Water Quality

Water Quality Coagulation and Flocculation These are the initial procedures during treatment of water. Chemical substances possessing a positive charge are added to water in this compartment. The positive charge neutralizes the negative charge from dirt leading to the formation of huge fragments known as floc.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Water Quality specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Sedimentation Floc is heavier than other particles present in water. Therefore, this process allows floc to remain at the base of the tank. Filtration After the sedimentation process, the transparent water at the top of the tank moves across filters consisting of assorted components such as sand, charcoal or gravel. These components have different pore sizes that facilitate the removal of dissolved particles such as dust, microorganisms, and chemicals. Disinfection Disinfectants such as chlorine are then added to the filtered water in the disinfec tion compartment to eliminate any remaining contaminant. The chemicals also safeguard the water from germs during storage and transportation to homes. Storage Clean water is then stored in reservoir tanks from where it is piped to consumers. In the U.S.A., chlorine is generally preferred as a disinfectant over ozone because it has a residual. The presence of a residual is important because it shows that water contains an adequate quantity of chlorine to kill all microorganisms. It also provides defense against recontamination in the course of storage. The existence of free residual in treated water is associated with the absence of harmful microorganisms. Consequently, it is an important factor that gauges the potability of water.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In recent years, ozone has been replacing chlorine as the primary disinfectant in the U.S.A. One key a dvantage of using ozone to treat water is that there are few byproducts released into the water from the process. The release of many byproducts into treated water usually puts such water at risk. During chlorination of water, additional steps are usually required to get rid of these byproducts. However, ozone treatment of water evades these additional procedures. One other benefit of ozone water purification is that there are no added chemicals that interfere with the natural taste of water. Therefore, the resultant water does not have the characteristic taste of chlorine. However, ozone treatment of water also has disadvantages. It is thought that this procedure releases little quantities of bromate, which is thought to be a carcinogen. In addition, ozone treatment does not offer any residual effect. Therefore, any harmful organism that endures the oxidation procedure evades the entire treatment process.

How to Improve Vocabulary Acquisition

How to Improve Vocabulary Acquisition The process of learning the words of a language  is referred to as vocabulary acquisition.  As discussed below, the ways in which young children acquire the vocabulary of a native language differ from the ways in which older children and adults acquire the vocabulary of a second language.   Means of Language Acquisition Language AcquisitionActive Vocabulary and Passive VocabularyAnnotationContext CluesEnglish as a Second Language (ESL)Lexical CompetenceLexiconListening and SpeechOvergeneralizationPoverty of the StimulusReading and WritingWorld Knowledge The Rate of New-Word Learning in Children ​[T]he rate of new-word learning is not constant but ever increasing. Thus between the ages of 1 and 2 years, most children will learn less than one word a day (Fenson et al., 1994), whilst a 17-year-old will learn about 10,000 new words per year, mostly from reading (Nagy and Herman, 1987). The theoretical implication is that there is no need to posit a qualitative change in learning or a specialized word-learning system to account for the remarkable rate at which young children learn words; one could even argue that, given the number of new words to which they are exposed daily, infants word learning is remarkably slow. (Ben Ambridge and Elena V. M. Lieven, Child Language Acquisition: Contrasting Theoretical Approaches. Cambridge University Press, 2011) The Vocabulary Spurt ​At some point, most children manifest a vocabulary spurt, where the rate of acquisition of new words increases suddenly and markedly. From then until about six years old, the average rate of acquisition is estimated to be five or more words a day. Many of the new words are verbs and adjectives, which gradually come to assume a larger proportion of the childs vocabulary. The vocabulary acquired during this period partly reflects frequency and relevance to the childs environment. Basic level terms are acquired first (DOG before ANIMAL or SPANIEL), possibly reflecting a bias towards such terms in child-directed speech. . .Children appear to need minimal exposure to a new word form (sometimes just a single occurrence) before they assign some kind of meaning to it; this process of rapid mapping appears to help them to consolidate the form in their memory. In the early states, mapping is exclusively from form to meaning; but it later also takes place from meaning to form, as childr en coin words to fill gaps in their vocabulary (spooning my coffee; cookerman for a chef). (John Field, Psycholinguistics: The Key Concepts. Routledge, 2004) Teaching and Learning Vocabulary ​If vocabulary acquisition is largely sequential in nature, it would appear possible to identify that sequence and to ensure that children at a given vocabulary level have an opportunity to encounter words they are likely to be learning next, within a context that uses the majority of the words that they have already learned. (Andrew Biemiller, Teaching Vocabulary: Early, Direct, and Sequential. Essential Readings on Vocabulary Instruction, ed. by Michael F. Graves. International Reading Association, 2009)Although additional research is sorely needed, research points us in the direction of natural interactions as the source of vocabulary learning. Whether through free play between peers . . . or an adult introducing literacy terms (e.g., sentence, word), as children engage in play with literacy tools, the likelihood that vocabulary will stick is heightened when childrens engagement and motivation for learning new words is high. Embedding new words in activities that children w ant to do recreates the conditions by which vocabulary learning takes place in the crib. (Justin Harris, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Lessons From the Crib to the Classroom: How Children Really Learn Vocabulary. Handbook of Early Literacy Research, Volume 3, ed. by Susan B. Neuman and David K. Dickinson. Guilford Press, 2011) Second-Language Learners and Vocabulary Acquisition The mechanics of vocabulary learning are still something of a mystery, but one thing we can be sure of is that words are not instantaneously acquired, at least not for adult second language learners. Rather, they are gradually learned over a period of time from numerous exposures. This incremental nature of  vocabulary acquisition  manifests itself in a number of ways. . . . Being able to understand a word is known as  receptive knowledge  and is normally connected with listening and reading. If we are able to produce a word of our own accord when speaking or writing, then that is considered  productive knowledge  (passive/active  are alternative terms). . . .[F]raming mastery of a word only in terms of receptive versus productive knowledge is far too crude. . . . Nation (1990, p.31) proposes the following list of the different kinds of knowledge that a person must master in order to know a word. - the meaning(s) of the word- the written form of the word- the spoken form of the word- the grammatical behavior of the word- the collocations of the word- the register of the word- the associations of the word- the frequency of the word These are known as types of word knowledge, and most or all of them are necessary to be able to use a word in the wide variety of language situations one comes across. (Norbert Schmitt,  Vocabulary in Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press, 2000)Several of our own studies . . . have explored the use of annotations in second-language multimedia environments for reading and listening comprehension. These studies investigated how the availability of visual and verbal annotations for vocabulary items in the text facilitates vocabulary acquisition as well as the comprehension of a foreign language literary text. We found that especially the availability of picture annotations facilitated vocabulary acquisition, and that vocabulary words learned with picture annotations were better retained than those learned with textual annotations (Chun Plass, 1996a). Our research showed in addition that incidental vocabulary acquisition and text comprehension was best for words where learners looked up both picture and text annotations (Plass et al., 1998). (Jan L. Plass and Linda C. Jones, Multimedia Learning in Second Language Acquisition. The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning, ed. by Richard E. Mayer. Cambridge University Press, 2005) There is a quantitative and qualitative dimension to vocabulary acquisition. On the one hand we can ask How many words do learners know? while on the other we can enquire What do the learners know about the words they know? Curtis (1987) refers to this important distinction as the breadth and depth of a persons lexicon. The focus of much vocabulary research has been on breadth, possibly because this is easier to measure. Arguably, however, it is more important to investigate how learners knowledge of words they already partly know gradually deepens. (Rod Ellis, Factors in the Incidental Acquisition of Second Language Vocabulary From Oral Input. Learning a Second Language Through Interaction, ed. by Rod Ellis. John Benjamins, 1999)

