Saturday, August 31, 2019

John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: Holocaust from a Child’s Perspective Essay

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne is a story that tells of the holocaust through the eyes of a child, Bruno, a boy who discovers a peculiar friend that lives a strange existence on the other side of the adjoining wire fence. The important ideas presented in the novel are cruelty, discrimination, and abusive power, the holocaust from a child’s perspective and the misinterpretations from a child who gradually discovers the world to be not as enjoyable as he thought. Using some of these ideas listed above the storyline of the book gradually becomes more evident and keeps you interested in the book to finding that the story is of the holocaust and how the Jews were once treated, last century. Cruelty and racism is the most important idea being expressed in the book. The Nazi’s were cruel to the Jews by keeping them in concentration camps where they were beaten, starved, threatened, gassed, burned and forced to work day in and day out, it impossible for them to earn a living. The way they treated the Jewish race was all because making the Nazi people purely didn’t like them, which is racist because they had no other reason for their murderous behaviour toward them. One example of cruelty recognised is on page 208, in the last few pages of the book where the meaning behind the whole story begins to be more obvious. â€Å"In fact everywhere he looked, all he could see was two different types of people: either happy, laughing, shouting soldiers in their uniform or unhappy, crying people in their striped pyjamas, most of whom seemed to be staring into space as if they were actually asleep. ‘I don’t think I like it here,’ said Bruno. † This part in the book clearly states that Bruno is beginning to feel uneasy with where he is, and recognise that the Jewish people aren’t actually having fun on the other side of the fence but for some reason are unhappy, due to what we work out ourselves, the cruel and inhumane way that they were being treated. Abusive power is another significant issue presented in the book. Many characters in the story have abused their power, three being Lieutenant Kotler, when he physically abuses Pavel on page 148, a Jew who clumsily makes a small fault and knocks over a wine bottle in front on lieutenant Kotler, and the soldier takes him into the other room and beats him. â€Å"What happened then was both unexpected and extremely unpleasant. Lieutenant Kotler grew very angry with Pavel and no one – not Bruno, not Gretel, not Mother and not even Father – stepped in to stop him doing what her did next, even though none of them could watch. Even though it made Bruno cry and Gretel grow pale. † The fact that Pavel was being beaten made Bruno feel uncomfortable to even be in the room, making it obvious that lieutenant Kotler had abused his power. The second one is Gretel, Bruno’s older sister; she did this several times in the book by constantly criticizing him because of his age and height, which really lowered Bruno’s self esteem. The last and third example is that of Bruno’s parents, as they did not allow Bruno to have a say or choice in moving homes. All Bruno knows is that he was being moved from his comfortable home in Berlin to a home in a desolate area where there is nothing to do and no one to play with. The Holocaust is expressed through many different techniques in the story. The main technique being used is ‘through the eyes of a child’ which allows us to read the novel and get the entire perspective from Bruno, a young boy. The point of this is so that the book isn’t disturbing for us to read because a child has a much more innocent view of the world. â€Å"Bruno was oblivious to the appalling cruelties being inflicted on the people of Europe in his country. † This sentence is on the blurb on the back of the book and reinforces that Bruno doesn’t know for almost the whole book what is happening on the other side of the fence, we just catch glimpses of what is really happening when he describes how unhappy the Jewish people were. Capitalisation is another expression used when describing something. Capitalising words or phrases changes the effect of how you read it in a book. For example, if you were reading something in lowercase it would simply be read in a normal low tone voice calmly if it is capitalised, even if we do not recognise it, we pick up our pace when reading over that section and read it in a more angry tone to express the aggressiveness in the sentence etc. Misinterpretations and mispronunciations are the next two strategies used in the book. Misinterpretations are evident on page 210 where it explains that Bruno misconceives what is happening and that he doesn’t understand, â€Å"He didn’t know what everyone looked so frightened about – after all, marching wasn’t such a terrible thing – and he wanted to whisper to them that everything was all right, that Father was the Commandant, and if this was the kind of thing that he wanted the people to do then it must all be right. † Following this he says, â€Å"’I have to go home. † But just as he said this, his feet brought him up a set of steps, and as he marched on he found there was no more rain coming down anymore because they were all piling into a long room that was surprisingly warm and must have been very securely built because no rain was getting in anywhere. In fact it felt completely airtight. ‘Well, that’s something’ he said, glad to be out of the storm for a few minutes at least. ‘I expect we’ll have to wait here til it eases off and then ill get to go home’† Bruno thought that the soldiers were keeping them in this large room out of the rain to be warm, but what was actually about to occur was much worse then that. The last idea I’m going to discuss is discrimination which relates majorly to the first argument but I wanted to state this again because it is racial inequity and this is what the whole book is about, how unjustly the Jewish race were treated. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a very meaningful book and not only can we learn of the holocaust history but still be interested and relate to the story because it is from a child’s perspective and this can be recognised by us. From all the techniques and ideas expressed in the story, the book has an emotional impact on us and makes it almost effortless to read as its puts us directly into Bruno’s world view. The way John Boyne has written the story allows us to sympathise for the Jews. The fact that it is based on a historical event really makes it reliable in showing us how the Jews were treated during the holocaust.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Christian attitudes to Infertility Essay

Infertility is the inability for a couple to conceive a child by the natural processes or after a year of trying. This can happen for a number of reasons. One of the reasons could be stress. As we live in a society with high expectations for people to be successful it puts people under enormous amounts of stress which could cause them to become infertile. Another problem a couple could face is that either the man or woman could have been born infertile or one of them has an STD (sexually transmitted disease) . Another could be dieting , as some women and men diet excessively to reach size zero it causes the woman’s periods to stop which will in turn cause hormone imbalances which may make a woman infertile. Women could become infertile for a number of other reasons such as smoking, alcohol, age or being overweight or underweight . Men can also become infertile for a number of reasons such as alcohol, drugs, age and radiation and chemotherapy treatments for cancer. This makes life hard for married couples because the wish for a child is too strong. Although some couples can accept god chose for them not to have a child , some others will go to any lengths for a child. There are a number of different treatments for infertile couples. The most common is In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF).’In Vitro’ means ‘in glass’ in latin which is the way the egg is fertilised. It is a technique were an egg is taken from the woman’s womb and placed on a dish and sperm is taken from the man and used to fertilise the egg on the glass . Once the egg has been fertilised and has began to grow as a fetus it is implanted back into the woman’s womb where it grows for 9 months. The second is Surrogacy. Surrogacy is where another woman carries the baby for another couple who are unable to do so. An egg is taken from the infertile woman and a sperm from the partner and is fertilised then inserted into the surrogates womb where it grows and when the child is born it is given back to the couple. Another treatment is Artificial Insemination By Donor (AID) . This is a treatment where the sperm of a donor , who is usually unknown to the couple , is medically inserted into the neck of the woman’s womb where it fertilises the egg and grows into a child . The final treatment is egg donation . This is similar to AID ,only an egg from a donor who is usually unknown to the couple , is fertilised in a lab then medically inserted into the infertile woman’s womb to grow into the child . Georgia Allen AO2 Christian attitudes to infertility. Catholics have very strong views about infertility treatments which require research which are done on embryos which Catholics see and class as a human life. Catholics are completely against IVF as it leads to spare embryos being created and then are being used for experiments both scientific and medical. The embryos may even be thrown away , Catholics are against this because it is a life of a child and it has rights . Catholics are also against infertility treatments because children are supposed to be created through and act of love and infertility treatments interfere with what Gods plans for that couple and no body has the right to play God. Other Christians have opposite views about infertility treatments than catholics. They think infertility treatments are a good thing as it brings new life to the world and makes a couple happy. Some Christians might object to treatments where a donor is involved as some people class this as adultery because it involves somebody else in the marriage and that is wrong because it is in the ten commandments. They do agree with AIH as it involves no third party and is just between a husband and wife. Some Christians are against fertility treatments for unmarried couples or woman past the child bearing age and even homosexuals. As they think that it is not the way God planned it to be . Muslims agree to most treatments as long as they involve no third party and all natural methods of conception have failed . Muslims are completely against surrogacy and adoption . Muslims believe treatments such as AIH and IVF are ok because they use the sperm of the husband and no other person is involved. Islam is against AIH because it has been donated by another man and is seen as adultery .

