Descriptive Essay about School. Was it Hard

To live is to learn. This simple statement is well-known even among the high school students. School life is all about preparation to all the challenges that may pop up in the bigger school known as the world of grown-ups. If you’re a high school student and you’re given the task to generate a descriptive essay on school – you’ll certainly have no problem with that because this is the life you live at the moment. In case you’re a college or university student and you’ve almost forgotten what it feels like to handle high school mess, we’ll gladly help you to work out a clear-cut and interesting essay. For the majority of people the days they spent at high school were the happiest ones ever. Try to base your assignment on the nostalgic memories of how it was. Those students who attend high schools run by the catholic priests have a lot to say about their everyday routine for it definitely differs from what is experienced by the students from ordinary schools. There’s no school life without extracurricular activities such as environmental clubs, school theatres and even bands, scouting or social service groups. If you’re one of the fans of active student life, share your thoughts about it with your readers. The point is that all these outings and competitions, shows and matches make your school life interesting, lively and enjoyable and, as the result, your essay gets juicy! What really lets you and your classmates get together is the celebration of various holidays and fests within the educational establishment. Anniversary Day, Teacher’s Day, Parent’s Day, etc. – these are celebrated all over the country providing you and your pals with a chance to develop and demonstrate inborn abilities and talents. If you took part in such celebrations, do not hesitate to reveal your memories and experiences. Headaches of school life are usually related to the monthly tests, exams, academic writing that requires 100% attention and proficiency in different topics. Take a quick trip into your memories and, if possible, tell your readers how you have succeeded to cope with the problems. School can be called the nursery for the human being’s life. What you actually learn in here remains with you till the end of your days. Realizing the basic truth and all the values of life given to you during the school years, such as honesty, respect to your elders, discipline, self-respect and sufficient knowledge in perspective areas gives you an opportunity to build a well-structured â€Å"A+† essay that will recollect the sweetest memories of all those bygone days and make you smile even today!

Medieval Anti Jewish Nationalism During The Reformation Of...

The sons of Israel must have lived in a constant state of fear ever since Christianity first saw a glimpse of power. Who else could draw the ire of the Christians than those who dare stain their fists with the sanguine blessing of the lord? Following the Catholic reformation of the Roman empire was the immediate vilification of the Jews, whose near constant state of poverty in separate settlements allowed the ruling population to maintain control of them while feigning fear. Medieval anti-Jewish sentiment was used by the leaders of the Christian masses as a mitigating force for their societal aches. The supposed treacheries of the Jews were simply common ailments of most civilizations. The beginning of the 10th century denotes the zealous†¦show more content†¦Once this point was reached, the people who actually met Jews were assuaged of guilt in their dealings with them. Peril was quick to follow when these remorseless folk were given reason to react, which is where Christianity took the reigns. Jews were guilty of â€Å"Blood Libel†, they were the killers of Jesus, who refused his love and would rather run to the arms of the anti-Christ or the Muslim invaders. The heavy Christian influence and the Crusades made it a dangerous time for Jews. To the Christian people of Europe the Jews became a venomous foe for which they could attack in the name of Christ. Ademar de Chabannes was a particularly fierce fighter against Jewish sacrilege. Ademar believes that the Jews were allies of the heretics and saracens and nearly identical to them because each of these groups rejected the truth of the Christian faith. In one of his later sermons, he clearly identifies Jews and heretics as essentially the same when he notes that just as the Jews in Jesus’ day refused to believe that he was the living bread, now, in Ademar’s own day, the heretics refuse to believe in the truth of the Eucharist Jews, with the murder of Christ became the living embodiment of Heresy, an ultimate rejection of faith. This crime gripped the heartstrings of the Christians so much so that any response had to be momentous. It became an irrational action to an unfathomable misdeed. A compounding factor was the Crusades. The Islamic-Christian conflict forcedShow MoreRelatedThe Catholic Church And Nazi Party Essay1775 Words   |  8 Pagesand even execution. The medieval Catholic Church and Nazi Party had common motives. However, those in di sagreement argue that one is a faith and the other is politics. The actions of the Nazi Party were distinct replications of those of the medieval Roman Catholic Church, which is a reminder to all that any prevailing party, whether it be political or religious, can command a threatening power. Catholicism was a prominent religion for over 1,000 years. Before the Reformation of the 1500s, anyone whoRead MoreAp European History Outline Chapter 10 Essay example5639 Words   |  23 Pagesobservation * Burckhardt saw the emergence of the modern world emerge from that of the pre-modern, or medieval, period * Some criticize Burckhardt for overlooking the continuity between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance * Scholars agree that the Renaissance (1375-1527)was a transition from medieval to modern times * Different from the feudal fragmentation of medieval times, Renaissance Europe was characterized by growing national consciousness and political centralization

Analysis of the Strategic Capabilities of FedEx Essay Example For Students

Analysis of the Strategic Capabilities of FedEx Essay Strategic capablenesss are the abilities to execute at the degree required to last and thrive, and includes resources and competency † . ( Johnson et al.2006 ) In today ‘s hypercompetitive concern universe the competition is direct and aggressive. Competitive advantages are frequently imitative. So houses should analyse their internal resources, capablenesss and external environment to expertise nucleus competences. They are the particular strengths that a steadfast inordinately does good in comparing with competition. The nucleus competences are the capablenesss which should be rare, dearly-won to copy and non- substitutable. Strategic capableness is the ability of a company to prolong and to accomplish long term ends. 1.1. Research inquiries: This undertaking study will analyse what are the strategic capablenesss Of FedEx? What is scheme? What are capablenesss? What is core competency? What is the SWOT analysis for FedEx corporation? What is PESTEL analysis for FedEx corporation? How are they effectual for the Growth of the company? 1.2. Research aims: This undertaking study will carry through the undermentioned research aims. To place the strategic capablenesss of FedEx based on SWOT analysis and PESTEL analysis. To depict the extent to which they are effectual. 1.3. Company profile: FedEx is a transnational company which represents the widest scope of supply concatenation, transit, concern and related information services. In 1965, Yale University undergraduate Frederick W. Smith wrote a term paper about the rider path systems used by most airfreight shippers, which he viewed as economically unequal. Smith wrote of the demand for shippers to hold a system designed specifically for airfreight that could suit time-sensitive cargos such as medical specialties, computing machine parts and electronics.A In August of 1971 following a stretch in the military, Smith bought commanding involvement in Arkansas Aviation Gross saless, located in Little Rock, Ark. While runing his new house, Smith identified the enormous trouble in acquiring bundles and other airfreight delivered within one to two yearss. This quandary motivated him to make the necessary research for deciding the inefficient distribution system. Therefore, the thought for Federal Express was born: a company that revolutionized planetary concern patterns and now defines velocity and dependability. The corporation was created in 1998 as FDX Corporation and became FedEx Corporation in January 2000. FedEx inspires its more than 275,000 employees and contractors to stay perfectly, positively focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional criterions and the demands of their clients and communities. It provides services to more than 220 states and districts, including every reference in the United States. FORTUNE magazine announced that FedEx has ranked No. 13 among â€Å" World ‘s Most Admired Companies † 2010. This was based on input from executives, managers and fiscal analysts worldwide. FedEx Corporation provides strategic way and amalgamate fiscal coverage for the operating companies that compete jointly under the FedEx name worldwide: FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, FedEx Office, FedEx Custom Critical, FedEx Trade Networks, FedEx Supply Chain and FedEx Services. FedEx Corporation has clearly outlined ends and schemes for the hereafter. Headquarterss: Memphis, Tennessee, USA. ( Source Web page ) 1.3.1. Vision A ; Mission: FedEx puts its people foremost because they are their most of import assets through which they achieve their concern ends. The Corporate doctrine is briefly stated as people-service-profit. The FedEx trade name is based on velocity and efficiency. Customer necessities will be met in the highest quality manner suited to each market section served. FedEx will endeavour to develop reciprocally carry throughing relationships with its employees, Alliess and providers. Safety will be the first concern in all actions. 1. FedEx Corporate doctrine. Valuess: Peoples: They value their people and promote diverseness in their workplace and in their manner of thought. Service: Their perfectly, positively spirit puts their clients at the bosom of everything they do. Invention: They invent and inspire the services and engineerings that improve the manner they work and live. Integrity: They manage the operations, fundss and services with honestness, efficiency and dependability. Pearl harbor EssayDuring the first three months of 2010, FedEx spent about $ 4.9 million buttonholing the federal authorities ( UPS, FedEx ‘s chief rival, spent $ 1.6 million on lobbying over the same period ) , a 4 % addition from the $ 4.7 million spent during the last one-fourth of 2009, but more than twice what it spent on buttonholing during the first one-fourth of 2009 . 5.1.1. Tax policy: In December 2007, the Internal Revenue Service of the United States ‘tentatively decided ‘ that FedEx Ground Division might be confronting a revenue enhancement liability of $ 319 million for 2002, due to misclassification of its secret agents as independent contractors. Change by reversaling a 1994 determination which allowed FedEx to sort its secret agents that own their ain vehicles, the IRS is scrutinizing the old ages 2003 to 2006, with a position to measuring whether similar misclassification of secret agents has taken topographic point. FedEx denies that any abnormalities in categorization have taken topographic point, but is facing legal action from secret agents claiming benefits that would hold accrued had they been classified as employees. On October 22, 2008, the Internal Revenue Service withdrew its probationary appraisal of revenue enhancement and punishments for the 2002 calendar twelvemonth ( $ 319 million plus involvement ) against FedEx Ground Package System, Inc. ( â€Å" FedEx Ground † ) associating to the categorization of FedEx Ground ‘s owner-operators for federal employment revenue enhancement intents. 5.1.2. Environmental statute law 5.1.3. Safety ordinances 5.2. Economic Factors: 5.2.1. Consumer assurance 5.2.2. The concern rhythm 5.2.3. Labor costs 5.3. Socio-cultural Factors: 5.3.1. Demographics 5.3.2. Valuess in society 5.3.3. Changing life styles 5.3.4. Changes in client penchants 5.4. Technological Factors: 5.4.1. New services potency 5.4.2. Alternate agencies of supplying Servicess 5.4.3. New finds 5.4.4. Changing communicating Technology 5.4.5. Rate of engineering transportation 5.5. Environmental Factors: 5.5.1. Climate alteration 6.5.2. Energy supplies As a consequence of the robust growing and turning air express demands achieved in Germany and Eastern Europe, FedEx will reassign its German hub operations to Cologne, Germany, by 2010. The state-of-the-art, environmentally-friendly installation in Cologne will have a 1.4 megawatt solar power system with the capacity to bring forth about 1.3 gigawatt hours of electricity per twelvemonth -A equal to the power required for 370 places year-round. The new incline and kind installations, which will be built on about 50,000 square metres, will include 16,000 square metres of roof infinite for solar panels. : 5.6. Legal Factors: In June 2009, FedEx began a run against UPS and the Teamsters brotherhood, impeaching its rival of having a bailout in an advertisement run called â€Å" brown bailout † . FedEx claims that subscribing the Federal Aviation Administration re-authorization measure, which would allow some of its workers unionise more easy ( and, harmonizing to the Memphis-based company, â€Å" could expose clients at any clip to local work arrests that interrupt the flow of their time-sensitive, high-value cargos † ) , is tantamount to giving UPS a ‘bailout ‘ . Independent perceivers have to a great extent criticized FedEx ‘s give voicing , claiming that it was â€Å" an maltreatment of the term † . FedEx staff are regulated under the Railway Labor Act. 5.6.1. Employment jurisprudence 5.6.2. Company jurisprudence 5.6.3. Business ordinance 6. Consequences and Analysis: The houses in today ‘s concern universe must concentrate on 1. Fictional character of the environment in which the house must vie and win.2.Few things a house must make to win in this environment.3.What the house should make to implement these steps to win expeditiously and faster over rivals. But competitory environment is non stable.This can be due to external or internal factors. The external factors are:1. altering client demand and expectations.2.changing technology.3.changing political and societal tendencies. The internal factors are 1.the resource base,2.the competency base. Strategy should suit between external environment and internal capablenesss. The undermentioned tendencies in concern are act uponing the growing of FedEx Growth in hi-tech and high-value-added concerns Globalization Supply concatenation acceleration Growth of the Internet and e-commerce 7. Decisions 8. Recommendations Graphs and tabular arraies

Tourism on destination countries and suggest ways to tackle any negative effect free essay sample

