Saturday, September 7, 2019

Biochemistry and Technology Essay Example for Free

Biochemistry and Technology Essay 1. For the lesson, I chose the topic of animal cloning for agricultural needs. 2. The sources I used are http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/FDAVeterinarianNewsletter/ucm106070.htm http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/how/areas-of-research/animal-cloning/ 3. Cloning has always been something of science fiction, the ability to make an exact copy of an organism. Recently though, this sci-fi idea is more of reality than ever. Many have heard of Dolly the sheep, a perfect clone, but cloning has been done many times throughout the world. Rabbits, horses, mice and others have been clone before. Since cloning only takes one parent cell, the offspring is an exact genetic replica of the first. Now, cloning for agriculture was one of the first marketing thoughts on the subject. If a farmer were to have just one healthy pig that could end up being 100 healthy pigs, it would get rid of the problem of genetic problems with farm animals. A 100% success rate would help the farming business greatly. 4. There are many positive aspects of cloning technology for the use of livestock trading. This technology would benefit all in the livestock circle. Imagine that every steak you came from the â€Å"near-perfect† cow. Each cow would have the genes of one â€Å"perfect† cow. This would give the consumer and producer less work of having to find the best of what they want. 5. Many fear that cloning could be used for the wrong purposes, the main being human testing. People fear that the testing of animals is just the first step to people. Another problem that people fear is that animals will start to less seem like animals and just soulless things. 6. So Dolly was not the first clone, and she looked like any other sheep, so why did she cause so much excitement and concern, since she was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell, rather than an embryo. This was a major scientific achievement, but also raised ethical concerns.

