Vocab In Context Questions and Strategies for ACT Reading

Vocab In Context Questions and Strategies for ACT Reading SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips What exactly are vocab in context questions, and what are the best ways to approach answering them? In this article, I'll start by going over the basics of what vocab in context questions are, then segue into an in-depth discussion of each of the two types (complete with examples). Finally, I'll wrap it up by suggesting strategies to use when tackling these types of questions. feature image credit: 7dc_b188407-zuleikha-reading by Wolfgang Lonien used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Cropped from original. What Are Vocab In Context Questions? Vocabulary in context questions are the questions on ACT Reading that question you directly about vocabulary in the context of a paragraph. While having vocab knowledge can help you with other types of questions, for the purposes of this article I've focused on the types of questions where knowing vocabulary is essential to being able to get the right answer. From my reviewing of dozens ofofficial ACT practice tests, I've come to the conclusion that there are two types of ways the ACT Reading will question you on vocabulary: Based on how the word is used in the passage, what does that word mean? How would you sum up the meaning of a few lines or a paragraph, using one word as your answer? Read on for a more in-depth look at each of these types of vocab in context questions. Question Type 1: What’s The Meaning Of The Word In Context? These questions are probably among the most straightforward of all the ACT Reading questions. I like to think of them as asking â€Å"Here’s the word – what’s the definition?† Just because the questions are straightforward doesn’t mean that they can't be tricky, but the way the questions are phrased themselves are pretty simple. In fact, they are almost always asked in the following way: As it is used in line [number], the word [X] most nearly means... Or, to give a concrete example: As it is used in line 42, the word howled most nearly means†¦ Why does the ACT always use the phrase "most nearly," rather than just straight up asking "what does this word mean?" I believe there are two reasons: the phrase is designed to trick you into picking an answer that kind of works (after all, howled only has to NEARLY mean the answer choice, right?) it's the ACT’s way of covering its butt (nope, you can't just pick AN answer that works, you have to pick the BEST answer out of the available choices). Most often, these "Here's the word, what's the definition?" questions are about words that have multiple meanings. Since the ACT wants to trick you into rushing into thinking you know the answer, the test often will include an answer choice that is accurate for SOME definition of the word, just not the way it’s used in the passage. Here’s an example, taken verbatim from an official ACT practice test. Off the top of my head, the word read can be used to mean any of the answers, with the possible exception of choice C. In order to figure out which way read is being used in line 45, you'll have to go back to the passage. The source sentence is as follows: â€Å"Scientists determine an eel’s age using a microscope to read the growth rings of its otolith – a small, hard calcium deposit at the base of its skull.† (lines 44-47; italics mine) So how would you solve this question? First, rephrase the word or phrase in questionto make answering the question easier: â€Å"Scientists figure out how old an eel is using a microscope to look at and decipher the growth rings on the thing.† As you can see, the rephrasing does not have to be super elegant, just accurate. Next, substitute answers into your rephrased sentence – for this question, only â€Å"observe† makes sense (Scientists figure out how old an eel is using a microscope to observe the growth rings on the thing). Want another example? Not a problem! Here’s a trickier example I’ve modified from an ACTual ACT (I could only hold out on that wordplay for so long). Practice Example A: â€Å"The lycanthropic virus story is really nailed down,† says Giles. â€Å"The epicenters that have been mapped over thousands of years are likely the spots where werewolves are concentrated.† As it is used in this line, concentrated most nearly means†¦ (A) extracted (B) paid attention to (C) gathered together (D) directed to one topic If you replaced the word â€Å"concentrated† with any of the answer choices, it COULD make thematic sense. After all, werewolves could be extracted from a place, or be paid attention to (although it seems unlikely that the ACT would have you pick an answer choice that means ending a sentence with a preposition). Also, doesn’t â€Å"concentrated† sometimes have something to do with things being directed to one topic? Danger! Danger! This is all part of the ACT’s Cunning Planâ„ ¢ (NB: not actually trademarked) to trap you! It’s a trap by Mike Knell, used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Cropped from original. Do NOT answer the question based on things that â€Å"could be right,† depending on information you do not know. Imagine you're a cranky English teacher, grading student interpretations of a book read for class. You're not a generous teacher who’s looking for reason to give a student points any way you can because she argued the point. No, you're looking for reasons to mark answers as WRONG. Take that mindset into the ACT Reading with you: Only the answer that is directly supported by the context of the passage is acceptable. In the case of example A above, the answer is (C) gathered together: the centers of the lycanthropic virus infection are likely the spots where werewolves are gathered together. None of the answer choices come even close to fitting into context of this sentence. On occasion, rather than asking about specific words, ACT Reading will instead ask about multiple words, making the question more like "Here's the phrase, what's the meaning?" See example B: Example taken from ACT website. In either case, these questions should be approached in the same way: always, always go back to the line in which the word or phrase appears – don’t let the ACT fool you into answering without checking! Question Type 2: What Word Is Defined By The Passage? These questions ask you to recognize the definition in the passage and relate it to the answer choice that matches it. In contrast to the previous question type of vocab-in-context questions, I think of these as asking â€Å"Here’s the definition, what’s the word?† The ACT has more varied ways of asking these questions than the â€Å"here’s the word, what’s the meaning?