The #1 Critical, Fundamental Strategy of ACT Reading

The #1 Critical, Fundamental Strategy of ACT Reading SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You only need to know one fundamental rule to do well on ACT Reading, and it’s not all that complicated. That rule is this: There’s only one correct answer choice for every question, and the other three answers can be eliminated based on definitively incorrect elements. In other words, the questions on the ACT Reading section are NOT subjective in any way! In this article, I’ll go through the types of incorrect answers you’ll see on the ACT Reading section and how to ruthlessly eliminate them so you’re only left with one solid winning choice. The Reasons Behind the Rule As we all know, the ACT is a standardized test.This means that the more people challenge the answers to the questions, the less validity it has as a measurement of student ability. The answers to all questions, even in areas that are usually more subjective like reading, have to be unambiguous.The only way to accomplish this is to restate something from the passage. Therefore, every answer must be DIRECTLY and CLEARLY supported by the text.If there’s no direct evidence, it’s not the correct answer.Otherwise, the ACT would encounter challenges to its questions, weakening its credibility.Once you get into the realm of literary interpretation, standardization breaks down. There are just too many ways of interpreting texts. This means you shouldn't make any assumptions on the test. What the passage says is what it means; even for inference questions, you can always find concrete evidence in the text for your answers.Now let’s take a look at the types of answers you should learn to eliminate. Types of Incorrect Answer Choices on the ACT Reading Section Incorrect answer choices on the ACT Reading section will fall into one of four categories. Once you do a fewpractice questions, you’ll be able to identify which answers fall into which problem areas. Category 1: Irrelevant This is an answer choice that has no evidence whatsoever in the passage - it’s just stuck in there amongst more realistic answers. Here's a sample question to show you what I mean: According to the passage, Cho would have determined that volunteers had experienced a placebo effect if which of the following procedures had created increased activity in the visual cortex of the brain? A. Flashing a light in front of themB. Stimulating one of their vision-related acupointsC. Having them read an eye-examination chartD. Stimulating a place that was not a visual acupoint In the passage, it states that "To eliminate the possibility of a placebo effect, Cho also stimulated a nonacupoint, in the big toe." The correct answer in this case is clearly D based on the passage. An example of an irrelevant answer choice would be C, "Having them read an eye-examination chart", because nowhere in the passage is the reading of an eye-examination chart mentioned as a part of the experiment. Why is this a dangerous option? Some test-takers are unaware that the passage doesn’t need to directly contradict an answer choice to make the choice wrong.Students might see an irrelevant answer choice and think it could be right because they missed something or the passage didn’t say it WASN'T true. Irrelevant answers are pretty common across the board, but they usually show up more in detail questions where students might think they just missed the part of the passage with evidence for the irrelevant answer. If a choice seems totally random, don’t assume the ACT wouldn’t put an obviously incorrect answer on the test. They would and they do, so don’t get fooled! After you read this article you're gonna have 20/20 vision on the ACT. Figuratively speaking. Category 2: Opposite This is an answer choice that is the exact opposite of what’s stated in the passage. Take this question as an example: Information in the second paragraph reveals that the family's response to the grandfather's error with the crutches is to: A. find a workable remedy for itB. lay the blame on the narratorC. praise him for more successful projectsD. fix what wasn't wrong in the first place In the passage, the narrator uses crutches that were constructed by his grandfather, but his grandfather forgets to put rubber tips on them so he keeps falling. The family's response is to simply "buy the rubber tips and put them on the crutches". The opposite answer out of the choices given is D, "fix what wasn't wrong in the first place", because the actual solution is to fix what WAS wrong. The correct answer is A, "find a workable remedy for it". Why is this a dangerous option? The ACT is counting on people rushing and not reading carefully enough.If the answer choice uses the same words that are in the passage, it’s easy to make a silly mistake and choose it because you missed a â€Å"not† (or, in this case, a "n't") in there. You'll often see opposite answers in detail questions because these questions are the most straigtforward, so most people don't focus too much on them. Read the questions carefully to avoid falling into this trap, and check your answers at the end of the section! Category 3: Concept Jumble This is an answer choice that incorporates concepts from the text but does so in a slightly confused order or relationship so that they don’t actually make sense as an answer to the question. Let's use this question as an example: The word miracle in line 52 refers most specifically to the way in which: A. brain function disorders are cured.B. unique handicaps are compensated for.C. different areas of the brain work together.D. the creative potential of disease is revealed. Here's the sentence from the passage that includes line 52: "The miracle is how they all cooperate, are integrated together, in the creation of a self." In the context of the passage, "they" refers to different areas of the brain; therefore, for this question, C is the correct answer. An example of a concept jumble answer would be D, "the creative potential of disease is revealed". This is because the main point of the passage is the fact that certain diseases reveal the creative potential of the brain to rewire itself. Even though D doesn't make sense as an answer to this specific question, it is still a concept that is discussed in the passage. Why is this a dangerous option? Much like opposite answer choices, concept jumble answer choices count on you rushing and not reading carefully enough. You might remember something being mentioned in the text and go with an answer that contains that same concept but not read closely enough to realize the answer doesn’t actually make sense. These types of answer choices are common on big picture questions that ask about the main points of passages. This is when it's easiest to confuse you because the answer has to cover broader themes or connect complex ideas. Again, read carefully! Don’t make assumptions, and be sure you know exactly what the question is asking before jumping to conclusions about the answer. Brains be crazy. Don't let yours run wild on the ACT. Category 4: Plausible interpretation This is an answer choice that offers a reasonable interpretation of the passage but is not evidenced directly in the text. We'll use this question as an example: The main function of lines 64-66 in terms of the eighth paragraph as a whole is to: A. give a sense of proportion to the numbers provided earlier in the paragraph.B. point out the limitations of the evidence provided by the Iowa scientists.C. supplement the paragraph's description of the comets with additional details about their size and capacity.D. provide readers with a sense of how old the planet really is. These lines read "That may not seem like much, but when talking about a planet billions of years old, it adds up." This refers to a statement earlier in the paragraph that comets