The Three Sisters Monologue Essay Example For Students

The Three Sisters Monologue Essay A monologue from the play by Anton Chekhov NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from The Moscow Arts Theatre Series of Plays. Ed. Oliver M. Sayler. New York: Brentanos, 1922. ANDREI: Oh, what has become of my past and where is it? I used to be young, happy, clever, I used to be able to think and frame clever ideas, the present and the future seemed to me full of hope. Why do we almost before we have begun to live, become dull, gray, uninteresting, lazy, apathetic, useless, unhappy? This town has already been in existence for two hundred years and it has a hundred thousand inhabitants, not one of whom is in any way different from the others. There has never been, now or at any other time, a single leader of men, a single scholar, an artist, a man of even the slightest eminence who might arouse envy or a passionate desire to be emulated. They only eat, drink, sleep, and then they die . . . more people are born and also eat, drink, sleep, and so as not to become half-witted out of sheer boredom, they try to make life many-sided with their beastly back-biting, vodka, cards, and litigation. The wives deceive their husbands, and the husbands lie, and pretend t hey see nothing and hear nothing, and the evil influence irresistibly oppresses the children and the divine spark in them is extinguished, and they become just as pitiful corpses and just as much like one another as their fathers and mothers We will write a custom essay on The Three Sisters Monologue specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now

Analysis of Good Country People by Flannery OConnor

Analysis of Good Country People by Flannery OConnor Good Country People by Flannery OConnor (1925–1964) is a story, in part, about the dangers of mistaking platitudes for original insights. The story, first published in 1955, presents three characters whose lives are governed by the platitudes they embrace or reject: Mrs. Hopewell, who speaks almost exclusively in cheerful clichà ©sHulga (Joy), Mrs. Hopewells daughter, who defines herself solely in opposition to her mothers platitudesA Bible salesman, who turns the clichà ©d beliefs of the unsuspecting mother and daughter against them Mrs. Hopewell Early in the story, OConnor demonstrates that Mrs. Hopewells life is governed by upbeat but empty sayings: Nothing is perfect. This was one of Mrs. Hopewells favorite sayings. Another was: that is life! And still another, the most important, was: well, other people have their opinions too. She would make these statements [†¦] as if no one held them but her [†¦] Her statements are so vague and obvious as to be almost meaningless, except, perhaps, to convey an overall philosophy of resignation. That she fails to recognize these as clichà ©s suggest how little time she spends reflecting on her own beliefs. The character of Mrs. Freeman provides an echo chamber for Mrs. Hopewells statements, thereby emphasizing their lack of substance. OConnor writes: When Mrs. Hopewell said to Mrs. Freeman that life was like that, Mrs. Freeman would say, I always said so myself. Nothing had been arrived at by anyone that had not first been arrived at by her. We are told that Mrs. Hopewell liked to tell people certain things about the Freemans - that the daughters are two of the finest girls she knows and that the family is good country people. The truth is that Mrs. Hopewell hired the Freemans because they were the only applicants for the job. The man who served as their reference openly told Mrs. Hopewell that Mrs. Freeman was the nosiest woman ever to walk the earth. But Mrs. Hopewell continues to call them good country people because she wants to believe they are. She almost seems to think that repeating the phrase will make it true. Just as Mrs. Hopewell seems to want to reshape the Freemans in the image of her favorite platitudes, she also seems to want to reshape her daughter. When she looks at Hulga, she thinks, There was nothing wrong with her face that a pleasant expression wouldnt help. She tells Hulga that a smile never hurt anyone and that people who looked on the bright side of things would be beautiful even if they were not, which could be insulting. Mrs. Hopewell views her daughter entirely in terms of clichà ©s, which seems guaranteed to make her daughter reject them. Hulga-Joy Mrs. Hopewells greatest platitude is perhaps her daughters name, Joy. Joy is grumpy, cynical and utterly joyless. To spite her mother, she legally changes her name to Hulga, partly because she thinks it sounds ugly. But just as Mrs. Hopewell continually repeats other sayings, she insists on calling her daughter Joy even after her name is changed, as if saying it will make it true. Hulga cant stand her mothers platitudes. When the Bible salesman is sitting in their parlor, Hulga tells her mother, Get rid of the salt of the earth [†¦] and lets eat. When her mother instead turns down the heat under the vegetables and returns to the parlor to continue singing the virtues of real genuine folks way out in the country, Hulga can be heard groaning from the kitchen. Hulga makes it clear that if it werent for her heart condition, she would be far from these red hills and good country people. She would be in a university lecturing to people who knew what she was talking about. Yet she rejects one clichà © – good country people – in favor of one that sounds superior but is equally trite – people who knew what she was talking about. Hulga likes to imagine herself as being above her mothers platitudes, but she reacts so systematically against her mothers beliefs that her atheism, her Ph.D. in philosophy and her bitter outlook begin to seem as thoughtless and trite as her mothers sayings. The Bible Salesman Both the mother and the daughter are so convinced of the superiority of their perspectives that they dont recognize theyre being duped by the Bible salesman. Good country people is meant to be flattering, but its a condescending phrase. It implies that the speaker, Mrs. Hopewell, somehow has the authority to judge whether someone is good country people or, to use her word, trash. It also implies that the people being labeled this way are somehow simpler and less sophisticated than Mrs. Hopewell. When the Bible salesman arrives, he is a living example of Mrs. Hopewells sayings. He uses a cheerful voice, makes jokes, and has a pleasant laugh. In short, hes everything Mrs. Hopewell advises Hulga to be. When he sees that hes losing her interest, he says, People like you dont like to fool with country people like me! Hes hit her in her weak spot. Its as if hes accused her of not living up to her own cherished platitudes, and she overcompensates with a flood of clichà ©s and an invitation to dinner. Why! she cried, good country people are the salt of the earth! Besides, we all have different ways of doing, it takes all kinds of make the world go round. Thats life! The salesman reads Hulga as easily as he reads Mrs. Hopewell, and he feeds her the clichà ©s she wants to hear, saying that he likes girls that wear glasses and that Im not like these people that a serious thought dont ever enter their heads. Hulga is as condescending toward the salesman as her mother is. She imagines that she can give him a deeper understanding of life because [t]rue genius [†¦] can get an idea across even to an inferior mind. In the barn, when the salesman demands that she tell him she loves him, Hulga feels pity, calling him poor baby and saying, Its just as well you dont understand. But later, faced with the evil of his actions, she falls back on her mothers clichà ©s. Arent you, she asks him, just good country people? She never valued the good part of country people, but like her mother, she assumed the phrase meant simple. He responds with his own clichà ©d tirade. I may sell Bibles but I know which end is up and I wasnt born yesterday and I know where Im going! His certainty mirrors - and therefore calls into question - Mrs. Hopewells and Hulgas.

What does Roy in Normal want from a sex change Assignment

What does Roy in Normal want from a sex change - Assignment Example People with gender identity disorder prefer to dress and live as the members of the opposite sex. Gender identity disorder is a psychological condition that causes many problems. Depression and anxiety are among the most common problems that he has to face. However, these psychological problems can be overcome by taking certain measures that also include some medicines but the social dilemma is the hardest thing the person suffering from gender identity disorder has to face. Everyone expect others to behave and act the way they are physically born. Parents start dictating their children about appropriate behavior from very early ages. As many boys have reported the message from their parents that they do not like them to play with dolls or wear pink dresses. As these individuals grow up, life gets harder and harder where at one side they are fighting with their souls while on the other side they are trying to cope up with the body they are born with. Puberty is the most difficult age in the lifetime for such people as they see gender specific changes in them in the form of facial hair growth, change of voice, development of genitalia and growth of breasts. They hate these changes and reported to be disgusted by hair growth in case of males or breasts development in case of females. It is quite a complicated stage where some are unaware with what is happening to them while others are either not confident enough or ready to take a decision for sex change. Most have been found to snub their inner feelings and try living against their will because of the fear and restrictions of society and moral impacts. Though, this is very distressing and depressing to them and can cause other psychological disorders (Park, and Manzon-Santos). The same situation â€Å"Roy† had to face in the movie â€Å"Normal† who snubbed his individuality in another body for a very long time but finally decides to change it and live the way he feels to. After 25 years of successf ul marriage and fatherhood, Roy found the biggest secret of his life that he was a woman in a man’s body. In a quest of finding his identity and portray what he is in real, he wants to go for a sex change surgery. After announcing the decision of sex transition, Roy faces disgust and intolerance from his family and co-workers. Some understands his transition while others totally abandon it. Roy transition to be a woman is going to affect not only him but also everyone he is related to. Roy goes through an inner war between his social existence and psychological empowerment. He sees a psychologist to identify more about him and try to fight with the situation socially but nothing makes it better. His wife tries her best to bring the man he loved by putting psychological pressure in different ways but nothing works on him. Roy is so desperate with his life that he even tries to attempt a suicide but his wife saves him. His psychological disorder is totally empowering him with d issatisfaction and unhappiness. He feels like he has been snubbing his internal desires and regrets to spend the whole life in a body and appearance that does not belong to him. The final change he brings to his life is dressing in a woman’s dress, wearing high heels and growing long-hair. The change was more a satisfaction to his psychological needs than physical. Roy has not gone through a sex-change surgery yet, however, he feels happiness and pleasure with the