† questions. I've listed below just a few examples that I came across in my reviewing of ACT practice tests. Disclaimer: I have edited the questions so that they all refer to the same subject matter; these are not how the questions appeared on the actual ACT. Sample "Here's the definition, what's the word?" questions: Which of the following words best describes the narrator’s father working as he prepares for the full moon? Which of the following best describes how the victim referred to in the fifth paragraph (lines 58-71) is said to have started to transform into a werewolf? Lines 42-53 suggest that, prior to W. Rosenberg’s research, medical researchers had thought of the werewolf as†¦ Halloween Duck: Werewolf Duck by Joshua Smith, used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Cropped from original. Answer to the last question: Apparently as round, yellow, and half-wolf, half†¦duck in a shirt? "What word is defined by the passage?" questions can actually be easier than the "here's the word, what's the definition?" questions. Why? Because since the definitions are in paragraph form, you may be able to gather more information to help answer the question. Here's another actual ACT sample question: Example taken from ACT website. If you know the definition of the word â€Å"discernment,† you have an easy shortcut to the answer: â€Å"The problem with reevaluating and devaluing men poets is that it’s difficult to be sure you have good judgment when you’re doing it. How SHOULD you do it? With caution, or by being cautious.† Even if you don’t know exactly what discernment means, however, the author goes on to explain further in the rest of the paragraph: "The author thinks that taking men poets down a peg too immediately, or quickly, is a problem†¦that means that people who do it should be cautious." Using that clue, you could solve the question, even if you didn'tknow what"discernment" meant. Strategies To Master Vocabulary In Context Questions So what strategies can you use to master these two types of ACT Reading questions? I've put together a 3-step strategy guide below. Strategy 1: Rephrase the information given For questions that ask about words in context, define the word first in your head (or on scrap paper, whichever is easier) in the context of the sentence or paragraph, without looking at the answer choices. Remember, your rephrasing does not have to be elegant as long as it conveys the meaning. For instance, take a look at example C: "She thinks I have a power that she doesn’t have and this brings out her envy and bad humor." In this line, humor most nearly means†¦ My thought process: Let me replace the word with one that keeps the meaning of the sentence. â€Å"She thinks I have a power that she doesn’t have and this brings out her envy and bad state of mind.† Okay, that makes sense and is what the original passage said. For questions that ask you to take a paragraph and choose the best answer that describes it, answer the question in your own words before looking at the answer choices. See example D: My thought process: Question is asking about what researchers thought about the brain. Okay, what does the paragraph say? We need a "new view of the brain" that includes the idea that the brain is "dynamic", "active", and "adaptive," NOT "programmed and static." So medical researchers used to think the brain didn’t change, but now they think it does. Okay, got it, now what're my answer choices? Strategy 2: Cross out answers that clearly don’t fit Sometimes, you can get to the right answer just by knowing what the wrong answers are. This is an especially useful strategy if there's an answer choice with a word that you don't know the meaning of. If you know that the other three answers are definitely wrong, it doesn't matter that you don't know what the meaning of the fourth answer is; by process of elimination, it must the correct choice. Let's take a look at this strategy in the context of example C, from before: My thought process: Choices are personality, whim, mood, and comedy. I rephrased the sentence asâ€Å"She thinks I have a power that she doesn’t have and this brings out her envy and bad state of mind.† Which choice is closest to â€Å"state of mind?† Personality: not really. Whim: No. Mood: yes. Comedy: no. The answer must be C. mood. This strategy still works if you are trying to sum up the meaning of a paragraph in one word. I'll copy and paste example D again, so you don't have to scroll back up: My thought process: The choices are dynamic, unchanging, paradoxical, or creative. My rephrasing of the paragraph was that medical researchers used to think the brain didn’t change, but now they think it does. Which of the choices are closest to meaning "didn't change" or "not changing"? Well, unchanging, obviously. What about the others? Dynamic is what they say the NEW view should be, so no. Paradoxical: there’s nothing about that in the text. Creative: nothing about that in the text. Answer must be B. unchanging. Strategy 3: (Optional) Plug the definition back in This strategy works best for the "here's the word, what's the meaning?" questions, because word-for-word substitutions are a lot simpler than word-to-sum-up-entire-paragraphs-of-information substitutions. Let's take one more look at example C, a "here's the word, what's the meaning?" question: "She thinks I have a power that she doesn’t have and this brings out her envy and bad humor." In this line, humor most nearly means†¦ My thought process: â€Å"She thinks I have a power that she doesn’t have and this brings out her envy and bad mood.† Yeah, that seems right. But I’ll double check: â€Å"She thinks I have a power that she doesn’t have and this brings out her envy and bad personality.† That doesn’t really make sense – why would your personality need to be brought out? No. Especially when â€Å"mood† works better in this sentence. Get Plugged In by Rennett Stowe, used under CC BY 2.0. Whew. Where Do I Go From Here? Are these strategies fine in theory, but you always run out of time on real ACT Reading sections? Discover how to avoid that terrible fate here. Want more in depth guides like this? Read our other guides on Big Picture, Detail, Function, and Inference ACT Reading questions, as well as our deep dive into ACT Reading paired passages. And subscribe to this blog on the upper right. What are the other types of questions you’ll find on the ACT, and what’s the best way to read the passage to answer them? We have strategies for reading passages effectively. Want a breakdown of all the skills you’ll need to excel on the ACT Reading? Read about what's actually tested on ACT Reading. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Reading lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Is Stanford an Ivy League School Is Duke MIT

