ACT Reading

How Science/Math People Can Do Well on SAT/ACT Reading SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The reading sections of the SAT and ACT can be intimidating at first glance if you’re more inclined towards math and science than the humanities. All those passages! The horror! Fear not, my number-loving friend. The reading sections of these tests are actually more logic and evidence-based than you might expect. In some cases, your science and math skills can even help you find the correct answers. This article details three strategies for approaching SAT and ACT Reading if you consider yourself a more math and science-oriented student. Strategy 1: Understand the Fundamental Rule It’s crucial that you understand the one fundamental rule of SAT and ACTReading before you take either test as a self-described "science and math person". This rule is that there is only one unambiguously correct answer for every question, and you will be able to find direct evidence in the passage leading to elimination of all other choices.Eliminating answer choices should be a key aspect of your overall strategy. If even one small part of an answer choice doesn’t fit,you have to get rid of it!If you do this right, you should be left with only the correct answer every time.As someone who is more math and science oriented, it may actually be easier for you to eliminate answers that don't line up with evidence in the passage. On the SAT and ACT,you'll never have to do any deep literary analysis of any of the passages. Your approach to the reading sections should be different from the way you approach reading in your English classes. In this case, you can take each passage at face value. Though you'll run into some questions that ask you to look a bit beyond the literal facts of the text, there will always be a chain of direct evidence leading to your answer. Here's an example of an ACT inference question to show you what I mean: It can most reasonably be inferred from the passage that when the narrator says, â€Å"I didn’t see the red, yellow, and purple clusters that meant flowers to me† (lines 30–31), she is most nearly indicating that: A. from her current position, she couldn’t see the old woman’s flowers, which were still growing near the house.B. the flowers grown by the old woman had died because the narrator had stopped watering them.C. the flowers grown by the old woman had been cut down when Eugene’s father mowed the lawn.D. the weeds that had grown up in the old couple’s lawn had intertwined with the flowers, making the flowers hard to see. Despite the fact that this question is asking us to make an inference, we can still eliminate most of the choices because of the evidence found in the passage. The full sentence referenced in the question reads: The father had spent several days mowing, and when he finished, from where Isat, I didn’t see the red, yellow, and purple clusters that meant flowers to me. The information in this sentence allows us to discard three out of the four answer choices. Choices B and D are not relevant to why the narrator can no longer see the flowers, and choice A is possible, but not likely given the sequence of events presented in the sentence.Choice Cmakes the most sense given the context. If you're astudent who gravitates towards science and math, this is actually your kind of reading test because there is no subjectivity. The units and data in the reading sectionsjusthappen to be words instead of numbers. On the SAT and ACT, you have to mow down all the incorrect answers to reveal the perfectly groomed correct answer lawn beneath them. Shut up I know it's not a perfect metaphor. Strategy 2: Focus on the Evidence Reading questions on both the SAT and the ACT are always evidence-based, even if they seem subjective.Because these are standardized tests, the answers to questions must find a way to restate something that is explicitly referenced in the passage. This prevents any of the questions from opening themselves up to more than one interpretation, which would destroy the integrity of the test as an assessment tool.Every reading question must be answered using evidence in the passage or sentence. If you don’t see evidence for an answer choice, it’s incorrect.This goes back to the fact that in SAT and ACT reading questions, words are just another form of data. Let’s look at a sample SAT question to prove my point: The author of passage 1 mentions Isaac Newton (lines 37-40) in order to: A. emphasize the rapid rate of technological innovationB. acknowledge the impact of a profound thinkerC. criticize the inflexibility of Newton's contemporariesD. highlight the value of scientific curiosity The