battle. This scene also shows how struggling soldiers defended themselves by using dead comrades as human shields, this is a very poignant scene supported with the splatters of blood on the camera. The purpose of this essay was to analyse how the director uses presentational devises to create an atmosphere and the introduction of a character. In my opinion Steven Spielberg made this film as realistic as is conceivably possible. This was aided by the factor that he used real amputees for a more realistic effect. The presentational devises were extremely effective in all aspects whether it be dialogue, music or actions. In my opinion this is an extremely harrowing film with elements of treachery, morals and sanctity. I think that this film has expressed what veterans had to face. Steven Spielberg has tactfully recreated the war with reality, honour and pride.

Werewolves essays

Werewolves essays Werewolves have been talked about since the first werewolf tale in 1591. The website Werewolves: The Myths and the Truths tells of that first incident: Towns were underdeveloped and people lived near woods. The fear of wolves was like a nightmare...but one day the inhabitants of the German town Cologne and Bedburg made a horrible discovery that altered the history of wolf killing. An age-old pamphlet describes those shivering moments vividly. A few people cornered a wolf and set their dogs upon it. They attacked it with sharp sticks and spears. Surprisingly the ferocious wolf did not run away; it stood up and turned into a middle-aged man. They could recognize the wolf shaped man; he was Peter Stubbe of the same village. This Peter Stubbe was the first werewolf mankind has ever faced with. (Alam 1) Stubbe was later placed on a torture wheel where he confessed to killing sixteen people including two pregnant women and thirteen children (Alam 1). He had apparently started sorcery when he was twelve and had even tried to make a pact with the devil (Alam 1). He had a magic girdle that changed him into the wolf form (Alam 1). While in this form he tore the victims throats and sucked the warm blood (Alam 1). As punishment, his skin was pulled off with a red-hot pincer, his arms and legs were broken, and finally he was decapitated (Alam 1). His daughter and mistress were also burned 2 alive (Alam1). News of this atrocity spread throughout the land. People started to believe in these types of creatures. The townspeople named them werewolves (Alam 1). This is evidence that suggests werewolves did exist in history. According to Michael Chielik, a werewolf is a person who has been changed into a wolf or creature with a lupine form. A werewolf is usually ...

Colonial Acts essays

Colonial Acts essays 1773 The Tea Act. This law was passed after the Townshend Act was repealed. It started when the British heard about the colonies corresponding with one another. The Parliament decided to open a new law, the Tea Act. The Tea Act gave all the American trade to the East India Company. This angered the colonist because it put shippers and merchants out of business. Even thought now, the tea would be cheaper, they still taxes the colonists. The colonists soon retaliated by one night some colonists organized themselves. They went aboard the ships in Boston dressed like Indians and destroyed all the chests of tea on the ship. This helped lead to the revolutionary war because now the colonists were fighting back. Also, the colonists were more angered when after the Boston Tea party the British still didnt repeal the Tea Act. 1774 The Intolerable Acts. The King George III was furious when he heard about the Boston Tea Party. So, he tried mastering the colonies by having the Parliament pass four harsh laws. In fact, the laws were so intolerable that the colonists called them the Intolerable Acts. The first law was that the British would close the port of Boston until the colonists paid for the tea they destroyed. The second law was that the British greatly restricted representative government in MA. Town meetings could only be held with the governors permission. Towns were also forbidden to appoint committees of corespondents. The third law was the British were allowed to house their troops where ever necessary. The fourth law was the British allowed British officials accused of crimes to stand trial in Britain, rather than the colonies. King George III had General Gage appointed governor to inverse the intolerable acts. This led to the Revolutionary War because the laws were very unfair to the coloni sts and caused events to happen like the first continental congress, which led up to the Revolutionary War. ...

All About the Regular French Verb Laisser (Leave)

All About the Regular French Verb Laisser (Leave) Laisser  (to leave, to lose) is a regular -er verb that shares conjugation patterns in all tenses and moods with every other regular French verb ending in -er,  by far the largest group of French verbs.  Laisser is commonly used as a semi-auxiliary verb as well as a pronominal verb. Meaning No. 1: to Leave Laisser is a transitive verb  that takes a direct object  and means to leave something or someone.   Peux-tu me laisser de largent  ?   Could you leave me some money?  Je vais laisser la porte ouverte.   Im going to leave the door open.  Cela me laisse perplexe.   That leaves me perplexed.  Au revoir, je te laisse.   Good-bye, Im going/leaving.  Laisse, je vais le faire.   Leave it, Ill do it. Laisser is one of five verbs in French that mean to leave, and English speakers tend to confuse them. These are the essential differences: Laisser  means to leave something.Partir  is the most straightforward and simply means to leave in a general sense.Sen aller  is more or less interchangeable with  partir,  but it has the slightly informal nuance of going away.Sortir  means to go out.Quitter  means to leave someone or something, often implying a prolonged separation. Meaning No. 2: to Lose Laisser less commonly means to lose something. Notice the verb continues to be transitive in this sense; it still takes a direct object. Il a laissà © un bras dans laccident.   He lost an arm in the accidentElle a failli laisser sa vie hier.   She almost lost her life yesterday. Laisser As a  Semi-Auxiliary  Verb When laisser is followed by an infinitive, it means to let (someone) do (something).   Il ma laissà © sortir.   He let me go out.Laisse-le jouer.   Let him play. Laisser as a  Pronominal Verb Se laisser plus infinitive means to let oneself be(come), as in: Il sest laissà © persuader. He let himself be persuaded.Ne te laisse pas dà ©courager  !   Dont let yourself get discouraged! Expressions with Laisser Laisser  is used in a number of idiomatic expressions, including: laisser tomber   to dropLaissez-moi rire.  Ã‚  Dont make me laugh.Laisse faire.  Ã‚  Never mind! / Dont bother!On ne va pas le laisser faire sans rà ©agir  !  Ã‚  Were not going to let him get away with that! Laisser As  a Regular French -er Verb The majority of French verbs are  regular  -er  verbs, as laisser  is. (There are five main kinds of verbs in French: regular  -er, -ir, -re  verbs; stem-changing verbs; and irregular verbs.) To conjugate a regular French  -er  verb, remove the -er  ending from the infinitive  to reveal the verbs stem. Then add the regular  -er  endings to the stem. Note that regular  -er  verbs share conjugation patterns in all tenses and moods. The same endings in the table can be applied to any of the regular French  -er  verbs listed below the table. Note that the following conjugation table includes simple conjugations only. Compound conjugations, which consist of a conjugated form of the auxiliary verb avoir  and the past participle laissà ©, are not included. Simple Conjugations of the Regular -er- Verb Laisser Present Future Imperfect Present participle je laisse laisserai laissais laissant tu laisses laisseras laissais il laisse laissera laissait nous laissons laisserons laissions vous laissez laisserez laissiez ils laissent laisseront laissaient Pass compos Auxiliary verb avoir Past participle laiss Subjunctive Conditional Pass simple Imperfect subjunctive je laisse laisserais laissai laissasse tu laisses laisserais laissas laissasses il laisse laisserait laissa laisst nous laissions laisserions laissmes laissassions vous laissiez laisseriez laisstes laissassiez ils laissent laisseraient laissrent laissassent Imperative tu laisse nous laissons vous laissez More Common French Regular -er Verbs Here are just a few of the most common regular-er verbs: *All regular  -er  verbs are conjugated according to the  regular  -er  verb conjugation pattern, except for one small  irregularity in verbs  that end in  -ger  and  -cer,  known as  spelling-change verbs.**Though conjugated just like regular  -er  verbs, watch out for verbs that end in  -ier. aimer  Ã‚  to like, to lovearriver  Ã‚  to arrive, to happenchanter  Ã‚  to singchercher  Ã‚  to look forcommencer*  Ã‚  to begindanse  Ã‚  to dancedemander  Ã‚  to ask fordà ©penser  Ã‚  to spend (money)dà ©tester  Ã‚  to hatedonner  Ã‚  to giveà ©couter  Ã‚  to listen toà ©tudier**  Ã‚  to studyfermer  Ã‚  to closegoà »te  Ã‚  to tastejouer  Ã‚  to playlaver  Ã‚  to washmanger*  Ã‚  to eatnager*  Ã‚  to swimparler  Ã‚  to talk, to speakpasse  Ã‚  to pass, spend (time)penser  Ã‚  to thinkporter  Ã‚  to wear, to carryregarder  Ã‚  to watch, to look atrà ªver  Ã‚  to dreamsembler  Ã‚  to seemskier**  Ã‚  to skitravailler  Ã‚  to worktrouve  Ã‚  to findvisiter  Ã‚  to visit (a place)voler  Ã‚  to fly, to steal