MG2119 Marketing Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

MG2119 Marketing Research - Essay Example Moreover, the findings are a comprehensive scrutiny on the various facets of the company that the manager should know to make decisions that will facilitate sustainability. Corporate social responsibilities define the lawful actions that extend some social goodness to the community, business environment and employees. (Palmer, 2012) Programs in social responsibility include actions to make a better environment for the society and stakeholder’s lives in an organization. Most companies are not aware of the accountability factor hence they do not make any significant impact to the societies; essentially, this is because they lack the right strategies and procedures to implement in their systems (Palmer 2012). Most companies fail at achieving sustainability because they lack the necessary curriculums; however, they are those that establish these curriculums but do not effectively implement them. CSR curriculums facilitate meeting of customer’s needs by companies; they improve their esteem by making them feel more worth in the society. These programs also act to the corporation’s advantage since they attract a great number of customers hence increasing the sales. In cases of Insurance policy companies, they increase the number of people that want to be in their hands and these also motivates the company to continue offering better services using the social responsibility programs (Annabel & Deanne, 2011). Social responsibilities act as guidance to how employees and stakeholders behave and conduct themselves in the work place. CSR, merely as laws, facilitate employees’ actions, as individuals or as a group, in different situations like when providing services to customers, when handling corporation assets and when required to execute business-based tasks. Failure to establish the different aspects related to corporate social responsibility is the reason why top-level managers for most companies do not succeed in

Sociological Definition of Religion Concerning Aborigines Essay Example for Free

Sociological Definition of Religion Concerning Aborigines Essay In my opinion, I find the sociological definition of religion to be my favorite and most helpful. Clifford Geertz explains his definition very clearly, saying that religion is a system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, persuasive and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic. What I believe he means is that instead of looking at theories and things of that nature about how religion started, we should look at concepts beyond religion itself. I found that the Australian Aborigines follow closely along this same definition of religion. To the Aborigines, the world has always existed, meaning everything was always here; they had no creation myths. They had believed the ultimate supreme was associated with the sky and was the source for all power in the universe, but said it was not the focus of worship. Instead, religious practices focused upon a number of spirits who supposedly slept within the earth and transformed it every now and then. The earthly spirits were capable of taking the same form of either human or animal; they were considered â€Å"totemic ancestors†. This all relates to the sociological definition of religion because the Aborigines formed conceptions about the spirits, which gives an order for existence; it all seems very realistic to them. Anthropologists studied deeply into these Australian Aborigines. They looked into a primordial era that was a part of an Aborigine myth. They found that this era referred to a period in time when the first ancestors shaped the world and established traditions that their descendants must follow. The actions of the ancestors were thought to be imprinted on the land, possibly in significant physical landscapes, in unusual water holes, or in the main characteristics of animals and plants. This â€Å"era† was said to be the foundation of Aboriginal thought and religious practice and its power was ongoing. This all relates to Geertz’ definition of religion once again, because during the era, the ancestors set up lasting moods and motivations for the Aborigine people. The Aborigine people’s ritual practices concentrated on reenacting the events that took place during the primordial era. Song, dance, and body sand paintings were used to gain access to the era and teach everyone in the community about it. Male and female had different powers, as well as different types of work, during these certain rituals. These rituals relate to Geertz because the native Aborigine people are continuing the traditions and are passing down the tales about the spirits. They’re giving the conception of existence an order of factuality. In conclusion, what I can tell personally, the Australian Aborigines followed right along the same path of religion as Geertz would describe; I’m sure he’d be very fond of it all. With everything that they do, it all falls back on the sociological definition of religion. The rituals, the era, the beginnings, all follow along the same guidelines as Clifford Geertz.

