Insomnia Informative Speech

Informative Speech – Insomnia Imagine the night before you are having an important job interview or you are due to give a big presentation. You make sure to be in bed early as you want to feel rested, be alert and look good the next day†¦ but, to your disappointment, you cannot fall asleep. You toss and turn for an hour, finally you get up to walk around, drink something†¦ by then you are so worked up about not being able to sleep that your sleep is delayed even more. Or for many of us it would be more accurate not to imagine but remember! Insomnia.The very word can make you fidgety. You may feel better knowing that 30% of the population suffers from insomnia. A national sleep poll shows that 60% of people have driven while sleepy and 35% admit to having fallen asleep at the wheel in the past year. Statistics also show that US industry loses about $150 billion each year because of sleep deprived workers. So the next time you lay awake in bed at 2 AM, certain that you are the only person in the world who isn't sound asleep, you now know that you've got plenty of company. What IS insomnia?Insomnia is the failure to get enough sleep to feel rested and refreshed. It could be caused by something as simple as drinking too much caffeine during the day or being anxious about many responsibilities. In some cases it could be a more complex medical condition. Let's talk about the symptoms * Difficulty falling asleep despite being tired * Waking up frequently during the night * Waking up too early in the morning * Difficulty concentrating during the day The good news is that you could cure most cases on your own, by making simple changes.So here's what you gotta do: We've all heard of counting sheep†¦ but really, has that worked for anyone or just kept them up longer? Adults, like children need a routine to help them sleep. Don't collapse in bed after spending an hour on the computer, even if you are exhausted. Instead, take a warm bath, keep the ligh ts low, use bath soaps and oils, I brought my favorite bath amenities by ME! bath (Show bath soaps) After your bath make sure you are putting on clean pajamas, and if necessary put on fresh linen.Get into bed and practice some deep breathing. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and cool. Read a few chapters of your favorite book and finally close your eyelids†¦ just please don't fall asleep until I'm done my speech. Some more tips on getting a good night's sleep: Stick to the same sleep schedule every day. Studies show that people who sleep in on weekends disturb their biological clock, thereby causing insomnia. Avoid stressful situations before bedtime.Having an argument right before you go to bed will not result in restful sleep. Stop drinking caffeinated drinks a good few hours before bed. Your daily Starbucks habit may be affecting your sleep more than you realize. Just like you prepare your body for sleep, you mus t prepare your brain as well. Our brains produce a hormone, melatonin that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. Light affects how much melatonin your body produces, not enough natural light during the day can make your brain feel sleepy†¦. o make sure to spend enough time outdoors every day. And most importantly, don't underestimate the affect your thinking will have. Don't let sleep – or the lack of it – invade your thoughts. You may dread going to sleep because you know that you’re going to toss and turn for hours. However, agonizing how tired you are will flood your body with adrenaline, and before you know it, you’re wide-awake. So†¦ Relax†¦ take a deep breath†¦. and have a good night's sleep!