Friday, September 6, 2019

Analysis of the Credit Card Industry in Turkey Essay Example for Free

Analysis of the Credit Card Industry in Turkey Essay The current Turkish government is very pro western and secular, however its divided religious loyalties, issues surrounding Greek sovereignty rights and fundamentalist groups threaten the expected 5 year stability of this administration. Government involvement in banking The Turkish Government has a history of involvement in banking affairs which is of concern to international investors. The Turkish state owns and finances a number of its banks and provides artificial stability to the banking system through state funded initiatives. The Government has also tailored wages in line with inflation rates e. g. minimum wages rates. With recent IMF intervention the long term plan for Turkey is still not absolutely clear. EU Membership The Turkish Government is pro EU membership and this is potentially the biggest paradigm shift on the horizon for Turkey’s financial system, this factor is further dealt with as a key driver. Economic †¢ Interest Rates Low interest rates in Turkey fuel loan take-up and have caused increase in credit card issue. Historically higher interest rates led to more widespread loan default and meant that less switching occurred as consumers were â€Å"tied† to provider. Economic growth in Turkey, with higher levels of middle and upper income, urban dwelling professionals and better access to continuing education has undoubtedly increased credit card take-up. (This could also be construed as a social factor). †¢ Global financial crisis The effects of the global financial crisis will have a major effect on banking restrictions to lending and credit availability in Turkey. Turkey’s export markets will be likely affected by the ongoing crisis which has a major effect on GDP which in turn affects spending power. Social †¢ Higher standard of living Higher standards of living among consumers have a beneficial knock on effect for credit cards issuers. In Turkey 7. 5% of GDP is invested back into education thus consumers are more financial savvy. †¢ Urban/Rural Divide Urban dwellers have a much higher likelihood of credit card use given their potential for access of issue and probability of a regular wage earning role. As the economy develops Turks are increasingly moving off the land from poorly paying seasonal work to the cities that offer a better chance of regular income and personal development. Technology †¢ E –Commerce Worth in excess of 2 billion euro to the economy and with 16 million people accessing the internet E-Commerce is a huge growth area and potential distribution channel for the credit card industry. It is also a medium for information driven purchasing through advertising potential and its access is furthered through telephone technology integration. †¢ SMART Cards The security afforded to the credit card industry through use of SMART cards has a beneficial affect on usage through; 1. Increased level of merchants accepting the facility 2. Security for use in Internet Cafes (here large numbers access the internet) 3. Security of service has become a battleground for competition among issuers Coupled with the above technologies, the explosion in EPOS facilities mean more access to products and services through credit card use, homogenising the myriad of potential transactions and benefiting both consumer and merchant. ATM’s also have further facilities to enhance the benefits of using plastic such as bill pay, mobile kiosks etc. Legal †¢ Intervention of Government/Key official Institutions There have been widespread changes in the law in Turkey affecting the credit card industry such as; 1. Restriction on credit card limits . Illegality of altering terms without informing consumer 3. Increases in minimum payment required 4. The Central Bank’s lowering of the interest rate cap 5. Loosening of the frameworks around mergers and acquisitions All of these interventions alter the attractiveness of the market for the credit card industry, which was historically fraught with lack of reg ulation and anti-consumer practises. Identify the 4 KEY DRIVERS FACING THE CREDIT CARD SECTOR 1. Technological Advances 2. State Intervention in Financial Affairs 3. EU membership 4. Rural-Urban Migration Technological Advances The rapidly advancing technology in the field of mobile payment will have a lasting effect on the credit card industry. Companies that can stay ahead of the game with new technologies in security, risk management and will be best placed to benefit from increased A physical â€Å"credit card† is really only a vehicle to hold a magnetic strip containing coded information. In terms of technology this is already quite dated; †¢ Already systems are designed to â€Å"swipe† a card on a merchant’s mobile phone, this will allow for a myriad of services which will no longer require cash transaction e. g. street traders. Advances in retina scanning technology are also at an advanced level and it is envisaged that the future of mobile payments may be through facial recognition or retina scanning. †¢ Other technology such as what is used in â€Å"The Baja Beach Club in Barcelona† where they inject a rice-size â€Å"VeriChip† RFID device into the wrist or upper arm of its patrons whom pay by swiping their arm – adapted from http://www. creditcards. com/credit-card-news/credit-cards-of-the-distant-future State Intervention The level of further state intervention in Turkey’s financial affairs will be a key driver in Turkey’s future credit card success or decline. As we have seen, moves by the government to regulate the industry have impacted on the potential earnings of the banks through lowering interest rates. In turn this type of regulation has stabilised the markets and led to economic growth which impacts positively on numbers of consumers available to the sector. Whether the current â€Å"Republican Democracy† in Turkey will be in power going forward is obviously of importance to this argument. With elections due in 2011 the future of state intervention in banking affairs is unclear. EU Membership Turkey becoming a full member of the EU will be another key driver in the credit card industry. EU entry will mean the freeing of trade and access to a further 500 million consumers. It is most likely that Turkey would be a more attractive market for global companies, of interest here, financial organisations who would be attracted by the large numbers of â€Å"unbanked† consumers and those who see Turkey strategically as the gateway to Eastern markets. The credit card market would likely become much more competitive with new entrants who would most likely look to merge with/acquire existing indigenous banks. Rural-Urban Migration According to the case study the majority of people in the rural areas of Turkey tend not to be credit card users. As the economy improves larger numbers of rural people (especially male) will likely move towards the larger urban centres to participate in the industrial or service sectors. This in turn leads to greater numbers with the potential to use credit cards, in turn offering greater numbers of potential consumers