Introduction tourism as an economic activity is important for many countries that try to obtain a share in the 8 $ trillion industry , while it can bring in wealth and economic benefits , there are also some negative consequences for those nations and their regions . for both these , it is important to understand the impact of tourism ( Holloway, and Davidson ,2009) . The aim of this study is to understand the structure of the Tourism industry to identify the impact of Tourism as a global activity and how to tackle impact , we need to define the meaning of term Tourism , UNWTO defined Tourism as people spending leisure time outside their original and usual residence area , for temporary time not for purpose of employment or residence , some governments added some extra outlines for the definition Canadian government said that it needs to be away from residence area by 25 miles , United States Government defined it 100 Miles and in United Kingdom defined as 20 Miles or 3 hours away from usual residence point , and term tourist began to be in use in 1942 professor Hunziker and Krapf of Bern university (Theobald,2005 ) . We will write a custom essay sample on Tourism on destination countries and suggest ways to tackle any negative effect or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Tourism depend on two important factors which are tourists 1.035 Billion tourists around the world In 119 countries by UNWTO researches for 2013 , it contribute directly to many nations economy , France had in 2012 83 million visitors with amount of receipts of 53.7$ Billion in 2012 , USA considered top international Tourism receipts 126.2$ Billion for 67.0 million tourists in 2012 . and destination Countries are countries which have one or more out of the 6 competitive dimensions of tourism which are Environmental , Political , Technological , Cultural , Social and Economical (McCool,Moisey,2001). Positive Impact of Tourism 1-Economical Tourism has Direct and Indirect impact on any country economy , Directly by the fees and taxes that the government take from the Tourists whether on the borders or within the journey for using the countries facilities and transportation system , which contribute directly in GNP , Indirectly through opening new business small scale enterprises to support tourism infrastructure like hotels , restaurant or any private entertainment facility , which provide job opportunities , increase the individual annual Income , international tourism receipts became 1.07 trillion USD in 2012 by UNWTO reports (Holloway,2006 ). 2-Social and cultural People of the country can Enjoy the infrastructure created by the government or the privet sector to serve the tourism in their leisure time ( Theobald,2005 ) , Interaction between people globally from different countries increase Global awareness and understanding between nations and cultures , many countries attracts wide range of tourist in times of traditional carnivals and festivals , brazil Carnival drew around 4.9 million people attending the carnival in Rio which considered as largest carnival around the world (Brent,Crouch,2003) 3- Environmental Environmental impact of tourism on developing countries are quite high which helped directly for raising awareness of importance of the wild life , Danger of extinction of animal due to over hunting for a species , which drive many countries to take more attention of their attraction assets and provide safer environment , and tourism generate direct Fund for caring , developing and researches conducted on that Field ( Burns, novelli , 2008 ) . Negative impact Economical Creating a strong and competitive environment that can attract tourist is not quite easy task and not cheap as well providing better infrastructure for tourism cost a lot (Boniface , Cooper, 2009) , China considered to be top expenditure country on international tourism it was estimated about 102 billion USD in 2012 and Germany comes right after china with 85.9 million USD governments cut down part of the national income to invest in the Tourism industry it’s basically came from the tax payers and GNP, and most of the team Major hotels and restaurant brands get the benefits of this development and this is not in favor of locals , and many consider the money used for tourism industry can be used for more vital issues inside the country like health and education , and for same reason investing money in tourism can be quite risky and many factors affect it internally and externally like political situations , terrorism attacks on a country also natural disasters (McCoo l,Moisey,2001) . Social and cultural In some countries really depends on tourism and entertainment industry and by that number of negative side effects start to appear in those countries Crimes and mobs, drugs and prostitution(Boniface , Cooper, 2009), Actually there are countries that named as destination for people seeking for this type of entertainment like Brazil , Costa Rica and Netherlands and other different countries which legalized or regulated prostitution as legal act covered by constitution and protected by law ( Theobald,2005 ) These types of behaviors give totally false image about the country culture and social state and may support exchange of bad habits between people from different cultures. (Brent,Crouch,2003). Environmental Tourism can put high pressure on the environment for any regions , over exposing in some areas threat many type of living organisms and species in that region(McCool,Moisey,2001) , and increase in the pollution due to hotels and means of transportation used within the area, you will find more pressure on water and food supplies over consumption of water on unnecessary things like golf courts and swimming pools in hotels which mainly what depends on tourism industry , beside increase number of other different types of pollutions like Noise , solid wastes and sometime visual pollution( Burns, novelli , 2008 ). Conclusion Once a community becomes a tourist destination, the lives of residents in that community become affected by tourism activities (Jurowski, Uysal, Williams, 1997) The effect of tourism on the whole world is undeniable, tourism is considered to be one of the strong economic pillars supporting global economy , but evidence strongly proofing that tourism is a double edge weapon as it threats is as strong as its strengths , tackling most of these threats can be taken by the governments , Currently Many countries start to regulate more developed rules and measurement to monitor and control tourism industry because it’s much better to neutralize any threat in the beginning before it turn to be a real threats and problem and by creating Global understanding about how serious is this issue ( Theobald,2005 ).

Biography of Ferdinand Marcos, Philippines Dictator

Biography of Ferdinand Marcos, Philippines' Dictator Ferdinand Marcos (September 11, 1917–September 28, 1989) ruled the Philippines with an iron fist from 1966 to 1986. Critics charged Marcos and his regime with crimes like corruption and nepotism. Marcos himself is said to have exaggerated his role in World War II. He also murdered a family political rival. Marcos created an elaborate cult of personality. When that state-mandated adulation proved insufficient for him to maintain control, President Marcos declared martial law. Fast Facts: Ferdinand Marcos Known For: Philippines dictatorAlso Known As: Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr.Born: September 11, 1917  in Sarrat, PhilippinesParents: Mariano Marcos,  Josefa EdralinDied: September 28, 1989  in Honolulu, HawaiiEducation: University of the Philippines, College of LawAwards and Honors: Distinguished Service Cross, Medal of HonorSpouse: Imelda Marcos  (m. 1954–1989)Children: Imee,  Bongbong,  Irene, Aimee (adopted)Notable Quote: I often wonder what I will be remembered in history for. Scholar? Military hero? Builder? Early Life Ferdinand Edralin Marcos was born on Sept. 11, 1917, to Mariano and Josefa Marcos in the village of Sarrat, on the island of Luzon, the Philippines. Persistent rumors say that Ferdinands biological father was a man named Ferdinand Chua, who served as his godfather. Officially, however, Josefas husband Mariano Marcos was the childs father. Young Ferdinand Marcos grew up in a privileged milieu. He excelled at school and took an eager interest in things like boxing and shooting. Education Marcos attended school in Manila. His godfather Ferdinand Chua may have helped pay for his educational expenses. During the 1930s, the young man studied law at the University of the Philippines, outside of Manila. This legal training would come in handy when Marcos was arrested and tried for a 1935 political murder. In fact, he continued his studies while in prison and even passed the bar exam with flying colors from his cell. Meanwhile, Mariano Marcos ran for a seat on the National Assembly in 1935 but was defeated for a second time by Julio Nalundasan. Assassinates Nalundasan On Sept. 20, 1935, as he was celebrating his victory over Marcos, Nalundasan was shot dead at his home. Ferdinand, then 18, had used his shooting skills to kill Nalundasan with a .22-caliber rifle. Marcos was indicted for the killing and convicted by a district court in November of 1939. He appealed to the Supreme Court of the Philippines in 1940. Representing himself, Marcos managed to get his conviction overturned despite strong evidence of his guilt. Mariano Marcos and (by now) Judge Chua may have used their political power to influence the outcome of the case. World War II At the outbreak of World War II, Marcos was practicing law in Manila. He soon joined the Filipino Army and fought against the Japanese invasion as a combat intelligence officer in the 21st Infantry Division. Marcos saw action in the three-month-long Battle of Bataan, in which the Allied forces lost Luzon to the Japanese. He survived the Bataan Death March, a week-long ordeal that killed about a quarter of Japans American and Filipino POWs on Luzon. Marcos escaped the prison camp and joined the resistance. He later claimed to have been a guerrilla leader, but that claim has been disputed. Post-War Era Detractors say that Marcos spent the early post-war period filing false compensation claims for wartime damages with the United States government, such as a claim for almost $600,000 for 2,000 imaginary cattle of Mariano Marcos. Marcos also served as a special assistant to the first president of the newly independent Republic of the Philippines, Manuel Roxas, from 1946 to 1947. Marcos served in the Philippines House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the Senate from 1963 to 1965 as a member of Roxas Liberal Party. Rise to Power In 1965, Marcos hoped to secure the Liberal Party nomination for the presidency. The sitting president, Diosdado Macapagal (father of current president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo), had promised to step aside, but he reneged and ran again. Marcos resigned from the Liberal Party and joined the Nationalists. He won the election and was sworn in on December 30, 1965. President Marcos promised economic development, improved infrastructure, and good government to the people of the Philippines. He also pledged help to South Vietnam and the U.S. in the Vietnam War, sending more than 10,000 Filipino soldiers to fight. Cult of Personality Ferdinand Marcos was the first president to be reelected to a second term in the Philippines. Whether his reelection was rigged is a subject of debate. In any case, he consolidated his hold on power by developing a cult of personality, like those of Joseph Stalin or Mao Zedong. Marcos required every business and classroom in the country to display his official presidential portrait. He also posted giant billboards bearing propagandistic messages across the country. A handsome man, Marcos had married former beauty queen Imelda Romualdez in 1954. Her glamour added to his popularity. Martial Law Within weeks of his reelection, Marcos faced violent public protests against his rule by students and other citizens. Students demanded educational reforms; they even commandeered a fire truck and crashed it into the Presidential Palace in 1970. The Filipino Communist Party reemerged as a threat. Meanwhile, a Muslim separatist movement in the south urged succession. President Marcos responded to all of these threats by declaring martial law on September 21, 1972. He suspended habeas corpus, imposed a curfew, and jailed opponents like Benigno Ninoy Aquino. This period of martial law lasted until January 1981. Dictatorship Under martial law, Marcos took extraordinary powers for himself. He used the countrys military as a weapon against his political enemies, displaying a typically ruthless approach to opposition. Marcos also awarded a huge number of government posts to his and Imeldas relatives. Imelda herself was a member of Parliament (1978-84); Governor of Manila (1976-86); and Minister of Human Settlements (1978-86). Marcos called parliamentary elections on April 7, 1978. None of the members of jailed former Senator Benigno Aquinos LABAN party won their races. Election monitors cited widespread vote-buying by Marcos loyalists. In preparation for Pope John Paul IIs visit, Marcos lifted martial law on Jan. 17, 1981. Nonetheless, Marcos pushed through legislative and Constitutional reforms to ensure that he would retain all of his extended powers. It was purely a cosmetic change. Presidential Election of 1981 For the first time in 12 years, the Philippines held a presidential election on June 16, 1981. Marcos ran against two opponents: Alejo Santos of the Nacionalista Party and Bartolome Cabangbang of the Federal Party. LABAN and Unido both boycotted the election. Marcos received 88% of the vote. He took the opportunity in his inauguration ceremony to note that he would like the job of Eternal President. Death of Aquino Opposition leader Benigno Aquino was released in 1980 after spending nearly eight years in prison. He went into exile in the United States. In August 1983, Aquino returned to the Philippines. Upon arrival, he was hustled off the plane and shot dead on the runway at the Manila Airport by a man in a military uniform. The government claimed that Rolando Galman was the assassin; Galman was immediately killed by airport security. Marcos was ill at the time, recovering from a kidney transplant. Imelda may have ordered Aquinos killing, which sparked massive protests. Later Years and Death Aug. 13, 1985, was the beginning of the end for Marcos. Fifty-six members of Parliament called for his impeachment for graft, corruption, and other high crimes. Marcos called a new election for 1986. His opponent was Corazon Aquino, the widow of Benigno. Marcos claimed a 1.6 million vote victory, but observers found an 800,000-vote win by Aquino. A People Power movement quickly developed, driving the Marcoses into exile in Hawaii, and affirming Aquinos election. The Marcoses had embezzled billions of dollars from the Philippines. Imelda famously left more than 2,500 pairs of shoes in her closet when she fled Manila. Marcos died of multiple organ failure in Honolulu on Sept. 28, 1989. Legacy Marcos left behind a reputation as one of the most corrupt and ruthless leaders in modern Asia. The Marcoses had taken with them more than $28 million in cash in Philippine currency. President Corazon Aquinos administration said this was only a small part of the Marcoses illegally gained wealth. Marcos excesses are perhaps best exemplified by his wifes extensive shoe collection. Imelda Marcos is reported to have gone on shopping sprees using state money to buy jewelry and shoes. She amassed a collection of more than 1,000 pairs of luxury shoes, which earned her the nickname, Marie Antoinette, with shoes. Sources Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. â€Å"Ferdinand Marcos.†Ã‚  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 8 Mar. 2019..Ferdinand E. Marcos Republic of the Philippines-Department of National Defense.â€Å"Ferdinand Marcos Biography.†Ã‚  Encyclopedia of World Biography.