Malaria among pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa Essay

Malaria among pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa - Essay Example (UNICEF and WHO 2004, 2-3). Given these harmful effects of LBW to children’s survival LBW then puts humanity and society’s future in peril. This danger doubles with the interaction of malaria and HIV, as researches (Steketee et al. 1996, Parise et al. 1998, Verhoeff et al. 1999, and van Eijk 2001) indicate that â€Å"pregnant women infected with HIV demonstrate more frequent and higher density parasitemia than pregnant women not infected with HIV† (cited in Ayisi et al. 2004, 643). Both diseases are found prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa (Global HIV/AIDS epidemic update 2001) thus, the deadly co-infection of HIV and malaria in pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa is common in many of its areas. The effect of the interaction of malaria and HIV specifically in pregnant women is most visible in malaria-endemic areas and in areas with generalized HIV. Since sub-Saharan Africa suffers a high burden of both diseases, co-infection is common in its many areas – among its countries most severely affected are Central African Republic, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is estimated that at least there are about 440, 000 women in sub-Saharan Africa infected with malaria during pregnancy due to HIV, as HIV infection weakens pregnant women’s immunity to P. falciparum infection (WHO 2004, 5-6; Ayisi et. Al. 2004, 643) – the most deadly among the four main parasites causing human malaria; the most common malaria parasite in sub-Saharan Africa, to which the extremely high malaria-related mortality in this region is attributed (Greenwood 1999, 617); and more common in pregnant than non-pregnant women that causes both prematurity gestation of less than 37 weeks and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) (Guyatt and Snow 2004, 760). Studies (Ayisi et al. 2003, cited in Gender and Health 2007; Ayisi et al. 2004; ter Kuile et al. 2004)

Research Methodologies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Research Methodologies - Assignment Example des the people who are categorized in elderly group, the increasing and widening gap, the people with disabilities and also dismantling the welfare of the public sector. The main purpose and aim of the study is to determine the organizational development of the human services in the multicultural organizational development and also determining the barriers or the obstacles towards the successful change in the organizational development. In the research paper it highlights and focuses that racial and color biasness is the main problem and obstacle that is faced in the organizations because the organizations generally prefer to hire and provide the position of the management to the people who have fair and good complexion which is creating a racial discrimination in the organization and it has been observed through an qualitative survey and study and the research was conducted in the metropolitan area of England (Gummerson, 2000). The process that is included in the above figure assist and helps the organization in overcoming the barrier in the organizational development and this framework can be adopted for integrating the cultural variety in the organizations. The literature review of the article on multicultural development in the human services have emphasized and focused on the various aspects such as the socio political environment which explains that the organizations mainly faces the threat and the problems from the unstable economy and the broader environment and the barrier towards the multicultural development in the sociopolitical environment are privatization, downsizing and fiscal cutbacks that is mainly dominated and surpassed the human services, the other challenge that is faced towards the organizational development is the issues or the problems that is related to the workload and in this perspective it has been observed that the weak leadership is considered as the main reason for the failure for the promotion in the multicultural work

