Monday, September 30, 2019

Picture & musical instrument Essay

In this picture, it showcases a man playing a musical instrument called bagpipes which are prominent and widely used in Scotland and Ireland. Based on the composition of the image, the man is probably a musician from an average social class because his choice clothing is typically worn by commoners probably during the Renaissance period. Generally, this illustration depicts an ordinary event in a musician’s life in the early periods. There are many components in this image that can tell the story of this single picture. Lines, shapes, color, shading and proportions are the elements that give life to a portrait. For the hat, it is a simple head ornament made from a plain fabric. The color gray with touches of brown suggest that it must had been used numerous times. The color combination gives it an aged look making it in a way look stylish. More so, the flower with a hint of light purple and baby pink colored petals that is surrounded by a couple of olive green leaves provided a natural component in the musician’s head cover. At first, it may seem that the beautiful flower is wilting probably because of its downward position but if viewers would look closely, the loveliness of the flower resides on its perfect color combination which exudes harmony. Additionally, a two-toned colored feather is also present on the hat. It is seamlessly intertwined with the flower. The feather added life on this very minimal hat through the blending of the colors gold and cream. Furthermore, the soft brushstrokes on the strands of the feathers give a sense of movement. It contrasted the stiff but delicate position of the flower. Moreover, the feather and the flower can be considered as accents of the hat that showcases the creativity of the musician and his love for things that possess simple yet striking beauty. On another note, hats are usually are worn outdoors during sunny days to protect the face from the rays of the sun. But on this picture, the black background suggests that the time was around in the evening or he was probably indoors which justifies the dark backdrop. Meanwhile, the relatively large brim of the hat had cast a shadow on the musician’s face. In a way, his wrinkles were partly concealed from the viewers’ line of sight. But if it will be examined closely, the series of lines on the forehead and on the mouth area can be considered as the focal points of the facial features. These lines indicate that the musician is probably in his late 40s or early 50s. On the other hand, the eyes tell a different story. It is hard to tell whether the arch of the left eyebrow and the roundness of the eyes signify an emotion. He can either be feeling tired or impassive during his performance. The semi-closed mouth with ripples of lines along the cheek area also adds up to the anonymity of the musician’s emotions. No outstanding feature can really be distinguished making it hard to determine the prominent mood of the painting. Overall, the musician’s face was painted in details. The realistic skin-toned color of the face accented by a small blush of red on the cheeks, the protruding nose, big black eyes, arched eyebrows, nude lips and the fine facial lines made an accurate representation of a male’s physical appearance. Furthermore, the layers of wardrobe added more personality into the painting. The musician is wearing three layers of garments. In the first layer is a white collared long sleeve shirt which is covered by a red V-shaped long sleeve with a wide collar. The bottom of the red shirt is tightened by a garter producing sections of scrunched up fabrics. Also, it seems that there is a set of embroidery at the bottom of the red shirt which serves as the accents to this plain piece of clothing. It is evident from the collar line to the sleeves that the musician is wearing layered clothes. Also, the combination of red and white complements very well. The simplicity of the white is balanced off by the intensity of the red. The third layer is a coat which has the same color as the hat with a dominant grayish tone but with touches of light brown and white. Also, the utilization of dark colors gave a slimming effect on the musician which made him look less stocky. The lining of the coat has a similar shade with the red shirt but more on the orange side. Probably this was intended to give continuity and proper blending of the colors used in the outfit. The whole look of the clothes did not seem stiff because of the folds seen all over the layers of clothing. The folds were intricately added to add movement in order for the clothes to look like as if they were moving with the musician. More so, these folds or lines contrasted the heaviness of the coat which gave a fluid quality to the whole picture. An unusual element was present on the left sleeve of the coat. This object has a circular shape with three layers of different sizes ranging from small to large. At one end is a hole where a red ribbon was tied which was pinned into the coat. Most likely this object is a type of medal that represents the musician’s profession or his achievements or this could just be an ornament used for fashion purposes. Regardless of its function, the circular object adds a touch of splendor to the whole garment. Moreover, the layers of clothing suggest that the weather was cold and that the musician needed the three levels of shirts to provide heat in order for him to properly play his bagpipes. Meanwhile, the bagpipe was illustrated in a neutral mocha brown color. Four pipes of varying heights and appearance were strategically strewn all over the irregularly shaped leather bagpipe. Because of the different sizes of pipes, it gave an illusion of elevation giving some dimension to a flat medium. Also, the creases on the bagpipe added some movement and tension to the image. Furthermore, the hands of the musician holding the main pipe were precisely demonstrated. The veins, the nails and even the lines on the knuckles were accurately portrayed. The viewers can really notice these details which suggest that these hands have been through a lot of experience in playing musical instruments. Despite the rigidity of the details on the hands, the way the hands were positioned displayed softness and finesse which is a true mark of a talented musician.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Availability of Drinking Water