Mentoring and Coaching The WritePass Journal

Mentoring and Coaching Introduction Mentoring and Coaching Introduction ReferencesRelated Introduction â€Å"Mentoring is a complex, interactive process, occurring between individuals of differing levels of experience and expertise which incorporates interpersonal psychosocial development, career and / or educational development, and socialisation functions into the professional relationship†¦to the extent that parameters of mutuality and comparability exist in the relationship, the potential outcomes of respect, professionalism, collegiality, and role fulfilment will result.†   (p.121). This premise defines the role of the mentor in ITT.   It is the timely sharing of experience and expertise in a climate that permits acceptance. Assessment of student responses to educational philosophy, lectures, tutorials and general professional conduct enable the mentor to develop hypotheses relating to teaching potential. Observation allows the mentor to gain first-hand experience of skills and competencies by observing them in practice. Detailed planning is a requirement for effective teaching. However it is intention and cannot tell us about empathy, relationships, voice, delivery, organisation or outcomes. Observation enables greater understanding of the actions and nuances of teaching. Students find observation a positive learning experience if it is underpinned by a developmental approach. In some professions trust is implicit in the role a person plays. For example if we are ill we see a doctor and often unquestioningly allow them to invade our body with drugs or cut us open with the belief that this will make us better. The mentor has to earn that trust and become a credible force for change if they are to be effective. Klasen with Clutterbuck (2002) argue that mentors should be trained, and matched to mentees in areas such as ‘compatibility of needs to experience’ or in terms of ‘age’ and ‘gender’. ITT mentors are selected through a default system of position. Matching does not take place. Relationships, swiftly built, are transitory. Yet, key to effectiveness is the development of a relationship based on openness, transparency and trust. Clutterbuck (2004) identifies nine competencies which he considers necessary attributes of a mentor. Carmin (1993) suggests, ‘honesty, objectivity, active listening, openness, trust and the ability to be a reflective partner’ as essential characteristics of mentorship. The skill set of a teacher should reflect Carmin’s criteria. As ITT mentors have been teachers, training is implicit in prior experience. Key to building effective relationships and providing leadership, is communication. Kaser et al (2002) cited in Evans (2007) argue that the quality of communication by the leader has a direct impact on the quality of learning of those being led. However to communicate effectively there has to be frequency to build familiarity within that communication. As a lecturer in ITT I meet numerous students during seminars or lectures. It can be difficult to forge close personal relationships with all students at these times. More intimate meetings occur during observations where we enjoy a shared experience and during feedback sessions. Rodger (2006) states that the most successful mentoring framework,   Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦. is the one underpinned by a secure personal relationship between mentor and trainee.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  (p. 37) Clutterbuck (2004) stresses the need for the mentor to possess a range of communication skills in order to facilitate openness whilst observing, both in terms of the mentees feeling confident enough to express themselves and the mentor being open to what is being observed. I have found this to be the case. Therefore I have striven to be creative with the use of technology to add to relationships. Students respond quickly and openly to modern communication facilities and become more relaxed as a result. Bibby (2009) suggests that the nuances of relationships forged between the mentor and the mentee will inevitably affect mentee learning and development. In my practice the positive relationships built up over a period of time through effective communication improve student development. Classroom observations can be stressful and as a result alter behaviours. Therefore a valid assessment as a basis for constructive discourse can be adversely affected. Incumbent on the tutor is to put observations into context, thus allaying fears and allowing a professional dialogue to ensue. Empathy of and an understanding for each others’ roles, needs to be explicit. In ITT, the roles are given. This serves to eradicate confusion within the mentor/student relationship forming a firm basis for honest dialogue. There has to be a tacit understanding that judgements will be made but used as a means to inform further development not for punitive action. Observations provide a critique from a critical but trusted colleague. If there is a perceived credibility gap advice will lack impact. Credibility is earned through a relationship that acknowledges expertise and operates within a culture of mutual trust and respect. The recipient must feel that their abilities and competence are enhanced as a result of observation. The conduct of any observation and the climate of the classroom can support or detract from positive outcomes in terms of learning.   Therefore, it is important that a shared protocol of behaviours and outcomes operates. I have found it useful to discuss with my students the time, focus and length of the observation. This promotes confidence and transparency in the observation. It is essential to establish that good teaching is measured by its impact on pupil learning.   Similarly the observer must discard their pedagogy during the lesson and focus on outcomes. Therefore personal preference does not affect the judgments. I have considered the importance of developing positive relationships, a climate that facilitates good observations and the importance of jointly agreed patterns of working. This enables judgments to be made within a positive culture. The crucial aspect promoting development is feedback. Singleton and Linton (2006) refer to this as the ‘courageous conversation’ involving four essential elements based on honesty and openness. This can only be achieved if the relationship has been built on the same traits. Durgahee (1998) argues that, â€Å"Mentoring can also assist with professional development by facilitating critical reflection on practice.† (p.159) Freire (1998) is more assertive when he states, â€Å"Critical reflection on practice is a requirement of the relationship between theory and practice.† (p.30) Students who evaluate their practice are able make sense of what is happening. This is a constructivist approach which has its basis in a Piagetian description of learning. This enables development, whereas an ‘instructionist’ approach is primarily rooted in the transmission and conveyance of advice and knowledge rather than debate. Carnell, MacDonald and Askew (2006) argue that by adopting a constructivist approach it is possible to co-construct targets for development. This enables ownership, understanding and a belief in the efficacy of the targets. Downey M. (2003) would argue that the observation should bring reality to the situation from which targets evolve. Therefore the relationship between mentor and mentee becomes rooted in development. References Bibby, T., 2009. How do children understand themselves as learners? Towards a learner-centred understanding of pedagogy. Pedagogy, Culture and Society, 17(1) : 41-55. Carmin, C., 1993. The Mentor’s Role. Available at cppsu.dundee.ac.uk (accessed February 2011). Carnell, E. MacDonald, J. and Askew, S., (2006). Mentoring and Coaching in Higher Education: a learning centred approach. London: Institute of Education. Clutterbuck, D.,   2004. Everyone Needs A Mentor. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Downey, M., 2003. Effective Coaching. Thomson. Durgahee, T., 1998, Facilitating reflection: from a sage on stage to a guide on the side. Nurse Education Today, Vol. 18, Issue 2, pp. 158-164. February 1998. Evans, D., 2007. Learning to be a Leader/Mentor. Mentoring and Tutoring Vol. 15, No.4. Routledge. Freire, P., 1998. Pedagogy of Freedom. Roman and Littlefield Publishers. Hargreaves, E., 2010. Knowledge Construction and Personal Relationships, Mentoring and Tutoring: Partnership in Learning. Vol. 18, No.2. May 2010. Kaser, J., Mundry, S., Stiles, K.E., Loukes-Horsley, S., 2002. Leading Every Day: 124 actions for effective leadership. Corwin Press. Kullman, J., 1998. Mentoring and the Development of Reflective Practice: concepts and context. System 26. Klasen, N. with Clutterbuck, D., 2002. Implementing Mentoring Schemes. Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. O’Brien, J. Christie, F., 2005. Characteristics of support for beginning teachers. Mentoring and Tutoring: Partnership in Leaning. Vol. 13, No.2, Routledge. Rodger F., 2006. The Ideal Mentor . Professional Learning Today, Spring. Singleton G. E. Linton C., 2006. Courageous conversations about race: a field guide for achieving equity in schools. Corwin Press. Tomlinson P., 1995. Understanding Mentoring. Open University Press. Email Marketing Coaching

Caucasus Region2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Caucasus Region2 - Essay Example Involvement of USA is vital. On political front reconciliation of the conflicting interests of regional States is required. Flow of oil in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, to the West, can be ensured using diplomatic channels. Oil, natural gas and deposits of rare metals in the region are the main attraction for the world powers. Azerbaijan needs helpmodernize its oilfields, production of which has fallen from 8% of USSR total in 1965 to 0.6% by 1988. Estimated reserves of oil in Azerbaijan are 240,000 billion dollars (Atlas, p86-87). Nine million emigrants in USA and Syria is another asset. Her other main problems are Nagorno Karabakh (N.K). Armenia is over dependent on imported energy and raw materials and fought full scale war on N.K with Azerbaijan in 2003 and this issue dominates national life in both countries (Atlas, p74-75). USA has good opportunity to help resolve the issue of N.K and win appreciation of both countries. She can also increase her exports of raw material to Armenia, thus economically influencing the latter. There is a war and politics for oil and mineral resources and all players are applying military component according to demands of the situation. USSR has not given up its struggle to regain influence in the region. Iran is yet another silent player. But South Azeri People’s Army (SAPA) created problems in north western areas where the emergence of an independent state is in offing. This State of â€Å"Ahurastan†, comprising of north western Iran and western Azerbaijan, has a revolutionary anti-American and anti-West agenda. It may challenge Azeri claim over Caspian Sea area and can disrupt the oil exploration process in the region. 1. Protection of oil pipelines, especially BTC, and bridges from blowing up by SAPA. Such sabotage acts harmed the economies of the regional countries a lot in the

Supply Chain and Demand Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Supply Chain and Demand Model - Essay Example Notably, the supply chain eliminates unsuitable suppliers and consumers that demean effective supply chain management. In a demand driven supply chain, consumers control the supply chain since the supply must provide everything that the consumer needs. Indeed, a demand-driven network forces the supply chain to produce new products at a speed defined by the demand model (Versloot, 2013). To enhance sustainable profits, an organization must ensure that its supply responds to demand. Since the supply chain is nonlinear, suppliers focus on the actual demand and purchase patterns as defined in the demand model (Versloot, 2013). Supply meets demand forecast in lead times. However, there is a need to adjust the supply at each level of the supply chain since actual demand is different from forecasted demand (Versloot, 2013). Notably, the relationship between supply chain and the supply and demand model determines the prices and quantities of products in the