Thursday, August 29, 2019

AP history Yanamamo tribe

The Yeoman's diet consists of meat, fish, bananas, and fruits that are gathered. Each family is given a plot of land to garden. Bananas, plantains, sugarcane, mangoes, sweet potatoes, papayas, manioc, and corn are Just some of the crops that are grown. The Yeoman's are one of the last groups of people to practice Polygamy, or when a marriage consists of more than two people. In the Yeoman culture, a woman is in charge of all the domestic duties, chores, and taking care of the children. Basket weaving is a skill that the women of the tribe have perfected.These baskets are used for carrying and storing food. Yeoman children are to help their mothers with the day to day activities. At the age of eight, young boys begin to watch over the male members and learn the duties of a man in the Yeoman community. The language that Is spoken is comprised of four main languages, Yang, Sauna, Homonym and Yeoman. The Yeoman culture Is described as being filled with violence. The Womanly people have a history of acting violently towards other tribes, and each other. They are known to raid nearby villages, and Diana women and children.Violence Is one of the leading causes of Womanly death. Most of Yeoman males die violent deaths In constant conflict between neighboring tribes (Unknown, normally Indians of Brazil†). In the past, the Yeoman have generally attacked Europeans settlers that are Invading their land. This culture had remained almost completely Isolated from outside Influence until the twentieth century. In the asses, several missionaries came to the Womanly territory. With them they brought an abundance of Western goods, medical retirement, and offering to open up schools to the Womanly.Although with many promises to better their culture, the Womanly refused the westernizes and the missionaries failed to convert any of the Womanly people. This was Just one of the many challenges the Indigenous culture has faced from the Invasion of Western society. Although their population Is slowly decreasing, the Womanly people have been able to mammalian their Orlando way of life. AP history Yeoman tribe By Chelsea-Gerard community. The language that is spoken is comprised of four main languages, Yang, Sauna, Homonym and Yeoman.The Yeoman culture is described as being filled with violence. The Yeoman people have a history of acting violently kidnap women and children. Violence is one of the leading causes of Yeoman death. Most of Yeoman males die violent deaths in constant conflict between neighboring tribes (Unknown, ammonia Indians of Brazil†). In the past, the Yeoman have generally attacked Europeans settlers that are invading their land. This culture had remained almost completely isolated from outside influence until he twentieth century.In the asses, several missionaries came to the Yeoman treatment, and offering to open up schools to the Yeoman. Although with many promises to better their culture, the Yeoman refused the westernizes and the m issionaries failed to convert any of the Yeoman people. This was Just one of the many challenges the indigenous culture has faced from the invasion of Western society. Although their population is slowly decreasing, the Yeoman people have been able to maintain their original way of life.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Kierkegaardian Journeys To Selfhood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kierkegaardian Journeys To Selfhood - Essay Example However, one who is unable to make a choice either way, for such a person the self is not created. Hence, a choice has to be made and this is the way that the self is created. The aesthetic’s form of choice leaves the individual self-less because he has been lured by passions and lust. His choice is based on the emotions which rule him for that small period of time. He is overpowered by those emotions of lust and passions and unable to relieve himself from them. Nobody can understand your actions and thoughts; this does not even attract pity from others. They merely pray that wise sense may prevail upon you someday because every revelation that you make is an illusion. They become self-less because they have deceived their own self throughout the life. This is why Kierkegaard says such choice leaves the individual self-less. In the ethical stage the virtues are dominant and one evaluates the dilemma and the problem based on truth, honesty and righteousness. In such a situation, the individual is not confronted with a choice. He knows what is to be done. His personality itself is immersed in the choice that he is not different from the choice. The choice and he are indivisible; there is no dualism. Suppose one has to make a choice about a life problem. If he delays the decision, he is able to understand the situation better. He delays not because is unable to make a choice but to understand the alternatives. When one believes in the inner self, there is no time for though-experiments. A person would always see where the alternatives would lead him to; he would evaluate the shortest path to accomplish his goals or reach his destination. Thus, the choice cannot be wrong because he is evaluating the alternatives with righteousness. The choice has to be made with tone of seriousness. This is because, Kierkeg aard says, the next moment one may not have the power to choose. Hence even if the personality postpones the choice, the choice is made

Supply Chain Management. Green Supply Chain Essay

Supply Chain Management. Green Supply Chain - Essay Example quirements are changing (economy, customers demand, competition, legal regulations etc.), this affects companies’ internal and external processes as well as they need to increase attention to their Environmental Management (EM) and to create environmentally friendly strategies for the green supply chain. In other words, green supply chain is a growing trend among companies worldwide as part of their customer responsibility effort to weave environmentally sound practices into their business operations (Barnett 2011). The main factors leading to the green supply chain are the following: 1. The most obvious factor is environmental concern, the details include: CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) Emissions. Companies are reducing their carbon footprint to the effort of mitigating pollution with the ultimate objective of keeping carbon emissions within the regenerative capacity of ecosphere. This is aligned in the consideration of the growing number of customers who are now conscious of the envir onmental practice of business enterprise, coupled with the benefit that effective green supply chain management can, in fact, increase operational efficiency and reduce operational cost that made green supply chain a business imperative (Zhu, 2012). Oil Spills (Pollution), Land Degradation and Energy include other environmental factors of concern. 2. The second factor is: Green Product Demand Accenture Company did a survey of 250 senior executives in 8 foreign markets in such countries as US, Germany, UK, France, China, Brazil and India. The figure below shows that the most important reason for a company to use a sustainable supply chain is caused by the customers’ expectations. Table1. Factors leading to Green Supply Chain (Accenture Consultancy, 2012). 3. Costs For example in 2009, Coca Cola...It provides eco-efficiency by distributing goods with reduced consumption of materials, thus, helping in maintaining the environment. Some food products require temperature managed en vironments for various types of food ingredients and require separate supply. MOS Burger, a Japan-based burger chain, has employed such trucks that have three temperature belts to attend to varied freezing, refrigeration and normal...

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Vertical Boundaries Of the firm - Vertical Chain and Vertical Essay - 1

Vertical Boundaries Of the firm - Vertical Chain and Vertical Integration - Essay Example The main operational uniqueness of this brand is that it follows a production after order placement module. In this mode of operation, the customer chooses the product and the design and the workers develop the product according to the choice, delivering the finished furniture in a couple of weeks time. The company has a production unit in Birmingham from where furniture orders placed in its twelve showrooms throughout Britain are produced and shipped. This arrangement gets excellent response from customers who do not mind the waiting time, since they know that the piece going to be delivered is going to be unique and customized for their needs. The great rush of orders and the company’s plan to move to new markets brought out different challenges in vertical chain and production management. To begin with, the firm has decided to open new stores or showrooms in five different cities that they have not been in before. And this would bring in orders that the Birmingham production unit cannot handle. In this scenario, the 30 employee production unit will either need to be doubled in capacity, which might affect the quality of the products or the firm has to think of traditional vertical chain management techniques. The company has operated using the Neoclassical Economics model till date since due to its small size and promising performance, a good number of shareholders and venture capitalists are interested and influential in its growth. However, when they move into real vertical chain system, they will have to ensure that they follow the Quasi Marris economic model which is more fit for the 21st Century, and ensure that behavioral factors are taken into consideration every time. The economy of scale here will be determined by the number of households, offices and complexes which use teak wood furniture or are open to

Monday, August 26, 2019

Arguement paper on Universal health care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Arguement paper on Universal health care - Essay Example If they do, they offer high-deductible insurance that covers a small percentage of health care costs. In addition, employees share the cost of premiums, which are too expensive. Due to these facts, it is time for Universal Health Care. During the Progressive Era, proposals for state health insurance were by the American Association for Labor Legislation (AALL) were not universal. The elderly, permanently disabled, self-employed, agricultural laborers, domestic workers, and irregularly employed workers such as women were not included in the AALL's plan. The value of universalism did not occur until the 1920s. However, the American Medical Association (AMA), proponents of universal care, rejected the idea that such health care could be provided through the government. The AMA opposed all affords to increase the public provision of care through county health centers including health services for mother and infants, and visiting nurses. In the 1930s, the Committee on the Costs of Medical Care expressed support for universalism; however, there was disagreement on a plan of action that would make health care accessible to all Americans. It was during this period that health care as a social right began to develop with organized labor as the leaders of the debate. In the 1940s, universalism had evolved into a proposal that would have given universal health care a right of entry. However, the goa However, the goal of universal entitlement gradually disappeared with the collapse of the health care rights campaign in the postwar era. By the late 40s and in the 1950s, voluntary health plans emerged as if private insurance would provide health care to the entire population. It was not until the early 1970s that universalism was renewed, and then again in the 1990s. President Clinton along with the first lady, Hilary Clinton, proposed a plan for universal access to health care. By this time, the political interest had dissipated (Quadagno, 2006). After Clinton's proposal was defeated, managed care dominated the health care system. With health care cost continuously increasing and coverage decreasing, the United Stated must consider Universal Health Care. According to Robert L. Ferrer, MD, a physician at the county hospital in San Antonio, Texas "America's lack of a national health care system has resulted in an institutionalized system that has excluded those too poor to afford medical insurance". For example, a woman with flank pain, dysuria, and a temperature of 130 was seen in an emergency department. No laboratory tests were conducted. After an injection of some type, she was sent home. However, urinalysis confirmed that she had pyelonephritis. A man sent from his cardiologist for blood pressure medication and a pacemaker, said he fainted on a treadmill examination at his cardiologist's office. Then he lost his health insurance and was not able to visit his cardiologist. A school administration would not readmit a child sent home from school with pink eye without a physician's note. It took the parents t wo weeks to come up with the money before they could arrange a visit to a physician to obtain the required note. A 22 year old with dyspnea, a heart rate of 160 and an enlarged globular heart on his chest film came to the to the clinic instead of his physician since he lost his job and health insurance due to excessive medical absences because of his lupus. A man in his early 20s with a dental infection was not able to pay

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Critical Evaluation of Currency Unification of GCC Countries The Essay