to the sector. SECTION 2 – Porters 5 Forces 2. Use the five forces framework to identify the forces affecting the Turkish credit card sector a. Graphically illustrate the five forces (see overleaf) b. Draw conclusions from the 5 forces analysis to explain; 1. How attractive the sector is I consider the Turkish credit card sector to be an attractive market for a large multinational e. g. BNP or Barclays to enter. From my analysis I have concluded that consumers are fragmented and suppliers are concentrated. Rivalry is high, yet only among 4 suppliers, considering rivalry in an industry such as haulage this must be considered attractive. Capital requirements of entry are high, but not on the scale of industries such as mining might be. Economies of scale and experience exist, however for companies already in credit card markets in other countries by no means insurmountable. The threat of substitutes is relatively low as the credit card holds a relatively niche position. Product differentiation/loyalty is low among existing consumers; good offers would attract new business, as would strong internet presence. Turkey has; â€Å"40 percent of people who are bankable based on their socio-economic status and age in Turkey are still â€Å"unbanked,† having no accounts with any banks in Turkey â€Å" (www. mckinsey. om/clientservice/ /Credit_Cards_in_Turkey. ashx) This data identifies a large section of the Turkish population who are potential consumers for a new entrant; therefore the market could potentially grow significantly for all players involved. 2. How the competitive forces are changing/may change The competitive forces are currently changing most notably in areas such as consumer access to information. More widespread access and use of the internet will drive further competition in the market through portals such as comparison websites, industry reviews etc. This will ultimately increase bargaining power of consumers, leading to decreased profits for suppliers. EU accession would alter the competitive forces among the major players currently in the sector. Interest rates set by the ECB, participation in the single currency etc. would have a significant impact on the state financed banking institutions and would alter their relevance. One would suspect that in a free market system the Turkish government would relish the opportunity of divesting the burden to international organisations to increase competition. With increased market stability and better financial education, consumer’s use of substitutes may extend to less expensive forms of credit such as personal loans. Coupled with better economic conditions consumer’s use of debit cards may also increase; given that currently lower income workers struggle to maintain a balance sufficient to cover their living costs. 3. How the sector may change to reflect changing forces The credit card sector can move more of its marketing budget toward E-Marketing and target new and younger consumers through this medium. MBNA have used this marketing channel very successfully in the past. In order to combat increased uptake of personal loans and increased use of debit cards the credit card sector may look at collective lower interest rates, better offers through loyalty bonuses and customer kickbacks and better education of its customers as to how to better use their credit cards. In order for the credit card sector to prepare for increased competition post EU accession it may look to further differentiate its offerings to appeal to the Turkish people e. g. align the credit offering with cultural values or emotions. It might be necessary to offer further services aligned to credit cards such as life insurance to augment and differentiate the offering. 3. Scenario Planning Scenario 1 â€Å"Renewed Political/Terrorist Violence in Turkey† In recent years, terrorist bombings some with significant numbers of casualties -have struck religious, political, and business targets in a variety of locations in Turkey. The potential remains throughout Turkey for violence and terrorist actions both by transnational and indigenous terrorist organizations such as PKK, . Revolutionary Peoples Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C) and AlQa’ida. Adapted from http://www. eubusiness. com/europe/turkey/invest) Given Turkey’s increasing dependence on foreign direct investment a return to more concerted campaign of political violence would spell disaster for the credit card industry. Large financial corporations, especially US owned would be deterred from entering the market, or potentially pull out of t he market thus decimating competition. Access to sources of international credit and lending would dry up therefore affecting consumer’s ability to purchase products and services on credit. Turkey’s export market would potentially be destroyed as Western nations would deter from transacting in case monies were being skimmed to fund further terrorist activity. This would further lower the GDP of the country affecting the spending power of consumers in turn negating the need for credit cards. Further knock on effects of violence include the loss of capital Governments have available to invest in its economy, on education and infrastructure. Government capital would have to be spent on further military and security projects. The tourism industry, a huge earner for Turkey would be decimated as travelers would fear the threat of violence. The black market economy would thrive under such conditions and regular banking functions would significantly cease with many consumers using cash/barter systems of attaining needs. With respect to the Credit card sector, this scenario would be highly detrimental to its future, as consumer confidence in the financial service sector would be decimated. The sector would have to pour vast resources into transaction security and marketing the brand safety and correct usage policies to consumers. Default numbers would likely increase due to instability and escalating interest rates. Scenario 2 â€Å"Turkey Gains Full EU Membership† â€Å"The EU is committed to supporting Turkey in its path for membership. The initial objective of EU financial support towards Turkey was the extension of an area of peace, stability and prosperity within and beyond Europe. Once the Union accepted Turkey as a candidate, financial assistance began to focus on supporting Turkey in its preparation for EU membership† http://www. eubusiness. com/europe/turkey/funding A study on the EU (http://europa. eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction. o) reported the following economic benefits of a country joining the EU; 1. An average of 2. 15% increase in GDP 2. Exchange rates for Turks travelling through Europe would be eliminated, as would the potential damaging effects exchange rate swings have on Turkish exports. I would assume that the credit card sector would become significantly more competitive in the light of EU membership therefore the sector would have to increase its marketing and branding spend, but would have a larger pool of consumers to choose from.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Iran: Healthcare, Education and Culture

