Top 10 GRE Test Tips for Improving Your Score

Top 10 GRE Test Tips for Improving Your Score Congrats! You made it through undergrad, and now, youd like to take the GRE and head to graduate school for a few more years of the same. If that describes you, then these GRE test tips are going to come in handy. 8 GRE Hacks for the Verbal Section GRE Test Tips to Live By Answer every question. The GRE is not the time to skip questions youre unsure about. No one cares if you truly dont understand something and have to randomly guess. You arent penalized for guessing on the GRE (unlike the SAT), so its in your best interest to answer every single question offered to you, even the ones you dont like. Be sure of your answers especially when taking the Computer-Adaptive GRE. You cant go back to answer something because the screen will be gone. On the Paper-Based Test, you can skip a question and return to it later if you need to, but on the computerized version, youll simply get a zero if you leave something blank. So make the correct choice the first time around! Use the scratch paper. You will not be allowed to bring paper to the testing center with you, but you will be provided with scratch paper. Use it to help solve math problems, outline your essay for the writing portion or write down formulas or vocabulary words youve memorized before the test. Use a process of elimination. If you can rule out even one wrong answer, youll be in a much better spot for guessing if it comes to that. Instead of looking for the right answer per se, look for the least wrong answer. Most of the time, youll be able to narrow down your choices to two, which obviously gives you much better odds of getting the question right. Spend more time on difficult  questions. Chances are good that youll be taking the computerized version of the GRE, so the scoring is scaled: harder questions equal more points. Even if you miss quite a few easy questions and get a smaller percentage of the harder ones correct, your score will be much better than if you answered all of the easy ones correctly and only answer a few difficult ones right. So plan your time accordingly. This is one of those GRE test tips to memorize. Pace yourself. You may be a dreamer in real life, but taking the GRE is not the right time to wander mentally off into space. Youll only have about o ne minute per question for the verbal section and approximately two minutes per question in the math section. Two minutes may seem like a long time to answer a math question, and it would be for the easy questions, but once youre doing some serious computing, youll realize that the time is whittling away. So dont waste it. Dont second-guess yourself too often. Statistics suggest that your first answer choice is usually correct as long as youve prepared well for the exam and have a solid knowledge base. Do not go back through the test and change your answers on the paper exam unless youve discovered information that leads you to a new conclusion or you realize that you didnt give yourself enough time to thoughtfully consider the question on the first try. Mentally manage your stress. Once youre sitting at the desk or in front of the computer screen, your ability to physically do too much to manage your stress about the GRE and its implications for your future dwindles. So, your best bet is to manage your stress mentally by repeating a positive phrase or envisioning the end result of all your hard work. In the reading comprehension section, read the answers first. Instead of plunging ahead into the text, read what you need to be looking out for. Youll save time and score more points by reading the answe r choices before you read the text. Outline. It may seem like old hat, but you cant disregard the GRE writing section. Before you start writing, make sure you take five minutes to outline what youre going to say first. Your organization and thought process will be much higher if you do. Thats it! These GRE test tips will be sure to help you get that GRE score you want.

Contently for Freelancers

Contently for Freelancers A freelancer in one of my online groups posted that he received a $500 writing assignment for a 500-word profile. This assignment fell into his lap because of his Contently profile. Im a firm believer in the not all your eggs in the same basket school of thought. Contently falls into this category. It wont generate enough money to be your sole source of income, but it is an additional money making avenue. Contently (www.contently.com) is a site that connects freelance writers with large corporate clients. Although freelancers cant actively search for work, the pay rates are significant enough to compensate. Most assignments are in the $0.75-$2.00 per word range. Most flat rates range from $200 to $1,500. To create a portfolio, go to Contently.com and create an account. Its free. It will take approximately 15-30 minutes to set up, depending on the number of clips you have to attach. Youll need a current email and at least one URL to a published work. You can also upload documents from your computer. Contently has a tool that will search for other works Leslie, a freelancer in the group, shared that he felt the