Critical Evaluation of Currency Unification of GCC Countries The Potential Impact On Member Countries - Essay Example The problem is that the countries in the region do not have enough convergence to make a unified currency work. The per capita incomes between the countries are wildly divergent, as are the debt levels. Plus, only two of the countries have met the threshold regarding inflation. When there are such differing economic problems with each country, there is a need for an autonomous monetary policy that will allow each country to the independence to use exchange rates to fix whatever is broken with their economies. Having a unified currency takes this autonomy away, taking a one-size-fits-all approach to every problem. While the issue of the divergence in economies has been masked by the fact that all the countries in the union have the same economic basis, ie, oil, this is not going to last forever. Therefore the countries in the GCC have to align their member countries with similar economic policies that will be designed to bring the countries more in line with one another on the key eco nomic factors that will make a unified currency work. ... y have to attempt a similar tact as this, however, since the GCC is still a long way from having enough convergence to have a unified currency, it will be a number of years before the GCC will be ready for this, even if the countries change their economic policy right now. This paper will examine the factors that are necessary to have a currency union, as well as examine if the GCC countries meet the standard. There are certain hurdles that need to be faced in order for the currency unification to become a reality, and these will also be examined in greater detail. Further, there are drawbacks and benefit to unified currency, and this will be another section of the paper. Finally, there will be a conclusion and recommendations for the GCC. What is a monetary unification? Monetary unification is a common currency in a region. There are two conditions that economists believe are essential to having a common currency. Mundell (1961) believes that the perfect factor mobility within the r egion is essential for monetary unification, while McKinnon (1962) believes that the openness of the economy is the necessary condition for the adoption of a unified currency.1 If a region can achieve one or the other, preferably both, then that region would be considered to be an optimum currency area (OCA). Monetary integration involves the â€Å"irrevocable fixing of exchange rates, full and complete convertibility of currencies, financial market integration, the complete liberalization of current transactions and a common monetary policy.†2 AlKhilifey & Alreshan (2009) state that a region with unified currency will display the following characteristics: First, the region will have a single currency. Second, the region will have a central bank that will set the monetary policy for the

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Week 5 disc 2 Can Government Create an Economic Recovery Essay

Week 5 disc 2 Can Government Create an Economic Recovery - Essay Example The economic crisis during his tenure was caused by among other factors; the collapse of the Stock Exchange in October 1929; failure of the banks to cushion customers’ money by insuring the cash; reduced purchasing power; and drought (Robbins, 2007). According to Robbins (2007), President Hoover’s administration announced practical and affordable plans aimed to balance the Federal spending; reform the financial sector; reduce taxes; and increase public works budget. Even though, these steps were gradual they had the potential to turn-around the American economy in the long-run, as opposed to the New Deal under FDR. The Great Depression of 1930s and the Great Recession of (2007-2009) are similar in the sense that they led to massive job cuts and a weakened private sector (Grabell, 2012). The government’s response eight decades ago draws similarities to the current economic stimulus programs aimed at empowering the private sector by creating more job opportunities and bringing the private sector back to life, almost instantaneously. Although, the two programs are believed to have eased budget shortfalls, especially for the private sector as a way of triggering the creation of more job opportunities, government spending is not the most effective way to deal with a major recession. The New Deal was more effective in restoring economy, since it was more

Friday, August 23, 2019

Drug Patch Design Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Drug Patch Design - Research Paper Example The patch I shall design would work for at least 60hours at a stretch and would work on all types of skin. Here I shall examine the rates of design patch on fast skin and slow skin to help me come up with an efficient design for all. The parameters that I shall be controlling and altering are membrane thickness L, diffusivity D, and the concentration of Scopolamine in the reservoir Cp. The second layer acts as the reservoir in which the drug is added in a predetermined concentration. It is from this layer that the drug would diffuse into the layer layers and ultimately into he skin. The final layer which would stay in touch with the skin of the wearer would be membranous and permeable such the drug can easily diffuse out of the patch and into the skin. When the patch is put on, the drug slowly diffuses out of its layer into the next layer and travels right down to the skin layer and diffuses through it. It crosses the body barriers and enters the blood stream continuously thereby ensuring that the astronauts would not suffer from motion sickness as long as they wear a working patch. I plotted the graph of concentration versus time in the body to understand which concentration lasted longer in the body since my aim was at least 60 hours.From these plots I selected the best effective concentration. All this was studied for maximum diffusivity (D2) and fast skin (l2). The main purpose is to design a perfect patch which can be worn by all astronauts and which would work efficiently for a long stretch of time. If the time it is required to work for is less than or exceeds its requirement the patch would not be usable. On the other hand another rimportanat factor would be the concentration since a slightly higher concentration may have negative side effects on the astronauts. The several layered patch would last for a long time thereby supplying the drug to astronauts in order to curb motion sickness passed simulation tests and could now be used

Thursday, August 22, 2019

September 11 Terrorist Attacks and Americans’ Preparedness for Disaster Essay Example for Free

September 11 Terrorist Attacks and Americans’ Preparedness for Disaster Essay The September 11, 2001 terrorist strikes on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center were arguably the heaviest attacks on the U.S. soil since the Pearl Harbor attack by the Japanese in 1941. The attacks, masterminded from one of the poorest countries in the world, shook the core of the world richest and most powerful nation. Many Americans still believe that the colossal intelligence machinery failed to intercept the hits, even when it had sufficient evidence that an attack was looming (Betts, 2008). The U. S. intelligence community missed or chose to overlook some of the strongest indicators of the imminent attack. Some of the pilots who launched the attacks trained in the U.S. In June, 2001, a detective observed that flight schools in Arizona were populated by an â€Å"inordinate number of individuals of investigative interest† (Betts, 2008). Having learnt earlier that the Al-Qaeda was planning to launch â€Å"plane operations,† the FBI missed to connect the imminent operations and the suspect flying students (National Commission on Terrorists Attacks Upon the United States, 2004). The former students were part of the 9/11 strike team (Marquise, 2008). One of the plotters of the 9/11 strikes, Ramzi Yousef (a Pakistani) had been arrested in the Philippines where he planned to down 11 airliners in 1995. He escaped and fled to Pakistan. His partner told the police that he planned to ram a plane into the CIA headquarters. Yousef was nephew to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed who plotted the plane attacks in the Philippines and later masterminded the 9/11 attacks. The U.S. intelligence was aware of an Al Qaeda operation in the offing after surveilling a meeting of Al-Qaeda bigwigs in Malaysia in January 2000. According to Marquise (2008), the intelligence did not share the information with the law enforcement agencies to tighten surveillance within the US and at the entry points. The US would have pre-empted the attack if it had acted promptly and conclusively on the â€Å"Phoenix memo† which was written by the agent who noted the suspicious persons attending flying lessons in Arizona (Betts, 2008). In the memo, the agent raised concern that Osama bin Laden was likely to be planning an attack. He recommended that the FBI investigate the flight students. Investigators only paid attention to the memo after the attack. The attackers who trained in the US entered the country legally, and were granted tourist visas. Even as they entered the country however, custom officers noted anomalies with their applications but went ahead to allow them in. In June 2001, Saeed al Ghamdi entered the US with only $500, a one-way ticket and no address on the I-94 form. Investigations showed that six of the hijackers had contravened immigration laws during their months of stay yet none had been arrested. The Immigration Department could therefore have averted the attacks had its agents detected the overstays and violations of student status (National Commission on Terrorists Attacks Upon the United States, n.d). There is no evidence of either Washington D.C. or New York having employed a hazard or vulnerability analysis to plan for a disaster of the kind and magnitude of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. While the authorities of both cities were not in a strong position to avert the attacks, their reaction in the time following the strikes was catastrophic. Besides the people who were killed by the crashes, hundreds of responders succumbed to illness as a result of exposure to the atmospheric conditions occasioned by the explosions. The responders worked in an asbestos-contaminated environment yet they worked without respirators (Levin, S. et al., 2004). Residents of Lower Manhattan were assured that the â€Å"air was safe† yet tens of thousands perished after contact with the toxic fumes later (Mason, 2007). New York and Washington D.C authorities were unwilling to admit their unpreparedness and were quick to declare the air and water safe while it was not. References Betts, R. (2008). Two Faces of Intelligence Failure: September 11 and Iraq’s Missing WMD. Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 122, No. 4. Levin, S., Herbert, R., Moline, J., Todd, A., Stevenson, L., Landsbergis, P., Jiang, W., Skloot, G., Baron, S. Enright, P. (2004). Physical Health Status of World Trade Center Rescue and Recovery Workers and Volunteers- New York City, July 2002 – August 2004. Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 292 Issue 15. Marquise, R. (2004). Terrorism Threat Indicators. The Counter Terrorist. Mason, M. (2007). The 9/11 Cover-Up. Discover, Vol. 28, Issue 10. National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (2004). The 9/11 Commission Report. New York.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Macbeth Paper on Evil Essay Example for Free