Strategic Marketing Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Marketing Managment - Essay Example An evidence of modification in strategies is that Steve Jobs introduced the idea â€Å"to transform merchandising outlets into miniature theme parks for children† (Clark, 2009). The idea has proven successful since it helped enhancing customer base. The young customers appreciated and welcomed the surprising / fascinating change in display and internal outlook of stores, which then resulted in an overall increase in number of customers that showed up at outlets for purchase of toys, games, videos and costumes. The retail segment that plays the important role in growth of Disney has become a successful and sustainable contributor to revenue streams primarily because of Jobs. In simple words, Steve Jobs has contributed to Walt Disney his experience and strategic initiatives he took at Apple, thereby turning Disney a highly profitable conglomerate. As far as the vision is concerned, it is justified to argue that Steve Jobs has encouraged the strategic planners and policy – makers of Walt Disney to take new risks for business growth and sustainable development. Nonetheless, Jobs made Disney realised the fact that risks and decisions when taken rationally and prudently always lead to expansion, consumer acceptance and competitive advantage even in a challenging environment (Clark, 2009). 2) How and to what extent are Disney’s new products planning initiatives likely to benefit from Jobs’ successes at Apple Computer? As far as the successes of Apple Computer are concerned, it should be pointed out that CEO and Board member Steve Job is the actual contributor towards the internal developments and growth in brand value of Apple. Indeed, Steve Jobs highlighted the importance of innovation and differentiation across Apple; therefore, he specifically focused on Research & Development function to produce new products such as Iphone, Ipad, Ipod, and other digital devices etc. In this way, he identified the gaps in music and entertainment industry that have been met through product and market development strategies. Apple has now become one of the major competitors of Nokia because of phenomenal growth in sales of cellular phones. Similarly, Steve Jobs could also contribute the similar experiences to Disney by identifying the gaps that exist to be utilised for media conglomerate. Jobs has already initiated the display changes in existing retail outlets and he could contribute in new product planning initiatives, especially those related to recreational activities at display centres. Nonetheless, Jobs is aware of the fact that Disney’s core target market is children (tween agers) so introduction of activities for children such as â€Å"watching film clips, pressing buttons to operate displays, chatting with animated characters and participating in karaoke contests† (Clark, 2009) will actually be quite beneficial for Disney. In this way, Jobs will have significant contribution in Disney’s product developme nt initiatives on the basis of aforementioned reasons. 3) What are the changes that may occur in Disney’s marketing strategies resulting from Jobs’ influence? According to my understanding after reading the case and information obtained from relevant magazine and newspaper articles, the appointment of Steve Jobs may

Human Resource Information Systems Assignment (Please answer the

Human Resource Information Systems (Please answer the following 11questions) - Assignment Example SAP R/3 costs are associated with a number of variables. The timeframe will determine the total costs of maintaining, implementing and training procedures. Another variable is the number of people and hardware which will be required for the entire project. 2. Describe how existing history is extracted and imported to your system at conversion. Batch input is a major method to ensure the extraction and import of existing history. It is instrumental for transferring huge amounts of data (Rebstock & Knut, 45). The primary feature of this method is that it does not require maximum attention. Direct input is another method which is a modification of the batch input process. It helps to ensure efficient extraction and import of history. There are no additional fees related to the process of converting history in the SAP R/3 HR Module. The costs are included in the standard package that includes installation, configuration, and maintenance of the system. 4. Define the historical information your system maintains and how long it is available to your customers. Historical information is maintained in an efficient and effective manner by SAP R/3. This is done by integration with specific databases in the system. It can be used to ensure availability of data to clients for a long period. SAP R/3 has a dynamic employee self-service functionality system. It improves productivity and output while creating a responsive system. Information accessibility has been significantly enhanced through this feature. The organization can reduce costs through the display of relevant and appropriate information. This creates a true paperless environment that eliminates the costs associated with paper (Hernandez, Martinez & Keogh, 56). Personal information about remunerations and bonuses can be accessed by employees. Finally the system helps to streamline and automate the HR systems. SAP R/3 HR Module can

Write proposal (in memo format) for Instruction Kit Essay

Write proposal (in memo format) for Instruction Kit - Essay Example In stage two, the center link should be located because it serves as a point of attachment for the jumpring used. This should be done by properly measuring the chain. In stage three, the center butterfly pedant should be created. These should be properly made to produce a desirable and identical loop on the bead. In stage five, 2 more butterflies need to be made using the same procedure outlined in the previous stage. Lastly, in stage six, a 4mm line bead should be created on the back side of the chain so as to help in making the necklace. Actually, this is the right procedure that needs to be followed by anyone who wants to make an attractive necklace. I believe that this is exactly what these employees should know. Once they are rigorously coached, they will definitely do a great job to the expectation of the company’s management. Thank you very much for giving me an opportunity to be part of this transformative

Experience of Freedom for Euro-American (the White American) from 1865 Essay

Experience of Freedom for Euro-American (the White American) from 1865 to 1900 - Essay Example It is important to note that slavery ended not because of the charitable heart of white American slave owners. Slavery ended after a bitter and bloody civil war that cost hundreds of thousands of American lives. Slavery only ended after a struggle both in military and political terms (passing of the Thirteenth Amendment). Majority of the white slave owners did not even wanted to end slavery and so, from their point of view emancipation is already enough for the former slaves. For the white Americans, freedom meant the emancipation of the slave African Americans and that is already more than enough freedom for them considering that they were once slaves before. The definition of freedom is articulated by Garrizon Frazier, a black minister who responded what freedom means because it includes not only the political aspect but also the economic aspect of freedom. Freedom is â€Å"placing us where we could reap the fruit of our own  labor, and take care of ourselves.† The way to accomplish this was â€Å"to  have land, and turn it and till it  by our own labor† (Foner 1983:586). Freedom also includes not only freeing from the shackles that the state formerly sanctioned but also the equal protection of the laws and the equal provision of opportunity in all spheres of life. The White Americans however disagreed to this definition considering the previous of Black Americans as former slaves. To them, emancipation is already enough for the African Americans as freedom exactly meant the removal of the bondage of force servitude. Thus, efforts by White Americans still continued to disenfranchise the White Americans in other forms such as denial of the right to vote, segregation and discrimination. The first few aspects of freedom such as â€Å"reaping the fruit of our own  labor, and take care of ourselves [by having] land, and turn it and till it  by our own labor† was relatively easier to accomplish because it only

Evaluate to what extent intellectual property law adequately protects Essay - 1

Evaluate to what extent intellectual property law adequately protects the rights of enteratinment business personalities(real persons only) - Essay Example Intellectual property law mainly covers copy right law. Copyright is a measure of protection that deals with published and unpublished literary, scientific and artistic works, whatever the form of expression, provided such works are fixed in a tangible or material form 1. Copyright laws provide the creator the exclusive right to reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute, perform and display the work publicly. Hence the violation of copy right becomes severe challenge for persons of entertainment industry. The main challenges are in the form of theft of ideas, violation of intellectual property law i.e. infringement of trade mark and copy right leading to the injustice to the genuine artists (Maskus, 2000 and Peter Drahos, 2006). Fortunately there have been some legal instruments in the world which provide optimum justice to the genuine artists. Intellectual property law is one of the most crucial instrument which certainly protects the rights of the artists in the entertainment industry (Robert M. Sherwood, 1990 and Brainbridge David,2006). The introduction of intellectual property law has been done keeping these things in to consideration. However one must question oneself regarding the efficacy of this intellectual property law in the context of protection of the interests of the artists in entertainment industry. Taking these above points in view, the present study has been conducted with the following objectives: The different aspects of the copy right law and trade mark have to be analyzed relating to their role in balancing mechanism between the right of privacy of artists and the right of freedom of information of media. There is a lot of probability of having conflict with implementation of intellectual property law in case of licencing and sponsiorship which is quire common in both sports and entertainment industry. The regulation of intellectual property in cases of

George Simon Ohm Essay Example for Free

George Simon Ohm Essay Fair test Safety In order to make the experiment there are certain procedures that I must follow. I must use the same voltmeter, ammeter and constantan wire. This is in case other ammeters or voltmeters are using different settings. To make the experiment safe we must check all wires and crocodile clips for faults. When we are doing the experiment we must also use a low voltage. Method 1. Collect apparatus: a voltmeter, an ammeter, 7x wires, 1 crocodile clip, and 100 cm constantan wire. (at lengths of 26 standard wire gauge, 28 standard wire gauge and 36 standard wire gauge) 2. Set apparatus up as shown: 3. Set the power pack on as low a voltage as possible. (So that there is not too high a current passing through the circuit. ) 4. Place the 100 cm of constantan round the holders. Then connect the crocodile clip. 5. Turn on the power pack and record what the ammeter and voltmeter read. 6. Record the results, in a pre prepared table. 7. After recording all results for the 26swg piece of wire. Wait. Turn off the power pack. Take 28 SWG constantan wire. Turn on your power pack and record what the ammeter and voltmeter say. 8. Change the wire to 36 SWG of constantan wire and repeat the experiment. 9. Work out the resistance for all the results using Ohms law. V = I*R Obtaining evidence Results for Constantan 26 SWG Table 1 Length (cm) Voltage (Volts) Current (Amps) Resistance (Ohms)Â  Table 2 Length (cm) Voltage (Volts) Current (Amps) Resistance (Ohms) For the graph with all 3 tabled results for constantan 26swg see attached sheet 1. Results for Constantan 28swg Table 1 Length (cm) Voltage (Volts) Current (Amps) Resistance (Ohms). Table 2 Length (cm) Voltage (Volts) Current (Amps) Resistance (Ohms) Table 3 Length (cm) Voltage (Volts) Current (Amps) Resistance (Ohms) For the graph with all 3 tabled results for constantan 28swg see attached sheet 2. Results for Constantan 36swg Table 1 Length (cm) Voltage (Volts) Current (Amps) Resistance (Ohms) Table 2 Length (cm) Voltage (Volts) Current (Amps) Resistance (Ohms) Table 3 Length (cm) Voltage (Volts) Current (Amps) Resistance (Ohms)For the graph with all 3 tabled results for constantan 36swg see attached sheet 3. Analysis Analysis of length I predict that there will be higher resistance in wires that are longer in length. My prediction was correct. As the length of the wire decreases so does the resistance. This is clearly visible on all three of the graphs. On the graph for constantan 26swg (sheet1) there is a strong negative correlation. The resistance for all three results at 100 cm is between 3. 24 ? 3. 50 ? and at 5cm it is between 0 ? and 0. 5 ?. From 65cm-40cm the results I collected are almost identical. There is hardly any variation in the results and it is shown by the graph. The graph for constantan 28swg (sheet 2) is by far the best graph because of the closeness of all of the readings taken. There is a slight anomalous result at the 95cm reading. From the results collected in table 1 he resistance rose from 4. 49 ? to 4. 55 ?. This did not affect my results too much there was still a clear trend. This is however extremely unlike the graph for constantan 36swg (sheet3). There is clearly a huge error. At 90cm there is an incredibly out of position recording. The voltage for this point was 0. 8 V. this is roughly 2. 0 Volts away from where ideally it would be and this has caused such a dramatic change in the direction of the plotted points. I also believe that as the length doubles the resistance will also double. My prediction was correct. An example of this would be taken from table 3 of constantan 28swg. The length is 10cm and the resistance was 0. 5 ? ; the resistance for 20cm was 0. 98 ?. 0. 5 x 2 = 1 1 0. 98 = 0. 02 This is almost exactly double. This is only one example of the resistance roughly doubling with length. Analysis of thickness In order to analyse the thickness of the wire I will first need to work out the area of the wire. I have got the thicknesses in British Standard Gauge and I have found a site (http://www.falcon-acoustics. co. uk/hintstipsgeneral. htm) which has a table with the thickness converted into millimetres. The conversions for the wires thickness are as follows: Constantan 26swg = 0. 457mm Constantan 28swg = 0. 376mm Constantan 36swg = 0. 193mm This however is the diameter of each of the wires; and the formula for the area of a circle is ? x ri. The radius of a circle is half the diameter. To work out the area of the wire I must first halve the diameter then square it then multiply by pie. Pie (? ) is 22 i 7 the number has definite end. Now I will work out the area for each of the wires. Constantan 26swg:Â   029240465 mmi This shows that the Constantan 26swg is thicker than the Constantan 28swg and the Constantan 36swg and by how much in mmi. I also believe that the thicker the wire is the less resistance will be present. This is correct. I have taken the resistance from all 9 tables and put them in a graph (sheet4). I have taken the resistance from 50cm for all of them. The graph clearly shows the huge difference in resistance. As you can see the Constantan 36swg is more resistant than the 26swg and 28swg Constantan wire. The area of the Constantan Evaluation Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section.