Southwest Airlines Co. †2007 Essay Example for Free

Southwest Airlines Co. – 2007 Essay Southwest Airlines Co. – 2007 Case Analysis On the brink of airlines’ market share battlefield, many of the companies failed to launch new strategies and price controls because of fuel prices, market requirements and safety issues. Along with the history of low price policy that Southwest Airlines started to implement decades ago, the recent challenges and soaring competitive behaviors made that company pass huge obstacles. Southwest Airlines manifested the new growth in Texas air carrier businesses and located itself on the top of carriers’ prime ranking (Southwest Airlines). In this case the concept will be depicted and insights made on that topic. This will be done by starting with the organizational structure of that corporation and classifying many aspects of the entire growth and the difficulties of Southwest ending up with chartings and contribution graphics of company’s activities done last years. By analyzing all the consequences and in-depth research of the financial, hierarchical and structural management of Southwest Airlines, many decisional revelations will be discovered and exposed thoroughly. Theoretically, all the targeted issues that could evolve all the strategic workouts of that company cannot bypass the key solutions without highlighted marks. Southwest Airlines should be more decentralized organization Nowadays, all companies are taking a strategic view on whether or not to decentralize or centralize, and which system is more eligible for them. Centralization of organization is the strategy of assigning and transferring decision-making authority and ability to higher levels. On the contrary, decentralization is the transferring of the latter to the lower levels (Adampieniazek). The first challenge started by an air carrier’s investment adviser, Rollin King, who firmly offered the flight between three big metropolis cities in Texas. Rollin King convinced the organization’s supreme board that by achieving this goal of consequent enlargement of flights in different cities by low-flight-fare strategy, Southwest Airlines can compete against the giant air carriers. Considering that his position was not high enough for typical centralized â€Å"bureaucratic† organization, the decision-making allowance and admittance by the board can be pledged to be in a decentralized shape. In this occasion, launching the new flights took start and year by year increased Southwest’s revenues, opening the broad business opportunity emerged new challenges with other air giants. King’s foreseen assumptions and predictions over the future were profitable to the company his assumptions helped the financial statements annually. The company has had a team spirit approach accumulated throughout the years. The reason for this is the company believes that employees are first, not the customers. Their high efficient labor is objectively being evaluated and participation in decision-making is important. By halting the renovation processes of its headquarter building and delaying to buy new aircrafts Southwest kept all its employees including all benefits, and salaries. From an ethical point of view, the company’s management obtained a huge reputation and respect by its employees and labor organizations. Despite the 20 percent job loss since 2001 in U. S. Airline industry, Southwest kept employing 32,000 employees during any type of difficulties occurred during last couple of years. Making an effort to satisfy customers with low-cost, high efficient and fair quality is one of the Southwest’s main aims. Meanwhile, the have to bear all competitors’ market games and dumping. As a result, air carrier takes care of its precious quantity portion of customers: both permanently and temporarily. Core values and mission statement A mission statement is a statement of main core values, purposes, responsibilities of the organizations. Mission statement, is also an opportunity to characterize the company: who the company is, what the company does, what is it stands for, and why they are doing it. For the company, core values are the values which inform the company on how to reward, guide in making decisions and business processes, as well as, mission statement clarify who the company. They also help to explain why the companies do business the way they do (Southwest Airlines). Expressing the mission statement of Southwest Airlines can preliminarily clarify this company’s mission outlined showoff. The company is aimed to offer their workers a progressive environment in their work with satisfactory prospect for experiencing and growth. Adding to that, innovation and creativity are encompassed for empowering the efficiency of the company. All workers are assured to be treated with the same respect, attitude and concern inside the company. Southwest protected its entire internal strategy in a consecutive order. By keeping almost all the operations aboard despite both company-wide and market-wide financial turndown, Southwest Airlines guaranteed its service enlargement mission for future, even though annual income decreased from 548 mn to 499 mn as of years 2005 and 2006. By handling overall services, Southwest Airlines broadened its operations; accompanying other cities of different states, they derive new goals from their general missions periodically and expand their travelers annually. Continuous enhancements in customer service and relations are always a prime goal of Southwest that is seen in their mission statement (Southwest Airlines). Propose and organizational chart The company gives authority to employees to participate in decision-making. So it turns on that Southwest Airlines is far from centralized structure. Centralized structure is the bureaucratic and all the strategic and organizational issues are solved on the top rank. Therefore, decentralized structured organization then the most befitting organization chart. On the top of the hierarchy is the CEO of Southwest Airlines Gary Kelly. From the hierarchical point of view, Southwest as an organization divided all duties proportionately, from tip to toe, starting from CEO, subordinates, and employees. Considering its decentralized hierarchy, the CEO has two levels of dependants. Inflight and Provisioning Manager controls and maintains all flights, both departures and arrivals from and to the airports. All the law issues, statements, updates and upcoming public affairs are the prime duty of Law, Airports, and Public Affairs Manager. Including both Public Relations and Community Affairs, Customer Relations and Rapid Rewards are subdivisions of Corporate Communications Deputy Management. The Strategy and Planning Department is responsible for all the future strategies, major corporate planning decisions and projects. Vice President of General Counsel is head lawyer of the Southwest Airlines. Purchasing (spare parts, air catering, disposal, airplanes etc. ) department is the main branch of Strategy Planning Department. Recommended Solutions Gradually, keeping its position of low-priced and reliable partner, Southwest Airlines can not only dominate in major cities but it can also expand its target market. For this purpose the company should undock its low-priced policy and revise its state-wide flights. The historical motto of this air carrier is the strategy which is mentioned above. Basically, locating these criteria on board and step-by-step implementing innovative methods for current air carriers’ principals can commonly guarantee its rising reputation and revenues. If company ignores the optimal structured organizational chart then the another option can only be centralized, which does not offer bright perspectives for during the future of the company, as well as, its difficult times, especially when multiple decisions needed. In conclusion, Southwest Airlines, during this economically tied situation, can handle all the financial and corporate difficulties. Southwest Airlines can also hold almost all of its employees in the company and deliver the vital principle throughout its short history. After making thorough research about both the structural and organizational values of the company, it should be mentioned that after a long trail of on-market activities Southwest proved itself both financially and organizationally.