Job Analysis Paper Essay

Job analyses are a way to create detailed job descriptions used by businesses to promote efficiency and best match potential between the employer and employee; but there are many other reasons to complete a job analysis. According to Ash and Levine (1980) there are 11 common uses for job analysis: career development; performance appraisal; legal issues; recruitment and selection of employees; training; setting salaries; efficiency/safety; job classification; job description; job design; and planning (Spector, 2008) There are many ways to complete a job analysis and the method used usually depends on the type of job or business. The four most common job analysis types are the; job component inventory; functional job analysis; position analysis questionnaire; and task inventory (Spector, 2008). For this paper this writer has chosen to use the functional job analysis method, utilizing the O*NET electronic database which was previously found in the Dictionary or Occupational Titles (DOT) and is produced by the United States Department of Labor (Spector, 2008). The occupation chosen is Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor. This paper will also look at the reliability and validity of the Functional Job Analysis as well as some of the pros and cons surrounding the four common methods mentioned above. See more: how to write an analysis paper on an article examples Functional Job Analysis-Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor The functional job analysis is a comprehensive method that makes use of observation, interviews, and scores on several dimensions; these dimensions are relevant to all jobs making this a uniform method to obtain information no matter what the job may be (Spector, 2008). The functional job analysis of a substance abuse specialist is as follows. (Note: due to the extensive amount of information provided much information will be paraphrased and writer will not include 100% of the data provided by O*NET.gov. – Also, the information provided is to show an understanding of the Functional Job Analysis along with the six domains utilized by the O*NET website.) Job Description The analysis begins with a job description as well as some of the titles associated with this vocation. In this case the job is to provide counseling to those struggling with addictions that include substances but also addictions to gambling, or other process addictions (Onetonline.gov, 2012). Job titles include: Counselor; Substance Abuse Counselor; Chemical Dependency Professional (Onetoneline, 2012). Tools & Technology The next section discusses the tools & technology generally used for this occupation. They include: Alcohol Breathalyzers; Personal Computers; and Spreadsheet Software. While this is an extremely comprehensive source there are items that are missing this writer noted the absence of Urine analysis kits used often in the field. Tasks Tasks according to the O*net website include but are not limited to: Completion and Maintenance of Records and Reports; Conduct Chemical Dependency programs; and Coordination with other Mental Health Professionals or Health Professionals as Needed (Onetonline, 2012). Knowledge Knowledge is next and the competencies include: Therapy and Counseling; Psychology; Customer Service; and Law and Government (Onetonline, 2012). Skills Skills include but are not limited to: Active Listening; Social Perceptiveness; Critical Thinking; and Speaking (Onetonline, 2012). Abilities Some of the abilities are: Oral Comprehension; Oral Expression; Problem Sensitivity; and Speech Clarity (Onetonline, 2012). Work Activities The work activities include: Assisting and Caring for others; Communicating with Peers, subordinates, and others; Documenting/Recording Informations; and Getting Information (Onetonline, 2012). Work Context The work context appears to be questions one would ask a prospective employer about the nature of any particular position. Questions center on particular job duties such as the length of time spent on the telephone, or how often one would be called upon to work with external customers and even if there would be time constraints or deadlines (Onetonline, 2012). Job Zone The job zone is devoted to the educational requirements, related experience, and a general look at the type of job it is. In this category some of the examples include: accountants; sales managers; and chemists (Onetonline, 2012). Education Looks at the levels of education required in the field (Onetonline, 2012) Interests This job is categorized as SAI: Social; Artistic; and Investigative (Onetonline, 2012). Work Styles Work styles are mainly characteristics held by people within the field. Self Control, Stress Tolerance, Concern for Others, and Dependability are just some of them (Onetonline, 2012). Work Values People that work in the field are said to value relationships, achievement, and independence (Onetonline, 2012). Wages & Employment Trends Lastly this job analysis discusses wages and employment trends on a national and local level (Onetonline, 2012). Reliability and Validity In order to understand the reliability and validity of job analyses one must have an understanding of who provides the information and who is responsible for gathering and making sense of the data. According to Spector (2008) Job analysis information is collected in several ways by people trained â€Å"in quantifying job characteristics and the KSAOs necessary to accomplish the different aspects of jobs†. These people either survey the employees who do the jobs in question or experience the job firsthand by doing it themselves or observing it being done†. The information is provided by job analysts, supervisors, job incumbents, and/or trained observers. Because supervisors and job incumbents have experience in the field they can be known as subject matter experts or SMEs (Spector, 2008). According to the research Dierdoff and Wilson (2003) found that when creating job analysis there is a reliability factor of .83 showing consistency. Depending on the type of rater inter-rater reliability was lower. Task inventory ratings varied depending on the scale given, or importance of a task and inter-rater reliabilities also varied quite a bit (Spector, 2008). So it seems that if a task inventory rating is used it should be done with great care. Validity is fairly high but comes with a caution. Once again the issue of people’s judgments and bias comes up (Spector, 2008). Job analysis is useful to I/O’s but must be carefully considered to assess validity (Spector, 2008). The job analysis provided by O*NET.gov was accurate and comprehensive but one could see that it is not possible to pinpoint every aspect of the job. Some parts may not apply or may apply to one place of employment and not another. Of course there are also the possible omissions such as the Urine Analysis under tools and equipment. This writer does feel that this particular analysis was reliable and valid based on first-hand knowledge of the field. Performance Appraisal Methods There are two types of appraisals; one is objective and the other subjective. Objective appraisals are a way to measure things like absences, or productivity. This would be a simple way of rating people in certain vocations where showing up and meeting a quota is important. Take people that work in a factory and need to produce high volume; this is one example of where this type of appraisal method would be beneficial. Certain aspects of performance can be measured very well using an objective approach but several weaknesses stand out. One is that the object being measured is not always clear; the other is that it is prone to human error (Spector, 2008) There are several subjective appraisal methods: the graphic-rating form; and many behavior-focused rating forms. These are more likely to be used and measure both trait performance and general aspects of performance (Spector, 2008). Graphic-Rating Form A graphic rating form is a chart with several areas that can be rated with choices either numbered or with other terms such as frequently to never at all (Spector, 2008). It is a way to make an evaluation on many dimensions relating to a particular job. This is an efficient way to get an overall picture. Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS) The BARS is a way of evaluating performance on a behavioral level. Relevant job expectations or behaviors are listed and the evaluator will find the choice that best describes an employee’s level of performance along a continuum (Spector, 2008). Mixed Standard Scale (MSS) A MSS has several statements that describe performance or behaviors with three choices that describe a particular level of performance (Spector, 2008). The three choices are randomly placed but they represent good performance, satisfactory performance and poor performance (Spector, 2008). This method like others gives a good overall picture but lacks the details that may surround poor performance. Behavior-Observation-Scale (BOS) The BOS is a way to measure behaviors using a percentage. Instead of describing how well a person responds it describes how often the behavior is seen. One rating could be â€Å"Stays on Task† and the evaluator or observer is to estimate using percentages how well the employee stays on task (Spector, 2008). The BOS is also similar to a mixed-standard scale because it uses critical incidence and either a poor or efficient behavior but; instead of rating behaviors the BOS rates frequency (Spector, 2008). One of the criticisms of the BOS is that to an outsider it may be hard to interpret (Spector, 2008) Conclusion This has been an overview of job analysis, perforamance appraisal, and the concepts of reliability and validity. We have seen that job analysis can be a great source of information. Not only does it provide details pertaining to a particular job but the job analysis can also help in the business world by providing possible legal and ethical issues, training program development and to help establish salaries just to name a few. We also know that there are several methods used to rate an employee’s performance which one is utilized depends on how detailed and what type of information needs to be measured. Lastly as with most other assessments, ratings, and measurements the reliability and validity of any job analysis is open to bias, and other human factors. All of these things must be taken into consideration and critical thinking generally applies.