INTRODUCTION Drinking water or potable water is water of sufficiently high quality that it can be consumed or used without risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually consumed or used in food preparation. Clean drinking water has yet to be completely recognized as a basic human right. While water plays a vital role in every aspect of life, some do not realize the gravity of the shrinking clean water sources. When unclean water is consumed, it can cause serious illnesses, sometimes leading to death. According to statistics provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), about 1. 1 billion of the world's 6 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water sources. Drinking Water is essential to the survival of all organisms,water has always been an important and life-sustaining drink to humans. Excluding fat, water composes approximately 70% of the human body by mass. It is a crucial component of metabolic processes and serves as a solvent for many bodily solutes. Health authorities have historically suggested at least eight glasses, eight fluid ounces each (168 ml), of water per day (64 fluid ounces, or 1. 89 litres),and the British Dietetic Association recommends 1. 8 litres. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has determined that the average adult actually ingests 2. 0 litres per day. 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by water. Water is available almost everywhere if proper methods are used to get it. Sources where water may be obtained include: ground sources such as groundwater, hyporheic zones and aquifers. precipitation which includes rain, hail, snow, fog, etc. urface water such as rivers, streams, glaciers biological sources such as plants. the sea through desalination Access to safe water can be measured by the number of people who have a reasonable means of getting sufficient water that is safe for drinking. Availability of safe drinking water is an indicator of the health of a country. A developed country will be more efficient in collecting, cleaning and distributing water to consumers. It is a sad fact but is true that ninety percent of urban sewage in the developing world is discharged into rivers and other water bodies. In the developing world, millions of residents lack a source of safe drinking water near their homes. People get safe drinking water from various sources such as household connection, borehole, protected dug well, public standpipe etc. But the Question that arises is : † Does everyone has safe drinking water available? † Availability of drinking water scenario in India is very Bad as compared to other countries like USA, England, China etc. as can be observed from the underlying table: Countries Amount Finland:100% Australia:100% Netherlands:100% Norway:100% Sweden:100% Switzerland:100% United Kingdom:100% United States:100% Russia:99% Bangladesh:97% Albania:97% Egypt:97% Pakistan:90% Nepal:88% Brazil:87% South Africa:86% India:84% A detailed analysis can be seen in the graph shown : Paste this map over here.. http://www. mapsofworld. com/thematic-maps/safe-drinking-water. htm The availability of Drinking Water is hampered and altered depending upon various factors such as, Drinking Water pollution, Wastage, Demand supply ratios, Treatment methods etc. INDIAN STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS FOR DRINKING WATER Indian Standards has set various limits over different chemical and physical properties of Water, in order to label it as Safe and Drinking Water, a sample of water, lying in the permissible range set as per IS, is safe for drinking. Following are the IS Specifications for Drinking Water : S. NO. Parameter Requirement desirable Limit Remarks 1. Color 5 May be extended up to 50 if toxic substances are suspected 2. Turbidity 10 May be relaxed up to 25 in the absence of alternate 3. pH 6. 5 to 8. 5 May be relaxed up to 9. 2 in the absence of alternate 4. Total hardness 300 May be extended up to 600 5. Calcium as Ca 75 May be extended up to 200 . Magnesium as Mg 30 May be extended up to 100 7. Copper as Cu 0. 05 May be relaxed up to 1. 5 8. Iron 0. 3 May be extended up to1 9. Manganese 0. 1 May be extended up to0. 5 10. Chlorides 250 May be extended up to1000 11. Sulphates 150 May be extended up to 400 12. Nitrates 45 No relaxation 13. Fluoride 0. 6 to 1. 2 If the limit is below 0. 6, wa ter should Be rejected, Max. Limit is extended to 1. 5 14. Phenols 0. 001 May be relaxed up to 0. 002 15. Mercury 0. 001 No relaxation 16. Cadmium 0. 01 No relaxation 17. Selenium 0. 01 No relaxation 18. Arsenic 0. 05 No relaxation 19. Cyanide 0. 05 No relaxation 20. Lead 0. 1 No relaxation 21. Zinc 5. 0 May be relaxed up to 10. 0 22. Anionic detergents (MBAS) 0. 2 May be relaxed up to 1 23. Chromium 0. 05 No relaxation 24. Poly nuclear aromatic Hydrocarbons — — 25. Mineral oil 0. 01 May be relaxed up to 0. 03 26. Residual free chlorine 0. 2 Applicable only when water is chlorinated 27. Pesticides Absent — 28. Radioactive — — REQUIREMENT V/s. AVAILABILITY Water. If you've got it, you probably take it for granted. But a quick scan of the globe — and a chat with the tiny group of researchers who are obsessed by fresh water — both indicate that water shortages are looming. And they aren't necessarily in the future, either. You don't miss your water, an old blues sage wisely said, 'til your well runs dry. Down here on planet Earth, the well is starting to run dry. We've seen projections that three billion people — half of today's population — will be short of water in 2025. The Earth has a finite supply of fresh water, stored in aquifers, surface waters and the atmosphere. Sometimes oceans are mistaken for available water, but the amount of energy needed to convert saline water to potable water is prohibitive today, explaining why only a very small fraction of the world's water supply derives from desalination. The Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water between 1990 and 2015 is a target we are aiming for. Although some countries still face enormous challenges. Rural communities are the furthest from meeting the 2015 MDGs drinking water target. Globally only 27% of the rural population has water piped directly to their home and 24% rely on unimproved sources. Of the 884 million people without access to an improved water source, 746 million people (84%) live in rural areas. Sub-Saharan Africa has made the least progress in improved water sources since 1990, improving only 9% to 2006. In contrast, the Eastern Asian region saw a dramatic drop from 45% to 9% reliance on unimproved water in the same time period. The shortage of water in our country is slowly affecting the lives of people as well as the environment around them. Some of the major issues that need urgent attention are: †¢ As a result of excessive extraction of ground water to meet agriculture, industrial and domestic demands, drinking water is not available during the ritical summer months in many parts of the country. †¢ About 10 per cent of the rural and urban population does not have access to regular safe drinking water and many more are threatened. Most of them depend on unsafe water sources to meet their daily needs. Moreover, water shortages in cities and villages have led to large volumes of water being collected and transported over great distances by tankers and pipelines. †¢ Chemical contaminants namely fluoride, arsenic and selenium pose a very serious health hazard in the country. It is estimated that about 70 million people in 20 states are at risk due to excess fluoride and around 10 million people are at risk due to excess arsenic in ground water. Apart from this, increase in the concentration of chloride, TDS, nitrate, iron in ground water is of great concern for a sustainable drinking water programme. All these need to be tackled holistically. With over extraction of groundwater the concentration of chemicals is increasing regularly. †¢ Ingress of seawater into coastal aquifers as a result of over-extraction of ground water has made water supplies more saline, unsuitable for drinking and irrigation. Pollution of ground and surface waters from agrochemicals (fertilizers and pesticides) and from industry poses a major environmental health hazard, with potentially significant costs to the country. The World Bank has estimated that the total cost of environmental, damage in India amounts to US$9. 7 billion annually, or 4. 5 per cent of the gross domestic product. Of this, 59 per cent results from the health impacts of water pollution (World Bank 1995). DRINKING WATER POLLUTION Availability of drinking water is largely affected by its pollution, which has been leading and will lead to a decrease in its availability in the coming future. Drinking water pollution is a bigger problem than most people realize. While drinking water filters and bottled water has become a staple in our society, most consumers still use unfiltered drinking water for cooking, filling pet water bowls and bottles, and for mixing powdered drink mixes. Drinking water pollution is a big enough problem within our country to warrant the same vigilance as we give other health hazards. There are numerous sources that pile up into serious contamination potential for all drinking water. Whether your water is coming from a well on your property or if you are using â€Å"filtered† city water sources, the chances that you have a problem with drinking water pollution is quite high. Groundwater testing has shown that in any given area throughout the country as many as 200 variable contaminants have been detected. Long term exposure can create numerous health problems, including lead poisoning. While not every single contaminant is destined to cause a serious health problem or even any health problem at all, you can not count on your local contaminants to be harmless. Agriculture practices are one of the largest sources of groundwater contaminants. The chemical used in controlling bugs and other chemically based treatments run directly into the groundwater supply. Pesticides and poisonous agricultural raw waste can contaminate more than 40% of the surrounding groundwater. Ingress of seawater into coastal aquifers as a result of over-extraction of ground water has made water supplies more saline, unsuitable for drinking and irrigation. Pollution of ground and surface waters from agrochemicals (fertilizers and pesticides) and from industry poses a major environmental health hazard, with potentially significant costs to the country. Another major contributor to drinking water pollution is urban run off. Another human based contribution that needs to be controlled at the source in order to save our drinking water supply. When rain washes urban trash, chemicals, and pollutants from the structures and roadways of populated areas, there is no way for the water to filter itself on its way to the groundwater. Everything from basic trash, cigarette butts, antifreeze, motor oil, gasoline, pesticides, and other daily use products are all contributing factors in groundwater contamination caused by urban run off. Practicing safer disposal practices of automobile chemicals, putting together trash clean up projects, and using environmentally safe household products can help cut down on urban run off pollutants. Lead is one of the most concerning urban run off pollutants, as lead poisoning can cause learning problems, chronic emotional and health issues, and is non-reversible. Drinking lead contaminated water is a serious health problem. Water Treatment Water treatment is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, materials, and biological contaminants from raw water. The goal is to produce water fit for a specific purpose. Most water is purified for human consumption (drinking water) but water purification may also be designed for a variety of other purposes, including meeting the requirements of medical, pharmacology, chemical and industrial applications. It is important to take measures to make available water of desirable quality at the consumer end. That leads to protection of the treated water during conveyance and distribution after treatment. It is common practice to have residual disinfectants in the treated water in order to kill any bacteriological contamination after water treatment. Processes for treatment of drinking water: The combination of following processes is used for municipal drinking water treatment worldwide: Pre-treatment: It consists or removal of large debris such as sticks, leaves, trash and other large particles which may interfere with subsequent purification steps. It also includes treatment of water with soda-ash to remove hardness or chlorine to minimize the growth of fouling organisms on the pipe-work and tanks. pH adjustment: Distilled water has a pH of 7. If the water is acidic, lime, soda ash, or sodium hydroxide is added to raise the pH. Acid (HCl or H2SO4) may be added to basic waters in some circumstances to lower the pH. Making the water slightly basic ensures that coagulation and flocculation processes work effectively and also helps to minimize the risk of lead being dissolved from lead pipes and lead solder in pipe fittings. Flocculation: It is a process which removes any turbidity or color so that the water is clear and colorless and is done by causing a precipitate to form in the water which can be removed using simple physical methods. Coagulants / flocculating agents that may be used include: Iron (III) hydroxide Aluminium hydroxide PolyDADMAC Sedimentation: Water exiting the flocculation basin may enter the sedimentation basin, also called a settling basin. The dimensions of the tank are chosen such that it can lead to maximum particles settling down. As particles settle to the bottom of the basin, a layer of sludge is formed on the floor of the tank. This layer of sludge must be removed and treated accordingly. Filtration: After separating most floc, the water is filtered as the final step to remove remaining suspended particles and unsettled floc. Different types of filters are: Rapid sand filters Slow sand filters Lava filters Disinfection: It is accomplished both by filtering out harmful microbes and also by adding disinfectant chemicals in the last step in purifying drinking water. Different types of disinfections are: Chlorine disinfection Chlorine Dioxide Disinfection Ozone disinfection Ultraviolet disinfection Hydrogen peroxide disinfection Various portable methods of disinfection Solar water disinfection Biological processes are also employed in the treatment of wastewater and these processes may include, for example, aerated lagoons, activated sludge etc. There is no unique solution (selection of processes) for any type of water. Also, it is difficult to standardize the solution in the form of processes for water from different sources. Selection of any of the following methods depends on the scale of the plant and quality of the water. Wastage/Conservation of Water Water is needed for our survival. It is the most important resource for us. So its high time for us to realize this and start conserving water. So we need awareness among people so that each individual puts effort at their level and contribute to the larger cause on the whole. Saving the earth from such a crisis would not be possible without the efforts of each individual. People can start at home by not letting their taps open and by not spilling the drinking water. People should not let their taps run when its not needed. It is important for them to realize that millions of people don't even get access to drinking water. Government needs to implement stricter laws to avoid wastage of water during distribution. Higher fines can be imposed on people who waste water and higher incentives can be given to those conserving water. Recycled water can be used for gardening, washing etc. Due to the current water crisis. Only during times of shortage, do we take emergency measures; saving water should be followed even when there is surplus. If not for the current water shortage, not many would have taken notice of such occasions. During the time when we used to get good rainfall, we never conserved water. A large city needs billions of litres of drinking water every day to service the needs. We will have to make alternate water sources like rainwater harvesting, dig wells and bore wells for our use. The civic corporation should take the initiative to check the broken water pipelines. Such networks rupture occasionally which result in wastage of water every day and should repair it. There should be a specific limit for using water, every society should strictly abide by it should be enforced by society’s office bearers. Due to leakage to existing drinking water pipelines, every day millions of litres of drinking water is going waste. If wastage is stopped the drinking water supply will improve to some extent. The supply of drinking water is not increasing according to demand. As a result, drinking water scarcity is arising. Urban Water Supply Even though the rate of urbanisation in India is among the lowest in the world, the nation has more than 250 million city-dwellers. Experts predict that this number will rise even further, and by 2020, about 50 per cent of India's population will be living in cities. This is going to put further pressure on the already strained centralised water supply systems of urban areas. The urban water supply and sanitation sector in the country is suffering from inadequate levels of service, an increasing demand-supply gap, poor sanitary conditions and deteriorating financial and technical performance. According to Central Public Health Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO) estimates, as on 31 March 2000, 88 per cent of urban population has access to a potable water supply. But this supply is highly erratic and unreliable. Transmission and distribution networks are old and poorly maintained, and generally of a poor quality. Consequently physical losses are typically high, ranging from 25 to over 50 per cent. Low pressures and intermittent supplies allow back siphoning, which results in contamination of water in the distribution network. Water is typically available for only 2-8 hours a day in most Indian cities. The situation is even worse in summer when water is available only for a few minutes, sometimes not at all. A Stress Situation According to a World Bank study, of the 27 Asian cities with populations of over 1,000,000, Chennai and Delhi are ranked as the worst performing metropolitan cities in terms of hours of water availability per day, while Mumbai is ranked as second worst performer and Calcutta fourth worst (Source: Background Paper – International Conference on New Perspectives on Water for Urban & Rural India – 18-19 September, 2001, New Delhi. ) In most cities, centralised water supply systems depend on surface water sources like rivers and lakes. Chennai, for instance, has to bring in water from a distance of 200 km whereas Bangalore gets its water from the Cauvery river, which is 95 km away. Where surface water sources fail to meet the rising demand, groundwater reserves are being tapped, often to unsustainable levels. Delhi: The nation's capital is perpetually in the grip of a water crisis, more so during the dry season, when the situation gets particularly worse. As the demand-supply gap widens, more groundwater is being exploited. Of the water supplied by the municipality, approximately 11 per cent comes from groundwater reserves and remaining from the Yamuna river. It is, however, difficult to establish the total quantity of groundwater extracted because a large number of tubewells (owned by individuals, industries and bottled water companies) remain unregistered. In Delhi approximately 13 per cent (Source: Zerah. , M Helene, 2000, Water – Unreliable Supply in Delhi, French Research Institute of India) households do not receive water every day and in Rajkot, Gujarat, water availability in April 2000 was only for 30 minutes every alternate day. Rural Water Supply The rural population of India comprises more than 700 million people residing in about 1. 42 million habitations spread over 15 diverse ecological regions. It is true that providing drinking water to such a large population is an enormous challenge. Our country is also characterised by non-uniformity in level of awareness, socio-economic development, education, poverty, practices and rituals which add to the complexity of providing water. Dependence on the state has meant that with the cost of water supply being high and cost recovery being poor, the financial sustainability of water schemes has run aground, and repairs and maintenance is abysmal. With people having no interest in using water carefully, the sustainability of water has itself become questionable. There are serious problems with government drinking water supply schemes. Despite government efforts, the number of ‘problem villages' does not seem to go down, The government has indeed invested heavily on water resources development, which focussed on large-scale irrigation development for increasing green revolution-style agriculture production and drinking water supply programmes. Yet, a large part of the country remains drought-prone. This is because no specific effort has been made to drought-proof rainfed areas which suffer from high rainfall variability from year to year. Role of Government Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Environment and Forest and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare all have got a different roles to play to provide drinking water of adequate quantity and potable quality to meet the health needs of the community. All of them are involved and play their respective roles to provide quality water and its management. Roles of different agencies are listed below: †¢ Ministry of Water Resources: The Central Ground Water Board is monitoring both quantitative and qualitative data with regard to ground water. Apart from this CGWB has developed ground water maps concerning various qualitative issues. †¢ Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation: Working through various Urban Bodies, the Ministry is involved in monitoring drinking water quality in the urban agglomerations. There are quite a few Water Boards especially in Metro Cities who are equipped to take up the job, but not all urban bodies keep watch of the quality of water being provided on regular basis. †¢ Ministry of Rural Development: Department of Drinking Water in the Ministry is working through State public Health Engineering Departments or Water oards are monitoring the drinking water quality in the rural areas of the country. Almost all the districts do have WQ laboratory. Though WQ is generally tested during installation, follow up testing is not done on regular basis. The department in certain places is initiating community involvement for WQ testing including â€Å"Catchments Approach†. †¢ Ministry of Environment and Forests: Working through Central Pollution Control Board, the Ministry is involved in monitoring water quality of main rivers and big water bodies. Most of these water sources are being used for drinking water purposes. So CPCB itself or through State Pollution Control Boards is having a watch on raw water quality. †¢ Ministry of Health: So far the Ministry had been playing a limited role with regard to drinking water surveillance in some selected areas. But with the inclusion of drinking water under food category, MoH will be playing a significant role. Also Indian government enforced National water policy in 2002 and water pollution act( prevention and control) 1975 for maintaining water quantity and quality. CONCLUSIONS It takes the cooperation and the education of everyone to help clean up our biggest drinking water threats. The more environmentally friendly everyone becomes, the closer we get to finding cleaner drinking water and protecting our natural environment. Industrial and personal responsibility for our environment is the first and most significant step toward clean drinking water in the country in every community. According to a 2007 World Health Organization report, 1. 1 billion people lack access to an improved drinking water supply, 88% of the 4 billion annual cases of diarrhea disease are attributed to unsafe water and inadequate sanitation and hygiene, and 1. million people die from diarrheal diseases each year. The WHO estimates that 94% of these diarrheal cases are preventable through modifications to the environment, including access to safe water. Simple techniques for treating water at home, such as chlorination, filters, and solar disinfection, and storing it in safe containers could save a huge number of lives each year. Reducing deaths from waterborne diseases is a major public hea lth goal in developing countries.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Cultural Diversity And Subcultures In The United States Essay