Sport and Exercise Are Good for Your Health Essay Example for Free

Sport and Exercise Are Good for Your Health Essay Introduction The saying ‘sport and exercise are good for your health’ appears at first to be an irrefutable fact. However in this assignment I am going to look the information and facts that agree with this statement, and then compare and contrast with the information that disagrees. To begin it would seem logical to define the words in the statement to gain better understanding of their meaning. Sport has several meanings, such as ‘one being a good sport’ by showing honesty and respect even when defeated but for the purposes of this essay sport will be defined as â€Å"an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others† (Oxford Dictionaries, 2008). Exercise is defined as â€Å"activity requiring physical effort carried out for the sake of health and fitness† yet interestingly has a second meaning that could be very relevant to the above statement; â€Å"an activity carried out for a specific purpose† (Oxford Dictionaries, 2008). Good is defined as â€Å"to be desired or approved of, and health â€Å"the state of being free from illness or injury† or a person’s mental or physical condition† (Oxford Dictionaries, 2008). The definitions of each of these words show sport would involve exercise; or rather sport is applied exercise in pursuit of a goal or result. So for the purposes of this assignment I will compare and contrast them concurrently. Sport Exercise are good for your health? Good health it would be fair to say is a desirable commodity or feature of a person. The link between physical activity and wellbeing is not a new idea or argument to promote exercise. Since the beginning of historical records the Chinese have practiced Tai Chi and other forms of physical activity to prevent diseases. Up to 1500 years ago the Roman physician, Galen was prescribing exercise to maintain good health (Brian J. Sharkey, 2006, p.14). This topic was raised by Dr Steven Blair and Harold Kohl at the American College of Sports Medicine in 1988. A study had been conducted on 1000 men to analyze the ‘all-cause’ death rate for sedentary or inactive men and those who were active. The results of the study have shaped the way we think about health and exercise to this day. They showed that a sedentary male was 5 times more at risk than an active male. (Dr Steven Blair, 1988). The study also showed that between the active males there was a trend that as the level of fitness increased the risk reduced. It has been ascertained by the above study that a sedentary lifestyle puts an individual in greater risk of developing a condition that can lead to premature death. Besides fatality a lack of exercise can also have implications to one’s health while they are living. The following areas have been highlighted by the UK National Health Service as areas that leading an active lifestyle can improve, prevent or reduce an individual’s risk of falling victim to; weight control, heart disease and stroke, cancer, mental health, immune system. (NHS National Health Service, 2008). Obesity is defined as â€Å"very fat† (Oxford Dictionaries, 2008), however has been specifically defined as an individual with a BMI score of 30 plus (National Institue of Health, 2008). The following table shows the dramatic increase in the percentage of the population with obesity since 1960. (Kopelman, 2000, p.637) â€Å"A combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise is the best way to maintain a healthy body weight† (NHS National Health Service, 2008). The NHS (2008) also state that being overweight and obese leads onto various other health related problems such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and osteoarthritis. Exercise also has mental implications on an individual’s health. Dramatic changes have taken place as we have emerged into the 21st century. There have been radical shifts towards technology, life expectancy has increased thanks to advances in medicine, the family and societal support networks have changed. There is support that this has contributed towards to the increase in stress and depression in today’s society (Garfinkel PE, 2000). As with the obesity epidemic exercise has been proven to improve an individual’s mental state. When carrying out any form of strenuous exercise the pituitary glan d in the brain releases chemicals called endorphins. Exercise can lead to an improved mood, a feeling of euphoria often called the â€Å"runners high† (Peak Performance, 2008). It has also been proven to increase neurogenesis, the creation of new neurons in the hippocampus in the brain. Studies have shown that humans begin to lose nerve tissue at approximately 30 years of age. The effect exercise has on the brain increases neural connections, creating a denser network so we are able to process and store information. It has also been shown to initiate brain-derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF that acts as a protective response to stress and improve synaptic plasticity which improves the efficiency of signal transmission between neurons. This transfer is generally considered the basis for learning and memory (McGovern, 2005). Looking at the information presented there is far more support to show exercise is more beneficial than it is detrimental to an individual’s health. The negative implications could become apparent when an individual does not fully understand the way the body reacts or responds to exercise. The saying â€Å"too much of a good thing† (Shakespeare, 1623) comes in to play when planning a programme of exercise. An individual needs to take into account what effect the programme will have on his/her body and lifestyle. To achieve the best possible performance an athlete must be optimally trained so a good compromise is being achieved between achieving their potential and not fatiguing and reducing performance capacity (Richard B Kreider, 1998). The athlete who is subjected to overtraining would experience some of the following symptoms; decreased performance, prolonged recovery periods, loss of coordination, abnormal T wave ECG pattern, increased respiration frequency, chronic fatigue, muscle damage, muscle soreness and tenderness to name but a few. It can also lead to much more severe conditions such as anorexia and bulimia (Richard B Kreider, 1998). As the above information shows too much exercise and training can lead to a fatigue and reduction in an individual’s health. Sport and exercise can also have negative implications when an athlete suffers an injury during the pursuit of their chosen sport or activity. There are vast arrays of injuries an individual can pick up from partaking in exercise or sport. Anything that is used to perform the exercise can be injured for reasons such as poor technique, poor warm up or cool down procedure, lack of stretching, ill fitting or lack of required equipment, collisions including those with equipment, fixtures or other players. Most sports injuries are not the result of sudden catastrophe but occur because the individual has overused the muscles and over trained and according to research sports injuries could be reduced by up to 25% if athletes and participants took appropriate preventative action (Mac, 1997). Conclusion Taking into account all of the information the support for the statement â€Å"sport and exercise are good for your health† far outweighs the support to show it is not. The information shows that to partake in an active lifestyle is healthy; to not heed the warnings relating to overtraining and poor technique is irresponsible and can lead to a greater risk of suffering a sports injury and possibly chronic fatigue. The positive factors show that partaking in regular moderate and or strenuous exercise will help maintain a positive state of mind, improve your ability to concentrate, process and store information. It enables you to maintain a healthy, balanced weight as long as you ensure you follow a healthy diet. It reduces your risk of suffering heart disease, strokes, cancer and osteoporosis and can combat depression and stress. Exercise appears to be the wonder drug for the masses, but it is not without its perils. To fully optimise its positive effect on an individual’s life it is extremely wise to fully educate yourself on the consequences and implications it may have before embarking on a training programme to avoid putting yourself at unnecessary risk. But to lead a sedentary lifestyle and not exercise, you put yourself in even greater risk. You decide. Reference List Brian J. Sharkey, S.E.G., 2006. Fitness and Health. 6th ed. Leeds: Human Kinetics. Dr Steven Blair, H.K., 1988. Survey of physical activity habits as related to measured physical fitness. American Journal of Epidemiology, 127(6). Garfinkel PE, G.D., 2000. Mental Health Getting beyond the stigma and catagories. Bulletin of the World Health Organisation, 78(4), pp.503-05. Kopelman, P.G., 2000. Obesity as a medical problem. St Bartholomews The Royal London School Of Medicine Insight Review Article, 404, p.637. Mac, B., 1997. Injury Prevention. [Online] Available at: http://www.brianmac.co.uk/injury.htm [Accessed 10 Feb 2010]. McGovern, M.K., 2005. The Effects of Exercise on the Brain. [Online] Serendip Available at: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro05/web2/mmcgovern.html [Accessed 10 Feb 2010]. National Institue of Health, 2008. Overweight and Obesity. [Online] Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health [Accessed 10 Feb 2010]. NHS National Health Service, 2008. Why is exe rcise good for me? [Online] Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1142.aspx?CategoryID=52SubCategoryID=141 [Accessed 10 Feb 2010]. Oxford Dictionaries, 2008. Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Peak Performance, 2008. Endorphins. [Online] Available at: http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0430.htm [Accessed 10 Feb 2010]. Richard B Kreider, A.C.F.M.L.O., 1998. Overtraining in Sport. Illustrated Edition ed. Leeds: Human Kinetics. Shakespeare, W., 1623. As You Like It. Comedies, Histories Tragedies ed. London: Folio.

VPN and RADIUS :: essays research papers

VPN and RADIUS The boom in telecommuting and the need to support more remote workers is making life tough for IT managers. Besides the normal tasks of maintaining remote-access server (RAS) equipment, managers often find their time consumed administering access rights and authentication privileges on several, geographically dispersed remote access servers at the same time. Enter the Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS), a commonly used authentication system. Most remote-access equipment vendors have supported RADIUS in their remote-access ser-vers. Many virtual private networking equipment companies also are supporting the use of a RADIUS server for user authentication. For IT managers, the main attraction of RADIUS is that it allows them to simplify administration of user authentication by maintaining a centralized database of access rights. IT managers who did not have RADIUS have had to maintain access rights on multiple pieces of equipment. This leads to a problem: If someone joins or leaves a company, a manager must add or change access rights for that person on every piece of access equipment. RADIUS avoids such problems. IT managers can use a single RADIUS server to authenticate users dialing into multiple remote-access servers. With RADIUS, IT managers maintain a single authentication database. All users dialing into a network are authenticated against this database. For such centralized authentication to work, a RAS and VPN equipment must securely communicate with a RADIUS server and verify that the user meets certain conditions before allowing the user to gain access to the network. The process of authenticating users is transparent to the user dialing in. The way it works is that a user places a call into a remote-access server and a Point-to-Point Protocol session is initiated. The RAS or VPN takes authentication information, such as a user name and password, and passes this information to the RADIUS server. If the user is in the database and has access privileges to the network, the RADIUS server signals the remote-access server that it is OK to continue the process. At the same time, the RADIUS server also sends what is called profile information about the user to the remote-access server. The profile can include information such as the user's IP address, the maximum amount of time the user can remain connected to the network and the phone number the user is allowed to dial to access the network.

Psychosis Leads to Murder Essay

Throughout In Cold Blood, Truman Capote writes on the events directly before, during, and the happenings after the brutal murdering of the Clutter family in the quaint town of Holcomb, Kansas. The actions Dick Hickock and Perry Smith attracted Capote and led him to ultimately report on the entire ordeal. Throughout Capote’s masterpiece, In Cold Blood, Hickock and Smith’s deranged and psychotic actions directly correlate to a deep psychosis they both suffered for multiple years. Throughout the novel, In Cold Blood, the two murderers, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, show instances of unwarranted anger and aggression that leads readers into believing that a serious issue with their psyches have occurred. Early in, the novel Hickock states, â€Å"I didn’t want to harm the man. I thought he was a very nice gentleman. Soft-spoken. I thought so right up to the moment I cut his throat† (Capote 88). Here, the reader can clearly see Hickock contradicting himself but in in a rather frightening way. Smith also shows an instance of this as well later in the novel when he says, â€Å"I wish she’d been in that house that night. What a sweet scene!† (Capote 259). When Smith says ‘she’ in the previous, quote he is referring to his own sister. He vocalizes that he wishes his sister was among the Clutters in their house the night he and Dick killed them. This allows the reader to truly gage the depth of his psychosis by not even allowing himself to show any compassion to his own family. In Brian Conniff’s article â€Å"Psychological Accidents: In Cold Blood and Ritual Sacrifice,† he agrees with the previous thought by stating, â€Å"Hickock was the one with the ‘sexual intrest in female children’ who wants to stop, in the middle of the burglary, to rape Nancy Clutter,† a direct quote from Smith (5). Furnished from Capote’ s personal accounts, it allows the reader to see further into the extreme violence of the convicted felons. Aside from unwarranted anger and aggression, both, Hickock and Smith show a magnitude of signs that allow outsiders to infer that they, themselves, know of their mental condition and knowingly choose to ignore it. In many instances they vocalize this to each other and even to complete strangers. Shortly after the murders Smith said, â€Å"†¦The kind of psychotic rage it took to commit such a crime† (Capote 83). And Hickock mentioned, â€Å"I think there must be something seriously wrong with us to do what we did† (Capote 108). The context of these two quotes makes it quite easy to understand why readers believe that Hickock and Smith knew of their mental issues prior to the murders but both decided to ignore them. In Conniff’s article â€Å"Psychological Accidents: In Cold Blood and Ritual Sacrifice,† he agrees with the idea above by stating a written portion of an interview with Hickock done by Capote that reads, â€Å"Like all of the rest of the ‘normals,’ as Perry calls them—‘respectable people, safe and smug people’† (3). This is yet another solid acknowledgement of his insanity, which he chooses to blatantly ignore. Throughout the entire novel, Hickock and Smith both suffer seriously from psychotic delusions and emotional rants, which forces readers to perceive Hickock and Smith as mentally insane men. During one of these rants Smith exclaims, â€Å"I WANT TO CONESS!† (Capote 100). Hickock also shows multiple instances of emotional rants also. One of many comes when his sister says she will not contact him and he, overrun by emotion, states, â€Å"I wish she’d been in that house that night. What a sweet scene!† (Capote 259). And also, â€Å"I wouldn’t give a damn if this car caught fire and burned me alive† (Capote 188). Both these quotes appear while suffering severe shifts in emotions, which he could not control, thus proving his mental instability. After authorities caught the two, and while being questioned Smith stated, â€Å"It was part passion- a passion that was pathological,† meaning that he could not control himself (Capote 186). Small indications, such as these, allow readers to see deep into the psyche of Hickock and Smith, displaying disturbing images. Throughout unwarranted acts of anger and aggression, Hickock and Smith’s acknowledgement of their insanity, and the delusions and rants they experience directly correlation between their acts of horror and the deep psychosis they became trapped in late in their lives. This psychosis directly relates to why they did the terrible things they did, and why they didn’t think anything of it. This correlation becomes easily seen by allowing the reader to glance deep within the psyche of these two ruthless killers. Works Cited Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood. New York: Random House, 1966. Print. Conniff, Brian. â€Å"‘Psychological Accidents’: In Cold Blood and Ritual Sacrifice.† The Midwest Quarterly: A Journal of Contemporary Thought 35.1 (Autumn 1993): 77-94. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Thomas J. Schoenberg and Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 164. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 8 Nov. 2011.

