Things which are Important in Our Lives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Things which are Important in Our Lives - Essay Example The ways that things make our lives more comfortable are countless. From the moment we wake up until we sleep, things are there make our lives easier. We sleep on a thing called the bed and wakes up with the alarm of another thing called alarm clock. Our breakfast would not have been prepared if not the convenience of cooking things in the kitchen. When we prepare ourselves either for school or work, things are again present for us. We dress in clothes appropriate for us and go to school or work in another form of thing which is a car. Even our place of work school is filled with things. In school, computers make studying easier especially the internet. Our daily lives are basically filled with things to make it convenient for us. Things also enable us to do a lot of things which otherwise would have been difficult to do without those things. I can concretely cite the example of a computer and internet without which studying and doing research would have been very difficult. If I have to do a term paper, I will have to physically go to the library and scour through the catalogs before finding the books and magazine that I need for research. After finding those materials that I need, I have to borrow them physically or copy the text if I am not allowed to bring the books at home. I would have to laboriously go all through them which will take a lot of time and effort. And even writing the report would require a great deal of effort because I have to manually type them. The thing called computer and internet releases me from those burdens and allow me to study better. I can scour through books and journals and other articles right in the comfort of my home. This is faster and more convenient. The information I c an find using the computer and the internet in minutes may take me hours if I will do it physically in the library.  

Into Thin Air Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Into Thin Air - Case Study Example The implications of decision making and persuasion of a group by a mountain climbing leader led to the death of nine people within a single day as a bad storm walloped up on Mount Everest (Krakauer, 2009). From the narration of Jon Krakauer, it is revealed that during this mountain climbing experience, three more lives were lost before a month elapsed. This mountaineering experience at Everest took place in the spring of the year 1996. In decision making, information or knowledge is one of the most crucial elements of a leader of a group. This is because if there is lack of knowledge, making of choices is not likely to be informed. For example the climbers in the case study had no knowledge that anything was likely to go wrong as they started their commercial expedition for the Everest Summit at the South Col. It is lack of any knowledge of what was ahead that persuasion was achieved and the group made a decision to go ahead with the expedition. Nonetheless, leaders of a group are ob liged to make members aware of the risks which are associated with the decisions that they make (Robert, 2001). This is demonstrated in the case where it is said that all members of the mountaineering expedition were conscious of the possible trouble that they would face but they did not realize that it would lead to loss of lives and make it the worst mountaineering expedition at Mount Everest (Krakauer, 2009). ... Experience makes leaders capable of making the right decisions and the success they attain inn decision making is attributed to the faith that members of a group have for such leaders and their persuasion appeal (Robert, 2001). The decision making of the climbing guide for the team was a fixed and strict turnaround timing which Hall put at 1 pm. It is notable that during the climbing experience most climbers did not adhere to the turnaround time as posted by the guide. This is seen by the fact that some climbers turned around at 3 pm (Krakauer, 2009). In this sense it can be argued that the guide of the climbing expedition was not able to successfully persuade the group of the importance that was attached t adherence to the turnaround time and the possible consequences that would emanated from decisions of failing to turnaround when expected. The decision Hall had for the group for the 1 pm turnaround proved to be very costly for the whole group. This is because of the fact that at t his time the air at the mountain is very thin (Krakauer, 2009). It is in light of this sentiment that it is argued that the decision that was made by the leader of the group was not sufficiently informed. And if it was informed it s evident that the leader was ready to take risks associated to decision making. Nonetheless the ability of the leader in convincing the group to the 1 pm turnaround demonstrates how persuasion for a group would lead to decisions that are likely to lead to negative implications late on. Charisma and eloquence are usually attributed to the ability of leaders to make persuasive decisions that make members of a group convinced to follow suit to what is decided by the leader. In light of the case study, it can be argued that it is the

Models of Professionalism in the PR Industry

Models of Professionalism in the PR Industry Professionalism is an attempt to translate one order of scarce resources, specialist knowledge and skills into social and economic rewards (Larson, 1977). It is describes as a sphere of expertise and identifying level of practice and competencies among Public Relations practitioners which has been developed for over hundreds years ago in our society. Different Public Relations (PR) associations shall practice different forms of code ethics. For example most of PR associations adopted Code of Athens while others have their own code of ethics as guidelines. In accordance to Brown (1986), he defined ethics as a set of values that establishes the criteria by which conduct will be judged. Ethics also are culture-bound and therefore create some difficulties for global public relations practice. Thus, Code of Ethics is a formal statement of an organisations values on certain ethical and social issues. The famous four models that influence the contemporary public relation theories of practice were adapted from Grunig and Hunts (1984). They comprised of Public agentry /publicity that was used to draw attention to an event. A two-way asymmetric will deal with the feedback from the public by providing persuasive communication. Whereas a two way symmetric is mutual understandings between the public and organisation that was built through dialogue, listening and understanding. Other theories discussed are the systems theory that helped to explain and predict organisation behaviours and contribution of PR role to the entity as whole. A situational theory is a tools to categorise publics perceptions of a situation and their subsequent behaviour; and agenda setting theory discussed about the media and the way news is selected by media outlets for consumption by the public (Sheehan Xavier 2009). PR practitioner are demanded to be ethical as they go professional. According to Seithel (1997), PR practitioner must be honest and trustworthy to cater the needs of the public and individual organisation in order to protect those who entrust their well being to the professional (try to rephrase the sentence- vague). They also need to protect their profession values and commit themselves to uphold the profession by honouring its obligation and values. In order to quantify professionalism, PR practitioner should demonstrate their skills on handling special tasks. Professionalism are divided into three categories. First, it is an act to serve the best interest of client and public, Utility of vagueness (Kultgen,1988) which contributes to the ideological use of functionalist models in the struggle for status. Secondly, it acts as an ideology of advocacy (Simon, 1978) where professional is neutral and detached from the clients purposes and also create an aggressive partisan of the client working to advance the clients needs. Finally, they denote a right that the public possesses by virtue of being the primary, generic unit in society. It is also denotes a benefit(s) from publics relationship with other units to insure the well-being of society as a whole.(nda ku paham) However as Bayles (1981) states not all responsibilities are those of individual professionals. Some are responsibilities of a profession as a whole and cannot be reduced to obligations of individual professionals. The use of professionalism normally linked in PR field with the expression of the need to improve occupational standing- body of knowledge, ethics and certification to understand the defining characteristics of profession (Cutlip, Center Broom, 1994, pp.129-163; Grunig Hunt, 1984,pp. 66-69; Wylie, 1994). This is to improve the effectiveness of public relations as well as their image of presentation. But how? Any examples For example, Institute of Public Relation in Malaysia does not belong to individual professional Public Relations practitioner but its portals who desire the systematic, organized growth and development of Public Relations as a profession, who contribute positively to the nations continuous growth and development in all spheres of human endeavours. This was subjected due to the different culture backgrounds and races in Malaysia. The main objective of Institute of Public Relation in Malaysia is to enhance professionalisms among public relations practitioners in Malaysia. To be more specific, the objectives of Institute of Public Relation in Malaysia are:- 1.Supports research and other educational activities in public relations. 2.Giving advice and provide information and create opportunities for discussions on all aspects of public relation activities. 3.To promote the understanding, development and recognition of public relations. 4.To established and prescribe standards of professi onal and ethical conduct and ensure the observance of those standards. 5.To encourage the attainment of professional academic qualification. 6.To nurture, promote and maintain contacts with public relation practitioners. The Institute of Public Relation in Malaysia (IPRM) has its own code of ethics to manage the practice of Public Relations in Malaysia. Public Relations practitioners in Malaysia are governed in two ways, firstly by the Code of Professional Conduct (Code of Athens) which was enforced by the institute of Public Relations Malaysia. Any negligence they can be fined and deregistered. Secondly, it is governed by the law of the country where Public Relations practitioner can be sued or imprisoned for any offences committed under the law of the country such as Printing Presses and Publication Act 1984, Seditition Act 1948, Defamation Act 1957, Copyright Act 1987 and Internal Security act 1960, revised in 1972. Institute of Public Relation in Malaysia Code of Ethics was adapted from the Code of Athens where all members should:- 1.Conduct professional activities with respect for the public interest 2.Shall at all time  deal fairly and honestly with his client or employers, past and present, with fellow members and with the general public 3.Shall not intentionally disseminate false or misleading information; maintain truth, accuracy and good taste. 4.Shall not engage in any practices which tend to corrupt the integrity of channels of public communication. 5.Shall not create or use of any organisation purporting to serve some announced cause  but actually promoting a special private interest of a member or his client or his employer which is not apparent 6.Shall safeguards the confidence of both present and formers clients and employers. Shall not disclose confidential information. 7.Shall not represent conflicting or competing interest 8.Shall not accept fees, commission or any other valu able consideration from anyone either than his client or employer. 9.Shall not attract business unfairly 10.Shall not purpose to prospective client or employer that his fee or other compensation to be contingent on the achievement of certain result. 11.Shall not intentionally injure the profession reputation or practice of another member 12.Shall not engaged in or be connected with any occupation or business which is not consistent with membership of the institute. 13.Shall not seek to supplant another member with his/her employer or client, no shall he/she encroach upon the professional employment of another member unless both parties are assured that there is no conflict of interest involved. 14.Shall corporate with fellow members in upholding and enforcing the code. In Malaysia, system theory of public relations and strategy strengthen the concepts of public relations management in Malaysia. System theory (general system theory) is widely being applied to the field of public relation in order to explain and predict the organisational behaviours and explain how the public relations role contributes to the entity as a whole (Sheehan and Xavier, 2009). With the application of system theory, professional can play their adaptive roles in shaping the standards of professionalism based on the concept of adjustment and adaptation of public relations. It is important in creating transparency of the organisations to their environment. Professional public relations practitioners should be able to respond to the dynamic real world, especially in competitive business environment (Cutlip et al., 2000; Cornelissen, 2004:167) For example, case study done by Zulhamri Abdullah and Therry Threadgold: Waste Management Company, CEOs stated that Unlike multinational companies which are taking a great concern over public relations as they have gone up and down, but some Malaysian companies have not really exposed to high competition and being having good at all time. Malaysian CEOs must be more agile and competitive. Communication is very important for a company to be appeared as the best company. This can be done by communicating and engaging your business with external stakeholders. Thats why we invest in PR to be seen by our stakeholders. A real PR practitioner must be able to influence a CEOs thinking and judgement. Here, PR is a part of top management committee. This statement shows the importance of the role of PR in the company and how the CEOs trust the PR ideas and judgement towards decision- making. Good communication skills will help the PR to exploit the business deals with internal and external stakeholders. In order to realise this vision, the development of PR knowledge is important towards the professionalism in the field. For nurturing real professionals and improve level of competencies among PR fraternity, it will take a long process. A lack of talent, skills and competency among PR practitioners are the most critical issues faced by the organisations/sectors. Accreditation is an important requirement in professionalization of PR practice which is based on voluntary rather than an imposed mandatory system. It should be more focus on providing technical and managerial knowledge and skills which is more complex and sophisticated. Social responsibility was the aim of IPRM and other PR Institute, in order to proof occupations value to the society by giving or putting facts which can be supported by the truth. Organisation in democratic societies exists with consent of the public so it is a must for the organisation to be socially responsible. There are some advantages and disadvantages of socially responsible PR. The advantages are by helping them to improve their professional practice through codifying and enforcing ethical conduct and standards of performance, stressing the need of the public. Also they serves the public interest by discussing the view articulate in the forum and to promote human welfare by helping social system to adapt the changing needs and environments. Whereas as a drawback, PR gains advantages for and promote special interest, sometimes at the cost of the public well being, strangled the channels of communication that confuses, and also corrodes the channel of communication with the cynicism and credibility gap. As conclusions, in order to be professional Public Relations practitioner, he/she must abide the code of ethics which have been provided by their organisations. They also should be trustworthy in handling specific task in order to gain trust from clients and the public itself. The level of skills to be professional will be judged through their expertise on handling the tasks given. ( dang ur conclusion not good enuf lah write more.. kalo boleh support with any statement) References: Abdullah Z. Threadgold T. Towards the Professionalisation of Public relations in Malaysia: Perception Management and Strategy Development. (accessed date 16/08/09) Barlett, J., Twyoniak, S. Hatcher, C. 2007. Public relations professional practice and the institutionalisation of CSR. Journal of Communication management, 11, 4, 281-99. Bivins, T. 1993. Public Relations, Professionalism, and the public interest. Journal of Business Ethics, Feb, 12, 2. Cornelissen, J.P. 2004. Corporate Communication: Theory and Practice. London: Saga Publication. Cutlip, S.M., Center, A.H broom, G.M. 2000. Effective Public Relations. London: Prentice Hall International, Inc. Institute of Public Relation in Malaysia.2009. Code of Ethics. http://www.iprm.org.my/index.php/code-of-athens/english-version (accessed date 16/08/09) Johnston J Zawawi C (eds), 2004, Public Relations Theory and Practice , 2nd edn, Allen and Unwin, Crows nest, NSW Pieczka M. and LEtang J. 2006. Public relations and the question of professionalism, in LEtang and Pieczka (eds). Public Relations Critical Debates and Contemporary Practice. Mahwah NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 265-78 Sheehan M. Xavier R. (eds) 2009, Public Relations Campaigns, 1st edn, Copyright Agency Limited, Sydney NSW.