Cultural Diversity And Subcultures In The United States - Essay Example It is interesting to consider the process by which a subculture acclimates to life in the United States. Some may choose to hold fast to as many of their native values and traditions as possible while others may quickly forget who they used to be in exchange for adopting as American customs and value as quickly as possible. Still, others strive for that balance between being proud of their own heritage and accepting that they need to adapt to their new way of life in America. Much research has been conducted on this topic, particularly, in terms of how adolescents acculturate to American culture. Perhaps the two most dominant cultures forming a subculture in the United States would be those from an Asian culture and those of the Hispanic heritage. Since 1965, for example, there has been a steady increase in the number of Korean Americans residing in the country. They are predominately located in California and New York, forming their own subculture in many areas of Los Angeles and New York City, in addition to other pockets around the country as well. Koreans have very strong bonds with their family, and they have a strong sense of Asian values. Research has shown that they largely maintain these customs when living in America. Korean parents often teach their children Korean language, history, morals and general customs. As such, Korean youth is torn between accepting the values and mores of their host culture, while maintaining their strong Asian heritage that their parents are working so hard to protect. An interesting component of this is that South Korean has adopted many western values of their own, such as materialism that has made

Friday, September 27, 2019

Fire scince Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fire scince - Assignment Example A chemical called alum ware poured on suspended particles. Hippocratic sleeve were later discovered by Hippocrates at around 500BC which they referred it to as the healing powers. The main thing done here was sieving of dirty water to obtain clean one. The first bag for filtering water was introduced during this era. The bag could hold sediments that make water dirty making people to be able to fetch clean water for consumption. Several discoveries were made and by middle Stone Age period, clean water supply was not difficult like before. Scientific discoveries had not been invented in during this time, but people had made significant improvements towards realizing them. The process of treating water is not as complex as it is feared. Companies’ responsible collects water from all sources in and around the cities treats them and sells them back for use. People use water daily for different reasons, once through with them, they dispose to drainage systems. This is the major source of water for these companies. Rivers, rain water among others are among other sources of water for treatment. They usually collect amount which is adequate for the entire population to avoid shortages in the cities. Water is a major component of most of the thing done by a man in his life. It ranges from household, recreational, industrial, environmental and agricultural among other uses. It is found out that 8% of water in the world goes for household consumption. Water for cooking, drinking, bathing sanitation, gardening among others consumes this percentage. Peter Gleick estimated basic household need for water at 50 liters per day. Drinking and cooking water need clean water to avoid dangers of getting diseases, thus bringing the need for cleaning water through water service companies in any environment. Clean water is called portable water as they can be consumed at any moment without the risk of any infection. In most first world countries, water distributed to

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Neuroimaging of the Acute Stroke Patient Case Study

Neuroimaging of the Acute Stroke Patient - Case Study Example This research tells that Alice is a 72-year-old woman who lives with her husband in an apartment. At 11:30 pm on a Thursday night, her husband called the ambulance because his wife was exhibiting some unusual symptoms. The first symptom was that his wife was sitting in front of the gas oven, continuously turning it on and off and saying that she needed to be there in order to keep warm. It was a humid night, so Alice’s husband was surprised that she appeared to feel cold. The second symptom was that Alice did not appear to recognize her husband, and kept mumbling to the oven rather than engaging in conversation with her husband. When the ambulance arrived, it was observed that Alice was pale and still dressed in her nightgown. Although she tried to get to her feet, she was unable to pull herself up. As such, being pale was a third symptom, while lacking motor control was a fourth. Alice’s medical history was mostly straightforward and there was little indication of any major aspects that would have an influence on the symptoms that she was showing. Alice is retired but remains active in the community by being involved in volunteer groups and acting as a teacher for children within the area. She has not had any significant health complications, aside from breaking her leg several years ago in a car accident. She has no history of falls and her husband considers her to be in good health. She is not currently on any medication.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