Economic Globalization And Offshore Sourcing Management Essay

Economic Globalization And Offshore Sourcing Management Essay In tune with increased economic globalization and offshore sourcing, global supply chain management is becoming a vital subject for many businesses and Somerset Furniture is one of the companies facing the challenges when set up its global supply chain. The business strategy constitutes overall direction to achieve corporate objectives and goals in long term, but supply chain strategy focuses on driving down operational costs, streamlining procedures and maximizing efficiencies. However, most companies have wonderful business strategies but most of them are unlikely designed a seamless supply chain strategy which can result in great failure when doing business overseas. In this case study, Somersets current approach to manage its supply chain resulted in poor business performance, the visible hazards and other negative factors frustrated Somerset included poor logistics management, ineffective order system and inventory management as well as inconsistency of product quality. In adopting a value chain, Somerset must incorporate and execute a robust supply chain management strategy for best-fit suppliers selection, further establish on how to work with supply partners, distributors, suppliers, customers or even customers customers as a way to remain competitive. Otherwise, the company will not survive. As the marketplace changes rapidly and becomes very competitive, it is critical that Somerset reinforces existing relationships and work together internally and externally. That being said, a well-practiced supply chain strategy results in value creation for the whole organization. In a nutshell, supply chains have shifted from a cost focus to a customer focus, until currently to a strategic focus, scrutinizing the success of a strategy is just as good as the companys capabilities to fully and properly execute all. A great supply chain strategic approach, connected with operational excellence, can provide success for not only the company in crisis but also its partners and customers. 1. Introduction Somerset Furniture is an established ornate residential home wood furniture company with over 50 years history in USA, renowned for producing quality and affordable furniture with a practical range of innovative design. To cope with the fast growing U.S. market, Somerset has developed its marketing strategy by introducing new product lines every few years and successfully gained creditable reputation during the last half of the twentieth century. The company was a pioneer in furniture manufacturing processes and in applying TQM principles to furniture manufacturing. However, Somerset soon faced with thorny problems emerging in mid-1990s, such as stiffer competition, high labour rates, diminishing profits. As a result, the company downsized the domestic manufacturing facility and labour force through outsourcing several internal furniture product lines to China manufacturers, this led to be very successful in reducing costs and increasing profits initially. By 2000, Somerset closed entire manufacturing facility in the United States and outsourced all of its manufacturing to suppliers in China and then set up global supply chain, at which a series of chain-reacting problems raised and affected business. The primary focus of this paper is to find out outsourcing solution and rectify the global supply chain strategy to be very competitive. The evaluation of Somersets approach on managing current supply chain both from strategic and tactical viewpoint will be addressed in Chapter 2. The subsequent Chapter 3 and 4 respectively describes the new strategic supply chain approach and then explains the transformational requirements for changing Somerset supply chain effectively and efficiently. The conclusion will be made in Chapter 5 outlining the study points for readers. Evaluation of Somerset Furniture Companys Approach to Managing Supply Chain from both strategic and tactical viewpoints. Somersets Existing Global Supply Chain Process Map Figure 2.1 Somersets Global Supply Chain Logistic Flowchart Source: Adapted from Fawcett, Ellram and Ogden (2007, p.218) Foreign Competition While Somerset formulated a good strategic marketing plan for continually launching new product lines every few years during half of the twentieth century, simultaneously, experienced the positive effects of applying the TQM in its furniture manufacturing and popularly is known as high-quality yet affordable wooden furniture provider in domestic market. However, since the mid-1990s, the company suffered from the stiffer competition, high labour rate and decreasing profits. To get out of this situation, Somerset started outsourcing several furniture product lines to China that helped benefit from cost-effective and reduced operating costs. Another strategy was reducing the manufacturing facility and labour force, to keep the low costs in line with the pace of outsourcing. It was very successful initially in reducing costs and increasing profits for the company. By 2000, Somerset decided to set up global supply chain and closed entire manufacturing facility in the United States by outsourcing all of its manufacturing to suppliers in China. Shipments of Raw Materials and Inconsistency of Product Quality Somersets global supply chain facilitates the wood shipments from the United States and South America to manufacturing plants in China. This shipment itinerary takes a long time to arrive China, therell be unexpected delays for processing shipment which incurs customer complaints and orders cancellation. Despite of long shipping time, the costs of shipment to the final destination and the raw material from US and South America are apparently high that reduced the profits. As the manufacturing plants employed Chinese workers to produce products by hand in China, it will cause discrepancies in product dimension and quality. Customers would ask for exchange or refund as the quality is not assured by hand-made. Poor Distribution Network and Transportation Management The finished furniture products are shipped by containers from Hong Kong or Shanghai to Norfolk, Virginia, once arrived, the containers are transported by truck to Somerset warehouses in Randolph Country, where all of retailers stores located and installed the furniture to prevent from damage during transport. Ineffective Order Management It is found that therere some critical flaws exist internally within Somersets global supply chain on its order processing and fulfillment system. Somerset processes orders weekly and biweekly and it takes 7-14 days to developing demand forecast and 12 -25 days for processing order which amount totally 22 to 45 days for purchase order to eventually complete. It requires another 60 days to produce product by hand when going into production. Poor Transportation Management As required by Chinese logistics, all finished furniture items have to be transported from the manufacturing plants to Chinese ports, which can take up to several weeks depending on trucking availability and schedules. Since 9/11, random security checks of containers will delay shipment for another one to three weeks and the trip overseas to Norfolk takes 28 days. Hence, from China to Norfolk port, it can take more than two months delivery time. Thereafter, clearing US customs can take another one to two weeks before local workers take another 1-3 days to unload containers and transfer the furniture onto truck to Somersets warehouse in Randolph County. Ineffective Inventory Management The variability of supply chain estimated is up to 40% for schedule deferment. Due to Somersets innovative conception to introducing new products frequently, it resulted in substantial excess inventories left over in warehouse where the obsolete furniture occupy precious space and increase high disposal and storage costs. Somerset proudly stands behind its products and customers can get a warranty period of 1 year from the date of purchase. It brought a serious problem for parts replacement, because China supplier is only able to provide these parts which are in production, but most of the parts are not produced anymore after 1-year guarantee period. Poor Product Quality Although quality auditors are employed by Chinese suppliers to perform quality audit every few weeks, Somerset still encounters several quality issues. Consequently, Somerset has to inspect every piece of furniture it receives from China due to retailers and customers complaints. 3. Development Justification of New Strategic Supply Chain Approach to be used by Somerset Foreign Competition Owing to fierce competition, Somerset has to close its entire US manufacturing facility and outsource all of its manufacturing to China to reduce costs and increases profits for the company. Outsourcing has become a common strategy that is adopted by all US companies and managing supply chains has now become a trend due to globalisation. It is felt that Somerset should have an outsourcing strategy which will continue to evaluate alternate low-cost furniture manufacturing plants around Asia or other regions. Depending on just low-cost China manufacturers which product its products by hand may not be a viable long term solution for its overall corporate or supply chain strategy. 3.2 Shipment of Raw Materials Consistency of Product Quality Somersets shipment of wood from the United States and South America to manufacturing plants in China is a costly and time-consuming process. Raw materials should be sourced from within China or from neighbouring countries around manufacturing facility to ensure low cost and better efficiency in materials movement. The China manufacturing plant produced all furniture products by hand, which is not only time-consuming, taking 60 days to finished the production, but also cause inconsistency of products quality. It is thus recommended that China manufacturing plant be ISO9000 certified, to provide Quality Assurance and invest in partial or fully automated machine to manufacture some of these furniture products so as to cut down the production lead-time and provide better consistency in products quality. In the meantime, the leader should take action of outsourcing another manufacturer in China to replace the current one, because the current plant may not have enough capital to purchase all necessary expensive equipment. Furthermore, the conversion from undeveloped factory to a qualified lean manufacturing facility cannot take place in one day since it is viewed as a long term transformation. Therefore, Somerset should outsource the production base to other China furniture manufacturing facilities, which comprise the following competencies: Lean manufacturing system implementation Lean manufacturing results in significant cost savings over a two to three year period. Specifically, manufacturing companies report significant reduction in raw materials, in-process inventories, setup costs, throughput times, direct labor costs, indirect labor costs, staff, overdue orders, tooling costs, quality costs, and the cost of bringing new designs on line (Swamidass 2002) ISO9000 certification Flexibility (refers to modification, design, machine, production lines and time flexibilities) Capacity (in terms of space, labor, equipment, IT and materials) 3.3 Better Distribution Network Transportation Management According to Chopra Meindl (2010), with regards to movement of products from factory to customer, there are six distinct distribution network designs for company to select one of them, as shown below: Manufacturer storage with direct shipping Manufacturer storage with direct shipping and in-transit merge Distributor storage with package carrier delivery Distributor storage with last-mile delivery Manufacturer/distributor storage with customer pickup Retail storage with customer pickup Somerset can select one of above distribution network to help in improving its distribution network. Choosing the manufacturer storage with direct shipping will help to eliminate the movement of furniture from Somerset warehouse to retail stores. This will have the advantages of better customers experience and lower inventory costs. Installation of hardware can therefore also be done at customers house instead of at retail stores. However, it has the disadvantages of higher transportation costs (because of increased distance and disaggregate shipping) and requiring investment in information infrastructure to integrate manufacturer and retailer. Another improvement in transportation is to eliminate export of raw materials from US to China by sourcing these materials from China or its neighbouring countries. This not only saves transportation time but also costs of materials. Purchasing department of Somerset will thus have the task to source for these