The Constitutional Issue of Abortion :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

The Constitutional Issue of Abortion Three Works Cited Many people believe abortion is only a moral issue, but it is also a constitutional issue. It is a woman's right to choose what she does with her body, and it should not be altered or influenced by anyone else. This right is guaranteed by the ninth amendment, which contains the right to privacy. The ninth amendment states: "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." This right guarantees the right to women, if they so choose, to have an abortion, up to the end of the first trimester. Regardless of the fact of morals, a woman has the right to privacy and choice to abort her fetus. The people that hold a "pro-life" view argue that a woman who has an abortion is killing a child. The "pro-choice" perspective holds this is not the case. A fetus is not yet a baby. It does not posses the criteria derived from our understanding of living human beings. In a notable defense of this position, philosopher Mary Anne Warren has proposed the following criteria for "person-hood": 1) consciousness (of objects and events external and or internal to the being), and in particular the capacity to feel pain. 2) reasoning (the developed capacity to solve new and relatively complex problems) 3) self-motivated activity (activity which is relatively independent of either genetic or direct external control) 4) the capacity to communicate, by whatever means, messages of an indefinite variety of possible contents, but on indefinitely many possible topics. 5) the presence of self-concepts, and self-awareness, either individual or social, or both. (Taking Sides -Volume 3). Several cases have been fought for the right to choose. Many of these have been hard cases with very personal feelings, but the perseverance showed through and gives us the rights we have today. Here are some important cases: 1965 - Griswold v. Connecticut - upheld the right to privacy and ended the ban on birth control. Eight years later, the Supreme Court ruled the right to privacy included abortions. Roe v. Wade was based upon this case. 1973 - Roe v. Wade: - The state of Texas had outlawed abortions. The Supreme Court declared the law unconstitutional, but refused to order an injunction against the state. On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court voted the right to privacy included abortions.

Advantages of Verbal communication Essay

Verbal communication- The sharing of information between individuals by using speech. Individuals working within a business need to effectively use verbal communication that employs readily understood spoken words, as well as ensuring that the enunciation, stress and tone of voice with which the words are expressed is appropriate. Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/verbal-communication.html#ixzz2PT6EzJTZ We all communicate on a daily basis either with others or ourselves. Verbal communication is one approach for individuals to communicate in a straight forward manner. There are multiple basic components of verbal communication such as audio, words, dialog, and language. Whatever technique of interaction is used, written, body language, or verbal, each is considered a form of communication and is needed for us to communicate. In order to be a success in the world we live in today, possessing clear communication skills are essential for an individual to have strong comprehension skills and an aptitude for communicating effectively. Lacking these, abilities can be a great setback and may create concerns contingent given the situation. When communicating verbally, one of the most essential things not to forget it that our voice itself can communicate more about us than our actual message. Some superlative mechanisms exist while engaged in verbal communication, which are sound, language, and vocalizations. Throughout dialogues we often attempt to exclude any likely chance of misunderstanding and instead be specific and to the point. However, many times that is quite arduous to those who are not as skilled in communication as others are. Mostly, we hope and presume that the message we conveyed has been fully accepted by our speaking audience, since to us the information being transmitted may be important and so we assume that this information is be seen as important to those who receives it. While words only account for approximately 7% of the meaning people ascribe to your communication, tone of voice accounts for 38% of the m eaning. So, it’s obvious that to be a successful communicator, you need to be aware of your verbal cues and clues (e.g., everything from words to sighs, moans, grunts). Inflection refers to ups and downs in talking. Inflection helps you signal to your partner what’s important and may even indicate your emotional state (especially combined with volume and pitch). Volume indicates the degree of loudness to your voice. Again, volume can indicate your energetic involvement with a topic and gives your spouse clues about your temperament and mood. Pacing deals with your rate of speech or the speed of your talking. Matching your rate of speech and your intensity to that of your partner creates rapport and connection. Word choice of course means what words you use to convey your message. Though words may have specific definitions, our lifetime of experience with a word means that our meaning for the word and someone else’s meaning might be quite different. Silence refers to those gaps in our conversations. (Though silence is â€Å"non-verbal† it’s the absence of verbal communication, that’s why I’ve included it in this list.) Allow room for your partner to absorb what you’ve said and give yourself the space to take in what he/she is communicating to you. Advantages: Some of the advantages of the oral communication are: 1. Its easy and simple and saves a lot of money because oral communication is the less expensive way to communicate with each other. 2. It allows feedback on the spot so if the receiver is not 100 percent sure what the message meant, then that feedback will be answered right away. 3. Because the message is instantly, it helps in avoiding time wasted. 4. It brings personal warmth and friendliness and develops a sense of bonding because of these contact between the people. Disadvantages: Some of the disadvantages of the oral communication are: 1. There is no instant feedback between the messenger and the receiver and that the messages could be misunderstood. 2.Long and wordy type of communication cannot be as effectively as verbal messages. 3.The receiver might understand the message differently. 4. responses on the spot might not be carefully thought of. 5. More or less or a different meaning might be conveyed by manner of speaking,tone of voice and facial expressions. Verbal communication refers to the use of sounds and language to relay a message. It serves as a vehicle for expressing desires, ideas and concepts and is vital to the processes of learning and teaching. In combination with nonverbal forms of communication, verbal communication acts as the primary tool for expression between two or more people. Types Interpersonal communication and public speaking are the two basic types of verbal communication. Whereas public speaking involves one or more people delivering a message to a group, interpersonal communication generally refers to a two-way exchange that involves both talking and listening. According to Robert M. Krauss, professor of psychology at Columbia University, signs and symbols are the major signals that make up verbal communication. Words act as symbols, and signs are secondary products of the