relevant lines read: Technological advances build upon each other, increasing technological abilities faster than most people anticipate. Imagine, for example, how astounded even a great seventeenth-century scientist like Isaac Newton would be by our current global communication system, were he alive today. From the evidence in these lines, we can see that Isaac Newton is mentioned as an example to demonstrate that even the greatest scientists in history would be amazed at the level of human technological change that has occurred over time. Based on this, we can confidently pick choice A as our answer. The middle two answer choices are too invested in Newton specifically rather than his place in proving the author’s larger point, and choice D doesn’t actually have anything to do with the point being made in these lines. The point is spelled out very directly; technological abilities have increased much faster than anyone could have ever anticipated. This is virtually synonymous with choice A: emphasize the rapid rate of technological innovation. If anyone drops another MacBook on my head I swear to God... Strategy 3: Read Smart The one aspect of the SAT and ACT reading sections that often poses a big problem for less reading-oriented people is finishing the passages in time. This is particularly true on the ACT, where you have only 35 minutes to read three long passages and a set of paired passages and answer 40 questions total.If you’re a slow reader and you try to read every passage closely, you may run out of time and lose easy points. That’s why you should figure out a good passage reading strategy before the test. Think of this as an experiment (except this time it's not about the material itself, it's about figuring out the best way for you to approach it). Try different methods so you can start collecting data about what works for you. Method 1: Read the Questions First, Skim the Passage Later You won’t be able to answer every question right away with this strategy, but there are many questions thatreference specific line numbers in the passage. This is especially true on the SAT, where almost every question provides you with the line numbers you need to read in order to answer it. As you answer these types of questions, you'll start to get a sense of the main ideas presented in the passage.If you need to read some parts of the passage more closely for specific questions, you can do that on a question-by-question basis. This strategy will probably also reduce your test anxiety.If you’ve been able to answer a couple questions about the passage already, you’ll feel much less pressure going forward. Method 2: Skim the Passage Before Reading the Questions This method requires knowledge of how to skim efficiently. Irecommend reading the introduction and conclusion of the passage and the first and last sentences of every paragraph so you’ll understand the thesis and main arguments. Skimming in this way should give you most of the information you need to answer big picture questions about the passage.When you come across questions that reference specific lines and words, you can go back and read more carefully. These methods take practice, so don’t go into the test unprepared if you struggle with time on the reading section!Try out these strategies on timed practice tests first to see what works best for you. Again, think of this as a science experiment where you're collecting data on the most efficient way for you to take the test. Summary Even if you consider yourself more of a science and math person, you CAN do well on the SAT and ACT Reading sections.SAT and ACT Reading will potentially be easier for you than the reading tests you've taken in school because each question has one objectively correct answer that is supported by evidence in the passage. Above all, remember to: #1: Understand the fundamental rule#2: Focus on direct evidence#3: Formulate a passage-reading strategy Don’t let the reading sections freak you out just because you think you won’t be good at them!You’re just as capable as any word nerd of doing well on reading as long as you know what you’re up against. What's Next? For more strategies to help you with the Reading sections, check out our articles on how to get perfect scores on SAT Reading and ACT Reading. If you're not quite ready to aim for a perfect score on SAT Reading, start with our more basic article on strategies to improve low reading scores. If you're still trying to decide whether to take the SAT or the ACT and want to know which one is better for you, read about which students should take which here. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Bottle Balloon Blow-Up Experiment