new raw materials around Asia. 3.4 Effective Order Management The order processing and fulfillment system in Somersets global supply chain is too long and it is suspected that Somerset and Chinese manufacturing plant may not have the necessary information technology to enable the rapid sharing of demand and supply data. Per Harrison Hoek (2002), they mention that integration of demand and supply data so that an increasingly accurate picture is obtained about the nature of business processes, markets and consumers, can provide increasing competitive advantage. Figure 3.1 shows a conceptual model of how supply chain processes (supply, source, make, distribute and sell) are integrated together in order to meet end customer demand (cited by Harrison Hoek 2002, p.14): Figure 3.1 Integrating demand and supply chains Source: Harrison Hoek (2002, p.14) Another solution is to ensure that Somerset utilizes software for order processing which will automatically route for approval and issue purchase order in an efficient manner. There should also be policy in place to ensure that the approval routes are short and approving manager does not take too long to approve it. 3.5 Better Transportation Management Apparently, the Chinese logistics arrangement, depending on trucking availability and containers, causes wide times variability in shipment of finished furniture items from China ports to Norfolk. It is really critical for Somerset to have a good logistics/transportation manager to understand the root causes, select work with the Chinese suppliers to reduce this time and wide-variability to avoid delay shipment to customers. Langley et al. (2009) recommends proactive management approach to identify and solve transportation problems by reducing the number of carriers, negotiating with carriers, establishing carrier contracts with prescribed service levels, and modifying loading procedures. Hence, Somerset can negotiate and establish new contracts with Chinese suppliers or carriers to ensure that the finished products can depart China ports consistently at a shorter lead-time. In fact, Somerset should establish contracts with all transportation modes to ensure the required transportation service level and lead-times predictability. Other means of improvement and cost-effectiveness can be done through consolidating shipments and monitoring transportation service quality. 3.6 Effective Inventory Management It is highly recommended that Somerset adopts Just-In-Time (JIT) and Lean thinking concepts, as discussed by Harrison Hoek (2002), that can reduce delay, waste and inventory costs. Long-standing approaches to material control, such as reorder point stock control (ROP), economic order quantities (EOQ) and material requirements planning (MRP) can be made far more responsive by the application of JIT principle whereas lean thinking seeks perfection by gradually reducing waste from each of below four areas: Specifying value from the customer perspective Identifying the value stream ( through time-based mapping) Making the product flow through the supply network (by applying JIT principles) Letting the customer pull (through pull scheduling) Somerset may also adopt vendor-managed inventory (VMI) where it takes responsibility for monitoring sales and inventory in the retailers process. This information is used to trigger replenishment orders. As VMI is facilitated by willingness to share data, the use of integrated systems, and standard procedures, it is made more difficult by such factors as long replenishment lead times, inaccurate data, and unwillingness by either party to invest in systems support. Murphy Wood (2008) highlights tracking technology, radio-frequency identification (RFID) to keep track of inventory, which can further improve the efficiency in the supply chain network. 3.7 Better Product Quality The fact that Somerset has to inspect every piece of furniture it receives from China proves that China manufacturing plant must be ISO9000 certified and implement Quality Assurance System in-house. In addition, this will avoid the need to get quality auditors who are employed by Chinese suppliers to perform quality audit. A Quality Improvement Team should be formed in the China manufacturing plant and be trained so as to improve quality on a continual-basis. Somerset can also assist in the implementation of lean manufacturing for its outsourced China manufacturing plant or introduce Lean Six Sigma methodology to effectively control the process for better consistency in products quality. The requirements for the successful implementation of lean manufacturing, as per Swamidass (2002), are: All levels in the plant, from the production worker to the president must be educated in lean production philosophy and concepts. Top management must be totally committed to this venture and provide necessary leadership. Everyone must be involved in the change, and the internal customer must be empowered to play a vital role in this evolutional process. Everyone in the plant must understand that cost, not price, determines profit. The customer determines price, the plant determines the cost. Everyone must be committed to the elimination of waste. This is fundamental for becoming lean. The concept of standardization must be taught to everyone and applied to documentation, methods, processes as well as system metrics. 4. Evaluation Transformation Required In order to change the Somersets Supply Chain Philosophy from its traditionally position of functional independence to an integrated single entity, top management of Somerset has to ensure that conflicting functional objectives along the supply chain are reconciled and balanced. According to Barnes (2001), supply chain management requires a new approach to systems: integration is the key. Somerset must better manage its supply chain effectively through adapting the six building blocks for effective supply chain management (Harrison Hoek 2002) as follows: Develop a supply chain strategy Elements to be incorporated are: Customer service requirements Plant and distribution centre network design Inventory management Outsourcing and third-party logistics relationships Business processes Organizational design and training requirements Performance metrics and goals Gather supply chain information Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to facilitate the flow of information across their organization Develop effective partnerships and alliances Collaborative approach with key suppliers and customers for better decisions in procurement, production, inventory and fulfillment. Pilot new supply chain solutions Piloting initiatives on a small scale reduces risk and can encourage buy-in from others within the organization or supply chain. Elements to be included in any pilot projects are: Involvement of key stakeholders, suppliers, customers and employees. Selection of scope and environment Identification of critical success factors Organise for supply chain performance Organisational change for cross-functional instead of functionally based structures. Develop measurement system for supply chain performance Cross-supply chain instead of function focused measures: On time in full, outbound On time in full, inbound Internal defect rates New product introduction rate Cost reduction Order to delivery lead time Fiscal flexibility Somerset can also consider the proposal by Heinrich Betts (2003) to transform companys supply chain into adaptive business network. This new business model joins companies as partners, into an adaptable and flexible set of business relationships such that each company is able to respond more swiftly into changing market conditions and leverage the networks cumulative ability to: Plan and anticipate demand and supply. Execute plans efficiently and effectively. Sense events that affect the plans as those events occur, and analyze them for impact. Respond to and learn from ever-changing business conditions. Somerset can then move to an adaptive business network in four steps, as in Figure 4.1: Figure 4.1 The Four Steps of an Adaptive Business Network Step 1 Visibility: Sharing of information with partner companies. Many routine business processes with partners standardized. Information posted for common view on portal. Greater insight into business process and data accuracy problems. Step 2 Community: Moving day-to-day transactions to the portal. Establishment of minimum and maximum control thresholds. Reduction of inventory. Time savings via mechanizing transactions. Step 3 Collaboration: Sharing of customer demand data with members. Targeted replenishment of supplies. Responsibility transferred to supply replenishment vendors. Ability to reallocate inventory to fulfill maximum number of orders. Step 4 Adaptability: Time required for many tasks greatly decreased. Many tasks completely eliminated. Inventory and working capital dramatically reduced. New alliances, products, and revenue opportunities possible. Source: Heinrich Betts (2003, p.80) Harrison Hoek (2002) illustrates a number of transitional forces that need to be harnessed to give momentum to the change project, as structured in Figure 4.2 below: Figure 4.2 Transition forces Source: Harrison Hoek (2002, p.267) These 5 forces are described briefly as follows: Viability of current performance level Consider in light of market changes such as: Demographics Time-stressed customers One-to-one marketing The marketplace becomes the marketspace Perceived pay-off benefits from targeted performance Reap the potential benefits of e-business and benchmarking of improvement projects to quantify the potential benefits of making a change. Belief and enthusiasm Ability of project manager to communicate belief in the change process with enthusiasm. Ability to manage change Ability to plan the change, organizing the resources needed to make the change and managing the application of those resources in order to achieve the necessary outcome. Ability to operate in the new environment People in the organization must have the right skills, tools and techniques to operate the new process. The management of the new process will require a new set of performance measures to be in place so that its efficiency and effectiveness can be assessed. Specifically, there are several action items that are required to progressively (from Stage 1 to 3) change Somersets supply chain network to be effective and efficient, as illustrated in Table 4.1 below: Table 4.1 Action Items Required To Change Somersets Supply Chain Network Item Action Item Action To Be Taken Remarks 1 Foreign Competition Outsourced to China manufacturing plants Re-evaluate its capabilitycapacity Done 2 Shipment of Raw Materials from US Source raw materials in neighbouring countries of China Stage 1 3 Poor Distribution Network Manufacturer storage with direct shipping to customers Stage 3 4 Ineffective Order Management Integrating demand and supply data using technology Stage 2 5 Poor Transportation Management Re-negotiate new contracts with all transportation modes Stage 2 6 Ineffective Inventory Management Implement JIT approach and pull system scheduling Stage 3 7 Poor Product Quality Get China manufacturing plant ISO9000 certified Stage 1 However, the implementation of change in business is often frustrating and difficult, particularly in supply chains as it has to be undertaken in a coordinated manner across and between several organizations. It is therefore important to gain agreement from the top level of all companies involved before wide-scale changes can be made. 5. Conclusion In this case study, Somersets approach to manage its supply chain resulted in poor business performance. The visible hazards and other negative factors frustrated Somerset included poor logistics management, ineffective order system and inventory management as well as inconsistency of product quality. In adopting a value chain, Somerset must incorporate and execute a robust supply chain management strategy for best-fit suppliers selection, further establish on how to work with supply partners, distributors, suppliers, customers or even customers customers as a way to remain competitive. Otherwise, the company will not survive. In addition, top management of Somerset has to lead and motivate not only all internal functional teams, but also external suppliers and partners, to work as an integrated entity in the new strategic supply chain network, so as to achieve the overall corporate objectives. In a nutshell, supply chains have shifted from a cost focus to a customer focus, until currently to a strategic focus, scrutinizing the success of a strategy is just as good as the companys capabilities to fully and properly execute all. A great supply chain strategic approach, connected with operational excellence, can provide success for not only the company in crisis but also its partners and customers.