An Evaluation Plan For A Training Program Assignment

An Evaluation Plan For A Training Program - Assignment Example This Training program has been conducted throughout the branches of the eastern zone of USA. The training program lasted for 2 months. After the successful conduction of the training program, the management decided to devise an evaluation method to measure the success of the training provided. An evaluation plan is an essential part of a proposal that offers feedback about the success or failure of a project after it has been developed and implemented.The purpose of evaluation of the training program is different for the person who conducted the training and for the people who participated in the program. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on the views of both of the associated participants. In simple terms, the purpose statement helps in making decisions about the future of the overall organization or monitoring the program procedures to ensure continuance and improvement. A purpose statement is necessary to obtain relevance of a training program and for learning the impact of the training program on certain groups. Program logic models exhibit what a presented plan, new agenda, or focused transformation effort might include from start to finish. The elements in a program logic model consist of the resources, activities, outputs, short-term outcomes, intermediate-term outcomes, long-term outcomes and impact. In this case, the resources are the organizational infrastructure and financial investment. Activities are the detailed actions that make the program happen. Here the computers, internet connection, various software and training manuals are considered as activities. Outputs are the results of the activities, which is the delivery of the lectures and slideshow in this case. Outputs are often measured in terms of quantity and quality. Outcomes are the changes that take place within the awareness, skill, behavior, and knowledge level of the employees after the conduction of the training program. Impact is the final proposed change in an organization or commu nity. Stakeholders The stakeholders related to the training program include the employees, the managers, the supervisors, and the trainers. These people have direct link with the training method. Stakeholders are people who have interest in the evaluating procedure and can utilize the results of evaluation for further improvement, both self-development and organizational development. Key evaluation questions 1. How was the trainer in terms of communication? 2. Did the trainer answer all your questions? 3. How much helpful was the training session? 4. How did the management cooperate in the successful completion of the session? 5. Was the allocated time sufficient for the entire learning procedure? Choosing an evaluation design Evaluation design can be of three types: Exploratory evaluation designs help us in the starting of a training program to recognize which training to provide and the methods that should be implemented. Descriptive designs help us to determine whether the progra m is being conducted as per plan, provide us with response about the programs offered, and decide whether the program is creating the desired output. Causal evaluation designs help to present more information regarding the relationship between the training imparted and the outcomes obtained. It presents a cause and effect relationship. For this specific

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The Importance of Critical Thinking to Nursing Graduates Essay - 1

The Importance of Critical Thinking to Nursing Graduates - Essay Example Why do nursing schools highlight critical thinking so much? Why is it so important for nursing graduates to develop this skill? Research provides us with various answers to these questions. For one, nursing graduates on their first year discover that working in a health care facility is not as straightforward as that of nursing school – there are no written instructions, no mentors to guide their every move. Moreover, the various changes in health care institutions require nursing graduates the capacity to learn â€Å"on the job† and to make time-sensitive decisions without compromising quality of service delivery. Fresh out of college, with beautiful dreams on how to help their patients, most nursing graduates tend to underestimate the complexity of their chosen career. In fact, many nursing graduates have created ideals by which they want to base their practice on. These ideals are expressed in terms such as the â€Å"pursuit of patient-centered holistic care, of high quality care and theoretical knowledge, and of evidence-based care† (Wangensteen, 2010, p. 12). But research shows that reality soon catches up with nursing graduates as they strive gain experience from their practice while at the same time struggling to comply with convert rules, and organizational constraints (Maben, Latter, & Clark, 2007). Most new nurses feel no control over their situation as they strive to find their place in the organization. Hence, it is no wonder that most new nurses describe their first year in practice as a year of â€Å"uncertainty and chaos† (Wangensteen, 2010, p. 44). Research shows that whether nursing graduates worked in the hospital or in home care, the experience was the same – first time nurses found it difficult to adjust to their new role because reality was so much more different that what was taught in nursing school. Once working with health care

Monday, September 23, 2019

Analysis of IT Services in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Analysis of IT Services in Business - Essay Example By 2003, the company was earning good revenues with offices opened in US, UK, Japan, Germany, Australia, and Singapore, along with manufacturing capacity at Penang and Malaysia. Terra was still in quest of expanding its business further however, it did not have sufficient funds after all heavy investments (CMIS, 2010). Therefore, for the first time, it decided to invite outside investors to help terra in expanding its product lines. These investors included the owner of â€Å"country’s largest sheep farm, an award-winning film director, an actor known for his temper and fondness for rugby and inventor of bungee jumping† (Blanchard & Bowles, 1998). Though these investors did not have much knowledge about corporate world, they wanted the Frost brothers to hire a professional management team (Blanchard & Bowles, 1998). Despite huge opposition for this decision, Frost brother ultimately appointed Stephanie Clark as vice president of IT and Operations.Her colleagues called t his woman as â€Å"force of nature† as she possessed diverse abilities from looking into the details of any operational problem to encouraging the employees keeping in mind the broader goals of the company (CMIS, 2010). She majorly focused on planning and execution, which did not influence firm’s engineering culture. They assumed that they could not perfect the products if there is a fixed schedule or budget for them. These clashes were at height in 2005 when the company was trying to make a filmless X-ray system.... By 2003, the company was earning good revenues with offices opened in US, UK, Japan, Germany, Australia, and Singapore, along with manufacturing capacity at Penang and Malaysia. Terra was still in quest of expanding its business further however, it did not have sufficient funds after all heavy investments (CMIS, 2010). Therefore, for the first time, it decided to invite outside investors to help terra in expanding its product lines. These investors included the owner of â€Å"country’s largest sheep farm, an award-winning film director, an actor known for his temper and fondness for rugby and inventor of bungee jumping† (Blanchard & Bowles, 1998). Though these investors did not have much knowledge about corporate world, they wanted the Frost brothers to hire a professional management team (Blanchard & Bowles, 1998). Despite huge opposition for this decision, Frost brother ultimately appointed Stephanie Clark as vice president of IT and Operations. Her colleagues called this woman as â€Å"force of nature† as she possessed diverse abilities from looking into the details of any operational problem to encouraging the employees keeping in mind the broader goals of the company (CMIS, 2010). She majorly focused on planning and execution, which did not influence firm’s engineering culture. They assumed that they could not perfect the products if there is a fixed schedule or budget for them. These clashes were at height in 2005 when the company was trying to make a filmless X-ray system for dental and veterinary uses. Clark was getting this made because she could see a hidden opportunity in this segment. She knew that film-based imaging technique was relatively low-priced but their cost

Sunday, September 22, 2019

The Treaty of Portsmouth, 1905 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Treaty of Portsmouth, 1905 - Case Study Example This paper provides an evaluation of the conflict, negotiation of the treaty as well as an evaluation of the suppositions and empirical evidence as provided by the relevant readings and will offer analysis of underlying dynamics of conflict along with recommendations. The Russo-Japanese War prevailed between 1904 and 1905 and was the initial major military conflict of the 20th century, which developed from the imperial aspirations of Japanese and Russian empires particularly over the territories of Manchuria along with Korea (Woodhouse et al 1-10). The principal fronts of the confrontation were the southern part of Manchuria particularly the regions around Mukden and Liaodong peninsula as well as the sea adjacent to Korea and yellow sea. The Russian realm endeavored to obtain a warm water harbor located in the area of Pacific Ocean for purposes of the navy and commerce since Vladivostok could be used in summer seasons and was dormant on other seasons. Port Arthur on the other hand co uld be used throughout the year. Negotiations between the two ambitious foes had failed right from the conclusion of the initial Sino-Japanese conflict making war inevitable (Wandberge 23). Japan resorted to war in order to become overriding in Korea. Following the failure of talks, Japan attacked the Russians soldiers stationed at Port Arthur, a position located in Liaotung that had been granted to Russian by China via lease; this marked the beginning of the war (Butler 247). It was evident that owing to the fact that the Russians were not well managed, Japan triumphed in numerous battle fronts. The outcomes of the military campaigns were a huge global surprise in the sense that the victory of Japan was unexpected and shifted the power arrangement in East Asia. These outcomes brought Japan to the global stage as a major member of the world community. The course of negotiation at Portsmouth Peace accord has been recognized as a clear epitome of multi-track mediation. Records from th e process had indicated that citizen diplomacy was prevalent at Portsmouth- residents of the area inspired the negotiators to bring peace especially during a number of social events in instances when the process was failing. This has been cited as an important pillar in diplomacy. There are five strategies of negotiations that include contention, yielding, avoidance, problem solving and compromise (Zartman and Rasmussen 4). Contention involves the aspect of obsession with individual goals and less concern for the goals of the other party. Contention leads to confrontation, which involves threats, and restrictions along with hostility. Yielding is a situation where both parties are more concerned with the requirements of the other party and not their own, which creates a situation of pleasing each other and lessening the apprehensions. Avoidance signifies the absence of interest in both parties. Problem solving is a concern for each party’s goals that create an opportunity to generate a solution. Compromise being the ultimate in conciliation is an endeavor that is never arrived with enthusiasm (Dana 63-66). Experts of international relations have often concentrated on power relations among nations as an imperative dynamic in a broad category of state conduct, which comprises of creating alliance and tactical interactions along with negotiations programs. It is evident that that the power equation between Russia and Japan played a

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Poverty, Education and Health Care Essay Example for Free