bombarding the Earth's atmosphere would produce enough water vapor to add an inch of water to the planet's surface every 10,000 years. The real answer to this question is A because lines 64-66 serve mainly to put the earlier numbers in perspective. An example of a plausible interpretation answer would be D, "provide readers with a sense of how old the planet really is". The sentence does give a sense of how old the planet really is, so that could plausibly be its purpose in the paragraph. However, if you read closely, answer choice A is much more logical as a rationale for the placement of the sentence. Why is this a dangerous option? This is probably the MOST dangerous type of wrong answer choice for students who aren't prepared for the ACT.If you’re looking at a passage on the test the same way you would look at something you’re reading in English class, it's easy to get trapped by an answer that’s plausible but not objectively true. These options are especially problematic (and prevalent) with inference and function questions, because you are being asked to look beyond the literal details of the text. In these cases, remember that you will never have to look so far beyond what's written that there's nothing in the text that directly supports your answer. Again, don’t choose any answer that doesn’t have concrete support in the passage. Even if it could be correct, if you don’t see the evidence you need to eliminate it. The Fundamental Rule in Action Let’s work on identifying and eliminating wrong answer choices for a real ACT Reading question. Here’s the question: When the narrator refers to the cosmonaut as "a man without a country" (lines 83-84), she is most likely directly referring to the: A. cosmonaut's feeling that he is now a citizen of space, not the former Soviet Union.B. cosmonaut's unrealized expectation that he will be treated like a hero.C. political transformation that occurred while the cosmonaut was in space.D. sixteen months that the cosmonaut spent in orbit around Earth. And here’s the section of the passage you’ll need to refer to: I nod or laugh on cue, while I try to read upside-down a story in the would-be journalist’s newspaper that has caught my eye. It is about the Russian space station and the cosmonaut who had been up in orbit during the takeover attempt and ultimate dissolution of the Soviet Union. After sixteen long months, they are bringing the capsule back. While the train carries me back to my current home and away from my former, I keep thinking about that poor cosmonaut coming back to find his whole world changed, to find himself a man without a country - at least without the country he left behind. L8r, h8rs Step 1: Figure Out What the Question Is Asking We know the answer is related to a specific detail in the text based on the phrase "directly referring to" in the question, and we're given the line number, so we can find it pretty easily.The question could be rephrased to read â€Å"What fact from the passage does the phrase ‘a man without a country’ refer to?† Our goal is to find a direct connection in the passage between a fact stated by the narrator and her description of the cosmonaut. Step 2: Read the Lines Referenced in the Question Here's the sentence containing the "man without a country" line: While the train carries me back to my current home and away from my former, I keep thinking about that poor cosmonaut coming back to find his whole world changed, to find himself a man without a country - at least without the country he left behind. Just reading those lines doesn’t quite give us the information we need.We have to read the whole paragraph - there must be something before that sentence that explains why the narrator says what she says about the cosmonaut. Based on the rest of the paragraph, it seems like what triggered the â€Å"man without a country† line was the fact that the cosmonaut’s home country, the Soviet Union, was dissolved while he was in space. The article the narrator reads is about "the Russian space station and the cosmonaut who had been up in orbit during the takeover attempt and ultimate dissolution of the Soviet Union." (bolding added for emphasis) The end of the lines referenced in this question, "at least without the country he left behind," really brings this point home.The phrase referenced in the question ("man without a country") could ONLY be referring to the political changes between the Soviet Union as the cosmonaut knew it before he left and the country he will find when he arrives home. Step 3: Go Through the Answer Choices, and See Which One Sticks! Choice A:cosmonaut's feeling that he is now a citizen of space, not the former Soviet Union This is an example of a plausible interpretation answer choice. It would be reasonable to infer that the cosmonaut could have this feeling after being in space for so long, butnowhere in the passage is this feeling referenced. No matter how tempted you are to pick these types of choices, remind yourself that nothing short of concrete evidence should be enough to sell you on an answer choice. Cross it out! Choice B:cosmonaut's unrealized expectation that he will be treated like a hero This is an example of an irrelevant answer choice. This has nothing to do with anything in referenced in the passage about the cosmonaut.Don’t let answers like this trick you - even if you think this is a possible scenario, you can’t make any assumptions on the ACT. Cross it out! Choice C:political transformation that occurred while the cosmonaut was in space This answer choice looks good. We can find direct evidence in the paragraph above for this answer.We know that the cosmonaut â€Å"had been up in orbit during the takeover attempt and ultimate dissolution of the Soviet Union.† This is what is being referenced in the line cited in the question.The cosmonaut is coming back to â€Å"find his whole world changed† in a political sense. Keep this one! Choice D:sixteen months that the cosmonaut spent in orbit around Earth This is an example of a concept jumble answer choice. Yes, the cosmonaut did spend sixteen months in space. This is directly stated in the passage (which is what makes this answer different from a completely irrelevant choice). However, the fact about him spending sixteen months in space doesn’t answer the question that’s being asked.The concepts of the cosmonaut being â€Å"a man without a country† and the length of his time in space are not meaningfully linked by the author of the passage. Cross it out! Ok, looks like we’re bubbling in C! This process might not take as long on the test, but it’s helpful to walk through it and see the steps so you can understand exactly why all three incorrect answers can be eliminated. Once you accumlate enough practice, eliminating wrong answers will seem second-nature! Summary The fundamental rule of ACT reading is that three out of four answer choices can always be eliminated! The types of wrong answers you’ll see include: Irrelevant answer choices Opposite answer choices Concept jumble answer choices Plausible interpretation answer choices Every question you see on the ACT Reading section can be answered correctly by eliminating these types of answer choices until you are left with the one option that is evidenced directly in the text. Remember that, and you’ll ace this test! What's Next? Need more tips for ACT Reading? Take a look at these articles on how to read passages, how to answer vocabulary in context questions, and how to avoid running out of time. You should also check out this article on what's tested on the ACT Reading section and this one on the four types of passages you'll see. Now that you have all this great insight into the ACT Reading section,take a practice test to hone your skills even more! Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Reading lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