Macbeth Paper on Evil Essay Macbeth is a real tragedy written by William Shakespeare for what’s presented is a morally significant struggle, one that attempts to engage our sympathies and understanding. In this dark and powerful tragedy, Macbeth is a part of several murders, including the murder of King Duncan of Scotland. Macbeth performs these murders after he encounters the weird sisters and hears the prophecy that he will one day become the King of Scotland. But although Macbeth was the one that was directly involved in every murder, there are other influences that have an impact on his pursue for the crown of Scotland and could be responsible for the evil done in the play. When Lady Macbeth first hears about the prophecy of the witches, she immediately plans Duncan’s murder because of her ambition for her husband to become king. The weird sisters, also known as the three witches, initiates the murders because they prompt Macbeth to murder Duncan with their prophecies that Macbeth will one day become the King of Scotland. But ultimately, Macbeth is the villain of this tragedy in view of the fact that he is accountable for the murder of Duncan and also orders his subordinates to murder Banquo and the family of Macduff. Macbeth is most responsible for the evil done in the play owing to the fact that his killing of Duncan provokes the other murders and evil in the play. Although Lady Macbeth is a part of the murders that occur in Macbeth, she is not responsible for the evil done in the play. Lady Macbeth is a very cunning, manipulative character. When she hears about the witches’ prophecy of Macbeth becoming the future king of Scotland, she immediately demands Macbeth to murder Duncan so Macbeth could become king. Lady Macbeth successfully persuades him to kill Duncan by questioning his masculinity. Lady Macbeth puts the idea in Macbeth’s mind that he will be a coward if he does not commit the murder. After persuading him, Macbeth finally commits the murder. Therefore, Lady Macbeth is evil for she pressures Macbeth into killing Duncan. But, she is not responsible for the evil done in the play. Although she is a strong, significant figure in the murder of Duncan, she begins to change through the play as she starts to feel the guilt and remorse for persuading Macbeth to kill Duncan. She ultimately kills herself because she couldn’t manage the guilt and grief for her involvement in the murder and seeing her husband turn into an evil, uncontrollable villain. Therefore, she is not responsible for the evil done in the play because although she persuades Macbeth to kill Duncan, she later feels guilt for what she’s done. The three witches are also not responsible for the evil done in the play. In the beginning, the three witches tells Macbeth his prophesy that he will one day become the king of Scotland. When Lady Macbeth hears about the prophecy, all she thinks about is her husband becoming king. So, Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to kill Duncan in order for Macbeth to become king as soon as possible. If the three witches never told Macbeth the prophesy of him becoming king, none of the murders would have happened. Therefore, without the witches, there would be no evil in the play. But, the three witches are not responsible for the evil done in the play because even though they incite Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s desire for king, it was Macbeth who ultimately decides to murder Duncan, which causes the rest of the evil done in the play. Macbeth is responsible for the evil done in the play. Macbeth is more evil than the other characters because he is the reason why all of the murders in the play occur. He murders Duncan because of his evil desire to become the king of Scotland as soon as possible. â€Å"Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires.† (I, Scene 4, lines 57-58) This quote shows Macbeth’s great desire to become king and also shows how he is aware that his thoughts are evil. But, he does not do anything to keep himself away from these dark thoughts and he eventually commits the evil murder. The murder is certainly avoidable, but he let Lady Macbeth influence him. â€Å"This night’s great business†¦ sway and masterdom.† (I, Scene 5, Lines 80-82) This quote shows how Lady Macbeth has total control over Macbeth and how Macbeth put the power into Lady Macbeth’s hands. Macbeth could have told Lady Macbeth to stop her plans, but instead he gives all the power to her and eventually agrees with her. Therefore, the murder of Duncan is completely his fault because he lets Lady Macbeth influence him and commit the murder himself. Macbeth is also responsible for the other murders in the play because he hires three murderers to kill Banquo and orders his servants to kill Macduff’s family. Consequently, Macbeth is responsible for the evil done in the play because he involves himself in all of the murders in the play. Macbeth is accountable for the evil done in Macbeth because his murder of Duncan causes a chain reaction and brings about the rest of the evil in the play. Although Lady Macbeth has a notable influence on Macbeth to commit the murder of Duncan, it was ultimately his decision to kill Duncan and order the other murders. The Three Witches incites Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s desire for the throne of Scotland, but Macbeth’s decision to commit the murders ultimately brought darkness and fear onto Scotland. Macbeth is responsible for Duncan’s death, and that murder causes a chain reaction and incites the other murders. If he did not murder Duncan, there would not have been any evil in this play to start with. Ultimately, Macbeth compels to arise these evils, and it is his greed to blame. Macbeth is already known as a man of integrity for being appointed as the Thane of Cawdor, but his greed and avarice brings about the evil that he carries out. This relates to human nature because even if a man has everything to gratify his needs, his greed can demand for more, leading to trouble just like Macbeth. This demonstrates that if you only care about your own needs and always ask for more, you will be unsuccessful. As Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi once said, â€Å"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.† [Word Count: 1057]