Anti Abortion Argumentative Paper Philosophy Essay

Anti Abortion Argumentative Paper Philosophy Essay Don Marquis once made the statement, The loss of ones life is one of the greatest losses one can suffer. The loss of ones life deprives one of all the experiences and enjoyments that would otherwise have constituted ones future. In todays society one of the ongoing questions is when is it right to take the life of another being, more specifically an unborn child. Abortion is mentally and physically damaging for a woman and her fetus. It should not be legal for distinct reasons. These distinct reasons are there are many risks associated with abortion, there are other options rather than getting an abortion and abortion is murder. There are alternative choices instead of getting an abortion. The first and most effective option is not to have sex. The second option is to have the baby and let others care for it. There are companies designed to help find homes for children without proper parents. The third option is to have the baby and put him or her up for adoption. This can provide a solution to couples facing infertility. Abortion is unnecessary due to these alternatives and others. Second, mental and physical health risks are associated with abortions. A patient may experience hemorrhaging, infection, or death. The most common risk of getting an abortion is breast cancer. During a womans first pregnancy, the breast structure is permanently changed. It seems apparent that cancerous changes occur more frequently among these transitional cells of a woman who has terminated her pregnancy. If she aborts more than once before completing a pregnancy, her chance for cancer increases even more. There are 1.6 million abortions each year; 56% are first abortions and 44% are second or more (Stotland 56). With these figures, one in ten women may develop breast cancer, and 25% of them may die (Stotland 63). However, there are not only physical risks to abortion, but mental risks also. Some women feel relief after an abortion, but many suffer Post Abortion Stress. The symptoms of Post Abortion Stress include anger, guilt, flashbacks, sexual dysfunction, suicidal ideas, halluc ination, and increased drug or alcohol use. These facts alone are evidence that abortions are too dangerous for a woman and her child. Third, abortion is murder because the fetus is a well-developed organism before the abortion takes place. Within the first three weeks, the heart is pumping blood, arms and legs bud, and brain is present. Within a month, the mouth, ears, and nose are present. Brainwaves can be recorded and heartbeat detected at forty days and the skeleton is formed. During this period, the brain is controlling the movement of muscles and organs and the unborn reflexively responds to stimuli. This all takes place before the earliest surgical abortions are performed. Many also believe that because the fetus is not living, it does not experience pain. The babys spinal reflexes are sufficiently developed to feel pain around week seven. Mother Theresa said, The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing between. If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. Murder is defined as deliberately killing another person not in self-defense or without any other extenuating circumstance recognized by the law. Abortion is killing another person and abortion is not in self-defense. Abortion is murder and takes the life of another human being. Abortion is murder and should be illegal in the United States of America. Anti-Thesis Every woman in the world should have the right to decide how to carry their beings. No government should feel that they have the right to dictate to a person what road their lives should take. Those claiming pro-life are really no more than anti-choice. These pro-lifers crave to put the future of women into the hands of the government. Abortion, and any medical decisions women make, are very private and should never be available for debate. The question of morality cant be a valid argument concerning abortion, because it is not of morality but of option and constitutionality. A common assumption is that people who are pro-choice are actually pro-abortion. Many people that support womens rights could be personally against abortions. That does not mean that they allow the government to pass laws directing what women do with their bodies. Those who are pro-choice simply believe that it is the right of a woman to assess her situation and decide if a baby will benefit or be devastating to her live. People that are opposed to abortion dont take a many things into consideration. For one, consider how the life of a teenager may be ruined if an abortion is not available. Another thing not assessed is the severe family trauma that will result if a baby is forced, by law to be born. Those opposing abortion are unwavering with their ideas and believe that they have a solution to every situation. Pregnant? Try adoption! They will help you support the baby. What ever the womens situation may be, the conservative will not bend. Many suggest adoption as a practical alternative to abortion. But, in reality, this is not a decent substitute. The majority of middle class white couples that are willing to adopt do not want to adopt the mixed race babies (which are the majority put up for adoption). Why else would there be a waiting list for couples to be held in for a few years when there are so many other kinds of babies out there? Would those to claim to have a heart and save a life like these unwanted children grow up as wards of the state, living a life of distress and misfortune? To all of those fighting for laws that will make abortion against the law: do you really think that the law will stop a woman from carrying out with the abort of an unwelcome pregnancy? Drugs are illegal and there plenty of people out there still using. The only thing a law against abortions will achieve will be forcing pregnant women to seek medical attention in unsafe situations, leaving them with not only in the termination of the pregnancy, but perhaps their own lives as well. For a prime example when abortion was prohibited in the 1940s, there were still cases of women seeking help elsewhere. The only alteration though, is that these women typically ended up dead because of hemorrhaging or infection. Bottom line, if a woman wants an abortion, illegal or legal, nothing will get in her way. Why would pro life people, who allegedly put so much significance in life, want to jeopardize the live of another person? Dont get me wrong, if legal abortion is banned, some abortions may be prevented. A woman may not be able to fund an alley-way, black market abortion and would have to deliver. This will be quite unfortunate. Naturally, Mother would be depressed, and in all actuality not deliver the proper care, may drink, do drugs, or any other thing she could do to harm the life of the baby and herself. Post delivery, the mother could very well resent the baby, realizing that it has trashed her chance of ever carrying out her objectives in life. If these women mandated into maternity do happen to keep their child, there is a significant chance of child abuse and neglect. These surplus kids, raised by the state or disregarding parents, would then give birth to yet the next generation of unwanted children. Moreover, in some desperate and impulsive situations, new mothers may become inconsolable, having the idea that since they could not have an abortion they will kill their baby right after birth, thinking they would get away with it and continue on with there lives before the whole wrenched scene. After all of these scenarios are considered fairly by an open-minded person, abortion is the better of them. Many of those who are pro life argue that any of these situations are preferable to abortion. They ultimate goal, they think, is to have the child be alive. They claim that it is unfair and unjust for anyone to take that choice of life away from the fetus. Essentially, what they really want is to take the choice away from the mother and give it to the unborn child, giving them this wonderful prospect to be brought into a loveless, forlorn, and cold so ciety. Synthesis

The Constant Status of Beta Essay -- Business, Stock Returns, Investme

Beta being an efficient measure of riskiness of a security is an important financial instrument in investment decisions regarding estimation of market models, development of investment portfolios, estimation of cost of capital and emerging derivative markets. Since 1960s, the practical implication of CAPM has been in vague until recently challenged by some researchers Fama and French, (1992) for beta being insufficient in estimating the future returns of stocks based on historical data. The constant status of beta in estimating stock returns is questionable by the academic researchers for the high-low variation in its parameters. As systematic risk is time variant in nature, thus it is necessary to consider beta as a time series process withholding within it the stochastic behavior. Faff, Hillier and Hillier (2000) have demonstrated three modeling techniques to estimate time-varying beta namely multivariate generalized ARCH model (M-GARCH), another time varying heteroskedastic market models identified as EGARCH, TARCH and Kalman Filter approach. The dataset comprises of daily returns of 32 UK industry portfolios for the time period of January 1969 to April 1998. All the three models explain the time variability in systematic risk in the stocks. Of all the three models, Kalman Filter approach along with random-walk parameterization out-performs in efficiently explaining the stochastic behavior of betas in the daily stock returns of UK. The Kalman filter approach can be summed up as an optimal recursive computation of the least-squares algorithm. It is a subset of a Bayesian filter where the assumptions of a Gaussian distribution and that the current state is linearly dependant on the previous state are imposed. In oth... ...el errors while estimating these models using a Kalman filter algorithm has been considered and taken into account. The magnitude of reduction in the variance of market model errors that can be achieved if betas are allowed to vary is also measured. This gives a useful technique for comparing time-varying beta models with the constant beta model. This work also suggests that time-variation in beta is present in case of developing markets as in case of developed markets. The overall results have important implications for portfolio diversification and hedging strategies. Another implication of this academic research is that a dynamic hedging strategy, in which the hedge ratios are frequently adjusted in the light of the new information, will perform better compared to a static strategy where the hedge ratio is chosen at the beginning of the investment horizon.