Public Information Officers Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Information Officers Report - Essay Example CSR is not a new concept in the corporate world. The business organizations across the globe, both small and big have realized the significance of being socially responsible from the past experiences of many socially unsuccessful companies such as Enron. It has been well acknowledged by the corporate community that companies that seriously take care of CSR are more likely to sustain than those who do not. In fact, it takes into account the interest of all stakeholders. The benefits of being socially responsible are manifold. Some of the main include: Conforming to the social and ethical corporate practices results in not only corporate citizenship but it offers a numerous benefits as well. Consumers always prefer to buy products of those who are at the helm of CSR. In an article from Practical advice for Business, the relevance of being CSR conscious is illustrated as, "sales of environmentally friendly" products continue to grow - and these products often sell at a premium price. Ben & Jerry's ice cream became as famous for its approach to responsible business as for its products" (Business Link, n.d.). The benefits of CSR companies as an entity of society are manifold. They include economic, social, and ecological benefits. Besides, company's overall performance including financial performance can have a multiplier effect Corporate Financial Performance and CSR The closeness of corporate economic performance and CSR has been a topic of debate among the scholars and practitioners for years. Many studies have been conducted across the globe since the inception of the concept CSR to find whether any relationship exists between financial performance and CSR. Perhaps, all might have come out with positive results, though a very few responded in the negative. Majority of the studies argue that there is a positive correlation between corporate financial performance and CSR (Doran, 1994; Berkhout, 2005). When companies become CSR conscious, they are offered a plenty of benefits (reported above) that eventually contribute to augmented profit. Apart from this, many Studies have been done to analyze whether there is any relationship between the stock price and the economic performance. Recovery after a crisis is typically easier One of the challenges faced by a company that wants to operate under the principles of CSR is that how to balance its social and environmental responsibilities with its more clearly defined economic responsibility to earn a profit. It is important for promoters of CSR to acknowledge that at some point the cost of being socially and environmentally responsible outweighs the benefits. When this happens, most firms will cease to engage in new initiatives. In

The Issues When Using Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies in Essay

The Issues When Using Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies in Research and Is A Comparison between These Two Methodologies - Essay Example Furthermore, it will compare and contrast the two key approaches and its significance to obtain an in-depth understanding to the ideologies. Discussion According to Creswell, a researcher, while developing a proposal, should focus on the three key elements, namely, the philosophical hypothesis about the factors behind the knowledge claims, the general procedures for performing the research with due consideration towards the strategies of inquiry, and the development of comprehensive processes for data collection and data analysis often categorised as research methodology (3-6). The three approaches, i.e. the quantitative approach, qualitative approach and mixed approach include each of these three elements differently for formulating the research methods (Creswell 3-6). Thus, it can be stated that the researcher should emphasise on the three main elements irrespective of whatever approach preferred. Furthermore, the philosophical and social factors should also be considered while dev eloping the processes of analysing the opinions of the respondents to evaluate both the quantitative and the qualitative values of the research. As observed by Shadish, Cook & Campbell, quantitative research were those that raised the perspectives of the positivist (13-19). The research includes real and less accurate experiments which are known as quasi-experiments along with the philosophies of parallel studies which are related to specific single-subject experiments. However, the authors further stated that recently, the strategies of quantitative approach involved various complex experiments with numerous variable factors and conducts such as factorial designs and continuous measure developments. In other words, it can be concluded that researchers have been implementing various methods to the quantitative approach which were further diversified from the traditional process. Moreover, modern researchers have instigated elaborate structural models that have contributed towards th e identification of the collective strengths of the numerous variable factors engaged in a research process (Shadish, Cook & Campbell 13-19). In this respect, Walcott identified 19 strategies that could be implemented for conducting qualitative research approach (4-13). Thereby, the author emphasised more on the ethnographic procedures in which the researcher studies an integral cultural group in a natural situation over a long-lasting period of time principally collecting observational data. Such kind of research processes, are often termed to be flexible and normally evolve around the contextual responses from the respondents encountered in the field of research (Walcott 4-13). Thus, it can be stated that modern day researchers have identified numerous ways for measuring the qualitative value of the research question which have evidently rewarded a wide scope of conducting researches. According to Creswell, a quantitative approach is considered to be a unique framework in which th e researcher attempts to study the positive responses from the respondents for analysing the information gathered (118-178). The author also states that the researcher employs various strategies for performing the enquiry sessions in order to collect adequate information on predetermined processes which are further quantified and thus result in statistical data (Creswell 118-178). Accordingly,