Opera Essay -- essays research papers fc

Imagine you are in a darkened theater and on stage are the actors. Behind the actors you can see the scenery. Down in front of the stage, in what is called the pit, is an orchestra and a conductor. As the orchestra plays, the actors on stage do not speak their lines they sing them! Opera is the combination of drama and music. Like drama, opera embraces the entire spectrum of theatrical elements: dialogue, acting, costumes, scenery and action, but it is the sum of all these elements, combined with music, which defines the art form called opera. Operatic dramas are usually serious, but there are several comic operas and funny scenes in tragic operas. The music is usually complicated and difficult to sing well. Only the most skillful singers can handle it. The cast is usually made up of main characters (the soloists) and a chorus (a group of singers who act as a crowd of people involved in the action of the plot). Some operas have scenes in which dancing is performed by a small ballet group. Operas usually begin with an overture - an introduction played by the orchestra alone. Once the curtain goes up, the soloists and chorus sing throughout most of the drama. Arias (songs sung by soloists) are the important points in an opera. In an aria, a character sings about his or her feelings and thoughts, or about what he or she is going to do. Between arias, the soloists may sing back and fourth to each other in a kind of musical discussion called recitatives. Besides singing arias, soloists often join together to sing duets, trios, quartets, quintets, or sextets at various points in the opera. The chorus usually has several songs to sing, either alone or with the soloists. The music follows the action and mood of the plot. Operas are usually performed in special buildings called opera houses. A choreographer creates the dances, and the chorus master rehearses the singers. The conductor leads the entire opera performance from his or her place in the pit. The soloists, chorus members and the dancers follow the directions of the conductor. The ancient Greeks blended drama and music, but opera as we know it today developed in Italy in the late 1500s. At first, the music was used mainly for background. However, by the end of the century, the drama and the music were equally important. The opera innovation inspired some of the biggest composers known today. In France, Je... ...); and Puccini’s Madame Butterfly (1904); to list just a few. Famous recording opera stars include Enrico Caruso, Maria Callas, Dame Joan Sutherland, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Plà ¡cido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, and Josà © Carreras. During the 400-year history of modern opera, there have been many improvements in the art of music drama. Throughout its history opera has exerted great influence on other forms of music. The symphony, for example, began as an instrumental introduction to 18th-century Italian opera. The cadenzas of violin and piano concertos emerged, in large part, from an attempt to replicate some of opera's vocal intensity. Opera will continue to be a dynamic art form. Bibliography Boynick, Matt. â€Å"Richard Wagner -List of Works by Genre and Title.†Richard Wagner. 1996 Feb. 1. http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/wagner.html Buckman, Jan H. J.S. â€Å"George Frederic Handel.† Handel Homepage. 2005 Jan. http://www.let.rug.nl/Linguistics/diversen/handel/map.html Kamien, Roger. Music: An Appreciation. New York, NY: 2004 Okuda, Michael, and Denise Okuda. Greatest Composers. New York: Pocket, 1993. Sturgeon, Theodore. "Opera." The Encyclopedia Americana. International ed. 1995.

Montessori Language Rationale Essay

Language, simply put, is a system of symbols with an agreed upon meaning that is shared within a group of individuals. Maria Montessori understood that children have to learn language, that it is not inborn. She also understood the adolescent mind has a long sensitive period for language. Because language is deeply connected to the process of thinking, the child will need to be spoken to and listened to often. Each child learns language at their own rate and pace. There can be different factors, such as a child learning multiple languages at once. Most often, with little effort, the child will be able to learn oral language by being in an environment that fosters conversation. Early on, toddlers will begin to make intentional sounds, â€Å"At one year of age the child says his first intentional word†¦his babbling has a purpose, and this intention is a proof of conscious intelligence†¦He becomes ever more aware that language refers to his surroundings, and his wish to master it consciously becomes also greater†¦.Subconsciously and unaided, he strains himself to learn, and this effort makes his success all the more astonishing.† (The Absorbent Mind, p. 111) Most children by the age of two will have a rapid growth in language comprehension. Towards the end of the second year the child is able to combine two or more words into basic sentences, â€Å"Every child†¦bur sts out with a number of words all perfectly pronounced. And all this occurs at the end of the second year of his life.† (The Absorbent Mind, p. 103) The directress plays the most important role by giving objects labels within the environment. It is essential that all language be given to a child within a context. The child needs to know the names, labels, and the meaning of things in the environment in order for them to have relevancy, â€Å"At about a year and a half, the child discovers another fact, and that is that each thing has its own name.† (The Absorbent Mind, p.113) This allows the child to see and understand the greater picture of things and gives things meaning. Once the greater picture is achieved, it can then be broken down into smaller details. The Montessori language materials isolate elements of language and offer  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœportals’ for the children in the exploration of language. Maria crafted the materials to be presented to the child in the same manner in which they learn oral language, starting with nouns, articles, adverbs, etc. After a new concept is presented to the child, there should always be a return to the original environmental language using storytelling, poetry, storybooks and everyday speech. This allows the child to clearly see how the new concept is applied, with context, in our world. The Montessori preliminary language exercises give the child the vocabulary for objects in the immediate environment. Three part cards with appropriate terminology are a wonderful material to introduce new vocabulary for nouns. Sandpaper letters are a great tool to introduce the child to the sounds of alphabet. Puzzles may also be placed on the shelf, for they indirectly teach the left to right reading style. By the time the absorbent mind of the child has reached the age of six, they will come to understand that the sounds and words have meaning and that these symbols can be used in writing.  The Montessori curriculum helps the child develop writing skills through many materials. Tracing the sandpaper letters, working with the movable alphabet, metal insets, as well as using the sand tray, all help teach letter formation. A silent helper in the Montessori classroom is the practical life area. In the practical life area, you will find many jobs that indirectly teach proper pincer g rip for holding a pencil. Introduction to reading comes through phonetic reading boxes. The reading boxes are cleverly organized, going from simple to the complex. Reading does not follow the same process of writing, which is taking our own thoughts and symbolizing. When we read, it is not our language with which we are working with, it is the author’s language. Reading is the analysis of the language followed by a synthesis. Story telling and socio-dramatic play in the environment can help the child develop an imagination that fosters a higher capability to understand what is being read to them. The Montessori language program is like no other. With a prepared Montessori environment, the child can flourish in orally, in their handwriting, and  lastly in their reading.