Institutes for cat preparation

Institute FOR CAT PREPARATIONThe great author, Alexandre Dumas, one time said â€Å" nil succeeds like success † . It is, but a victor, who takes all the awards, and non the losers. To win is an unconditioned leaning of adult male in any competition. In today ‘s universe, instruction is the chief race. Every individual demands the best. Hence, the ferocious competition. If the competition be, to merely come in a good school, one can conceive of how strict the ‘rat race ‘ will be. After school, ( 10+2 or intermediate ) , one attempts to acquire into the best college and make the best alumnus degree class. But, the occupation market, being what it is today, a Post-graduation becomes necessary. In India these yearss there is no famine of classs and colleges. But how many are reputed, supply good instruction, have all installations etc. ? A really of import calling these yearss is Business direction. To acquire into a good B-School itself is a dashing undertaking. With merely a few thousand seats in all B-Schools combined, it is a large challenge for the lacs of campaigners. So, we have entrance tests. The ‘CAT ‘ ( Common Admission Test ) , conducted by the ‘IIMs ‘ ( Indian Institute of Management ) , is one of the toughest entryway trials. Conducted by the IIMs, this alone trial, checks one for one ‘s IQ, general English and general math and other soft accomplishments. This trial has a specialized marker system, besides carries negative points. There are about 75 B-Schools besides the six IIMs which accept CAT tonss. Since CAT needs particular readying, there are training institutes for CAT itself. How to Choose an Institute: CAT coaching is done fundamentally at three degrees ; schoolroom, correspondence & A ; online. The latter two may be followed up with a personal contact plan clang class. Following guidelines will be utile: * Make certain the institute is of reputation. It has all the basic installations to take up CAT coaching. Some institutes offer free demo categories. That may be good, but do n't trust on them as a free demo is any manner traveling to be good. * Do non travel by their word on how many pupils they have placed, low fees or strength of ex-IIM module. * The institute may run training for non-IIMs as good, but what is your demand? Most institutes offer, at a small excess cost, developing for both. In such a instance a GK subdivision is included which may assist in GD/PI subsequently. Act consequently * Mark your pick between correspondence, schoolroom & A ; on-line classs. Online classs are suggested the least as synergistic and at-length classs are better. * If your metropolis does non hold a schoolroom coaching, travel for a correspondence class and take mock cats along with synergistic clang class. ( it may non be a bad pick to travel to a nearby large metropolis for that. ) * Last but non the least, does the institute provide GD/PI ( Group Discussion/ Personal Interview ) session subsequently on. they are every bit of import as the written trial. * If you require a survey loan, travel straight to a bank, non through the institute. Such is the demand for CAT readying that Pre-CAT institutes have sprung up like Mushrooms all over. Some of the outstanding 1s are: O IMS Learning Resources Pvt. Ltd: possibly the oldest in game, it is headquartered in Mumbai. It has a presence in over 50 metropoliss. Outstanding 1s are Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Bangalore, Bhubneshwar, Baroda, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Jammu, Jaipur, Kolkata, kanpur, Lucknow, Mumbai, Madurai, Nagpur etc. the institute gives its USP as the most no. of arrangements. o Career Launcher: A Delhi based institute, it is one of the younger institutes. Has many subdivisions in Delhi. Has subdivisions in Mumbai, Pune, NOIDA, Lucknow, Kanpur, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Kolkata, Burdwan, Durgapur, Bangalore, Hubli, Ahmedabad etc. every bit good. o Ascent Education: It is a Chennai based institute.it besides provides classs in correspondence & A ; on-line classs in multiple locations. o T.I.M.E. ( Triumphant institute of direction instruction ) : Headquartered in Hyderabad, it imparts schoolroom coaching in most major towns of India. Harmonizing to the T.I.M.E. , it imparts low-cost class. It has been a recent success. Has been founded by IIM & A ; XLRI alumna. o Career Forum: This institute provides training in Pune and 6 other metropoliss. It besides provides correspondence classs. O Brilliant Tutorials: A veteran of IIT JEE, this Chennai based institute besides provides reputed classs in CAT every bit good. Possibly the most advertised one, it claims a high success rate. o Other outstanding institutes are PT ( professional tutorials ) , The Princeton Review, Magnum, Bulls oculus, Prudence academy, Indo-Scottish Study Circle, Mastervision Nucleus ( Bangalore ) etc. One can besides acquire information from the Net ( Google, Yahoo ) , by word-of-mouth from their equals, Educational addendums of major national dailies. Now-a-days it is possible that MBA entryway preparation institutes outnumber the B-Schools themselves! Remember what person said, † If you fail to fix, fix to neglect † . There is no ground to believe that if you go to a little CAT-prep school, live in a little town or you are Differently-abled u ca n't check CAT. Hard-work, regularity & A ; pattern are the key to ‘Belling the CAT ‘ !

What Is AP Self-Study Should You Do It

What Is AP Self-Study Should You Do It SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Did you know that you don’t have to take an AP course to take the associated exam? Some people think this means all they need is a prep book, the registration fee, a pencil, and a dream. Are they right? In this article I will go over all the essentials of self-studying for AP exams: what it means, why people self-study, whether or not you should self-study, and five important tips for any self-studier. What Is AP Self-Study? As you might infer, AP self-study is when you study the material for an AP exam independently instead of taking the course associated with the exam. For some people, this takes the form of what is essentially a self-organized independent study. Others just grab a prep book a month before the exam, blaze through it, and hope for the best. Some people taking an honors level of a class, like biology or US history, decide to do extra studying so they can take the AP. (I did that myself with APUSH.) Still others self-study AP course material because they already have a deep level of knowledge in a subject and taking a course would be repetitive. This is common for people who are high-level speakers of one of the languages offered by the AP exam. They still need to study to familiarize themselves with the exam and brush up on their grammar, but it obviously wouldn’t make sense to take an entire course in a language they speak fluently! Why People Self-Study AP Material There are a few reasons people might decide to study for an AP exam on their own instead of taking a course. It could be because their school doesn’t offer a particular AP course they are interested in, or any AP courses at all. It might be because they don’t have room in their schedule for another AP course, but they still want to get as much AP credit as possible. This is common among people self-studying the more content-light AP exams like AP Human Geography or AP Environmental Science. Similarly, students sometimes feel that they can cover ground more quickly on their own than in the classroom. This may be especially true if they already have a certain baseline level of knowledge in the subject, like in a foreign language. Essentially, people self-study when they either can’t or don’t want to take the AP course associated with the exam, but believe they can still do well on the test through some amount of work on their own. This man is self-studying the river. Good idea? You decide. Should You Self-Study for an AP? Whether or not self-studying is the right approach for you depends on five key factors. #1: The AP Exam You Want To Self-Study The material you are considering self-studying makes a big difference here. It’s one thing to self-study AP Psychology, and quite another to try to self-study AP Chem. The more demanding the coursework is in the classroom, the less sense it makes to try to learn the material yourself. People in classes like AP Calculus, Physics, and Chemistry have a hard time getting 5s on the exam even when they take the course, so it’s not really feasible to expect you’ll be able to learn the material yourself. On the other hand, AP Psychology, AP Environmental Science, and AP Human Geography are frequently self-studied because the course doesn’t cover enormous amounts of complex material. See my article on the best AP exams for self-studyfor more info. #2: How Much Time You Have For Studying Assuming you’ve chosen a reasonable AP to self-study, the next main concern is, will you have time to study the material on your own? If you’re taking a challenging course load and have a slate of time-consuming extracurriculars, it might not make a ton of sense to try to study for a demanding exam on top of all of that. If, on the other hand, you already have late arrival and early dismissal built into your senior spring schedule and you just want to see if you can get some extra credits for college with exams, self-study could be for you. #3: Your Studying Motivation Level Even if you have enough time, you need to consider if you are self-motivated enough to do the extra studying. It’s important to be honest with yourself before you register for the exam. If you think it’s more likely that you’ll volunteer to clean the bathroom for your dad than to crack open a textbook with no one there to check your progress, AP self-study may not be a particularly useful or beneficial approach for you. #4: Your Ability to Stay on Track Similarly, if you think you won’t be able to keep on a relatively stable prep schedule, it may not make much sense for you to self-study. If you know you’re the kind of person who keeps a New Year’s resolution very diligently for about six weeks and then completely falls off the wagon, it might be difficult for you to stay on a self-study schedule. If you get too far behind, trying to cram to catch up will be very stressful. If you feel you really need some level of accountability to get work done for an AP on your own, you might consider taking an AP course online. In general, you will have weekly deadlines for the course, which may help motivate you to stay on track and actually learn the material. #5: Access to Study Material A final thing to consider before you commit to the self-study route is whether or not you have access to high-quality material for studying. As useful as a copy of the Princeton Review can be for AP prep, you’ll have a much easier time prepping for the exam if you have a variety of resources available to you: you’ll want practice problems or questions, maybe some explanatory videos, possibly a copy of an up-to-date textbook from your library, and so on. So before you decide to self-study, you may want to do some research to make sure there are adequate high-quality resources available for you to learn the material. If all of your textbooks did this, you would ace every exam. 5Key Tips for Effective Self-Studying Once you've decided to self-study for an AP, you might be wondering how exactly you should go about it. I've laid out five important practices that will maximize your self-study success. #1: Stay On Track The most important thing you can do for yourself when self-studying is to stay on track. Learning the material throughout the year will make you much less stressed in the months and weeks leading up to the exam. #2: Make a Schedule To help you stay on track, I advise you to make a study schedule and stick to it! This means you should both have a general plan of how much material you will cover every week or month, and that you will have consistent, scheduled times to learn the material and prepare. Of course it might take you a little longer or shorter to learn some material, so you can adjust your schedule as you go, but you’ll be much more successful with a plan of attack for learning all the material. #3: Find the Best Material Try to read reviews of any study resources before you commit to using them, especially before you spend money on them. You want to make sure that any material you use is actually relevant to what’s tested on the exam, and that other students have found it helpful. #4: Take Practice Tests Be sure to take practice tests! This is probably even more important for self-study students than for students taking a regular class, because the syllabus for regular AP classes have to be approved by the College Board. You’ll be flying by the seat of your pants in some respects, so practice tests will really help you gauge what you still need to learn and where you still have gaps. Of course, you want to use as many official College Board tests as you can, but these are somewhat limited, so if using non-College Board material, be sure to carefully read reviews. #5: Register for the Exam Make sure you register for the test! This probably seems really obvious, but it’s easy to forget, especially when you don’t have a teacher to remind you to turn in the form! You’ll need to talk to your school’s AP exam coordinator about registering for the exam. This takes place early to midway through the second semester for most schools. If you are self-studying because your school doesn’t have AP exams, your school won’t have an AP coordinator. Never fear! You can still take your exams at a school close to you that offers the tests. Here's how: By March 1st of the year you want to test, you will need to get in touch with AP Services. You can contact them by phone, e-mail, or fax. Phone (domestic): 888-225-5427 Phone (international): 212-632-1780 E-mail: apstudents@info.collegeboard.org Fax: 610-290-8979 AP services will give the phone number for local AP coordinators from schools who are willing to test students from other schools.You will need to call the AP coordinator of a local school by March 15th at the latest to make testing arrangements. Go forth and conquer, you majestic self-studying unicorn. Final Thoughts on AP Self-Study Can you take an AP exam without taking the course? YES! Studying on your own for an AP exam is a viable course of action if it doesn’t make sense to take the course, and it is definitely possible to get a five. You just need to choose the exam wisely, make sure you are diligent about studying, and use high-quality, relevant study material. So you probably do need more than a prep book and a dream, but you can definitely succeed at self-studying for APs! What's Next? Trying to decide what AP class to self-study? Look at our complete list of AP classes and exams. If you're self-studying AP US History, look at our expert review of APUSH textbooks. For AP Psychology self-studying, see our comprehensive list of practice exams. Self-studying AP Bio? We have a list of every AP Biology practice test available. Taking the SAT or ACT? Check out our expert advice on the pros and cons of all the popular study methods. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Exams, Superstitions, and Kit Kat Bars