Poverty, Education and Health Care Essay Abstract Poverty and education play an important role in access to health care. A low socioeconomic status influences the health of people. This paper provides a general overview of how poverty and education determines access to health care. It provides a description of the consequences of poverty and education on health care accessibility. Finally it provides solutions as how to address the issue. The link between poverty, education and access to medical care has received considerable attention. Health influences all the activities of an individual. All societies are concerned with varying levels of health among their members. They are also concerned about marginalized sections of society have access to health care. Poverty and its effects on society People belonging to poor communities have poorer health outcomes. They have less access to primary care as compared with more affluent residents. They are also less likely to have health insurance and regular doctor. They are more likely to have chronic health problems. They are more likely to get hospitalized for conditions which can be detected and treated at an early stage. Despite an expansive public insurance program these health problems remain. At least 18 percent of Americans are without medical insurance. This means a total of 44 million are without health insurance out of a population of 300 million. An estimated 87 percent of people are covered by government or employee based health care insurance (Cutler, 2004). People with low socioeconomic status face many challenges in maintaining their health. They have a high mortality rate. They are more likely to be suffering from some disease. They have limited health care resources. They live in poor environmental situations. The United States has one of the world’s most impressive standards of living. At least 32 million Americans live below the poverty line. In addition to poor people an estimated 50 million people live in poverty like conditions. Health risk factors like smoking, obesity and sedentary lifestyle are found in poor Americans (Cutler, 2004). They have a higher prevalence of disability and chronic illness. They have a shorter life expectancy. Children belonging to poor families are more likely to be malnourished. Many poor Americans live in houses which have lead paint. This can cause growth problems in children. Poor people eat inexpensive food which is fatty and lacks important nutrients. Poor people cannot afford health insurance coverage. Patients postpone their medical care and they are more likely to go without prescription medicines. Low income workers are at the highest risk of being uninsured because they are ineligible for Medicaid coverage. They work in low wage jobs that do not offer insurance. They cannot afford the high premiums associated with health care insurance. The lack of a usual source of care is another barrier to seek adequate health care. The challenges associated with poverty create conditions that can diminish lifesavings, lower learning ability and reduce physical, mental and emotional well being. All of these factors are a threat to people’s health. Urban areas in the United States have many health care facilities. However poor people cannot make use of these services. The major challenge is the high cost of visiting doctors, medicine and hospital care. Social factors like language barriers and prejudice by providers also hinder the accessibility of health care by poor people. The government also faces challenges in trying spreading health education in poor communities. Health care services are vital for the survival and livelihood of poor people. Illness persists in poor people. It stops people from working and forces them to sell assets. They fall into debt and are lead into a vicious cycle of dependency and poverty. Failure to treat themselves leads to illness and disability. This further reduces the ability to work in poorer households. People living in rural areas are forced to bear high transport costs. This is difficult and expensive for them. The lack of local health centers in rural areas further hinders the ability of poor people to access adequate health care (Crichton, 1997). The huge time that takes for poor people to obtain treatment is one of the greatest barriers which they face. Time away from jobs results in lost income. Health services run by governments are usually inefficient and are characterized by neglect. The quality of service is low. There is shortage of staff. There is no proper medicine and equipment. In many countries there is no safe water to drink. In developing countries there are high costs to health care. Besides the official fees there are corrupt staff members who demand bribes and fees in return for ordinary services. These services can include registration, tests and being given medicine. They can also pressurize a sick person to make unnecessary visits to the hospital. Payment methods are not flexible in many developing countries. Payment usually has to be made in advance and in cash. This causes considerable hardship for poor people (Crichton, 1997). Â  Education and its effects on society Education also plays an important role in health care. Many people with low literacy cannot read and understand directions written on medications. They cannot complete medical consent forms. They have problems in accessing health care and dealing with health related issues. Health literacy is the ability to read and understand words and procedures related to health care. It consists of comprehension, communication and appropriate action. The direct effects of low health literacy are medication errors. The indirect issues can include insurance issues, accessibility to health care and poor health behavior (Shi, 2003). Low health literacy affects people of all ages, races, educational levels and social classes. It is driven by a variety of factors. It is a multidimensional issue. Understanding written materials has been part of extensive health literacy in the past few years. Sensitivity to culture has also become part of health literacy due to the diverse population of the world. Messages and images have to be tailored to meet the diverse beliefs and values of people. Health literacy is concerned with understanding the information necessary to manage health (Shi, 2003). It is estimated that at least 90 million people in the United States cannot read. The health of such people is at risk. Ethnic minority groups are also affected by low health literacy. Older patients, recent immigrants, people with chronic diseases and those with low income are also vulnerable to having low health literacy. Many people with average or strong literacy skills have found medical terminology and concepts confusing. There are many health consequences associated with a low literacy level. Research has found that at least one third of patients have health problems because of failure in taking prescription medication correctly. People with low health literacy cannot comply with prescribed treatments and self care routines. They also have a high rate of failure in seeking preventive care. They are more at risk for hospitalization. They lack the skills to successfully move in the complex healthcare system (Shi, 2003). Patients with low health literacy have glycemic control. They are also more likely to report eye problems caused by diabetes. The annual health care costs for individuals with low health literacy are five times higher than those with higher health literacy skills. People with low health literacy are more likely to use health care services. Additional health care expenditures result from low health literacy skills. People cannot feel part of the social structure. They are also vulnerable to anxiety and other mental disorders. They can also alienate other people. Research has also found that people with low literacy levels are more vulnerable to die. While federal and state lawmakers continue to debate about how to increase access to health care, some of them are thinking of reinsurance system which might be affordable for poor people. In order to understand the concept of insurance it is essential that policy makers understand the concepts, benefits and limits of reinsurance mechanism. Reforms in Health care Reinsurance in health care refers to risk transfer or risk pooling arrangements. These are designed to remove the barriers which low income workers and minorities face when accessing health care. Risk transfer arrangements can help in this matter but they cannot lower health care costs. Policy makers must design policies which encourage participation from insurers and remove incentives to transfer costs to taxpayers. Reinsurance is defined as an insurance company buying insurance itself. The primary insurer is protected against the rare set of circumstances which might produce losses that it cannot fund on its own. Property and casualty insurance are the areas where reinsurance has been successfully implemented. Companies working in these areas can take heavy losses due to natural disasters in a short time period. This induces insurers to buy reinsurance on the commercial market. Poor people cannot afford health insurance coverage. This directly affects their ability to access medical care. Patients postpone their medical care and they are more likely to go without prescription medicines. Low income workers are at the highest risk of being uninsured because they are ineligible for Medicaid coverage (Kling, 2004). Public health plays a vital role in countering the effects of poverty on health care. It also minimizes the disparities in health by income. Public health policies protect the health of the population. It also plays an important role in reducing contagious diseases and providing low cost health services to marginalized sections of society. There are many examples of public health functions. Immunizing babies, improving sanitation, combating sexually transmitted diseases, protecting the environment and containing tuberculosis are some of the public health functions. Public health focuses on reallocating resources to communities which have low incomes. The US government has a network of community health centers, public clinics, school based clinics and health clinics for low income workers, migrants, minorities and homeless people. The National Health Service Corps is an organization which provides services and places physicians in vulnerable communities. Public health services also focus on specific diseases like tuberculosis. They also increase immunization efforts against this disease. They provide services which improve the health of low income families. Neighborhoods are cleaned from lead paint, pollution control and nutrition programs are launched. Women and children are fed through special programs. Poor people with low income and education have poorer health outcomes. They have less access to primary care as compared with more affluent residents. They are also less likely to have health insurance and regular doctor. They are more likely to have chronic health problems (Kling, 2004). Medicaid is the largest public programs that have improved access to health care. It provides health services to low income population. It finances health and long term care insurance for over 40 million low income Americans. Before Medicaid the poor people were essentially without any medical care. They relied on charity of physicians and hospitals. Public hospitals and clinics were also visited by poor people. Medicaid has made health services available to poor people. It has improved their health status and access to quality care. It has also created satisfaction amongst the poor people. Uninsured poor people lag well behind those people who have coverage with Medicaid. People with Medicaid have even fared comparably with private insurance (Kling, 2004). Despite the fact that these programs offer valuable assistance to low income populations, the deficits in access and coverage faced by low income population cannot be easily overcome. Increase in income does produce a substantial contribution to removing health differentials. However this is the need for insurance coverage and support for community based resources to eliminate health disparities by income. Poverty is hazardous for the physical and mental well being of an individual. Low income and homeless people are poor physical functions. They have a high prevalence of health risk factors and chronic health conditions. They also are more vulnerable to depression and other mental disorders. Research has shown that people living in vulnerable communities have a higher rate of being diagnosed with mental disorders as compared with more affluent communities (Kling, 2004). There is a need for prevention, intervention and treatment of diseases for poor people. Welfare reform cannot succeed without taking into account the special health problems of poor people and children. Poverty is associated with depression and other symptoms. It contributes to depression. People with insufficient personal support have no assistance in raising children. They live under the chronic stress of having children but little money to support them. They are at a higher risk for depression. There is a strong link between single-parent status, responsibility for young children, social isolation, and lack of social supports as well as to poverty. Welfare recipients have many barriers towards employment. They have low skills, substance abuse, health limitation or children with chronic medical conditions. They have serious forms of barriers. They have also high level of distress. They seek help from general medical, specialized and human service sources. Poor people with low income and education have poorer health outcomes. They have less access to primary care as compared with more affluent residents. They are also less likely to have health insurance and regular doctor. They are more likely to have chronic health problems. They are more likely to get hospitalized for conditions which can be detected and treated at an early stage. Despite an expansive public insurance program these health problems remain. At least 18 percent of Americans are without medical insurance. This means a total of 44 million are without health insurance out of a population of 300 million. An estimated 87 percent of people are covered by government or employee based health care insurance. Rising health care costs have become unbearable in the world. This is a problem for poor people in the Western countries and the situation is even worse in developing countries. There is a need for reform in the health care system. Many poor people are not covered by health insurance. Critical care medicine in high technology hospitals are only for a small group of patients (Ham, 2004). The first step should be rationing in containing health care costs. Public health care resources are limited. It is not possible to satisfy all medical needs for all people at all times. An appropriate goal for developing countries is to provide basic health care for the people. Some luxury medical procedures must be left for individuals to purchase with their own resources. Â  A basic level of health care must be provided for all people. Providing the best care is practically impossible. The government can however provide a basic level of care. Prevention oriented and ordinary treatment oriented goals must be set for developing countries and their health care systems. Inexpensive medical prevention is more effective and appropriate for poor people. Finally there should be a system of support which should help people with special expensive medicine care. Special foundations should come to the rescue of poor people for emergency and life saving procedures (Cundiff, 2005). Conclusion The health and well being of poor communities is an issue confronting both developed and developing countries. Research has found links between poverty and the health of people. Inside the United States many poor people do not have health insurance. Some of them can’t even think of affording health insurance. They are more concerned with the basic amenities of life. People in developing countries are even worse off. They have access to state hospitals and clinics which do not have trained staff, prescription medicine and advanced hospital care (Cundiff, 2005). A low health literacy rate is also dangerous for the well being of people. It can have adverse negative economic and social impacts. They can die at from treatable causes and get hospitalized because of their lack of health literacy skills. They are also prone to suffering from mental diseases like anxiety and depression. Â  There is the need for health reform in the entire world. Governments must provide a basic level of health care to all citizens. Advanced hospital care must be made available by foundations and donations. Governments working in coordination with community support groups can effectively counter the affects of poverty and low education on the health care of poor people. Some health responsibilities and policies should be transferred to community groups. The international community must help poor countries in developing basic and adequate health care system. References Cutler, David M. (2004). Your Money Or Your Life: Strong Medicine for Americas Health Care System. US: Oxford University Press. Crichton, Anne (1997). Health Care: A Community Concern?. US: University of Calgary. Shi, Leiyu (2003). Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach. US: Jones and Bartlett. Kling, Arnold S. (2004). Crisis of Abundance: Rethinking How We Pay for Health Care. US: Cato Institute. Ham, Christopher (2004). Health Care Reform: Learning from International Experience. US: McGraw-Hill Education. Cundiff, David E. (2005). The Right Medicine: How to Make Health Care Reform Work Today. US: Humana Press.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Definition Of Gonzo Journalism