Is Stanford an Ivy League School Is Duke MIT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Most people have at leastheard of theIvy League, but not everyone knows which schools belong to the venerable group. Is Stanford Ivy League? Is Duke Ivy League? Is MIT Ivy League? In this article, we'll answer these questions and more as we take a look atwhich schools comprise the world-renowned Ivy Leagueand which schools are most often mistaken forIvy League institutions.We'll also explore what being in the Ivy League means for schools and how Ivy League schools compare with those not in the Ivy League in terms ofnational rankings and selectivity. Is Stanford Ivy League? What About Duke and MIT? Contrary to what you might think, none of these schools are in the Ivy League.But thisdoesn't mean that Stanford, Duke, and MIT are not prestigious schools; rather, it simply means they're not affiliated with theIvy League. Confused? Let’s begin by looking at what the Ivy League is and why it was formed. The Ivy League (often called the Ivies) is a consortium of eight private universities based inthe northeast region of the US.Itsmembers are as follows: Brown University Columbia University Cornell University Dartmouth College Harvard University Princeton University University of Pennsylvania Yale University All Ivy League schools are extremely selective and highly ranked- but this wasn’t the initial motivation behind the schools’ unification. The Ivy League (or the â€Å"Ivy Group,† as it was once called) originated as an athletic conference back in the 1950s. Over the years, the phrase has come to be associated with more general notions of prestige, selectivity, and academia due to the esteemed reputations of its members. Essentially, "Ivy League" is nothing more than aname for this particular group of schools- that’s it! While Stanford, Duke, and MIT are all clearly prestigious schools with high national rankings and low selectivity rates comparable to those of Ivy League schools, they are notIvy League schools simplybecause they are not members of the Ivy League. Of course, thisdoesn't stoppeople fromassuming they're Iviesdue to their many similarities! Ultimately, though,no matter how prestigious or competitive a school is, if it’s not one of the eight schools listed above, then it is not an Ivy League school. Even ifa school soundslike it could be an Ivy, that doesn't mean it actually is one! What Schools Are Often Mistaken for Ivy League Schools? Stanford, Duke, and MIT are not the only schools often thought to belong to the Ivy League. Other schools commonly mistaken for those in the Ivy League are those that are: Highly ranked and extremely selective. Ivies are almost always ranked in the top 15 nationally, with acceptance rates below15%. Schools commonly mistaken for Ivies tend to be those with similar rankings and acceptance rates- sometimes despite not even being located in the northeast where the Ivy League is based. Located in or near the northeast. All Ivies are in the northeast, but not all schools in the northeast are Ivies! Highly acclaimed or well-known schools in Massachusetts, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and other nearby states are often mistakenly assumedto belong to the Ivy League. Below is a chart containing all Ivy League schools and those commonly believed to beIvies. I've included each school's location, US News ranking, and acceptance rate so that you can easily compare Ivies with non-Ivies. TheIvy League schools have beenbolded for clarity. School Location US News National Ranking(2019) Acceptance Rate Princeton Princeton, NJ 1 6% Harvard Cambridge, MA 2 5% Columbia New York, NY 3 (tie) 6% MIT Cambridge, MA 3 (tie) 7% University of Chicago Chicago, IL 3 (tie) 7% Yale New Haven, CT 3 (tie) 6% Stanford Stanford, CA 7 4% Duke Durham, NC 8 (tie) 8% UPenn Philadelphia, PA 8 (tie) 8% Johns Hopkins Baltimore, MD 10 (tie) 10% Northwestern Evanston, IL 10 (tie) 8% Caltech Pasadena, CA 12 (tie) 8% Dartmouth Hanover, NH 12 (tie) 9% Brown Providence, RI 14 (tie) 8% Vanderbilt Nashville, TN 14 (tie) 9% Cornell Ithaca, NY 16 (tie) 11% Rice Houston, TX 16 (tie) 16% Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN 18 19% UCLA Los Angeles, CA 19 (tie) 16% Washington University in St Louis St. Louis, MO 19 (tie) 16% Emory Atlanta, GA 21 22% Georgetown Washington, DC 22 (tie) 16% UC Berkeley Berkeley, CA 22 (tie) 17% USC Los Angeles, CA 22 (tie) 16% Carnegie Mellon Pittsburgh, PA 25 (tie) 22% Tufts Medford, MA 27 (tie) 15% University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 27 (tie) 27% NYU New York, NY 30 (tie) 21% Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA 38 (tie) 28% College of William Mary Williamsburg, VA 38 (tie) 37% Boston University Boston, MA 42 (tie) 25% Penn State* University Park, PA 59 (tie) 50% Amherst Amherst, MA 2 (National Liberal Arts Colleges) 13% Vassar Poughkeepsie, NY 11 (tie) (National Liberal Arts Colleges) 24% *This school, though not as selective as the others in this table, is sometimes mistaken for the University of Pennsylvania (also called Penn)- one of the eight Ivy League schools- due to its similar name. As you can see, Ivy League schools generally stick to the top 15 positions of nationally ranked universities, with most of them in the top 10.Additionally, all Ivy League schools are extremely selective; the lowest acceptance rate for an Ivy is just 5% for Harvard, while the highest acceptance rate is 11% for Cornell. This table also indicates thatthere are many schools that are just as good as, if not better than, Ivy League schools- which explainswhy schools such as Stanford and MIT are frequently confused for Ivies. For example, MIT and the University of the Chicago are currently ranked #3, tied with Columbia and Yale and beating out five other Ivies! Similarly, Stanford, Duke, Johns Hopkins, and Northwestern are all ranked fairly highly at #7, #8, #10, and #10, respectively, giving them rankings equal to or higher than Dartmouth, Brown, and Cornell. Stanford (not an Ivy) gets the award for most selective school with a mere 4% acceptance rate.That being said, after Stanford, the most selective schools on this list are all Ivies: Harvard (5%), Princeton (6%), Columbia (6%), and Yale (6%). Lastly,this table shows us thatschools are sometimes mistaken for Ivies due to their beingin the northeast.Examples of such schools include the highly selective Johns Hopkins, Amherst, and Georgetown, in addition to someslightly less selective (but popular and prestigious) schools such as NYU and Boston University. Ivies and non-Ivies are like two different flavors of cookies: they may be different, but they're both equally delicious! Recap: Is Duke Ivy League? Is MIT Ivy League? Stanford, Duke, MIT, and many other well-known universitiesare often mistaken for Ivy League schools due to their superior academic reputations and high selectivity. But in reality, the Ivy League consists of just eight extremely selective schools, which are alllocated in the northeast.Once again, these schools are as follows: Brown University Columbia University Cornell University Dartmouth College Harvard University Princeton University University of Pennsylvania Yale University Although the Ivy League is generally associated with prestige and high rankings, this doesn’t mean non-Ivies can't be as good as or even better than Ivies.Many non-Ivies, such asStanford and the University of Chicago, are actually ranked higher than Ivies and maintain similar (or even lower!) acceptance rates. Ultimately,the Ivy League is just a name for a particular group of schools that just so happen to share strong rankings and low acceptance rates.When it comes down to it, any top-tier school- Ivy or otherwise- is an excellent choice for college! What’s Next? Want to make a great impression on the Ivy League?Learn what a good SAT/ACT score is for the Ivy League, and get tips on what classes you should take in high schoolin order to impress admissions committees. Ready to apply to a top-tier school?Awesome!Now all you need is some step-by-step advice. Check out our in-depth guides on how to get into the Ivy Leagueand how to get into Stanford- both written by admitted applicantsto these schools! Want to stand apart from other applicants?Learnhow to score aperfect 1600 on the SAT, so you can increase your shot at getting into the school of your dreams! Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today!