Iran: Healthcare, Education and Culture Comparative and international Family Research demonstration project Cultural issues related to families are quite dissimilar in various countries. United States and Islamic republic of Iran exhibit great cultural diversity. Iran in known is known in United States for its for its vast supply of oil. It is a fact beyond obvious perception that Iranian and American Culture are witnessed to be in the midst of a â€Å"culture clash† with perceived difference in values; this has lead to great confrontations and tension. â€Å"Irans glory has always been its culture† (Frye, 2005), Is a quote that portrays the inherent relationship between people and their culture, this as had a immense effect in family setup. The family within the Iranian culture is a very autonomous aspect of their culture, heavily based on male dominance contrary with the Americans were women can live autonomously without a mans authority. Irrespective of this, Iranians as well as Americans equally treasure their exclusive and intricate cultural identity, whether its the Ira nians intrinsic values of Islamic religion, gender roles and family importance or Americas unique marriage taboos depicts the importance of culture alike (COMM 325 Iran, 2007). From both perspectives, we must examine the impact of religion, education, housing and geographical location among others to understand their family structure and cultural issues. Housing and Geographical location Iran is a country in south-west Asia. It is located at the southern shores of Caspian Sea, bordering the republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Turkmenistan to the north, Turkey, Iraq, Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman to the west, and to the east is Pakistan and Afghanistan (Tavassoli, 2002). Its the 18th largest country in the world with an area of 1,648,195km2 having an estimate population of 74 million people. Its a country with diverse landscapes varying from flat lands to deserts and from mountains to plateaus. It holds two mountain chains, the Alborz Mountains to the northand the Zagross to the south-west. This makes Irans land of true beauty and magnificence (Tavassoli, 2002). It further has a massive volcanic peak called Damavand located along the Alborz mountain ranges (Neff, 2006). In additions, its a home to two impassible barrier deserts called ‘Daht e Kavir and ‘Dasht e Lut. With this king of environment, the spatial characteristic o f traditional Iranian houses reflects natural, geographical and cultural needs. One important aspect is adaptation to the harsh climate most notable on the central parts of the country. Houses are constructed of Adobe and brick with unique fabled artistic and deep heritage architecture while in the United States; houses are made of stones and blocks (Harvey, 2005). Education Iranian education system is divided into five cycles namely, pre-school, primary, middle or guidance, secondary and post-secondary education. Elementary education is mandatory under the countrys constitution but due to high number of applicants for post-secondary educations, admission to these institutions is based on a nation-wide examination, giving a opportunity only to the most talented and bright students. All these levels of study enjoy free education, private schools and universities too do exist but allowed by law to charge tuition fees. Demand for post secondary education far much exceeds supply with only 27% of all applicants being admitted. (MCHE, 2009), approximately 50% of the Irans population is under the age of 25; hence quite difficult for the government to provide proper education for all (MCHE, 2009). Students at the two phases of primary and middle/guidance education are required to do a national and regional exam as compulsory for continuation. This does not apply in the United States. The literacy rates stand at 76.9% (UNESCO, 2009). Religions Islam is the religion of up to 98% of Iranians with approximately 90% being the Shia and 8% being Sunni. Other minorities make up 2% of the remaining non- Muslims. In Iran, divine law in the unique source of legitimacy and the unique interpreter of divine law is the spiritual leader. Any interpretations by the spiritual leader are not questionable. Furthermore, religion played a key role in the lifestyle of Iranians. Frey (2004) states that, issues such as polygamy were highly regulated by the Islam custom, where the religion permitted a man to have as many wives as possible. The religious law too supports the sanctifying of the family in diverse ways, defining conditions for divorce, inheritance and guardianship. These have had an impact in the entire family structure and ways of living. Issues of religious freedom are yet to be achieved with non-Muslims being discriminated and harassed. Conversion too from Islam is punishable to death. This is quite contrary to the United States we re there is freedom of worship and change of religion. Atheists have their own rights too, and peoples lifestyle seems not to be influence much by religion (Frey, 2004). Socio-cultural beliefs and values Before revolution, the Iranian society practiced segregation of sexes. Men dominated the family and subjected women to hardship in the name of culture. Mostafavi, Mehryar and Agha (2006), argued that â€Å"mens beliefs family planning is the responsibility of women has reduced their likelihood of their participation in family planning activities† (Mostafavi, Mehryar Agha, 2006, p.78). This means that men could not be keen at all on such issues of family planning at the expense of their wives. This is quite similar with the American culture in the fifties where, women where being taught to be housewives failure to which they were being despised.FRD (2004) further re-affirmed that, â€Å"Women generally practiced use of chador (or veil) when in public or when males not related to them were in the house. In traditional view, an ideal society was one in which women were confined to the home, where they performed the various domestic tasks associated with managing a household and rearing children. Men worked in public sphere, that is, in the fields, factories, bazaars and offices. Deviation from this ideal, especially in the case of women, tended to reflect adversely upon the reputation of the family† (p.147) An individual with no family ties has little importance and status in the larger society. Only if a person does something disgusting to Islam can such ties be detached. Even though the culture is strict in the roles of women, westernization has eroded some of these old values. Among these ideas are; women being involved in the public world such as education and labor force (FRD, 2004). In addition, the word ‘household had a quite different connotation than it is for the American culture. While for the Americans it refers to the actual structure were the family unit resides, the Iranian culture describes it has the cooperation and relationship between man and the woman (COMM 325, 2007). The family is quite autonomous heavily based on male supremacy. Even if the oldest member is the grandfather, father or son, they have the right to be in charge of the household. Polygamy is also practiced highly and enshrined in the Islamic law. This too is quite different with the United States where polygamy is hardly practiced. Another complex cultural practiced which is highly termed as a taboo in the United States is marriages within the family context and the process of choosing marriage partner. Reliance on family members to choose a spouse for one of their own for marriage is still quite prevalent in Iran (COMM 325, 2007). Marrying a close relative is termed incest in the United States and is heavily prohibited. As much these two cultures are geographically far away, and with such sharp difference in culture, they too have some relationship in common, just like Iranians, Americans still value the importance of the family set up. This is much portrayed by the politicians where they are highly influenced by the wider family in their quest for political ambitions in the United States. The perception of women in both cultures is still eminent. Although w omen enjoy freedom and little influence from men, there still exist notable hierarchal differences with male dominance on the top in almost all aspect. For example, men generally are still paid more and reside in plush places than women (COMM 325, 2007). Sociopolitical systems and structures The political system in Iran is quite peculiar; this is much attributed by the fact that the state is an institution of divine will, where the divine law is the unique source of legitimacy and political authority. The depository and unique interpreter of divine law is the spiritual leader whose religious jurisprudence is given to be in charge of all aspects of political society. The spiritual leader exercises his control over the judiciary, the army, the police, the radio and also over the president and parliament; institutions elected by the people (Fidh, 2003). This clearly depicts the Islamic ideology in the political framework of Iran, hence a theocratic republic. This is quite different from the American system were the religion is autonomous and has no direct link with the federal political system of governance (Iran Year Book, 1996). Iran has three branches of government with the executive being headed by the supreme leader as the head of s tat e and present as t he head of government and council ministers whereas in the United states executive consists of the president who is both the head of state and government and delegates. Both countries share four year term of re-electing leaders with most of the top organ leaders holding electoral offices (UNESCO, 2009). Economics Iran is the second largest oil producer among OPEC member countries and it is the leading export commodity in the country. Agricultural products too such as