Coursebook And Materials Evaluation English Language Essay

Coursebook And Materials Evaluation English Language Essay Introduction English language holds a great significance in Pakistan. It is the second language of our country yet enjoys the status of first language. It is the medium of instruction in the institutions of higher education and is widely used on radio and television in the country. Several newspapers, periodicals and books on different subjects are published in English. It is the official language of all the government departments and private organizations in Pakistan. Most importantly, our body of law is codified in English and the knowledge of English is considered to be essential for getting good jobs as exams and interviews for civil services, armed forces and other attractive posts are conducted in this language. The inevitability of English, not only in Pakistan but in the whole world, lies in its dominance in the three major areas of development: science, humanities and trade. Keeping in view the importance and the need to learn this language, Cunningsworth (1984:5) highlights three main perspectives on English Language Teaching as follows: The students need to learn the language to use it for communicative purposes It needs to be taught as a system of grammar and vocabulary in structural perspective The learners need to develop their four basic skills-reading, writing, listening and speaking in this language ELT materials play a very important role in many language classrooms but in recent years there has been a lot of debate on the actual role of materials in teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language. A successful course book requires a working balance between the three perspectives mentioned above. Arguments about the textbooks include both the advantages and the limitations of materials for students as well as the needs and preferences of teachers who are using them. Other modern issues regarding material evaluation include textbook design and practicality, methodological validity, the role of textbooks in innovation, the authenticity and the appropriateness of subject matter, and cultural components. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that we establish and apply a wide variety of relevant and contextually appropriate criteria for the evaluation of the textbooks that we use in our language classrooms. This paper aims at an analytical study of a published ELT course book (Stepping Forward) with regards to its underpinning approach and methodological principles to be drawn through an external as well internal evaluation of the book. LITERATURE REVIEW 1- Importance of Textbooks in ELT context: English language instruction has many important components but the essential constituents of many ESL/EFL classrooms and programs are the textbooks and instructional materials that are often used by language instructors. As in their argument to prove textbooks affective agents of change, Hutchinson and Torres (1994) suggest: The textbook is an almost universal element of teachingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦No teaching-learning situation, it seems, is complete until it has its relevant textbook. (p. 315). Many other theorists agree with this observation as Sheldon (1988) states that textbooks not only represent the visible heart of any ELT program (p.237) but also offer considerable advantages for both the student and the teacher when they are being used in the ESL/EFL classroom. Moreover, he believes that published materials are more reliable for the students because they have more credibility than teacher-generated or in-house materials. Textbooks yield a respectable practicality as they are relatively inexpensive and involve low lesson preparation time, whereas teacher-generated materials can be ineffective in terms of time, cost and quality. In this way, textbooks can reduce professional workload and allow teachers the opportunity to spend more time in concentrating on the material available instead of arranging for a new one every time. As Hutchinson and Torres (1994) point out that textbooks play a pivotal role in innovation and support teachers in potentially disturbing and threatening change processes, for they demonstrate new methodologies, introduce change gradually, and create a framework upon which teachers can build a more creative methodology of their own. 2- Reasons for Textbook Evaluation: Since the 1970s there has been a movement to make learners the center of language instruction and it is probably best to view textbooks as resources in achieving aims and objectives that have already been set in terms of learner needs. Therefore, we must make every effort to establish and apply a wide variety of relevant and contextually appropriate criteria for the evaluation of the textbooks that we use in our language classrooms. We should also ensure that careful selection is made, and that the materials selected closely reflect the aims, methods, and values of the teaching program. (Cunningsworth, 1995:7). Another reason for textbook evaluation is the fact that it can be very useful in teacher development and professional growth. Cunningsworth (1995) states that textbook evaluation helps teachers to acquire useful, accurate, systematic, and contextual insights into the overall nature of textbook material. Sheldon (1988) offers justification through several other reasons for textbook evaluation. He suggests that the selection of an ELT textbook often signals an important administrative and educational decision with considerable financial investment. A thorough evaluation, therefore, would enable the management and teaching staff of a specific institution to choose amongst all of the available textbooks in the market. Moreover, it would provide a sense of familiarity with a books content assisting the educators to compare it with the strengths and weaknesses in textbooks already in use. Textbook evaluation, therefore, can potentially be a means of conducting research as well as a form of professional empowerment and improvement. 3- Methods of Evaluating Textbooks: On the subject of textbook evaluation various researchers have suggested ways of helping teachers to be more systematic in their evaluative approach, by presenting evaluation checklists based on general criteria that can be used by both teachers and students in many different situations. Although Sheldon (1988) suggests that no general list of criteria can ever really be applied to all teaching and learning contexts without considerable modification. Thats why, almost all the educational theorists agree that evaluation checklists should be having some criteria pertaining to the physical characteristics of textbooks such as layout, organizational, usable and logistical characteristics. Thus, in this regard, the evaluative criteria presented by McDonough and Shaw (1997), is most suitable and applicable in any ELT context. The model of evaluation offered by McDonough and Shaw (1997) consists of two stages: (A) External evaluation and (B) Internal evaluation. They believe that the teachers should perform an external evaluation first of all in order to gain an overview of the organizational principles involved. After this they should move onto a detailed internal evaluation of the materials to see how far the materials in question match up to what the author claims as well as to the aims and objectives of a given teaching program. Thus, the next section of this paper will present an external as well as internal analysis of an ELT course book (Stepping Forward) based on McDonough and Shaws (1997) model of evaluation. TEXTBOOK ANALYSIS: AN EVALUATIVE STUDY 1- Key Facts about the Book-Authors and Publishers: One of the most useful starting points in any textbook evaluation is an analysis of the authors and publishers details. The authors of Stepping Forward are Heather Jones and Robyn Mann and the publisher is a well-established company based in Singapore, EPB Pan Pacific publishers, a trademark of Times Publishing Limited. Ample information about the publishing company such as the contact address, telephone and fax numbers can be found on the inside front cover. Moreover, information about the authors formal education, amounts and types of teaching, administration, and curriculum/syllabus and materials development experience is also given which presents a clear picture of the authors having a recognized standing in the field of education and a strong reputation for producing innovative materials. 2- Target Audience and Proficiency Level: Stepping Forward by Heather Jones and Robyn Mann comprises a series of textbooks. The book under analysis has been designed for the students of grade six belonging to an age group of around eleven years. The book includes challenging topics, chosen especially for the interest level of the target students. The topics like My Family, Growing Up, Dinosaurs, Tourism, and Science Fiction etc are highly attractive and motivating for the learners. 3- Cost Effectiveness: Another important factor that relates to the choice of a textbook is cost. Some might feel that price is not necessarily an important factor in textbook evaluation, but the fact that most ESL/EFL textbooks are published and manufactured in wealthy English-speaking nations such as England and the United States but used in many less-developed nations like Pakistan suggests that price should play a pertinent role in textbook selection. This is particularly the case in countries in which the economic conditions are somewhat less than desirable and many students with limited incomes are required to purchase the books for language courses. In this case, Stepping Forward is also a little expensive as it costs Rs.365/-, however, the printing standard and paper quality worth the price. 4- Accessibility and Availability: Some additional concerns regarding external evaluation are accessibility and availability. In order to be purchasable for a textbook, it must be currently in print and readily available. Moreover, the publisher should be accessible for additional information, teaching demonstrations, and order requests. At first glance it would seem that Stepping Forward meets many of these requirements for it is a relatively new book that was most recently published in 1995 and then reprinted every year till 2007. Moreover, representatives from the publisher (EPB Pan Pacific) can be easily contacted for ordering information and assistance. 5- Audio-Visual Aids and Supplementary Materials: The book contains several charts, models, and photographs that help clarify and contextualize information. The presence of real life pictures portrays a friendly and motivating atmosphere. The pictures are not merely added for a cosmetic effect, they are rather of an integrative value that they help explaining the theme to the learners. In addition, Stepping Forward contains an excellent package of supplementary materials including items such as classroom tape cassettes or CDs, a student workbook, and a teachers guide. More specifically, the teachers guide includes useful page-by-page instructions, teaching suggestions and instructional input, lesson notes, optional tasks and alternatives, classroom management advice, language notes, general notes about the task and cultural data, expansion activities and game ideas, tests, answer keys, transcripts for listening activities, and opportunities for teacher reflection. The student workbook, on the other hand, provides review exercises an d a variety of practice exercises that help the development of students proficiency in grammar, reading, writing, spelling, vocabulary, and speaking and has enormous potential for classroom use or for home assignments. 6- Overall Organization of Textbook: The layout and design of a textbook refers to its organization and presentation of language items and activities. In Stepping Forward, for instance, the learning objectives are clear and concise and a detailed overview of the topics, functions, structures/grammar, and skills within each unit can be found in the introductory table of contents. The book follows a thematic/modular format as the course components are effectively and clearly organized in six thematic sections: Personal relations, Nature, Community and Nation, Imagination, Science and Technology and Other people. Four sections contain three units each and two include two units each, which makes it a sum total of sixteen units. 7- Authors Claims- the Methodological Principles underpinning the Book: One of the most important and essential criterion that pertains to the overall textbook evaluation is the authors approach to teaching methodology. Brown (1995) and Cunningsworth (1995) suggest that it is absolutely essential in evaluating any textbook to determine whether or not its inherent methodology matches the aims and objectives and conforms to the classroom context. The simplest and quickest way for initially discovering a textbooks theoretical premises and methodological underpinnings is to examine its back cover (the blurb). So, a closer examination of Stepping Forwards back cover reveals that the authors (Heather Jones and Robyn Mann) claim to adhere to the Communicative Approach and the textbook contains a multi-skills curriculum and follows a topical/functional format. The book also tends to focus on both accurate and fluent communication emphasizing linguistic as well as communicative value of the topics. The promotion of integrated language-skills practice and the incl usion of topical themes, grammatical structures and functions, as well as lexical development are focused. Particular emphasis is placed on meaningful and authentic communication with the goal of establishing communicative competence in production and comprehension as the authors state in the blurb, students as well as teachers will find Stepping Forward an exciting and stimulating language learning experience, one that will result in the learners being competent and confident users of the English language. Moreover, many of the pair and group activities such as role-playing and information-gap tasks are claimed to facilitate learning through genuine interaction and the language skills and sub-skills are presented and practiced through the use of both inductive and deductive approaches. 8- Cultural Biases: The book under analysis, Stepping Forward, can be termed as culturally biased or specific in some regards, for the names of people and places as well as pictures are mostly taken from the Singaporean culture. For example, the travel brochure given on page 131-133 in the textbook, particularly informs about places in Singapore and Malaysia. Similarly, on page 130 the listening activity talks about Hotel Mirimar in Singapore. Moreover, the writing task on page 135 requires drawing the map of Singapore and the pictures shown on page 129 and 149 have also been taken from real life situations in Singapore. 9- Universal Context: Nevertheless, in spite of certain cultural specific data, Stepping Forward, has a universal appeal and generates in a world-wide context. Because the activities and tasks designed around this culturally bound material are not confined to any geographical boundary. Thus, they can be carried out in any context throughout the world. (B) INTERNAL EVALUATION-Units 8 and 9: Since the external evaluation displays a positive image of the book, therefore, an internal evaluation needs to be executed further. The following discussion is going to evaluate the book internally with particular reference to the units 8 and 9. 1- Grading and Sequencing of Materials: The materials in Stepping Forward are organized in a linear sequence within the units of the book. Every unit begins with a Preview of the topic for eliciting the learners background knowledge and activating their schemata. Then, the four language skills are presented and practised in a systematic manner moving from listening to speaking and then reading to writing with grammar and vocabulary coming between the reading and writing activities. The authors truly claimed in the blurb that the book follows a communicative approach which is achieved through task-based learning (TBL). Such an approach creates a need for learners to acquire new language through the setting of tasks that require them to carry out and struggle through a communicative task, before going on to focus on specific language items that the students find difficult or problematic. The communicative tasks such as (in units 8 and 9) working on persuasive travel brochures, completing the crosswords, playing grammar-games, filling in the tables, making cards or using thesaurus and library tend to stimulate interaction as well as require the use of language items. These tasks not only intended to introduce language forms through authentic material but also engage the learners in truly meaningful and effective communication such as negotiation of meaning and ideas. 2- Presentation of the Language Skills: Stepping Forward is a multi-skills syllabus and therefore covers and integrates both productive (speaking and writing) and receptive skills (listening and reading). The authors advocate an integrated, multi-skills syllabus because it considers and incorporates several categories of both meaning and form. A more positive characteristic of the integrated syllabus within Stepping Forward is the fact that the linguistic elements of the textbook such as grammar and vocabulary items are closely connected to the skills-base. So, as the grammar element and the vocabulary base become more demanding, the skills work also gets more challenging. An internal evaluation of the book reveals that material used for each skill becomes more complex as the units progress. An in-depth analysis of the treatment of language skills in units 8 and 9 is presented below. (i) Listening: Listening activities are designed in Stepping Forward for practicing such sub-skills as making predictions, extracting specific items (scanning/listening for detail), acquiring general information (skimming/listening for gist), extracting detailed information, recognizing function and discourse patterns/markers, and for inferring meaning from context. Every unit in the book deals with a different sub-skill in listening. For instance, in unit 8 the learners are supposed to listen for making inferences about the speakers statements as being persuasive or not. However, in unit 9 the students are made to listen for specific information in order to clarify meaning and make corrections. (ii) Speaking: Speaking practice, in this book, is integrated with other language skills. Every time after presenting a Preview of the topic the learners are given discussion questions for the activation of schemata. Then they are required to talk about the information they gather while listening activities. For example, on page 130, the description of the listening task ends on the note: Be prepared to argue your opinion later!. Moreover, after or while doing most of the reading and writing tasks, the learners are required to discuss the information in pairs or groups. For instance, in unit 8 (page 140) after reading a poem the learners are moved on to a speaking task of verse speaking in groups. Similarly, in unit 9 (page 160), the students are required to perform a role-play after reading a dialogue and on page 166 questions for class discussion are given within a writing activity of creating cards. Such tasks match the authors claim in the blurb: Stepping Forward provides numerous activities to enable students to work individually, in pairs, groups as well as class discussion. This provides scope for creative thinking and critical discussion. Speaking tasks and discussions are intended to involve the students in active information sharing, freer cooperative group tasks, and other types of exercises designed to encourage communication skills as they allow the students to extend, refine, and personalize the material they have practised in each unit. (iii) Reading: Reading activities in Stepping Forward are designed to practise sub-skills such as reading for detail or for skimming, scanning, inferring etc. In every unit, reading tasks are divided into two sections: Fiction and Non-fiction. In unit 8, the section of non-fiction contains activities around a travel brochure and the fiction section deals with reading a poem. While in unit 9, non-fiction reading is designed around a feature article and fiction reading presents a dramatic play script. Moreover, in order to expose the learners to the reading material beyond the course book, they are also asked to use thesaurus and library (pg 143, 164, 165). These tasks provide a practice of reading for detail, for meaning and for ideas. Reading activities in every unit follow the practice on grammar and vocabulary further leading to the writing tasks. (iv) Writing: Writing activities in Stepping Forward typically ask students to perform tasks of various kinds such as descriptions, narratives, postcards, reviews, letters etc. It can be suggested, therefore, that the writing skills in Stepping Forward are based on both product and process approaches. Essentially, a product-oriented approach centers on the end-result of writing, whereas a process-oriented approach centers on the process of writing itself. In addition, product-oriented approaches typically engage learners in imitating, copying and transforming models of correct language texts while process-oriented approaches emphasize brainstorming, planning, drafting, revision, and editing. The writing task given in unit 8 (pg 145-146) is based on process approach in which the learners have to write a travel brochure by gathering and organizing information and then revising and editing the first draft. However, in unit 9, the writing activity is designed around the product approach in which the students will be working towards an end-product-the greeting card that they have to create. Despite their differences, both approaches to the teaching of writing skills have their advantages. Product writing, for example, emphasizes sentence structure and grammar and is often utilized as an excellent means of preparing students for written examinations. The process approach, on the other hand, prepares them for the complex procedure involved in writing compositions. For these reasons, the authors of Stepping Forward have included activities that incorporate both product and process approaches of writing in this particular textbook. 3- Different Learning Styles-Self-study: Another interesting feature of this book is the website (www.panpaceducation.com) that has been designed to accompany the textbook. The integration of the personal computer and information technology to language learning is becoming increasingly commonplace in many institutions and it seems as though the authors and publishers of Stepping Forward are well aware of this growing phenomenon. In this particular case the publishers have developed an accompanying web-site that teachers can use to find Internet links to professional articles and that students can use to gain additional practice with the material covered in the textbook. This web-site can be used as a useful teaching and learning tool as it provides teachers with assistance in professional development and also provides students with an opportunity to become increasingly self-reliant and less teacher-dependent. Moreover, the promotion of student self-directed study is integral in allowing students to become increasingly aware of their own abilities to remember, learn, and solve problems and more strategic and reflective in their learning, thinking, and problem solving. 4- Language Type and Content: Language type and content refers to whether the language included in the materials is realistic and authentic and what type of linguistic items are evident in the book. In terms of grammatical structures and functions, Stepping Forward places much emphasis on grammatical accuracy and repetition of structures and functions. Grammar and vocabulary are organized into separate sections in each unit. In unit 8, grammar section deals with pronouns and in unit 9 it provides a practice of simple present and present perfect tense. The section of vocabulary also includes thesaurus use in every unit, so that the students can build on new vocabulary on their own. A fair weightage given to grammar and vocabulary in the book justifies the authors claims as it is stated on the back cover of the book: a wide range of grammar and vocabulary exercises are especially designed to help students acquire the necessary language skills and vocabulary to discuss and write on the topic in each unit. The author s believe that correct knowledge of grammar and functions are an essential aspect of communicative competence and they have adopted the task-based learning technique as a means of accomplishing their objectives. Since the introduction of the Communicative Approach to language teaching in the 1970s and 80s, there has been a growing school of thought that says that authentic reading, speaking, listening, writing, and grammatical language models should be used to teach English language skills as long as the activities or tasks associated with them are also authentic and suitably graded to the level of the students with whom they are being used. Whereas, many researchers belonging to another school of thought believe that authentic content can often create a number of difficulties and problems for students who are lacking in the proper cultural background knowledge or schemata to properly comprehend a messages meaning and content. Moreover, the selection of authentic texts is frequently quite difficult and challenging and a students inability to understand a text can be extremely demoralizing and de-motivating in some instances. Thats why, Stepping Forward presents a combination of both authenti c and inauthentic/scripted materials to ensure the success of the book. CONCLUSION The preceding analysis shows that Stepping Forward is a relatively modern addition to ELT supermarket. The external and internal evaluation traces out a number of notable and worthwhile characteristics of the book. For example, the entire textbook package is well conceived and it contains a wide variety of useful supplementary materials. The book is also very attractive and organized in a clear, logical, and coherent manner. This organization reflects a topic-based (thematic) structural-functional syllabus that is designed with the goal of facilitating communicative competence which is the underpinning objective of the book. In addition, Stepping Forward reflects a multi-skills syllabus, and manages to integrate the four language skills without neglecting other important aspects of ELT such as grammar and vocabulary development which is aimed at integrating the communicative and structural approaches of language teaching. In addition, receptive and productive skills are covered throu gh a wide variety of teaching and learning strategies such as top-down and bottom-up listening and reading exercises and both product and process oriented approaches to writing skills. According to the evaluative model presented by McDonough and Shaw (1997), a successful external evaluation moves onto the internal study and satisfactory results of the internal evaluation further lead towards the adoption/selection of the book. Thus, the positive outcomes of both types of evaluation, validity of the authors claims and its suitability to the learners needs make Stepping Forward a fairly recommendable product for an effective instruction in the dynamic field of English Language Teaching. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦far from being a problem, the textbook is an important means of satisfying the range of needs that emerge from the classroom and its wider context. Education is a complex and messy matter, what a textbook does is to create a degree of order within potential chaosà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦around which many forces and demands of teaching-learning process can cohereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦for purposeful action in the classroom.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Babbit Essay -- Essays Papers