Aristo Book 5 experiment answer Essay

HKDSE CHEMISTRY – A Modern View (Chemistry) Experiment Workbook 5 Suggested answers Chapter 52 Importance of industrial processes Chapter 53 Rate equation Experiment 53.1 Determining the rate equation of a reaction using method of initial rate (A microscale experiment) 1 Chapter 54 Activation energy Experiment 54.1 Determining the activation energy of a chemical reaction 3 Chapter 55 Catalysis and industrial processes Experiment 55.1 Investigating the action of a catalyst 6 Experiment 55.2 Investigating homogeneous catalysis 8 Experiment 55.3Investigating ways to change the rate of a reaction with a suitable catalyst 9 Experiment 55.3 Sample laboratory report 13 Experiment 55.4Preparing ethanol by fermentation 16 Chapter 56 Industrial processes Chapter 57 Green chemistry for industrial processes Chapter 53Rate equation Experiment 53.1Determining the rate equation of a reaction using method of initial rate (A microscale experiment) 7. and 11.(a) Well number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Number of drops of 0.5 M Na2S2O3(aq) 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 Time, t (s) 14.2 15.8 17.8 20.4 23.8 28.6 35.7 47.6 (sï€ ­1) 0.070 0.063 0.056 0.049 0.042 0.035 0.028 0.021 10. and 12.(a) Well number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Number of drops of 1.0 M H2SO4(aq) 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 Time, t (s) 59.4 59.7 60.0 60.7 59.9 60.0 61.0 60.5 (sï€ ­1) 0.017 0.017 0.017 0.016 0.017 0.017 0.016 0.017 11.(a)inversely (b) (c)1 12.(b)0 (c)From the results in Table 53.2, the readings of time are close, indicating that the reaction is of zeroth order with respect to H+(aq). 13.Rate = k[S2O32ï€ ­(aq)] 14.S2O32ï€ ­(aq) + 2H+(aq) ï‚ ® S(s) + SO2(g) + H2O(l) 15.In this experiment, the time for the formation of a fixed, but small amount of insoluble sulphur precipitate is measured. The shorter the time, the faster is the reaction. It is assumed that the extent of reaction is still small when the time is recorded, so that the time recorded can be used as a measurement of initial rate of the reaction. Chapter 54Activation Energy Experiment 54.1Determining the activation energy of a chemical reaction 5. Temperature of the reaction mixture ( °C) 15 25 35 45 55 Time for the appearance of dark blue colour (s) 679 (at 11 °C) 232 (at 27 °C) 112 (at 37 °C) 80 (at 43 °C) 33 (at 56 °C) 6.(a)rate constant; activation energy; Universal gas constant; temperature; (b) log () ï€ ­2.83 ï€ ­2.37 ï€ ­2.05 ï€ ­1.90 ï€ ­1.52 3.52 3.33 3.23 3.16 3.04 (c) (d)ï€ ­2750 (e)slope = ï€ ­2750 = Ea = 2750 Ãâ€" 2.3 Ãâ€" 8.314 J molï€ ­1 = 52 586 J molï€ ­1 = 52.6 kJ molï€ ­1 7.Arrhenius equation; log k = log A 8.straight line; 9.S2O82ï€ ­(aq) + 2Iï€ ­(aq) ï‚ ® 2SO42ï€ ­(aq) + I2(aq) 10.To monitor the formation of iodine from the reaction of S2O82ï€ ­(aq) ions and Iï€ ­(aq) ions. 11.When all S2O82ï€ ­(aq) ions have reacted, any iodine formed will turn the starch solution dark blue. The time for this colour change is a measure of the rate of reaction shown in question 9. (Note: The reaction rate is inversely proportional to the time taken for the starch solution to turn dark blue.) 12.The amount of reactants used in each experiment may not be exactly the same. There may be an error in measuring or reading the temperatures from the thermometers. As the colour change of the solution mixture is not a sudden one, especially at low temperatures, there may be an error in recording the time of colour change. Chapter 55Catalysis and industrial processes Experiment 55.1Investigating the action of catalyst 1.(b)No. 5.(b) Time (s) 10 20 30 40 50 60 Volume of O2(g) released (cm3), with the addition of 0.5 g MnO2(s) 30 60 85 95 96 96 Time (s) 70 80 90 100 110 120 Volume of O2(g) released (cm3), with the addition of 0.5 g MnO2(s) 96 6.(b) Time (s) 10 20 30 40 50 60 Volume of O2(g) released (cm3), with the addition of 1.5 g MnO2(s) 70 90 95 96 96 Time (s) 70 80 90 100 110 120 Volume of O2(g) released (cm3), with the addition of 1.5 g MnO2(s) 8. 9.Manganese(IV) oxide MnO2(s) 10.2H2O2(aq) ï‚ ® 2H2O(l) + O2(g) 11.(a)The addition of manganese(IV) oxide greatly increases the rate of decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. (b)(i)The initial rate of reaction is higher. (ii)The total time of reaction is shorter. (Note: increasing the amount of catalyst would increase the reaction rate.) (c)No. 12.Add more H2O2(aq) to the reaction mixture, rapid effervescence shows that manganese(IV) oxide has not been used up in the reaction. The catalytic property of manganese(IV) oxide is still present. Experiment 55.2Investigating homogeneous catalysis 5.Mixture ‘y’. It has a characteristic sweet smell like certain glues or nail polish removers. 6.ethyl ethanoate; concentrated sulphuric acid 7.CH3COOH(l) + CH3CH2OH(l) â‡Å' CH3COOCH2CH3(l) + H2O(l) 8.Homogeneous catalyst. This is because all species are in the same phase in the reaction, i.e. the liquid phase. 9.Sodium carbonate solution reacts with any unreacted ethanoic acid left in the reaction mixture. The strong vinegar smell of ethanoic acid is thus removed. The salt sodium ethanoate formed has no smell. Besides, the ester is insoluble in water and floats on the water surface. This makes us easier to detect the smell of ester. Experiment 55.3Investigating ways to change the rate of a reaction with a suitable catalyst 1.Apparatus: Safety spectacles Protective gloves Conical flask (100 cm3) 5 measuring cylinders (10 cm3) Dropper Stopwatch Boiling tube White tile Chemicals: Ammonium peroxodisulphate solution (0.020 M) Potassium iodide solution (0.50 M) Sodium thiosulphate solution (0.010 M) 0.2% starch solution Iron(II) chloride solution (~0.010 M) Distilled water 2. What you will keep constant (Controlled variable) What you will change (Independent variable) What you will measure (Dependent variable) volume of ammonium peroxodisulphate solution volume of potassium iodide solution volume of sodium thiosulphate solution amount of 0.2% starch solution with or without using iron(II) solution the time for the appearance of the dark blue colour 3. Figure 1 4. (1)Using a measuring cylinder, add 10 cm3 of ammonium peroxodisulphate solution to a conical flask. (2)Using different measuring cylinders, add 5 cm3 of potassium iodide solution, 5 cm3 of sodium thiosulphate solution, 1 cm3 of iron(II) chloride solution and 2.5 cm3 of starch solution to a boiling tube. (3)Pour the contents in the boiling tube into the conical flask. (4)Immediately start the stopwatch. (5)When a dark blue colour of the starch-iodine complex appears in the solution, stop the stopwatch. (6)Record the time for the appearance of the dark blue colour in Table 1. (7)Repeat steps (1) to (6), but replace iron(II) chloride solution with 1 cm3 of distilled water. 5. Risk assessment form 6. Time for the appearance of the dark blue colour With Fe2+(aq) ions (as a catalyst) added 59 s Without any catalyst added 3 mins and 52 s Table 1 7.The reaction involves the collision of two negatively charged ions, S2O82ï€ ­(aq) ions and Iï€ ­(aq) ions, which actually repel each other. 8.S2O82ï€ ­(aq) + 2Fe2+(aq) ï‚ ® 2SO42ï€ ­(aq) + 2Fe3+(aq) 2Fe3+(aq) + 2Iï€ ­(aq) ï‚ ® 2Fe2+(aq) + I2(aq) 9.Referring to the two equations in question 8, the S2O82ï€ ­(aq) ions oxidize the Fe2+(aq) ions to Fe3+(aq) ions. At the same time, the S2O82ï€ ­(aq) ions are reduced to SO42ï€ ­(aq) ions. The Fe3+(aq) ions are strong oxidizing agents that oxidize Iï€ ­(aq) ions to I2(aq). At the same time, Fe3+(aq) ions are reduced back to Fe2+(aq) ions (i.e. the catalyst is regenerated). Both the equations shown in question 8 involve the collision between positive and negative ions. This will be much more likely to be successful than the collision between two negative ions in the uncatalysed reaction. Thus, the activation energy of this pathway will be lower and the reaction rate will also be higher. 10.The chemical reaction can be speeded up by the addition of iron(II) ions, which act as a homogeneous catalyst of this reaction. 11.It can be regenerated after the reaction. OR It is specific in action. OR A small amount of catalyst is usually enough for the catalytic action. 12.Homogeneous catalyst is one which has the same phase as the reactants and products. Sample laboratory report Title: Investigating ways to change the rate of a reaction with a suitable catalyst Objective To design and carry out an experiment to investigate ways to change the rate of a reaction – by the use of a suitable catalyst. Apparatus and materials Safety spectacles Protective gloves Conical flask (100 cm3) 5 measuring cylinders (10 cm3) Dropper Stopwatch Boiling tube White tile Ammonium peroxodisulphate solution (0.020 M) Potassium iodide solution (0.50 M) Sodium thiosulphate solution (0.010 M) 0.2% starch solution Iron(II) chloride solution (~0.010 M) Distilled water Chemical reactions involved S2O82ï€ ­(aq) + 2Fe2+(aq) ï‚ ® 2SO42ï€ ­(aq) + 2Fe3+(aq) 2Fe3+(aq) + 2Iï€ ­(aq) ï‚ ® 2Fe2+(aq) + I2(aq) Procedure 1.Using a measuring cylinder, 10 cm3 of ammonium peroxodisulphate solution was added to a conical flask. 2.Using different measuring cylinders, 5 cm3 of potassium iodide solution, 5 cm3 of sodium thiosulphate solution, 1 cm3 of iron(II) chloride solution and 2.5 cm3 of starch solution were added to a boiling tube. 3.The contents in the boiling tube were poured into the conical flask. 4.The stopwatch was started immediately. 5.When a dark blue colour of the starch-iodine complex appeared in the solution, the stopwatch was stopped. 6.The time for the appearance of the dark blue colour was recorded in Table 1. 7.Steps (1) to (6) were repeated, but iron(II) chloride solution was replaced with 1 cm3 of distilled water. Results Time for the appearance of the dark blue colour With Fe2+(aq) ions (as a catalyst) added 59 s Without any catalyst added 3 mins and 52 s Table 1 After mixing all the chemicals in the conical flask, the reaction mixture with Fe2+(aq) ions will take a shorter time for the dark blue colour to appear. Analysis 1. In the absence of Fe2+(aq) ions, the reaction between S2O82ï€ ­(aq) ions and I ­Ã‚ ­Ã¯â‚¬ ­(aq) ions is slow. As both reactant ions are negatively charged, they tend to repel each other. However, when Fe2+(aq) ions are added, the reaction becomes faster. Fe2+(aq) ions have the same phase (i.e. aqueous phase) as the reactants and products, so they are homogeneous catalyst of this reaction. 2. Fe2+(aq) ions is a reducing agent which can reduce S2O82ï€ ­(aq) ions to SO42ï€ ­(aq) ions. The Fe3+(aq) ions formed act as an oxidizing agent, which oxidize I ­Ã‚ ­Ã¯â‚¬ ­(aq) ions to I2(aq) ions and regenerate Fe2+(aq) ions again. Being a catalyst, Fe2+(aq) ions are not consumed in the catalytic process. Discussion 1.Either Fe2+(aq) ions are Fe3+(aq) ions is a good choice of catalyst for this reaction because the interconversion between Fe2+ and Fe3+ facilitates the reaction between S2O82ï€ ­(aq) ions and I ­Ã‚ ­Ã¯â‚¬ ­(aq) ions to occur. 2.The catalytic property of Fe2+(aq) ions may be due to the fact that it is easier for the negatively charged S2O82ï€ ­(aq) ions to approach the positively charged Fe2+(aq) ions. The same is true when the positively charged Fe3+(aq) ions formed can approach the negatively charged I ­Ã‚ ­Ã¯â‚¬ ­(aq) ions easier. 3.The experiment is just a simple test tube experiment but the result (colour change) is quite obvious and easy to detect. Conclusion The chemical reaction can be speeded up by the addition of Fe2+(aq) ions, which act as a homogeneous catalyst of this reaction. Answers to questions for further thought 11.It can be regenerated after the reaction. OR It is specific in action. OR A small amount of catalyst is usually enough for the catalytic action. 12.Homogeneous catalyst is one which has the same phase as the reactants and products. Experiment 55.4Preparing ethanol by fermentation 3.(b) Glucose solution with yeast Glucose solution without yeast Appearance of the glucose solution a pale brown suspension a clear solution Observations in the limewater clear and colourless clear and colourless 6.(d)Acidified potassium dichromate solution changes colour from orange to green. (f)No colour change for the acidified potassium dichromate solution. 7. Glucose solution with yeast Glucose solution without yeast Appearance of the glucose solution cloudy; a pale brown suspension clear, no visible change Observations in the limewater milky remains clear and colourless Smell of the glucose solution a smell of alcohol no characteristic smell 8.catalyst 9.ethanol; carbon dioxide 10.The solution turns milky. It indicates that carbon dioxide is produced during fermentation. 11.In the presence of yeast, glucose is converted to ethanol. The presence of ethanol is indicated by the colour change of the reaction with acidified potassium dichromate solution. Ethanol is a reducing agent. It reduces dichromate ions to chromium(III) ions.

Free Essays on The Importance Of Time

The Importance of Time During the renaissance, many great writers were emerging from the lower class and into a much higher class. One of these famous writers is William Shakespeare, Shakespeare wrote plays and sonnets. Through his works of literature he shows many universal elements, such as love death, time and other elements. Shakespeare’s sonnet form is very unique. Most of his sonnets use ten syllables per line and fourteen lines with a rhyme couplet at the last two lines. His pattern is usually a b a b c d c d e f e f g g. Shakespeare’s sonnets focus on the elements of love, death, time, and other elements that help explain the sonnet in greater detail. A well know myth is that sonnets 1 to 126 were addressed to a young man and that sonnets 127 to 152 were written to a â€Å"Dark Mysterious Lady† (Adventures in English Literature 136). â€Å"Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore, So do our minutes hasten to their end; Each Changing Place with that which goes before, In sequent toil forwards do contend. Nativity, once in the main of light, Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crown’d, Crooked eclipses ‘gainst his glory fight, And Time that gave doth now his gift confound. Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth And delves the parallels in beauty’s brow, Feeds on the rarities of nature’s truth, And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow: And yet to times in hope, my verse shall stand Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand.† Lines 1 to 2 means when the sea tide moves onto the shore the tides is cut short. A human’s life does the same. â€Å"Our minutes† always seems to go by faster and quicker making life short. Lines 3 to 4 explain the changes of life from one thing to the next. Lines 5 to 8 are the stages of life from birth to maturity to death. Lines 9 to 12 explains how Time â€Å"transfixes† life and how Time takes a life after life was perfect. Lastly lines 13 to 14, the... Free Essays on The Importance Of Time Free Essays on The Importance Of Time The Importance of Time During the renaissance, many great writers were emerging from the lower class and into a much higher class. One of these famous writers is William Shakespeare, Shakespeare wrote plays and sonnets. Through his works of literature he shows many universal elements, such as love death, time and other elements. Shakespeare’s sonnet form is very unique. Most of his sonnets use ten syllables per line and fourteen lines with a rhyme couplet at the last two lines. His pattern is usually a b a b c d c d e f e f g g. Shakespeare’s sonnets focus on the elements of love, death, time, and other elements that help explain the sonnet in greater detail. A well know myth is that sonnets 1 to 126 were addressed to a young man and that sonnets 127 to 152 were written to a â€Å"Dark Mysterious Lady† (Adventures in English Literature 136). â€Å"Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore, So do our minutes hasten to their end; Each Changing Place with that which goes before, In sequent toil forwards do contend. Nativity, once in the main of light, Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crown’d, Crooked eclipses ‘gainst his glory fight, And Time that gave doth now his gift confound. Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth And delves the parallels in beauty’s brow, Feeds on the rarities of nature’s truth, And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow: And yet to times in hope, my verse shall stand Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand.† Lines 1 to 2 means when the sea tide moves onto the shore the tides is cut short. A human’s life does the same. â€Å"Our minutes† always seems to go by faster and quicker making life short. Lines 3 to 4 explain the changes of life from one thing to the next. Lines 5 to 8 are the stages of life from birth to maturity to death. Lines 9 to 12 explains how Time â€Å"transfixes† life and how Time takes a life after life was perfect. Lastly lines 13 to 14, the...