What is the difference between imperialism and colonialims Essay

What is the difference between imperialism and colonialims - Essay Example These raw materials were then to be crafted into finished products that the colonies must then buy from the home nation. The focus of the home nation under colonialism is settlement and establishment of colonies in areas that provided economic advantages. All they expect from the colonies is a steady flow of raw goods and fixed export markets for those same finished goods. Imperialism is different in that the goal in establishing an empire is political as well as economic. The goal of imperialism is to make other nations or territories conform to an ideology that is supported at the imperial center. In colonialism, the interaction and focus of power is in the colonies. Imperialism involves the conquest of lands on the periphery of the empire, subjugating them to the ideology that emanates from the center of the empire. While colonialism and imperialism both have economic advantages for the home nation or center of power, imperialism gains this advantage through forced conformity to an ideology while colonialism creates this advantage through economic, not political

MUSIC DISCCUSION MORALITY PLAYS THEN AND NOW Term Paper

MUSIC DISCCUSION MORALITY PLAYS THEN AND NOW - Term Paper Example It resulted to the death of the Groom and Leonardo, the Bride’s Lover, who killed each other. Another play is the Tooth of Crime written by Harold Pinter in 1972. It features a ritual battle-to-the-death between what seems to be rock stars but in reality could be professional hit menor cowboys. Modern-day morality stories are still popular with movie-goers and as entertainment for today’s society. For me, they are still popular because of the moral lessons they convey. As human beings, we normally want to learn from the stories we read and movies we watch. Besides, we can recommend the younger generations to watch such plays as long as they are morally-guided. Another reason is that morality stories are usually based on true-to-life situations so we can really learn from them. Although there may be fictional characterizations, still the lessons are not as different as in everyday