Bottle Balloon Blow-Up Experiment    If your child liked the Exploding Sandwich Bag Science Experiment or tried the Antacid Rocket Experiment, she’s really going to like Bottle Balloon Blow-Up experiments, although she might be a little disappointed when she finds out the only thing getting blown up is the balloon.   Once she realizes that none of the various forces used to blow up the balloons in these experiments require her to use air from her lungs, she’ll be intrigued.   Note:  This  experiment  work best with latex balloons, but if any of your participants have using a different balloon will suffice. What Your Child Will Learn (or Practice) The power of carbon dioxide gasThe power of air pressure Materials Needed: An empty water bottleA medium or large balloonA funnelVinegarBaking soda Create a Hypothesis This particular version of the experiment shows how the chemical reaction created by combining baking soda and vinegar is powerful enough to blow up a balloon.  Talk with your child to see if she can predict what will happen when you combine baking soda and vinegar. If she’s ever seen a science-fair volcano, remind her that these are the ingredients used in the volcano. Ask her to predict what will happen if you combine these ingredients when instead of leaving a hole in the top you cover the bottle with a balloon. The Baking Soda Balloon Blow-Up Experiment Fill a water bottle one-third full of vinegar.Put a funnel in the neck of a balloon, and hold onto the balloon neck and funnel. Have your child pours in enough baking soda to fill the balloon halfway.Slide the funnel out of the balloon and have your child hold the portion of the balloon with the baking soda in it down and to the side. Stretch the neck of the balloon over the neck of the water bottle securely.  Be careful not to let any of the baking soda fall into the bottle!Ask your child to slowly hold the balloon over the water bottle to let the baking soda pour inside.Continue to hold tight to the neck of the balloon, but move to the side listen and watch the bottle carefully. You should hear fizzing and crackling noises as the baking soda and vinegar solution activates. The balloon should begin to inflate. What’s Going On: When baking soda and vinegar are combined, the acetic acid in the vinegar breaks down the baking soda (calcium carbonate) into the basics of its chemical composition. The carbon combines with the oxygen in the bottle to create carbon dioxide gas. The gas rises, can’t escape from the bottle and goes into the balloon to blow it up. Extend the Learning Experiment with different size bottles (half-size water bottles, liter bottles, or two-liter soda bottles, etc.) and balloons to see if the amount of oxygen in the bottle makes a difference in how fully the balloon expands. Does the size or weight of the balloon make a difference, too?Try varying the sizes of balloons and bottles and doing the experiment side by side with the variables changed. Which balloon blows up fuller? Which balloon fills up faster? What was the influencing factor?Use more vinegar or baking soda and see what happens. As a last experiment, you can also let go of the balloon when the baking soda drops into the vinegar. What happens? Does the balloon still blow up? Does it shoot across the room?