A Lady with the Little Dog Essay

1.â€Å"The lady with the little dog â€Å"- Analyzing literature questions 1. Gurov’s character represents as a man who dislikes the company of man of his age. He finds their company uninterested and boring. In addition, he finds his wife to be unintelligent, narrow, and inelegant and he did not like to stay home at all and had been unfaithful to his wife as well. He also refers to woman’s race in a â€Å"the lower race. † Nevertheless, he seems to enjoy the company of women, which only associates with women. He believes, with woman’s company he finds himself free, knows exactly what to say and how to behave with them. He also believes that he has a charm, which attracts women to attract towards him. His character starts to develop when he chats with other women’s and there he finds Anna and starts talking to her. The main contribution to the development of Gurov’s character is caused through Anna. For most of the reason, because, he finds Anna attractive and Since, the day they both had a conversation, from that time, Gurov starts indulging himself to her even more. Later, he starts insisting her to meet every day. 2. The narrator describes Gurov’s wife as a tall, erect woman with dark eyebrows, staid and dignified and she says ‘intellectual to herself’. It can easily be notified that Gurov’s wife does not give that much effort to be familiar with his environment. She seems to take less care of her husband. ‘It seems like she does not want to do anything with her husband. So, which makes it much easier for reader to interpret that why Gurov gets in an affair with other woman. Even, though he has a family of his own and a wife as well. Of course, Gurov will have an affair with another woman since his wife does not seem to care about any of his activities or anything related to him. 3. In the story, Gurov and Anna love story begins in Yalta. Both of them starts talking to each other, and then starts meeting every other day. Then, both of them start falling in love. They, start meeting each other secretly. Their love story takes place continuous. One day, Anna had to go back to Petersburg, back to her original life- to her husband. Then , in Moscow, Gurov tries to forget Anna but he fails to do so. He keeps trying and trying but it doesn’t work. So then, flashback appears in his mind of all the memories he spent with Anna in Yalta. Then he finally decides to go to Petersburg to meet her and clear things out. After he meets her, she tells him she will visit him in Moscow. Then again both of them starts meeting each other secretly. Finally, both of them realizes they are doing wrong by meeting each other in secretly. Also, in Moscow he realizes for the first time he fall in love. Although, he seems a bit older, but for the first time he falls in love. Basically, in Moscow, both of them from their fantasy world goes back to their original world. But realization occurs, and they decides to plan out how they will try to sort things out. Also, Moscow’s cold weather symbolizes the realization of things. It also tells us shows the memories of moments spent before the winter.  It shows lonliness, cold, and unaware of things, uninterested and easily get bored. 4. When first coming into contact with her, Gurov notices that she is walking a dog. The kind of dog that she is walking, a white Pomeranian, symbolizes Anna’s innocence. She is a married woman, alone on vacation while her husband is back at home sick. It is evident that there was something special about Anna that drew in Gurov because the story says, â€Å"a romance with an unknown woman†¦ suddenly took possession of him. † Although, shortly after having sexual intercourse with Anna Gurov â€Å"felt bored already†¦ He was irritated by the naive tone. †