The Definition Of Gonzo Journalism Gonzo journalism continues to be one of the most popular styles of writing that has ever been crafted in journalism. The interest that surrounds the published works of gonzo seems to be that it will always contort the general structure of normal journalism. In a large majority of news stories today, there is the pyramid of information where by the news worthy information will be at the top with less interesting details going further down. In gonzo the balance went missing and an article was defined by what the author experienced more than what the actual story was trying to report. The gonzo journalism style has always been widely accepted as being associated with the unusual and quirky writing of Dr Hunter S Thompson. (Wenner Seymour, 2007) Thompson became one of the most popular journalists ever thanks to writing in a simplistic style that consisted of telling a news story through the eyes of the author. Despite having many differences, gonzo has long been shoved in the same pigeon-hole as the new journalism revolution. (Weingarten, 2005) Although the form of journalism has slipped out of the public eye since the death of Thompson, Gonzo still plays a vital part in making news interesting. This is proven by how popular the works of Hunter S Thompson are today in comparison to when they were written and this shows the skill involved in creating this intricate art. All areas of the media have, at some point, incorporated gonzo into their style because it keeps well reported subjects fresh and allows new angles to be examined. While the style has remained popular, Thompson has concreted himself as the inventor and perfectionist of the gonzo craft a writer to be imitated but never bettered. Gonzo journalism is one of the most entertaining forms of writing and its continuation and development is extremely important for the future of journalism. 1.2 Aims and Objectives The primary aim for this dissertation is to examine the origins and definition of gonzo journalism and to understand the implications of this style of writing on journalism and finally composing recommendations and conclusions. The authors own aim is to use multiple research techniques to achieve an improved understanding of gonzo journalism and the implications for the use of this style. The following objectives have been structured in order for the author to be able to achieve the aims set out above: Thoroughly research all material which is related to gonzo journalism and/or Hunter S Thompson Investigate the origins and definition of gonzo journalism Review multiple forms of literature relating to and including the works of Hunter S Thompson Understand the implications that gonzo created within the practice of journalism Examine relevant sources on gonzo to find whether the style has been productive to journalism Explore what will be beneficial for gonzo journalism to continue being implicated in the future practice of journalism 1.3 Methodology 1.3.1 Selected method of research This dissertation is derived from research that has come from primary or secondary sources, or in some instances both of these sources. Primary research has many advantages over secondary sources as the researcher can modify the research question to focus on a tiny subject matter. Surveys and questionnaires are a great way of achieving relevant answers to a question that has not been asked before by a secondary source. The results from the surveys and questionnaires provide the author with up-to-date findings and results that help to meet the aims of the dissertation. Secondary sources are readily available and take less time and energy to produce results that will help to meet the objectives. The majority of books and journals can be accessed through online academic databases such as Athens and this makes the reliability of the sources much higher. The search functions can track down relevant sources quickly and accurately to make sure that the sources used match all the objectives. To complete the objectives set out above, primary research and secondary research were both adopted. The primary research would take the form of interviews and surveys as these were the most simplistic ways to achieve the dissertation aims. Secondary sources were gained through endless searches of the Edinburgh Napier University libraries and the online databases available to the University through Athens. Background readings and definitions on gonzo were also obtained from online resources such as newspapers, magazines and blogs. The reason for including secondary sources was to add extra reliability to the results as primary sources can often have limitations. 1.3.2 Limitations of research method Limitations for this dissertation have surrounded the decision to include primary sources as often these have more disadvantages than advantages. Secondary sources were essential but, while the death of Hunter S Thompson is highly documented, there are very few sources that discuss gonzo journalism and the history behind it. This limitation meant that more primary sources such as interviews would need to be used to gain reliable research on the true definition of gonzo. Surveys and questionnaires can be invaluable sources but are time consuming and provide many issues regarding the validity. There is a question over the knowledge of the respondents answers and even a small chance that the respondent is unaware of the subject and are guess answering. The limitations of secondary sources are mainly concerned with the unavailability of enough relevant sources and those sources that are found being non-academic and some even inaccurate. Many online sources have to be double checked for validity as blogs, newspapers and magazines can sometimes be written by inexperienced writers who are not knowledgeable about the subject. 1.4 Structure The dissertation shall begin with a literature review of gonzo (This dissertation will start out with a literature review on Enterprise Resource Planning in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 is then dedicated to a literature review on Organisational Culture. The two topics will be combined in Chapter 4, first in a literature review and then in an analysis of the discussed literature. The conclusions and recommendations out of this analysis follow in Chapter 5.) 2. Literature Review 2.1 Literature review: Gonzo: a definition One reason Thompson hasnt shown up in journals much is his association with New Journalism. In a 1989 survey of critical literature about New Journalism, James Stull1 found only sixteen scholarly works that address the genre. Since then, little has been added. New Journalisms general omission from critical consideration in literary journals may exist simply because the genre is only forty years old, a baby in the eyes of academia. It is also regarded as something of a bastard child, somewhere between fiction and journalism. New Journalists are notorious for blending fact and fiction, writing through overt subjectivity, and even instigating events they report on. These factors make it difficult to point out exactly where journalism ends 1 Stull, James N. New Journalism: Surveying the Critical Literature. North Dakota Quarterly 57 (1989), 164-74. 2 and fiction begins. While gonzo might the best genre to file Thompson under, and the most commonly employed to do so, it seems a shame to do so. Gonzo, while an almost onomatopoetic hint at what to expect, is something of an Other category. Well, hes not quite this one, not quite that oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦oh, lets just toss him over there. The term also carries an implied inferiority. Gonzo sounds unprepared, strung together, and madcap. Thompson himself has expressed an uneasiness with the term. I never really was entirely comfortable with the word gonzo,' he says in an interview50. It was not mine originally. Thompsons term was outlaw journalism. This is much more appealing than gonzo. Gonzo might as well be replaced with wacky. The realists (the safer group, headed by Wolfe) are concerned with intense observation and the accurate reportage of what was observed. They assume there exists a conventional, shared context between the writer and reader. On the other hand, the modernists, such as Norman Mailer and Thompson, believe there can be no single frame of reference and focus on breaking down that notion, which they see as a false assumption (192). 2.2 Literature review: the works of Hunter S. Thompson 2.3 Literature review Gonzo: the implications for practice Four years after his death, Dr Hunter S. Thompson remains one of journalisms greatest cult figures. His work created a whole new genre of journalism entitled Gonzo and his legacy still remains just as strong today as it did when he started his unique style in the 1970s. The term gonzo has more often than not been related back to Hunter S Thompson and his unique style of reporting news. The term has become increasingly popular since the creation of gonzo journalism and was even accepted into the dictionary in 2003. The Oxford Dictionary states that gonzo is 1 of or associated with journalism of an exaggerated, subjective, and fictionalized style. 2 bizarre or crazy. The first reported case of Thompson using this style was during the time he wrote the article The Kentucky Derby which was published in June 1970. The article was originally meant to be a straight sports story that told the outcome of a race but Thompson was disgusted by the decadent and depraved way in which the crowd behaved. According to his book The Great Shark Hunt, Thompson explained that he had scribbled down notes of everything he had witnessed that day and then faxed them through in a random order to his editor. The outcome was an incoherent, first-person rambling about society a s a whole rather than anything to do with the Kentucky Derby. Another journalist at the newspaper read over the article and told Thompson that his style was totally gonzo.  [1]  Although Hunter later confessed he had no idea what the saying meant, he kept it as his own. In interviews with numerous magazines since then, he has given a literary meaning of the word by saying that it followed William Faulkners dictum that the best fiction is more true than any kind of journalism.  [2]   In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Thompson described stumbling upon gonzo journalism as like falling down an elevator shaft and landing in a pool of mermaids.  [3]   While gonzo journalism is a popular subject in society, it is not often talked about in academic literature other than to be referenced when discussing larger movements, such as The New Journalism. (Hoover, 2009) Thompson continually broke the rules throughout his career and for a long time was rejected by many publications because of his erratic style and behaviour. In the 2007 book by Jann Wenner and Corey Seymour entitled Gonzo: The Life and Times of Hunter S. Thompson, the people closest to Thompson give interviews surrounding his controversial life. It is a biography with a difference as it gives a detailed analysis of Hunters entire life by the people who knew him best the ones he grew up with and worked alongside. A different side to Thompson is found in this book because not all the people who are interviewed particularly like him. Ex-editors and his ex-wife tell tales of his erratic drink and drug fuelled trips that ended in him not contacting anyone for days. Editors talk brutally about Hunter being unpredictable and never on time which made him virtually unemployable. The reader gets a sense of why Thompson always freelanced and even when he was doing okay; why he would get up and find work elsewhere. It sums up why Hunter remains as idolised as he still is today, the man lived his life exactly how he wanted to and did things his own way. In his own right he managed to become as famous as any rock icon of his era and all the while by using a pen and typewriter. Outlaw Journalist: The life of Hunter S. Thompson by William McKeen is another book that underlies the reason that people are still entranced by Thompsons life and personal style. This book looks closely at the relationship between Hunter as a writer and his rise to becoming a cult icon. The brutal truth that Hunter would write about offended most but at the same time encapsulated a large majority of readers. McKeen analyses Thompsons bad boy image and reputation and ties in the facts that people felt like they could trust Thompson because he spoke his mind and unveiled the darker side of a world people know exists. However, the author is quick to point out the irony of a man out of his mind on drugs talking about how much of a liar Nixon is and how the American dream was all a farce. The book delves into Thompsons dark and violent past with interviews from his ex-wife explaining that his temper was the reason why they were divorced. Like all the people Hunter met in life, there are always good stories and bad stories about him and Mckeen balances the two to create a book that shows both sides of Thompson. The work-aholic journalist who would give his all and even risk his own wellbeing to get a better story and the violent, drugged-up man who was shouting his head off while holding a shotgun. McKeens conclusions are that Hunter gave the writing world a stand-alone figure who would dare to break all the rules and take risks just for the entertainment of others. Most of the conclusion on this analysis looks back at Thompsons book Hells Angels and how he had risked his life and almost paid for it by trying to get an inside story. Marc Weingartens book, The Gang that Wouldnt Write Straight, focuses on gonzo journalism as a whole genre rather than just describing the works of Hunter Thompson. Around the time that Thompson had chiselled his unique style and found an appropriate title for it, there were already authors who had shown similar signs of creativity. Tom Wolfe and older writers such as Truman Capote had already published stories that were in many ways similar to Thompsons gonzo journalism but lacked the harsh truth that only Hunter could properly tell. The book is an interesting read because much of the books focus merely on Thompson and his career before and after the creation of gonzo journalism. This book looks at seven authors that helped shape the new journalism revolution and then each of them brings their own memories and opinions of that time into each chapter. When asked why he felt that he had become more famous out of gonzo, Hunter wrote, Wolfes problem is that he is too crusty to participate in his stories. The people he feels comfortable with are dull as stale dogshit, and the people who seem to fascinate him as a writer are so weird that they make him nervous. The only thing new and unusual about Wolfes journalism is that hes an abnormally good reporter. There are a lot of quirky parts to the book that make it different to other gonzo pieces and another reason is that the authors give their reasons behind the stories. For Hunter, this meant going into great detail about what had gone through his head for wanting to join the Hells Angels. The implications for practice today can certainly be understood from this chapter alone, as Hunter talks about his need to show the true side of human nature no matter what the outcome was to him. At the time, everyone knew the Hells Angels were no good but no-one quite knew the extent of what they were capable until Hunter had gone along and unveiled everything. In his own book Hells Angels, Thompson obviously tells the story how it was but it is fascinating getting inside the mans head to know why he wanted to report on something so dangerous. Probably another reason why Hunter remains a cult icon and gonzo journalism is still practiced today is because he constantly felt the urge to stand up to w hat most people would turn a blind eye to. Much like the way stories are found today, he was passionate about getting the truth and he would get involved with anyone with that information, just for the purpose of entertainment. Weingarten concludes that Hunters success was because he was truly different from other investigative journalists at the time because once he had locked in on a story it would consume him. That would be to the point where he would take unnecessary risks and ask questions to people who anyone else would leave well alone. Hunter got away from the Hells Angels with a severe beating but the legacy of that story remains Thompsons most hard-hitting gonzo classic. Steven Hoovers journal article, Hunter S. Thompson and Gonzo Journalism: a guide to the research, is essential for being able to find the best materials that are most relevant to researching and writing any articles on Thompsons work. As the article points out, While Gonzo seems to be a unique word at first glance, it is not as uncommon as one might imagine. Gonzo is also a surname, a Muppet, a Japanese animation studio, and a Japanese Buddhist monk who lived in the Heian Period. The research journal offers a great deal more than any Thompson bibliography could because years of literary reviews have already been carried out on the best research material by Hoover. Hoover argues that because of technological advancements of the internet it has become increasingly difficult to get hold of Hunters older material due to search results not flagging the right results up. When trying to get hold of proper gonzo journalism, search results more often than not bring up journalism websites that have a Hunter S Thompson obituary instead. Hoover successfully points the way to the most helpful resources available and gives a detailed description of the materials that are found in each of them. This proves invaluable for being able to find reliable sources that can provide academic opinions for any research articles being conducted about Thompson. In conclusion, it is a difficult task to find any academic opinion on Thompson because he was such a controversial figure. Very few academics have discussed Hunters private life and the true meanings behind gonzo journalism let alone how it has helped pave the way to journalism the way it is today. The authors who have the knowledge of Hunters career are life-long fans of his work and know a great deal about his upbringing and personality. However, it is the lack of acknowledgment surrounding Hunters involvement in forever changing the way reporters tell stories, that proves to be challenging. There are plenty of books and journals about new journalism but these merely glide over the facts about Hunters unusual style and concentrate on how he is the creator of gonzo journalism. I feel that the books I have read so far cover part of what I need to complete my dissertation but I will need to find other ways of analysing Hunters impact on todays society. 3. Methodology 4. Analysis 5. Conclusions and recommendations 6. Appendices 7. References