Exams, Superstitions, and Kit Kat Bars The National Center Test for University Admission is a universal examination for Japanese universities. All national/public universities require applicants to take this exam. During the exam season, the superstitious nature of the Japanese becomes apparent. In fact, you will find various lucky charms being sold around this time. The most popular are charms purchased from a shrine or temple. However, the Kit Kat (a chocolate bar) is also popular. Why? The Japanese pronounce it as kitto  katto. It sounds like kitto katsu which means, You will surely win. Parents often buy Kit Kats for their children for exam days. It is just a fun play on words, but if it makes them feel better, why not? Japanese Translation Ã¥ â€"é ¨â€œÃ£  ¨Ã§ ¸ Ã¨ µ ·Ã§â€° ©Ã£  ¨Ã£â€š ­Ã£Æ'Æ'ãÆ'ˆã‚ «Ã£Æ'Æ'ãÆ'ˆ Ã¥ ¤ §Ã¥ ­ ¦Ã¥â€¦ ¥Ã¨ © ¦Ã£â€š »Ã£Æ' ³Ã£â€š ¿Ã£Æ' ¼Ã¨ © ¦Ã© ¨â€œÃ£ Å'ä »Å Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã£  ¯Ã¦Å"ˆæâ€" ¥Ã£  ¨Ã¦â€" ¥Ã£  «Ã¨ ¡Å'ã‚ Ã£â€šÅ'㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ£ â€œÃ£â€šÅ'㠁 ¯Ã¦â€" ¥Ã¦Å" ¬Ã£  ®Ã¥ ¤ §Ã¥ ­ ¦Ã£  ®Ã¥â€¦ ±Ã©â‚¬Å¡Ã¥â€¦ ¥Ã¥ ­ ¦Ã¨ © ¦Ã© ¨â€œÃ£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¥â€º ½Ã¥â€¦ ¬Ã§ «â€¹Ã¥ ¤ §Ã¥ ­ ¦Ã¥ â€"é ¨â€œÃ¨â‚¬â€¦Ã£  «Ã£  ¯Ã£â‚¬ Ã£ â€œÃ£  ®Ã£â€š »Ã£Æ' ³Ã£â€š ¿Ã£Æ' ¼Ã¨ © ¦Ã© ¨â€œÃ£â€šâ€™Ã¥ â€"㠁‘る㠁“㠁 ¨Ã£ Å'ç ¾ ©Ã¥â€¹â„¢Ã£  ¥Ã£ â€˜Ã£â€šâ€°Ã£â€šÅ'㠁 ¦Ã£ â€žÃ£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¦â€" ¥Ã¦Å" ¬Ã¤ º ºÃ£  ¯Ã§ ¸ Ã¨ µ ·Ã£â€šâ€™Ã¦â€¹â€¦Ã£  Ã£ â€œÃ£  ¨Ã£ Å'Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã£  Ã£  ªÃ¥â€º ½Ã¦ °â€˜Ã£  ¨Ã£ â€žÃ£ Ë†Ã£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£ Å'〠Ã¥ â€"é ¨â€œÃ£  ®Ã¦â„¢â€šÃ¦Å"Ÿã  «Ã£  ¯Ã£  Ã£â€šÅ'㠁Å'よ㠁 Ã¨ ¡ ¨Ã£â€šÅ'㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¥ ®Å¸Ã©Å¡â€ºÃ£â‚¬ Ã£ â€œÃ£  ®Ã¦â„¢â€šÃ¦Å"Ÿæ §ËœÃ£â‚¬â€¦Ã£  ªÃ§ ¸ Ã¨ µ ·Ã§â€° ©Ã£ Å'Ã¥ £ ²Ã£â€šâ€°Ã£â€šÅ'㠁 ¦Ã£ â€žÃ£â€šâ€¹Ã£  ®Ã£â€šâ€™Ã¨ ¦â€¹Ã£ â€¹Ã£ â€˜Ã£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¦Å"€ã†šâ€šÃ¤ º ºÃ¦ °â€"㠁 ®Ã£ â€šÃ£â€šâ€¹Ã£â€šâ€šÃ£  ®Ã£  ¨Ã£ â€žÃ£ Ë†Ã£  °Ã£â‚¬ Ã§ ¥Å¾Ã§ ¤ ¾Ã£â€šâ€žÃ£ Å Ã¥ ¯ ºÃ£  ®Ã£ Å Ã¥ ®Ë†Ã£â€šÅ Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£ Å'〠Ã£Æ' Ã£Æ' §Ã£â€š ³Ã£Æ' ¬Ã£Æ' ¼Ã£Æ'ˆè â€œÃ¥ ­ Ã£  §Ã£ â€šÃ£â€šâ€¹Ã£â€š ­Ã£Æ'Æ'ãÆ'ˆã‚ «Ã£Æ'Æ'ãÆ'ˆã‚‚ä º ºÃ¦ °â€"㠁Å'㠁‚る㠁 ®Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ£  ªÃ£ Å"㠁‹ã  £Ã£  ¦Ã¦â€" ¥Ã¦Å" ¬Ã¨ ªÅ¾Ã£  ®Ã§â„¢ ºÃ©Å¸ ³Ã£  ®Ã£â‚¬Å'ã‚ ­Ã£Æ'Æ'ãÆ'ˆã‚ «Ã£Æ'Æ'ãÆ'ˆ(㠁 Ã£  £Ã£  ¨Ã£ â€¹Ã£  £Ã£  ¨)㠁Å'〠Ã£  Ã£  £Ã£  ¨Ã¥â€¹ Ã£  ¤Ã£  Ã£  £Ã£  ¨Ã£ â€¹Ã£  ¤Ã£  ¨Ã¤ ¼ ¼Ã£  ¦Ã£ â€žÃ£â€šâ€¹Ã£ â€¹Ã£â€šâ€°Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¨ ¦ ªÃ£ Å'Ã¥ â€"é ¨â€œÃ£  ®Ã¦â€" ¥Ã£  «Ã£â‚¬ Ã¥ ­ Ã¤ ¾â€ºÃ£  ®Ã£ Å¸Ã£â€š Ã£  «Ã¨ ² ·Ã£ â€ Ã£ â€œÃ£  ¨Ã£â€šâ€šÃ¥ ¤Å¡Ã£ â€žÃ£  Ã£ â€ Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ£ Å¸Ã£   Ã£  ®Ã¨ ªÅ¾Ã¥â€˜â€šÃ¥ Ë†Ã£â€š Ã£ â€ºÃ£  ¨Ã£â€šâ€šÃ£ â€žÃ£ Ë†Ã£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£ Å'〠Ã£  Ã£â€šÅ'㠁 §Ã¥Å  ¹Ã¦Å¾Å"㠁Å'㠁‚る㠁 ªÃ£â€šâ€°Ã£â‚¬  è © ¦Ã£ â€"㠁 ¦Ã£  ¿Ã£  ªÃ£ â€žÃ¦â€°â€¹Ã£  ¯Ã£ â€šÃ£â€šÅ Ã£  ¾Ã£ â€ºÃ£â€šâ€œÃ£  ­Ã£â‚¬â€š Romaji Translation Daigaku nyuushi sentaa shiken ga kotoshi wa ichi-gatsu juushichi-nichi to juuhachi-nichi ni okonawaremasu. Kore wa nihon no daigaku no kyoutsuu nyuugaku shiken desu. Kokukouritsu daigaku jukensha niwa, kono sentaa shiken o ukeru koto ga gimuzukerarete imasu. Nihonjin wa engi o katsugu koto ga sukina kokumin o iemasu ga, juken no jiki niwa sore ga yoku arawaremasu. Jissai, kono jiki samazamana engimono ga urareteiru no o mikakemasu. Mottomo ninki no aru mono to ieba, jinja ya otera no omamori desu ga, chokoreeto gashi de aru kittokatto mo ninki ga aru no desu. Nazeka tte? Nihongo no hatsuon no kitto katto ga kitto katsu to nite iru kara desu. Oya ga juken no hi ni, kodomo no tame ni kau koto mo ooi sou desu. Tada no goro awase tomo iemasu ga, sorede kouka ga aru nara, tameshite minai te wa arimasen ne. Note: The translation is not always literal. Beginners Phrases Parents often buy KitKats for their children for exam days. Oyaga juken no hi ni, kodomo no tameni kau koto mo ooi sou desu.㠁Šã‚„㠁Å' 㠁˜ã‚…㠁‘ん㠁 ®Ã£  ²Ã£  «Ã£â‚¬ Ã£ â€œÃ£  ©Ã£â€šâ€šÃ£  ®Ã£ Å¸Ã£â€š Ã£  « 㠁‹ã â€ Ã£ â€œÃ£  ¨Ã£â€šâ€š 㠁Šã Å Ã£ â€žÃ£  Ã£ â€ Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¨ ¦ ªÃ£ Å'Ã¥ â€"é ¨â€œÃ£  ®Ã¦â€" ¥Ã£  «Ã£â‚¬ Ã¥ ­ Ã¤ ¾â€ºÃ£  ®Ã£ Å¸Ã£â€š Ã£  «Ã¨ ² ·Ã£ â€ Ã£ â€œÃ£  ¨Ã£â€šâ€šÃ¥ ¤Å¡Ã£ â€žÃ£  Ã£ â€ Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š Learn More Learn more about lucky number in Japanese.

Why Mainstream Social Networks Complicate Our Identities Research Proposal

Why Mainstream Social Networks Complicate Our Identities - Research Proposal Example All aspects of the environment were perceived as threats due to the relatively untrained and primordial perception and capacity of the early inhabitants. In the first stage, the social consciousness of the people was centered on the tribe as the singular commune existing in their periphery. Posner (1) maintained that during the early times, thinking outside the delimitations set by the tribal unit, practice and tradition is akin to modern-day treason. As such, the mindset of the early civilizations with regards to social acuity has been primarily limited to the concept of a tribe. The second stage is marked by the enlightenment of the individual as they began to have a more profound understanding of their environment and how they can suit their needs according to the change in times. Posner (2) argued that during this stage, people began to engage themselves into their surrounding thereby formulating smaller groups in their community. During this time, tribe members also started to i nteract with other members of neighboring tribes signifying the beginning of trade and commerce. Due to the awakening, the early people began to notice an opportunity to improve their way of life by mastering his environment and becoming an active player in the communal exchange. This then became the catalyst that spurted man’s ingenuity to discover matter and manner that went on well through time. The third stage is the mental stage characterized by people’s accumulation of knowledge and a keen mastery of his way of life. A system of education is likewise formed where the past is ultimately utilized as the main yardstick for future endeavors. Also, this stage is marked by advancements the systems of economy, politics and social interactions. Developments in science, communications, and technology likewise exemplify this stage. In this regard, people became more sophisticated with innovative types of machinery, gadgets and systemic processes.

History of Blacks in the Diaspora Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

History of Blacks in the Diaspora - Essay Example The coast was the focal point of trade for both goods from Europe as well as their slaves. Ultimately, the people were dumped in one of the ships meant for the slaves and deported on a transatlantic journey unaware that they will be traded and locked up as laborers. In terms of numbers the African Diaspora is unbelievable. Close to 12 million people were coerced out of Africa and deported to the New World. The key to the African Diaspora was propelled by a thriving economy. The slave trade drew investors from a host of nations such as Portugal, Spain, Brazil, England, the United States, Holland, France, Sweden and Denmark which kept the slave trade alive for a more than hundred years. (The African Diaspora: Melfisher.org) The concept of the African Diaspora considers the worldwide dispersion of Africans throughout history; the surfacing of the cultural identity abroad based on origin and social condition; and the physiological return to their own homeland i.e. Africa. Thus the African presence in Asia, Europe, and the Americas is not a recent occurrence. It had happened in ancient Greece and Rome, and it subsisted in Arabia and also in other parts of Asia prior to the rise of Islam. The growth of the global trade in African slaves by the Arabs for more than a century and half years back and the much more severe business by the Europeans and Americas from the fifteen century made that presence basically global. (Harris 27) Background & History of Blacks in the Diaspora: Spanning a period of nearly four hundred years, more than 4 million Africans were deported to N. America and also to the Caribbean Islands in the Atlantic slave trade. They were imprisoned from their motherland and estranged from the members of their groups and families and they were led to lead lives of slaves in New World where the customs and traditions in the midst they spent their lives were completely absent. The African Diaspora is the account of the manner in which Africans even through scattered and isolated were able to retain their traditions, undergo changes in their identities in a New World. Essentials of African culture such as the religion, language, and folklore lasted and also the links to their previous lives. In the course of Americanization, Africans developed yet another culture that is known as African-Americans or Creolos. The forced migration leading to the transatlantic slave trade is considered to be the largest one in the world. In its effort, it created l asting permanent linkages between Africa and N. America. (African Diaspora: Colorado College) The African populations were transported from a lot of areas of Africa, however mainly from those areas along the coast. The Bantu, lined on the Guinea coast, had the biggest uniform culture after which comes Mande, hence the culture of African-Americans was impacted in a major part by the people of these areas. In these colonies, the demand of the slaves mainly for economic factors and the demographics of the slaves left a huge impact on the development of the Afro-American culture. There was a presence of more than one Afro-American cu

International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Relations - Essay Example Each of these actors behaves in a certain way when they participate in international politics both individually and together. International relations comprises of the study of the behaviour of these actors (Mingst, 2010). There have been many key issues in the last 25 years that have been very significant with respect to international relations. This paper discuses two main issues, namely, armed conflicts and human rights. The paper describes why these issues have been very significant when it comes to international relations. It also identifies the major sub-issues, developments, controversies and problems regarding the issue. The paper also points out how the two issues have been linked to each other in international relations and then proposes possible solutions or resolutions to the issues. Armed Conflicts Armed conflicts across the globe have been one of the most significant issues that have affected the whole world. It has been the most important issue when it comes to Internat ional Relations. ... t of the armed conflicts in the recent times, mainly in the Middle East, have been internal conflicts which have been triggered due to issues of religion, ethnicity, identity and possession (competition) of resources. Mineral and oil wealth has been one of the main reasons for armed conflicts. On the international front, global terrorism has lead to major armed conflicts. One of the most prolonged armed conflicts has been the Israel-Palestine conflict. It will be discussed in detail later. An armed conflict leads to numerous sub-issues and problems. It has a profound effect on the population of the region. It becomes a major hindrance to the development of the region. The resources that could have been invested in the developmental activities such as education, business development, tourism, etc are diverted towards developing armaments. The direct and most immediate impact of armed conflicts are the disruption of food supplies, loss of human life, psychological distress, gender-base d violence, physical injuries, health hazards, etc. The effect that armed conflict has on children is very damaging as it influences their emotional, physical and mental development. These issues and problems become an interest of international politics. Global powers and organizations such as UN are required to resolve the issues and restore world peace. Global economic relations are also affected by armed conflicts as they affect trade, tourism, etc. International relations of numerous countries are affected by armed conflicts as questions of support and interests are raised. An example of this is the troubled alliance between US and Pakistan as a result of differences on support to Afghanistan and Taliban. Hence, armed conflicts anywhere in the world are very sensitive and gas an effect