wheat, rice etc contributes 10.4% of the GDP. The GDP stands at $852.6 billion and growth rate stands at 6.2% contrary to that of the United States GDP of$ 14.441 trillion and growth rate of 0.4% in 2008. The per capita income lies at $12,300 with an unemployment rate of 12.1%. Total exports amounted to $76.5 billion in 2008, 80% being from petroleum (UNESCO, 2009).These figures are quite insignificant compared with $1.283 trillion worth of export from the United States with a per capita income of $47,422 in 2008. The urban status has enjoyed lots of economic mobility due many opportunities emerging from government bureaucracies and revolutionary organization compared to the rural dwellers. Imports stood at $61.3 billion much being of industrial raw materials and military supplies (US Department of State, 2008). Access and utilization of health care The largest healthcare system is run and managed by the Ministry of health and Medical Education. It is charged responsibility to regulate and oversee healthcare system. However, access and availability of health care is limited particularly in provinces where figures indicate lower prevalence of diseases compared with nationwide figures. The government has also established low cost clinics to care for the law income. Able people mostly in the large cities of Tehran and Isfahan use private hospitals which charge heavy bills. This has boosted the Life expectancy of Iranian which stood at 70.8 years in 2008 with every citizen entitled to basic health care offered at subsidized rates by the government. In the United States, healthcare system lies on the private hands with a view government hospitals (UNESCO, 2009). Food, dietary habits and body image Several Iranian dishes originated from the Greeks, Arabs, Turks and Russians. This happened in the midst of human civilization through invasions. Their stable meal mainly comprises of larger amount of grains especially rice, fruits and vegetables with small amounts of read meat. A typical Iranian meal is often a heaping plate of rice spiced with greens (Spencer, 1997). About 6% of population of Iran is undernourished according to World Bank. This means they do not receive adequate nutrition. Of children too under the age of five, 16% are underweight and about 19% are stunted. This explains the nutrient deficiency in their diet. Stable food for Unites States is wheat and wheat product but their diet is much blended coffee, tea, fruit juices and cereals. They are quite accessible to balanced diets with low cases of nutrient deficiency (Spencer, 1997). Technology and mass media Iran still has limited media freedom in dissemination of information with the government being in control. The administration too is yet to allow the internet to be a public forum with government involvement in filtering the internet. Several cases of harassment and closure of internet cafes in Tehran with g rounds of no permits and promoting immorality but it became apparent that the closure was due to Iranians use internet to make low cost international calls making the ministry of Post Telegraph and Telephone lose significant revenues (Washington post, 29th September 2006). With such frustrations, Iranians remain tangled with their culture with limited use of technology equipments in their households. A big contradiction exists with the United States where internet access is accessible by majority of the population without filtration by the government (Spencer, 1997). Conclusion Cultural issues related to families in Iran, is much affected by their religion. Through such studies of their cultural differences, it has helped to better understand one another and fully appreciate what we share in common and make sense of our perceived differences. This kind of understanding, help clear perceptions of hostilities and appreciate our fascinating cultures. Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl: Analysis Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl: Analysis Lamb to the Slaughter is a wound, holding story of Mary Maloney, who kills her own particular spouse by hitting him with a solidified leg of lamb and after that concealing her wrongdoing and discarding the proof by encouraging the lamb to the policemen who come to examine the murder. This sharp story is created down to the littlest detail; each word and expression suggests something, frequently has a moment significance thus controls the perusers feeling. The component that makes this story significantly all the more intriguing, is that it is composed from the killers perspective, while the conclusion of the creator is still obvious. Roald Dahl adequately built up the hero both specifically and in a roundabout way; however the utilization the suspense is more overwhelming in light of the fact that it uncovers and clarifies Mary Malloneys activities. Roald Dahl utilizes the long, short sentences and dynamic wording to make strain,anticipation and suspense with a wide range of systems. Roald Dahl effectively used long sentences to make a rundown of dreadful or stressing points of interest, which makes a mind-boggling, claustrophobic or serious feeling. Mary Maloney is the primary character of the story, a character that Dahl goes to considerable lengths to build up deliberately toward the start of this breathtaking short story. Mary is obviously a committed spouse to her significant other, Patrick. Dahl sets aside opportunity to clarify her care for Patrick. What this representation plainly does not set us up for is the situational irony that comes when Mary slaughters her Patrick. At that point, Mary Maloney simply walked up behind him and without any pause, swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could. Mary has a sudden change of temper and feeling. We see her go from an enthusiastic, mindful and delicate lady to this imprudent, frightening and vindictive character. The suspense gradually develops when the begin of man y inquiries rises. The violence of the crash, the noise, the small table overturning, helped bring her out of shock. She came out slowly, feeling cold and surprised The descriptive language and the long sentence utilized as a part of the content genuinely includes a great deal of anticipation by building up the dreadful climate of the house and the feelings going through Marys mind leaving us holding our breaths and imploring that the house does not turn into a crime scene. She carried the meat into the kitchen, placed it on the pan, turned the oven on high, and shoved it inside. In this quote we are likewise given a great measure of detail in this long sentence to put accentuation and help foretell what will later on occur in the story; the meat getting eaten. Roald Dahl used long sentences that were utilized to slow a description down and to make a feeling of unwinding or time dragging later on adding to the suspense. Roald Dahl utilizes exact words to help foretell diverse occasions in the story that make suspence. When the clock hit ten minutes to five, she began to listen, and a few moments later, punctually as always. With the use of the word punctual we are in a path put into a condition of suspense where we are not sure anymore if he will come back knowing the frightening title. Close to the beginning of the story,Mary is extremely possessive of her life partner. The feeling however was not circulated to Mary. Hullo Darling Perceiving how Patrick is not demonstrating the affection this shows the condition of anticipation and pressure amongst Mary and Patrick and again helping us foretell what may happen later on .In conclusion, the use of the words imagine and visionized help with the suspenceful part of the story knowing Marys incautious practices. Her first instinct was to not believe any of it, to reject it all. It occured to her that she imagined or visualized Adding on, Roald Dahl used different words to improve the depiction and general state of mind, and help create the suspense and foreshadowing of the story. Roald Dahl used short sentences give us a dread, since we do not expect them for some time. It gives short sentences a startling quality, which is truly valuable for making suspense. The ending of the story definitely was made to keep the reader at the edge of his chair and to kick with suspense. Mary began to giggle This quote expands on the dramatic conclusion that is assume to leaves in a condition of stun knowing her arrangement and guile payed off. This keeps on building suspense with the impact of not knowing whether the police will genuinely uncover the puzzle of Patricks passing. Through the story we see the change in heart of Mary and her impulsive actions and thoughts taking over her. It made no difference to her. This quote genuinely speaks to how Mary will battle through anything to escape inconvenience. It demonstrates to us how as it were, she is frail for experiencing the greater part of this only because of her significant other leaving The anticipation begins to dev elop when we are not sure if the cops will fall into her trap or not. The lamb turns out to be a significant symbol in the sotry. A leg of lamb. This quote introduces the main symbol of the story which in a way create suspense due to the entitlement of the story. Roald Dahl used short sentences to the create shape isnt common. They stop. Out of the blue. It feels distracted. It is meant to keep the state of tension and suspense. All things considered, it is apparent that suspense and tension are made in the short story The lamb to the slaughter The author utilized long and short sentences and significant words t as a method for making the sought environment, and prevail with regards to accomplishing his point. However there are contrasts in which this making of frightfulness and tension are organized inside these stories. Taking everything into account, the story gives a stunning and anticipation encounter through various strategies and systems.