Service management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Service management - Essay Example The three organizations are then evaluated to outline specific activities that are examples of excellent service management. Service refers to the interactions that occur between customers and service providers. These service providers are usually employees of organizations that provide services as their main focus of business (Patti, 2008). Services are usually different from products in several aspects. This makes their management different compared to product selling management. One aspect that makes the management of services different is that they are produced and consumed simultaneously, in the presence of customers. The presence of consumers of services during their production requires perfection since unlike products; there is no time for testing their effectiveness. Service encounters refer to the points of interaction when service providers are delivering services to the customers. The effectiveness of service delivery in satisfying customers results from excellent service management. Excellent service refers to the activities that lead to customers having the best experiences beyond their expec tation. Successful management of these activities to ensure their continuity is referred to as excellent service management. This report will examine these activities in three organizations (John Lewis, Jocobite experience Loch Ness and Citizen M Hotel) and evaluate how they qualify to be excellent service management. For a service encounter to be termed excellent, it must be viewed as a package and not as fragmented components (Smith, 2004). Viewing as a package will enable the service providers to take a holistic approach, ensuring that all aspects of service delivery that makes a good customer experience are enhanced. All the components of a service package must be uniform in the image they portray to the customers. Customers always derive experience from the

Admissions Process at the University of Reading based in Microsoft Coursework

Admissions Process at the University of Reading based in Microsoft Dynamics CRM approach - Coursework Example This means they have to bear extensive understanding of the different platforms a factor which reduces the system’s efficiency. Besides the day to day operations, UOR has in the past dealt with a disintegrated admissions process that heightened the chances of duplication and which seemed to duplicate the roles of the interacting stakeholders. Besides, the need for continuous correspondence even in the presence of an admissions system presented a limitation as it increased the chances of errors and caused delays. Introduction of the Reading Integrated Student Information partly solved the existing challenges but it still did not congregate all the stakeholders in a single platform. Convergence is critical as it harmonizes knowledge and improves the efficiency of the system a factor which addresses error incidence and time wastage which were synonymous with the existent systems. To provide a solution to the established challenges,the institution is planning to utilize Microsoft Dynamics CRM approach which among other things integrates the institution’s systems, particularly the admissions system.Being a new system,UOR would want an assurance on the system especially in regard to its capability to address existent system inadequacies.Therefore, the role of this study is to offer a thorough review on the system with the main aim of defining whether the Microsoft Dynamics CRM approach will indeed suit the needs of the institution. ... terface that jointly help access records and carry out searches are; The solution folder, this appears as a button immediately the Outlook client is installed. The button is used to access additional Microsoft Dynamics CRM functionality. In the case of the UOR, the button will carry the name of the organization. Ribbon, this carries the same functionalities in the Outlook interface as well as the web client, the ribbon shows variant buttons and features depending on the context. For example, if the user is accessing accounts, the ribbon displays various actions that the user can take with the accounts (Stanton, 2012). This is the same if the user is accessing records, the ribbon will display variant action available for contact records. View tabs, this area is utilized to highlight data that the user wants to work with. View tabs can also be utilized to pin views that the user may want to access in the near future. Lists, this appears the same way as in the web client and it displays a list of records. This displays records based on selected tab. Quick find, this is another commonality between the Outlook interface and the web client, a user can enter a search to search for particular records (Microsoft Inc, 2011). The difference in the Outlook quick find and the web client is that in the former the only displayed searches are those currently displayed in the view. Quick find in the web client searches the entire database. Lastly the filter, the filter can be used to sift data or records that appear in the displayed view. Using activities Microsoft Dynamics CRM classifies activities in either of the following categories; tasks, faxes, phone calls, e-mails, letters, appointments, as well as special case service activities (Stanton, .p.260). Ech class of activities

Coke vs Pepsi strategy Essay Example for Free

Coke vs Pepsi strategy Essay Coke v. Pepsi – 5 Forces Analysis Industry concentrate produces High intensity (depends on price/advertising cost/ high number of substitutes(low calorie drinks/no carb drinks/ not carbonated drinks like orange juice) Pepsi products /Coke products New Entrants (barriers/rivalry) High Intensity-Brand recognition dominant market/ patents on style and colors Network relationships high cost of entry established such as distribution, warehouse, bottlers, and shelf-location high marketing costs Coke dominance on international market makes it hard for Pepsi to enter international markets where Coke is dominant (Mexico) Suppliers (Bargaining Power of Supplier) Medium intensity- Coke and Pepsi can and do renegotiate contracts with bottlers on prices, marketing, distribution territories, and etc. High intensity- for new entrants because the bottlers determine price of product (price takers), shelf- place is determined by retailer and less price discount control. There is a small number of important suppliers since Coke and Pepsi supported suppliers to buy other smaller suppliers to keep up with their needs. Buyers (Bargaining Power of Buyers) High Intensity- due to the high number of substitutes, health concerns, and few key buyers (fountain outlets/vending machines) E.g.) Coke and Pepsi battled for the right to sign a contract with fast food restaurants like Burger King. Substitutes ( threat of substitutes) Medium Intensity- high number of substitutes(low calorie drinks/no carb drinks/ not carbonated drinks like Orange juice /ice tea/ flavored water/etc. Low intensity – competition among other pop drink because it’s based on brand recognition.