5 Adjective Stacks, and How to Level Them

5 Adjective Stacks, and How to Level Them 5 Adjective Stacks, and How to Level Them 5 Adjective Stacks, and How to Level Them By Mark Nichol When a noun stack a precarious pileup of nouns is itself used to modify yet another noun, it is transformed into an adjective stack, which is just as hostile to clarity. The keyword in this case is relax: Shift the anchoring noun to precede the stack, and introduce prepositions as needed. (And insert hyphens to link words in phrasal adjectives). 1. â€Å"The lack of a secure transfer may hamper computer security incident response efforts.† The phrase â€Å"computer security incident response efforts† is just too complex: The formula for a solution is â€Å"The lack of a secure transfer may hamper efforts to respond to computer-security incidents, but â€Å"efforts to respond† is a case of a smothered verb; responses will do: â€Å"The lack of a secure transfer may hamper responses to computer-security incidents.† 2. â€Å"The company has vast experience providing information-systems security-program management support.† This sentence, with a five-word modifying phrase, is a formidable challenge, but just break it down: The noun is support, so relocate that immediately after the verb and follow it with the appropriate preposition. But â€Å"information-systems security-program management† is still unwieldy, so rinse and repeat: After the preposition, insert â€Å"program management† and another preposition, followed by the remaining phrasal adjective â€Å"security program† and the new anchoring noun, security: â€Å"The company has vast experience providing support for program management in information-systems security.† 3. â€Å"The Hong Kong artist revolutionized the Asian toy collectors’ market.† It’s unclear whether the market in question is for collectors of Asian toys or toy collectors who are Asian. Assuming that the former option is correct, when you relocate market to follow the verb, move collectors’ with it, then retain the adjective-noun pairing â€Å"Asian toys†: â€Å"The Hong Kong artist revolutionized the collectors’ market for Asian toys.† 4. â€Å"They met on behalf of the proposed redwood national park idea.† A revision of this sentence involves transforming the adjective proposed to the noun proposal and jettisoning the noun idea in favor of the verb create. However, while the new version â€Å"They met on behalf of the proposal to create a national park in the redwoods† is clearer than the original, it’s too wordy: Try simplifying it to â€Å"They met to discuss creating a national park in the redwoods.† 5. â€Å"Seventy-five-year-old US Supreme Court chief justice William Rehnquist was appointed by Ronald Reagan.† This style of adjective stacking, in which readers wade through a phalanx of descriptive terms to get to a person’s name, is more common in journalism than in other forms of writing, but no matter where it appears, it’s ripe for relaxation. Sometimes it’s appropriate to split the stack: â€Å"Seventy-five-year-old William Rehnquist, chief justice of the Supreme Court, was appointed by Ronald Reagan.† Often, however, it’s best to place the name the anchoring noun first, and let all the other information fall where it may: â€Å"William Rehnquist, 75, chief justice of the Supreme Court, was appointed by Ronald Reagan.† (This treatment of age is according to The Associated Press Stylebook, the guideline of record for American journalism, which generally spells out only numbers below ten. In another context, the subject’s age, spelled out unless it’s 101 or more, might be mentioned in a subsequent sentence or even omitted.) 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 Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Exquisite AdjectivesHow Long Should a Paragraph Be?Capitalizing Titles of People and Groups

Occupational Health and Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Occupational Health and Safety - Essay Example One of the most prevalent complexities in enforcing lifting standards revolves around lack of manual handling training. Since most organizations do not provide initial orientation training to their staff members based on occupational wellbeing, they place their staff members at risk. However, training the staff helps in identifying potential risks and controlling them by designing safe working procedures. Inadequacy in proper designing facilities also limits the enforcement of lifting standards. Organizations should support safe working systems and proper handling of lifting equipments. These safe working systems are mainly supported by effective designing facilities. In addition, organizations should properly review their safety reports on the lifting machines used. These safety reports come in handy in identifying potential risks associated with the equipments. Proper assessment of these safety reports can boost the procedure involved in enforcing lifting standards. Deficiency of risk control and management processes has also complicated the enforcement of these standards. In manual handling, risk control and management is based on the scrutiny and management of risks that may arise from manual handling (Health and safety executive, 2014). This proves that lack of risk control and management processes has vastly affected the enforcement of these

Analysis of the Film Doubt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Analysis of the Film Doubt - Essay Example The film was outstanding for the performance of its actors and all of them received nominations for the 81st Academy Awards. In the film, Meryl Streep plays the role of Sister Aloysius Beauvier, Philip Seymour Hoffman plays the role of Father Brendan Flynn, Amy Adams plays the role of Sister James, and Viola Davis was seen as performing the role of Mrs Miller whereas Joseph Foster plays the role of Donald Miller. Alice Drummond was seen appearing as Sister Veronica and Pauli Litt as Tommy Conroy. For the outstanding performance in this film Viola Davis was nominated first time at the Academy Awards and Amy Adams second time for the best supporting actress. Philip Seymour Hoffman was nominated as best supporting actor and subsequently won the award. But most critically and commercially acclaimed was the performance of Meryl Streep as Sister Aloysius Beauvier and for this performance, she received twelfth nomination at the Academy Awards for the best actress and which she ultimately ba gged. Cinematography: The Aesthetic Facet Cinematography plays a very vital aspect in film making. The interplay of light, setting, color, capturing of a moment and over all editing played a vital role in building up the whole impression of the film. At the same time, its relation with the plot, thematic aspects and character development demand a complete coherence and should properly compliment the entire collaboration. A slight incompatibility of all these factors might agitate the entire feel of the film. The cinematography of the film, â€Å"Doubt† is executed by Roger Deakins and an in-depth analysis of the film easily launch the audience to a plethora where they are able to perceive the fact easily that the film â€Å"Doubt† is more concerned with a feeling than propagating an idea. The cinematography operating in this particular film is pitch-perfect. A major point in the cinematography is that it does not take away the concentration of the audience form the mai n plot or the story line of the film. This is done quite intentionally as the no one can deny the fact that the play â€Å"Doubt: A Parable† had on their audience and the movie is definitely retrospection of the play and to relive this fact, director Shanely left no stone unturned and did not allow any technical glitch to the film which can subvert the literary aspect of the film. Shots & Angles Implementation of sharp angles to manifest the proper mood of the picture is utilised to its optimum length. The shots are taken at a quite simple way delivering the proper elegance of the story. The most remarkable aspect in this regard is the opening of the shot which was decked up in simplicity and only few movies in Hollywood open with such simple way implementing minimum technical support. Yet the film never lost its charm, elegance or dignity. Cinematographer Deakins and director Shanely proved that simplicity can be an archway for elegance and it has its different sober yet som bre effect on the mind of the viewers. In a particular scene where Meryl Streep looks at the sky and enjoys the fall of the leaves all over her body, the work of camera had been superb. The face of Meryl is shot from top here and the camera slowly gets away from her face capturing the feeling and facial expression intact. At the same time, the frame also captivates the fall of the leaves simultaneously. Color As regards to the color scheme operating in the film, cinematographer Dea