Gender Reversal in William Gibsons Neuromancer :: Neuromancer Essays

Gender Reversal in Neuromancer    In a world where beauty is literally a small price to pay to achieve. When reading the novel Neuromancer it is not a surprise that all the women described are not dubbed social unacceptable. In contrast they all have important roles: Molly is a street samurai, 3Jane is a leader of a world dominating family, Marie-Frances is a silent manipulative mother, and Linda Lee is, well okay she fits the stereotype of the girlfriend in most books. Stereotypical is not the definition used to describe the relationship between Molly and Case.    From the first time they meet Molly is the one chasing. In most relationships the man seems to be the aggressor; Molly takes that role with authority. She is following him around to recruit him for her team under the lead of Armitage. This team is working under the watchful circuits of an artificial intelligence (AIs) named Wintermute. Wintermute and Neuromancer are two AIs made by a powerful family, Tessier-Ashpool (TA). Wintermute needs Molly's muscle and Cases hacking ability to successfully join Wintermute with Neuromancer together. This family is lead by Ashpool and next in line is 3Jane. The person responsible for Wintermute wanting to join together is the mother and visionist Marie-France. 3Jane and Marie-France are different in there approach to power. 3Jane is more silent and patient, whereas; Marie-France is manipulative and has ideas of her own. Marie-France uses her silence to wait for an opportunity to advance her plan to join Wintermute and Neuromancer. 3Jane uses her s ilence to advance through the ranks undetected, but both have more power on their minds.    Power is not the only reverse gender role that Molly shows. Her relationship with Case is a definite reversal of gender. Molly starts as the aggressor and ends as the user. After her prier meeting with Case, he has an operation to allow him to be able t jack into the matrix with out a computer. Molly stays at his place to take care of him after he awakes from his surgery. Of course with the opposite roles Molly is there for one thing, sex. Even during the brief sex scene Molly proves to be the more dominant figure. She initiates the situation and takes the bull by the horns.    Taking charge of a predicament is not anything new to Molly.