How To Change Your Writing Style

How To Change Your Writing Style How To Change Your Writing Style How To Change Your Writing Style By Sharon When you work as a freelance writer, you often need to alter your writing style to meet your clients needs. One day you might be writing for a finance publication; the next day you might supply content for a dating site. This is a normal part of the life of a working writer. Sometimes you may need to write for different nationalities. While formal English around the world may be pretty similar, informal writing will vary depending on whether youre writing for an American, Canadian, British or Australian audience. Whatever the case, you need to nail the style and the vocabulary to get the job done right. Elements Of Style So how do you change your writing style when you need to? And how do you know what makes each style different from the others? One of the first steps is to identify your own writing style. I know that I usually write in a British style. That means long sentences and clauses. Writing web content for American readers means short sentences. Its like good good web content writing, except that you use one main idea per sentence. If youre an American writing for a British publication, then you can use long, complicated sentences. If youre British and are writing for an American publication, keep it short and direct. Make good use of style guides to find out about typical word usage. Watch Your Language The language is different, too. Let me give you an example. I recently wrote some articles on real estate for a UK firm. That meant that instead of real estate I said property. Instead of realtor, I said estate agent. Instead of adjustable rate mortgages, I said variable rate mortgages. A good tip for finding out the right vocabulary is to visit a reputable site based in the country. For finance, I use the Motley Fool, which has both a US and a UK version. Slang And Spelling Apart from serious articles, its useful to understand the current slang. Try visiting a chat room to see how people from different places express themselves. You can also read newspapers and magazines from those countries. A final tip is to watch your spelling. Get a good dictionary or online dictionary to check the spelling thats appropriate for a particular audience. Its easy to write successfully for different audiences. In fact, writing in a different style is a bit like acting. While you write the piece you pretend to be someone else. Once you have written the article, you go back to being you. 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 Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Addressing A Letter to Two PeopleAmong vs. AmongstConversational Email

5 Critical Concepts You Must Understand to Ace ACT English

5 Critical Concepts You Must Understand to Ace ACT English SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The ACT English can be overwhelming. There are so many questions! And they're mostly just underlined text: what are they even asking? Of course, that confusion is the whole point: it's what makes this part of the test hard. What does that mean for you? Because the ACT test writersrely on yourconfusion about the formatto confuse you, the questions themselves usually aren't that difficult. In order to excel onthe English section of the ACT, you first need to understand how it's organized- if you're not yet clear on that, take a look at our post laying out exactly what's tested on the ACT English. Onceyou know the basics of how this section of the test work, you just have tolearnhow to approach it. Do that, and you’ll find that the English section is surprisinglysimple! There are five key points you need to understand about the ACT English: ACT English Isn't the Same as High School English The ACT Tests a Limited Set of English Concepts You Always Need a Plan You Can Use the Format to Your Advantage Rushing Will Hurt Your Score Let's go through these one at a time. Feature Image Credit: CollegeDegrees360 #1: ACT English Isn't the Same as Everyday InformalEnglish A lot of students believe that since they speak English the English section should be easy, right? Not quite. Even students who excel with writing and grammar in school can struggle with the ACT English because the testhas its own logic. The ACTwill sometimes consider sentences that would be fine with your English teacher wrong, while some of the constructions that are correct on the test would make your teacher cringe. Answers That Sound Right but Are Actually Wrong A common strategy on the ACT English is to "listen" for errors and pick the answer that "sounds" correct. This approach is certainly helpful for picking out some of the more obvious errors, but the test will use it against you. There are a lot of questions about constructions that we routinely misuse in spoken English- they may sound right, but they're actually wrong. Take "should of" for example: If he didn't want to be late, he should of taken the shorter route. Soundsfine! But this is actually a misspelling of "should've," the contraction of "should have." If you say both "should've" and "should of" out loud, you'll notice that they sound almost identical. The correct version of the sentence is: If he didn't want to be late, he should'vetaken the shorter route. I don't recommend relying on "listening" for errors, but if you do plan to do so (and even if you don't) make sure to study the errors that we routinely make when speaking: pronouns, subject-verb agreement, word choice, and commas. Unfamiliar Grammar Rules Even more confusing are the ACT English's unique grammar rules, manyof which will becompletely new to youor evencontradict what you've been taught in school. With that in mind,the most important advice I can give you about the ACT English is to approach the test on its own terms. For example, a common error I see students make is assuming that the most formal answer is the best one. In school you're expected to use very formal English for essays and assignments, so shouldn't the ACT want the same thing? But it doesn't quite work that way, as you'll see in this example. This question asks for an answer that does two things: "provides the most specific detail" and "maintains the style and tone of the essay." Choices A and B can be ruled out because neither one provides specific details. That leaves answers C and D, which both specify that the kiln's temperature rises above a thousand degrees- the difference between them is one of tone. If you're looking for the most formal answer, D seems correct; however, that answer is unnecessarily wordy and doesn't fit with the more conversational style of the passage itself. As such, C, which provides the relevant detail in a tone that fits into the passage, is the correct answer. You can't assume that the ACT English follows the same rules that you've been taught in school; instead, you have to understand what the test itself wants you to know. The ACT English is not like this(Â © David Shankbone) #2: The Rules for ACT English May Be Weird, but There Aren't That Many of Them If, as I just told you,a lot of what you already know about English is useless on the ACT, then what do you need to know? In short, you must know the specific set of rules that the ACT considers important, as well as how those rules are tested on the ACT. Well, luckily, the types of questions on the ACT Englishare extremely limited, which makes this section of the test surprisingly easy to study for.These questions fall into two categories:usage and mechanics (~55%) and rhetorical skills (~45%).I'mnot going to detailall the concepts you need to know- take a look at our complete guide to ACT grammar rules for that- instead, I'm going to help you start analyzinghow the ACTwritersdesign questions. Remember that the ACT tests conceptsin context, so it's less important to know the names of terms of the reason behind rules than to understand how to spot and correct errors. Usage and Mechanics The usage and mechanics questions are divvied up into three categories: sentence structure, which includes sentence fragments, run-ons, misplaced modifiers, and parallelism grammar and usage, which includes subject-verb agreement, verb tense, pronoun usage, and adjectives and adverbs punctuation, which includes commas, apostrophes, dashes, colons, and semi-colons. To do well on the usage and mechanics, you have to both know the grammar rules as definedby the ACT andunderstand how to spot those errors in practice. That means studying the concepts- see our in-depthguide to the ACT English(coming soon!) or our guide to the best ACT books- and then drilling yourself with real ACT practice passages, which you can find in the Official Guide to the ACT or online. Because the ACT is standardized, these topics are tested in certain defined ways that you will see again and again. For example, a lot of verb tense questions are actually subject-verb agreement questions in disguise: all the answers are in different forms, but only one is correctly conjugated. As you practice, keep an eye out for these types of tricks- the better you get at understanding the logic of the questions, the higher your score will be. Rhetorical Skills Rhetorical skills questions are the ones that really confuse a lot of students, since they aren't even remotely similar to the test questionsyou seein school. The ACT categorizes them in to three groups: organization, which covers transitions and sentence and paragraph order strategy, which covers sentence additions and main idea questions style, which covers redundancy and word choice. Though each type of rhetorical skills question has its own quirks, they're almost all governed by two basic principles: All prose should be as clear as possible. You must answer the question you're being asked. That may sound like gibberish, so let's break it down. When I say that you should prioritize clarity in picking answers, I mean that you want to focus on finding the clearest answer, i.e. the choice that provides all of the necessary information and nothing more, in the most straightforward way possible.Phrasing questions will try to confuse you with extra words that sound smart or important: don't let them fool you! My second point may seem superfluous (of course you have to answer the question!), but it's just as important as the first. On the ACT English, the test itemsthat involve actual questions will ask you for very specific things. You must read these questions carefully and pick the answer that best fits the criteria they lay out. Let's look at an actual rhetorical skills question to see how to apply these ideas. None of these answers involve a lot of extra words, but C and D are both phrased slightly confusingly, so we can probably rule those out. Next, let's look at what exactly the question is asking for: a specific and vivid description of the underwater terrain. Now we can definitely be sure that C and D are wrong- they're both quitevague. Moreover, we can see that A must be the correct answer, since it's the only one that gives a sense of what the underwater scene actually looks like. Now that we've covered how the ACT English is different from what you might expect, let's cover the tools you need to tackle this admittedly weird test successfully. #3: Always Have a Plan of Attack Because the format of the ACT English is so different from the tests you take in school, it's easy to get confused or overwhelmed and end up approaching the passages haphazardly, looking at each underlined section individually. Don't do this! Because the test is designed to test grammar concepts in context, looking at only the underlined portions will cause you to miss questions. Instead, you want to have a strategy for how you approach passages that you use every time you take the test, whether it's for practice or the real thing. Different methods work best for different people, and you'll have to decide what makes the most sense for you. However, every goodstrategyshares one vital principle: no matter where in asentence the underlined section appears, you must always read to the end of the sentence. If you don't do this, it will hurt your score- a lot. For a full breakdown of the pros and cons of different strategies, take a look at our post onthe best way to approach the ACT English passages. Below I've included a quick take on two possible approaches. The Best Strategy for ApproachingACT English Passages Like I said before, every student has their own way of approaching things. However, I've found that the strategy that best minimizes the potential for misunderstanding context is to first read each paragraph and then go back and answer all the questions about that paragraph. Let's walk through how this works in an actual ACT Passage. In this example, you start by reading the first paragraph, until the purple line. Then you answer the questions that are marked with purple boxes. You can see how having read the entire paragraph makes answering question 26, which asks for the sentence that "most effectively introduces the information that follows," much easier. You'll still needto be especially careful with questions 27 and 28, since they appear in the same sentence- in these cases, make sure to look at both underlined portions and consider whether the answer to one will affect the answer to the other. Once you've completed the two-step process for that paragraph, you move on to the next one. Read down to the green line, and then answer the question marked in green. On a real ACT English section, you would repeat this process for each paragraph in each passage. Strategy for Those who Struggle with Time Though the above strategy is ideal, as it gives the clearest understanding of the context for each question, you may find that it's too time consuming. If you are running out of time on the English section with more than a couple of questions of left, you may want to focus more closelyon the underlined portions of the passage. In this strategy, you read only the sentences that contain underlined portions (you still have to read the entire sentence, though), answering the specificquestions as you go, and then going back to any big picture questions at the end.You can see how this approachworks in the example below. 26 is a big picture question, so we skip the blue highlighted portion, and go straight to pink sentence. We read that and answer 27 and 28. Next,we readthe yellow sentence, answer 29, read the green sentence, and answer 30. Finally, we return to the blue sentence and answer 26. For a full passage, you follow the same pattern but for all 15 questions. This strategy can work, but it's not nearly as reliable as the first one. I don't recommend it if you're shooting for a score higher than a 25. (In case you're curious, the correct answers for the questionsabove are as follows: 26. G, 27. D, 28. F, 29. A, 30. G) Remember: always have a plan! #4: Use the Structure of the Test to Your Advantage Once you masteryourapproach to the passages, you'll need to learn how the ACT English questions work. The best way to do that is just to look at, practice with, and analyze as many real ACT questions as possible. Keep in mind that the test is multiple choice and consider how you can usethat to your advantage. Here are a fewtips toget you started. Strategy: Consider How the Answer Choices are Different from Each Other Let's say you look at an underlined portion and don't see anything wrong: you should just bubble A (for no change) and move on, right? Not quite. Just because you don't recognize the error immediatelydoesn't mean there isn't one. Instead, try looking at the answers. What's the difference (or differences) between them? Once you figure that out, you'll know what kind of question you're dealing with- whether it's a subject-verbagreement or idiomatic usage question, for example. Let's look at some examples: Even without knowing the context, wecan see that this a question about punctuation. Looking back at the sentence, you could then determine what factors willaffect the correct punctuation here: maybe there's adash earlier in the sentenceand you need another one to properly punctuatea interjection or maybe this punctuation mark falls between two independent clauses, making the semicolon correct. Next, we've got a trickier case: Inthis example, we can see that there are two questions at issue: whether"therefore" or "in addition" is the correct transition and whether a period or a comma is the correct punctuation. With two concept questions like this, you can narrow down choices based on one of the issues, even if you aren't sure about the other one. Strategy: Don't Get Too Attached to Your Own Idea ofthe Answer We've talked about what to do when you aren't immediately sure what's going on with a question, but what about the times when you immediately know what's wrong and how to fix it? For the most part, those occasions are the best case scenarios- you should still read all the answer choices and double check to make sure you aren't falling into any traps, like failing to read to the end of a sentence or missing a "not" in the question, but usually you'll be able to quickly determine the right choice and move on. However, there will be times, especially when dealing with the rhetorical skills question, that you come up withthe perfect answer only to find that there's no choice even remotely similar to it. Don't panic! Think about what the erroris, rather than what would be correct, and eliminate any answers with the same mistake. Then try to narrow down the rest of the choices. Once you've got it down to one choice, plug that back into the sentence and see if it makes sense. Strategy: Eliminate Identical Answers This is a pretty simple strategy, but a lot of students find it really helpful: If two answers are functionally identical, they must both be wrong. Think about it this way:if you have a transition question and "Furthermore" and "Moreover" are both answer choices, how can you choose between them? You can't, because they mean the same thing. As such, both answers must be wrong. The exception to this rule is if there are more than two answers that are all the same. In that case, you've probably missed the part of the question that says "Which of the following would NOT be acceptable?" Go back and check. Keep an eye out for these kinds of patterns as you study- they're invaluable for conqueringthe weird world of the ACT English! This is good advice for every section of the ACT! #5: Don't Rush! After reading all this advice, you may be wondering how you will possibly get through the whole English section of the ACT in just 45 minutes. After all, it includes five passages and 75 questions, which is quite a lot. However, if you try out a couple of practice sections, you'll find that they go much faster than you expect. In fact, manystudents make a lot of careless mistakes because they're rushing to get through the test and then end up with time left over at the end. If you have more than one or two minutes left at the end of the English section and are missing more than a handful of questions,you're moving too fast. Even ifyou do find yourself running out of time, it may not benefit you to speed up. Rushing will always hurt your score. You may be better off guessing on some of the questions at the very end or skipping some of the time consuming big picture questions than you would be struggling to get to every single question in the allotted time. What's Next? Now that you understand the big picture of the English ACT, drill into some specific grammar topics, starting with our complete guide to commas. Aiming for that elusive perfect 36? Try our guide to getting a 36 on the ACT English from a perfect scorer. Or maybe after that you're considering switching to the SAT? Make sure you understand the differences between ACT English and SAT Writing first. 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 English 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:

Hospitality Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hospitality Law - Essay Example The rights would cease if there are reasons to believe that the guest room could be used as a security threat venue. In such case, the hotel management can breach this policy and allow the third party’s accessed after proper confirmation (Jeffries 103-107). Confirmation could be in a form of ex parte, a judicial proceeding obtained granted at the persistence of and for the advantage of individual party only, and with no need of the other partys attendance. The other reason is a search warrant. An order in formal forms in reference to the state; authorized or authenticated by a magistrate and specified to a peace officer instructing him to search for personal possessions and take it to the magistrate (Jeffries 103-107). In a nutshell, the privacy right of a guest can be breached by hotel management if there is suspicion or proof of security threat. The second review question seeks to assess the relevance of Campbell v. Womack in hotel guest’s right of privacy. The hotel had an obligation, an affirmative duty, supported by a â€Å"guest’s rights of privacy and peaceful possession of the room† (Jeffries 103-107). policy that gave them mandate not to permit unauthorized and unregistered individuals to gain access to the guestrooms of its guests (Jeffries 103-107).. The affirmative duty refers to the obligation or duty of making verification, in the initial instance, of issues alleged or in the appealing of the court; the duty to maintain the need for proof. The right of a hotel to prohibit unauthorized or unregistered guests was established even in the scenario of an unregistered wife. In this scenario, a husband acquired a guestroom on a monthly basis (Jeffries 103-107). When the spouse, a frequent guest, asked for a key, she was denied since she was not listed with the hotel. The Louisiana Court of Appeals confirmed that the restaurant was under

Support same-sex marriage or not support Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Support same-sex marriage or not support - Essay Example Interestingly, both sides have yielded substantively convincing reasons and justifications for their varied opinions and standpoints on this topic. This paper aims at making a comparison of two opposing editorials on the issue of gay marriages. The first article to consider is entitled: â€Å"Legalizing gay marriage would undermine Christian view of family, claims leading Catholic archbishop† written by Mario Ledwith, and it appeared in the Daily Mail on the 30th of December last year. The Daily Mail is a reputable daily British newspaper that enjoys the fourth largest circulation of about two million copies daily; since the year 1992, Daily Mail has been edited by Paul Dacre. According to this article, Archbishop Bernard Longley of the Birmingham Roman Catholic posits that if gay marriages are legalized, the conventional Christian perspective of family and the whole marriage institution will be undermined (Ledwith). Archbishop Bernard Longley further argues that every child deserves to be loved by two parents, both mother and father; no single child should be denied this incredible opportunity to experience the love of both parents. This is a justifiable reason for the church to remain opposed to the idea of gay ma rriages, despite the increasing popular opinions in support of the same. Marriage as a divinely willed institution must be respected and upheld as a heterosexual union of man and woman. Any attempts at reversing this divine order distort the truth, and this negatively influences individuals and the society at large. The second article that will be considered in this paper , â€Å"Gay marriage bill right thing to do, say Tory heavyweights in appeal to MPs† that appeared in The Guardian, on the 5th of February 2013, which has been co-authored by Nicholas Watt and James Maikle. The Guardian is a reputable daily British newspaper that is edited by Alan Rusbridger; and it enjoys a national presence, with a steady daily

Mobile Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mobile Technology - Essay Example Mobile technology has not only simplified the spread of communication technology through elimination of physical medium to reach its destination but it has also added a great value to businesses through simplified and easy implementation. Mobile technology has also revolutionized the field of education, with millions of university students and educators have laptops in class rooms, university lawn and hostels directly connect to the internet and university intranet through high speed mobile wireless technologies. It is not only laptops, even mobile phones and other handheld devices are becoming exceedingly powerful enough to replace laptops and personal computer in educational and business environments. Beyond its common uses mobile technology is now stepping into new domains of ease and accessibility with research and development in the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which is essentially a mobile technology. NFC is about to change human lives, when mobiles will be used to made flash payments through integrated debit or credit cards at trains, airports and shopping malls. The user will simply touch mobile device with the NFC tag and the payment will be made directly from user’s account. At a hospital NFC tag can collect medical history through mobile device and there will be no need to trace the hospital recodes for patient’s history. This only gives an idea about NFC because very soon NFC enabled mobile phones will carry almost every sort of information that might be used anywhere, anytime. (Kessler, 2011). Like many other modern day technologies, mobile technology is getting more and more space in human lives and has almost reached a point where it will become a necessity. Even today, its multiple uses have comforted human life so much that it has gain indomitable place in areas like businesses,

Consumer and consumption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Consumer and consumption - Essay Example This "Consumer and consumption" essay outlines the marketing strategies that Coca-Cola used to become the leader on the market. The globalized world has resulted to new borderless markets with numerous corporations crossing geographical and political boundaries to market and initiate operations and investments on a global scale. International marketing leads to a new problem where organizations have to utilize ingenuity, creativity, and huge budgets to attain a competitive edge in the market. This has resulted in international marketing concept; leading organizations to utilize different perspective in attracting customers on a global scale through perceptions and brand images. While a consumer product is made in the factory, consumers in most cases do not buy the product, but the brand, which is perceived to add value to it. This was a statement by Charles Revlon, the founder of Revlon, who noted that in the factory, he made cosmetics, but customers bought hope from the stores. This trend will be strategically portrayed in Coca-Cola Company in manufacturing, marketing, and production of the coca cola beverage that has become one of the leading global brand names in refreshments. The Coca Cola company history began in 1886, when the curiosity of one Atlanta pharmacist Dr. Pemeberton resulted to the creation of a tasty distinctive soft drink, which could be sold in many soda fountains. The strategy was creating flavored syrup, mixing with carbonated water, and giving to neighbors around his pharmacy. Those who tasted the drink exclaimed that it was excellent (Coca Cola, 2011). During the first year, the Coca Cola servings were at 5cents per glass, with the sales being an average of nine servings daily in Atlanta; compare this with the current estimated coca cola servings of about 1.6 billion daily current (Coca cola, 2011). The history that marked the current Coca Cola Company as it is known today dates back to 1894, after the death of the founder; when Biedenham installed the first bottling machinery at the Mississippi soda fountain, which was the first attempt to sell Coca Cola drink in bottles (Coca Cola, 2011). Joseph Whitehead and Lupton developed what i s known as the Coca Cola worldwide bottling system, as it is known to

Devil's Tower National Monument Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Devil's Tower National Monument - Research Paper Example The Devil’s Tower National Monument is comprised of red rocks. The red colored stones are known as dark red sandstone and maroon siltstone. A thin layer of white gypsum is seen above the red spearfish rocks. Yellow sandstones as a result of Sundance formation, which are very delicate, can be seen on the vertical cliffs which surround the tower. A river runs under the feature. This landmark is made up of polygonal columns, which make up its striking features. The bigger columns narrow from the base 6-8 feet in diameter to about 4 feet at the pinnacle (Britton & Tamara, 4). This feature is located at Crook County, in north eastern Wyoming. It is situated in The United States of America. This attraction feature is a laccolith or ingenious intrusion in the black hills next to Hulett and Sundance. It is above the river known as Belle Fourche (Ludmer, 38). The Devil’s Tower has a fabulous significance to the plains tribes, which are more than twenty in native tribes. These tribes viewed this feature as a sacred zone (Britton & Tamara, 4). They used this section for sacred activities, including worship, rituals, and sacrifices. These native tribes have a sacred legend concerning the origin of this landmark. These native tribes have special names for this monument they include; bear’s tipi, bear’s lodge, bear’s house, bears peak, and bear’s lair among many more names.The most basic maps concerned with this area named this monument â€Å"bear lodge†. They named it after the terms the natives of the region were using. In 1875, Colonel Dodge guided a survey group to the black hills. The surveyors misunderstood the description given by the natives concerning this area. They translated it as â€Å"Bad God’s Tower†. Dodge reported this expedition area as the Devil’s Tower; this na me has stuck ever since (Gunderson, 66). Origin of the Tower The origin of this landmark has been a debatable issue among geologists from time immemorial since its discovery. Geologists believe that this tower was formed by intrinsic intrusion activities. They believe that this attraction was formed by the forced entry of magma amid various rocks. The debatable issue is how the formation process happened and if the magma reached the surface of the earth region. Geologists have estimated the age of this amazing monument to be more than 50 million years. The work of erosion led to the visibility of this Tower. Before the action of erosion, this monument could not be seen above the sedimentary rocks covering it (Monroe, James, and Reed, 102). Erosion action, mostly water resulted into wearing off of the fine grained sandstones and gray- green shales on top of and in the region of the geologic feature. The tough igneous rock layers of this landmark resisted the action of erosion, result ing into gray columns above the surrounding scenery. Rain and snow continually erode the sedimentary rocks around the base of the monument. The debris is then carried by the Belle Fourche River to other locations. This eroding activity results into further exposition of the Devil’s Tower National Monument