The Turbulen Sixties Essay -- essays research papers

The Turbulent Sixties Throughout American history, each generation has sought to individualize itself from all others preceding it. Decades of American history can be separated to represent a distinctive set of values, culture, and political ideals. The 1960's was a decade caught between euphoric, idealistic beginnings and a discordant, violent climax. The music of this time period produced a strong counterculture which sought to influence America in a way never before experienced. The songs were the backbone of this new age; they were the tunes which the generation danced to, marched to, and got high off of. This paper will discuss the ways popular music of the 1960's produced national awareness of the anti-war movements, led to the partialcollapse of the structure of American society, and forever changed the way current generations listen to and buy music. The songwriters of the 1960's were rarely without inspiration. Perhaps the most powerful incentive came from the movement to end the Vietnam War. Many of the most prominent musicians of that generation aided the struggle to protest against and attempt to end the war. The most popular song to be considered an anthem against the war efforts was called "Blowin' in the Wind," written by Bob Dylan in 1962 while he was living in New York. The song is centered around racism and militarism, two main focal points which were principal in many early sixties protest songs (Pichaske 58). Dylan used conventional symbols to blatantly state his point; a white dove representing peace, flying cannon balls describing war and violence, and roads and seas symbolizing the hardships and struggles there would have to be with eliminating the war. Demonstrations against the Vietnam War took place in many major cities and college campuses. While many of these demonstrations had only peaceful motives, violent methods were often used to break them up. Take for example the famous student takeover of Columbia University. Black students arguing for civil rights, and white students protesting against the Vietnam war successfully took over Hamilton Hall, the Low Library and the Dean's office, as well as three other buildings. The Grateful Dead were smuggled onto campus and played several long sets of music while students began to set up communal living, with food generously donated by outside supporters and Harlem's CORE (Co... ... labels began methodically recruiting performers and signing them to contracts. The music was becoming less oriented to free form and more constricted so as to present them on FM radio. Advertising became increasingly directed towards the hippies. Pepsi Cola began airing commercials that consisted of an eerie psychedelic renderings of urban nightlife, with the Pepsi theme sounding more like a Byrd's song than a commercial jingle (Frank 178). Many musicians began fighting a sense of deep disillusion as the sixties winded down. Perhaps Dylan, the man who spoke so poignantly about the generation understood it best, he knew that the most prominent threat to musicians of the sixties was their image, it leads to the generalization of their art and destroys it (Pichaske 177). In conclusion, the sixties were a turbulent time characterized with both optimism and despair. The music that this generation spawned has lasted as a remnant of the idealistic and hopful nature of the times. In many cases, the songs are interrelated with certain events. In other instances, music was used as a catalyst to ignite a chain of events. Whatever the case may be, music was revolutionized during the1960's.

Longer School Days

American today tends to believe that our educational system is working. I truly believe for this generation of students to remain competitive with their international peers as adults, they need to start spending more time in school. I am an advocate for longer school days. In fact at 180 days of school, American children spend the least amount time in the classroom when compared to other countries. Sure there are some undeniable hurdles, but overall the core idea is simple that children need enough time to learn, to build the skills, develop the knowledge and well-roundedness required to work and thrive in the twenty-first century. Nothing considered by itself is enough to turn schools around not the most gifted teachers, most inspiring principals, newest buildings, or most up-to-date equipment. Time, on the other hand, is an imperative groundwork for new levels of student achievement and educational success. Like any precious resource, it can be wasted. Simply tacking extra time poorly spent onto the current school schedule, does not get the job done. An article from CNN. om reports that the public charter schools that belong to the well-known Knowledge Is Power Program or KIPP serving fourteen thousand overwhelmingly low-income (80 percent) African American and Latino (90 percent) students in seventeen states with concentrations in Houston, Texas decided to eliminate the lack of time as an excuse for failure. KIPP day at 7:30 a. m. and ending it at 5 p. m. , with Saturday school twice a month and at least three weeks of mandatory summer school. By every measure national, statewide, and local KIPP students not only improve themselves, they also outperform the great majority of their peers. 90 percent of KIPP Houston High School tenth graders passed the Texas statewide math exam, as compared to 49 percent of other Houston tenth graders. Nearly four-fifths of students who complete KIPP's eighth grade (the network consists mostly of middle schools) have entered college; nationally, the proportion for low-income students is less than one in five. Although I grant that longer school days do have some undeniable hurdles. For instance, loss of personal time could mean that spending more time at school would cut into the amount of time students are able to spend at home. Teacher burnout could contribute from adding hours to the school day only compound a teacher's already busy schedule. Longer school days would require more time from students and teachers, but it would not guarantee results. The budget comes in to play when keeping facilities open and requiring staff and faculty to put in longer days will cost more money. I still maintain that longer school day positive outcomes will outweigh the hurdles. My conclusion is that schools will be able to restore academic subjects that had been scaled back or even dropped due to the emphasis on core instruction and high-stakes testing in reading, writing, and math. Students are able to study crucial academic subjects such as science, history, social studies, and foreign languages. Teachers including myself will have the time to work with each other in planning how they teach their students, time that almost never exists in the current school schedule.