Aristotle vs Platonist Essay Example for Free

Aristotle vs Platonist Essay Aristotle and Plato were two men with different theories. Although they had some aspects in common, each had their understandings and meanings. Here I will explain what were their beliefs and how these philosophers interpreted each word with its true value. Also with the information, I will try to undercover the meaning of why people used to say people were born either as a Platonist or as a Aristotelian. Between these two philosophers their were differences of character, temperament, background, and mental attitude. Their philosophic belief on the other hand was similar in words but not in action. Let us see why and what am I referring to (Grube). Also, let us choose if we are a Aristotelian or a Platonist and why they say people were born this or that. Virtue is a word that both used to use in their philosophic belief, but, as I said before, the actions were different. To begin with, Aristotles used to describe this word to a action that they have might not even have had the opportunity to chose themselves when they were young. In the norms, help by teachers, parents, and even the government; the development of proper habits was to be made from each persons childhood. This would eventually lead to a better community and for that, better and educated environment. Not only would an adult with this sense of virtue like this be wise to use courage, friendship, justice and other characteristics developed during childhood in a proper way but that is what is required to be good and act when adults. The help is what makes you better when educated young in childhood (Wiki). As mentioned before, Aristotle has different theories than Plato. He suggests that the forms can be discovered through a examination of the world being natural. Now, Plato believes that forms are farther than what humans can understand, it is way beyond. What Platonist ethics is all about is the Form of the Good. For him, virtue is knowledge. The soul, being divided in three parts, which are spirit, reason, and appetite have their share. Then, we have three virtues which are wisdom, moderation, and courage. What makes all of those be together and united is the virtue of justice. This makes the function be the perfection by each part of the soul is performed. Platonism is identified by the persons soul and describes idea prior to matter unlike Aristotelianism (Wiki). To my conclusion, looking at both Aristotelian and Platonist I agree with Platonist belief. While Aristotelian believes that virtue comes through this world as we see it, Plato goes beyond and knows that it is way beyond the eyes of the humans. I think that each person is up-brought differently and for that I believe that all humans have different point of views. My view is Platonist. I am a person that believes and does not have to see it with my own eyes. I do think its important to be educated from childhood but I believe in second chances. Everyone can change and it does not matter if it will be only when you are an adult. Virtue is something that can be used in all phases o life. That is my conclusion on why I was born as a Platonist and not as a Aritotelian. Work Cited: Aristotelian Ethics. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Inc, 2 Nov. 2010. Web. 24 Nov. 2010. . Grube, G. M. A. Platonist and Aristotelian. Pheonix. Classical Association of Canada, 1947. Web. 24 Nov. 2010. . Platonism. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Inc. , 12 Nov. 2010. Web. 24 Nov. 2010. .

Marriage in Pride and Prejudice :: Pride Prejudice Essays

Marriage in Pride and Prejudice      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."   Jane Austen provides subsequent argument with the first line of her novel, Pride and Prejudice.   A statement that remains true to this very day.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Austen's' first statement sets up the beginning of the novel.   She states that a man, financially well off, but with no mate to accompany him to share in his wealth, is undoubtedly in search of a wife.   In Pride and Prejudice,   Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy play the role of the rich men.   Mr. And Mrs. Bennet are the parents of five unwed daughters.   Mr. And Mrs. Bennet have conflicting thoughts about the arrival of the rich neighbors. Mr. Bennet thinks nothing of it.   He has no new thoughts about the arrival of Bingley and Darcy.   Mrs. Bennet sees flashing lights.   She views it as the perfect chance to automatically place a few of her five daughters into the rich community.   Marrying off her daughters serves as the main purpose in Mrs. Bennet's life.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mrs. Bennet wants her husband to go and make a greeting to the new crowd.   Her plans are to get in contact with them and make aware her five unmarried daughters.   Mrs. Bennet encourages her daughter, Jane, to set her sights on Mr. Bingley.   Mr. Bennet's' sarcastic comments prove his disconcert on the whole topic.   When Jane is invited to meet with Mr. Bingley and his sister, Mrs. Bennet suggests that she go by horseback in hopes that she could probably get ill and extend her stay.   Mrs. Bennet's' mind is always thinking of ways to marry off her daughters.   Her idea works to perfection and Jane ends up staying longer.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mrs. Bennet goes to work again at the arrival of Mr. Collins, Mr. Bennet's' cousin.   Mr. Collins stays at the Bennet's house for a short time.   He will inherit Longbourn when Mr. Bennet dies since he will be the only, close male relative.   Mr. Collins first intentions are toward Jane, but Ms. Bennet informs him of Bingley.   Collins then changes his target to Elizabeth.   Mrs. Bennet is astounded at the rejection from Elizabeth. Marriage in Pride and Prejudice :: Pride Prejudice Essays Marriage in Pride and Prejudice      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."   Jane Austen provides subsequent argument with the first line of her novel, Pride and Prejudice.   A statement that remains true to this very day.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Austen's' first statement sets up the beginning of the novel.   She states that a man, financially well off, but with no mate to accompany him to share in his wealth, is undoubtedly in search of a wife.   In Pride and Prejudice,   Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy play the role of the rich men.   Mr. And Mrs. Bennet are the parents of five unwed daughters.   Mr. And Mrs. Bennet have conflicting thoughts about the arrival of the rich neighbors. Mr. Bennet thinks nothing of it.   He has no new thoughts about the arrival of Bingley and Darcy.   Mrs. Bennet sees flashing lights.   She views it as the perfect chance to automatically place a few of her five daughters into the rich community.   Marrying off her daughters serves as the main purpose in Mrs. Bennet's life.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mrs. Bennet wants her husband to go and make a greeting to the new crowd.   Her plans are to get in contact with them and make aware her five unmarried daughters.   Mrs. Bennet encourages her daughter, Jane, to set her sights on Mr. Bingley.   Mr. Bennet's' sarcastic comments prove his disconcert on the whole topic.   When Jane is invited to meet with Mr. Bingley and his sister, Mrs. Bennet suggests that she go by horseback in hopes that she could probably get ill and extend her stay.   Mrs. Bennet's' mind is always thinking of ways to marry off her daughters.   Her idea works to perfection and Jane ends up staying longer.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mrs. Bennet goes to work again at the arrival of Mr. Collins, Mr. Bennet's' cousin.   Mr. Collins stays at the Bennet's house for a short time.   He will inherit Longbourn when Mr. Bennet dies since he will be the only, close male relative.   Mr. Collins first intentions are toward Jane, but Ms. Bennet informs him of Bingley.   Collins then changes his target to Elizabeth.   Mrs. Bennet is astounded at the rejection from Elizabeth.