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Summary of Vietnam War :: Vietnam War Essays

Summary of Vietnam War Ngo Vinh Long   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this reading, Long discusses the history of Vietnamese resistance to colonial and oppressive forces. Long states that American historians and statesman claim that other factors contributed to the disastrous conclusion of the Vietnam war, but that the real truth is that the American’s were not prepared to meet such a formidable foe. The Vietnamese had been resisting the Chinese for over 1,000 years and had held on; when the French arrived the same policy of resistance was practiced. Ultimately, due to the oppressive nature of the French and WWII, the French were ousted and a new communist government under Ho Chi Minh was established. Having just been under an oppressive force, and being very knowledgeable about how to deal with oppression, the American’s were caught by surprise. Ho Chi Minh   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first set of readings, Ho Chi Minh calls upon Western powers to honor the principles of freedom they so ‘righteously’ proclaim. Speaking specifically to the French, Ho Chi Minh proclaims that the right of the Vietnamese people to be sovereign is inherent in the ideology of French ideology and he calls on them to follow through.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the second selection of reading, Ho Chi Minh recounts his eventual conversion to Marxist/Leninist ideals. He tells of his participation and final acceptance of communist ideals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the final selection of reading Ho Chi Minh calls upon all the people of Vietnam to join in the fight for full independence. In this letter Minh appeals to heroes of the past who have resisted oppression and relates these heroes to the present struggle. Johnson   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this selection of reading President Johnson is defending his Vietnam policy. This address by Johnson lays out many arguments for why the war in Vietnam is necessary; they are as follows: (a) the self-determination of nations; (b) aggressive forces; (c) communism as a menace to the world; (d) idea that everything operates like dominoes; (e) avoiding another Munich; (f) responsibility of the American people; (g) a â€Å"new deal† for third-world countries; (h) a better tomorrow for the world Scheer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this article Scheer explains why the US got involved in Vietnam. Three primary reasons were the imminent collapse of the French government, the success of the Viet Minh, and the instability of the puppet Diem regime. Duncan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this narrative, Duncan explains through various stories why he believes the war in Vietnam simply propaganda; he concludes his narrative by saying that it took him 10 years in the military to figure out that the government was feeding him lies.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Present and Future Benefits of Solar Powered Homes Essay -- Argumentat