Forward the Foundation Chapter 22

Part IV Wanda Seldon SELDON, WANDA-†¦ In the waning years of Hari Seldon's life, he grew most attached to (some say dependent upon) his granddaughter, Wanda. Orphaned in her teens, Wanda Seldon devoted herself to her grandfather's Psychohistory Project, filling the vacancy left by Yugo Amaryl†¦ The content of Wanda Seldon's work remains largely a mystery, for it was conducted in virtually total isolation. The only individuals allowed access to Wanda Seldon's research were Hari himself and a young man named Stettin Palver (whose descendant Preem would four hundred years later contribute to the rebirth of Trantor, as the planet rose from the ashes of the Great Sack [300 F.E.1). Although the full extent of Wanda Seldon's contribution to the Foundation is unknown, it was undoubtedly of the greatest magnitude†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica 1 Hari Seldon walked into the Galactic Library (limping a little, as he did more and more often these days) and made for the banks of skitters, the little vehicles that slid their way along the interminable corridors of the building complex. He was held up, however, by the sight of three men seated at one of the galactography alcoves, with the Galactograph showing the Galaxy in full three-dimensional representation and, of course, its worlds slowly pinwheeling around its core, spinning at right angles to that as well. From where Seldon stood he could see that the border Province of Anacreon was marked off in glowing red. It skirted the edge of the Galaxy and took up a great volume, but it was sparsely populated with stars. Anacreon was not remarkable for either wealth or culture but was remarkable for its distance from Trantor: ten thousand parsecs away. Seldon acting on impulse, took a seat at a computer console near the three and set up a random search he was sure would take an indefinite period. Some instinct told him that such an intense interest in Anacreon must be political in nature-its position in the Galaxy made it one of the least secure holdings of the current Imperial regime. His eyes remained on his screen, but Seldon's ears were open for the discussion near him. One didn't usually hear political discussions in the Library. They were, in point of fact, not supposed to take place. Seldon did not know any of the three men. That was not entirely surprising. There were habitues of the Library, quite a few, and Seldon knew most of them by sight-and some even to talk to-but the Library was open to all citizens. No qualifications. Anyone could enter and use its facilities. (For a limited period of time, of course. Only a select few, like Seldon were allowed to â€Å"set up shop† in the Library. Seldon had been granted the use of a locked private office and complete access to Library resources.) One of the men (Seldon thought of him as Hook Nose, for obvious reasons) spoke in a low urgent voice. â€Å"Let it go,† he said. â€Å"Let it go. It's costing us a mint to try to hold on and, even if we do, it will only be while they're there. They can't stay there forever and, as soon as they leave, the situation will revert to what it was.† Seldon knew what they were talking about. The news had come over TrantorVision only three days ago that the Imperial government had decided on a show of force to bring the obstreperous Governor of Anacreon into line. Seldon's own psychohistorical analysis had shown him that it was a useless procedure, but the government did not generally listen when its emotions were stirred. Seldon smiled slightly and grimly at hearing Hook Nose say what he himself had said-and the young man said it without the benefit of any knowledge of psychohistory. Hook Nose went on. â€Å"If we leave Anacreon alone, what do we lose? It's still there, right where it always was, right at the edge of the Empire. It can't pick up and go to Andromeda, can it? So it still has to trade with us and life continues. What's the difference if they salute the Emperor or not? You'll never be able to tell the difference.† The second man, whom Seldon had labeled Baldy, for even more obvious reasons, said, â€Å"Except this whole business doesn't exist in a vacuum. If Anacreon goes, the other border provinces will go. The Empire will break up.† â€Å"So what?† whispered Hook Nose fiercely. â€Å"The Empire can't run itself effectively anymore, anyway. It's too big. Let the border go and take care of itself-if it can. The Inner Worlds will be all the stronger and better off. The border doesn't have to be ours politically; it will still be ours economically.† And now the third man (Red Cheeks) said, â€Å"I wish you were right, but that's not the way it's going to work. If the border provinces establish their independence, the first thing each will do will be to try to increase its power at the expense of its neighbors. There'll be war and conflict and every one of the governors will dream of becoming Emperor at last. It will be like the old days before the Kingdom of Trantor-a dark age that will last for thousands of years.† Baldy said, â€Å"Surely things won't be that bad. The Empire may break up, but it will heal itself quickly when people find out that the breakup just means war and impoverishment. They'll look back on the golden days of the intact Empire and all will be well again. We're not barbarians, you know. We'll find a way.† â€Å"Absolutely,† said Hook Nose. â€Å"We've got to remember that the Empire has faced crisis after crisis in its history and has pulled through time and again.† But Red Cheeks shook his head as he said, â€Å"This is not just another crisis. This is something much worse. The Empire has been deteriorating for generations. Ten years' worth of the junta destroyed the economy and since the fall of the junta and the rise of this new Emperor, the Empire has been so weak that the governors on the Periphery don't have to do anything. It's going to fall of its own weight.† â€Å"And the allegiance to the Emperor-† began Hook Nose. â€Å"What allegiance?† said Red Cheeks. â€Å"We went for years without an Emperor after Cleon was assassinated and no one seemed to mind much. And this new Emperor is just a figurehead. There's nothing he can do. There's nothing anyone can do. This isn't a crisis. This is the end. â€Å" The other two stared at Red Cheeks, frowning. Baldy said, â€Å"You really believe it! You think that the Imperial government will just sit there and let it all happen?† â€Å"Yes! Like you two, they won't believe it is happening. That is, until it's too late.† â€Å"What would you want them to do if they did believe it?† asked Baldy. Red Cheeks stared into the Galactograph, as if he might find an answer there. â€Å"I don't know. Look, in due course of time I'll die; things won't be too bad by then. Afterward, as the situation gets worse, other people can worry about it. I'll be gone. And so will the good old days. Maybe forever. I'm not the only one who thinks this, by the way. Ever hear of someone named Hari Seldon?† â€Å"Sure,† said Hook Nose at once. â€Å"Wasn't he First Minister under Cleon?† â€Å"Yes,† said Red Cheeks. â€Å"He's some sort of scientist. I heard him give a talk a few months back. It felt good to know I'm not the only one who believes the Empire is falling apart. He said-â€Å" â€Å"And he said everything's going to pot and there's going to be a permanent dark age?† Baldy interjected. â€Å"Well no,† said Red Cheeks. â€Å"He's one of these real cautious types. Ire says it might happen, but he's wrong. It will happen.† Seldon had heard enough. He limped toward the table where the three men sat and touched Red Cheeks on the shoulder. â€Å"Sir,† he said, â€Å"may I speak to you for a moment?† Startled, Red Cheeks looked up and then he said, â€Å"Hey, aren't you Professor Seldon?† â€Å"I always have been,† said Seldon. He handed the man a reference tile bearing his photograph. â€Å"I would like to see you here in my Library office at 4 P.M., day after tomorrow. Can you manage that?† â€Å"I have to work.† â€Å"Call in sick if you have to. It's important.† â€Å"Well, I'm not sure, sir.† â€Å"Do it,† said Seldon. â€Å"If you get into any sort of trouble over it, I'll straighten it out. And meanwhile, gentlemen, do you mind if I study the Galaxy simulation for a moment? It's been a long time since I've looked at one.† They nodded mutely, apparently abashed at being in the presence of a former First Minister. One by one the men stepped back and allowed Seldon access to the Galactograph controls. Seldon's finger reached out to the controls and the red that had marked off the Province of Anacreon vanished. The Galaxy was unmarked, a glowing pinwheel of mist brightening into the spherical glow at the center, behind which was the Galactic black hole. Individual stars could not be made out, of course, unless the view were magnified, but then only one portion or another of the Galaxy would be shown on the screen and Seldon wanted to see the whole thing -to get a look at the Empire that was vanishing. He pushed a contact and a series of yellow dots appeared on the Galactic image. They represented the habitable planets-twenty-five million of them. They could be distinguished as individual dots in the thin fog that represented the outskirts of the Galaxy, but they were more and more thickly placed as one moved in toward the center. There was a belt of what seemed solid yellow (but which would separate into individual dots under magnification) around the central glow. The central glow itself remained white and unmarked, of course. No habitable planets could exist in the midst of the turbulent energies of the core. Despite the great density of yellow, not one star in ten thousand, Seldon knew, had a habitable planet circling it. This was true, despite the planet-molding and terraforming capacities of humanity. Not all the molding in the Galaxy could make most of the worlds into anything a human being could walk on in comfort and without the protection of a spacesuit. Seldon closed another contact. The yellow dots disappeared, but one tiny region glowed blue: Trantor and the various worlds directly dependent on it. As close as it could be to the central core and yet remaining insulated from its deadliness, it was commonly viewed as being located at the â€Å"center of the Galaxy,† which it wasn't-not truly. As usual, one had to be impressed by the smallness of the world of Trantor, a tiny place in the vast realm of the Galaxy, but within it was squeezed the largest concentration of wealth, culture, and governmental authority that humanity had ever seen. And even that was doomed to destruction. It was almost as though the men could read his mind or perhaps they interpreted the sad expression on his face. Baldy asked softly, â€Å"Is the Empire really going to be destroyed?† Seldon replied, softer still, â€Å"It might. It might. Anything might happen.† He rose, smiled at the men, and left, but in his thoughts he screamed: It will! It will! 2 Seldon sighed as he climbed into one of the skitters that were ranked side by side in the large alcove. There had been a time, just a few years ago, when he had gloried in walking briskly along the interminable corridors of the Library, telling himself that even though he was past sixty he could manage it. But now, at seventy, his legs gave way all too quickly and he had to take a skitter. Younger men took them all the time because skitters saved them trouble, but Seldon did it because he had to-and that made all the difference. After Seldon punched in the destination, he closed a contact and the skitter lifted a fraction of an inch above the floor. Off it went at a rather casual pace, very smoothly, very silently, and Seldon leaned back and watched the corridor walls, the other skitters, the occasional walkers. He passed a number of Librarians and, even after all these years, he still smiled when he saw them. They were the oldest Guild in the Empire, the one with the most revered traditions, and they clung to ways that were more appropriate centuries before-maybe millennia before. Their garments were silky and off-white and were loose enough to be almost gownlike, coming together at the neck and billowing out from there. Trantor, like all the worlds, oscillated, where the males were concerned, between facial hair and smoothness. The people of Trantor itself-or at least most of its sectors-were smooth-shaven and had been smooth-shaven for as far back as he knew-excepting such anomalies as the mustaches worn by Dahlites, such as his own foster son, Raych. The Librarians, however, clung to the beards of long ago. Every Librarian had a rather short neatly cultivated beard running from ear to ear but leaving bare the upper lip. That alone was enough to mark them for what they were and to make the smooth-shaven Seldon feel a little uncomfortable when surrounded by a crowd of them. Actually the most characteristic thing of all was the cap each wore (perhaps even when asleep, Seldon thought). Square, it was made of a velvety material, in four parts that came together with a button at the top. The caps came in an endless variety of colors and apparently each color had significance. If you were familiar with Librarian lore, you could tell a particular Librarian's length of service, area of expertise, grades of accomplishment, and so on. They helped fix a pecking order. Every Librarian could, by a glance at another's hat, tell whether to be respectful (and to what degree) or overbearing (and to what degree). The Galactic Library was the largest single structure on Trantor (possibly in the Galaxy), much larger than even the Imperial Palace, and it had once gleamed and glittered, as though boasting of its size and magnificence. However, like the Empire itself, it had faded and withered. It was like an old dowager still wearing the jewels of her youth but upon a body that was wrinkled and wattled. The skitter stopped in front of the ornate doorway of the Chief Librarian's office and Seldon climbed out. Las Zenow smiled as he greeted Seldon. â€Å"Welcome, my friend,† he said in his high-pitched voice. (Seldon wondered if he had ever sung tenor in his younger days but had never dared to ask. The Chief Librarian was a compound of dignity always and the question might have seemed offensive.) â€Å"Greetings,† said Seldon. Zenow had a gray beard, rather more than halfway to white, and he wore a pure white hat. Seldon understood that without any explanation. It was a case of reverse ostentation. The total absence of color represented the highest peak of position. Zenow rubbed his hands with what seemed to be an inner glee. â€Å"I've called you in, Hari, because I've got good news for you. We've found it! â€Å"By ‘it,' Las, you mean-â€Å" â€Å"A suitable world. You wanted one far out. I think we've located the ideal one.† His smile broadened. â€Å"You just leave it to the Library. Hari. We can find anything.