Internet Pornography: Solving Elusive Problem Essay

No one can deny the immeasurable benefits of the internet to the society as a whole. It is a limitless source of information that offers an array of helpful, constructive and educational material for people of all ages. However, like anything else, it does not come with benefits alone. Internet is highly susceptible to bring harm to users in general, and children and minors in particular, through its free and immense exposure to pornography. However small a content of the Internet on the whole this maybe, it is bound to bring a greater harm to the young minds as well as adult, than the benefits from the largely available advantageous information. This paper will examine the extent of this harm with support of latest research and literature, and the latest methods from a state and local level that are being used to combat the pervasiveness and easy access to the internet porn. Body of Paper The internet was originally built by the US military as a means of nuclear-assault-proof communication. The universities soon saw the value of a worldwide communication network and researchers from across the world began to distribute their work with contemporaries. But hackers began to break into the system so that eventually, for a small fee, it was decided to launch the network to all comers. Soon it was spread throughout the world at increasingly less cost and effort. The flow of information, knowledge and experiences thus shared was immense and of great value and benefit. However the information and content so readily available at this network has not necessarily been educational and enlightening. There is material sexually explicit in nature including pornography of all genders including children. The ironic part is that all such material is available freely without ant sort of restriction, in just a matter of keyboard punches. The internet users have a great number of children and minors who supposedly access to the internet for research and educational purposes. These children are conveniently exposed to such explicit materials, which harm their young minds and caste detrimental effects on their psychology. According to a study conducted by London School of Economics in year 2004, the children of age even as less as nine, are falling victims to the negative face of Internet every time they use it. The even more problematic element is the ignorance of parents of the risks associated with such a damaging issue. This study surveyed 1,100 children of ages between nine and nineteen and found that almost sixty percent of these regular Internet users frequently fell prey to the hurtful explicit material of pornography. Below are the key findings of this survey: ? â€Å"Nearly six in 10 have come into contact with online pornography. ? 38 per cent have seen a pornographic popup advert while doing something else. ? 36 per cent have accidentally found a pornographic website. ? 25 per cent have received pornographic junk mail by email or text. 10 per cent have visited a pornographic website on purpose. † (The Evening Standard, 2004, Pg. 6) In an article by Azy Barak and William A. Fisher (2001), the widespread porn on the internet and its progressive trend has been pointed out. â€Å"Current reports indicate variously that the online pornography industry will gross $366 million by 2001 (Spenger, 1999) or that it already grosses in excess of $1 billion (â€Å"Blue Money,† 1999), and reports indicate that a spectacular 69% of all e-commerce involves the purchase of sexual materials (â€Å"Blue Money,† 1999). Other sources report that 15% of all Internet users accessed one of the top five â€Å"Adult† websites in a recent month (Cooper et al, 1999), that sex is the most frequently searched topic on the Internet (Freeman-Longo & Blanchard, 1998), and that all of the top eight word searches on the Internet involve pornography (Sparrow & Griffiths, 1997). † (Barak and Fisher (2001)) The social and psychological effects of such ever more and cheaply accessible pornography on the minds of individuals, both adult and children is devastating. Such explicit images and videos contaminate the mentality and psyche leading towards appalling actions and exploitations. After engaging into extensive viewing of pornography, people get even more provoked and feel an even more intense need for sex. In order to satisfy such needs, people do incline towards forceful attempts, with both opposite genders and the same, even with children. According to an estimate, the attempts and incidents of rape in the United States rose substantially during 1995 to 1999. â€Å"This time interval is by all accounts a period of exponential growth in the availability and use of all forms of Internet sexually explicit materials (Cheney, 2000; Elmer-Dewitt, 1995; Freeman-Longo, 2000; Harmon & Boeringer, 1996; Mehta & Plaza, 1998; Rimm, 1995; Wysocki, 1998). † (Barak and Fisher (2001))