Beyond the arabin poetry Essay

Beyond the Arabian Poetry In the light of Arabic literature in Muslim Spain, It was one of the greatest lands at that time. Most of people were educated in too many studies, due to the Abd al-Rahman III one of the Umayyad Rulers. Abd al-Rahman III was interested greatly in books and education, which made him to collect a lot of books around the world. Arabic literature’ books were also interested by Abd al-Rahman III, which made a lot of Muslim Spain’s people interested on in and study it as well. Muslims and Jews were inherited in the Arabic literature which made them write stories and poetry. All that had a deep effect on literature scholars and especially Jewish scholars. When they were studying Islamic, Arabic literature they were also studying Islamic literature and the influence of the relationship of Arabic language and Islam. In that vein, many of the Jews converted to Islam by their own, But not all about Jews. And this raises the mind a question that what are the sources and the power of the Arabic literature which make these Jews converting to Islam by their own? And it appears that the larger spiritual vision of Islamic religious traditions and the Ideology of Islamic Arabic poems are involved with that. Therefore the Islamic traditions and the Islamic, Arabic poetry are the source of converting some of the Jews to Islam by their own in Muslim Spain. According to the book the Jews of Islam says â€Å"Islam had its sway over Jewish cultural life too. In literature, and the arts, the Muslim influence on the Jews is enormous.† (Lewis 81) It appears from that Islam affected on Jews through literature and the arts which means by traditions and poetry. In the same note of converting the Jews to Islam, the Islamic literature was very strong, because it was getting through the soul and shapes it. And writing famous poems on the walls of Madden T Al-Zahra, helped Jewish to read poems in the in that time, so one line of any Islamic poem has that huge effect for the reader. But that script was in Arabic, how did the spoken Hebrew, Jewish did read that? What kind of influence that the script has if it has translated to Hebrew? Would it be strong as it is in Arabic?  There were people in Muslim Spain who were in interested in reading Arabic poem translated to Hebrew. And according to book The Dream of the Poem for Peter Cole that it says there is a scholar who was translating poems to Hebrew by comparing meters to their Arabic models. (Cole 333). So this shows that yes by an effort of scholars the influence of Arabic poetry kept as itself, therefore spoken Hebrew Jews got a chance to read the Arabic poems with its influence which helped to make some of them convert to Islam. According to book of Daily life of Jews in the Middle Ages for Norman Roth he says â€Å"While some Jews, indeed, converted to Islam of their own free will in the early medieval period.†(Roth 202) and also Roth said that there are some of Jewish scholars in Muslim Spain Wrote in Arabic poems for them and one of them converted to Islam as Ibrahim Ibn Sahl, as he believe(Roth 165). By reading this book or some quotes of it we will see how the poetry affected these Jews to convert, even if it is not the big motive of converting, but Poetry was the media of the motive of converting these Jews to Islam. In that time Art was greatly considered as poems, due to the Islamic religion and the many of poets in that time, the poems were spread a lot in Muslim Spain, so it was easy for all to read them, and this shows that how the poems were the media of converting the Jews to Islam by their own. Furthermore the Jews were very interested with the Arabic poetry, and most of the Arabic poetry is describing Islam and how it is good for life. According to book of Arabic and Hebrew Love Poems in Al-Andalusia By Shari Lowin which says â€Å"Brann similarly maintains that Jews had primary knowledge of the sacred texts of Islam† (Lowin 40) and this shows that Jews were affected very deeply from the poems to know about Islam which made them to go and read holy texts from the Islamic religion. Moreover the connection of the poetry with science by proving that holy Quran proved a lot of science statements, and that was really convincing to the Jewish to convert to Islam, because the Jewish people believe in the concrete and the logic (Gwynne 160), and when they found that Islam is logical with the earth and it’s science so they will be more attracted to convert to Islam. All that is just from a link from Arabic poetry that talks about science and how Islam in the holy Quran proved it. In the line with that, it proves that  Jews converted to Islam by their own, because they read these sacred texts by their own and without any force from anyone, and this shows how strong was the Islamic literature, it affected the mind and the soul of Jews in Muslim Spain thus makes them convert to Islam. So the source of that is the literature of Islamic poetry and traditions. The poetry in Islam was very nice, great and wonderful and Muslim’s prophet Muhammad said to have enjoyed the poetry (Scheindlin 7), which made Muslims do great efforts to add in the Islamic poetry, which makes a lot of kind of attractive ways to Islam, which made the Jews be Muslims and be satisfied of converting, and this proves that the converting Jews in Muslim Spain to Islam by their own by the poetry. Even though the Jews reacted to most creative way of the brilliant Arab culture as I will show here â€Å"according to Bargebuhr, Hispanic Jews reacted in a most creative way to the influences of the brilliant Arab culture (though without converting to Islam, as the Persians did). (Jayyusi and Marin 515) † So it appears that Jews did not convert to Islam by reading that smart Arabic poems. But in the beginning I said some of Jews converted to Islam. And the same book said that some of Jews did not use the Hebrew language as well in reading the Islamic poems. Moreover they have reacted the Arabic poems not the Islamic one, but when it appears that the Hispanic Jews reacted to the smart Arabic poems it appears not the all Jews converted to Islam, but Some of them, who reacted to the Islamic Arabic Poems. The holy Quran is in Arabic and it has its language, and most of the Arabic in Muslim Spain were influenced in the holy Quran, and how it has the secret way to attract non-Muslim people to it, that are the Holy Quran ways, But the Arabs poets as I said they influenced of that and they started to work with it to attract people to Islam. And how about some of Jews Scholars had been influenced and attracted to the Quran language, and converted to Islam, they will have the power of attracting their previous people the Jews. Therefore the possibilities of converting Jews to Islam were so high because of the many of the Converted Jews scholars to Islam, and the knowing of the Hebrew language, they will be able to know how to attract people to Islam by making good Hebrew poets, that has the attraction ways of Holy Quran. Adding knowledge to the pomes in the Muslim Spain was so great, some of the Poets added a lot of knowledge in his poems, and by clever way the poets were adding attracting language to make the Jews convert to Islam when they were reading knowledge. All that made the Jews convert to Islam by reading the Arabic poetry in Muslim Spain. But did these converted Jews really converted to Islam just by reading the poems? Why if they were converting to Islam just not to pay the (Jyzia) which is a tax that Muslims take it from non-Muslims people? It could be, and this would happen, but not all of Jews who converted to Islam just because of the Jyzia, because the one who converted should not be so poor to not pay a small amount of money as a tax. Moreover a lot of poor Jews in Muslim Spain were able to pay the Jyzia, unless if that Jew is cheap or greedy, he would do that. But another question is in the mind now, which is what kind of poems affected the Jews that range to convert to Islam? We said before that the poets were Arabs from Muslim Spain and Jews scholars too who wrote poems in both languages as well, Moreover the Holy Quran’s Influence which attracted all those to convert to Islam. But the kind of poems are the one which were describing Islam and how it is, and the one which described other religions, and making Islam the best of them. Moreover the poems which describes the Islamic architecture, and the science as well especially the one which discovered by Muslims scientists. However these poems are showing in its form, it talks about architecture or science, how would that help or motive or being a media to convert the Jews to Islam? The questions here is logic and it appears that it has no answer. But the answer is simple, the poets really care to make the readers being pleased reading the poems they wrote, that would not happen they appeared they are trying to let non-Muslims readers to get bored fast, or to leave the poems by thinking it is trying to make them Muslims, so the poets used a hidden way to let the readers not feeling that they added the thing that make them convert, so they added in a hidden way, for example when they want to describe the architecture, they will describe the Mosque in purpose to let the readers to be attracted to the Mosque (Ruggles 171-8) , and also if they want to write about science they write about the Muslims scientists or how Islam explained science in perfect way, all that just by great poems that did not seemed to be like that. As Ibrahim Ibn Sahl did after he converted (Roth 165-9). In the end of this it was a clever idea to make the Islamic poetry strong to be capable to convert people by their own, and also the traditions of Muslims i n Muslim Spain were much educated to make a lot of ways to add the Islamic  sense at the poetry to make the Jews to convert. Moreover the secret way of attracting Non-Muslims to Islam was really strong because it was within the language which is the most playable media to attract people to Islam. Especially the Jews, but how about the Christians did they also converted to Islam by poems in Muslim Spain? If they did so, what was attracting them, to be converted? But are not they were jealous of Muslims who were able to convert Jews by their own, so they did the inquisition and forced people to convert to their religion by force. Or they were scare to be attracted by Muslims and then convert to Islam. And this raises the concept of Muslims verses Christian’s tactics of conversion. And the Muslim’s cultural influence verses Christian’s state violence. Work Cited Cole, Peter. The Dream of the Poem: Hebrew Poetry from Muslim and Christian Spain, 950-1492. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2007. Print. D, F R. â€Å"Arabic Poetry and Architectural Memory in Al-Andalus.† Ars Orientalis. 23 (1993): 171-178. Print. Gwynne, Rosalind W. Logic, Rhetoric and Legal Reasoning in the Qur’an: God’s Arguments. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis, 2014. Internet resource. Lewis, Bernard. The Jews of Islam. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press, 1984. Print. Lowin, Shari L. Arabic and Hebrew Love Poems in Al-Andalus. New York: Routledge, 2014. Print. Roth, Norman. Daily Life of Jews in the Middle Ages. New York: Routledge, 2005. Print. Scheindlin, Raymond P. The Gazelle: Medieval Hebrew Poems on God, Israel, and the Soul. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1991. Print. Jayyusi, Salma K, and Manuela MariÃŒ n. The Legacy of Muslim Spain. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1992. Print.