Presidential Debates The Influence on Voters

Presidential Debates The Influence on Voters Introduction September 26, 1960 marked the beginning of televised presidential debates in the history of general elections in the United States of America. The constants in the 1960 debate, which occurred in Chicago, were Richard Nixon and John Kennedy. Analysts believe that it was an evenly matched debate. Additionally, most analysts believe that Nixon could have won if the date was aired only on radio. However, the television audience was inspired by Kennedy’s charm and personality, thereby considering him the winner.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Presidential Debates: The Influence on Voters specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Political scientists believe that Kennedy won the 1960 election mainly because of his outstanding performance during the debate (Dorning). This perspective illustrates the importance of televised presidential debates. In particular, the debates enable voters to see the preside ntial aspirants in a real world setting. This involves evaluating how candidates answer questions without scripts, as well as, their actions and reactions in public. These evaluations usually influence voting pattern and voters’ perception of the candidates. It is against this backdrop that this paper examines the influence of televised debates on presidential elections (voters). It will also examine the effect of social media and instant feedback on presidential debates. Informing the Public The United States is a large country in terms of its geographical area and population. Thus, presidential candidates cannot easily traverse the entire country in order to meet voters and to articulate their policies. In this regard, presidential debates give candidates the opportunity to inform the public about their policy stance on various issues that affect the lives of Americans. During the debates, candidates are asked the same questions and given the same amount to time to answer t hem. The importance of this system of debate is that it enables the electorate to compare candidates’ approaches to various issues that affect the country (Campbell 46). In this context, the debates help the public to decide on whom to vote for on the Election Day. Presidential debates also enable the public to understand the personality traits of the candidates. Prior to the debates, most candidates are hardly known to the public in terms of their communication styles and ability to manage their emotions, as well as, their reaction to criticism. However, the debates enable voters to examine the character of their preferred candidate in order to make informed decisions on the Election Day (Kraus 56). The factors that matter to the viewers of the presidential debates include how the candidates present themselves, their appearance, and their ability to connect directly with the audience. This indicates that the debates serve as a mechanism for assessing the character of preside ntial candidates.Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, presidential debates do not always provide enough information about the candidates and their policies. Candidates are usually aware of the public expectation concerning their performance during presidential debates. Consequently, they spend a lot of time and resources to prepare for the debates. This includes rehearsing answers to potential questions and practicing to communicate in a manner that is likely to appeal to the audience (Kraus 79). In this regard, preparations enable candidates to conceal their weaknesses during the debates. Additionally, a candidate is likely to say what he believes will be appealing to the audience rather than what he believes in. In some cases, the debates are stage-managed in order to favor the candidates. For instance, in 1988 the democrats and the republicans secretly sign ed a memorandum of understanding that enabled them to control the debate. Concisely, they colluded to determine the composition of the interviewing panel and the audience, as well as, prohibiting follow-up questions (Brancaccio). The effect of this conspiracy is that the 1988 debate focused on what the candidates wanted to tell the public rather than what the electorate wanted to know. Some scholars believe that presidential debates no longer serve as an important source of information to the public. This is because post-debate analyses tend to produce so much information that usually confuses voters rather than enlightening them (William and Shah 101-117). This problem is exacerbated by the fact that analysts usually give conflicting views concerning the winners and losers in the debates. Moreover, thousands of potential voters hardly watch the debates due to time constraints. Influencing Election Outcome Proponents of presidential debates believe that they are efficient and effect ive campaign tools that can easily change the outcome of an election. This assertion is often defended by the outcome of the 1960 and 2000 elections. In 1960, John â€Å"Kennedy’s average score in the polls was 50.5% one week before the first debate† (Dorning). However, his score improved to 50.6% in the first week after the last debate. This favorable rating is believed to have helped Kennedy to win the election. Similarly, Gore is believed to have lost in 2000 due to his audible sighs and interruptions during the debates. Additionally, his faulty makeup job made the public to doubt his personality.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Presidential Debates: The Influence on Voters specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, majority of the elections indicate that presidential debates have little impact on the decisions made by the electorate. For instance, John Kerry still lost the 2004 election des pite winning in three debates (Dorning). Research reveals that the influence of presidential debates on voters stems from issues pertaining to style rather than substance. The audience tends to pay attention to trivial issues such as a candidate’s response to a question that focuses on his private live rather than his reactions to questions on key issues such as taxes. In this regard, a candidate is likely to win the election despite losing in the debates as long as he can clearly articulate his policies in any other forum. The influence of presidential debates tends to be low due to poor timing. Most debates are usually held just a few weeks to the Election Day. The debates occur after the majority of voters have made decisions concerning their preferred candidates. In this regard, most viewers of presidential debates focus on finding the weaknesses of the candidate they do not like and the strengths of their preferred candidate rather than judging them fairly (Kayla). This partly explains why both analysts and viewers give conflict opinions concerning the winners and losers in the debates. Concisely, a person who has decided to vote for a particular candidate is not likely to change his mind, especially, if he doubts the authenticity of the debate’s outcome. Some voters believe that the presidential debates do not facilitate effective and adequate assessment of the leadership skills of the candidates. Proponents of this perspective believe that one’s ability to articulate his policies before a large audience is influenced by several factors that might not be in his control. For instance, poor reactions to questions often occur due to tension and anxiety rather than inadequate preparation or poor communication skills (Scott and Lavine 169-184). Thus, voters tend to give candidates a second chance by voting for them despite their dismal performance in the debates. Role of Instant Feedback In the last three decades, the media emerged as the most important stakeholder in the presidential debates. The analyses of various news channels and the type of TV used by viewers determine the influence of the presidential debates on voters. Debates are usually followed by immediate feedback in terms of instant â€Å"analysis, interpretations, interviews with experts, discussion of instant polls, replaying of highlights, and the commentary of candidates’ spokespeople† (Fridkin, Kenney and Gershon 2-44).Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These instant analyses determine the influence of presidential debates on voters in the following ways. First, instant feedback increases the information that is available to voters. The instant analyses help viewers to interpret the messages conveyed by the candidates during the debate. Thus, people who watch the debates and instant analyses are likely to evaluate the candidates based on the available information in order to make the right choice on the Election Day. Second, instant feedback reinforces the persuasion effect of presidential debates. Instant news analyses highlight and contextualize various aspects of the messages presented by the candidates during the debates. Additionally, they analyze the candidates’ rhetoric, gaffes, memorable highlights, and the implications of the debates on the candidates. These analyses influence voters’ perception of the candidates. This can be illustrated by the results of the 2004 presidential debate. In particular, people wh o watched the debate and NBC’s instant feedback rated Bush favorably in nearly all aspects of leadership (Fridkin, Kenney and Gershon 2-44). By contrast, the instant feedback by CNN.com rated President Bush as the worst performer in the debate. The people who watched the debate and its analysis on CNN.com believed that Senator Kerry was the winner. This illustration shows that instant feedback by the media can improve or worsen the influence of presidential debates on voters. However, the effect of instant feedback usually depends on the bias of the analysts. For example, a TV channel is likely to give favorable rating to a candidate it supports even though the candidate might have performed poorly during the debate. This shows that instant feedback or media analyses can play a greater role in influencing potential voters than the actual performance of the candidates during the debate. Finally, presidential debates and media analyses influence voters through the framing effec t. This involves structuring discussions about the debates in a manner that enables people to understand and to interpret candidates’ messages in particular way (Fridkin, Kenney and Gershon 2-44). Media analyses usually frame discussions in terms of who won or lost in the debates. In this regard, the analyses can improve or diminish the persuasion effect of presidential debates on voters. Concisely, the analyses and discussions by the media can improve the persuasion effect of the debates if they are framed around issues that are appealing to potential voters or the areas that the candidates had outstanding performance during the debates. The Social Media and Presidential Debates Social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook play an integral role in presidential debates. Prior to the debates, social media sites act as a campaign tool that enables candidates to create awareness about their qualifications and policy stance on various issues. This involves engaging the public in discussions concerning political issues and answering questions raised by voters about the candidates (Bosmol). In this regard, social media affects presidential debates in two ways. First, it can reduce the viewership of the debates. This is because candidates usually answer most of the questions raised by the public through their social media accounts before the debates take place. Thus, the public will have no incentive to spend 90 minutes to watch the debates. Second, social media campaigns enable candidates to win the support of undecided voters and to reinforce the loyalty of their existing supporters. Consequently, the debates have little or no influence on potential voters. Social media sites also support the debates by spreading the messages conveyed by the candidates in a variety of ways (University of South California). To begin with, social media sites such as YouTube enable voters to access live feeds of the debates. This enables people who have no access to TV to wa tch the debates as they occur. The persuasion effect of presidential debates is likely to improve if candidates’ messages reach a large audience. Unlike TV channels, social media sites save the videos of the debates, thereby enabling voters to watch them at their convenience. Additionally, social media sites enhance the participation of voters in the debates by allowing them to express their opinions and to send questions directly to the candidates. In this regard, the presidential debates are likely to become more relevant and attractive to voters who want their opinions to be taken into account by the candidates. Finally, the experience of the 2012 presidential election indicates that social media plays a fundamental role in determining the results of the debates (Bosmol). Most major TV channels such as CNN and Fox news incorporated feedback from social media sites in their computations of the candidates’ scores. In this case, a candidate with the largest following i n social media is likely to obtain a favorable rating, thereby being declared the winner in the debate. Social media sites also provide a forum through which voters discuss the messages of the candidates after the debates (Scott and Lavine 169-184). These discussions can reinforce the persuasion effect of presidential debates if the voters share the candidates’ messages with their colleagues without distorting them. However, misrepresentation of the candidates’ messages through the social media can reduce the influence of presidential debates. For example, incorrect interpretation of a candidates’ policy stance can lower his rating, thereby reducing the number of his supporters. Conclusion This paper examined the influence of presidential debates on voters. The findings indicate that presidential debates have changed the outcome of elections on a few occasions. However, most candidates win the elections despite losing in the debates. Instant feedback about the d ebates determines how voters interpret and understand candidates’ massages after the debates. Thus, they can improve or worsen the ability of presidential debates to influence the voting pattern. The social media supports the presidential debates by enabling more people to watch them and to express their opinions concerning the results. However, the increased use of social media as a campaign tool might reduce the importance of debates in future. Bosmol. Impact of Social Media on the Presidential Debate. Bosmal.com, 29 Oct. 2012. Web. Brancaccio, David. The History of Presidential Debates. Public Broadcasting Service, 24 Sep. 2004. Web. Campbell, James. The American Campaigns: USA Presidential Campaigns. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Print. Dorning, Mike. Value of Debates. Portland Press Herald, 4 Oct. 2012. Web. Fridkin, Kim, Patrick Kenney and Sarah Gershon. Capturing the Power of a Campaign Event: The 2004 Presidential Debate in Tempe. Academic. Tempe: Arizona State Univer sity, 2005. Print. Kayla, Webley. How the Nixon-Kennedy Debate Changed the World. Time.com, 23 Sep. 2010. Web. Kraus, Sidney. Televised Presidential Debates and Public Policy. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000. Print. Scott, Basinger and Howard Lavine. Ambivalence, Information, and Electoral Choice. American Political Science Review 9.1(2005): 169-184. Print. University of South California. Social Media and Debates. University of South California, 1 Oct. 2012. Web. William, Eveland and Dhavan Shah. The Impact of Individual and Interpersonal Factors on Precieved News Media Bias. Political Psychology 24.1 (2003): 101-117. Print.