Police Influence on Society Essay Example for Free

Police Influence on Society Essay Policing has come along way the In the United States. Resources such has vehicles, radios, and computers have made policing much more efficient. Although policing has advanced, history of policing has had a huge impact on the current relationship between African Americans and police. Tension between African Americans and police existed throughout the history of policing and still exists within policing today. Policing history is divided into the political era, reform era, and community era. The political era and the reform era of policing have influenced the current relationship between African Americans and police (McNamara Burns, 2009). The issues of these policing eras have been the foundation for the issues that continue to exist between police and African Americans in today’s society. During the political area of policing, officers were looking to build a more intimate relationship with the community and politics had a huge impact on police practices and police departments. Law enforcement personnel who supported political leaders were rewarded for their support, this had a huge influence on who worked for the police departments and in what capacity they served (McNamara Burns, 2009). During the political era Black officers were treated differently from white officers and were not allowed to patrol in areas that were predominately white areas. Black officers were assigned to patrol in high crime areas and areas that were predominately minority areas. As a result of this, there was less police focus and protection in areas that were heavily populated by minorities (McNamara Burns, 2009) Although police departments have made huge strides to diversify police departments, discrimination within department still exists. The number of Black police officers in 50 of the largest states has increased by 128% since 1983, however, Black officer are still underrepresented. The Black officers who are given the opportunity to work for police departments still have to deal with overt racism from white officers. They also had to deal with assumptions from others, that they will give Black people a break when caught committing violating the law. Although there are a growing numbers of Black officers on police forces, it is still difficult for Black police officers to attain positions of command (The Criminology and Criminal Justice Collective of Northern Arizona University, 2009). There are laws set in place that afford Black people equal opportunities to work on the police force and not be discriminated against in the workplace, however, this type of discrimination and racism still exists. During the reform era of policing, police relied heavily on technology. The use of vehicles and technology advances enhanced policing, at the same time these advances hurt the relationship between police and communities. Officers no longer interacted with the community like they did while walking beats. During this era, officers focus on crime fighting (McNamara Burns, 2009). The Civil Rights movement caused a series of events that changed policing. During the reform era tension between Blacks and police officers grew as a result of Black protesters being confronted by white male police officers who had little training on how to confront protesters. Officers were in charge of dealing with anti-war and race demonstration, and the lack of African American and minorities in policing cause clashes between officers and Blacks. This played a role in hundreds of riots that occurred between 1966 and 1971. Police were seen as the enemy and faced criticism from every direction (McNamara Burns, 2009). The reform era set the foundation for the current relationship between police and African Americans. This era cause tension between Blacks and the police. Because officers were not properly trained to deal with certain situations, such as protest, they resulted in using violence as a way to control the situation. This perception of police still exists in today’s society within the Black communities. The perception of officer discriminating against Black, being racist, or using excessive force against Black is a frequent topic in today’s society. The Oscar Grant case is a good example of an officer lack of training resulting in the use of excessive force. Oscar Grant was shot by a while Bart police officer. This shooting caused uproar in the community. Many people protested as a result of the shooting. The relationship between police officers and the African American community continues to be distant and filled with tension. The image that African Americans have of police officers as a result of the reform era, has been passed down from generation to generation, by the knowledge of knowing about incidents of the past or just personal perceptions passed down from family and friends (Brunson, n.d.). Although training has been implemented into the training curriculum of officers, there are still officers who react as a result of their own biases and perceptions. And for these reason the relationship between African American and police officers will continue to be filled with tension and distrust. Policing history has had a huge impact on the current relationship between police and African Americans. Advances in technology and allowed policing to evolved into a more effective organization. However, the advancement changed the focus of policing from community relations to crime control. This changed began to create a distance between police and Blacks. As times passed the tension between these two groups continued to grow causing an even greater distance between the two groups that continues in today’s society. References Brunson, R. K. (n.d.). University of Massachusetts Lowell. Retrieved from http://faculty.uml.edu/jbyrne/44.203/police%20dont%20like%20black%20people.pdf McNamara, R., Burns, R. (2009). Multiculturalism in the Criminal Justice System. Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. The Criminology and Criminal Justice Collective of Northern Arizona University, (2009). Investigating Difference: Human and Cultural Relations in Criminal Justice, (2nd ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