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

The Use of Punctuation Marks in the Writing of Libyan Students Essay

â€Å"Punctuation marks are the main means of showing the grammatical organisation of what you write. Hide the punctuation and you hide the grammatical structure. And if you hide the grammatical structure, you hide the meaning of what you are trying to say.† Crystal (1996:151) maintains. As punctuation is relevant to and necessary to grammar (as above quotation states), a significant cause of EFL learner and Arab EFL writer low punctuation proficiency is the incorrect application of rules (Al-Jarf, 2001). He points out, the incorrect application of rules caused by: 1) failure to master the operational or transformational component of a rule; and 2) failure to learn a rules domain of applicability (p.16). According to Mohammed (2006), EFL learners who are unable to write in complete sentence, and constantly appear to have difficulty with understanding the concept of a sentence; their writing contains unconventional punctuation as a result. Mann (2003) believes that one should be familiar with sentence boundaries in order to punctuate correctly; moreover, he points out that to begin and end sentences is one of some difficulties learners face when they start to write. As the construction of sentence varies from one language to another, such variations may result in writing in incomplete sentence and then inappropriate use of punctuation. A simple sentence is â€Å"an independent clause expressing one idea† (Al-Khresheh 2010, p. 106), â€Å"a syntactic unit which contains a finite verb† (Fischer 1984, p. 15, cited in Polio 1997, p. 107), comprised of one subject-verb combination, though the subject may be compound and thus making up a clause with â€Å"more than one constituent† (Al-Khresheh 2010, p. 106). These features describe the English s... ...O’Grady, et al. 1996, cited in Al-Khresheh 2010, p. 106). Othman (2007) posits the differences in Arabic subordinate clauses at the helm of the differences and the cause of the impact to punctuating in English writing. Othman (2007) has conducted a study in which he has attempted to find out how subordination and coordination are commonly used in Arabic and English texts. He concludes: subordination is seen as a sign of maturity and sophistication in English writing, whereas coordination is more commonly used in Arabic writing. As Mohamed and Omer (1999) also conclude, these differences, like those in coordination efforts, manifest in several ways: Arabic subordinate clauses are semantically subordinate, but are syntactically capable equal to their main clauses, just like their main independent clauses, of acting independently as separate sentences† (p. 293).

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Amerigo Vespucci :: essays research papers

Amerigo Vespucci Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian explorer was born in Florence, Italy in the year of 1454. Florence was a good city to grow up in for young Amerigo, because of the growing interest in the field of exploration. Some of the adults told young Amerigo about the wonders and riches of the Indies. Like the other Italian boys in his village, undoubtedly Amerigo was fascinated with by those tales.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Amerigo lived in the Ognissanti section of Florence with a lot of the Vespucci family. The Vespucci family was pretty well off, so Amerigo thought that he was in line for a lot of money after his father's passing, but his brother Antonio was highly favored over the rest of the children. Most of the Vespuccis living with Amerigo were merchants dealing in wine, olive oil, or wool. Not all of the Vespuccis were merchants, a small percentage of the Vespuccis were bankers. All of the family liked art and learning, poetry and music just like the rest of the Florentines. The ruler of these interesting Florentines was Lorenzo de' Medicior, who was also know as Lorenzo the Magnificant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Amerigo was older, but still a young man, his father Antastagio Vespucci sent him to the Monestary of San Marco to study with his uncle Giorgio. In his new school, Amerigo along with the other European boys learned Latin, math, grammar, history, Italian and Greek Literature, geography and astronomy. Amerigo learned to love astronomy, because he was fascinated about all of the shapes the stars made, that his uncle called constellations. Amerigo thought about traveling about the Earth, but he thought it to be impossible, because he was tought in school that the equator was a ring of fire that made the waters boil there.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Amerigo's hopes of traveling the world were become more realistic over time. The first thing that sparked this was the invention of the caravel, a light, narrow, 60 to 70 foot boat. The Portugese, that started making this boat had learned to rig the caravels to sail well against the winds and currents of the rough oceans. Another reality check occured when Amerigo was 19. What happend was the Portugese finally sailed to the equator and found no boiling seas, which proved the Roman theory that young Amerigo was taught in school wrong. But then came a period in his life that Amerigo realized he would never