Free will, determinism, compatibilism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Free will, determinism, compatibilism - Essay Example Hence, the issue of fate and freewill become vital aspects in this discussion. Freewill and determinism is both true in their own distinct spheres. Freewill has been misidentified throughout history by the fact that freewill is not a mechanistic process. So what is freewill? Freewill is a perception that an individual possess the total control or ability to make decisions that will have an impact in their life. In essence, free will insists that individuals control their destiny. Individuals that exercise free will have total conscious control over their decisions. Although external factors do play a vital role in certain scenarios; the decision ultimately rests upon the individual. Freewill is a meaningful theory that insists on unlimited experience of choice. Free will is a doctrine that refutes the idea of pre-destination. Freewill is a choice that individual possess that yields an outcome which is unknown. The concept itself is very unique in a sense that it does take into accoun t of external factors. One of the most prominent scholars that examined this issue very carefully was known as Al-Ghazzili.

Best buy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Best buy - Essay Example By so doing, they will feel part of the organization. Consequently, they will contribute significantly towards the success of the organization (Powell 60). The major issue that was discussed during the trip to Memphis was the issue of embracing diversity within the Best Buy’s organization. The managers were shown the importance of having gender and racial diversity. They were also challenged to go and ensure that they implement this diversification in their departments. They were asked to go and encourage their employees to be confident of themselves. As a result, Best Buy went and increased the number of females in the management positions. Consequently, out of this move, the company has noted that the revenue from the female customers in about four years has risen by $4.4 billion (Powell 60). With a diverse workforce, the representation of the various genders and races makes it possible to have diverse qualities that are important to the Best Buy in one way or the other. Therefore, during the decision making process in the company, it is possible for the organization to have many brilliant contributions from the diverse workforce. These contributions constitute the bottom line in the organization (Powell