The History of Chinese Literature Essay Example for Free

The History of Chinese Literature Essay Writing in China dates back to the hieroglyphs that were used in the Shang Dynasty of 1700 – 1050 BC. Chinese literature is a vast subject that spans thousands of years. One of the interesting things about Chinese literature is that much of the serious literature was composed using a formal written language that is called Classical Chinese. The best literature of the Yuan Dynasty era and the four novels that are considered the greatest classics are important exceptions. However, even during the Qing Dynasty of two hundred years ago, most writers composed in a literary stream that extended back about 2,400 years. They studied very ancient writings in more or less the original written language. This large breadth of time with so many writers living in the various eras and countries makes Chinese literature complex. Chinese literary works include fiction, philosophical and religious works, poetry, and scientific writings. The dynastic eras frame the history of Chinese literature and are examined one by one. The grammar of the written Classical Language is different than the spoken languages of the past two thousand years. This written language was used by people of many different ethnic groups and countries during the Zhou, Qin and Han eras spanning 1050 BC to 220 AD. After the Han Dynasty, the written language evolved as the spoken languages changed, but most writers still based their compositions on Classical Chinese. However, this written language wasn’t the vernacular language even two thousand years ago. The empires and groups of kingdoms of all these eras were composed of people speaking many different native languages. If Europe had a literary history like China’s, it would be as if most European writers until the 20th century always tried to write in ancient Classical Greek that became a dead language more than two millennia ago. Shang Dynasty (about 1700-1050 BC) Development of Chinese Writing The first dynasty for which there is historical record and archaeological evidence is the Shang Dynasty. It was a small empire in northern central China. No documents from that country survive, but there are archaeological finds of hieroglyphic writing on bronze wares and oracle bones. The hieroglyphic writing system later evolved into ideographic and partly-phonetic Chinese characters. Zhou Dynasty (1045-255 BC) Basic Philosophical and Religious Literature The Zhou Dynasty was contemporaneous with the Shang Dynasty, and then they conquered the Shang Dynasty. Their dynasty lasted for about 800 years, but for most of the time, their original territory was broken up into dozens of competing kingdoms, and these finally coalesced into several big and warring kingdoms by the end of the Zhou era. The great literary works of philosophy and religion that became the basis for Chinese religious and social belief stem from what is called the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476) and the Warring States Period (475-221). Taoism, Confucian literature, and other prominent religious and philosophical schools all emerged during these two periods. The Chinese call this simultaneous emergence of religions and philosophies the â€Å"One Hundred Schools of Thought.† Perhaps so many philosophers could write simultaneously because they lived in small kingdoms that supported them. In Chinese history, the dominant rulers generally squelch or discourage philosophical expression that contradict their own, so when there were several small powers, different schools of thought could survive in the land at the same time. The major literary achievements of the Confucian Classics, early Taoist writings, and other important prose works originated in the late Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period of the Zhou Dynasty era. These literary works deeply shaped Chinese philosophy and religion. Confucius is said to have edited a history of the Spring and Autumn Period called the Spring and Autumn Annals (æ˜ ¥Ã§ §â€¹) that shapes Chinese thinking about its history. There were hundreds of philosophers and writers who wrote conflicting documents, and there was discussion and communication. What we know of the literature of this period was mainly preserved after the Qin Dynasty’s book burning and from a few recent archeological finds of records. Probably most of the philosophical and religious works of that time were destroyed. If there were great fictional books created, they have been lost. So the main contributions of this period to Chinese literature were the prose works of the Confucian Classics and the Taoist writings, and preserved poems and songs. Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) Literary Disaster and Legalism At the end of the Zhou Dynasty era that is called the Warring States Period, of the surviving few big states in the land, the Qin Dynasty became the most powerful. The Qin Dynasty had big armies and conquered the others. Once the Qin emperor had control, he wanted to keep it, and they squelched any opposition to his authority. In the conquered territories, there were teachers of many different doctrines and religions. A big philosophical and religious school then was called Mohism. They were particularly attacked by the Qin Dynasty, and little is known about it. An early form of Buddhism was also established in China at that time, but their temples and literature were destroyed and even less is known about them. The emperor wanted to reduce the One Hundred Schools of Thought to one that he approved. He ordered the destruction of most books all over the empire. He even killed many Confucian philosophers and teachers. He allowed books on scientific subjects like medicine or agriculture to survive. So the â€Å"Book Burning and Burial of Scholars† was a literary disaster. On the other hand, the Qin Dynasty standardized the written Classical Language. It is said that a minister of the Qin emperor named Li Si introduced a writing system that later developed into modern Chinese writing. Standardization was meant to help control the society. The standardized writing system also helped people all over the country to communicate more clearly. The Qin Emperor favored a philosophical school that was called Legalism (æ ³â€¢Ã¥ ® ¶). This philosophy of course justified the strong control of the emperor and maintained that everyone should obey him. It is thought that Li Si taught that human nature was naturally selfish and that a strong emperor government with strict laws was needed for social order. Li Si’s writings on politics and law and his propagation of this school much influenced the political thinking in the Han Dynasty and later eras. Legalism texts and the standardization of writing were the Qin Dynasty era’s literary contributions. Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) Scientific and Historical Texts A former peasant leader overthrew the Qin Empire. The Han Dynasty era lasted for 400 years. At the beginning of the era, Confucianism was revived. Confucian texts were rewritten and republished. Confucianism was mixed with the Legalism philosophy of Li Si. The resulting ideology was the official ideology of the Han Dynasty and influenced political thinking afterwards. The era’s major contributions were historical texts and scientific works. Sima Qian wrote Historical Records that is a major history concerning the overall history of China from before the Shang Dynasty until the Han Dynasty. The book’s prose was considered a model for writers in succeeding dynastic eras. Another important historical text concerned the Han Dynasty itself. Some scientific texts were also thought to be important for their times, thought it doesn’t seem that the information was widely known or well known afterwards. The Han Dynasty era was one of the two main hotspot eras for scientific and technical advance. But printing wasn’t available for wide publication of the information. During the Eastern Han Dynasty towards the end of the Han era, the influence of the philosophy of the Confucian Classics that hindered scientific progress was waning. So people were more free to pursue invention. Cai Lun (50–121) of the imperial court is said to be the first person in the world to create writing paper, and this was important for written communication at the end of the empire. Finery forges were used in steel making. Two or three mathematical texts showing advanced mathematics for the times were written. The Han Empire disintegrated into warring kingdoms similar to what happened during the Warring States Period before the Qin Dynasty. For several hundred years, dynasties and kingdoms rose and fell in various places, and the next big and long-lasting dynastic empire is called the Tang Dynasty . Tang Dynasty (618-907) Early Woodblock Printing and Poetry The Tang Dynasty had a big empire that benefited from trade with the west along the Silk Road, battled with the Tibetan Empire, and experienced the growing influence of organized Buddhist religions. This era’s main contribution to Chinese literature was in the poetry of Dufu, Li Bai and many other poets. Dufu and Li Bai are often thought of as China’s greatest poets. Li Bai (701–762) was one of the greatest romantic poets of ancient China. He wrote at least a thousand poems on a variety of subjects from political matters to natural scenery. Du Fu (712-770 AD) also wrote more than a thousand poems. He is thought of as one of the greatest realist poets of China. His poems reflect the hard realities of war, dying people living next to rich rulers, and primitive rural life. He was an official in the Tang capital of Chang An, and he was captured when the capital was attacked. He took refuge in Chengdu that is a city in Sichuan Province. It is thought that he lived in a simple hut where he wrote many of his best realist poems. Perhaps more than 1,400 of his poems survive, and his poetry is still read and appreciated by modern Chinese people. Song Dynasty (960-1279) Early Woodblock Printing, Travel Literature, Poetry, Scientific Texts and the Neo-Confucian Classics The next dynasty is called the Song Dynasty. It was weaker than the Tang Dynasty, but the imperial government officials made remarkable scientific and technical advances. Military technology greatly advanced. They traded little with the west due to the presence of warring Muslim states on the old trade routes. There wasn’t territorial expansion, but the empire was continuously attacked by nomadic tribes and countries around them. Their northern territory was invaded, and they were forced to move their capital to southern China. So the era is divided into two eras called the Northern Song (960-1127) and Southern Song (1127-1279) eras. One of the era’s technological accomplishments was the invention of movable type about the turn of 2nd millennia during the Northern Song period. This helped to spread knowledge since printed material could be published more quickly and chea ply. Travel literature in which authors wrote about their trips and about various destinations became popular perhaps because the texts could be cheaply bought. The Confucian Classics were codified and used as test material for the entrance examination into the elite bureaucracy, advanced scientific texts and atlases were published, and important poems were written. The Confucian Classics were important in China’s history because from the Song Dynasty onwards, they were the texts people needed to know in order to pass an examination for the bureaucracy of China. These Confucian Classics were the Five Classics that were thought to have been penned by Confucius and the Four Books that were thought to contain Confucius-related material but were compiled during the Southern Song era. The Four Books and Five Classics (å››æ› ¸Ã¤ ºâ€Ã§ ¶â€œ) were basically memorized by those who did the best on the exams. In this way, Confucianism, as codified during the Song era, became the dominant political philosophy of the several empires until modern times. Since the bureaucrats all studied the same works on social behavior and philosophy, this promoted unity and the normalization of behavior throughout each empire and during dynastic changes. The scholar-bureaucrats had a common base of understanding, and they passed on these ideas to the people under them. Those who passed the difficult exams were highly respected even if they didn’t receive a ruling post. High education in this system was thought to produce nobility. The Five Classics and Four Books were written in the written Classical Language. The Five Classics include: The Book of Changes, The Classic of Poetry, The Record of Rites that was a recreation of the original Classic of Rites of Confucius that was lost in the Qin book purge, The Classic of History, and The Spring and Autumn Annals that was mainly a historical record of Co nfucius native state of Lu. The Four Books include: The Analects of Confucius that is a book of pithy sayings attributed to Confucius and recorded by his disciples; Mencius that is a collection of political dialogues attributed to Mencius; The Doctrine of the Mean; and The Great Learning that is a book about education, self-cultivation and the Dao. For foreigners who want a taste of this Confucian philosophy, reading the Analects of Confucius is a good introduction since the statements are usually simple and like common sense. Another period of scientific progress and technical invention was the Song era. Song technicians seemed to have made a lot of advancements in mechanical engineering. They made advanced contraptions out of gears, pulleys and wheels. These were used to make big clocks, a mechanical odometer on animal drawn carts that marked land distance by making noise after traveling a certain distance, and other advanced instruments. The Song technicians also invented many uses gunpowder including rockets, explosives and big guns. The imperial court officials did remarkable scientific research in many areas of mechanics and science. Shen Kuo (1031–1095) and Su Song (1020–1101) both wrote scientific treatises about their research and about different fields. Shen is said to have discovered the concepts of true north and magnetic declination towards the North Pole. He also described the magnetic needle compass. If Chinese sailors knew about this work, they could have sailed long distances more accurately. This knowledge would predate European discovery. He did advanced astronomical research for his time. Su Song wrote a treatise called the Bencao Tujing with information on medicine, botany and zoology. He also was the author of a large celestial atlas of five different star maps, and he also made land atlases. Su Song was famous for his hydraulic-powered astronomical clock tower. Sus clock tower is said to have had an endless power-transmitting chain drive that he described in a text on clock design and astronomy that was published in 1092. If this is so, it may be the first time such a device was used in the world. When the Southern Song Empire was conquered by the Mongols, these inventions and the astronomical knowledge may have been forgotten. Another contribution to the literature of China was the poetry of the Song era. A Southern Song poet named Lu is thought to have written almost 10,000 poems. Su Tungpo is regarded as a great poet of the Northern Song era. Here is a stanza he wrote: â€Å"The moon rounds the red mansion Stoops to silk-pad doors Shines upon the sleepless Bearing no grudge Why does the moon tend to be full when people are apart?† Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) Drama and Great Fictional Novels The Mongols were nomadic people who herded cattle north of the Tang Empire and wandered over a large area fighting on horseback. They believed that they might be able to conquer the world. They easily conquered Persia far to the west. It was a big empire with high technology, a big population and a big army. Then they decided to try to conquer all the countries around them. They attacked the Tang Dynasty, the Dali Kingdom in Yunnan, and much of Asia, and they formed the biggest empire in the history of the earth until then. They conquered Russia, a part of eastern Europe and a part of the Middle East. In China, the Mongols established the very rich Yuan Dynasty. In their camps, the Mongols were entertained by shadow puppet plays in which a lamp cast the shadows of little figurines and puppets on a screen or sheet. In the Yuan Dynasty, puppet drama continued to entertain the rich dynastic courts in vernacular language. Dramatic operatic theaters with human actors speaking in vernacular language was a favorite form of entertainment as well, and some of China’s best dramatic scripts were written then. Also two of the four novels that are generally considered China’s best literary classics were written in vernacular language then. So though the Yuan Empire wasn’t ruled by Chinese, it was an era of some historically renowned dramatic playwrights and novelists who wrote in vernacular language. It is thought that the operatic style of the shadow puppet dramas that entertained the courts influenced the development of the operatic theater style of the Yuan Dynasty. The Yuan rulers were fabulously wealthy according to historical accounts. They had a vast empire and control of trade in Eurasia. For the royal courts or the rich people, refined music, sound effects and talented singers were employed for shadow plays. The Yuan â€Å"Zaju† style of opera was similar to their shadow pl ays. Perhaps the playwrights adopted the plots and the features. There were exciting plots, elaborate costumes, refined music and singing, action, and dance that the Mongols enjoyed. The music of the Zaju operas was called Yuan Qu (Yuan Music). The language used wasn’t the Classical Language but the vernacular language, so that the theater might be enjoyed by everyone. After the Yuan Dynasty, the operatic style developed into the Painted Faces style of Chinese opera that was popular until modern times. Guan Hanqing is regarded as one of the best playwrights of the times. He wrote Midsummer Snow that was one of the most popular drama pieces. It is a tragedy about an unjustly accused woman who received justice after her death. The Romance of the Western Chamber was written by Wang Shifu. It is considered one of the best romantic dramas ever written in China. Novels were another outstanding achievement of the Yuan era. The novelists influenced the future development of the genre. Two novels are still widely read now and are generally considered two of the four greatest novels in Chinese literature. These are Water Margin and The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms was written in vernacular language by Luo Guan Zhong. It is historical fiction about the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms Period. The Three Kingdoms Period was between the Han and Tang eras. Special emphasis is laid on the two famous historical rulers Liu Bei and Cao Cao who were antagonists. It is a long novel with 800,000 words. Water Margin is about the lives and ideals of a group of characters who fought against the corrupt Northern Song Dynasty that the Mongols conquered. It is said it was written in vernacular language by Shi Nai An, but scholars debate about the authorship. Many scholars think that the first 70 chapters were written by Shi Nai An and that the last 30 chapters were written by Luo Guan Zhong who was also the author of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Novels The Chinese rebelled against the Mongols, and the Ming Dynasty era began about 1368. The Mongols and the Ming government still sometimes fought. Because of this and the presence of Muslim countries in between, trade with the west was reduced to the pre-Yuan level. The Ming initially were interested in exploration, and Muslims whose ancestors arrived during the Yuan Dynasty and who were familiar with seagoing trade were employed to make long voyages to the Indian Ocean, the Middle East and perhaps Africa. Then they became isolationist. It is interesting that a book that is one of the four great classics called Journey to the West about a monk going to India was written during this time of isolation. Maybe the thought of travel to the lands in the west was appealing then. Novels were the era’s main contribution. The Journey to the West is based on the historical journey of a Buddhist to India during the Tang era to learn Buddhist teachings and bring back scriptures and information. In 1629, Xuanzang (602 664) left Changan in 629 and arrived back in Changan in 646. Mythical tales about this journey including the character of an intelligent monkey began to be circulated long before the book was written. The author drew on known tales. Journey to the West is thought to have been published anonymously by Wu Chengen in the 16th century though scholars have doubt about the authorship. The trend in that era was for people to write in Classical Chinese and imitate the literature of the Tang Dynasty and Han Dynasty. However, this book was written in the vernacular. Perhaps because there was a lack of accurate geographical knowledge available to the author, much of the geographical landscape of the story is inaccurate. However, the â€Å"Flaming Mountains† that are near Turpan in Xinjiang are mentioned. Perhaps the author meant to poke fun at Chinese religion because a monkey is said to have defeated a whole army led by Taoist gods, and only the Buddha’s intervention stopped the monkey. The book describes India as a land of gross sin and immorality, and the monk was commissioned by Buddha to help India. The characters in the book are well known to Chinese children, and they often appear in martial arts movies and cartoons. Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) Novels and Pre-modern Literature The Manchus invaded the Ming Empire from the north and established the last dynasty called the Qing Dynasty. The Manchus were not Chinese, but they retained the Neo-Confucian governing system of the Song and Ming eras. The Qing Dynasty came under increasing attack from both internal rebellions and foreign countries. In the 19th century, foreign literature and the West became better known. In the middle of this era, the last of China’s four great classic novels was written called Dream of the Red Chamber (ç ´â€¦Ã¦ ¨â€œÃ¥ ¤ ¢); and near the end of the era, modernistic literature developed. The Dream of the Red Chamber also has an uncertain authorship. Like the other three great classic novels, it was written in a vernacular language – the Mandarin language that was the language of the Qing capital. It is probably mostly composed by Cao Xueqin (about 1715-1763) in the middle 1700s, and the first printing of the book was in the late 1700s. It is thought that Cao did not live to see the first printing. It is thought that another person or other people contributed the ending of the story since the original ending of the story was lost. The book has a lot of textual problems, and there are different versions. In a preface to a printed version in 1792, two editors claimed to have put together an ending based on the authors working manuscripts that they had bought from a street vendor. At the end of the Qing Dynasty era, the dynastic rulers came under increasing pressure both from foreign attacks and internal rebellions. Educated Chinese had easier access to foreign literature, and they were more influenced by Western culture. Students started to travel abroad to study, and schools built by missionaries educated tens of thousands of students. There was a general sense of crisis, and intellectuals started translating foreign works on science, politics, and literature. These were popular, and the culture started to change. Some writers produced fiction more like Western fiction. Chinese Literatures Chinese Classical Prose Prose writing in ancient and pre-modern China differed from poetry in that it was less rigidly structured and wasnt like verses in a song or like one of the common styles of poetry. But compared to English prose, literary prose before the year 1900 was often much more formalized. Except for popular novels and theatrical plays, most of the literary prose works were written in the literary Classical Language. This Classical Language utilized the grammar and ancient characters of the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) and of the Han Dynasty era (206 BC – 220 AD). Writers sought to imitate the examples of prose in ancient philosophical and religious books such as Mencius (Ã¥ ­Å¸Ã¥ ­ ) and Zhuang Zi (莊å ­ ). These old texts that were thought to date from about 600 BC to 200 BC were thought to contain examples of careful and well-reasoned discourses and be examples of good organization and style. During the Han Dynasty era (206 BC – 220 AD), a more formalized style of prose writing appeared that was called Piantiwen (é § ¢Ã© «â€Ã¦â€"‡) or parallel prose style. But in the Tang and Song eras, people started to write in the less formal and more ancient style called Guwen (Ã¥  ¤Ã¦â€"‡) of the Warring States era. So classical prose can be divided into three types called Piantiwen style, Guwen style, and the vernacular style used in operatic dramas and in the Four Classic Novels of Chinese literature. For about 2,000 years after the Qin Dynasty era (221-206 BC), Chinese writers had a constraint that European writers generally didnt face after the Renaissance. Chinese writers generally needed to write in a common literary language that wasnt their native language or a vernacular language anywhere. The ancient languages of the Warring States Period were extinct. But writers had to maintain the grammar and the use of the vocabulary. In some ways, this is similar to how educated Europeans wrote in Latin until the Renaissance era. During the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), the emperor ordered that all texts other than those of a philosophy called Legalism and some sciences that he favored be destroyed. There was a Book Burning and the Burial of Scholars. They effectively destroyed several religions and philosophical schools and much ancient literature. During the Han era, people tried to reconstruct and preserve what was lost. What emerged as important were works attributed to Confucius, Mencius, Zhuang Zi, Lao Zi, and a few other philosophers. Mencius whose book was considered one of the major texts of Confucianism was said to have elegant diction, and Zhuang Zi whose text was one of the two pillars of the school of Daoism that emerged in the Han era showed how to use anecdotes and all egories effectively. Chinese writers tried to copy their styles. The example of the style from the pre-Qin era was said to be simple and direct. Ouyang XiuIn the Han era, a variant style was developed that was called Piantiwen (é § ¢Ã© «â€Ã¦â€"‡). This style wasnt as clear or precise, but it was florid, ornate and rigid. The Piantiwen style was popular for several hundred years afterwards. During the late Tang era (618-907), two prominent officials tried to reintroduce the earlier style called Guwen. Han Yu (768–824) and Liu Zongyuan tried to teach others to use Guwen. They are considered two of the great prose masters of the Tang and Song eras. But the Tang Dynasty fell and was replaced by the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD). During the Song Dynasty, another literati named Ouyang Xiu (1007-1072) helped to revive writing in the Guwen style. This neoclassical style dominated prose writing for the next 800 years. It was the writing system of rulers in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1645-1912) eras. In order to gain entrance into the bur eaucracy during the Ming and Qing eras, candidates had to pass the imperial qualifying examination. The exam material was the 9 Classics of Neo-Confucianism as was codified in the Song era. The Four Books and Five Classics (å››æ› ¸Ã¤ ºâ€Ã§ ¶â€œ) were basically memorized by those who did the best on the exams. These works contained the style of writing the literati wished to imitate. After the fourteenth century, vernacular fiction became popular. This may be because the invention of printing allowed the works to be more widely published. In the Yuan (1279-1368), Ming and Qing eras, four novels were published that are considered the best in Chinese history. The four novels are often called the Four Classics in China. All four were written in a spoken language of their times unlike most ancient literature that was written in the literary Classical Language. These four novels all have disputed authorship. They are: The Romance of the Three Kingdoms that is said to have been written by Luo Guan Zhong during the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368); Water Margin that is said to be written by Shi Nai An during the Yuan era; Journey to the West that is thought to have been published anonymously by Wu Chengen during the Ming Dynasty era (1368-1644); and The Dream of the Red Chamber was said to be written by Cao Xueqin (1715-1763) during the Qing Dynasty era (1644-1911). The writers wrote in different languages, but vernacular prose can be called the third type of classical prose writing. Chinese Poetry Poetry has been a favorite literary genre for thousands of years. Poetry isnt taken very seriously in the West, especially in the last two hundred years, but Chinese ancient poetry is still read and ancient Chinese poets are honored. The greatest poets are thought to have lived a thousand years ago or more during the Tang (618-907), Song (960-1279) and Han (206 BC – 220 AD) dynastic eras. Du Fu, Li Bai and Su Shi are considered among the best ancient poets, and there are five major kinds of major ancient poetic styles called Shi, Ci, Ge, Qu and Fu. The very ancient poetry that was written a thousand or more years ago was simpler and about common things like love, romance and nature that people appreciate. Though much poetry was written in the eras following the Song Dynasty (960-1279), it is thought that the poets became increasingly erudite, academic and esoteric so that modern Chinese cant appreciate the style and meaning. Since the Chinese have a character-based writing system instead of an alphabetic system, though the languages have changed, modern Chinese can still read a lot of the ancient poetry. Since the pronunciation of words has changed a lot, often the rhymes or tonal rhythms are lost for poems that rhymed or had tonal patterns. But the meanings of the characters havent changed much, though modern readers may interpret the words to mean something other than the ancient author intended. Nuances and connotations may be lost. Since old poems remain and modern Chinese can understand them to some extent, they are still appreciated. Five Kinds of Poems 1. Shi è © © Shi poems are composed of couplets. They are poems of two more coupled lines. The two lines of a couplet usually rhyme and match rhythmically and complement each other tonally. Modern Mandarin only has five tones, but ancient languages usually had more, so the tonal rhythms are generally lost. 2. Ci è ©Å¾ Ci poetry can be described as poems that have patterns of syllables and tonal patterns. In making a Ci poetry, a poet chooses words that fit a specific pattern. These patterns may have once been part of a song. But the music has been lost. There are various patterns that provided affective settings for various effects or moods. 3. Ge æ ­Å' The word ge means song. Ge poems are the words to a song that can be sung. There were folk songs as well as songs composed by the literate and educated composers. 4. Qu æ› ² When the Mongols conquered China and established the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), they brought with them their own style of music and forms of entertainment. They especially liked to watch shadow puppet theaters that were puppet plays of little manipulated figurines and puppets illuminated by a lamp so that the shadows fell against a screen. It is thought that the form of operatic drama of the Yuan Dynasty imitated their shadow play theaters. The style of music and song in the operas was called Yuan Qu or Mongol Music. The songs from the operas and popular songs were a poetic style called Qu that was also popular in later eras. The poetic style is freer of form. 5. Fuè ³ ¦ A fifth major style of poetry is called Fu. These are descriptive poems that contain both prose and couplets. These were popular about 1,500 years to 2,000 years ago. Often poets included rare or unusual written characters from preceding eras in their poems.