Babbit The depressing tragedy known as Babbitt, by Lewis Sinclair, accurately portrays the convention of life in the 1920’s. Sinclair precisely evokes the conformity and orthodox life styles that shaped a growing culture. Man, in the 1920’s, is caught in a lifestyle where he is continually fed on what to think. Lewis cunningly explains the constraints of convention that plagued George Babbitt, and mocks society as a whole for its lack of liberal views. Babbitt throughout the novel seems to be trapped in a maze, and is told by â€Å"the machine† when to turn. Only when Babbitt revolts against conservative America does his life change, but the question is was it for the better? The economy is booming with success, and your wealth portrays ones position in society. George Babbitt is infatuated with having the latest â€Å"gadgets† and technology in his home, as is the rest of Middle-class America. Lewis portrays society as a group of self-centered people who must have the best of everything (sounds similar to our world today). Middle-class America is disturbingly the same to the last detail in the 1920’s. Life begins for Babbitt waking up to an unappreciative family, and a typical fake show of affection from his wife. Babbitt realizes his life is dull and mundane. Even the kiss from his wife is typical. Babbitt, like most men in the 1920’s, finds his home not as a haven but as a depressing reality of what his life has really become. Babbitt recognizes he is disgusted with his life, and that he doesn’t even love his wife. Only when Babbitt escapes his home does he find satisfaction. Babbitt is found in his community as a role mode l of every businessmen, even the mechanic at the gas station commends him for organization. Babbitt temporarily feels relief when freedom encompasses his life, but later in the novel Babbitt illustrates that even â€Å"business† is shaped by society. Just as business is shaped in Zenith, so are the women who live there. Women in the novel are accurately portrayed as they were in the 1920’s. Lewis presents two different scenarios in the novel, but both of these cases can follow the same mannerisms. First, Lewis depicts the loving housewife. Myra, Babbitt’s wife, continually comforts Babbitt throughout the whole novel. Myra even accepts the blame when Babbitt decides to cheat on her. Women are depicted throughout the novel as inferior when... ...e hand of social order is telling them this is â€Å"ok.† That is why liberal views in Zenith are so quickly extinguished. The superior class wants people to think that there always must be a lower class because that is the way God has planned it, which in retrospect sustains their rank as the higher class forever. It’s ironic that this idea is still relevant today. In conclusion, Babbitt’s revolt toward society had actually changed nothing. He went back to not loving his wife and continuing his job as a realtor. His popularity recovers from his era of revolt. Babbitt regains his place in the world by allowing society to influence his life. He stops fighting and this is the simple reason why his life is a tragedy. How does Babbitt analyze the successfulness of his life? He never took complete control and experienced freedom in any of his actions. He only valued the acceptance of others, rather than what was true to his heart. Babbitt life had no meaning, since he constantly let the constraints of society shape it. One must wonder if society in the 1920’s could have changed by reading this novel. This is not probable, considering that society is the same today as it was 80 years ago.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Should College Athletes be Paid? Essay -- Essays Papers

Should College Athletes be Paid? Over the past century college athletics have grown more popular than most professional sports. Most of its popularity is due to a large student body in addition to its Alumni, but nonetheless it has surpassed professional sports from its monetary success to its fan support. College athletics are also a very important commodity to Universities around the nation. Next to student's tuition, that's where the majority of the money comes from. No one is more responsible for bringing in that money more than the coach and his/her players. In this notion, one would think that such important people should be paid for a job well done. But this isn't the case. Over the years a question has emerged, should college athletes be paid? After all, college athletics is a job. Some coaches make more than professional coaches. Why shouldn't the players have a chance to do the same? In the article entitled, "Show them the Money", Mark Martinez argues why college athletes should be paid. This is a very simple article for anyone to read. Anyone who is a...