Ethylene Oxide is a Carcinogen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Ethylene Oxide is a Carcinogen - Essay Example 4.2 Technical Adequacy Analysis 15-16 4.3 Data Collection Process 16 4.4 Research Design 16-17 5. Conclusion 17 7. References 18-20 Introduction: Ethylene oxide is a sterilant gas, an important industrial chemical.(14) It is used as an intermediate in the production of ethylene oxide and is toxic, when inhaled. There are reports of large health implications including respiratory disorders, dizziness, headache, and increase in exposure may also lead to convulsions, seizure and coma. It is rapidly taken up via lungs and can also be absorbed through the skin from the gas phase or from the aqueous solutions and is uniformly distributed in to the body as it is soluble in blood. Based on studies in occupationally exposed populations, ethylene oxide is a carcinogenic via inhalation route of exposure. Ethylene oxide causes leukemia, lymphoma, brain, hematopoietic and breast cancer. It is classified as carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.(14) Extensive research have been done to determine the toxicity of ethylene oxide through epidemiological studies, by exposing a cohort group of animals to ethylene oxide or on group of workers who have been...Ethylene oxide causes leukemia, lymphoma, brain, hematopoietic and breast cancer. It is classified as carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.(14) Extensive research have been done to determine the toxicity of ethylene oxide through epidemiological studies, by exposing a cohort group of animals to ethylene oxide or on group of workers who have been working in environment containing ethylene oxide.(REF) This gas releases in to the atmosphere while handing, storage and transportation. The present contribution discusses the health hazards of EtO in humans and environment. The physical and the chemical properties are also discussed. The potential exposures of this toxic gas in the environment (air, earth and water) and the occupational exposure and the routes of exposure (inhalation, skin and eye exposure and ingestion) are also discussed. The research methodologies pertaining to the occurrence of EtO is also described. Ethylene Oxide (C2H4O, EtO) is used as a sterilant in the pharmaceuticals and food industry(4). It is used as a sterilant since its biocidal, both bactericidal and fungicidal.

The WTO has been hijacked by rich country interests, thereby worsening Coursework - 1

The WTO has been hijacked by rich country interests, thereby worsening the conditions of the poor in less prosperous countries - Coursework Example This research will begin with the statement that the World Trade Organization was formed with a motive of supervising the environment of world trade in a globalized world. At the inception of the WTO, the main focus of the organization was the promotion of the economic condition of the developing nations and to facilitate a  trade that would work in favor of the growth of these nations. However, there was very little development that was noticed due to the presence of WTO. It has been claimed by different experts of various nations that the WTO has been controlled by the selfish interests of the nations that are considered to be powerful in the world forum.   The decision-making process on the regulations and the principles of trade remained in their hands. In most cases, it has been seen that the developing nations have been controlled and manipulated by the large nations especially through investments and modern technology sharing. The developing nations are dependent on the ri ch nations for their prosperity mainly because they export to the developed countries and import the updated know-how of production and other necessary goods and services from the latter. The system of foreign trade has also become complicated with the multinational companies setting up subsidiaries in the developing nations. These actions have benefitted the developed countries more than it has helped the developing nations.... This particular example proves that the World Trade Organization only thinks about the rich and prosperous countries. In terms of agricultural subsidies, it can be stated that the subsidies provided to the rich world farmers can threaten the livelihood of the farmers of developing world or the third world countries. However, the members of the World Trade organization failed to agree on these things (Bruges, 2004, p.61). The World Trade Organization also failed to make clear the deliberately vague rules on the concluding trade agreements which can allow the developing or less prosperous countries to be influenced by the rich states. There are no such clear rules to protect the farmers or poor people while negotiating with the European Union as the poor African Countries have been forced to abolish tariffs on up to 90 percent of total trade. The World Trade Organization has failed to fulfil its agenda of protecting the interest of the developing countries in the arena of international trade which has been largely due to influence of the global economic superpowers. The rules proposed by the World Trade Organization for the developing countries were special and differential treatment rules which were meant to be reviewed by the WTO. The proposals have failed due to the interests of the global economic superpowers. The implementation of special economic zones and export processing zones in the less prosperous and less developed countries were proposed in order to maintain the equilibrium in international trade by stimulation of foreign investments which proved to be a failure (Ratnesh, 1999, p.47). WTO has also not been able to minimize the legal costs through improved access of its complex legal system to the

How did English come to New Zealand Research Paper

How did English come to New Zealand - Research Paper Example There are indeed various perspectives from which English as a language can be discussed, however, based on the above perspective, this paper discusses the aspects of when, how, and why English language come to New Zealand. This will be addressed in various perspectives depending on the manner in which English has contributed. New Zealand is an island found in the Pacific Ocean, towards the Southwestern region with a population of about 4.4 million. New Zealand currently, has English as its official language in addition to New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) that was adopted in 2006 for use as the other official language, both in the legal perspective such as in court representation, and in delivery and access to government services (Morris 216). Despite English and the New Zealand Sign Language being the official languages of communication in the country, there are also other languages used among the citizens of the country with ethnic backgrounds (Gordon 54). These are the languages spoken by a majority of the pre-European inhabitants of New Zealand with the most common being MÄ ori language. Based on the above perspective, it is clear that English language is therefore, not a native language in New Zealand, despite its current dominance in the country with 96.14% popularity (Hay and Maclagan 58), in its usage. Many arguments have been made concerning the use of English language in New Zealand, especially, based on the aspect of when, how, who, and why it came to New Zealand. New Zealand English, ideally, has a significant history in terms of how it came into existence in the country. Largely, many attribute the entry of English language into New Zealand from Australia, New Zealand’s neighbor considering that the accent of the language used in both nations have substantive similarities (Watts 99). However, the truth of the matter is that English made entry into