Why do cannibals eat their deceased family Essay

Why do cannibals eat their deceased family - Essay Example There were two types of cannibalism: exocannibalism (eating members of an enemy group), and endocannibalism (eating members of one's own group). Endocannibalism symbolized very different things: reverence for the dead, an incorporation of the spirit of the dead into living descendants, or a means of insuring the separation of the soul from the body. Endocannibalism is often associated with ritual burial ceremonies and has been controversially referred to on occasion as "compassionate cannibalism." Mortuary cannibalism has been considered to be the most widely practiced form of endocannibalism, often excluding murder and focusing on already deceased corpses (Arens 18-35). Cannibals would eat their deceased family members to acquire qualities, show respect and gain virtue of the deceased. There have been reports of such cases in Latin America, Australia, India, China, Papua New Guinea. Latin America. The Wari' (tribe on the territory of Brazil), prior to about 1960, ate as much of the corpse of a dead person as they could. If a corpse was too decayed to eat, most of it was cremated, which was believed to be superior to burial. For the Wari', allowing a loved one to be put in cold, wet ground was as horrifying a notion as cannibalism is to us. In various myths, Wari' are told that humans are eaten as a step in a cycle in which humans also eat animals. At the moment when a body is dismembered, it was believed that its spirit was reawakened by ancestral spirits in the underworld (Conklin 210-234). A Mayoruna man once expressed a wish to remain in his village and be eaten by his children after his death rather than be consumed by worms in the white man's cemetery. In recent times the Panoan, Yanomamo, and other lowland groups have consumed the ground-up bones and ashes of cremated kinsmen in an act of mourning. This still is classified as endocannibalism, although, strictly speaking, "flesh" is not eaten. The Yanomam mix the bones and ashes with plantain soup before consuming the mixture. The Cashibos eat their aged parents, but perhaps more from religious sentiment than from cruelty. Before their conversion, it was the practice of the Cocomas of the Hualaga to eat their dead relations, and to swallow the ground-up bones in fermented drinks, on the plea that it was better to be inside a warm friend than buried in the cold earth. Theories that a lack of protein in the South American tropical forest environment stimulated cannibalism have not received support from recent studies showing that tropical forest tribes have a more-than-adequate protein intake and are successful hunters despite environmental limitations (Metraux 383-409). Australia. In Australia, cannibalism was mostly practiced to gain the powers of the particular person who was being eaten. Some tribes ate their enemies only, some their own people, and some both. When tribes ate their enemies, they only ate certain body parts, such as the brain, heart, legs, or tongue. The brain was eaten for knowledge, the heart for courage and power, the legs were only eaten in the case of swift runners, for speed, and the sweat and tongue were consumed for bravery. When tribes ate their own people, family members would eat small portions of fat from their dead relative as a sign of respect. Only people of worth were eaten. People who died of disease or

Devil's Tower National Monument Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Devil's Tower National Monument - Research Paper Example The Devil’s Tower National Monument is comprised of red rocks. The red colored stones are known as dark red sandstone and maroon siltstone. A thin layer of white gypsum is seen above the red spearfish rocks. Yellow sandstones as a result of Sundance formation, which are very delicate, can be seen on the vertical cliffs which surround the tower. A river runs under the feature. This landmark is made up of polygonal columns, which make up its striking features. The bigger columns narrow from the base 6-8 feet in diameter to about 4 feet at the pinnacle (Britton & Tamara, 4). This feature is located at Crook County, in north eastern Wyoming. It is situated in The United States of America. This attraction feature is a laccolith or ingenious intrusion in the black hills next to Hulett and Sundance. It is above the river known as Belle Fourche (Ludmer, 38). The Devil’s Tower has a fabulous significance to the plains tribes, which are more than twenty in native tribes. These tribes viewed this feature as a sacred zone (Britton & Tamara, 4). They used this section for sacred activities, including worship, rituals, and sacrifices. These native tribes have a sacred legend concerning the origin of this landmark. These native tribes have special names for this monument they include; bear’s tipi, bear’s lodge, bear’s house, bears peak, and bear’s lair among many more names.The most basic maps concerned with this area named this monument â€Å"bear lodge†. They named it after the terms the natives of the region were using. In 1875, Colonel Dodge guided a survey group to the black hills. The surveyors misunderstood the description given by the natives concerning this area. They translated it as â€Å"Bad God’s Tower†. Dodge reported this expedition area as the Devil’s Tower; this na me has stuck ever since (Gunderson, 66). Origin of the Tower The origin of this landmark has been a debatable issue among geologists from time immemorial since its discovery. Geologists believe that this tower was formed by intrinsic intrusion activities. They believe that this attraction was formed by the forced entry of magma amid various rocks. The debatable issue is how the formation process happened and if the magma reached the surface of the earth region. Geologists have estimated the age of this amazing monument to be more than 50 million years. The work of erosion led to the visibility of this Tower. Before the action of erosion, this monument could not be seen above the sedimentary rocks covering it (Monroe, James, and Reed, 102). Erosion action, mostly water resulted into wearing off of the fine grained sandstones and gray- green shales on top of and in the region of the geologic feature. The tough igneous rock layers of this landmark resisted the action of erosion, result ing into gray columns above the surrounding scenery. Rain and snow continually erode the sedimentary rocks around the base of the monument. The debris is then carried by the Belle Fourche River to other locations. This eroding activity results into further exposition of the Devil’s Tower National Monument

Determinism and Compatibilism Essay Example for Free

Determinism and Compatibilism Essay It is said that one of the process of approaching the arguably tough question of determining, What is human nature? is by addressing first the simples issue of what is human choice and human freedom. This has been the central issue both for western and eastern philosophers. The traditional discussion has been whether nature, that of genetics, or nurture, that of environment, is the more primary foundation of human nature. In the end, it seems that both agree that human beings are a creation of combination of nature and nurture. A lot of of individuals are fascinated in psychology, in as much as it aids one to comprehend human behavior, delving deeper in the fundamental way of understanding this occurrence. Before going to the main topic of determining whether or not hard determinism is preferred over compatabilism, it is important to know what hard determinism is and compatibilism is. According to La Fave , the basic argument of Hard Determinism is that no action is free. This means that each event is caused in accord with causal laws that explains absolutely for the happening. Clearly, nothing is uncaused. Put into simple words, HARD DETERMINISM is premised on such a way that since determinism is true, nobody is free; nobody has neither free will nor choice, no one really acts freely. Therefore, for an act to be free it should be the outcome of a choice, desire or course of action that has no cause. That is to say, free will implies that the will or selection mechanism sets off the deed. Accordingly, for the hard determinist, individuals are not distinct from any other things. Each action is a part of an event which links it to another chain of event. Hence, though it may seem that that there is a control on the current event and rational situation, one does not actually have control. Importantly, it bears stressing that if one does not have control, he can not be made morally accountable for his action. Therefore, hard determinism, if correct, is vital in testing the very core of normative ethics that as a rule presupposes that individuals may be held answerable for their acts. On the other hand Compatibilism advances the theory that free will and determinism can go together hand in hand. Thus, all human acts are causally established, but several acts are instigated in a way that is in tune with free will whereas other acts are not. DETERMINISM is attuned with autonomy and responsibility. That is, as we ourselves are the trigger of our acts, our acts are free. An act can either be caused and uncompelled. With no controversy, it can be simply stated that, an action is free if it is voluntary, that is unforced or uncompelled, on the other hand, and an action is not free if it is involuntary, that is forced or compelled. Furthermore, under compatability, the kind of freedom which is essential for moral responsibility is the origin of action that is freedom from choosing acts and choices determined by outside conditions or events. It bears stressing that this formation of freedom is attuned with determinism. Thus, this is the theory which is necessary for moral responsibility. ISSUE: Whether or not hard determinism is preferred over Compatibilism? Based on the afore cited statements, it can be inferred that hard determinism does not categorize the cause, it simply labels that all actions are produced by cause, and that everything happens for a reason, thus there exist no free will. As for compatibilism, it is simple, an action may be forced or compelled, voluntary or involuntary. If one is to choose which is preferred over hard determinism and compatibilism, it can be said that compatibilism is much logical way of thinking. It is because the hard determinist erroneously likens the term â€Å"caused† with â€Å"forced† or â€Å"compelled†. Surely each deed is instigated one way or another; however not all act is compelled. On a much simpler approach, an act can be either caused or uncompelled. It is stated at the outset that hard determinist interprets that â€Å"No act is free if it must occur† by assuming that all actions ought to transpire in a way that all are caused, and consequently not free. Summing it up, having a reason is adequate to make an action unfree. This line of thinking is brought about by the supposition that all causes are compelling, which having a cause is precisely the similar as being forced. Meanwhile, compatibility advances the idea that unfree action is an act that is forced, compelled, or involuntary. This is ordinary people’s idea of unfree. It continued to say that not all acts are voluntary; therefore, there are also acts which are free, since free in this concept means voluntary. To see the difference, take for an instance a boy who walks because he was being pushed. In this case, the hard determinism and compatibilism both agree that the boy walks because he was pushed. But, going further, as for hard determinism, the same was still categorized as acts of free will. However for compatibilism, the act was not free because the boy was pushed, it is an involuntary act. If, the boy however walks without being pushed, still the act under the concept of hard determinism is an unfree act, while for compatibility the said act is considered as free act, falling under the category of voluntary actions. Another area where compatibilism is preferred is the theory that moral accountability of individual is attached to the one who performs a wrong act. Normally, under the existing legal systems, man are accountable for their acts if they willfully and intentionally performs a wrongfully act. However, in cases where an individual performs an act against his free will which results in commission of a felony, the said person shall be exempted from penalty. In relation to the issue, it is therefore a rational to prefer compatibilism over hard determinism. In as much as hard determinism advocates the theory of no man acts freely, this would result to chaos in the enforcement of laws. On the other hand, compatibilism is much acceptable and helpful in the existing legal system as it advocates that acts are performed voluntarily or involuntarily, thereby making the determination of accountability is much easier. Thus, enforcement of law may be implemented effectively. Lastly, it is important to note that under compatibilism, actions are also brought about, but nevertheless are free in the way that, if event had been unusual, acts may be different. This means that act may vary depending on the influences, such as environment, desires or influences, which may be brought about surrounding the act. It maybe recalled that compatibilist free denote the influence or capability to perform what one desires. Those acts that are free are not enforced, not compelled, not constrained, or not enforced. Thus, while all acts that are compelled are caused, it is not the instance that every caused act is forced. In conclusion, though it can be said that choosing compatibilism over hard determinism may be justified, still many say that hard determinism is under compatibilism or either way. Others have also the view that hard determinism is better than compatibilism. Still, only one thing is proven, that man remains a complex thing to study and understand. Reference: Sandra LaFave, Free Will and Determinism. West Valley College. ( Last updated on 08/11/2006 08:18:00) http://instruct. westvalley. edu/lafave/FREE. HTM Martha Klein, â€Å"Responsibility,† in The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, ed. Ted Honderich (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995) John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, ed. Elizabeth Rapaport (Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. , 1978).