jacksonian man of parts :: essays research papers

The recent International Poe conference saw a number of panels and individual presentations dedicated to examining the author’s works in their social and historical contexts, suggesting that contemporary Poe criticism is moving in a cultural direction long overlooked by scholars and critics. With no less than two full panels devoted specifically to issues of race in Poe’s writing, and other papers addressing issues of cultural identity, gender politics, Poe’s relationship to American literary nationalism, and the author’s ties to both antebellum society and Jacksonian democracy, this conference provided overwhelming evidence of a current desire to emplace Poe more specifically within his cultural and historical milieu. In a broader sense, such attention to the historical and cultural dynamics of Poe’s writing suggests increased attention of late to Poe’s own Americanness. This critical trend toward assessing Poe as a distinctly American writ er has, of course, also informed such excellent recent works as Terence Whalen’s Edgar Allan Poe and the Masses (1999) and the essays collected by Shawn Rosenheim and Stephen Rachman in The American Face of Edgar Allan Poe (1995). This paper represents an attempt to further such inquiry into the American â€Å"face† of Poe by examining the ways in which Poe’s unfortunately neglected tale â€Å"The Man that Was Used Up† complicates the author’s position in relation to American racial and national politics. One of Poe’s most biting satirical pieces, this tale raises vexing questions regarding the connections between matters of race, masculinity, and national identity as these concepts were imagined and constructed in Jacksonian America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A minor tale in the canon of Poe’s short fiction, â€Å"The Man That Was Used Up† was first published in the August, 1839 issue of Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine and subsequently revised and published twice more in Poe’s lifetime, first in Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque (1840), and, finally, in the 9 August 1845 issue of the Broadway Journal. In this odd story, which chronicles the compromised stature of a military hero of the Indian Wars, Poe makes what would seem to be one of his most scathing, if indirect, commentaries on contemporary American politics. Specifically, the tale evokes the troubled relationship between the oppressive racial policies of the United States in the Age of Jackson and the burgeoning sense of national purpose and unity embodied in the figure of the robust, heroic, Jacksonian â€Å"self-made man.† Composed at a time when the United States was embroiled in the Second Seminole War (1835-42), am ong the longest and costliest of the Indian Wars, the story positions its central figure, Brevet Brigadier General John A.

Disciplinary Action

Some issues regarding the company’s disciplinary actions towards the employees’ misbehavior has arisen. Usually it is about ethical and legal issues. Some company’s may be too harsh about the decisions and actions towards employee. There are some situations that needed to study well before making actions towards the employee. One of the situations that needed a disciplinary action is when an employee has been consistently missing on staff meetings and an oral warning has already been issued by him. May be the company can give the employee a written warning and give him/her a copy of the documents that will prove his absences on meetings.After the employee received the letter and still did not attend any meetings, the employee should be demoted. Attending staff meetings is part of the job. Not attending the meetings means not doing his work as an employee. Another situation when an employee has a 30% error rate in data entry for a high tech company. The employee s hould know that he/she is working in a high tech company and a 30% error rate in data entry is big enough for the company to have some problems. If the problem is on data entry on sales, a problem might occur on accounting. First, the company should give the employee a written and oral warning.Let the employee be aware of his/her mistakes and then observe if the employee still commits mistakes on the data entry. If after the warning, the error rate still has no improvement, meaning the error rate is not lessen, may be the employee can be transferred to another division. The work may not suit for him. Also, make an investigation if there is a conspiracy behind the error on data entry, the error might be done intentionally. If the employee has been proven to have done the data entry error intentionally and it really affects the company, the company can fire him/her for work.The employee should do his/her work correctly, mistakes may happen but if the mistakes is so high and is being d one continuously, there is a problem with the employee. Additional situation is when an employee is absent from work, on a yearly average, 15% of the time. For this situation, if the absences are still allowed by the company’s policy then there is not much can be done on this situation than to ask the employee to lessen his/her absences and explain to him/her the advantages that he/she and the company will gain if he/she have more time to job. If the absences are not allowed by the company, an oral and written warning can be given.If this kind of behavior continues after the warning, the employee can be demoted for not attending his/her duty well. If an employee has been arrested for drunk driving during off duty, there is not much to say about this because the employee is not working during the incident and whatever the employee does outside working hours is not the company’s business. What the employee has done is a private matter. The most allowable disciplinary act ion that can be made is by talking to the employee; tell that the company has heard the incident during his off duty.The company may also remind the employee in a nice tone and manner that what he/she has done might have an effect on the company and ask him to be careful next time and avoid driving while drunk. Approach the employee as in a way that the company is caring for he employee. That way the employee might not be offended for the company’s action towards the incident because he/she might feel that the company is just caring for his/her safety. The company should study each employee’s misconducts before giving them some disciplinary actions. Let the employee know their mistakes first and then observe if there are changes on their behaviors.