Marine Exploration of Minerals, Oil and Gas Essay

Marine Exploration of Minerals, Oil and Gas - Essay Example The biggest concern in recent times has been the serious impact on the environment as a result of exploration and use of natural, non-renewable energy. The government is challenged in balancing between consumer demand and consumer health in a way. 1) A major part of underwater exploration happens in and around the Gulf of Mexico. By 2000 A.D., over 4000 platforms were operating up to a depth of about 3900 feet. Advances in technology have been regularly harnessed to increase safety of exploration here. 2) The marine medium throws up a unique challenge of exploration work clashing with other uses of water bodies such as fishing, tourism, container traffic, military traffic and exercises, and areas cordoned for ecosystem preservation. Every new platform planned therefore needs to consider each of the other potential possibilities of clashing use on these lines before moving ahead with installation. 3) There is a risk of accelerated or even lopsided increase in population and resultant commercial activity as a result of the presence of exploration platforms. This is bound to place stress on civic infrastructure as well as the environment. 4) Although more clearly defined in recent times, there is a risk of dispute with neighboring coastal nations in terms of jurisdictional control. This would need recourse to international legal systems or arbitration, and can potentially jeopardize current as well as future plans within the disputed regions. ("Offshore Oil and Gas") 5) The Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the US government, in 2006, proposed the 5-year Outer Continental Shelf program for the east coast covering reserve wildlife and seashore areas. Apart from raising the hackles of environmentalists, this program has been challenged on the grounds that the reserves are miniscule for the expected demand by 2030 A.D. (date of extraction). Further, this is an area frequented by the US Navy for military exercises and the consequences of a misguided or failed missile/torpedo launch would be catastrophic should it happen near or on the proposed platforms. ("Offshore Oil and Gas looms" - Clean Ocean Action). 6) Drilling creates excessive waste and debris leading to obvious consequences for the logistics of safe removal, possible toxicity of seawater and danger to marine life. The seismic surveys too are known to cause harm to aquatic animals. ("The Facts" - Clean Ocean Action) Key Recommendations While the earlier section highlights the downsides of marine energy exploration, it cannot be denied that it offers promises, however thin, for catering to the energy demands of the future. Thus, the possible ways out in terms of mitigating known risks include: 1) Invest heavily and produce research that will enable safer and more efficient, non-intrusive methods of marine exploration. 2) Invest in garnering support of environmental groups and regulatory bodies, by initiating awareness and advocacy measures. In other words, look at an 'inclusive' approach to the issue. 3) Provide 'advance' information to key stakeholders who could be impacted such as the government, fisheries department, commercial cargo companies, etc. - this is a vital step during the feasibility-check phase. 4) Where allowed, encourage production of natural gas as it is known to be

Music is good Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Music is good - Essay Example Music is very important. Whenever I feel stressed up and incapable of moving on, music has always been a tool for self-consolation and encouragement. Moreover, music offers best motivational tool when doing certain works. As can be proved, the sounds and rhythms triggered by various forms of music can drive one into dancing that mainly involves the multidirectional movement of the body parts. These movements help in maintaining physical, emotional and psychological fitness that are good for healthy living. Training in music requires extra commitment and punctuality that in turn demands good organization of individual’s programs. Adherence to these demands automatically helps in developing self-discipline in the individual musician. In conclusion, music is an essential component of societal life as it majorly targets at shaping societies in more positive manner. Music has the required potentials of helping an individual child develop quick and perfect linguistic skills. Recurrent exposure to various sounds and tones of music helps in nurturing the cognitive development of an individual child as it enhances listening, speaking and reading skills of an individual listener. Music is also consolatory tool especially when individuals undergo stress and emotional discord. Music is also vital motivational tool especially when individuals perform various types of work. Music makes has the potential of making otherwise difficult tasks appear easy as it stimulates concentration and happiness.

Video Games Affecting Children Essay Example for Free

Video Games Affecting Children Essay Video games around the world have become immensely popular, a multi-billion dollar industry. An industry which revolves around the wants and desires of children and teens. An industry with a creation of unique entertainment like no other. An industry that continues to grow rapidly. Hours and hours are spent each day by youths playing these games, but are they really good for them? Are they educational? Games which educate a child’s mind exist but they wouldn’t be as popular as your top seller shooting game. Nowhere even close. Here I am today to tell, to inform, and to enlighten parents on the dangers of letting your child play these violent games. As a child, I found that my parents seemed to push away all sorts of violent games, no matter how badly I wanted them. It didn’t seem to make sense at first but as I grew older, I saw the younger generation getting addicted to games like these and without doubt, showed a different behaviour and attitude. In this modern age, a child or teen is quite likely to have a gaming console or access to the internet or a friend who does. With these, they can play or access games which may contain violent content. As youths play these games in excess, they tend to act out what they may see or hear in front of their friends and family. It gives them a tendency to act aggressive and violent. They learn new things, like bad language. They may use foul language against their friends and possibly repeat violent stunts at home. These games are full of foul language, bloody scenes and criminal behaviour. It gives them a prospect for confrontation with peers, with siblings, with parents and even with their teachers. They engage in fights which in turn could cause possible decline in their studies. They could even brush aside their school work to sit in front of a television because it’s like an addiction to them. The question is: should parents be encouraged to disallow their son or daughter to be entertained by these types of video games? The answer is up to you, as parents. It is up to you to observe whether you see a change in attitude among your kids and if in a negative way, then you should take action in order for your child to behave in an appropriate manner among people. Games like these are everywhere, so your child will grow up in an environment where they will play them. Although, it is always recommended to look at the age rating of the game before you buy it, to see whether or not your son or daughter fits into the category of restriction. You can even set limits on how long they should be allowed to play games, just so they don’t get too involved with the theme of the game. It’s absolutely paramount for a child to grow up in a positive environment. In my opinion, games that involve the likes of drugs, bloodshed, criminal behaviour, foul language and violence should not be banned, but put into higher restriction everywhere. There should be more age limitations and games that involve hostility at a lower level. So parents, do you know what games your children are playing? Have a look.