Geography Essays Tourism and Globalisation in Prague

Geography Essays Tourism and Globalisation in Prague The economic impact of tourism and globalisation in Prague. ‘Tourism’ is the all-encompassing term for the movement of people to destinations away from their place of residence for any reason other than following an occupation. The World Tourism Organisation, a United Nations body, defines a tourist as â€Å"someone who travels at least eighty kilometres (fifty miles) from home for the purpose of recreation† (Frangialli, 2001) Individuals and communities around the globe are more connected to each other than ever before. Information and money are rapidly transmitted intra- and internationally, goods and services produced in one part of the world are increasingly available universally, and international travel and communication is routine. Advancing technology and leaps of progress in engineering have effectively resulted in a minimised world. Depending on political standpoint, this increasingly interconnected global marketplace either represents an enormous achievement for mankind, or a potentially devastating progression into the twenty-first century. Meetings of bodies such as G8, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank often generate large demonstrations, as witnessed in Prague in September, 2000, organised by Prague-based International Campaign against Globalization. Tourism comprises around 5 per cent of the world’s GDP (gross domestic product), and over 200 hundred million people are employed in some form of travel and tourism worldwide (Frangialli, 2001). International tourism is a major export; indeed, in over 150 countries, representing eighty percent of nations worldwide, tourism is one of the five top export earners. In more than sixty countries, tourism is the number one export, and in the Czech Republic tourism accounts for 7 per cent of overall exports and over 40 per cent of service exports (Eyal, 2003). With nationals of 45 countries spending an average of 1 billion euros annually while travelling abroad, including Germans who spend over 50 billion euros and the Dutch who expend almost 14 billion euros, inbound and domestic tourism is increasingly viewed as a reliable and predominant means of national development. Historical background Inhabitants of the Vltava valley are first mentioned in historical documents in 500BC, following the arrival of an unnamed Celtic tribe to the area. One thousand years later, the first Slavonic tribe is referenced as settling in Bohemia. Two of the most spectacular structures have played important roles in the history of Prague: ninth-century Prague Castle, built by Prince Borivoj, and the tenth-century fortress Vysehrad, built on the rock upon the right bank of the river Vltava. Both fortresses became essential for Czech rulers throughout history; Prince Wenceslas, for example, murdered in 935AD and later canonised, valued both strongholds (Eyal, 2003). Prague, capital city of the Czech Republik, is an intricate municipality of historical monuments depicting many artistic styles. The historical centre of Prague is situated on both banks of the river Vltava, and consists of 6 ‘quarters’, once independent cities and merged during the eighteenth century.   Many museums, galleries, and historical buildings still exist in superb condition, and, in 1992, in recognition of this, Prague’s historical centre was added to the World Heritage Sites register of UNESCO (Eyal, 2003). Despite the protracted hegemony of the Austrian empire, which had instigated the decline of the Czech culture and language, the reign of Empress Maria Teresa, during the eighteenth century, allowed the Czech Republik to rediscover its history, language and ethnicity. This flourish of Czech national pride continued until Czech independence in 1918, and was responsible for the construction of many extravagant public buildings and the restoration of old traditions. Prague has continually proven itself as a valuable tourist location, and has attracted many prominent personalities throughout the centuries; among them Mozart, von Beethoven, Queen Elisabeth II, and Pope John Paul II. Economic impact of tourism One of the most significant forces for change in the world today, tourism is now regarded by many as the worlds largest industry. It prompts regular mass migrations of people, processes of development, exploitation of resources, and inevitable repercussions on places, economies, societies and environments (Williams, 1999). Many factors have encouraged the development of both domestic and international forms of tourism, and they exert differing economic, environmental and socio-cultural impacts upon destinations. Both as an industry and as a social phenomenon, tourism can be responsible for a renowned speed and scale of change to a location. But at the dawn of the twenty-first century, the challenges of change can seem more daunting than ever before, especially evident in terms of globalisation, the IT revolution, the democratic challenge, and the new consumer (Shlevkov, 2004). Globalisation (as discussed later) represents the intensification of relationships between locations, increasingly shaping the phenomenon in addition to being shaped by it. It denotes the expansion of competition in the tourism industry, as both the reach of transnational capital and the tourists ‘imagined’ world are effectively ‘globalised’. Although the demise of mass tourism is greatly exaggerated, consumers have become increasingly differentiated, and this has severely influenced the tourist map, with few places escaping the increasingly conflicting demands of diverse groups of tourists (Frangialli, 2001). Similarly, the IT revolution is partially responsible for, and facilitates, globalisation, and promises to transform the productivity of tourism capital, challenging the meaning of tourism itself. Nations are now faced with the task of constructing new democratic models which can both regulate and allow commitment to the challenges and opportunities of an increasingly globalised, technology-driven and discriminating world in which the tourist is king. This has led to a growing interest in models of participatory democracy that, in the realm of tourism, has been especially evident in the debate regarding the construction of effective and impartial partnerships in the pursuit of sustainable tourism (Frangialli, 2001). An example of a typical response to these challenges, in 1998, the Royal Geographical Society established the Limited Life Working Party on the Geography of British Tourism. Its remit was to review the current state of British tourism, and to determine a research agenda for the challenges of a changing tourist industry. The work of this group was surrounded five working papers on production, consumption, localities, the environment and public policy (GLTRG, 2000), and while neither exclusive nor comprehensive, the papers provided an organisational framework for addressing both the substantive and methodological challenges facing tourism (Eyal, 2003). First publicly presented at a conference at the University of Exeter in September 1999, the papers resulted in revealing discussions which indicated that the organisational framework discussed possessed a resonance beyond the national arena. It is envisaged by many institutions that these research papers will contribute to the shared eff orts of international scholars to engage with and understand the increasingly complex and rapidly changing world of tourism. Prague is an increasingly popular tourist destination and is already viewed as an abundant location for amateur property developers. The popularity has reaped the Czech Republic rich rewards over the past decade; earnings from tourism have risen steadily since 1989, topping USD 3.7 billion in 1998, equivalent to six percent of the countrys GDP (Shlevkov, 2004). This figure, however, does not begin to reflect the sectors true significance for the Czech economy. Following Skoda cars and beer, tourism is one of the countrys leading exports, accounting for 12.8 percent of all foreign currency earnings. In addition, foreign employers and tourist industries are currently providing jobs for an estimated ten percent of the national labour force. Income from tourism has almost quadrupled over the past six years, more than balancing the outflow of capital that has accompanied the increasing number of Czechs spending their vacations abroad. Following the Velvet Revolution of November and Decemb er 1989, industrial exports plummeted and collapsed. Tourism, however, accommodated the excess, providing new jobs and incomes to the otherwise unemployed masses. Indeed, the positive balance from tourism maintained stable, even profitable, accounts during the first half of the 1990s. Considered one of the most stable and prosperous post-Communist states, the Czech Republik has been recovering from recession since mid-1999. Growth in 2000-2001 was led by exports to the EU, especially Germany, and foreign investment, while domestic demand is reviving. Tourism has played a critical role in the Czech Republik’s economic stability, and Prague’s magnetism to visitors and investors alike has been crucial. Tourism in the Czech Republic is overpoweringly focused on the Golden City, and an estimated 70 percent of all foreign visitors stay in the capitol, Prague (Frangialli, 2001). But the capitols success in attracting visitors is overwhelming the city. The panorama from Charles Bridge is still breathtakingly beautiful, but these vistas are now suffocated amidst the hordes of tourists. ‘Real life’, the Eastern European culture which attracts so many tourists in the first place, is gradually being edged out by boutiques and pizza franchises. High streets now resemble American society and have lost the historical European charm that made them so appealing. The concentration on Prague is ironic considering the plethora of assets the rest of the country has to offer. A handful of places, such as ÄÅ'esky Krumlov, Karlovy Vary and Kutna Hora, have established themselves in tourist guides as worthy locations to visit outside of Prague, but the average tourist is oblivious to the castles, chateaux, monasteries and churches that speckle the Czech countryside. The hundreds of wine cellars that litter southern Moravia and the picturesque towns of southern Bohemia are virtually ignored. While wealthy Prague is stifled with tourists, the areas away from the capitol could most benefit from hosting visitors. Tourism can be particularly effective for regional development. It is relatively labour-intensive and involves predominantly small to medium-sized enterprises, employing ten to twenty-five employees, that can respond flexibly to market demands. It also generates a wide number of valuable indirect benefits for local communities, including opportunities for recreation and culture, investments in infrastructure and even a strengthened sense of local identity and pride (Shlevkov, 2004). Reaping these benefits has been frustrated so far by the inadequate tourist infrastructure and poor promotion of most areas outside of Prague. With regard to food and accommodation, the problem is not so much one of quantity as the number of beds and eateries away from Prague is generally sufficient. Quality, however, is generally considered, by visitors, as derisory, with most inns, hotels and restaurants simply not meeting basic Western standards. In an increasingly discriminating tourist world, where c ompetition and quality is generally high, non-capitol locations are principally being overlooked by the veritable goldmine that is the tourist world. Until recently, most regions have had to rely more or less on their own initiatives for self-promotion to potential foreign visitors. The majority have fared badly, and the overall result has been cacophony rather than clear and precise communication (Frangialli, 2001). For much of the past decade, tourism development in the Czech Republic has been more or less robotic and self-regulated. Under the mantra of purported market liberalism, the government pursued a hands-off policy between 1992 and 1997, during the five years that former Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus was in power (Eyal, 2003). During this period, the equable and stable increase in tourists and revenues did not inspire any reconsideration of this approach. The first suggestion that a more directed methodology to tourism might be appropriate occurred concurrently as the government realised that its laissez-faire approach was dividing the country into distinct ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’. The Ministry for was established in 1996 to address the growing imbalance between affluent areas, like Prague, and the many struggling rural backwaters, such as Ostrava. Subsequently, responsibility for overseeing and developing tourism was transferred from the Ministry for Trade and I ndustry to the new Ministry of Local and Regional Development (Eyal, 2003). Despite this vague appreciation and recognition that tourism could be an instrument for regional development, the governments dedication has remained limited. In contrast to other countries with substantial and respectable tourist industries, which regularly plough percentages of their tourist profits into further development of the sector, investment by the Czech Republik in tourism development over the past decade has been miniscule. In 1997, for example, an estimated 0.6 percent of GDP from tourism was reinvested into the industry, and as a result, the infrastructure of tourism is suffering.   Within the Ministry for Local and Regional Development, for example, only a handful of staff, most in support functions, oversee and coordinate the development of one of the most significant sectors of the Czech economy. This is considered completely insufficient to organise the complex coordination of tourist service providers, carriers, local and regional authorities, state agencies, non -profit factions, and so on, involved in tourism in the country (Shlevkov, 2004). The majority of the departments budget is consumed by the Czech Tourism Authority, whose employees and representatives around the world, numbering approximately 70, are charged with promoting the country, domestically and internationally. However, without adequate funding, the tourist authority is unable to retain its most capable employees, and, to date, has achieved little of merit. The organizations unattractive Internet pages and stuffy brochures seem designed to dissuade potential visitors rather than entice them to the country. The Czech Tourism Authority has recently launched a new initiative specifically designed to promote the different regions around the Czech Republic; despite good intentions, however, this essentially ineffective given the weak promotion for the country as a whole and the highly insufficient economic and personnel support for such an enterprise. The Czech Republik remains practically exotic to most nations, even now shrouded in mystery and chiefly unfamiliar to the average tourist. Marketing regions is, therefore, see n as a waste of precious resources and manpower useless – without a deliberate, organised and powerful holistic promotion of the country as a whole, the reputation of Czech Republik within the world of tourism will remain an eclectic and bizarre mixture of castles and beer. Globalisation Depending upon the individual’s political, or apolitical, viewpoint, ‘globalisation’ is many things to many people. Many see it as a primarily economic phenomenon, involving the increasing interaction, or integration, of national economic systems through the growth in international trade, investment and capital flows. However, it is possible to also point to a rapid increase in cross-border socio-cultural and technological exchange as part of the phenomenon, and to understand the trend in terms broader than purely economical. Sociologist, Anthony Giddens, for example, defines globalisation as a â€Å"decoupling of space and time† (Friedman, 2005), emphasising that with virtually instantaneous communications and impressive technological advances, knowledge and culture can be shared around the world simultaneously. The Era of Globalization is rapidly becoming the preferred term for describing the current period in history. Just as the Depression , the Cold War Era, the Space Age, and the Roaring 20s are used to describe particular periods of history; globalization describes the political, economic, and cultural atmosphere of today (Wolf, 2004).   