Professional practice in children’s care learning and development Essay

It is my understanding that in my continued professional development, as manager of my setting it is my role to ensure that myself and every member of the staff and management committee understand the values, principles and statutory framework that underpins service provision in children’s care, learning and development At all times in our centre the welfare of the child is paramount and we demonstrate daily professional practise in line with the new minimum standards, code of practice and the ethos of our setting. We understand that parents are the most important people in children’s lives and that with their support for their children’s learning and development, it is up to us as a staff team to enhance what the children have already been taught by their parents and ensure that through our daily plans, based on the 6 areas of learning, set in place by the education training inspectorate, make a positive impact on the children’s early learning skills to h elp them achieve a positive long term impact on their later learning and achievements. If young children are to get the early education and care they need, there must be a substantial change in the way working with young children is perceived. There needs to be clear roles in the early years workforce and standards are continually being raised with new publications like the Cathy Nutbrown report. Other publications such as together towards improvement, the curricular guidance for preschool education, the 0-6 strategy, the minimum new standards and all relevant or new legislation all have an impact on our staff team to ensure that everyone is working together to develop their professional practise ensuring that we are committed to providing an outstanding provision for pre- school education in our setting. In my setting as part of the manager’s role I am required to keep on top of all new legislations and ensure that these are being implemented by myself and the staff team. This includes making sure that everyone has the appropriate qualifications to work in an early years setting and that we all avail of any training that becomes available that will enhance the staff teams knowledge to ensure that at all times we are providing high quality  education and play, which is age appropriate and that the children are provided with the correct resources to develop this. I ensure that as a staff team, all members of staff get to work with any outside agencies in developing their own professional development, such as local primary schools, social services, eti, and our early years specialist. We are also part of the SEN building capacity pilot scheme which has provided very in depth training to all members of staff and has proved very beneficial to the staff to help identify additional needs, put strategies into place for the children and if needed develop Individual Education Plans, working in partnership with the parents to help the child develop in whatever area they are having difficulty in, so that we know when they move onto primary school we have supported them in their development to the best of our professional ability. We ensure that we contribute to children’s care learning and development in every aspect of our practice and service by constantly reviewing our work through our daily observations and evaluations of the day. We take into account every child’s needs rights and views and incorporate these into our ever changing daily plans and routines. I believe in our setting we all have a very good working relationship with all parents and families and operate an open door system at all times. We meet with parents a few times a year to discuss how their child has settled in and also their transition onto primary school, also we meet up when necessary if a child has an individual education plan. These meetings gives us the opportunity to discuss with the parents, all the information we have gathered about their child, and ensure that we have treated every child with individuality and all areas of diversity etc are respected, valued and celebrated within our daily work, ensuring that at all times we are promoting their child’s health and well being and that as a team along with the parents, using our professional knowledge and skills as practitioners we are contributing to enrich the experience of every child’s learning to the best of our ability. We also ensure that all information we have gathered from the parents and through our own observations, is treated confidentially and used on a need to know basis. If parents disclose any personal information about their child or family life we treat it as confidential and the information is respected as appropriate unless a child’s protection and well being are at stake. In our setting we do daily, weekly and m onthly risk  assessment to ensure that at all times, every child’s personal and physical safety is of the upmost importance, whilst still allowing for risk and challenge appropriate to every child’s capabilities. We believe that best practice requires reflection and continuous search for improvement, so as a staff team we are constantly reviewing our practice and reflecting on daily events to ensure that every staff member is working to the best of their ability, we are continually updating our training and knowledge individually and as a staff team, as we believe the more we know and understand from all relevant training, the better education we can provide for every child that comes to our setting. Also through our development plan and self evaluation, working with the Together Towards Improvement document we can reflect on our practice and ensure that we are also developing our own personal practise and our setting is run to the highest standard at all times. Unit 141 Professional practice in children’s care learning and development Outcome 2Understand the values, principles and statutory frameworks that underpin service provision in children’s care, learning and development A.C 2.3Support others to implement values and principles that underpin service provision By using the term â€Å"others†, this may include, workers/practitioners, colleagues, carers, volunteers, students Values: The needs, rights and views of the child are at the centre of all practice and provision How to support others We strive to provide best practice for all of our children, by promoting their needs through the 6 areas of learning. All children are individuals and their needs, rights and views will all be different, it is up to us to provide a broad and balanced curriculum to ensure that every child is at the centre of our learning plans and that every child should feel secure and valued. Individuality, difference and diversity are valued and celebrated How to support others Every child is included and supported in our setting, regardless of race, sex, religion, ethnic origin. Toys are not gender specific and all children are encouraged to play with everything. We use the media initiatve puppets at circle time to promote diversity and try to adopt a persona for each  puppet relating to a child in our settings circumstances. We welcome children and their families from all backgrounds. Staff ensure that in everything they do we help to teach the children that all people are valuable irrespective of race, colour, ethnic origin, religion, culture, ability or linguistic background and we try to celebrate these differences as much as we can. Equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice are actively promoted How to support others All children are provided with the same opportunities and resources, staff are all treated fairly and with respect, in line with our equal opportunities policies and procedures. Children are recognised and valued as individuals and encouraged to develop their own sense of identity within their cultural and racial groups. Staff are all valued as individuals and encouraged to develop to the best of their ability. Fair training and recruitment procedures are in place to ensure that everyone is treated the same. Children’s health and well being are being actively promoted How to support others Good hygiene is practised and promoted at all times to minimise the spread of infection. Guidance on infection control is displayed in the main hall and a copy is sent home to every parent at the start of the year to ensure that correct exclusion times are adhered to. We operate a healthy breaks system where all children are encouraged to eat snack together and choose from a selection of healthy snacks, fruit, milk and water on a daily basis. All children take part in 30 mins active physical play daily, we encourage parents to sent a coat and hat with their chid for colder weather as we try to get children outside for physical play as much as we can. If this is not possible due to heavy rain etc the play room is cleared and we do song and dance for all the children. Children’s personal and physical safety is safeguarded, whilst allowing for risk and challenge as appropriate to the capabilities of the child How to support others During all activities provided daily every child is given the opportunity to  develop in a safe environment, whilst allowing them to challenge themselves without any undue risk or harm. Daily, weekly and monthly risk assessments are carried out on all equipment to ensure that it is structurally safe for the children and appropriate activities are adapted to suit every child’s need and capability. All areas of the playroom are adapted as much as possible to ensure that every child can develop with age appropriate resources. Self-esteem, resilience and a positive self-image are recognised as essential to every child’s development