A 17th century audience Essay Example for Free

A 17th century audience Essay The Tempest is full of magic and illusion. Consider the effect this would have on a 17th century audience and a 21st century audience. How might the magic and illusion be presented today? William Shakespeare wrote The Tempest as a play. It was not intended for the text to be read by school children from a book. It was intended for performance in a theatre, where it would give enjoyment to an audience. One of the main themes of The Tempest is magic. Prospero is a magician, a sorcerer, a wizard, someone with magical powers. He uses these powers to make lots of things happen within the play. Indeed, the first scene focuses on the storm that Prospero has created to cause havoc on the ship upon which his enemies are travelling. At the beginning of the play, the storm just seems like any other storm, with an unfortunate crew being shipwrecked. By the end of Act 1, however, we discover that the storm was not a natural occurrence. Prospero conjured up the storm and deliberately picked out that ship. The audience get their first hint of this in Mirandas first speech of the play. Miranda has watched the storm destroy the ship and she feels pity for the shipwrecked people. In her opening line, she asks her father if the storm is a product of his magic: If by your art, my dearest father, you have Put the wild waters in this roar, allay them. This shows that Miranda knows about Prosperos magic. She may not know everything that he does with his powers, but she knows that he does have supernatural powers. This storm is the beginning of a plan that Prospero has thought up to wreak revenge on his enemies. The plan involves a lot of magic. After being stranded on the island for 12 years, Prospero has had time to perfect his powers and to dream up a plan, a plan that never could have taken place without the storm. Because of this, the initial storm has a massive impact on the rest of the play. It also gives the audience an idea of how strong Prosperos powers are. He is able to control the elements, something that only God is supposed to be able to do. However, as we learn later on in the play, Prospero may be able to conjure up storms and illusions, but he cannot control human nature, and must rely on good luck when trying to make Ferdinand and Miranda to fall in love.

Theory Of Civilization And The Caribbean History Essay

Theory Of Civilization And The Caribbean History Essay Oswald Spengler was a German historian and philosopher. He was born in 1880 in Blankenburg. His parents were Protestants. His father came from a family of mine engineers while his mothers family had a bias towards the arts. Spengler inherited both traits as was evident in his interest in both arts and sciences. He grew up in an emotionally reserved home, leading him to turn to books for solace (Spengler, Oswald). Spengler studied a wide range of subjects in school including Greek, Latin, mathematics, natural sciences, poetry, drama and music. He also studied a wide range of courses at the universities of Munich, Berlin, and Halle including history, philosophy, mathematics, natural science, literature, music, and fine art. His doctoral dissertation was on Heraclitus, the Greek Philosopher.(Spengler, Oswald) Spengler worked as a teacher in several schools around German. Scholars who have attempted to study this Germany Philosopher note that his life was relatively uneventful and punctuated by long spells of loneliness. He died in 1936(Spengler, Oswald) Oswald Spengler is best known for his controversial book The Decline of the West, published in 1918, coinciding with the collapse of German. This was the first of his two-volume work. It was subtitled Form and Actuality, while the second volume was subtitled Perspectives of World History. (Stimely, n. pag) The emergence of first volume of The Decline of the West was received with mixed reactions around Europe. The main critics of this book were professional scholars and historians who claimed that Spengler was an amateur, not a trained historian. In spite of this, the book was a great success. Spenglers approach to history was inspired by Goethe, a German writer and Nietzsche, a philosopher (Spengler, Oswald). His approach entailed taking a direct look at things as opposed to strictly scientifically. Spengler was of the view that science often masked the real meaning of things and that the so-called professional historians were victims of this kind of blindness. As a result, Spengler believed in his ability to not only unravel the mystery that is history but also to predetermine it. According to Spengler, history is not the study of a consistent progression of events, but a comparative study of cultures (Spengler, Oswald). He rejected the linear view of history in support of the cyclical, implying that history comprised of events and developments that generally repeated themselves in cycles. Spengler was strongly opposed to the traditional way of categorizing history in terms of ancient, medieval, and modern. Instead he majored on eight cultures, sometimes referred to as Spenglers cultures. These cultures are Egyptian, Indian, Babylonian, Chinese, Classical (Greek and Roman), Mexican, Arabian and Western. (Spengler, Oswald) Each one of these cultures has its own unique features. For example the Egyptian culture was symbolized by their preoccupation with religion, architecture, such as the pyramids and art. Each culture too, evolves through a cycle of stages more or less like a plant through the stages of youth, maturity and then death (decline). Each culture, according to Spengler goes through its stage of civilization which could be referred to as its declining phase. In other words, civilization, according to Spengler is what remains of a culture after its development phase fades. In his book, Spengler mainly centers on comparisons between the Classical and Western cul tures and civilizations. He noted that the civilization of the West since the late nineteenth century exhibited similar characteristics to ancient (Greek and Roman) civilization in its decline. He claims that in each of these cultures 1000 years of active life there existed a cycle of development and decline (Stimely, n. pag). In his book, Spengler described the then Western culture as doomed and headed for extinction just like all the other high cultures that had existed earlier. He faulted it as being based on the illusion that everything would always get better and better eternally, instead of understanding it as having a distinct and fixed life-span moving from birth to maturity and then onto death just like in a living organism. The West, according to him was in the heart of its civilization phase and its end was probably just decades away. During the civilization phase, in a high culture there exists severe social disorder, mass movements of people, persistent wars and unending crises. At the same time, emergence of great megalopolis is witnessed, causing the surrounding rural areas to be drained of their strength, brains and spirituality. The residents of these new urban centers soon grow into immoral and materialistic people. Soon the push for democracy and a free press set in following the desire to amass more wealth and money. This leads to conflicts and supremacy battles between the new culture and the original culture, marked by bloodshed and strangulation of democracy. Only blood is seen as strong enough to overturn the rule of money. Eventually, the cities start to depopulate, with the people going back to the countryside and re-inventing their old religious and artistic symbolisms. This results in the end of the culture and the civilization that came with it. According to Spengler these phases recur within a p eriod of time and at some point in future, these great cultures will experience phases similar to those that they went through years back. He predicted that there would be recurrence of such events as the world wars followed later by a nearly united Western civilization. Spenglers theories opened up inspiring and divergent social views in the western civilization. A number of scholars and analysts continue to ponder over whether or not Spenglers analyses are correct, in spite of some of his predictions having come true. Many critics viewed his work as outright pessimism, although he remained one of the most read authors in the early 20th century years. Even his critics acknowledge that his greatest strong point was the parallel comparisons he made between the classical and western cultures. His strength in the arts played to his advantage during his study and analysis of different cultures. He is considered by some to have paved the way for National Socialism (Spengler, Oswald). The history of the Caribbean dates back to around 4500 B.C. Before the voyage of Christopher Columbus to the Americas and the subsequent colonization, civilization in the Caribbean was clearly organized and operational. It is believed that the coming of the Europeans into the Caribbean introduced ethnocentric beliefs that ensured the collapse or disintegration of their civilization. With more and more European countries claiming territorial shares in the Caribbean, rivalries emerged among these European nations, making the Caribbean battleground for European wars for many years. In addition to the instability caused by these wars, diversification was introduced in the Caribbean region bringing in new religions, cultures, architectural designs among others. Caribbean civilization has evolved from an ethnically and racially plural society to a relatively inclusive society comprising almost entirely of migrants from Africa, Europe and Asia. These peoples share a common history of colonialism and slavery in a blend of great diversity, thus making it a one-of-a-kind civilization. In addition, the Caribbean has a unique physical environment that has further played to attract in more foreigners, thus further diversifying their culture. Despite their widely varied backgrounds, the people of the Caribbean managed to forge a unity that resulted in one culture characterized by shared political ideologies, a common language and corporation aimed at improving each others lives. Looking back at Spenglers theory of civilization, it can be argued that it fell short in addressing racial differences among different cultures as is the case in the Caribbean. Spengler preferred to look at race as a minor difference in the members of the same race. He viewed race as not being of significant implications on the unity or disunity among people of the same culture. In so doing, Spengler contradicts the science of biology and heredity. In the Caribbean case, the unique mixture of people from different racial backgrounds was a significant factor in the development of their civilization. Further, Spengler considers each culture and civilization as a closed and isolated unit, bound together only by a common strong idea or belief. Critics argue that such ideas cannot undergo organic evolution as purported by Spengler since they are a mere creation of the human mind, lacking any substance. If that were the case, the Caribbean civilization would have been long gone the way of the classical culture. By only studying a few cultures, Spengler was, according to critics, not better placed to generalize on the fate of all civilizations since he did not have accurate information. Finally, Spenglers theory claims that each of civilization came into being independently without borrowing from other cultures. The Classical cultures existed and became extinct in totality. On the other hand, the West viewed their modern civilization as a rebirth or continuation of the Classical civilization. The similarities in some of these cultures therefore clearly points to the fact that there exists an inter-relation between them that continues to survive the test of time. The Caribbean civilization borrows from a number of other cultures and civilizations from Europe, African and Asia shaping them into a single strong culture.