† â€Å"I have no doubt, Las. Tell me about this world.† â€Å"Well, let me show you its location first.† A section of the wall slid aside, the lights in the room dimmed, and the Galaxy appeared in three-dimensional form, turning slowly. Again, red lines marked off the Province of Anacreon, so that Seldon could almost swear that the episode with the three men had been a rehearsal for this. And then a brilliant blue dot appeared at the far end of the province. â€Å"There it is,† said Zenow. â€Å"It's an ideal world. Sizable, well-watered, good oxygen atmosphere, vegetation, of course. A great deal of sea life. It's there just for the taking. No planet-molding or terraforming required-or, at least, none that cannot be done while it is actually occupied.† Seldon said, â€Å"Is it an unoccupied world, Las?† â€Å"Absolutely unoccupied. No one on it.† â€Å"But why-if it's so suitable? I presume that, if you have all the details about it, it must have been explored. Why wasn't it colonized?† â€Å"It was explored, but only by unmanned probes. And there was no colonization-presumably because it was so far from everything. The planet revolves around a star that is farther from the central black hole than that of any inhabited planet-farther by far. Too far, I suppose, for prospective colonists, but I think not too far for you. You said, ‘The farther, the better.' â€Å" â€Å"Yes,† said Seldon, nodding. â€Å"I still say so. Does it have a name or is there just a letter-number combination?† â€Å"Believe it or not, it has a name. Those who sent out the probes named it Terminus, an archaic word meaning ‘the end of the line.' Which it would seem to be.† Seldon said, â€Å"Is the world part of the territory of the Province of Anacreon?† â€Å"Not really,† said Zenow. â€Å"If you'll study the red line and the red shading, you will see that the blue dot of Terminus lies slightly outside it-fifty light-years outside it, in fact. Terminus belongs to nobody; it's not even part of the Empire, as a matter of fact.† â€Å"You're right, then, Las. It does seem like the ideal world I've been looking for.† â€Å"Of course,† said Zenow thoughtfully, â€Å"once you occupy Terminus, I imagine the Governor of Anacreon will claim it as being under his jurisdiction.† â€Å"That's possible,† said Seldon, â€Å"but we'll have to deal with that when 1 he matter comes up.† Zenow rubbed his hands again. â€Å"What a glorious conception. Setting up a huge project on a brand-new world, far away and entirely isolated, so that year by year and decade by decade a huge Encyclopedia of all human knowledge can be put together. An epitome of what is present in this Library. If I were only younger, I would love to join the expedition.† Seldon said sadly, â€Å"You're almost twenty years younger than I am.† (Almost everyone is far younger than I am, he thought, even more sadly.) Zenow said, â€Å"Ah yes, I heard that you just passed your seventieth birthday. I hope you enjoyed it and celebrated appropriately.† Seldon stirred. â€Å"I don't celebrate my birthdays.† â€Å"Oh, but you did. I remember the famous story of your sixtieth birthday.† Seldon felt the pain, as deeply as though the dearest loss in all the world had taken place the day before. â€Å"Please don't talk about it,† he said. Abashed, Zenow said, â€Å"I'm sorry. We'll talk about something else. If, indeed, Terminus is the world you want, I imagine that your work on the preliminaries to the Encyclopedia Project will be redoubled. As you know, the Library will be glad to help you in all respects.† â€Å"I'm aware of it, Las, and I am endlessly grateful. We will, indeed, keep working.† He rose, not yet able to smile after the sharp pang induced by the reference to his birthday celebration of ten years back. He said, â€Å"So I must go to continue my labors.† And as he left, he felt, as always, a pang of conscience over the deceit he was practicing. Las Zenow did not have the slightest idea of Seldon's true intentions. 3 Hari Seldon surveyed the comfortable suite that had been his personal office at the Galactic Library these past few years. It, like the rest of the Library, had a vague air of decay about it, a kind of weariness-something that had been too long in one place. And yet Seldon knew it might remain here, in the same place, for centuries more-with judicious rebuildings-for millennia even. How did he come to be here? Over and over again, he felt the past in his mind, ran his mental tendrils along the line of development of his life. It was part of growing older, no doubt. There was so much more in the past, so much less in the future, that the mind turned away from the looming shadow ahead to contemplate the safety of what had gone before. In his case, though, there was that change. For over thirty years psychohistory had developed in what might almost be considered a straight line-progress creepingly slow but moving straight ahead. Then six years ago there had been a right-angled turn-totally unexpected. And Seldon know exactly how it had happened, how a concatenation of events came together to make it possible. It was Wanda, of course, Seldon's granddaughter. Hari closed his eyes and settled into his chair to review the events of six years before. Twelve-year-old Wanda was bereft. Her mother, Manella, had had another child, another little girl, Bellis, and for a time the new baby was a total preoccupation. Her father, Raych, having finished his book on his home sector of Dahl, found it to be a minor success and himself a minor celebrity. He was called upon to talk on the subject, something he accepted with alacrity, for he was fiercely absorbed in the subject and, as he said to Hari with a grin, â€Å"When I talk about Dahl, I don't have to hide my Dahlite accent. In fact, the public expects it of me.† The net result, though, was that he was away from home a considerable amount of time and when he wasn't, it was the baby he wanted to see. As for Dors-Dors was gone-and to Hari Seldon that wound was ever-fresh, ever-painful. And he had reacted to it in an unfortunate manner. It had been Wanda's dream that had set in motion the current of events that had ended with the loss of Dors. Wanda had had nothing to do with it-Seldon knew that very well. And yet he found himself shrinking from her, so that he also failed her in the crisis brought about by the birth of the new baby. And Wanda wandered disconsolately to the one person who always seemed glad to see her, the one person she could always count on. That WAS Yugo Amaryl, second only to Hari Seldon in the development of psychohistory and first in his absolute round-the-clock devotion to it. Hari had had Dors and Raych, but psychohistory was Yugo's life; he had no wife and children. Yet whenever Wanda came into his presence, something within him recognized her as a child and he dimly felt-for just that moment-a sense of loss that seemed to be assuaged only by showing the child affection. To be sure, he tended to treat her as a rather undersized adult, but Wanda seemed to like that. It was six years ago that she had wandered into Yugo's office. Yugo looked up at her with his owlish reconstituted eyes and, as usual, took a moment or two to recognize her. Then he said, â€Å"Why, it's my dear friend Wanda. But why do you look so sad? Surely an attractive young woman like you should never feel sad.† And Wanda, her lower lip trembling, said, â€Å"Nobody loves me.† â€Å"Oh come, that's not true.† â€Å"They just love that new baby. They don't care about me anymore.† â€Å"I love you, Wanda.† â€Å"Well, you're the only one then, Uncle Yugo.† And even though she could no longer crawl onto his lap as she had when she was younger, she cradled her head on his shoulder and wept. Amaryl, totally unaware of what he should do, could only hug the girl and say, â€Å"Don't cry. Don't cry.† And out of sheer sympathy and because he had so little in his own life to weep about, he found that tears were trickling down his own cheeks as well. And then he said with sudden energy, â€Å"Wanda, would you like to see something pretty?† â€Å"What?† sniffled Wanda. Amaryl knew only one thing in life and the Universe that was pretty. He said, â€Å"Did you ever see the Prime Radiant?† â€Å"No. What is it?† â€Å"It's what your grandfather and I use to do our work. See? It's right here.† He pointed to the black cube on his desk and Wanda looked at it woefully. â€Å"That's not pretty,† she said. â€Å"Not now,† agreed Amaryl. â€Å"But watch when I turn it on.† He did so. The room darkened and filled with dots of light and flashes of different colors. â€Å"See? Now we can magnify it so all the dots become mathematical symbols.† And so they did. There seemed a rush of material toward them and there, in the air, were signs of all sorts, letters, numbers, arrows, and shapes that Wanda had never seen before. â€Å"Isn't it pretty?† asked Amaryl. â€Å"Yes, it is,† said Wanda, staring carefully at the equations that (she didn't know) represented possible futures. â€Å"I don't like that part, though. I think it's wrong.† She pointed at a colorful equation to her left. â€Å"Wrong? Why do you say it's wrong† said Amaryl, frowning. â€Å"Because it's not†¦ pretty. I'd do it a different way.† Amaryl cleared his throat. â€Å"Well, I'll try to fix it up.† And he moved closer to the equation in question, staring at it in his owlish fashion. Wanda said, â€Å"Thank you very much, Uncle Yugo, for showing me your pretty lights. Maybe someday I'll understand what they mean.† â€Å"That's all right,† said Amaryl. â€Å"I hope you feel better.† â€Å"A little, thanks,† and, after flashing the briefest of smiles, she left the room. Amaryl stood there, feeling a trifle hurt. He didn't like having the Prime Radiant's product criticized-not even by a twelve-year-old girl who knew no better. And as he stood there, he had no idea whatsoever that the psychohistorical revolution had begun. 4 That afternoon Amaryl went to Hari Seldon's office at Streeling University. That in itself was unusual, for Amaryl virtually never left his own office, even to speak with a colleague just down the hall. â€Å"Hari,† said Amaryl, frowning and looking puzzled. â€Å"Something very odd has happened. Very peculiar.† Seldon looked at Amaryl with deepest sorrow. He was only fifty-three, but he looked much older, bent, worn down to almost transparency. When forced, he had undergone doctors' examinations and the doctors had all recommended that he leave his work for a period of time (some said permanently) and rest. Only this, the doctors said, might improve his health. Otherwise-Seldon shook his head. â€Å"Take him away from his work and he'll die all the sooner-and unhappier. We have no choice.† And then Seldon realized that, lost in such thoughts, he was not hearing Amaryl speak. He said, â€Å"I'm sorry, Yugo. I'm a little distracted. Begin again.† Amaryl said, â€Å"I'm telling you that something very odd has happened. Very peculiar.† â€Å"What is it, Yugo?† â€Å"It was Wanda. She came in to see me-very sad, very upset.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Apparently it's the new baby.† â€Å"Oh yes,† Hari said with more than a trace of guilt in his voice. â€Å"So she said and cried on my shoulder-I actually cried a bit, too, Hari. And then I thought I'd cheer her up by showing her the Prime Radiant.† Here Amaryl hesitated, as if choosing his next words carefully. â€Å"Go on, Yugo. What happened?† â€Å"Well, she stared at all the lights and I magnified a portion, actually Section 428254. You're acquainted with that?† Seldon smiled. â€Å"No, Yugo, I haven't memorized the equations quite as well as you have.† â€Å"Well, you should,† said Amaryl severely. â€Å"How can you do a good job if-But never mind that. What I'm trying to say is that Wanda pointed to a part of it and said it was no good. It wasn't pretty. â€Å" â€Å"Why not? We all have our personal likes and dislikes.† â€Å"Yes, of course, but I brooded about it and I spent some time going over it and, Hari, there was something wrong with it. The programming was inexact and that area, the precise area to which Wanda pointed, was no good. And, really, it wasn't pretty.† Seldon sat up rather stiffly, frowning. â€Å"Let me get this straight, Yugo. She pointed to something at random, said it was no good, and she was right?† â€Å"Yes. She pointed, but it wasn't at random; she was very deliberate.† â€Å"But that's impossible.† â€Å"But it happened. I was there.† â€Å"I'm not saying it didn't happen. I'm saying it was just a wild coincidence.† â€Å"Is it? Do you think, with all your knowledge of psychohistory, you could take one glance at a new set of equations and tell me that one portion is no good?† Seldon said, â€Å"Well then, Yugo, how did you come to expand that particular portion of the equations? What made you choose that piece for magnification?† Amaryl shrugged. â€Å"That was coincidence-if you like. I just fiddled with the controls.† â€Å"That couldn't be coincidence,† muttered Seldon. For a few moments he was lost in thought, then he asked the question that pushed forward the psychohistorical revolution that Wanda had begun. He said, â€Å"Yugo, did you have any suspicions about those equations beforehand? Did you have any reason to believe there was something wrong with them?† Amaryl fiddled with the sash of his unisuit and seemed embarrassed. â€Å"Yes, I think I did. You see-â€Å" â€Å"You think you did?† â€Å"I know I did. I seemed to recall when I was setting it up-it's a new section, you know-my fingers seemed to glitch on the programmer. It looked all right then, but I guess I kept worrying about it inside. I remember thinking it looked wrong, but I had other things to do and I just let it go. But then when Wanda happened to point to precisely the area I had been concerned about, I decided to check up on her-otherwise I would just have let it go as a childish statement.† â€Å"And you turned on that very fragment of the equations to show Wanda. As though it were haunting your unconscious mind.† Amaryl shrugged. â€Å"Who knows?† â€Å"And just before that, you were very close together, hugging, both crying.† Amaryl shrugged again, looking even more embarrassed. Seldon said, â€Å"I think I know what happened, Yugo. Wanda read your mind.† Amaryl jumped, as though he had been bitten. â€Å"That's impossible!† Slowly Seldon said, â€Å"I once knew someone who had unusual mental powers of that sort†-and he thought sadly of Eto Demerzel or, as Seldon had secretly known him, Daneel-â€Å"only he was somewhat more than human. But his ability to read minds, to sense other people's thoughts, to persuade people to act in a certain way-that was a mental ability. I think, somehow, that perhaps Wanda has that ability as well.† â€Å"I can't believe it,† said Amaryl stubbornly. â€Å"I can,† said Seldon â€Å"but I don't know what to do about it.† Dimly lie felt the rumblings of a revolution in psychohistorical research-but only dimly.