Reading skill Essay

Highlighting or Underlining Key Ideas When you highlight or underline key words and ideas, you are identifying the most important parts of the text. There’s an important skill at work here: You can’t highlight or underline everything, so you have to distinguish between the facts and ideas that are most important (major ideas) and those facts and ideas that are helpful but not so important (minor or supporting ideas). Highlight only the major ideas, so you don’t end up with a text that’s completely highlighted. An effectively highlighted text will make for an easy and fruitful review. When you jump back, you’ll be quickly reminded of the ideas that are most important to remember. Highlighting or underlining major points as you read also allows you to retain more information from the text. Skim ahead and jump back. Mark up the text. Make speci? c observations about the text. Skimming Ahead and Jumping Back Skimming ahead enables you to see what’s coming up in your reading. Page through the text you’re about to read. Notice how the text is broken down, what the main topics are, and the order in which they are covered. Notice key words and ideas that are boldfaced, bulleted, boxed, or otherwise highlighted. Skimming through the text beforehand will prepare you for what you are about to read. It’s a lot like checking out the hills and curves in the course before a cross-country race. If you know what’s ahead, you know how to pace yourself, so you’re prepared to handle what’s to come. When you ? nish your reading, jump back. Review the summaries, headings, and highlighted information in the text. Notice both what the author highlighted and what you highlighted. By jumping back, you help solidify in your mind the ideas and information you just read. You’re reminded of how each idea ? ts into the whole, how ideas and information are connected. When you make connections between ideas, you’re much more likely to remember them. Circling Unfamiliar Words One of the most important habits to develop is that of circling and looking up unfamiliar words and phrases. If possible, don’t sit down to read without a dictionary by your side. It is not uncommon for the meaning of an entire sentence to hinge on the meaning of a single word or phrase, and if you don’t know what that word or phrase means, you won’t understand the sentence. Besides, this habit enables you to quickly and steadily expand your vocabulary, so you’ll be a more con? dent reader and speaker. If you don’t have a dictionary readily available, try to determine the meaning of the word as best you can from its context—that is, the words and ideas around it. (There’s more on this topic in Lesson 3. ) Then, make sure you look up the word as soon as possible so you’re sure of its meaning. Marking Up the Text Marking up the text creates a direct physical link between you and the words you’re reading. It forces you to pay closer attention to the words you read and takes you to a higher level of comprehension. Use these three strategies to mark up text: x – HOW TO USE THIS BOOK – Making Marginal Notes Recording your questions and reactions in the margins turns you from a passive receiver of information into an active participant in a dialogue. (If you’re reading a library book, write your reactions in a notebook. ) You will get much more out of the ideas and information you read about if you create a â€Å"conversation† with the writer. Here are some examples of the kinds of reactions you might write down in the margin or in your notebook:  ¦  ¦  ¦  ¦ Making Observations Good readers know that writers use many different strategies to express their ideas. Even if you know very little about those strategies, you can make useful observations about what you read to better understand and remember the author’s ideas. You can notice, for example, the author’s choice of words; the structure of the sentences and paragraphs; any repetition of words or ideas; important details about people, places, and things; and so on. This step—making observations—is essential because your observations (what you notice) lead you to logical inferences about what you read. Inferences are conclusions based on reason, fact, or evidence. You are constantly making inferences based on your observations, even when you’re not reading. For example, if you notice that the sky is full of dark, heavy clouds, you might infer that it is going to rain; if you notice that your coworker has a stack of gardening books on her desk, you might infer that she likes gardening. If you misunderstand what you read, it is often because you haven’t looked closely enough at the text. As a result, you base your inferences on your own ideas and experiences, not on what’s actually written in the text. You end up forcing your own ideas on the author (rather than listening to what the author has to say) and then forming your own ideas about it. It’s critical, then, that you begin to really pay attention to what writers say and how they say it. If any of this sounds confusing now, don’t worry. Each of these ideas will be thoroughly explained in the lessons that follow. In the meantime, start practicing active reading as best you can. Begin by taking the pretest. Questions often come up when you read. They may be answered later in the text, but by that time, you may have forgotten the question! And if your question isn’t answered, you may want to discuss it with someone: â€Å"Why does the writer describe the new welfare policy as ‘unfair’? † or â€Å"Why does the character react in this way? † Agreements and disagreements with the author are bound to arise if you’re actively reading. Write them down: â€Å"That’s not necessarily true! † or â€Å"This policy makes a lot of sense to me. † Connections you note can be either between the text and something that you read earlier or between the text and your own experience. For example, â€Å"I remember feeling the same way when I . . . † or â€Å"This is similar to what happened in China. † Evaluations are your way of keeping the author honest. If you think the author isn’t providing suf? cient support for what he or she is saying or that there’s something wrong with that support, say so: â€Å"He says the dropping of the bomb was inevitable, but he doesn’t explain why† or â€Å"This is a very sel? sh reason. † xi READING COMPREHENSION SUCCESS IN 20 MINUTES A DAY Pretest B efore you start your study of reading skills, you may want to get an idea of how much you already know and how much you need to learn. If that’s the case, take the pretest that follows. The pretest consists of 50 multiple-choice questions covering all the lessons in this book. Naturally, 50 questions can’t cover every single concept or strategy you will learn by working through this book. So even if you get all the questions on the pretest right, it’s almost guaranteed that you will ? nd a few ideas or reading tactics in this book that you didn’t already know. On the other hand, if you get many questions wrong on this pretest, don’t despair. This book will show you how to read more effectively, step by step. You should use this pretest to get a general idea of how much you already know. If you get a high score, you may be able to spend less time with this book than you originally planned. If you get a low score, you may ? nd that you will need more than 20 minutes a day to get through each chapter and improve your reading skills. There’s an answer sheet you can use for ? lling in the correct answers on page 3. Or, if you prefer, simply circle the answer numbers in this book. If the book doesn’t belong to you, write the numbers 1–50 on a piece of paper and record your answers there. Take as much time as you need to do this short test. When you ? nish, check your answers against the answer key at the end of this lesson. Each answer offers the lesson(s) in this book that teaches you about the reading strategy in that question. 1 – LEARNINGEXPRESS ANSWER SHEET – 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b 3 c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d – PRETEST – Pretest The pretest consists of a series of reading passages with questions that follow to test your comprehension. Cultural Center Adds Classes for Young Adults The Allendale Cultural Center has expanded its arts program to include classes for young adults. Director Leah Martin announced Monday that beginning in September, three new classes will be offered to the Allendale community. The course titles will be Yoga for Teenagers; Hip Hop Dance: Learning the Latest Moves; and Creative Journaling for Teens: Discovering the Writer Within. The latter course will not be held at the Allendale Cultural Center but instead will meet at the Allendale Public Library. Staff member Tricia Cousins will teach the yoga and hip hop classes. Ms. Cousins is an accomplished choreographer as well as an experienced dance educator. She has an MA in dance education from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she wrote a thesis on the pedagogical effectiveness of dance education. The journaling class will be taught by Betsy Milford. Ms. Milford is the head librarian at the Allendale Public Library as well as a columnist for the professional journal Library Focus. The courses are part of the Allendale Cultural Center’s Project Teen, which was initiated by Leah Martin, Director of the Cultural Center. According to Martin, this project is a direct result of her efforts to make the center a more integral part of the Allendale community. Over the last several years, the number of people who have visited the cultural center for classes or events has steadily declined. Project Teen is primarily funded by a muni? cent grant from The McGee Arts Foundation, an organization devoted to bringing arts programs to young adults. Martin oversees the Project Teen board, which consists of ? ve board members. Two board members are students at Allendale’s Brookdale High School; the other three are adults with backgrounds in education and the arts. The creative journaling class will be cosponsored by Brookdale High School, and students who complete the class will be given the opportunity to publish one of their journal entries in Pulse, Brookdale’s student literary magazine. Students who complete the hip hop class will be eligible to participate in the Allendale Review, an annual concert sponsored by the cultural center that features local actors, musicians, and dancers. All classes are scheduled to begin immediately following school dismissal, and transportation will be available from Brookdale High School to the Allendale Cultural Center and the Allendale Public Library. For more information about Project Teen, contact the cultural center’s programming of? ce at 988-0099 or drop by the of? ce after June 1 to pick up a fall course catalog. The of? ce is located on the third ? oor of the Allendale Town Hall. 2. Which of the following statements is correct? a. Tricia Cousins will teach two of the new classes. b. The new classes will begin on June 1. c. People who want a complete fall catalogue should stop by the Allendale Public Library. d. The cultural center’s annual concert is called Pulse. 1. The Creative Journaling for Teens class will be cosponsored by a. The Allendale Public Library. b. The McGee Arts Foundation. c. Brookdale High School. d. Betsy Milford. 5 – PRETEST – 6. The title of the course â€Å"Creative Journaling for Teens: Discovering the Writer Within† implies that a. all young people should write in a journal daily. b. teenagers do not have enough hobbies. c. writing in a journal can help teenagers become better and more creative writers. d. teenagers are in need of guidance and direction. 3. According to Leah Martin, what was the direct cause of Project Teen? a. Tricia Cousins, the talented choreographer and dance educator, was available to teach courses in the fall. b. Community organizations were ignoring local teenagers. c. The McGee Arts Foundation wanted to be more involved in Allendale’s arts programming. d. She wanted to make the cultural center a more important part of the Allendale community. 7. Which of the following correctly states the primary subject of this article? a. Leah Martin’s personal ideas about young adults b. The McGee Foundation’s grant to the Allendale Cultural Center c. three new classes for young adults added to the cultural center’s arts program d. the needs of young adults in Allendale 4. Which of the following factors is implied as another reason for Project Teen? a. The number of people who have visited the cultural center has declined over the last several years. b. The cultural center wanted a grant from The McGee Arts Foundation. c. The young people of Allendale have complained about the cultural center’s offerings. d. Leah Martin thinks classes for teenagers are more important than classes for adults. 8. This article is organized in which of the following ways? a. in chronological order, from the past to the future b. most important information ? rst, followed by background and details. c. background ? rst, followed by the most important information and details. d. as sensational news, with the most controversial topic ? rst 5. From the context of the passage, it can be determined that the word â€Å"muni? cent† most nearly means a. complicated. b. generous. c. curious. d. unusual. 6 – PRETEST – (excerpt from the opening of an untitled essay) John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939, was followed ten years later by A. B. Guthrie’s The Way West. Both books chronicle a migration, though that of Guthrie’s pioneers is considerably less bleak in origin. What strikes one at ? rst glance, however, are the commonalities. Both Steinbeck’s and Guthrie’s characters are primarily farmers. They look to their destinations with nearly religious enthusiasm, imagining their â€Å"promised† land the way the Biblical Israelites envisioned Canaan. Both undergo great hardship to make the trek. But the two sagas differ distinctly in origin. Steinbeck’s Oklahomans are forced off their land by the banks who own their mortgages, and they follow a false promise—that jobs await them as seasonal laborers in California. Guthrie’s farmers willingly remove themselves, selling their land and trading their old dreams for their new hope in Oregon. The pioneers’ decision to leave their farms in Missouri and the East is frivolous and ill-founded in comparison with the Oklahomans’ unwilling response to displacement. Yet, it is they, the pioneers, whom our history books declare the heroes. 11. Which of the following excerpts from the essay is an opinion, rather than a fact? a. â€Å"Both Steinbeck’s and Guthrie’s characters are primarily farmers. † b. â€Å"Steinbeck’s Oklahomans are forced off their land by the banks who own their mortgages†¦Ã¢â‚¬  c. â€Å"John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939, was followed ten years later by A. B. Guthrie’s The Way West. † d. â€Å"The pioneers’ decision to leave their farms in Missouri and the East is frivolous and ill-founded in comparison with the Oklahomans’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  9. From the context of the passage, it can be determined that the word â€Å"frivolous† most nearly means a. silly. b. high-minded. c. dif? cult. d. calculated. 10. Suppose that the author is considering following this sentence with supportive detail: â€Å"Both undergo great hardship to make the trek. † Which of the following sentences would be in keeping with the comparison and contrast structure of the paragraph? a. The migrants in The Way West cross the Missouri, then the Kaw, and make their way overland to the Platte. b. The Oklahomans’ jalopies break down repeatedly, while the pioneers’ wagons need frequent repairs. c. Today’s travelers would consider it a hardship to spend several days, let alone several months, getting anywhere. d. The Joad family, in The Grapes of Wrath, loses both grandmother and grandfather before the journey is complete. 