Present and Future Benefits of Solar Powered Homes Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The following is a feasibility study on the need to apply solar power for homes and the benefits to be expected from it. This report contains information on the expected benefits of using solar power for homes in place of traditional methods of power such as electricity and gas. Solar power is beneficial to consumers because it saves them money compared to the increasingly high prices of conventional methods of generation. Solar power is also beneficial to society because it is much safer for our environment than the burning of fossil fuels or the use of nuclear power that is characteristic of gas and electricity power. This report explores solar power as an alternate and superior means of power generation for homes. Discussion and Results â€Å"Photovoltaics—A Path to Sustainable Futures†, a journal article by Joshua M. Pierce states that since 1957, electricity demand in the US has increased by over 450% while the US population has increased by only 50%, which illustrates how the demand for electricity has grown. During the first half of the 20th century, the national average price of electricity decreased as more efficient generating units were brought into service and this general trend has continued, but more electricity is needed so there is a need for different methods of generation like nuclear and solar power. Nuclear and fossil fuel generation have many negative environmental impacts, so there is a need for change which enables consumers to reduce dependence on these harmful technologies. â€Å"Photovoltaics—A Path to Sustainable Futures† states that new technology such as solar power has become a primary focus for researchers and they not only believe solar power to be environment ally safer but more cost effective as well. All of us are electricity consumers and therefore are familiar with this issue that directly affects us. When looking at alternate ways to produce electricity, one matter that particularly stands out is the consumer’s cost for the use of electricity compared to the use of solar power. According to www.solcomhouse.com, over 200,000 homes in the U.S. use some type of solar technology and more than 10,000 homes are entirely power by solar energy. The advantages of using solar power for homes, also known as Photovoltaic systems, are numerous. Many solar-power... ...rgy. References Passive Solar Buildings by J. Douglas Baccomb is a book that we have used that explains a broad survey of solar power-energy technologies and the reasons for their increased use. WWW.solcomhouse.com by The Ozone Hole, Inc. is a web site that gives an overall definition of solar power and its many uses. â€Å"Convincing the Home Builder to Build Solar Homes- Evaluation of the Passive Solar Workshop for Builders† by S. Klein is a journal article that discusses the increasing need for electricity and the most cost effective and environmentally safest way to keep up with the demand. â€Å"Photovoltaics -- A Path to Sustainable Futures† Volume 34, 20022002 by Joshua M. Pierce is another journal article that explains the technical, social, and economic benefits and limitations of PV technologies to provide electricity. Solar Heating Systems: Analysis and Design with the Sun-Pulse Method by Gordon F. Tully is another book that we used for our background information on how solar energy systems work. WWW.Millionsolarroofs.com by the U.S. Department of Energy is a web site that contains information on government programs supporting the use of solar power generation in homes.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

A Virtual Team at T. A. Stearns

Tom Andrews, Cy Crane, Marge Dector and Megan Harris are all part of a team because they cooperatively work towards the success of their small organization through the realization of their common goals and interests.Although their immediate common denominator is being part of a group that T.A. Stearns relies on for innovative programming, each member’s desire to have lenient working hours and flexible working space also gels them together to work cohesively. In fact, they have already stepped beyond working relations into the grounds of true friendship because they have learned to cover up for each other’s misgivings to be able to achieve their aims and goals.2. Has anyone in this case acted unethically?All of them, without any exception, violated their company’s trust.   This was done by concealing their new work innovation that gave them additional hours for personal time.Although it can be said that they have saved the company money by not asking for their r eward for another brilliant time-saving invention, what they have done is like stealing. The company could have saved more money by lessening their working hours but they let the company pay them unknowingly.3. What, if any, characteristics of groupthink are manifested in the work team?One of the indicators that the virtual team was already suffering from groupthink is their high moral stance. The members believed that they could cover up their â€Å"time cheating strategy† and collectively assumed that it was okay to keep their innovation a secret so that they can have more time to themselves.They even worked together to plan out how they can deceive their company by coordinating on their reports and schedules.   The team had begun to think that they were smarter than their bosses.Another indicator of group think was their arrogance regarding their working style.   The group had taken pride in their ability to have flexible time and working space compared to most people but this should not have given them the reason to scoff at those who have chosen to work differently.The most obvious indicator of group think is their move to keep information even from their leader.4. Has Dave been an effective team leader?Yes he has for he was very observant of his team.   He knew the members fairly enough to judge that there was something amiss and that he needed to get to the bottom of it right away. He was also a good leader because he immediately discussed his concerns with Cy.5. What should Dave do now?Dave would have to reveal the virtual team’s new discovery to upper management before the executives hear it through the grapevine. If I were in his shoes, I would reveal the innovation by presenting it as something the virtual team had experimented on for some time to ensure its effectiveness.   This way, Dave not only saves his virtual team but also gets a probable pat in the back from management for doing a good job.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Opportunities for Students to Practice Speaking in Class

This class is composed of 30 students in Grade 6 aged from 13 to 14, whose English level is quite deferent. About 20% of them are good at English, and they are active and participant in class, while 40% of them are poor at English, so they often remain quiet In class and sometimes can't follow the teacher. And the rest of them are of average level. They want to learn English well and are trying as hard as possible, but sometimes they are shy in class and like to be audiences rather than getting involved n class activities themselves.In this lesson, I want to focus on helping students compare and describe life in different places by using different sentence patterns to express past and present events. In addition, during the whole lesson hope to crate more opportunities for students to practice speaking in class as well as encourage the weak and average students to speak out their Ideas bravely. Sample 1. Context: At the beginning of the class, I showed students two maps of Kitty's ol d and new flat and asked them, â€Å"Did she live near or far away from school? However, one of the students answered, â€Å"Yes, she lived far away from school. Comment: Since this was the second period of a new lesson, I intended to check how much the students had learned about the text in the previous period, so I started it with an alternative question. However, the student didn't answer it right, which was beyond my expectation. To grade 6 students, the lead-in sentence seemed to be too complicated with alternative question for them to grasp though they were simple. They weren't able to respond correctly both In content and grammar. Appropriately In engage grading plays a vital role In a language teacher.Therefore, Instead of Glenn a confusing lead-in instruction, I could have simply elicited a question, † Did Kitty live near school? Which would be easy for them to answer without feeling nervous after answering it wrong. And I can lead in the new lesson in an more effec tive way. Sample 2 Context: in the final part of the lesson, I asked students to work in pairs and talk about their deferent school life by using the given sentence patterns and key words. While one pair was doing the practice in front of the whole class, another pair of dents was still talking to each other about the class activity.In order to keep the class under control, I neglected the two students who were doing the practice and simply said In a loud voice, † Let's listen to them carefully and no chatting! † However, embarrassed. Comment: Although classroom management is a must for an effective lesson, my tone of instruction to keep the class under control was not very friendly. I shouldn't have interrupted the students because it broke their chain of thought suddenly and they didn't know what to do in that situation. Instead, I could have monitored the class in an more effective way by walking to them and asking them to stop talking with my body language.Sample 3 C ontext: In order to have a smooth transit from Kitty's life in different places to students' real life in different schools, I created a situation by saying, † Tom is a photographer( stress on the first syllable) for our school newspaper, and he has taken many photos about our school life. Please look at his pictures on the PPTP and think about the life in your primary school. Let's work in pairs and finish the speaking activity together. Comment: Accuracy in word pronunciation when giving a clear instruction is a basic requirement for a language teacher.Here, I gave an inaccurate stress on the word : photographer. The correct stress should be on the second syllable instead of the first one. Enough attention should be paid next time I speak out the word. Sample 4 Context: In a drill related to the key sentence patterns of the lesson, I showed students two pictures of a swimming pool and the sea and elicit a dialogue for them to practice as follows: T: What did Kitty and Ben do when they lived in the city enter? S: When they lived in the city center, they swim in the swimming pool. T: They swim? S: Oh, they swam in the swimming pool.T: Now they live in the suburbs. Where do they swim? In the sea. S: Now they swim Comment: In order to make the student aware of his mistake in grammar, I repeat the mistake with rising intonation and stress on the mistaken word so that he can pay attention to it and correct themselves immediately. Here I tried to get students to self-correct with echo correct clearly and effectively and I got instant expected feedback. Sample 5 Context: Two pictures were shown on the PPTP about Kitty and Ben getting up when they lived in the city center and when they live in the suburbs.There was a clock elicit the following questions: T: Look at the picture. What time did Kitty and Ben get up in the past? S: They got up at seven o'clock in the past. T: Did they get up late? S: Yes, they did. T: Now look at this picture. What time do they get up now? S: Now they get up at half past six. T: Do they get up late now? S: No, they don't. They get up early. T: Can you finish the sentence now? When they lived in the city center, they Now they live in the suburbs, and they After answering these questions, students can finish the sentence easily and correctly.Comment: In order to check whether students have understood the target sentence structure â€Å"When they lived †¦. , they got up I elicited several concept checking questions to make sure that they have grasped the meaning of a new sentence structure. I broke down the meaning or concept of the target structure into a number of simple questions for students to have a clear idea of it. Besides, I also showed the employed sentence on the PPTP to make the pattern of the grammar clear so that the students can memorize it better.Sample 6 Context: Two pictures were shown on the PPTP. One was a TV set and the other was the sky full of bright stars. T: Now let's look at the t wo pictures. (Teacher points to the pictures). They are about Ben and Kitty's life at night. This time let's do a pair work in two minutes. (Show students the pattern of pair work) Let's go! SSL: What did Kitty and Ben do at night when they lived in the city center? SO: When they †¦ , they SSL : Now they live in the suburbs. What do they do at night? SO: Now they K, time is up. Let's come back.Any volunteers? (Students raised their hands). K, good. Stand up please. Comment: Although it is not always necessary to use Instruction Concept Questions, they can often make sure that the learners know exactly what they are asked to do in class step by step. Here I broke down my instructions into a series of simple chunked statements so that students could understand and respond to them quickly. As a result, they could be more involved and participant in the class activities and contribute more to the class. Candidate Name: Lion Gonzalez