Kristen Cookie Company Essay

Yes. If Kristen and roommate can only do their own job, the max order(order by order) they can process is 8 orders a night. But if they can cross-training, would 1. Receive order print and reply Roommate 1 minute/order Mix ingredients Kristen 6 minutes /max 3trays Spooning cookies onto tray Kristen 2 minutes/tray Cookies in oven Roommate 10 minutes/tray Cool down cookies Roommate 5 minutes/tray Pack Roommate 2 minutes/tray Accept payment Roommate 1 minute/order 2. (1) Spooning cookies onto tray Cookies in oven (If receive a 2-dozens order) While Kristen is spooning cookies onto tray, the first tray she finished can send to roommate to put into oven. At the mean time, Kristen can spoon the second tray. (2) (If receive a 2-dozens order) While cooling down the first tray of cookies, roommate can put second tray into oven. (3) (If receive a 2-dozens order) After the first tray cool down, can pack directly. At the same time, second tray of cookies should be in the oven. 3. According to the answer of 1st question shown. So, amount of time to process a dozen of cookies is 27minutes (1+6+2+10+5+2+1=27) 4. (1) If Kristen proceed order by order, will be 8 orders of single dozen per night. 4 hours=240 minutes, 240/27=8.88 orders. (2) If Kristen and roommate can proceed different orders at the same time, that is 240minutes/45 minutes = 5.3 5.3x2orders =10.6, 10 orders be able to process more orders. Example shown below for 4hours performance of Kristen and roommate As the chart shown above, 4 hours of cross-training process can almost complete single dozen orders. 6. If Kristen and roommate still process order by order(process one order at one time), buying another oven can only reduce the baking time for 2-dozens order, 2-dozens order(time spend) complete orders in 4 hours one oven 1 + 6 + 2 + 10 + 10 + 5 + 2 + 1 = 37mins 6 two ovens 1 + 6 + 2 + 2 + 10 + 5 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 31mins 7 That’s mean, add another oven can only increase one more 2-dozens order. Therefore, buying another oven is not a good decision. 7. Question 3 is design to work from order to order, that is, Kristen and roommate have to (1) do their own job, and (2) can only process one order at a time. However, in real life, people will try hard to combine orders to save the time of process. 8. Without labor cost, the ingredients’ cost and the package cost are total $0.70. Assume that Kristen and her roommate both receive $10/hour as salary, and receive 15 orders per night. The total cost will be $90.5 per night, and $6.00 per pack of cookie. One pack of fresh cookies (daily made) sold in grocery store is about $3.00-5.00. We can assume that Kristen Cookies Company set their price at $6.00 pack. (Kristen and roommate only earn $10/hour/person as salary) Even though, the cookie Kristen Cookie Company provides is the freshest and most convenience for students. It is very hard to have extra profit. The significant problem that Kristen Cookie Company has is that *The producing process is not efficient. Because they are offering a customization service. If they can limit their product line into fewer categories They can switch their delivery system from â€Å"projects † to â€Å"job shop† .