12. The language in the paragraph implies that which of the following will happen to the Oklahomans when they arrive in California? a. They will ? nd a means to practice their religion freely. b. They will be declared national heroes. c. They will not ? nd the jobs they were promised. d. They will make their livings as mechanics rather than as farm laborers. 7 – PRETEST – Bill Clinton’s Inaugural Address (excerpt from the opening) When George Washington ? rst took the oath I have just sworn to uphold, news traveled slowly across the land by horseback and across the ocean by boat. Now the sights and sounds of this ceremony are broadcast instantaneously to billions around the world. Communications and commerce are global. Investment is mobile. Technology is almost magical, and ambition for a better life is now universal. We earn our livelihood in America today in peaceful competition with people all across the Earth. Profound and powerful forces are shaking and remaking our world, and the urgent question of our time is whether we can make change our friend and not our enemy. This new world has already enriched the lives of millions of Americans who are able to compete and win in it. But when most people are working harder for less; when others cannot work at all; when the cost of healthcare devastates families and threatens to bankrupt our enterprises, great and small; when the fear of crime robs law-abiding citizens of their freedom; and when millions of poor children cannot even imagine the lives we are calling them to lead, we have not made change our friend. 15. When President Clinton says that â€Å"most people are working harder for less,† he is a. reaching a reasonable conclusion based on evidence he has provided. b. reaching an unreasonable conclusion based on evidence he has provided. c. making a generalization that would require evidence before it could be con? rmed. d. making a generalization that is so obvious that evidence is not needed. 13. What is the central topic of the speech so far? a. how Americans can keep up with global competition b. ways in which technology has undermined our economy c. ways in which technology has improved our lives d. how change has affected America and our need to adapt 14. By comparing our times with those of George Washington, Bill Clinton demonstrates a. how apparently different, but actually similar, the two eras are. b. how technology has drastically speeded up communications. c. that presidential inaugurations receive huge media attention. d. that television is a much more convincing communications tool than print. 16. Assuming that Clinton wants to add something about crime being a more serious threat in our time than in George Washington’s, which of the following sentences would be most consistent with the tone of the presidential speech? a. If I’d been alive in George’s day, I would have enjoyed knowing that my wife and child could walk city streets without being mugged. b. In George Washington’s time, Americans may not have enjoyed as many luxuries, but they could rest in the awareness that their neighborhoods were safe. c. George could at least count on one thing. He knew that his family was safe from crime. d. A statistical analysis of the overall growth in crime rates since 1789 would reveal that a signi? cant increase has occurred. 8 – PRETEST – The Crossing Chapter I: The Blue Wall (excerpt from the opening of a novel by Winston Churchill) I was born under the Blue Ridge, and under that side which is blue in the evening light, in a wild land of game and forest and rushing waters. There, on the borders of a creek that runs into the Yadkin River, in a cabin that was chinked with red mud, I came into the world a subject of King George the Third, in that part of his realm known as the province of North Carolina. The cabin reeked of corn-pone and bacon, and the odor of pelts. It had two shakedowns, on one of which I slept under a bearskin. A rough stone chimney was reared outside, and the ? replace was as long as my father was tall. There was a crane in it, and a bake kettle; and over it great buckhorns held my father’s ri? e when it was not in use. On other horns hung jerked bear’s meat and venison hams, and gourds for drinking cups, and bags of seed, and my father’s best hunting shirt; also, in a neglected corner, several articles of woman’s attire from pegs. These once belonged to my mother. Among them was a gown of silk, of a ? ne, faded pattern, over which I was wont to speculate. The women at the Cross-Roads, twelve miles away, were dressed in coarse butternut wool and huge sunbonnets. But when I questioned my father on these matters he would give me no answers. My father was—how shall I say what he was? To this day I can only surmise many things of him. He was a Scotchman born, and I know now that he had a slight Scotch accent. At the time of which I write, my early childhood, he was a frontiersman and hunter. I can see him now, with his hunting shirt and leggins and moccasins; his powder horn, engraved with wondrous scenes; his bullet pouch and tomahawk and hunting knife. He was a tall, lean man with a strange, sad face. And he talked little save when he drank too many â€Å"horns,† as they were called in that country. These lapses of my father’s were a perpetual source of wonder to me—and, I must say, of delight. They occurred only when a passing traveler who hit his fancy chanced that way, or, what was almost as rare, a neighbor. Many a winter night I have lain awake under the skins, listening to a ? ow of language that held me spellbound, though I understood scarce a word of it. â€Å"Virtuous and vicious every man must be, Few in the extreme, but all in a degree. † The chance neighbor or traveler was no less struck with wonder. And many the time have I heard the query, at the Cross-Roads and elsewhere, â€Å"Whar Alec Trimble got his larnin’? † 18. Judging by the sentences surrounding it, the word â€Å"surmise† in the third paragraph most nearly means a. to form a negative opinion. b. to praise. c. to desire. d. to guess. 17. Why did the narrator enjoy it when his father drank too many â€Å"horns,† or drafts of liquor? a. The father spoke brilliantly at those times. b. The boy was then allowed to do as he pleased. c. These were the only times when the father was not abusive. d. The boy was allowed to sample the drink himself. 9 – PRETEST – 22. Which of the following adjectives best describes the region in which the cabin is located? a. remote b. urban c. agricultural d. ?at 19. The mention of the dress in the second paragraph is most likely meant to a. show the similarity between its owner and other members of the community. b. show how warm the climate was. c. show the dissimilarity between its owner and other members of the community. d. give us insight into the way most of the women of the region dressed. 23. The author most likely uses dialect when quoting the question, â€Å"Whar Alec Trimble got his larnin’? † in order to a. show disapproval of the father’s drinking. b. show how people talked down to the narrator. c. show the speakers’ lack of education. d. mimic the way the father talked. 20. It can be inferred from the passage that Alec Trimble is a. a traveler. b. a neighbor. c. the narrator’s father. d. a poet. 21. What is the meaning of the lines of verse quoted in the passage? a. Men who pretend to be virtuous are actually vicious. b. Moderate amounts of virtuousness and viciousness are present in all men. c. Virtuous men cannot also be vicious. d. Whether men are virtuous or vicious depends  on the dif? culty of their circumstances. 10 – PRETEST – (excerpt from a letter to a pet-sitter) Dear Lee, As I told you, I’ll be gone until Wednesday morning. Thank you so much for taking on my â€Å"children† while I’m away. Like real children, they can be kind of irritating sometimes, but I’m going to enjoy myself so much more knowing they’re getting some kind human attention. Remember that Regina (the â€Å"queen† in Latin, and she acts like one) is teething. If you don’t watch her, she’ll chew anything, including her sister, the cat. There are plenty of chew toys around the house. Whenever she starts gnawing on anything illegal, just divert her with one of those. She generally settles right down to a good hour-long chew. Then you’ll see her wandering around whimpering with the remains of the toy in her mouth. She gets really frustrated because what she wants is to bury the thing. She’ll try to dig a hole between the cushions of the couch. Finding that unsatisfactory, she’ll wander some more, discontent, until you solve her problem for her. I usually show her the laundry basket, moving a few clothes so she can bury her toy beneath them. I do sound like a parent, don’t I? You have to understand, my own son is practically grown up. Regina’s food is the Puppy Chow in the utility room, where the other pet food is stored. Give her a bowl once in the morning and once in the evening. No more than that, no matter how much she begs. Beagles are notorious overeaters, according to her breeder, and I don’t want her to lose her girlish ? gure. She can share Rex (the King’s) water, but be sure it’s changed daily. She needs to go out several times a day, especially last thing at night and ? rst thing in the morning. Let her stay out for about ten minutes each time, so she can do all her business. She also needs a walk in the afternoon, after which it’s important to romp with her for awhile in the yard. The game she loves most is fetch, but be sure to make her drop the ball. She’d rather play tug of war with it. Tell her, â€Å"Sit! † Then, when she does, say, â€Å"Drop it! † Be sure to tell her â€Å"good girl,† and then throw the ball for her. I hope you’ll enjoy these sessions as much as I do. Now, for the other two, Rex and Paws†¦ (letter continues) 26. According to the author, his or her attachment to the pets derives at least partially from a. their regal pedigrees and royal bearing. b.having few friends to pass the time with. c. these particular animals’ exceptional needs. d. a desire to continue parenting. 24. The tone of this letter is best described as a. chatty and humorous. b. logical and precise. c. con? dent and trusting. d. condescending and preachy. 25. If the pet-sitter is a business-like professional who watches people’s pets for a living, she or he would likely prefer a. more ? rst-person revelations about the owner. b. fewer ? rst-person revelations about the owner. c. more praise for agreeing to watch the animals. d. greater detail on the animals’ cute behavior. 27. The information in the note is suf? cient to determine that there are three animals. They are a. two cats and a dog. b. three dogs. c. a dog, a cat, and an unspeci? ed animal. d. a cat, a dog, and a parrot. 11 – PRETEST – 29. From the context of the note, it is most likely that the name â€Å"Rex†is a. Spanish. b. English. c. French. d. Latin. 28. Given that there are three animals to feed, which of the following arrangements of the feeding instructions would be most ef? cient and easiest to follow? a. all given in one list, chronologically from morning to night b. provided separately as they are for Regina,  within separate passages on each animal c. given in the order of quantities needed, the most to the least d. placed in the middle of the letter, where they would be least likely to be overlooked. 30. If the sitter is to follow the owner’s directions in playing fetch with Regina, at what point will he or she will tell Regina â€Å"good girl†? a. every time Regina goes after the ball b. after Regina ? nds the ball c. when Regina brings the ball back d. after Regina drops the ball (excerpt from a pro-voting essay) Voting is the privilege for which wars have been fought, protests have been organized, and editorials have been written. â€Å"No taxation without representation† was a battle cry of the American Revolution. Women struggled for suffrage as did all minorities. Eighteen-year-olds clamored for the right to vote, saying that if they were old enough to go to war, they should be allowed to vote. Yet Americans have a deplorable voting history. Interviewing people about their voting habits is revealing. There are individuals who state that they have never voted. Often, they claim that their individual vote doesn’t matter. Some people blame their absence from the voting booth on the fact that they do not know enough about the issues. In a democracy, we can express our opinions to our elected leaders, but more than half of us sometimes avoid choosing the people who make the policies that affect our lives. 33. By choosing the word â€Å"clamored,† the author implies that a. eighteen-year-olds are generally enthusiastic. b. voting was not a serious concern to eighteenyear-olds. c. eighteen-year-olds felt strongly that they should be allowed to vote. d. eighteen-year-olds do not handle themselves in an adult-like manner. 31. This argument relies primarily on which of the following techniques to make its points? a. emotional assertions b. researched facts in support of an assertion  c. emotional appeals to voters d. emotional appeals to nonvoters 32. Which of the following sentences best summarizes the main idea of the passage? a. Americans are too lazy to vote. b. Women and minorities fought for their right to vote. c. Americans do not take voting seriously enough. d. Americans do not think that elected of? cials take their opinions seriously. 12 – PRETEST – Improving Streamside Wildlife Habitats (excerpt from Habitat Extension Bulletin distributed by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department) Riparian vegetation [the green band of vegetation along a watercourse] can help stabilize stream banks; ? lter sediment from surface runoff; and provide wildlife habitat, livestock forage, and scenic value. Well-developed vegetation also allows bank soils to absorb extra water during spring runoff, releasing it later during drier months, thus improving late-summer stream ? ows. In many parts of the arid West, trees and shrubs are found only in riparian areas. Woody plants are very important as winter cover for many wildlife species, including upland game birds such as pheasants and turkeys. Often this winter cover is the greatest single factor limiting game bird populations. Woody vegetation also provides hiding cover and browse for many other species of birds and mammals, both game and nongame. Dead trees (â€Å"snags†) are an integral part of streamside habitats and should be left standing whenever possible. Woodpeckers, nuthatches, brown creepers, and other birds eat the insects that decompose the wood. These insects usually pose no threat to nearby living trees. Occasionally a disease organism or misuse of pesticides will weaken or kill a stand of trees. If several trees in a small area begin to die, contact your local extension agent immediately. 36. Assume that the author has done some other  writing on this topic for a different audience. The other piece begins: â€Å"Remember the last time you walked along a stream? No doubt thick vegetation prevented easy progress. † What is the likely effect on the reader of this opening? a. an aroused interest, due to the reference to the reader’s personal experience b. resentment, due to being addressed so personally c. loss of interest, because the opening line makes no attempt to draw the reader in d. confusion, because not every reader has walked along a stream 34. What is the effect of the word choice â€Å"riparian†?