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Cluster Intersections and the Evolution of the Bay Area Bioinformatics Cluster :: essays research papers

Cluster Intersections and the Evolution of the Bay Area Bioinformatics Cluster The recent establishment California-based bioinformatics industry clusters is a logical consequence of the intersection of existing local Biotechnology, Information Technology and Venture Capital clusters. The very definition of Bioinformatics: â€Å"the science of managing and analyzing biological data using advanced computing techniques, 1† helps to illustrate the nature of this intersection. Research and development for Biotech companies generates volumes of biological data and IT companies provide tools that assist in processing this data. It seems only natural that in light of this mutual dependency and given the proximity of existing IT and Biotech clusters a new, specialized Bioinformatics cluster would emerge. In his article, â€Å"Clusters and the New Economics of Competition,† Porter describes the benefits created by the â€Å"direction and pace of innovation 2† sustained by local competitors in their existing products and technologies. For example, given the already lengthy process of bringing a new pharmaceutical to market, Biotech companies must have realized early on that their ability to stay abreast of competitors was highly dependant on the speed at which they could process massive amounts of genetic information to find therapeutic candidates. Clearly, the incorporation of cutting edge information technologies into Biotech research and development processes was itself a critical innovation, but it was also critical to future innovations within the Biotech industry. Porter would probably argue that the competitive pressures of clustered Biotech firms fostered more urgent and rapid incorporation of advanced computing into genetic research. The proximity of the knowledg e and resources in the IT cluster made it easier to both conceive of these innovations and to access the resources that enabled them. Conversely, innovations in the field of Information Technology were stimulated in response to the both the needs of the Biotech cluster, and the urgent clamoring of IT competitors to capitalize on a new market. Porter asserts that â€Å"vibrant† clusters not only stimulate innovation in established companies but that new businesses and new innovations take shape in response to the competitive environment. Start-up firms have a unique opportunity to observe the incumbents in the cluster and conceive of ways to improve existing products or develop complementary offerings. New firms benefit from an existing local customer base but also may be able to more readily recognize and capitalize on a niche market in the midst of many established competitors 3. The Bioinformatics industry appears to have emerged in a similar manner, filling the gap between the IT and Biotech clusters.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Night’s Dream Essay

Task: Discuss the importance of magic in A Midsummer Night’s Dream 10c1 English Coursework Magic is probably the main theme in A Midsummer Nights Dream. It plays a vital and extensive role in each story – line. Each time Shakespeare uses magic, there is an important – if subtle – consequence. Shakespeare explores many aspects of magic, including how it causes problems and how it solves them. Magic is often used by Shakespeare to support and implement the comedic sections of the play. Before I explore the importance of magic in the play, I must explore magic itself,as it means different things to different people and to different cultures. Magic is defined in the dictionary as â€Å"Any art that invokes supernatural powers†. However, to other people and the majority of religions, magic is an evil force within the world, practiced by sinners and wrong – doers. This seems to be the main view of the society Shakespeare lived in. However, nowadays magic is generally not believed in. This seems to be Shakespeare’s point of view; this can be seen by his use of magic to create a comedic and mischievous – though certainly not evil- atmosphere throughout the play. In this way, Shakespeare could be seen as a writer ahead of his time. The effects of magic in A Midsummer Night’s Dream may have been influenced by the social attitude of the Elizabethan era. During Elizabethan times magic – unlike today – was widely believed in. It was considered a crime to practise magic and was an offence punishable by law. People (usually single women) were executed if they were suspected of committing this â€Å"crime†. I think that this may have influenced Shakespeare to make magic have such a dramatic and often catastrophic effect. An example of the disastrous effects of magic is when Robin Goodfellow pours the love potion in the wrong man’s eye, causing him to fall in love with another woman. This shows us that magic often has devastating and consequential effects, which affect the play as a whole. It also insinuates that magic might be a devious, if not evil, force. Magic plays a large and indispensable part in the play’s main plot, with the lovers. Magic is actually used to structure the main story – line. This can be seen where Oberon says: â€Å"A sweet lady is in love/ With a disdainful youth: anoint his eyes -/ But do it when the next thing he espies/ May be the lady†¦ † This shows us that magic is an extremely significant theme throughout the play. There would have been no main plot, had Robin Goodfellow not anointed the wrong man’s eye with the love potion. Magic also plays an essential part in many of the subplots. This can be seen where Bottom’s head is turned into that of an ass. Titania is then made to love him through magic. This suggests that magic is crucial to make the play the comedy that it is. These subplots can seem slightly insignificant and trivial at times, however, they all merge to create a gripping and interesting story. Magic is also used to solve or correct the problems at the end of the play. This can be seen where Shakespeare writes â€Å"†¦ Jack shall have Jill; / Nought shall go ill: / The man shall have his mare again and all shall be well†¦ † This can also be seen in Puck’s final speech, for example â€Å"†¦ Think but this and all is mended†¦ † The lovers are all as they were – except Demetrius who now loves Helena (though this is a good thing); Bottom’s head is restored etc. These, when combined form the resolution/conclusion of the play. Without the use of magic, normality would not have been restored. The play would not have had a proper ending. This supports my opinion that magic plays a fundamental and imperative part in the play. Magic is also used to make the lovers happy. Demetrius is made to fall in love with Helena. Consequently, Hermia can marry Lysander, with whom she is in love. This also makes up a critical part of the conclusion – another main role. Magic affects the environmental setting in the play. This can be seen when Titania says â€Å"†¦ Therefore the winds, piping to us in void/As in revenge for having sucked up the sea†¦ † This shows us that the whole of nature has been set off – balance by a mere argument between the rulers of the fairies. This shows us the intensity and extent to which magic influences the setting and design of the play. The name of the play, itself suggests the importance of magic. The reference to â€Å"midsummer† at first does not seem significant to the story. Why, then, did Shakespeare include it in the title? The reference to â€Å"midsummer† is actually an inconspicuous clue of the events in the play. Midsummer is widely considered to be a time of magic and mystery. Such tales of fortune personified walking on Earth support this. The fact that this play is set in midsummer contributes to the mysterious effect created by Shakespeare. This seems to be a direct and deliberate indication of magic, before you have even read the first word. Another hint of the content of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the use of the word â€Å"dream†. Dreams are also widely considered to be a magical aspect of life. They are often interpreted and read by those who believe in magic. This, again, seems to suggest that magic will play a crucial role in the play. Even the word â€Å"night† could be interpreted as a reference to magic. Often – especially in older writings – magic plays a more vital role during the night, i. e. the hours of darkness. This is another obvious hint of magic, situated by Shakespeare before the play begins. This further reference to magic implements the role of magic as a theme in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and highlights its criticality to the story as a whole. In fact, Shakespeare actually seems to personify magic. After all, what is Puck? A mischievous being of magic that invokes supernatural events. This again is evidence of the importance of magic. Puck is often the character to inflict magic upon others resulting in a catastrophic yet comedic effect. Without the use of Puck’s magic, the lovers would not have ended up falling in love with the wrong people, and as this is the main storyline in A Midsummer Night’s Dream I think this is one of the most significant roles that magic plays and proves its necessity to the play. Magic, is therefore a significant factor of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It is woven into most of the subplots and plays an extremely important role in the main plot. In my opinion, it would have been impossible for Shakespeare to have written this play without including magic. Therefore, magic is almost definitely the most important and essential theme of the A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Shakespeare impresses this significance on us using all of the story – lines in the play. It affects nature, physical appearance and even the mind. Magic is used both positively and negatively throughout the story. It is often the cause of problems, but ultimately it solves them.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Huckleberry Finn: Hypocrisy in “Civilized” Society Essay

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a sequel to the Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain illustrates the Southern states and slavery. Published in 1884, the novel focuses on the important issues that affected America. These issues included racism, slavery, civilization and greed. The book has become one of the most controversial books ever written. The controversy has grown to the point that the novel became banned in several states due to its racial and slavery context. Various symbols, quotes and events have been used in the novel to show hypocrisy in the civilized society in the novel. Hypocrisy in the civilized society is chosen by the recognized rules and regulations by the society. The regulations and rules disregard reason since they favor a particular group and at the same time obtain unfairness against other groups. One example that illustrates the hypocrisy in the civilized society is the instance where the judge who arrives in the town, who is apparently new, allows Huck ’s father Pap to gain custody over Huck (Twain, 25). In the same instance, Jim, a fugitive slave, does not receive custody over his children under the same legal system. Hypocrisy and ridiculousness is indicated when the judge awards custody of Huck over Pap regardless of the danger that Pap, who is a drunk, is to his son. However, the judge awards custody to Pap based on his position as Huck’s biological father. However, the same law does not apply to Jim who does not gain custody of his children despite him being the biological father of his children. Another example that illustrates the hypocrisy in the civilized society in the novel is the feud between Grangerford and Shepardson. The dispute between the Grangerford and Shepardson families is based on reasons that are worthless to both of them. However, both families engage in violent murders of the family members in an effort to maintain family honor. The families are deemed extremely educated and civilized. The reason that led to the dispute between the two families resulte d from the elopement of Sophia Grangerford, Buck Grangerford’s sister and Harney Shepardson. However, the families have always been in a dispute that has lasted for 30 years for reasons that are unsure. The two families after learning of the elopement bring weapons to church. However, both families, using their guns, kill their family members at the growth of the feud. Regardless of the families’ civilized status, hypocrisy is shown where both families kill each other over a meaningless feud. Another example that indicates hypocrisy in the civilized society in the novel is the biased punishment of crimes according to the society’s rules and regulations. This is shown by the non-judgment of the Duke and the King regardless of the fraudulent schemes that both con artists involved in the community. Huck and Jim rescue the Duke and the King and offer them their raft. The first scheme begins when both criminals present fake identities to Huck and Jim. The Duke introduces himself as the English Duke’s son, also known as the Duke of Bridgewater whereas the King presents himself as the Lost Dauphin as well as Louis XVI’s son and France’s designated King (Twain, 144-145). Additionally, one of the con artists, the Duke, takes advantage of Jim’s race and position as a runway slave and prints leaflets that offer $200 reward to any person that manages to catch the runaway slave. The Duke is able to do this by occupying an abandoned printing shop in which he was able to print the handouts (Twain, 156). The con artists use the tactic as a way of buying them time and unrestricted travel for a day. However, most of these crimes that the two commits go unpunished regardless of the statement that the society is civilized and enlightened. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a controversial novel that includes the racial prejudices that characterized conventional America during the civil war. Regardless of the novel narrating a fictional story on actual events, the novel also highlights the current issues that affect the present society. The issues of slavery and racism are still obvious in the world today. Works Cited Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Random House, 1996. Print.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Credit Card Hacking