STEEPLE and Balance Scorecard Essay Example for Free

STEEPLE and Balance Scorecard Essay When a firm uses an external consultant to solve a problem or evaluate an opportunity the consultant can use STEEPLE (social, technological, economic, environmental, legal, and ethical), which is a preliminary analysis technique to answer why the business organization or systems exist (Wickham, Wickham, 2008, p. 128). This analysis the consultant preforms helps to determine how the firm business fits in its external environment. The consultant can also use the balances scorecard to measure the financial and non-financial performance of the firm. The consultant will use the STEEPLE and Balance Scorecard to analyze Phillip-Morris introduction of its electronic cigarettes in the market. In addition, the consultant will make any recommendation to Phillip-Morris from the results of the STEEPLE and Balance Scorecard analysis. STEEPLE Analysis The STEEPLE analysis is and extension of the PEST analysis. The PEST analysis acronym stands for; political, economical, social, and technological factors the firm may face in its external environment. This analysis is a form of system analysis that provides a structure for examining elements from the larger system of which the firm is a part of (Gustafson, 2002, p. 134) The STEELPE analysis includes the factors of the PEST analysis with the additions of the legal, environment, and ethical factors the firm can also face in its external environment. The consultant will examine the seven external environmental factors to solve the firm’s problem or opportunity in the market: Sociological factors are trends and attitudes that can affect buying behaviors. The negative publicity that firms, such as Phillip-Morris on the effects of smoking cigarettes, has altered societies view of Phillip-Morris. This has led to millions of individuals to stop smoking to improve his or her health st atus. Technological factors- Technology is constantly changing. This trend is that advanced technology generates new questions. The question for Phillip-Morris is does the firm have the knowledge for the design, production, and delivery of the product? If not, where can the firm gain the knowledge to produce such a product or use a third party to produce it. Economic factors- the consultant will look at if the target market can afford the product. In addition, the consultant must look at if the Phillip-Morris can afford to borrow the necessary funds to produce the product. Environmental Factors- The consultant look at how the e-cigarettes will be packaged and what type of chemicals is going to be used in the production of the product. Depending on the package materials and the chemicals that are used in the production of the product can have a negative effect on the environment. Green issues are important in society today, and the firm must take the issues of protecting the environment in consideration when producing any product. Political and legal factors- relates to the government of a countries federal, state, and local law passed by various governmental agencies. In this analysis the consultant must look at what laws and the attitudes of government agencies have been made for regulating smoking e-cigarettes. Ethical Factors- The consultant must look at how the product will be packaged, design and the marketing campaign to entice consumers to buy the product. This is because the negative publicity cigarettes firms marketing, packaging, and design its products to minors. If the product is produced to make smoking e-cigarettes is â€Å"cool† this can have a negative impact on the company, because it can entice minors to use the product. After conducting the STEEPLE analysis the consultant must determine where the firm has strengthens, weakness, thre ats, and opportunities in the internal and external environment. Phillip-Morris has a negative sociological factor regarding the views of consumers who uses the firm’s products. This negative view has made millions of customers to stop using the firms products. The technological factor, Phillip-Morris has does not have the knowledge of producing e-cigarettes. The firm will have to rely on a third party to produce the product. With the company not having the technology or the technical know how to produce e-cigarettes the price of the product can be very expensive. This has a negative affect on the economical factor, because many consumers may not be able to afford the  product. In addition, by the firm using a third party to produce the product the firm does not assume the risk of borrowing the necessary funds. The firm will not have any negative environmental factors of producing the product, because the third party will assume the risk. However, Phillip-Morris does impact the environment with its current production of making cigarettes. In the political and legal issues the firm can face is very limited. Phillip-Morris will have to comply with federal, state, and local laws governing the legal age requirement for purchasing the product. The firm will have ethical issues if the packaging, design, and marketing is promoting the alternative way of smoking as â€Å"cool.† This can entice young society members to purchase and use the product. However, if its marketing, packaging, and design is to provide adults an alternative and health way of smoking. This will show society that the firm cares about the health of its customers and those who are affected by second hand smoke. Balance Scorecard The balance scorecard gives the organization a total management system to help clarify its vision and strategy. In addition, this technique gives the usable data for the organization to take appropriate business actions, provides feedback to the internal business processes and the external outcomes to improve the firms strategic performance. According to the article â€Å"Using the Balance Scorecard,† written by Kaplan and Norton (1996), (pp. 75-85) the balance scorecard has four perspectives of: Financial Perspectives- Phillip-Morris must balance its business functions which as been allocated across the organization. If the Phillip-Morris decides to increase its economic growth it can do this through a productivity strategy. Phillip-Morris can lower the direct and indirect expense to improve cost, or reduce working and fixed capital to utilize its assets to support the business Customer Perspectives- The value proposition of the customer is the mix of products, price, service , relationship, and Phillip-Morris image. With this perspective Phillip-Morris will have to take on its competition. The company will have to differentiate its value proposition. Phillip-Morris can do this by selecting different operational excellence, customer intimacy, and product leadership. Business Process Perspectives-This matric allows management to understand how efficiently the organization is performing. It also helps Phillip-Morris to understand if  its products or services is meeting the customers needs. In addition, this perspective makes sure that the organization is align with the four high level business process of: Building franchises Increase customer value Achieving operational excellences Phillip-Morris becoming a good corporate citizen Learning and Growth Perspectives- This perspective looks at the employee career growth, training, and the corporate culture for individual and the firm’s self-improvement. In addition, it looks at the knowledge enhancements that Phillip-Morris has to communicate with employees and a mentor program. If Phillip-Morris can enhance employees learning and growth it can have a workforce to meet the firms strategic position. These perspectives allow the development of metrics, data analysis, and collection for the firm. Phillip-Morris is the largest tobacco firms and has a clear objective for its current and potential stockholders. This objective can be to improve the financial side of the firm. In this case the firm has the motivation to have long-term shareholder value, and avoiding the ethical issues that is associated with tobacco companies. By doing this Philip-Morris will neglect the customer, business process, and learning and growth perspective of the balance scorecard. Phill ip-Morris must develop a different business strategy to have a more balanced scorecard. Recommendations The STEEPLE analysis shows Phillip-Morris has a negative sociological and technological factor. There are no environmental factors in producing e-cigarettes, and the political and legal issues will be the same as other tobacco products. The ethical factors can be a negative or positive depending on how the company package, design, and market the product. Phillip-Morris balance scorecard focuses on the financial perspective, while neglecting the three other perspectives. With Phillip-Morris focusing on the financial perspective, and without the technical know how. It is recommended that Phillip-Morris look for a third party to produce its e-cigarettes. It is also the recommendation for Phillip-Morris to enter in a joint venture so it can gain the technical knowledge and have a complete  balance scorecard. References Gustafson, K. (2002). The future of instructional design. In R. Rieser J. Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (pp. 333-343). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Merril/Prentice Hall Kaplan, R.S., Norton, D.P. (1996, January-February). Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System. Harvard Business Review, 74(1), 75-85. ESBCO Host. Wickham, P., Wickham, L. (2008). Management consulting: Delivering an effective project (3rd ed.). Harlow, England: Pearson