Education Industry in China Essay

In Chinese education industry, China is playing a role of follower when comparing with most of the western countries. Although the increasing speed is very fast, there is still a long distance. Studying abroad is the most popular way for Chinese to have a higher education. However, large sums of families are not able to afford such high tuition fee and living cost for their children being abroad. As a result of it, online courses and distance education tend to be developed as a substitute product. Some of the universities have already opened distance education towards public. Besides that, there are more and more videos of open classes which are given by famous professors who had been posted online. The internet provides people a wider channel which is more convenient and covers a huge amount of education resources. To be educated through internet is becoming a mainstream of education industry in the future. The pie chart above shows that 10.22% of newly-added application is education related. It is only 6% behind game segment in the second place. The online education segment grew more than 20.7% only in one year in 2007 from 14.5 billion CNY to RMB17.5 billion CNY. China had about 12.2 million people using online education 5 years ago. (Global, 2010) The total number of computer and portable devices users are more than 550 million at the end of 2012. It has surpassed the entire population of US. Information technology has become a invisible engine of education industry both in private sectors and public educations. Social A Blue Book of global talent (South China Global Talent Insititute, 2013) was released in last September. It reported that there were accumulated 2.2 million students who are studied abroad in last 25 years. The amount of oversea students reached a record high which is more than 400 thousands in 2012. China becomes the biggest oversea students exporting country. 90% of those students pay at their own expenses instead of government funded. The Blue Book indicates that since 21st century more than 60% of oversea students are studying or studied in America and Europe. Italy, the Netherland, Korean, Spain are new hot spots which attracting Chinese students. Through the economic growth, to be educated abroad is no longer rare. The increasing mid-class families are willing to afford expensive cost on education for the next generation. Based upon the background of globalization, internalization is one of the most important issues for ambitious Chinese entrepreneurs. As a result of it, the society has a demand on people who have international study background gradually. English has become one of the most recruitment criteria for most of the big companies and state owned corporations. For some branch of multinational companies, English has replaced mandarin as a working language. Graduates of regular higher education since 2000 (in ten thousands) (Yongchun, 2013) There are 6.9 million graduates in 2013. (Yongchun, 2013) It is the record highest year since the establishment of the nation. Additionally, the economy growth is slowing down since the 2008 global crisis. The job vacancies are limit and the demand for graduate is decreasing. The employment situation is extremely grim. As a consequence, the depreciation of bachelor diploma becomes an inevitable truth. Some of students choose to continuing study master program or studying abroad.

Founding brothers - 3 most significant individuals essays

Founding brothers - 3 most significant individuals essays In the incredibly insightful novel, Founding Brothers, Joseph J. Ellis recounts the sometimes collaborative, sometimes archly antagonistic interactions between the leading men of the founding generation. By closely examining the private characters behind their public personas, the author provides the reader with a deeper understanding of the actions and motives of these "greatly gifted but deeply flawed" individuals. Although each of the founding brothers were tremendously devoted to the creation of the American Republic, three individuals emerge as the most significant contributorsGeorge Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams. Undoubtedly, George Washington was an extremely, if not most, important individual of the founding generation. Having served as the general of the Continental Army and the first president of the United States, Washington has proven to be the only truly indispensable figure of America. Ellis refers to Washington as "the supreme Founding Father " and "the closest approximation to a self-evident truth in American politics...A legend in his own time, Americans had been describing Washington as 'the Father of the Country' since 1776which is to say, before there even was a country." Second is Benjamin Franklin, whose many contributions to the cause of the American Revolution, and the newly formed federal government that followed, rank him among the country's greatest statesmen. Franklin made various advancements in science and served his country notably with his great skills in diplomacy, among many other things. Furthermore, Franklin's attempt to force Congress to confront the issue of slavery was, in retrospect, a most significant action in that, if he had succeeded, the Civil War would probably have taken a less detrimental course of events. Ellis speaks justly when he states that, "Indeed, if there were an American pantheon, only Washington would have had a more secure place in it than ...

Job Opportunities for Teaching English Abroad

Job Opportunities for Teaching English Abroad Over the past few decades teaching English abroad has become a career choice for many native English speakers. Teaching English abroad offers an opportunity to not only see the world but to also get to know local cultures and customs. As with any profession, teaching English abroad can be rewarding if approached in the right spirit and with your eyes open. Training Teaching English abroad is open to almost anybody who has a bachelors degree. If you are interested in teaching English abroad to broaden the horizons, theres really no need to worry about getting a masters degree in ESOL, TESOL. However, it is important to acquire a TEFL or CELTA certificate when teaching English abroad. The providers of these certificates usually offer a basic month long course that teaches you the ropes of teaching English abroad. There are also online certificates to prepare you for teaching English abroad. If you are interested in an online course, you can take a quick look at my review of i-to-i aimed at those interested in teaching English abroad. However, many people in the profession feel that the online certificates are not nearly as valuable as certificates taught on site. Personally, I think there are valid arguments that can be made for both types of courses. Finally, one important aspect is that many of these certificate providers also offer help in job placement. This can be a very important factor when deciding which course is right for you in your efforts to begin teaching English abroad. For more information on certificates necessary for teaching English abroad you can refer to these resources on this site: Getting a Teaching Certificate  - TESOL Teacher CertificationESL Teacher Training and Certification ResourcesGetting Qualified as an ESL Teacher Job Opportunities Once you have received a teaching certificate you can begin teaching English abroad in a number of countries. Its best to take a look at some of the more important job boards to check out the opportunities. As you will quickly find out, teaching English abroad doesnt always pay very well, but there are a number of positions that will help out with housing and transport. Make sure to check out these ESL / EFL job board sites when you start applying for teaching English abroad. Before you begin looking for a job, its a good idea to take a while to understand your own priorities and expectations. Use this advice on teaching English abroad article to help you get started. TEFL.com - Probably the site with the most jobs posted. ESL Employment - Another fantastic resource. Europe Teaching English abroad requires different documentation for different countries. For example, if you are interested in teaching English abroad in Europe, its very difficult to get a working permit if you are not a citizen of the European Union. Of course, if you are an American interested in teaching English abroad and are married to a European Union member, thats not a problem. If you are from the UK and interested in teaching English abroad on the continent - its no problem at all. Asia Teaching English abroad in Asia generally, offers many more opportunities to US citizens because of high demand. There are also a number of job placement agencies that will help you find work in teaching English abroad in Asia. As always, there are some horror stories out there, so beware and make sure to find a reputable agent. Canada, UK, Australia and the USA Its been my experience that the United States offers the fewest job opportunities of any of the native English speaking countries. That might be because of difficult visa restrictions. In any case, if you are teaching English abroad in a native English speaking country, youll find opportunities abound for special summer courses. As always, rates arent usually that high, and in some cases teaching English abroad also means being responsible for a certain number of student activities such as field trips and various sporting activities. Teaching English Abroad Long Term If you are interested in teaching English abroad for more than just the short term, you should consider further training. In Europe, the TESOL diploma and Cambridge DELTA diploma are popular options to deepen your teaching expertise. If you are interested in teaching English abroad at a university level, a masters degree in ESOL is certainly advisable. Finally, one of the best long-term opportunities for teaching English abroad is in English for Specific Purposes. This is often known as business English. These jobs are often on-site in various workplaces and often offer better pay. They are also much harder to find. While teaching English abroad, you may want to move in this direction if you are interested in teaching English abroad as a career choice.