While some people think of globalisation as primarily a synonym for global business, or economy, it is much more than that. The same forces that allow businesses to operate as if national borders did not exist also allow social activists, labour organizers, journalists, academics, and many others to work on a global stage, and subsequently, have encouraged the development of the tourist industry. With the average citizen of most developed nations able to travel, transatlantic or transpacific, within the duration of a single day, the majority of consumers are visiting and experiencing cultures and ethnicities unattainable to previous generations. In addition, with technological breakthroughs, virtual tourism is on the increase, with more and more potential tourists initially †˜visiting’ a country via their computer, thereby encouraging the actual physical travel itself. Globalisation is a modern term used to describe changes in societies and the world economy that result from dramatically increased international trade and cultural exchange, describing the increase of trade and investing due to the falling of barriers and the interdependence of countries. In specifically economic contexts, it is often understood to refer almost exclusively to the effects of trade; particularly trade liberalisation or free trade (reference). Between 1910 and 1950, a series of political and economic upheavals dramatically reduced the volume and importance of international trade flows. However, globalization trends reversed following the creation and establishment of the Bretton Woods institutions, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) (WCSDG, 2004). In the post-World War II environment, nurtured by global economic institutions and rebuilding programs, international trade dramatically expanded. During the 1970s, the effects of this trade became increasingly visible, both in terms of the benefits and the disruptive effects. Although all three aspects are closely interconnected, it is useful to distinguish economic, political and cultural aspects of globalization. In addition, it is important to recognise the key aspect of technological advances, particularly with regard to transportation and communications, which, it is claimed, are responsible for the modern phenomenon of the ‘global village’. Since the word has both technical and political meanings, different groups will have differing histories of the globalisation phenomenon. In general use, within the field of economics and political economy, however, it is a history of increasing trade between nations based on stable institutions that allow firms in different nations to exchange goods with minimal friction. During the inception of globalisation as we understand it today, the term liberalisation came to represent the combination of laissez-faire economic theory with the removal of barriers to the movement of goods. This resulted in the increasing specialisation of nations in exports, and the pressure to end protective tariffs and other barriers to trade. The period of the gold standard and liberalisation of the 19th century is often, therefore, termed The First Era of Globalisation (Wolf, 2004). In essence, it was argued that, with widespread acceptance of liberalisation, nations would trade effectively, and that any temporary disruptions in supply or demand would correct themselves automatically. The institution of the gold standard appeared in phases in major industrialized nations between approximately 1850 and 1880 (Ralston Saul, 2004), though exactly when various nations were truly on the gold standard remains a matter of contentious debate. It is understood that the First Era of Globalisation began to undergo its initial disintegration as a result of the First World War, and subsequently collapsed entirely with the crisis of the gold standard in the late 1920s and early 1930s. However, countries that engaged in that era of globalisation, including the European core, some of the European periphery and various European offshoots in the Americas and Oceania, prospered. Inequality between those states fell, as goods, capital and labour flowed remarkably freely between nations. Globalisation in the years following World War II has been driven by Trade Negotiation Rounds, originally under the auspices of GATT, which led to a series of agreements to remove restrictions on free trade (Wolf, 2004). The Uruguay round led to a treaty to create the World Trade Organization (WTO), in an attempt to effectively mediate trade disputes. Other bilateral trade agreements, including sections of Europes Maastricht Treaty and the North Ameri can Free Trade Agreement have also been signed in pursuit of the goal of reducing tariffs and barriers to trade (WCSDG, 2004). Despite the surface appearance of remarkable international economic successes as a result of globalisation, not all nations and groups are convinced that globalisation is, indeed, of benefit to their country in particular, or the world stage as a whole. In September, 2000, this was particularly evident in the Czech Republik. Some 20,000 representatives of global capital, predominantly world bankers, economists and financiers, visited Prague to attend the 55th annual summit of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group. This prestigious meeting of the world economic elite, the first of its kind in the Central and Eastern Europe, was considered to be of great importance. The delegates intended to meet to propose a scheme of further liberalisation of the world economy by defining new loan priorities and structural adjustment conditions. However, events in Seattle at the WTO meeting, November 1999, indicated that a significant wave of global resistance was rising against th e expanding power of global capital. The IMF/WB summit in Prague provided adequate opportunity for anti-globalisation movements to express their demands for what they perceived as ‘global justice’. The Initiative against Economic Globalization (INPEG) is a loose coalition of various Czech environmental, human rights and autonomist/anarchist groups, organizations and individuals who critically oppose the professed world financial oligarchy, and they had planned a series of campaigns that would culminate in ten days of activities during the IMF delegation in Prague. Claiming that transnational economic corporations and organisations deliberately promote globalisation as a means of maximising private profits, anti-globalisation factions routinely argue that pro-globalisation lobbyists and institutions maliciously restrict the â€Å"power of people to protect the environment, determine their economic destiny, and safeguard their human rights† (Stiglitz, 2002). Furthermore, groups such as INPEG assert that world economic organisations are also directly responsible for Third World debt, and that their debt relief policies continue under the harsh conditions of the IMF Structur al Adjustment Programmes, and thus resulting in an impossible economic situation for developing nations. With particular regard to the Czech Republik, anti-globalisation organisations endeavour to highlight what they considered to be the debilitating effects of globalisation policies on Central and Eastern Europe, demanding an immediate suspension of these practices leading to environmental destruction, growing social inequality and poverty and curtailing of people’s rights (Stiglitz, 2002). However, despite the vocal outrage of such anti-globalisation factions, the world increasingly shares problems and challenges that do not obey nation state borders, most notably pollution of the natural environment, and as such the movement previously depicted as the anti-globalisation movement has metamorphosed into a ‘movement of movements’ for globalization from below; seeking, through experimentation, forms of social organisation that transcend the nation state and representative democracy (Wolf, 2004). So, whereas the original arguments of anti-global critique can be refuted with stories of internationalisation, the emergence of a global movement is indisputable and, therefore, it is possible to speak of a real process towards a global human society. Future projectionsIn 1998, an international cooperative research network was organised, by Volker Bornschier and Christopher Chase-Dunn, for the Fourteenth World Congress of Sociology in Montreal, Canada. This network attempts, theoretically and empirically, to determine the multitude of dimensions relating to globalisation, particularly economic, political, common ecological constraints, cultural values and institutions, and the globalisation of communication (WCSDG, 2004). The first results of this coordinated research were introduced at two sessions at the World Congress of Sociology in Montreal. While the earlier popular discourse on globalisation seemed to suggest, at least implicitly, that globalisation and world economic growth occur in tandem, a more stringent analysis revealed that the various aspects of globalisation became accentuated in the phase of long term sluggish economic growth when compared with long-term economic upswings. It became evident that, despite the remar kable economic growth experienced by several countries during the 1980s and 1990s, overall polarisation in the world did not shrink but actually increased in the latest era of globalisation. Adjectives such as uneven and limits have increasingly appeared in the titles of academic works on globalization, not only reflecting a critical perspective, but also the obvious need for theoretical clarity and empirical research. To assist with the research conducted by Bornschier et al, researchers from three continents were recruited to examine the diverse phenomena of globalisation, and determine the sustainability of developments and the design of new institutions in order to shape a less polarized and more peaceful social world (Ralston Saul, 2004). Considering the future of globalization, conceived as processes promoting international interconnectedness, contemporary globalisation is not entirely unusual when compared to past episodes, such as that experienced between 1850 and 1914. During that period, there was rapid growth in trade, capital flows and migration comparable to, or greater than, today (Hirst and Thompson, 2002). There was also a policy backlash and the widespread adoption of protectionist policies. In addition, contemporary globalisation processes are not, in evidence, undermining national economies; on the contrary, the major states are reinforced in their role of international actors (Friedman, 2005). However, it is widely accepted that both the global economy and national governments will face crucial challenges during this century, the chief of which is climate change. Such changes will tend to foster conflict and thus reinforce the role of the state, but in a context where supremacy at every level will be ha rder to achieve. Evidence about the effects of borders and the limits to trade expansion have been presented by a plethora of research groups, and the overwhelming agreement is that data indicate that we could be close to the limits of feasible globalisation (Ralston Saul, 2004). The World Tourism Organization forecasts that international tourism will continue growing at the average annual rate of 4 percent (WTO, 2001) (http://www.world-tourism.org/market_research/facts/market_trends.htm). By 2020, as forecast, Europe will remain the most popular destination for tourists, but its share will drop from 60 percent in 1995 to 46 percent. It is expected that long-haul will expand slightly faster than intraregional travel, and, by 2020, its share of international tourism will increase from 18 percent in 1995 to 24 percent. Moves to complete banking, telecommunications, and energy privatisation will add to foreign investment, while intensified restructuring among large enterprises and banks and improvements in the financial sector should strengthen output growth. Gradual technological improvements are likely to make air-ship hotels possible, based either on solar-powered airplanes or large dirigibles (WTO, 2001). Widespread popularity of underwater hotels is predict ed, and structures such as the Hydropolis, purported to open in Dubai in 2006, will be built to meet growing demand. On the surface of the ocean, tourists will be welcomed by ever larger cruise ships and floating cities, such as the Freedom Ship (construction planned for 2005). Some futurists expect that movable hotel pods will be created that could be temporarily erected anywhere on the planet, where building a permanent resort would be unacceptable politically, economically or environmentally (WTO, 2001). As computer technologies advance sufficiently, virtual reality tourism is likely to become extremely popular and affordable, with significant popularity expended around 2010-2015. Conclusion Reality may now be catching up with the Czech Republic. Prague hoteliers and merchants are reportedly increasingly disturbed by the shortfalls in the tourist industry, and even government officials are concerned by the drop in visitors over recent years. The number of foreign visitors rose rapidly in the first seven years after the Velvet Revolution, from 26.9 million in 1989 to 109.4 million in 1996. However, subsequently, the numbers have tapered, declining to 107.9 million in 1997, and 102.8 million in the following year (the last full year for which statistics are available) (Shlevkov, 2004). In contrast to the decline in tourists in 1997, predominantly due to the massive flooding that submerged large parts of the country, the recent downturn may signal a greater trend. The countrys poor tourism infrastructure, bad service and inept promotion are starting to severely impact on the region’s GDP, and, to a lesser extent, national pride and their value to European progress. The afterglow of the Velvet Revolution lasted longer abroad than it did in the Czech lands. Tourists flocked to the Czech Republic for its fabled capitol city and a taste of Eastern Europe, conveniently located along the Berlin-Vienna train line and within easy reach of Germany and Italy, and not for good food or great service. Ten years later, Prague and the Czech Republic have lost much of their initial aura and are no longer completely uncharted territory. Poor beds, bad board and worse manners now do make a difference for the increasingly discriminating tourist-consumer looking at Prague versus other destinations. The Czechs may not be considered as friendly and outgoing as the Irish, and the land-locked republik lacks a coast to attract beach-seeking tourists, nevertheless, with a location almost exactly in the middle of Europe, a landscape overflowing with cultural attractions and a fascinating history, and an economy considered still very affordable to most Western tourists, the Czech Republic should be enjoying an enviable tourist reputation. Irelands remarkable success stands as an example for what it is possible to achieve. The Czech authorities are beginning to realise the vast potential tourism has to offer. Tourism has been written into virtually every regional development plan in the country, and the Ministry for Local and Regional Development has drafted a national plan for developing tourism that draws attention to some basic problems and makes a number of proposals for reform (Frangialli, 2001). The establishment of a tourism development fund, passage of a more favourable tax legi slation