Iraq: a Lesson from Panama Imperialism and Struggle for Sovereignty Ess

Iraq: a Lesson from Panama Imperialism and Struggle for Sovereignty If History is to be the signifier of lessons learned, then why do wars continue to happen? The United States has never really been considered an Imperialist nation, but as history proves, the US has had a long stake in international geopolitical control over various countries, as well as economic markets that have made these countries dependent on the United States for survival. In light of recent events in Iraq, one should take a step back and look at the US’ history of hostile invasions to â€Å"make the world safe for democracy.† This mantra had devastating on the tiny country of Panama 14 years ago. Why did the US invade Panama? To free Panama from its oppressive dictator, Manuel Noriega. The result was the a death toll of three thousand, and the country’s further dependence on the US for economic survival. Who again was the US trying to save Panama from? In reviewing the story of Panama, one is able to draw uncanny connections to the current sit uation in Iraq. The administration even has many of the same people that decided to invade Panama under Bush senior. Now the same minds have decided to invade Iraq under George W. Bush, under the same pretext of â€Å"freeing the Iraqi people.† Based on history however, what will be the consequences for the Iraqi people and the Iraqi nation? On December 20,1989 President Bush ordered US forces into Panama as he explained, â€Å"to safeguard the lives of Americans, to defend democracy in Panama, to combat drug trafficking, and to protect the integrity of the Panama Canal Treaty.†[1] In December of 1989, 26,000 US soldiers occupied Panama in search of Manuel Noriega to be seized and tried on traffickin... ...s neighborhood, and with West Indians in Margarita, Colon, February 14-19, 1990 [20] CODEHUCA, Testimonies recorded by staff of the Central American Human Rights Committees, San Jose, Costa Rica, taken in Panama Jan. 29, 1990 [21] Ibid. [22] Ibid. [23] Pensamiento Propio, Jan./ Feb., 1990 â€Å"La guerra total de Bush† pp.28 [24] Ibid. [25] Opinion Publica, CELA, Panama, No.24 Feb.1990 Magela Cabera Arias, â€Å"La Reconstruccion en El Chorrillo,† pp. 8-9 [26] El Periodico, â€Å"Bombardean Pacora con substancias quimicas,† Panama Occupied Territory, Feb. 1990 p.8 [27] Ibid. [28] Reuters, Washington D.C., Jan 9, 1990 [29] Ibid. [30] Wheaton, p.20 [31] Ibid. [32] http://www.geographyiq.com/countries/pm/Panama_history_summary.htm. [33] CRS Issue Brief, Panama – US Relations: Continuing Policy Concerns [34] Ibid. Iraq: a Lesson from Panama Imperialism and Struggle for Sovereignty Ess Iraq: a Lesson from Panama Imperialism and Struggle for Sovereignty If History is to be the signifier of lessons learned, then why do wars continue to happen? The United States has never really been considered an Imperialist nation, but as history proves, the US has had a long stake in international geopolitical control over various countries, as well as economic markets that have made these countries dependent on the United States for survival. In light of recent events in Iraq, one should take a step back and look at the US’ history of hostile invasions to â€Å"make the world safe for democracy.† This mantra had devastating on the tiny country of Panama 14 years ago. Why did the US invade Panama? To free Panama from its oppressive dictator, Manuel Noriega. The result was the a death toll of three thousand, and the country’s further dependence on the US for economic survival. Who again was the US trying to save Panama from? In reviewing the story of Panama, one is able to draw uncanny connections to the current sit uation in Iraq. The administration even has many of the same people that decided to invade Panama under Bush senior. Now the same minds have decided to invade Iraq under George W. Bush, under the same pretext of â€Å"freeing the Iraqi people.† Based on history however, what will be the consequences for the Iraqi people and the Iraqi nation? On December 20,1989 President Bush ordered US forces into Panama as he explained, â€Å"to safeguard the lives of Americans, to defend democracy in Panama, to combat drug trafficking, and to protect the integrity of the Panama Canal Treaty.†[1] In December of 1989, 26,000 US soldiers occupied Panama in search of Manuel Noriega to be seized and tried on traffickin... ...s neighborhood, and with West Indians in Margarita, Colon, February 14-19, 1990 [20] CODEHUCA, Testimonies recorded by staff of the Central American Human Rights Committees, San Jose, Costa Rica, taken in Panama Jan. 29, 1990 [21] Ibid. [22] Ibid. [23] Pensamiento Propio, Jan./ Feb., 1990 â€Å"La guerra total de Bush† pp.28 [24] Ibid. [25] Opinion Publica, CELA, Panama, No.24 Feb.1990 Magela Cabera Arias, â€Å"La Reconstruccion en El Chorrillo,† pp. 8-9 [26] El Periodico, â€Å"Bombardean Pacora con substancias quimicas,† Panama Occupied Territory, Feb. 1990 p.8 [27] Ibid. [28] Reuters, Washington D.C., Jan 9, 1990 [29] Ibid. [30] Wheaton, p.20 [31] Ibid. [32] http://www.geographyiq.com/countries/pm/Panama_history_summary.htm. [33] CRS Issue Brief, Panama – US Relations: Continuing Policy Concerns [34] Ibid.