Credit card also referred as plastic money. It is a card provides by bank to user in respect of his bank account or even with out bank account in that bank but against his income amount which he have through his job or business or even his cultivated land. There are two types of card, Credit card and debit card. Credit card is interest base and has certain amount of money which that particular bank pays against you and you will have to pay it back to the bank with interest. Debit card is different from credit card, you can also use it for payments but this payment goes directly from your own account. The concept of cards are basically introduced the idea of CASH WITHOUT MONEY, just for safe your cash from lost and theft. Cash is secure by credit card, but is your card secure .In the world of crime, a new crime has taken birth and it is Credit Card hacking. What you know about credit card hacking? It is simply awesome or a night mare but it can happen. Many people are unaware that when they give their credit card, it can be hacked. There are many ways by which the card can be hacked. Some are here for general purpose. The most common way of credit card’s hacking is quite easy and almost safe. When someone gives his card to any retailers for payment, the retailer copies the code and sells it to the hackers. The retailer copied the code of credit card and then with the help of MSR, transfers it to computer and makes a new but fake card. The credit card holder can’t imagine even what had happened with him. The other method of credit card’s â€Å"hacking† is â€Å"white card†. These white cards are easily available in many countries’ markets and samagals to Pakistan by many people. Unfortunately these cards cannot check in scan machines at Pakistani’s airports. (Quoted from Cyber crime wing FIA Pakistan). These white cards used for as ID cards in big companies as their workers showed it in their scanners and get in the company. But hackers are doing misuse of these cards and they convert the hacked data into this white card’ chip and coated it into fake credit card. To avoid such crimes, the banks are going more conscious to save and secure their DATA that no hacker can reach to them. Now a day’s many banks are introducing Credit card’ insurance plan. It is quite safe and pinafore of card holders. The banks take extra charges for insurance but in the case of insurance, bank is liable to pay you your extra money which is not spend by you, either in case of theft or fraud.

Continuity and Chang Over Time Essay: Trans Saharan Trade

In the time period between 300 B. C. E. and 1100 C. E. trade flourished across the arid Sahara desert. The system was so successful that trading centers established during that time remain major Saharan cities today. This Trans-Saharan trade system underwent changes that included design developments in the camel saddle and increased trade with India, while at the same time the inhabitants of the area remained a polytheistic people ruled by regional kingdoms.Latin texts indicate that the camel was introduced to Africa from Arabia around 46 B. C. E. The original camel saddle was designed for carrying cargo. Around 200 C.  E. , the trade saddle was greatly modified placing the rider in front of the hump in a lower position that provided the ability to maneuver the animal and wield a sword or spear effectively at the same time. This gave the northern Arabs an enormous advantage that allowed them to take control of caravan trade. Highly valued products such as spices from India and pott ery obtained from China became available for Trans-Saharan trade through maritime deliveries across the Indian Ocean to coastal ports. Gold, salt, slaves, and other goods flowed northward, dramatically increasing the volume of the vast trade system.This tied Saharan Africa to the thriving Indian empire and allowed for more extensive international trade. It was a mutually beneficial relationship for the two powers. Although the Trans-Saharan trade caused the change discussed above, other aspects of sub-Saharan culture became so stable over the centuries that the area was isolated from the rest of the world that exposure to other peoples did not alter them. For example, the inhabitants of the Sahara continuously maintained their polytheistic religions as well as their regional kingdoms.The Saharan people remained a place of scattered kingdoms that each had their own polytheistic religion. This is because all the kingdoms were isolated from each other and from the other empires by vast desert or vast oceans. The only link between these kingdoms were the trading cities which were actually a barrier to cultural diffusion. This is because if a merchant wanted the goods of a different kingdom, he only needed to go to the trading center and didn’t have to trek into the desert all the way to the other kingdom center.This inhibited the merchant from experiencing the culture or religion of the kingdoms. In conclusion, the Trans-Saharan Trade system led to advancements in the design and function of camel saddles and transformed combat; this long distance trade also caused the growth of the prospering Indian Maritime trading system. Although these changes were profound, the Saharan residents remained a polytheistic people governed by small regional kingdoms because the long distance trade did not reach into every corner of the Saharan land, but only into the large trading centers. .

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Can The War Be Justified History Essay

Can The War Be Justified History Essay The Cambodia-Vietnamese War was a series of conflicts involving various nations such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Hanoi, China and the United States of America. It was a conflict that flourished from border disputes between Cambodia and Vietnam. Minute aspects that contributed to this controversy stretched as far back as the 14th Century, when the Khmer Empire declined and when Khmers and Vietnamese dealt with an uneasy integration in an atmosphere of suppressed mistrust. The formlessness of the conflicts has made it difficult to identify the time frame unerringly but has been gauged that it occurred between 1975 and 1989. However, the war’s foremost conflict was the Cambodian Incursion by the Vietnamese in 1978. It is debatable to affirm if this controversy can be justified accordingly. By examining the manifold of causes and effects of the conflict with close study to the Just War Theory to substantiate my view, I will elaborate on why I think that a form of equilibrium has been e stablished of the war in terms of being unjust or otherwise. Vietnam possessed no precise or pertinent reason to invade Cambodia. Emory Swank, the U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia came to a conclusion that â€Å"The war is losing more and more of its point and has less and less meaning for any of the parties concerned.† (Schanberg and Pran 11). This is relative to the border disputes because of the U.S. involvement in providing military assistance for General Marshal Lon Nol, who overthrew Sihanouk in 1970, in Cambodia during the war. However, the Just War theory criteria, Jus ad bellum, states that a party must possess the right intention to go to war, and in turn will be granted the right to go to war (Just War Theory,  The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Cambodia and Vietnam’s feeble relationship fortified in 1965 when Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia, despite mistrusting the Vietnamese, allowed North Vietnamese Communists to â€Å"establish ‘sanctuarie s† inside the borders of Cambodia (Schanberg and Pran 11). After North and South Vietnam signed an agreement in Paris on January 27th 1973, Cambodian communists were left to stand alone. This being the basis of the international relationship provoked many controversies, but never provided Vietnam with a commensurable rationale to invade Cambodia. The invasion into Cambodia by the Vietnamese was a disproportionate response to the 2-year long border dispute between the two countries. According to Jus ad bellum, the â€Å"goal attained should be in proportion to the offence† (Just War Theory,  The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy). However, over two million lives were at the expense of â€Å"settling disputes† between two countries. It is impossible for Vietnam’s eventual goal to measure up and find equilibrium with the execution of over two million inhabitants. The invasion failed to ameliorate, furthermore prevent more evil than it caused. According to statistics, a larger amount of people were directly affected by the invasion and massacre rather than the series of border conflicts. Thus, the invasion failed to prevent more human suffering than it caused. According to the theory, â€Å"the means used to fight must be in proportion to the wrong to be righted†. (Just War Theory,  The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy) However, the lives of a massive number of people were at the expense of the Vietnamese invasion, therefore, with humanity at stake, the goal cannot be compared to the evil committed in this incursion.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Making a Managment decision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Making a Managment decision - Essay Example In such a scenario the performance appraisal tool, if it has been done in a proper manner, could be of significant use in arriving at the right Employees in an organization comprise the human asset of the organization and needs to be managed with as much or greater care than the other assets of the organization. Many a time this aspect of employees is neglected by managers leading to faulty decisions in their appraisals and thereby leading to discontentment. For any performance appraisal to be effective it is necessary that those being appraised understand the standards required of them and against which they re being assessed. This has twin benefits in that the employee understands the process and accepts the managers decisions better an also can then set themselves to try and achieve the standards. Performance appraisals are used quite often just to assist managers in making salary raise decisions. This is likely to affect the regularity of the use of performance appraisals and its utility as a performance enhancing tool. Performance appraisal decisions are quite often found to be subjective and not objective. An example of this is that it is quite likely that the decision of he manager is affected by a single good or bad job done by an employee and fails to see the quality of the rest of the work done over the period. Top down performance appraisal decisions have the risk of being looked as being thrust upon the concerned individual and utilizing peer to peer and upward assessments to encourage greater acceptance among employees provides for better harmony. (Murray, Joanne. Effective Performance Reviews. A Step-by-Step Plan to Make Them More Meaningful). One of the ways of eliminating the likely disregard for the human asset value in an organization by managers is to train them on the value of it and ascertain the success of the