Foundation Day Anchoring Essay

Good morning everyone. Today is a wonderful day and . It gives me immense pleasure to welcome you all on the 8th Foundation Day of our school. Well, my first and foremost duty – On behalf of the Principal and Teaching staff i would like to welcome all the visionaries of our school that means all the trustee members of our school. To begin this propitious occasion, may I invite Mrs. Reena Roy to invoke the almighty by a very beautiful prayer song. Thank you mam. Now, we will have our traditional auspicious LAMP-LIGHTENING ceremony as a tribute to Mother Saraswati, the Godess of knowledge by our honourable trustee members. (Mother, we pray for your blessings with all humility – give us wisdom to make this world a better place. May all human beings live in harmony with nature and other forms of life. May the truth prevail. May the darkness of ignorance be swept away by the dawn of self-realization.) Thank you This occasion gives us an opportunity to take stock of our achievements and to re-dedicate ourselves to face the new challenges that lie ahead. â€Å"The ideal of this school is to develop individuals who will be competent to change their environment to greater conformity with moral ideals.† our ultimate mission is of creating conscientious and forward -thinking students . In the present globalized world, the role of the School has undergone a sea-change and the education system needs to be geared to address the fundamental challenges that have emerged out of this. It requires our institutions to be leaner, fitter, professionally prepared and alwaysa ready to convert half opportunity into success. Here at Winners We value our intellectual capital, and nurture it through a perfect blend, of the traditional as well as contemporary ways and means, for the comprehensive development, of the students’ personality, so that every year the society at large is benefitted with the well equipped professionals who can significantly contribute to the value creation process. Welcome Now its time to sink into the depth of music, song, bliss and enjoyment and for this Today, we will have rainbow of cultural programmes prepared by our  teachers. First of all we will have a Desi fusion dance. . It involves various movements, figures and mesmerizing formations which will engross you to the core. So i would like to call all the teachers for the fusion dance. That was indeed a lovely performance. How captivating ! poetry of footsteps !! A blend of cosmic tune and divine music !. This type of performances show the unity and harmony of our teachers in each and every field. Unity is strength†¦ when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved. Our next performance will be a melodious song with lyrics yu hi kat jaega safar Thak u Just ask UNIVERSE for help and we see wonders. That is what we call a â€Å"MIRACLE† Our next performance will be a holy divine song by Sashikant sir. I think they have truly spread the spiritual vibes this eve creating a state of trance with their magnetic performance. Lets move to our next programmee, Here comes a scintillating dance performance by Jitali mam. .mam, u Truly justified the characteristics of a great dancer – Elegance,poise,strength ,gracefulness everything.. Now its time for a very special performace by the jhankar beats group. In the history of winners for the first time all the gens teachers will shake their legs together .so without much adu i want to call the teachers

The Importance of Cleanliness and Tidiness of a Classroom

It is important to keep and maintain clean environment in our classroom at any time. If we don’t then we will need to face number of possible problems. First of all, the purposes of keeping clean and tidy include health, beauty absence of disgusting smells and to avoid the spread of dirt from one to another. In the classroom where nearly forty students learning and sitting together in such small area, the environment will need to be clean enough.It is because the air inside is breathing continuously by all of us and the bacteria and virus in the rubbish like tissues used by classmates, packing of the food will stay in the air if we just put rubbish everywhere inside the classroom. Smell of the food would further attract pests which have potential danger giving us health problems as pests are usually dirty. Therefore it is necessary for us to put the rubbish or any other used materials inside the dust bin. In addition, we will use the air-conditioner more frequently in the comi ng months because of the raising temperature.Thus, windows will be closed during most of the time. The circulation of air may not be as good as before. If we still keep on throwing rubbish on the floor, we will have a higher chance to get sick because of breathing in the air which contains bacteria. Besides the negative impact on our health, having a fifty classroom will give others a bad impression on us. Others will just think it is impossible and unreasonable for a secondary four student accept to have such dirty and uncomfortable learning environment.And in my opinion, it is unacceptable for us to have lessons in such environment. Last but certainly not the least; it is also our own responsibility to keep the place around us neat and clean. As we are already a form four student, therefore we should able to self-discipline ourselves at any time not to throw or keep rubbish on the floor without our attention. There is with a doubt for us keeping our surroundings without rubbish or any other used materials. And I don’t think we will accept this if it happens at our home, so why we can accept such kind of things happening in the classroom?The only problem is that we don’t care about it and just ignore it although we know that it will worsen the environment and bring negative impact to us. Lastly, let’s imagine a learning environment which is neat and tidy, will it be comfortable and peace? There is again no doubt to say yes, both the teachers and students will feel good and excellent teaching and studying in a clean classroom. In summary, it is always good and necessary to maintain cleanliness and tidiness around us and our surroundings. It will not merely prevent you from so many diseases and illnesses but also keep the environment in a hygienic condition.

Proposed Study To Determine The Effects Of Heat On Essays

Proposed Study To Determine The Effects Of Heat On Essays Proposed Study To Determine The Effects Of Heat On Immediate Recall Of Videotaped Lecture In College Students, Age 18 - 25 Proposed Study to Determine the Effects of Heat on Immediate Recall of Videotaped Lecture in College Students, Age 18 - 25 Dana Serrata The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College PSYC 3301.01 December 3, 1996 Dr. D. Freeberg Proposed Study to Determine the Effects of Heat on Immediate Recall of Videotaped Lecture in College Students, Age 18 - 25 Researchers have studied many aspects of temperature effects on human perception and cognition. Thermal stress, in the form of extreme heat, has been studied by examining the human response under this environmental condition (Hancock, 1986). In this way, researchers hope to gain a better understanding of how the human body and mind react to adverse environmental conditions and adapt to those circumstances or surroundings (Bell, 1981). Many studies of this type have focused on thermal stress and human performance in the work environment (Enander Bonnet, 1990; Meese, et al. 1984). Bonnet (1990) suggests that an elevated ambient temperature increases the stress of work. Researchers seem to agree that the core temperature of the body is closely tied to the perception of uncomfortable heat (or cold) (Bell, 1981; Bonnet, 1990; Enander Meese, et al. 1984; Hancock, 1986). Bell (1981) states that the core temperature of the body is 98.6 F, and that an elevation of this temperature above 113 F leads to death. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) endorses a range of temperatures that may be considered ambient and provide thermal comfort for most people. This ambient range is from 76F to 80F with an average relative humidity of 45% (Rohles, 1973). Some researchers have manipulated the ambient temperature to induce heat stress while testing subjects on cognitive and mental tasks. Pepler and Warner (1968) had undergraduate students study a self-teaching programmed text during exposure to six different temperature levels ranging from 16.7 to 33.3C at 45% relative humidity. These students worked at a faster rate at high and low temperatures, with a higher rate of error. Wyon (1979), who has studied the effects of heat stress on mental performance in children, found that maximum performance on a word memory test was reached at 26C. Bell and Greene (1982) have discussed three theoretical approaches which have been applied to interpret the effects of thermal stress on performance of which attention is one; along with body temperature and arousal. In their theory regarding attention, Bell and Greene state that information overload occurs when the demand for attention exceeds the limited information processing capacity available. This situation would be more likely to occur when an environmental stressor is present. Therefore, according to their theory, task performance changes under thermal stress and promotes adaptability in the cognitive strategies used to complete the task (Cohen, et al. 1986). Unfortunately, little research has been conducted on the effects of thermal stress on cognitive and mental tasks. Most research has focused on vigilance and manual tasks which reflects the practical purpose of these studies, which have been geared toward the military and certain types of work environments (Enander & Hygge, 1990). However, the research which has been conducted suggests an adverse effect on cognitive functions by thermal stress. This study proposes that the thermal heat stress encountered in a classroom will negatively effect the immediate recall ability of undergraduate college students. A post-test on content recall of a videotaped lecture will be given to two groups, the experimental group will be assigned to the hot room and encounter the thermal stress, while the control group will be in an ambient temperature classroom. Low scores on the post-test for the thermally stressed group will indicate a possible effect of heat on recall ability. Method Participants Participants will be 60 volunteers, 30 male and 30 female, undergraduate students from introductory psychology courses at The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College. Participants will range in age from 18 to 25 years old, must be fluent in the English language (written and spoken), must have normal or corrected eyesight and hearing, and no chronic physical problems. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the ambient temperature or hot temperature classroom, with

Word Choice Economic vs. Economical

Word Choice Economic vs. Economical Word Choice: Economic vs. Economical The words â€Å"economic† and â€Å"economical† are the stuff pedants’ nightmares are made of. This is because they have importantly distinct meanings, yet they seem very similar at first glance. Suffice to say, this causes a lot of confusion, even among native speakers of English. Thus, it makes sense to familiarize yourself with these terms so you know how to use them in your work. Economic (Related to Finance) The adjective â€Å"economic† is mostly used when referring to money, finances or the economy: To implement the plan, major economic reforms will be necessary. It can also be used when describing something connected to the study of economics: Various economic theories were proposed to explain the crisis. Sometimes, â€Å"economic† is used to describe the financial prospects of a particular company: The current business model will not be economic in the long term. If only someone had warned Blockbuster. [Photo: Ian Taylor]In all cases, however, â€Å"economic† refers to money and finances. Economical (Value for Money) â€Å"Economical† is also an adjective, but specifically refers to â€Å"value for money† or â€Å"avoiding waste†. For instance, if we were running an understaffed business with a limited budget, we might say: We need an economical solution to the personnel problem. The term â€Å"economical† also applies in non-financial situations involving efficient use of resources: I drive a hybrid because it’s economical on fuel. I wrote I   ⠝ ¤ Hybrid on it because I want everyone to know how awesome I am. So while â€Å"economical† often means â€Å"value for money,† it can be used to refer to thrifty use of any resource. Economic or Economical? While some use these terms interchangeably, in academic writing, it’s crucial to maintain the distinction between â€Å"economic† and â€Å"economical.† This will ensure clarity, helping you to communicate effectively. There’s no simple way to remember the difference between these terms, but it can help to think of â€Å"economical† as a variation of â€Å"economic.† This way, if â€Å"economic† has the general meaning of â€Å"pertaining to money,† adding the â€Å"-al† gives â€Å"economical† the specific meaning of â€Å"not wasteful.† Remember: Economic = Related to the economy/money Economical = Value for money/not wasteful