Globalization & Gender Inequality Essay

News reports suggest that economic giants from third world Asia namely China and India are expected to grow at the rate of 9. 7 and 6. 5 percent respectively. The GDP growth rate of these nations is much higher than that of any developed nation and hence are the two fastest growing economy of the world. China has now become the factory of the world with large multinational companies infusing lots of money in establishing manufacturing units and India is now one of the major destinations for back office jobs and is the leading service sector economy. The process which has got its roots right from the beginning of 20th century with the beginning of economic cooperation between Europe and the United States later became synonymous with the word development in Far East Asian Countries including the ASEAN (The World Bank Group, 2000). But still this globalization has yet to make this world a better place to live. The concern related to the globalization process is the growth which is visible is actually more of mathematical in nature than the real cumulative growth. It might be taking place at the cost those who are less privileged (Kumar, 2007). The purpose of this paper is look into the existence of gender inequality in the current scenario where globalization has made the whole world a village with each country having its own identity and purpose in this world. Exchange of information and knowledge is perhaps the simplest in the history of mankind with details of culture of one state can easily be gathered for study, research as well as adoption. But when the matter of gender equality comes into picture then the globalization has miserably failed in making its impact. Developed nations as we all know have made great advancements in implementing the concept of gender equality while the other developing and under-developed nations have miserably failed. As a whole in the developing nations including the Middle East region, globalization has brought great increase in country’s GDP but social structure of these nations have been far from with atrocities against women are almost similar prevalent in early 20th century (Ramji, 1997). Literature Review The economic growth produced and as defined in above paragraphs has yielded results more in terms of mathematical or statistical in nature. The definition of this economic growth in terms of increases in national income has actually undermines women and its contribution to the society. Various activities which are not directly related to economic nature are not being made a part of the national accounting system. Areas of work such as mothering or child-rearing and housework, socially constructed for women, are not included as work when national growth and GDP is being calculated. The UNDP Human Development Report 1996 has concluded that the much propagated economic growth and its expansion since 1980 recent decades show all too clearly that there is no actual relation between economic growth and human development especially females. The concept of Human Development Index (HDI) has been defined in order to calculate the average of the achievements a country undertakes when human capabilities are taken as the variable to measure. The term is being sub varied with smaller variables which includes life expectancy at birth, adult literacy rate, and real gross domestic product per capita i. e. , the PCI which comes into picture when we consider GDP as one of the variable rather the most important variable (Ramji, 1997). The human society has been given a broad view including both men and women while calculating the development of the society as a whole and its multi sided presence. The actual calculation of improvement on domestic front is being measured in terms improvement in human well-being taken along with economic growth targets. Feminist have been known to follow Walter Rodney’s definition of development in which an individual and his capability is given a level crafted out comparison with some standard value. The capability and its improvement imply the very increased skills and capacities enabling greater freedom over creativity coming out of self-discipline though responsibility and material well-being. The definition go on emphasizing on the features that holds true in sense of moral categories and its evaluation over a nation depending on the class in terms of social origin, personal code for the classification of what is right and what is wrong and age in which one lives. At the level of a community, sustainable human development is defined in terms of the development that gives priority to the poor, enlarging their choices and opportunities and providing for their participation in decisions that affects their lives. This development is pro-people, pro-nature, pro-employment, and pro-women and not only generates economic growth but also distributes its benefits equitably thereby regenerating the cohesive environment which empowers people. But here the ambiguity comes along with segregated approach towards women which is more gender gapped approach with facilitators enabling sustainable development programs that gives high priority to the poor with assumption being that the state of poverty is quite natural and any solution to achieve 100% poverty eradication is unrealistic. But the Human Development Report (1995, p4) has provided the feministic approach to poverty which suggest that almost 70% of total poor are actually women. The definition as of now used to consider poor as a whole but the reality across. But the reality talks of poverty among women are along with different parameter. It presents a very different picture and even in well to do families the condition of women is not good. In the paper by Vincent J. Bolt and Kate Bird, lack of resources and asymmetrical power relations often result in the discrimination of resources of the intra-household resources which include food, health care and education (13). Even if the females manage to earn some money, their income is being considered as the household income and again they have face discrimination when it is being distributed (Bolt, 14). Poverty and lack of education has prevented any possible social renaissance. The birth of a male child is still considered as very important phenomena. This sometimes led to the birth of a number of girls when parents go on giving birth to babies till the birth of a male child. With already poor household and lots of mouth to feed and a male child, the female members are forced to sacrifice their share in every possible resource sharing (Bolt, 20). The Helsinki Process in its report has stated that families suffering with persistent poverty and hunger are more prone to disease and violence especially domestic violence (11). The report also states that these people perform badly on health index too. They are in continuous chain of disease, conflict and with poverty contributing a lot to epidemics of infection with all access to health care being blocked (Helsinki Process, 15). So it’s not a surprise if world wide more than 500,000 women die annually in pregnancy with 99% being a part of developing but poor countries (Helsinki Process, 15). A family is always talked of being a unit of social system but in some part of western world and almost whole of Asia and Africa, the life of women and children is miserable because of conditions in the family itself. There have been some cases that family is rich. The male part comprising of father and son are financially sound but females’ condition is not just bad rather it is miserable. The family is seldom a unit. Distribution of resources is rarely equal. Females are given less food. All this leads to a condition where women are poor while their husbands or brothers or sons are not. But this is not the end of all sorts of oppressions. The newly searched form of household abuse is men afflicting their wife with HIV/AIDS virus. In most of the poor families, males migrate to cities in search of work and money. They get themselves affected with virus because of unprotected sex. And when they return they finally transmit it to their wives. Due to this, number of innocent sufferers of this deadly virus is on increase with potential high enough to cause an epidemic (Jacobson, 41). Poverty and continuous domestic violence has its effect not only on current generations but also on next generation because of children being regularly exposed to violent behavior. This actually opens a cycle of oppression and aggression with those children becoming more volatile and aggressive. Their chances of economic and academic successes get diminished to another low and will become another source of family and household abuse (Bloom, 16). Conclusion So technically there exist two causes of women’s poverty: the first one is absolute poverty while the second one is subordination within the family. When Globalization is talked about then with relevance to the women and men, it is basically a process presented in terms of economic and political paradigm through wide range of variables namely finance, investment, production and marketing that are being dominated by visionary banks and firms with actions spread across national borders and interests. But the thing globalization in terms of poor only presents another way of capitalism and monetary dominance with profiteering over cheap labor and atrocities of poor. Extending the same when looked upon with women in view gives a more grim view. The males have been found to usurp the decision making control irrespective of the family ((Ramji, 1997). condition. The Middle East region and other South Asian regions are very much prone to these social problems. Males have been found to try their best to prevent all sorts of help and any attempt of abused to attain economic independence. These males are poor and are thrashed all over their lives initially during childhood and now by their employers. Their level of frustration is extremely high which finally lead to their wives and children who are now at the receiving end of their frustration. They are alcohol abused and finally abuse their family members (Bloom, 13). Wife beating is a regular feature in those families. These people are very much prone to high risk sex and they finally transmit all this to their wives (Bloom, 23). The wives have more in their life left. They can only hope some thing better in next life only. With most of these cases being a part of developing nations and war torn ones, the chances of getting justice is the least. They are abused on every possible ground and may become mentally unstable with effect being faced by the child they have born. Bibliography Bloom, Sandra L. , â€Å"The PVS Disaster: Poverty, Violence and Substance Abuse in the Lives of Women and Children†. September 2002. A Review of the Recent Literature Women’s Law Project, 2002 . â€Å"Empowering People at Risk: Human Security Priorities for the 21st Century†. Helsinki Process. Robinson, M. , â€Å"Advancing the Human Development Agenda: A Shared Responsibility†, January, 2005. Third Forum on Human Development Cultural Identity, Democracy and Global Equity, Paris. â€Å"Poverty and Violence†. Bolt, Vincent J. & Bird, Kate. â€Å"The Intrahousehold Disadvantages Framework: A Framework for the Analysis of Intra-household Difference and Inequality†, July 2003. Chronic Poverty Research Centre. Kumar, A. (2007). Does Foreign Direct Investment Help Emerging Economies? Insights from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, vol. 2, no. 1 â€Å"Security on Whose terms? If Men and Women are equal†. Kevinna Till Kevinna Foundation. â€Å"The NSDUH Report: Youth Violence and illicit Drug Abuse†, 2006, National Survey on Drug Use and Health â€Å"Surviving Violence and Poverty: A Focus on the Link between Domestic and Sexual Violence, Women’s Poverty and Welfare† 2002. Now Legal and Education Fund Ramji, S. (1997) Globalization and Gender Inequality, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6 The World Bank Group (2000), Assessing Globalization, Economic Policy Group and Development Economics Group