Cultural life of Canadians

Cultural life of Canadians Introduction From the ancient times, much significance has been attached to the cultural life of Canadians; this is marked by the attachment to the institutions that seek to preserve and perpetuate culture.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Cultural life of Canadians specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The primary institutions seeking to preserve the Canadian culture are the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the National Film Board and the Canadian Council. The reawakening moment for Canadian culture was motivated by the need to guard it from absorption by the US culture which has been gaining dominance since the 1980s. Consequently, the desire to activate the culture of Canada was due to the concern that there was no uniform culture that bonded the Canadian population. The period around 1990s witnessed a paradigm shift in public concern about the preservation of Canadian culture; this exposed all areas of cultural similarities and differences. There was uniformity in public opinion in acknowledging the importance of monuments, national institutions and celebrating local events. The areas that have attracted controversies are the need to stage musical plays together with the brewing tensions regarding gay rights, art gallery exhibitions and celebrations of cultural festivals. These differences, commonalties and controversies have signaled shifts in the cultural politics of Canada which focuses on balancing of Canadian culture against that of US. The matters raising conflicts in the quest for independence of the Canadian culture are racial, cultural, linguistic and religious identifications. The cultural politics of Canada has been played at the local and provincial level since cultural issues concern communities (Curtis, Gupta and Straw 2). The political controversies surrounding the focus and the character of Canadian culture are related to racial, ethnic and sexual identities. This has calle d for the Canadian people to look at cultural dissimilarities from the perspective of representation and images since culture has become a central area in globalization.Advertising Looking for assessment on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Consequently, cultural matters in Canada have been subjugated and relegated to questions of identity. Matters of culture were previously centered on issues of morality and the need for equality of cultural experience, whereas cultural intervention targeted cultural diversity. The striking feature of Canadian cultural matters is that it is a subject of constant debate in cities and predominantly touches on public visibility, community cohesion and social interaction as the main aspects of cultural identity, while the politics of cultural diversities are a subject of debate in the urban areas. The central part of Canadian culture is the arts; culture provides means o f entertainment and provides an opportunity for the Canadian people to celebrate their differences and similarities (Curtis, Gupta and Straw 2). Similarities in the Readings The three readings emphasize the influences and the effects accrued from culture. The readings appreciate that culture enhances social creativity and stimulates innovation, human progress and well being. All these are an indication that culture is a central engine in human development and a tool to facilitate economic growth and as a means of leading intellectual and emotional growth (Toolkit 2). Culture has the following effects: it enhances human understanding and has the capacity to trigger action; it fosters the creation and the maintaining of identities; culture also modifies values and preferences for collective behavior and thus enhances of social cohesion. Furthermore, culture contributes to community development and fosters civic participation (Canada Council 1). Both readings acknowledge the several im pacts of culture on the society which include the following: personal development, social cohesion, local image and identity, imagination, vision and community empowerment. From these impacts, it is evident that arts have both individual and social benefits (Canada Council 2). All the three readings differ on their approach to matters and issues that require modification in order to adapt to the modern changes; in the toolkit bibliography article, there is the introduction of Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) which has developed a toolkit on database format which is an instrumental source of information for all stakeholders in the sector like presenters, artists and arts organizations in various fields of organizational planning.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Cultural life of Canadians specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The CPAMO tool kit enables individuals and groups to learn, from previ ously researched studies, all aspects of cultural policy and theory as well as their implications and adaptations by other organizations (Toolkit 1). Among the fields of cultural pluralist planning are: organizational commitment, community engagement, audience development, employment and professional development. The toolkit bibliography article dwells a lot on the organizational aspects of culture; it explains how an organization can acquire a culture and how such a culture is nurtured. It defines and explains culture in the following ways: Organizational planning: this is a body that is concerned with initiating the changes that an organization whishes to make. Their role involves the evaluation of the organization, identification of both internal and external challenges and the opportunities that the organization faces, policy and structure appraisal and organizational strategic plan. Among the main areas of concern in organizational planning are: a new organization should undert ake a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis which reflect on the internal and the external environment. This is instrumental in allowing organizations to identify its stakeholders, its potential partners and the audience and to systematically review its policies towards promoting cultural diversity. New organizations can develop their culture in line with the requirements and goals of United Nations Environmental and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and particularly their cultural diversity programming lens or the arts council of England. The following are considered success factors in an organization: cultural vision, a receptive institutional culture and harmony between an organizational and community values, artistic excellence and cooperative governance. The development of an organizational culture may be hampered by things like cost, institutional resistance and limitedness of human resource. In the development of institutional culture, requisite cultur al practices may be obtained from research institutions, government agencies and arts councils (Toolkit 2).Advertising Looking for assessment on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Community engagement: this offers the organization better connection with its environment. This can be achieved through engaging the community and getting its opinion about good organizational practices. This can be realized through the use of art organizations to participate in diverse communities, another one is the use of traditional approach which seeks to involve communities in organizational activities. The assessment of a community’s engagement in issues of mainstream culture can be realized by gauging their interest in current cultural affairs and on the other hand organization’s engagement with diverse communities can be evaluated by assessing its interest in the life of the community. Programming and curatorial development: this is indispensable and cannot be separated form community and audience development. This is necessary if the organization is to create an all inclusive programming and if it is to execute curatorial decisions. This program has the capab ility of attracting wider