Portfolio Assessment

Portfolio assessment is a multi-faceted process characterized by the following recurrent qualities: * It is continuous and ongoing, providing both formative (i. e. , ongoing) and summative (i. e. , culminating) opportunities for monitoring students' progress toward achieving essential outcomes. * It is multidimensional, i. e. , reflecting a wide variety of artifacts and processes reflecting various aspects of students' learning process(es). It provides for collaborative reflection, including ways for students to reflect about their own thinking processes and metacognitive introspection as they monitor their own comprehension, reflect upon their approaches to problem-solving and decision-making, and observe their emerging understanding of subjects and skills. * They clearly reflect stated learner outcomes identified in the core or essential curriculum that students are expected to study. * They focus upon students' performance-based learning experiences as well as their acquisition of key knowledge, skills, and attitudes. They contain samples of work that stretch over an entire marking period, rather than single points in time. * They contain works that represent a variety of different assessment tools. * They contain a variety of work samples and evaluations of that work by the student, peers, and teachers, possible even parents' reactions. Source: Paul S. George, (1995). What Is Portfolio Assessment Really and How Can I Use It in My Classroom? Gainesville, FL: Teacher Education Resources. Purposes of the Portfolio The Professional Portfolio we describe at PortfolioMaker. a differs from others you may see elsewhere in that it includes the following two main purposes: * To demonstrate your professional knowledge and skill in what some people call teaching ‘competencies' and which we call ‘Dimensions of Teaching'. * To emphasize your reflections on your entries. Your reflections will prove to be an integral part of the whole portfolio process because without them, the portfolio remains merely a scrapbook, a collection of information — not a portfolio. Our philosophy of the Professional Portfolio builds on the work of Donald Schon (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books. * To illustrate your knowledge and skills in interviews or job appraisals. * To make your teaching visible so that you can: * Ensure that your teaching includes practices that reflect the reasons that you chose this profession. * Reflect on your practice and establish learning goals and/or targets. * Reflect on your practice to determine the extent to which you have achieved these goals and/or targets. * Ensure that your teaching reflects your beliefs about what good teaching should be * And, to celebrate your professionalism. Different Types of Portfolios * Documentation Portfolio: This type is also know as the â€Å"working† portfolio. Specifically, this approach involves a collection of work over time showing growth and improvement reflecting students' learning of identified outcomes. The documentation portfolio can include everything from brainstorming activities to drafts to finished products. The collection becomes meaningful when specific items are selected out to focus on particular educational experiences or goals. It can include the bet and weakest of student work. Process Portfolio: This approach documents all facets or phases of the learning process. They are particularly useful in documenting students' overall learning process. It can show how students integrate specific knowledge or skills and progress towards both basic and advanced mastery. Additionally, the process portfolio inevitably emphasizes students' reflection upon their learning process, including the use of reflective journals, think logs, and related forms of metacognitive processing. * Showcase Portfolio: This type of portfolio is best used for summative evaluation of students' mastery of key curriculum outcomes. It should include students' very best work, determined through a combination of student and teacher selection. Only completed work should be included. In addition, this type of portfolio is especially compatible with audio-visual artifact development, including photographs, videotapes, and electronic records of students' completed work. The showcase portfolio should also include written analysis and reflections by the student upon the decision-making process(es) used to determine which works are included.