How Does the Writer of This Text Use Language and Grammar?

How does the writer of this text use language and grammar to shape the readers response? The author uses jargon, puns and compound sentences to shape his readers response. This is done by paying attention to his audience which is the readers of the Metro, which are public transport users. Also to his purpose which is to entertain his audience. Puns are used to give a light-hearted effect to entertain his audience. This is evident where the author says â€Å"A new musical talent spreads his wings†.This provides entertainment to his readers in the form of comedy. Additionally the words he uses acts as a metaphor, yet in this case the phrase is quite literal as he is talking about a fly. This quite an effective pun. The use of puns provides amusement to his audience and by placing this pun at the beginning of this article it makes the reader intrigued to read on. Furthermore puns are used throughout the article to keep the reader engaged. Jargon is used also as a way to present h is readers with photography knowledge.He uses a quote from the photographer which says â€Å"†¦to give a refreshing view on insect marco-photography†. By using this the author gives the public a small insight to what technology goes into taking these photos. This uses of jargon also presents another purpose as it shows the photographer of these fly photos to be a professional within this business. Also that it makes it easier for people who know about the subject to follow, as specialized terms can be used without losing information.This is useful as he has a very wide audience and some may understand these terms. The use of compound sentences adds more detail and information. The author says â€Å"Nearly all the photographs of Mr Fly, whose first name was Gerald, were taken in Mr Hendrickx’s bedroom, using mostly natural light and a small eight megapixel camera. † By saying this the author adds more richness to the sentence and therefore by doing so adds m ore information to his readers.By adding more information the author can entertain his audience which are on the public transport on their journeys. Furthermore that by using compound sentences it is more effective in creating a balance between two important pieces of information, thereby leaving the reader with a better understanding of the article. To conclude by using all this techniques the author of the text can keep his audience engaged and entertained while reading his article and furthermore provide them with information which they may not of known prior.