Monday, September 2, 2019

Virgin In A Tree Essay -- essays research papers

This poem was written in 1958, after Sylvia Plath left her job at Smith College to write for a living. It was during this time she found writing extremely difficult and resorted to set themes and deliberate exercises in style, in her efforts to find a release. The poem is based on a drawing "The Virgin in a Tree" by Paul Klee. Sylvia Plath expresses her feelings about the concept of virginity, virgins etc. She holds their morals and values accountable, for what they believe to be right and what they believe to be wrong. Sylvia Plath uses great many mythical allusions to illustrate her perceptions about virgins, especially in Ancient Greek mythology, many of which have been a direct bearing on the title of the poem; 'Virgin in a Tree'. The first most obvious allusion is that of Daphne. 'Ever since that first Daphne Switched her incomparable back For a bay-tree hide,' In Greek mythology Daphne was a nymph, the daughter of the river god Peneus. She was a hunter who dedicated herself to Artemis, goddess of the hunt, and, like the goddess, refused to marry. The god Apollo fell in love with Daphne, and when she refused his advances, he pursued her through the woods. She prayed to her father for help, and as Apollo advanced upon her, she was changed into a laurel tree (Daphne in Greek). Grief-stricken at her transformation, Apollo made the laurel his sacred tree. With reference to Apollo made in the phrase; 'god-haloed'. The other phrase 'goat thighed', may signify Philocetes (Trainer of the heroes) or Pan (god of the woods). It is most obviously Pan, with evidence in future reference in the fourth stanza. Pan, in Greek mythology, was the god of woods, fields, and fertility, the son of Hermes, messenger of the gods, and a nymph. Part animal, with the horns, hoofs, and ears of a goat, he was a lusty deity, the god of the shepherds and the goatherds. A w onderful musician, he accompanied, with his pipe of reeds, the woodland nymphs when they danced. He invented this pipe when the nymph Syrinx, whom he was pursuing, objected to his advances and was transformed into a bed of reeds, enabling her to escape him. 'Celebrate Syrinx whose demurs Won her the frog coloured skin, pale pith and watery Bed of a reed.' Pan then took reeds of unequal length and played on them. The god was always wooing one of the nymphs by playing on his pipes, but was always rejected ... ... root to top' 'Her fingers Stiff as twigs, her body woodenly Askew' Her tone throughout is very indignant, severe and at times mocking. 'How this tart fable instructs And mocks! Here's the parody of that moral mousetrap' 'They descant on the serene and seraphic beauty Of virgins for virginity's sake.' 'Be certain some such pact's Been struck to keep all glory in the grip Of ugly spinsters and barren sirs' Plath also makes use of faint colour imagery here and there, to strengthen her ideas and give support to her literary prowess. 'White bodies' use of the colour white may signify coldness of the virgins, or their supposed purity. 'Bark's nun-black habit' the colour black may point to the restricted, non-reproachable characteristics, while the colour green ('Green virgins') indicates inexperience. This poem is in many ways a social commentary, by Sylvia Plath, on the dilemmas modern society is faced with. Especially concerning roles of women as nurturers, mothers, wives and daughters. As well as their role in being virgins. Sylvia Plath definitely does not believe strongly in woman's role as a virgin, whether it be for purity or chastity's sake. Virgin In A Tree Essay -- essays research papers This poem was written in 1958, after Sylvia Plath left her job at Smith College to write for a living. It was during this time she found writing extremely difficult and resorted to set themes and deliberate exercises in style, in her efforts to find a release. The poem is based on a drawing "The Virgin in a Tree" by Paul Klee. Sylvia Plath expresses her feelings about the concept of virginity, virgins etc. She holds their morals and values accountable, for what they believe to be right and what they believe to be wrong. Sylvia Plath uses great many mythical allusions to illustrate her perceptions about virgins, especially in Ancient Greek mythology, many of which have been a direct bearing on the title of the poem; 'Virgin in a Tree'. The first most obvious allusion is that of Daphne. 'Ever since that first Daphne Switched her incomparable back For a bay-tree hide,' In Greek mythology Daphne was a nymph, the daughter of the river god Peneus. She was a hunter who dedicated herself to Artemis, goddess of the hunt, and, like the goddess, refused to marry. The god Apollo fell in love with Daphne, and when she refused his advances, he pursued her through the woods. She prayed to her father for help, and as Apollo advanced upon her, she was changed into a laurel tree (Daphne in Greek). Grief-stricken at her transformation, Apollo made the laurel his sacred tree. With reference to Apollo made in the phrase; 'god-haloed'. The other phrase 'goat thighed', may signify Philocetes (Trainer of the heroes) or Pan (god of the woods). It is most obviously Pan, with evidence in future reference in the fourth stanza. Pan, in Greek mythology, was the god of woods, fields, and fertility, the son of Hermes, messenger of the gods, and a nymph. Part animal, with the horns, hoofs, and ears of a goat, he was a lusty deity, the god of the shepherds and the goatherds. A w onderful musician, he accompanied, with his pipe of reeds, the woodland nymphs when they danced. He invented this pipe when the nymph Syrinx, whom he was pursuing, objected to his advances and was transformed into a bed of reeds, enabling her to escape him. 'Celebrate Syrinx whose demurs Won her the frog coloured skin, pale pith and watery Bed of a reed.' Pan then took reeds of unequal length and played on them. The god was always wooing one of the nymphs by playing on his pipes, but was always rejected ... ... root to top' 'Her fingers Stiff as twigs, her body woodenly Askew' Her tone throughout is very indignant, severe and at times mocking. 'How this tart fable instructs And mocks! Here's the parody of that moral mousetrap' 'They descant on the serene and seraphic beauty Of virgins for virginity's sake.' 'Be certain some such pact's Been struck to keep all glory in the grip Of ugly spinsters and barren sirs' Plath also makes use of faint colour imagery here and there, to strengthen her ideas and give support to her literary prowess. 'White bodies' use of the colour white may signify coldness of the virgins, or their supposed purity. 'Bark's nun-black habit' the colour black may point to the restricted, non-reproachable characteristics, while the colour green ('Green virgins') indicates inexperience. This poem is in many ways a social commentary, by Sylvia Plath, on the dilemmas modern society is faced with. Especially concerning roles of women as nurturers, mothers, wives and daughters. As well as their role in being virgins. Sylvia Plath definitely does not believe strongly in woman's role as a virgin, whether it be for purity or chastity's sake.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Interpersonal Communication Essay