The Joy Lack Club Review Essays - Chinatown, San Francisco

The Joy Lack Club Review Essays - Chinatown, San Francisco The Joy Lack Club Review Blow from the South. The wind leaves no trail. Throw sand from the East to distract him. Blow, blow, blow. He cannot see. He is blind now. Make him lean away from the wind so he is easier to knock down. (p.98) What kind of thoughts go through a reader's mind when they come across a paragraph that has gibberish for its structure? How about a whole book of Chinese proverbs and bits of fragmented wisdom? The Joy Luck Club is a book that fits this description. The book has the potential of becoming another in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Made up from a collection of stories from the pasts of the main characters, the book lacks many of the qualities that are found in better known contemporary compositions. I personally thought it was the story line and the style that were two of the biggest let downs of the book. However, if there was one good thing that I could say about the book, it would be the way that it illustrates the conflicts of mother-daughter relationships. The possibi lity for a sequel does exist. After reading this book I can honestly say that I have no desire to read any more of Amy Tan's work. Since the beginning of time, English teachers have preached the importance of the plot diagram; you know that stupid mountain-looking thing that starts with the exposition and ends after the climax with a resolution, this book doesn't follow that diagram. The lack of a strong plot was the most prominent let down of the book. The stories were well written, and it was interesting to see how they fit together to compose the characteristics of the characters, but the book left me unsatisfied by having no real suspense. Throughout the entire book I never once thought, What's going to happen next? This made the book seem excruciatingly long. The depression that every one of the characters adds to the story also makes this book torturously long. Amy Tan's style of writing is also something I do not care to read. The constant changes in perspective, the broken English, and the bits of Chinese wisdom, are all things that I have no desire to experience. True, the style of a composition is where the art of writing lies, but when the style aggravates a reader something has to be said. The style of this book also added to the length. Even though I disagree with Amy Tan's style, I wouldn't change it even if I had the chance. I would never attack the medium of an author/artist's work. The way that she expressed her ideas through the book is the sign of a good artist, and by changing her style it would destroy her work. A good sequel to this book would have to focus more on the present and less on the past. Many improvements could be made to the style and plot then. Maybe it could include the next generation of daughters, and show how the desire to fit in with American culture is phasing out the traditions of the past. This would turn the tables on the daughters in the present book and place the in their mother's shoes. With the American values that the daughters have, it would be interesting to see how they would raise their children different from the way that they were raised. The Joy Luck Club is a book that I never would have read on my own free time. I cannot relate to any of the stories in the book. The lack of a strong plot left me wanting for more than what was written. Amy Tan's style, while praised by critics, was not in the least bit interesting to me. However, the stories did show the hardships that these women had to go through during a war. Of course, if I had really wanted to know that I would have gotten a much shorter answer from a history book. I will probably never recommend this book to anyone, and it would be a rare circumstance if I did.