How to Make a Colored Campfire

How to Make a Colored Campfire A campfire always adds warmth and excitement to an outdoor experience, but you can easily kick it up a notch by coloring the flames. There are several ways to achieve the effect, so you can choose one that works best for you. Sprinkle Chemicals on the Campfire You can buy little packets of chemicals to sprinkle over a campfire to make colored flames, but its easy to make these yourself. Simply add chemicals to a zipper plastic bag and add them to the fire. Its best to add chemicals after youre done cooking, to avoid any chance of accidental contamination. These chemicals arent very toxic, so they wont produce dangerous smoke or harm the ground. white - magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt)yellow - sodium chloride (table salt)green - borax (laundry booster or roach powder), boric acid powder (disinfectant), or copper sulfate (algae treatment)blue - copper chloridepurple - potassium chloride (salt substitute)pink - lithium (from a battery) or lithium chloridered - strontium nitrate or strontium chloride (in emergency road flares)orange - iron oxide (rust) Most of these chemicals you can get at a grocery store. Others you can order online. There are also many more chemicals that produce colored fire, based on the flame test, but be sure to check how safe one of these other chemicals is before adding it to a campfire. A word of advice: if you can, avoid adding yellow (sodium chloride) because it will overpower all the other colors! Anyway, a campfire is mostly orange and yellow, so you dont really need those colors. My personal preference is just to use copper sulfate. Why? The salt manages to produce almost the entire spectrum of colors all on its own, plus copper is already present in relatively high concentration in soils. Its also pretty easy to find. Burn Driftwood If your campfire is located near the beach, you can get a colored fire simply by burning driftwood. Driftwood produces an eerie blue to purple flame. The natural salts that have soaked into the wood to produce the color also produce a smoke that isnt good to breathe, plus you should not cook over a driftwood campfire, but on a still night, the effect is breathtaking. Add Chemicals to Paper, Sawdust, or Pinecones Another way to make a colored campfire is to add pre-treated paper, sawdust, or pinecones to the fire. Make a mixture of the desired material with one of the coloring chemicals and a small amount of water or rubbing alcohol. Some chemicals dissolve better in rubbing alcohol, producing better results. Let the chemical solution soak in ​for several hours or overnight. Allow your material to dry. You may want to spread it out a bit to speed up the process. You can pack it in a paper or plastic bag, and carry it with you on your camping trip. Toss a treated pinecone, handful of sawdust, or crumpled sheet of treated paper into the campfire to color the flames.

Preparing Students for the Testing Season

Preparing Students for the Testing Season Spring  is traditionally the  season  of beginnings, and for middle and high school students, spring is often the beginning of the testing season. There are district tests, state tests, and national tests for students in grades 7-12 that begin in March and continue through the end of the school year. Many of these tests are mandated by legislation.   In a typical public school, a student will take  at least one  standardized test  annually. Those high school students who enroll in college credit courses  may take even more tests. Each of these standardized tests is designed to take a minimum of 3.5 hours to complete. Adding up this time over the course of  the six years between grades 7-12, the average student participates in standardized testing for 21 hours or  the  equivalent of  three full  school days. Educators can first provide the information that helps students better understand the purpose of a specific test. Is the test going to measure their individual growth or is the test going to measure their performance against others?   Two Kinds of Standardized Testing for Grades 7-12 The  standardized tests  that are used in grades 7-12 are either  designed as norm-referenced or as criterion-referenced tests. Each test is designed for a different measure. A norm-referenced test is designed to compare and rank students (similar in age or grade) in relation to one another: Norm-referenced tests report whether test takers performed better or worse than a hypothetical average student Norm-referenced tests usually are simple to administer and easy to score because they are usually designed as multiple-choice tests.    The criterion-referenced  tests are designed to measure student performance against an expectation: Criterion-referenced  tests and  assessments  are designed to measure student performance against a fixed set of predetermined criteria or  learning standards Learning standards are descriptions by grade level of what students are expected to know and be able to do.  The criterion-referenced tests used to measure learning progress can also measure gaps in student learning.   Preparing Students for the Structure of Any Test Teachers can help prepare students for both  kinds standardized tests, both norm-referenced  tests and criterion-referenced  tests. Educators can explain to students the purpose of both criterion referenced and  the norm-referenced test so students will have a better understanding when they read the results. Most importantly, they can expose students to the pace of the exam, to the format of the exam and to the language of the exam. There are practice passages  in texts and online from different tests that will allow students to become more familiar with  the format of the test. To prepare students for the pace of the exam, teachers can offer some practice testing under conditions that mimic the actual test. There are released tests or materials that mimic the test that students should be encouraged to take independently. A timed practice text is particularly helpful is giving students the experience so they will know how fast they have to move to answer all the questions. Multiple practice sessions for timed essay writing should be offered if there is an essay section, for example, like the AP exams. Teachers have to coach students to determine a pace that works for them and recognize given how much â€Å"average† time they will need to read and answer an  open-ended question. Students might practice how to survey the whole test at the beginning and then look at the number of questions, point value, and difficulty of each section. This practice will help them to budget their time. Exposure to the format of the exam will also help student distinguish the amount of time that might be needed in reading multiple choice  questions. For example, one standardized test section requires students answer   75 questions in 45 minutes. That means students have an average of 36 seconds per question. Practice can help students adjust to this speed. In addition, understanding the format can help students negotiate the layout of a test, especially if the standardized test has moved to an online platform. Online testing means a student must be proficient in keyboarding, and also know which keyboarding feature is available for use. For example, the computer-adaptive tests, like the SBAC, may not allow students to return to a section with an unanswered question.   Multiple Choice Preparation Educators can also help students practice with how tests are administered. While some of these remain pen and paper tests, other tests have moved to online testing platforms. A part of test preparation, educators may offer students  the following multiple choice question strategies: If any part of the answer is not true, then the answer is incorrect.  When there are identical responses, then neither is correct.Consider no change or none of the above as a valid answer choice.Students should eliminate and cross off those distracting answers that are absurd  or obviously incorrect.Recognize transition words that  describe relationships between ideas in choosing a response.  The stem or start of the question should agree grammatically   (same tense) with the correct answer, so students should quietly read the question aloud to test each possible response.Correct answers may offer relative qualifiers such as sometimes or often, while incorrect answers are generally  written in absolute language and do not allow for exceptions. Before taking any tests, students should know if the test gives a penalty  for incorrect responses; if there is no penalty, students should be advised to guess if they dont know the answer.    If there is a difference in the point value of a question, students should plan on how they will  spend time on the more weighted sections of the test. They should also know how to split their time between multiple choice and essay answers if that is not already separated by section in the test. Essay or Open-Ended Response Preparation Another part of test preparation is  teaching students to prepare for essays or open-ended responses. Students to write directly on paper tests, take notes or use the highlighting feature on computer tests in order to identify sections that can be used for evidence in essay responses: Follow the directions by looking carefully at keywords: Answer A  or  B vs.  A  and  B.Use facts in different ways: to compare/ contrast, in  sequence or to provide a description.Organize facts  based on headings in informational texts.Use transitions with enough context in a sentence or paragraph to make the relationships between facts clear.Suggest that  students answer easiest questions first.Suggest students write on only one side of the page.Encourage students to leave a large space at the beginning of a response, or to leave a page  in between,  in the event a student ends up with a different thesis or position or would like to add or to change details later if time permits.   When time is limited, students should draft an outline by listing key points and the order they plan to answer them.   While this would not count as a complete essay, some credit for evidence and organization may be credited.   Which Tests Are Which? Tests are often better known by their acronyms than why they are used or what they are testing. To get balanced data  from their assessments, some states may have students take  norm-referenced tests as well as  criterion-referenced tests in different grade levels. The most familiar  norm-referenced tests  are those designed to rank students  on a  bell curve The  NAEP  (The National Assessment of Educational Progress)  reports  statistical information about student performance and factors related to educational performance for the nation and for specific demographic groups in the population (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender);The SAT  (Scholastic Aptitude Test and/or  Scholastic Assessment Test);  Scores on the SAT range from 400 to 1600, combining test results from two 800-point sections: mathematics, and critical reading and writing.  The following states  have opted to use the SAT as a high school  exit exam:  Colorado,  Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*, Idaho* (or ACT), Illinois, Maine*, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island*. (*optional)  PSAT/NMSQT  a precursor to the SAT.  The test is composed of four sections: two Math Sections, Critical Reading, and Writing Skills used to determine eligibility and qualification for the  National Merit Scholarship Program.  Students in grades 8-1 0 are the target audience for the PSAT.  The  ACT  (American College Test) is four  content area tests  scored individually on a scale of 1–36, with the composite score as the whole number average. The ACT does have elements of  a criterion-referenced in that it also compares how a student performs compared to ACT College Readiness Standards which are regularly reviewed.  The following states  have opted to use the  ACT  as a high school  exit exam:   Colorado,  Kentucky,  Louisiana,  Mississippi,  Tennessee,  Utah. ACT Aspire  tests map learner progress from elementary grades through high school on a vertical scale which is anchored to the scoring system of the ACT. Challenges to the tradition of norm-referenced testing came with  the expansion of  criterion-referenced tests in 2009 when tests were designed to measure  the impact of the  Common Core State Standards (CCSS).These  criterion-referenced  tests determine how college and career ready a student is in English Language Arts and in mathematics.   While initially embraced by 48 states, the two testing consortiums have the remaining states committed to using their platforms: The  Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers  (PARCC) in the following states  Colorado,  District of Columbia,  Illinois,  Louisiana,  Maryland,  Massachusetts,  New Jersey, New Mexico,  Rhode IslandThe  Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium  (SBAC)  The states that use this  SBAC computer adaptive testing include:  California,  Connecticut,  Delaware,  Hawaii,  Idaho,  Iowa,  Michigan,  Montana,  Nevada, New Hampshire,  North Carolina,  North Dakota,  Oregon,  South Dakota,  U.S. Virgin Islands,  Vermont,  Washington,  West Virginia The College Board  Advanced Placement (AP)  exams  are also criterion referenced. These exams are created by the College Board as  college-level exams in specific content areas.  A high score (5) on the exam may award college credit. At the conclusion of the spring testing season, the results of all these tests are then analyzed by different stakeholders in order determine student progress, possible curriculum revision, and in some states, teacher evaluation. The analysis of these tests can guide the development of a schools educational plan for the following school year. Spring may be the season for testing in the nations middle and high schools, but preparation for an analysis of these tests are a school year long enterprise.