Human Sacrifice Rituals and the Ancient Maya

Human Sacrifice Rituals and the Ancient Maya We forbid and place strict sanctions on cannibalism, incest, and human sacrifice, considering they epitomize savage or barbarian behavior. Not everyone or every civilized group has shared our sensibilities. Many groups of people have performed human sacrifices as a way of pleasing or appeasing their gods. The Maya were no different in this regard. Inscribed stones bear witness to the Maya practice of human sacrifice. Precious feathers appear where blood would be expected coming from the wounds in some depictions of Maya human sacrifice ritual. Perhaps this symbolizes how valuable the life-giving fluid is to the gods. In the accompanying illustration [see larger image], instead of spurting blood, there are serpents. The common method for human sacrifice seems to have been for the ah nacom (a functionary) to extract the heart quickly, while 4 people associated with Chac, the rain/lightning god, held the struggling victims limbs. Human sacrifices seem to have been made, as well, with arrows, by flaying, decapitation, hurling from a precipice, and throwing the victim into a limestone sinkhole. Warfare was one source of human sacrificial victims. It is thought that losers in the ballgames may also have sometimes been victims, and sacrifice appears to have been connected mainly with ballgames, festivals, and the assumption of power by a new king. Besides humans, the following objects were offered as sacrifices: manatees, jaguars, opposums, parrots, quail, owls, turtles, pumas, crocodiles, squirrels, insects, feathers, dogs, deer, iguanas, turkeys, rubber, cacao, maize, squash seeds, flowers, bark, pine boughs and needles, honey, wax, jade, obsidian, virgin water from caves, shells, and iron pyrite mirrors. Why did the Maya Practice Human Sacrifice? Sign up for the Maya Newsletter Sources: Archaeology and Religion: A Comparison of the Zapotec and Maya, by Joyce Marcus. World Archaeology, Vol. 10, No. 2, Archaeology and Religion (Oct., 1978), pp. 172-191. Procedures in Human Heart Extraction and Ritual Meaning: A Taphonomic Assessment of Anthropogenic Marks in Classic Maya Skeletons Procedures in Human Heart Extraction and Ritual Meaning: A Taphonomic Assessment of Anthropogenic Marks in Classic Maya Skeletons, by Vera Tiesler, Andrea Cucina. Latin American Antiquity, Vol. 17, No. 4 (Dec., 2006), pp. 493-510. Human Sacrifice at Tenochtitlan, by John M. Ingham. Comparative Studies in Society and History, Vol. 26, No. 3 (Jul., 1984), pp. 379-400. Gordon R. Willey and American Archaeology, by Jeremy A. Sabloff, William Leonard Fash