Words for Saintly Golden Light

Words for Saintly Golden Light Words for Saintly Golden Light Words for Saintly Golden Light By Maeve Maddox Everyones familiar with the word halo in the sense of a circle of light behind or above the head of a saintly person in a painting. The word halo comes from a Greek word meaning disk of the sun or moon. The first recorded use in English of halo with the sense of light around the head of a holy person or deity is 1646. However, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and other non-Christian cultures used the symbol in art to denote divinity or prestige. Gods and rulers were often depicted with halos. In addition to the halo, artists have used other symbols to denote saintliness or divinity. Writers may find some of the terms for these symbols useful in describing not just supernatural characters, but to convey certain effects of light. The word nimbus is sometimes used as a synonym for halo, but it has the primary meaning of a bright or luminous cloud or cloud-like formation supposedly enveloping or surrounding a deity or supernatural being OED The aureole is another word sometimes used as a synonym for halo, but is frequently used to denote a light emanating from the entire body of the holy figure. The OED offers this note on the definition of aureole: Didron (Iconographie Chrà ©tienne p. 109) by a strange blunder takes aureola for a diminutive of aura ‘emanation, exhalation,’ and defines it as a mantle of light emanating from and enveloping the body, as distinct from the nimbus, which he confines to the head. This definition, which reverses the historical use both of aureola and nimbus, is not accepted in France (see Littrà ©), but has been copied by Fairholt, and various English Dictionaries. A diminutive of Latin aureus golden, the aureole was used in medieval Christian art to indicate the heavenly crown earned by martyrs and virgins. The mandorla is an almond-shaped panel or decorative space, usually framing an image of Christ. The name comes from the Italian word for almond. One of the many definitions of glory is the circle of light represented as surrounding the head, or the whole figure, of the Saviour, the Virgin, or one of the Saints. The OED gives the word gloriole as a synonym for both aureole and halo. All of these terms have other uses. For example, nimbus comes from a word for cloud and, like halo, has weather applications as well. You can see illustrations of the different types of saintly symbolism at these Wikipedia sites: aureole and mandorla Apollo with a halo This site mentions an interesting use of the glory in religious art. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Good At, Good In, and Good WithTime Words: Era, Epoch, and Eon9 Forms of the Past Tense

Colon Cancer & Obesity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Colon Cancer & Obesity - Research Paper Example This research paper will look into obesity and colon cancer ion relation to obesity contribution to colon cancer. The paper will then address the extent of contribution of colon cancer, prevention measures, statistics and risk factors that are closely related to it (Pendyala, Neff, Suarez-Farinas and Holt, 2011). Pathophysiology Obese people have a high chance of getting colon cancer compared to healthy individual. Research has proved that obese people has a double likely hood of getting the disease. There is a possibility that obesity exacerbates inflammations in the colon which is associated with cancer. Colon cancer starts in form of non-cancerous growth which is referred to as polyp. The individuals who have the overweight have a higher chance of developing polyps. This puts obese people at a risk of getting colon cancer. Adipose tissue dysfunction is directly related to insulin resistance. Obese individuals have insulin resistance condition where serum level increases. This lead s to aversion of hyperglycemia. The condition of being insulin resistance plays a vital role in promoting cancer growth. Another factor that may lead to obese people having cancer is reduced plasma amount of adiponectin in obesity. Obese individuals are susceptible to oxidative stress which is associated with chronic inflammation leading to tumor development (Louis, Scott, Duncan & Flint, 2007). In obese individuals, several factors lead to the prevalence of the condition. These are classified into two broad categories the mechanisms s can be universal in nature such that they are related to all types of tumors from their relation to hormonal or other abnormalities that are evident in obesity. The other type is specific. They lead to a specific tumor in a specific position. This type is related to consequential effects of obesity. The diet intake of the obese people can also lead to obesity. The typical food that is available in the developed countries is rich in calories and also t here is high consumption of alcohol (Louis, Scott, Duncan & Flint, 2007). Most of the individuals who are obese use weight reducing diets to shed weight. This involves taking diets which are very low in carbohydrates. These diets are very low in carbohydrates but have excess amount of protein which makes it possible to reduce weight faster. These diets involve removal of starch and fiber. Through the use of these diets, the obese individual affects the fermentative activity that occurs in the large intestines. Reduction of the fermentative activity in the large intestines leads to reduction of butyrate and fatty acid in the fecal short chain. The shift in the diet leads to reduction in the bacteria. These are useful bacteria that help in reducing risk of colon cancer in the body. The evidence of the importance of these bacterial puts at risk individuals who are in weight loss diets. The long term effects of using the weight reduction diets are colon cancer. Another factor that can l ead obesity to colon cancer is intake of high protein diet during weight loss exercise. As the obese people try to restrict intake of carbohydrates, they consume food that is high in protein and fat. The reason behind taking food high in protein is satiety (Renehan, Tyson, Egger, Heller and Zwahlen, 2008). Insulin resistance is another cause of obesity related cancer. Obese individuals