There are many ways that my culture influences my self-concept. First let’s take a look at the many kinds of cultures there are. Culture is defined as the relatively specialized lifestyle of a group of people that is passed on from one generation to the next through communication, not through genes. Culture is transmitted from one generation to another through enculturation, the process by which you learn the culture into which you’re born (your native culture). Parents, peer groups, schools, religious institutions, and government agencies are the main teachers of culture. Through enculturation you develop an ethnic identity, a commitment to the beliefs and philosophy of your culture that, not surprisingly, can act as a protective shield against discrimination. A different process of learning culture is acculturation, the process by which you learn the rules and norms of a culture different from your native culture. In acculturation your original or native culture is modified through direct contact with or exposure to a new and different culture. Cultures, of course, differ in a wide variety of ways; and for purposes of communication, the difference that probably comes to mind first is that of languages. Certainly, cultures do differ in language spoken and understood. Masculine cultures emphasize success and socialize their people to be assertive, ambitious and competitive. Members of masculine cultures are thus more likely to confront conflicts directly and to competitively fight out any differences; they are more likely to emphasize win or lose strategies. Feminine cultures emphasize the quality of life and socialize their people to be modest and to emphasize close interpersonal relationships. Members of feminine cultures are thus more likely to emphasize compromise and negotiation in resolving conflicts; they are more likely to seek win – win solutions. Members of cultures with high ambiguity tolerance do not feel threatened by unknown situations; uncertainty is normal part of life and people accept it as it comes. Members of cultures with low ambiguity tolerance do much to avoid uncertainty and have a great deal of anxiety by not knowing what will happen next; they see uncertainty as threatening and as something that must be counteracted. In an individualist culture members are responsible for themselves and perhaps their immediate family. In a collectivist culture members are responsible for the entire group. In a high context culture much of the information in communication is in the context or in the person. In a low context culture most of the information is explicitly stated in the verbal message. In my every day life I use more of the intercultural communication. Intercultural communication is communication between persons who have different cultural beliefs, values, or ways of behaving. Being that I am African-American and my fiancà ©e is Caucasian my culture changes my self-concept. Being a male you assume that that’s the dominant one in a relationship or what not. I believe that being a male you should set the example for the household. It’s not my way or the highway is the wrong approach. It’s more of a compromise or we agree to disagree. I think that shows masculine. I can say race plays a lot but I would be lying. That would go back to a stereotype. A stereotype is a fixed impression of a group of people. From the outside looking in age would be a stereotype as well. I’ve recently turned twenty-five so that plays into another stereotype. Half way to fifty; what are you doing with your life. Or the stereotype of a black guy with a white woman. You hear it all but its all about your self-concept. I’m comfortable in my own skin. There were more important things of listening that I didn’t realize. One purpose of listening is to learn, something you do regularly as you listen to lectures in college. One of the communication skills most important to healthy relationships is the ability to listen to friends, romantic partners, family members, colleagues, and just about anyone with whom you come into contact with. You also listen to influence other people’s attitudes, beliefs, values, opinions and behaviors. Listening to play music or the rustle of leaves often serves a play purpose. Listening to help is something we experience growing up when our parents listen or, sometimes, don’t listen to our concerns and help us solve our problems. I used the five-stage model of listening as a reference guide. The barrier I noticed I have is receiving the information. By receiving the information wrong I didn’t understand what the other person was trying to get at. On the occasions when I used all five stages of listening correctly; my strong points were evaluating and responding. Which comes back to having good intercultural communication. I noticed how other people listened as well. I think if people would follow the five step process to listening they would have no problem. There would be less confusion as well. Week 5 Journal I have witnessed stages of conflict in one of my relationships by being the one directly involved in the conflict and by being the mediator and actually sitting back and observing. I experienced verbal aggressiveness on a first hand ba sis. It tears a person down from the inside out. I’ve experienced physical aggressiveness. Un like verbal aggressiveness this tears your down from the outside in. I show non verbal power just by the way I carry myself and display my athourity. Im not really sure how I would increase my personal power†¦its more a over time thing than changing it overnight. Nonverbal communication is communication without words. You communicate nonverbally when you gesture, smile or frown, widen your eyes, move your chair closer to someone, wear jewelry, touch someone, or raise your vocal volume, or even when you say nothing. The crucial aspect of nonverbal communication is that the message you send is in some way received by one or more other people. If you gesture while alone in your room and no one is there to see you, then, most theorists would argue, communication has not taken place. The same, of course, is true of verbal messages: If you recite a speech and no one hears it, then communication has not taken place. Body gestures are an especially useful classification in kinesics, or the study of communication through body movement, identifies five types: emblems, illustrators, affect displays, regulators, and adaptors. Illustrators make your communications more vivid and help to maintain your listener’s attention. They also help to clarify and intensify your verbal messages. In saying, â€Å"Let’s go up,† for example, you probably move your head and perhaps your finger in an upward direction. In describing a circle or a square, you more than likely make circular or square movements with your hands. Research points to another advantage of illustrators: that they increase your ability to remember. People who illustrated their verbal messages with gestures remembered some 20 percent more than those who didn’t gesture. Affect displays are the movements of the face that convey emotional meaning are the expressions that show anger and fear, happiness and surprise, eagerness and fatigue. Regulators monitor, maintain, or control the speaking of another individual. When you listen to another, you’re not passive; you nod your head, purse your lips, adjust your eye focus, and make various paralinguistic sounds such as â€Å"mm-mm†or â€Å"tsk.†Regulators are culture-bound: Each culture develops its own rules for the regulation of conversation. Adaptors satisfy some need and usually occur without conscious awareness; they’re unintentional movements that usually go unnoticed. Nonverbal researchers identify three types of adaptors based on their focus, direction, or target: self-adaptors, alter-adaptors, and object-adaptors. Self- adaptors usually satisfy a physical need, generally serving to make you more comfortable; examples include scratching your head to relieve an itch, moistening your lips because they feel dry, or pushing your hair out of your eyes.