and diverse organizational audience. Audience development: this involves meeting and engaging the needs of underrepresented audience. This can only be realized with a clear and passionate vision. The two barriers to audience development are representational and intellectual barriers which may result from limited inclusiveness in programming. Employment and professional development: diversity in the employment and professional cultures is a reflection of an organizational culture and diverse in its background. A homogeneous workforce population is one that is reluctant to change and this homogeneity is a threat to the survival of an organization (Toolkit 8). Differences in the Readings The Canadian Council for Arts exhibits its difference in the approach to culture, unlike the toolkit bibliography article which dwells on organizational aspect of culture, the Canadian Council for Arts dwells more on the social aspects of culture. The role played by the Canadi an Cultural Organization has been criticized for under representing the indigenous and the immigrant population. On the other hand, the book on cultural identity brings to fore the impact of bi lingual nature of the Canadian society and how it is making it difficult for Canada to have a homogeneous culture. These cultural differences have threatened cultural generations and their perpetuation. The book describes all the modern and traditional aspects of culture. Unlike the other two readings, it explains the various ways of propagating culture and the things that enable the Canadian population to learn culture. The areas of concern are film and theater industry, music, literature and oral tradition. Oral tradition: Canada’s cultural politics have had an impact on the language and the definition of Canada’s national cultural traditions. To deal with the cultural aspect of language, there is need to strengthen the English-Canadian culture especially in Canadian instituti ons. Preservation and propagation of Canadian culture can only be achieved when it is presented in the linguistic form of both English and French. There is, for example, a theme of unity in explaining Canadian cinema of English origin especially in character motivation. The theme and specificity of Canadian popular music is a mix of urban and rural influences. There have been various controversial opinions regarding the traditional culture of Canada. There have been claims that the artistic practice of Canada was characterized by preoccupation with landscape and are ambivalent towards nature which undermine their beauty and terror (Curtis, Gupta and Straw 3). Canadian television programs have been described as lacking or having fewer jolts per minute when compared with other countries like the US. Consequently, culture in French Canada has been described as noble and is manifested in the modernity of Quebec. There has been controversy concerning the treatment of the social-cultural diversity of the modern Quebec culture which has been considered as a metaphor for urban modernity. While cultural production in the English language has been considered as unifying, the diversity that is latent in the French- language cultural production has been associated with the fragility of Canadian community and hence derives Canada of continental experience (Curtis, Gupta and Straw 3). The areas of concern necessary to propagate Canadian cultural tradition are cinema, music, literature and theatre. Cinema: Canada lacks a tradition of film making. This has been liked to the need of avoiding cultural confrontation that comes with cultural diversity. The pioneer of film-making was the auteurist feature film movement, prior to that time the English-Canadian film making was only aimed at perpetuating state-sponsored documentaries and the avant-garde experimental film. Since then, cinemas of duty which are conventional in form have gained prominence and are aimed at incorporating those who have been for longtime excluded from the Canadian cinema. The emergence of the National Film Board has led to various experiments in the quest to enhancing film productivity. This has led to increased politicization of urban scenes and the growth various forms of art like video art. As an academic discipline, film studies have been faced with questions of identity (Curtis, Gupta and Straw 5). Music: Music, though a cultural instrument is seldom studied in Canadian universities and has long been ignored. Music is a form of folklore and there has been minimal research on various aspects of music. Traditions and innovation are typical of musical life. Musical lessons are undertaken within the collectors and the fans including those who publish in magazines which are devoted to Quebec pop. Music is a cultural tool whose content is hard to judge and to isolate and it only becomes meaningful when its sound and lyrics meets prejudice. Music is marked with racial, ethnic and gende r identities. Musical videos, for example, introduce the link between musical forms of practice and gendered or racially oriented identities (Curtis, Gupta and Straw 6). Literature: Literature is the main medium of transmitting culture. There is an aspect of literature called cultural studies which concerns developments in literature, its criticism and anthologies. Canada’s duality nature of languages casts doubts on the writing margins. The need to define Canadian literature has been plagued with multiculturalism which diffuses cultural and ethnic unrest. There have been some calls to accept the heterogeneous nature of Canada and the culture should be contextualized along that line that should go beyond the homogeneous perception of nationhood in order to eliminate the traffic between language, cultures and religions. Another introduced aspect of literature is the African-Canadian culture which is characterized by inconsistencies with the definition of Canada. Canadian liter ature is characterized by the following aspects: plurality, stereotyping and hybrid. To avoid stereotyping, there should be a need to attack and homogenize stereotypic behaviors which can destabilize the cultural coexistence (Curtis, Gupta and Straw 8). Importance of culture: Enhance the quality of life. Through culture the quality of life can be improved. Visual arts, for example, can reduce stress and depression. Music also can lower the blood pressure in people and hence reducing the intensity and the degree of pain. Culture can also have longevity impact. Attendance of cultural events can reduce mortality risks. Culture is also important in understanding the neighbors and how people can co-exist (Canada Council 2). Conclusion Just like in any other country, culture remains a central part in the lives of Canadian people. It provides them with an opportunity for entertainment, enables them to share their similarities and dissimilarities and more so culture provides them with some sense of attachment. There are divergent ways by which people can express their culture, it may be through reading of books, attending life performances, visiting art galleries and attending movie theatres. The central theme of culture is that it forms basis for attachment. Culture enhances individuals’ social body. In the context of theater, for example, race identity carries a lot of weight particularly in our resolve to answering the question of crisis of cultural identification. Each of the reading explains different aspect of culture. Tool kit bibliography describes organizational culture, the Canadian Council for Arts explains more on the societal significance of culture, its impact and influences to the members of the society. The reading on cultural identity explains various ways of transmitting culture and also how a nation or a society can nurture culture. Canada Council. â€Å"Social Effects of Culture: Exploratory Statistical Evidence.† Statistical Insight s on the Arts 6.4 (2008): 1- 40. Print. Curtis, Liane., Gupta Dipti and Straw, Will. Culture and Identity: Ideas and Overviews. Department of Canadian heritage, 2001. Web. Toolkit. Toolkit Bibliography. Class Notes, n.d. Print.