Places-in the Bay Area Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Places-in the Bay Area - Research Paper Example Places too can be defined by nature of their occurrence, the people residing in them or the biology of the area which is inclusive of flora and fauna. Commerce and business are too ways of defining a place, while cultural reference gives an area its originality and unique features. The candid manner in which a place is defined determines the understandability of the place by the intended audience. In defining a place, various elements are put into consideration. Therefore, this paper while seeking to define The Bay Area, will address the cultural, social, geological and biological history of the place. In essence, how the place came into existence is important in understanding the kind of flora and fauna. Moreover, its location in the map helps to define the place by the very nature of its placement. In conclusion, the essay will give the full picture and relative understanding of Bay Area of San Francisco. The Bay Area of San Francisco is located in the northern region of California . The geographically diverse region, rich in business is extensively a metropolitan place, offering home to a staggering 8 million inhabitants. In the Bay Area, cities such as San Francisco, occupying the most part of the region, Oakland and San Jose contribute to its huge population and rich commerce industry. However, what puts Bay Area on the financial map and at the same time giving increasingly winning it popularity is its lifestyle, liberal nature of its politics and the high-tech industry. Hosting the famous Silicon Valley, the Bay Area has been the center of attraction for investors and technology experts. Moreover, the area is an attraction site, owing to its rich culture. The geography of the area, defined in the simplest language as easy to understand makes it easy for new visitors to trace their location. Some geographers hold that although many people find the area to be as big and very confusing, the reality is quite opposite. The complexity of its nature makes the who le picture understandable, yet it is a small and compact place. Barringer and Ryan (Web) points out that by the fact that the life of the city resonates in various levels, the city life is morally binding to the people. In defining San Francisco Barringer and Ryan â€Å"It has spectacular landscapes, it is prone to earthquakes, it is a coastal town with a thriving gay culture†Ã‚  (Web). Surprisingly, a number of cities of the Bay Area are thronged with the gay culture, a recent development in its moral culture that has exploded among the youth. People generally listen to rock music, with night clubs and blaring music filling the nights of the cities. These are the kinds of images triggered by the mention of San Francisco to any individual who has ever set foot in the area. The bay area has a rich history, dating to thousands of years ago. Geologists trace the origin of the bay area to melting of ice bergs. Estimated to date back 12,000 years ago, the melting of the ice raised the sea level. Subsequently, this brought into existence the San Francisco bay. Without any known economic importance, the bay remained unknown, with only about 20,000 Native Americans residing in villages formed in the area in the 1700s. what was an unknown region started receiving quite some attention in the year 1776, when a Spanish expedition led by Anza established a presidio right in front of the entrance to the then San Francisco Bay. Such visits

Marxism as a major ideology in the 21st century Essay

Marxism as a major ideology in the 21st century - Essay Example The mere fact that the beginning of the Marxism was 1848, when Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels published the Communist Manifesto, speaks for itself: it was a different time. And the current XXI century is not the XIX century, and, if Marxism was not to gain a foothold in the minds of people in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, then this will not happen in the twenty-first century. And such notorious Marxist terms and phrases as â€Å"the proletariat†, â€Å"Rent†, â€Å"world revolution†, â€Å"communism - a bright future for all mankind† are can not often be heard even at rallies and demonstrations organized by the Communists at the present time. We know that in the twentieth century the ideology of Marxism was adopted by the Soviet Union, some countries of Eastern Europe, China, Mongolia, North Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia and Cuba. Lots of aforementioned countries still remain the supporters of Marxism nowadays. Even in the most developed capitalist co untries there are always some Communist Parties. With all respect to certain postulates and the noble ideas of Marxist philosophy, our contemporary society can not possibly accept Marxism as a whole, so the given ideology is unlikely to return as a major ideology in the twenty first century. Let us take, for example, such a doctrine of Karl Marx, as his famous theory of surplus value. Marxists believe that under capitalism a great part of the produced surplus value is given to the capital, which inevitably leads to an increasing stratification of society and the growth of class struggle.... Marxists believe that under capitalism a great part of the produced surplus value is given to the capital, which inevitably leads to an increasing stratification of society and the growth of class struggle (â€Å"Karl Marx – Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy†). In accordance with this postulate (and the inevitable growth of the class struggle), it is possible to make a conclusion that sooner or later the global economic crisis and revolution will occur. Besides, ultimately the means of production, sooner or later will move to the workers and peasants. Thereafter, in accordance with the following Marxist postulate, productivity growth will sooner or later lead to the fact that human capabilities will outstrip human needs, thus, social wealth will flow an endless stream, comes communism. Under these circumstances, the postulate that â€Å"material existence of any person ultimately determines his or her consciousness† will work. Thus, we can run to the conclusion that each person will receive material benefits according to needs. And all the people will automatically become happy. An era of universal happiness will come. That what is said about the strengthening of the class struggle in the Manifesto of Communist Party, â€Å"Over the past few decades, the history of industry and commerce was nothing but the history of the revolt of modern productive forces against modern conditions of production, against the property relations that are the conditions for the existence of the bourgeoisie and its rule. It suffices to mention the commercial crises that, coming back from time to time, call into question the existence of the entire bourgeois society ... The growing competition among the bourgeois, and the resulting commercial