The Rule of Law essays

The Rule of Law essays The rule of law, although popularised by Dicey was not invented by him. Prior and Post Dicey, different theorists had considered it, namely, Von Hayek, Socrates, Raz and E.P Thompson. In 1885, A.V Diceys book supported the theory of the English constitution as opposed to the written constitutions of other countries. However, there have been schools of thought that Diceys ideas are now outdated but recently, especially with the senior members of the judiciary, they have come back into favour. It is common knowledge that Britains constitution is an unwritten one as it is not contained in one document and much of it has no legal status. The Diceyan argument was that not only was this irrelevant, but it was in fact of beneficial advantage. Dicey summarised the concept of he rule of law under three headings. Primarily, the principle concerned the rule of law and discretionary powers. Dicey believed that regular law was absolutely predominant over abritary and wide discretionary powers. That is all government actions must be authorised by the law. No person could be punished or interfered with by the authorities unless the law authorised it. This concept was in direct contrast with the situation in England, where there were no rules. The government could do as it pleased and there would be no legal controls over its activities. Example would be lack of trial before punishment. Entick v Carrington illuminates the concept that, the governments should not possess wide discretionary powers. In this case, the courts declared that the secretary of state could not order the search of Enticks house, because there was no law that authorised such searches. The court rejected the arguments of state necessity or that there was one law for government activities and another for ordinary people. This judgement was in accord with the rule of law. However, the more recent case of Malone v Metropolitan Police Commiss ...

Death Penalty Ethics Essay Sample

Death Penalty Ethics Essay Sample Death Penalty Ethics Essay The death penalty has a long history in the society. During older times, the death penalty was used in giving justice to grave crimes which gave the idea that grave crimes definitely cost people their lives. The discourse on death penalty involves different concepts in the society especially ethics and morality. In the context of ethics and morality, capital punishment is never seen as the righteous way to achieve justice. This follows the idea that taking one’s life is equated to devaluing it. Of course, death penalty also exists in a religious context. Throughout history, the Church has been prominent in voicing out its strong opinion against capital punishment. Despite this, history also says the Church has somewhat given the state civil liberties in how justice is practiced. In these juxtaposing concepts, it is seen that the issue of capital punishment is an issue that gathers strong opposing opinions which identifies it as an important moral and ethical problem. The Ethics of Capital Punishment The ethical constraint that lies within capital punishment is the idea of life being taken willfully from an individual. For many, this follows a barbaric form of the justice system just like the â€Å"eye for an eye† concept. Furthermore, in the case of religion, taking a life of another human being is already sin in itself which widens the moral grounding against capital punishment. In short, this form of penalty is not reasonable enough to be considered â€Å"right.† This thinking has developed over present times which produced progressive movements against capital punishment. Many consider that the uproar against capital punishment is mostly ruled by emotions but it is important to know that this is completely fine. The discourse on death will never be technical and emotions can be associated to the functionality of morality in the society. Morality speaks of what is right or wrong, based on our inherent perceptions of the society. Just like with other ethical issues, capital punishment is perceived as unjust because it does not truly bring justice to those who need it. On the other hand, it is only a premature form of vengeance that does not truly satisfy anyone. In light of this, it is important to explore the different underpinnings of capital punishment in the society and how different nations have legalized it despite the continuous retort of several advocacy groups. Capital Punishment in the Society In the United States, some states allow capital punishment as the highest level of crime punishment. This is dedicated to grave crimes such as murder and the likes. For some people, this form of punishment can be considered as a â€Å"grave† or excessive showcase of authoritarian power. It does not give space or reform for change in the society; rather it instills a sense of fear among people that is usually misguided. Aside from this, the idea itself of capital punishment tends to paint a picture of justice which is cut short. Of course, death is not the solution in achieving justice. In nations that approve of capital punishment, their reasoning lies in the idea that through death penalty, people would avoid making crimes that would lead to their death. State ruling also reasons out that through capital punishment, people would fear being involved in great crimes. For experts on crime and psychology, capital punishment may have an effect that is opposed to this belief. Criminals who get involved in grave crimes do not have time thinking of this sort of logic; criminals would be more focused on committing their crimes rather than the repercussions of their actions. Instead, capital punishment in itself can trigger more grave crimes for criminals would see the crimes they commit as their last. Of course, this is only one side of the story and this also proves the multi-faceted orientation of the discourse of capital punishment depending on what context it is situated in. Despite all this, when the discourse is focused on morality, the automatic understanding is tha t the death penalty is unreasonable. Cutting short the life of a criminal may be reasonable to the victims but this is a blinded perception of the justice system. Ultimately, the issue of death penalty continues to raise debates because of how life is connected to what is ethical and death penalty is just one of the many wherein ethics is erased.

Recruitment, selection and deployment of human resources Case Study - 1

Recruitment, selection and deployment of human resources - Case Study Example ndards for each factor in order to determine the status of performance of employee; establish and identify the misconducts at work; include all possible performance dimensions and all possible rating criteria to judge employees critically; and add an additional column that addresses the performance improvements criteria and factors among employees. Yes, it is adequate and acceptable to modify current rating form in stores as per stores requirements and emerging needs. Many stores may experience higher absenteeism rate, turnover rate, or expenses higher than average. Therefore, it becomes necessary for the betterment of these stores to modify evaluation system and change ratings to motivate employees to perform better and meet organization needs. A store coping with adverse situations might have to implement stringent rating system to identify the true status of employees’ performance and where the company lacks. The applicable performance dimensions in this particular case may include performance; attitude; cooperation; absents; overtime; initiative; customer service; communication skills; knowledge about work; teamwork; time management; ability to cope with pressure and stress; and dedication at work (Grace, 2012). The adequate performance measurement criteria include quantitative and qualitative measurement techniques to appraise employees’ performance. In this regard, customers’ feedback for a particular employee should also be taken as a positive remark in measuring the employees’