Enhanced ACT Writing Test

Enhanced ACT Writing Test The people behind the ACT organization are definitely always striving to improve the test they administer. They make continuous improvements without making radical, all-encompassing changes. Once of the changes coming to the ACT exam is an Enhanced ACT Writing Test. It replaced the old ACT Essay in the fall of 2015. Enhanced ACT Writing Test Basics 1 prompt that provides a statement and three different perspectives on the statement.40 minutes6 different scores The Prompt When you receive your test, youll get a test booklet with a prompt inside which will look quite different from the ACT prompts from the past. Youll read a paragraph that introduces a controversial issue and provides some background for the issue. Then, below that, youll read three different perspectives on the idea presented. Then, youll receive your writing task. Your Essay Task After you read, its time to plan and write. Youll get two pages of planning space in the test booklet and thought-provoking questions to help guide you to deeper meaning in your essay like these: What insights do the different perspectives offer, and what do they fail to consider?Why might they be persuasive to others, or why might they fail to persuade?What is your perspective on this issue, and what are its strengths and weaknesses?How will you support your perspective in your essay? The graders are expecting you to do the following three things in your essay: Evaluate and analyze the given perspectivesState and develop your own perspective on the topicExplain the relationship between your perspective and those presented Writing Prompt Samples Want to practice those writing skills? Here are some prompts to get you going:   Enhanced ACT Writing Prompts Enhanced ACT Writing Scoring Considering youll get six different scores for this essay, it stands to reason that you might want to know what they are. The first score will be a number between 1 and 36, which is just your standard ACT subject level test score. This will not be averaged into your overall composite ACT score, however, as the Essay exam is considered optional. The second score will be a new one. This score, again between 1 and 36 will be a combined score with the English and Reading exams. Its called the ELA score. Again, this will not affect your composite score. The last four scores – domain scores - will cover the content of your writing, giving you a much better idea of your strengths and weaknesses in the writing craft. The domain areas are these: Ideas and Analysis: These scores will show you how well you understood the issue presented, created productive responses, thought critically about your writing task, evaluated and analyzed the three different perspectives on the issue, and used rhetorical strategies like logic, emotional appeals and ethical appeals. Development and Support: These scores will show how well you explained and substantiated your claims, ideas and arguments. High scores will go to students who discuss and elaborate on ideas, making certain that they are relevant with detailed persuasive examples and careful, thoughtful reasoning. Youll see where youve used strong evidence from both your own experience and knowledge base.Scores in this category reflect a student’s ability to illustrate, explain, and substantiate claims and Organization: The scores for this domain will demonstrate your ability to build an argument logically, string your ideas together strategically and write clearly in an organized manner. Language Use and Conventions: The scores for this section will show your ability in written English, specifically as its used for persuasive writing. High scores will show control over grammar and conventions, syntax, word choice, spelling, voice, tone and mechanics. Improve Your Writing Whether youre taking the ACT  this year or next,  you can improve your writing with just a few simple tricks. Want to know more? How to Write a Top-Scoring Essay on the Enhanced ACT Writing Test.

Women in Ancient Society Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Women in Ancient Society - Research Paper Example It is true that the Byzantine era was characterized by today’s stereotypical understanding of women’s depressed position in ancient societies at least among the lower classes.   The church played a powerful role in subjugating women, often introducing legal stipulations which limited the actions of women as a means of preventing defilement and impurity, but couldn’t refuse the generosity and donations of the wealthy (Viscuso, 2005: 317).   Thus, women belonging to the aristocracy did not necessarily fall under this distinction or suffer this fate.   According to Grubbs, â€Å"The law determined, according to status, the sexual relationships and roles open to a woman, and the amount of protection from violence or exploitation she could expect† (2001: 221).   Through marriage, aristocratic women were able to gain status by acquiring a legal share in the power wielded by their husbands.   In some cases, these women were even able to wield power dire ctly having been given her husband’s authority.   By using marriage as a tool and with the protection of the law as it applied to women of a particular social status, women of this period were able to siphon off a large amount of the power normally enjoyed by men.   Evidence can also be found by tracing the patronage of various pieces of religious artwork and in the artwork of the state. The Virgin Mary is, of course, one of the major symbols of the Christian faith, but there is an underlying message behind her figure that has often spoken to women and provided them with an example.