How To Write An Article Review Essay, Detailed Instructions

How To Write An Article Review Essay, Detailed Instructions What is an article review An article review is a process of critically evaluating literature within a specific field, it  entails summarizing, classifying and conducting comparison among different research findings. Article review involves searching for scientific articles among databases to retrieve relevant research findings presented by different authors. The purpose of review is to give both students and scholars the opportunity to evaluate the work of other experts in a specific field.   Using the article review process, experts offer critical opinions about other expert research work. Processes involved in Article Review Article review involves presenting your analysis of a subject based on an article finding to people who are conversant with a specific area of knowledge. It demands professional writing with high standards and an in-depth presentation of our opinion. Important points to consider before starting to review an article includes understanding that an article review does not require new information, but requires our response based on another authors work. Article review requires a critical evaluation and comparisons using theories, ideas and research findings that are related to the subject at hand. A good article review should have well-organized ideas that build ideas and present its arguments consistently. Reading and reviewing Before starting the review process, it is important to read the selected article to have a better understanding of the article content. It is advisable to read and re-read the article to identify some of the common themes described in the article. After reading the article, it is important to pinpoint the key points presented by the author,   this critical step will help identify the main article points of argument that helps in building up logical arguments while critiquing the article. Preparing an Outline An outline is a key when writing a  perfect paper, it  makes the writing easy when presenting articles arguments. Writing an outline involves choosing the specific statement that presents the main purpose of the review, known as the thesis. A thesis statement states the main ideas and helps control their flow. Thesis statements are a reflection of our judgment or opinion which can be generated from reading or personal experiences. Developing a thesis statement entails presenting the intention expressed by the author and presenting if the authors intention were realized. Coming up with an outline requires the writer to read the article and note down important facts and any other contributions made by other relevant research findings. A good outline needs to identify knowledge gaps and any contradictions.   An outline should also entail some of the shortcoming and strengths of the identified articles and finally summarizing the paper based on concrete knowledge. Writing a review Introduction The first part is the introduction, the introduction begins with mentioning the name of the article. For example, the article titled New evidence on the treatment of ADHD by Lucian, Barnes-Holmes, and Barnes-Holmes discusses treatment and management of ADHD among children. The first paragraph should include a thesis statement. The other important points during introduction include writing how the article relates to other research findings on the specific topic. When writing an article review, the topic needs to be clearly stated, citing the identified article at the beginning of the paper, which is also important.   Presenting the topic at the beginning of the paper will communicate to the reader about the main purpose of the writing. The topic needs to be appealing and should highlight the most important points of the article to be reviewed. The topic should be declarative, evocative or probing. Citing the article will enable the reader to know the specific article in question, for example: Luciano, C., Barnes-Holmes, Y., Barnes-Holmes, D. (2002)? New evidence on the treatment of ADHD. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 23 (6), 406-421. During an introduction, one shall explain the criteria the author used when analyzing and also comparing its findings, one will explain the organization for the review. The body of the review When writing a review, the body of the paper should begin with a topic sentence that states the main ideas of the paragraph.   Starting the paragraph with a topic sentence presents the reader with the idea early. The body of the paper should include data analyzed or quotations, or a set of comparison showing evidence. The body of the article should outline the arguments that support the thesis statement followed by a logic development of ideas noted when developing the outline. It is important to quote some facts presented by the author to illustrate the main article ideas. When reviewing an article, it is important to summarize the whole idea of the article, including what the author stated by noting relevant facts and other article findings. The next step is to critique the article by highlighting the articles strengths and weaknesses based on your opinion. It is also imperative to acknowledge the authors contribution in the specific field and also highlight the gaps and any contradictions found in the article.   Criticizing an article entails taking a standpoint to either support or not support the authors findings. All these should be backed up by fact and theories that apply to the topic. When choosing quotes from the article to support your argument, its important to select and discuss materials from the article to prove your point. Quotations help in developing an argument about the authors work using your words. Conclusion The concluding paragraph needs to summarize the views of the article and also restate the thesis statement. In this section, concluding means revisiting the main ideas of the article and highlighting our opinion of the article. The conclusion also presents the opportunity to give a way forward for further research. An effective conclusion needs to go beyond summary and appreciate the authors efforts and the significance of the article. Conclusion helps the readers to realize how you developed an argument or if the paper answered the question.   The conclusion should be developed from a readers perspective. At the end of the paper, the reader needs to gain new insight from the paper about the topic of discussion. Reviewing the draft After completing the first draft of the review, its important to revise the written paper to check for spelling and grammar. Proofreading needs to delete unnecessary and repetitive phrases or words and also add any missing information before submitting the final work.   Proofreading needs to check for errors in quotations or in references, logic development and also check if the paper has a solid support for the thesis statement. During the review, major changes of the content are allowed before submitting the final work.

Importance of Cca Essay Essays

Importance of Cca Essay Essays Importance of Cca Essay Essay Importance of Cca Essay Essay From my research. the MOE says. CCAs has been of import in the yesteryear and it will be more of import in the hereafter. This is because some of the cardinal traits that our immature need to win in the hereafter. a more complex and often altering hereafter. will be cultivated most efficaciously by prosecuting them in CCA. in squads every bit good as in single chases. It is basically a more unsure universe. wherever they go. A universe non merely of alteration but of unpredictable alterations. Global competition is intense. and filtrating into every section of economic activity. Leadership in any industry is besides more unstable. with late starting motors catching up with and catching established leaders. The old totem pole. with the developed states on top followed by the freshly industrializing economic systems of NIEs and following the emerging economic systems like those in Southeast Asia and so ex-socialist states like China. is gone. No lead is given for really long. And besides whole industries such as telecommunications. chemicals. finance and conveyance being reshaped under the impact of new international competition. and new technological chances. The restructuring is uninterrupted. over and over once more. non once-off. A hereafter of frequent and frequently unsettling alteration will name on more than academic abilities. It will necessitate certain doggedness among the people. They will necessitate a robust attitude to life and the surprises that it brings. They must hold more of a spirit of ‘can-do’ . the willingness to seek your manus at something new and even unseasoned. when something else fails. This doggedness will keep our immature good. and keep Singapore good. We must besides redouble our attempts to continue and beef up racial harmoniousness. in an environment that will frequently dispute what we have achieved. Schools have reinforced this with a scope of programmes and informal patterns aimed at increasing apprehension and commixture between the races.

Accessible Virtual Classroom For Visually Impaired Students Literature review

Accessible Virtual Classroom For Visually Impaired Students - Literature review Example It is easy to see why the concept of a virtual classroom appeals to a lot of people. It’s usually much cheaper than the regular schooling system and provides much more flexibility when it comes to learning and applying the knowledge. A common complaint levied against the traditional schooling system is that the students have no flexibility in following the curriculum, ie, all students are expected to follow at the same pace as that set by the teacher. However, each student has his or her own learning style and speed, which is especially marked for students who are at the either extreme of the IQ spectrum. Virtual classrooms remove this restriction by letting each student access and process the information according to their unique customized rate. Also, every pupil receives a fair amount of individual attention, which is not possible in a traditional classroom environment. The concept of a virtual classroom is also valuable to people who are in geographically or economically inaccessible parts of the world. It might not be possible to have a school for a community of a few people that are perched in a mountainous area or a desert region. Further, students who are physically disabled such as paraplegics or the mentally challenged can often still experience a conventional education as part of a virtual classroom setup. It is also seen that virtual classrooms are becoming popular for higher education purposes – where this was initially developed.... However, the purpose of this paper is to explore and study if these classrooms are also tailored to meet the demands of the visually challenged population. The visually impaired are traditionally at a disadvantage when it comes to computers and online resources such as the internet – because the mode of data transfer in these media is through sight. If this handicap can be overcome, online classes can be a great resource for the blind as they can empower themselves through the wealth of online educational resources available. Much is yet to done, but several important progresses have already been achieved to this extent. Tactile and Haptic devices have made great inroads into the education of the blind. It needs to be explored in greater detail how several of the successful virtual classrooms have addressed the specific needs of this community. Virtual classrooms are a multimodal information transfer environment. It combines the features of a web conference and video – audio conference. The device applications and multimodal sensitivity are the results of the combined benefits of several web applications such as email, chat, screen sharing, polling, web conference rooms, video – audio chats, telephone conference and so on. Before the question of the usability of virtual classrooms for the visually impaired in analyzed, it would be instrumental to analyze the specific features of a virtually information transfer environment. This is attempted in the next section where each of these features are considered in some detail. Features of a Virtual Classroom The following are the key features of a virtual classroom. 1) Real time audio and video Real time audio and

Innovative Process Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Innovative Process - Case Study Example The company mostly followed the criteria of a "technology push" for its innovative process where the emphasis was mostly given to R&D without so much input from a user perspective of market perspective. However, as it is shown in the present study, the company was able to do admirably well in the various sectors it went after primarily due to the unusual yet productive and creative environment it provided for its workers. The presented analysis is centered around several axioms of the innovative process that kept in vigor within the Toledo Glass company during and after Mr. Johann Gerhart's time. More specifically, the paper discusses of the organizational culture in the company, of the innovative strategy it followed to achieve its notable success, and of the simplistic corporate structure it used to direct and develop the company throughout the years. Being an inventor himself, Mr. Gerhart was particularly fond of Thomas Edison of the General Electric company, and in several ways applied the Edisonian method of innovation in his Toledo Glass company. ... In his own saying about his assiduity toward the inventive process, Edison claimed "Results' Why man, I have gotten lots of results! If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt is often a step forward." His empirical approach to invention combined to an amazingly radiant drive got him the sympathy of several notable inventors of his time. Among those who admired him, Mr. Gerhart went a step further to emulate the Edisonian empirical method for coming up with commercially viable inventions. The Toledo company culture would remain deeply marked by the distinctive Edisonian method for arriving at novelties regardless of the field. In the early twentieth century, a select number of companies had the innovation strategy that Mr. Gerhart decided to implement in its company. In fact, the first laboratory of the Toledo company was established to model the Edison's Menlo Park facility in New Jersey. The facility was stocked w ith various equipment and tools to facilitate the innovative process of its workers through experimentation and trial and error. In the early facility, Mr. Gerhart set the stage for a company culture to be build around a liberal attitude toward innovation and invention. That particularity would eventually become the cornerstone of the Toledo Glass company. As pinpointed in the case study, Johann Gerhart began working with a small team of five inventors who were free to utilize the tools at hand to come up with new products having commercial viability in the glass industry. Each member of the team had "carte blanche" to specialize on the use of a given tool or equipment to derive newer and better processes for producing glass products. Agreeably the method is quite