Environmental Issues that Impact the Western United States Research Paper - 1

Environmental Issues that Impact the Western United States - Research Paper Example The fertilizers, chemicals and pesticides used to improve the agricultural yields, are polluting the soil and water. The Western United States is a region which is facing big environmental problems as a result of visionless industrial and agricultural policies. This paper briefly analyses the environmental problems of Western America and provides some recommendations to overcome it. Mining is one of the major activities which cause severe environmental problems in Western America. Mining started in America in the nineteenth century and western America is a region which is blessed with precious metals like gold and minerals. The gold rush in the nineteenth century resulted in the construction of rail, roads and other transportation means and many of the natural forests were destroyed. Some of the cities like Denver and Sacramento evolved as mining towns during this period. Contamination of soil and water, erosion, destruction of biodiversity etc were the outcomes of gold rush or mining. Mining is a process which requires the use of a lot of chemicals to purify the metals and minerals mined out of the soil. These chemicals often pollute the soil and water. A scoping study conducted by the Western Governors Association Mine Waste Task Force (1) collected the following statistics on inactive and abandoned mines (IAMs) by state: Arizona -- 80,000 IAM sites covering 136,653 acres, pollution 200 miles of surface waterways. California -- 2,484 IAM sites, 1,685 mine openings, and 578 miles of polluted streams. Colorado -- 20,299 mine openings and 1,298 miles of affected streams. Idaho -- 27,543 acres affected by IAMs. Missouri -- 7,655 IAM sites covering 48,175 acres, with 109 miles of affected streams. Montana -- 20,000 IAM sites covering 153,800 acres, with 1,118 miles of stream damage. New Mexico -- 25,320 acres and 69 miles of stream affected by IAMs.  Oklahoma -- 26,453 acres affected by IAMs. Utah -- 25,020 acres affected by IAMs, with 83 miles of polluted streams.  

Data Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Data Analysis - Essay Example The mean and standard deviation of the five sample data are 192.4 and 39.9554 respectively. From the sample data, the highest weight is 25o while the least weight is 140 hence resulting to a range of 110. The data is positively skewed with the figure standing at 0.311. Unlike in the box and whisker plot above, the graph above does not show a normal curve. There exists some outliers in the data hence the no normal distribution. The curve starts in a normal shape, deeps a bit then resumes to normal distribution. The whisker plot and the curve are different hence the data does not follow the Empirical Rule. In statistics the accuracy of the results is positively correlated to the number of the data variables. This explains the difference in mean and SD for the population and the sample variables. The population mean for the entire team is 214.3 pounds and population standard deviation for the entire team is 44.6 pounds. On the other hand, the sample mean and standard deviation are 192.4 and 39.9554 respectively. There is a big difference in terms of the statistics because of the difference in the number of data. In a nutshell; using the sample data the average weight of a football player is 192.4, while using the population data the average weight is 214.3. This gives 21.9 differences in mean. This is a very significant figure that cannot be assumed hence the sample statistics do not fairly represent the population parameters. The whisker plot and the normal curve both shows similar results in terms of mean and standard deviation. However, in terms of normal distribution these two analysis tools differ with whisker plots showing a normal distribution while the curve shows the opposite. In conclusion; the sample statistics does not give a good representation of the total population hence to ensure accurate measurement of the team’s weight then the number of data should be increased or the whole population data should be