Imagine You Are Boo Radley. Nathan Has Just Cemented Up The Knot Hole :: English Literature

Imagine You Are Boo Radley. Nathan Has Just Cemented Up The Knot Hole In The Tree. What Are Your Thoughts And Feelings? I feel as if my connection with the real world has been broken by my own father and now brother continues with this same lack of compassion. If it was not for them treating me this way, after one incident, I would not be here, and perhaps I would be leading a normal life away from my family. I am treated like a caged animal repeatedly put down by my own family saying how much of a disappointment I am. The children play outside as I would have liked to do. To be able to go outside and being allowed to live as a human would. They have a friend who visits them every summer. The act out scenes from various things they must make up. They walk to school like normal people, not like me. If it wasn't for all those unpleasant rumours people spread about me, brought upon by my family keeping me in the house like a monster, people would not have a fear of me. Most people haven't even seen me in the flesh so what would they know? For fifteen long years I have sat in the house with nothing to do no communication accept with my pitiful family. The children are like a new lease of life, the only people I see who even come up to the house. I was so happy when they were stood outside the house. Jem came up to the house. I was enthralled wondering why he was coming to call for me. I stood at the window amazed. Unfortunately he must have lost his nerve and ran away so I just peeked through the shutters to see what else they were up to. They stared back at me. For once I had communication with a normal person. My father died I was so upset but yet I felt free, that was of course until my brother arrived. He too keeps me in the house as often as he can showing no empathy for how I feel. I have sat and wondered for many years how I could change my image to make me look a lot more pleasant, but how am I to achieve this if I cannot venture outdoors. I knew Jem and his sister who he referred to as Scout. They were the only children who came within a hundred yards of the house, without running. A tree positioned just around the corner from our house seemed the perfect place to try and make contact

Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce) and the Global Economy Essay -- Explo

Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce) and the Global Economy Introduction The world we live in today, revolves around technology, new innovations and constant change. The global economy incorporates these changes into its daily applications forming a technological driven world where businesses thrive on information and competitive markets. Computers and communication networks have planted a seed in this information age where enterprises flourish forming revolutionized market economies. One of the most profound changes emerging in the world of business today is the introduction and use of Electronic Commerce or EC. The impact of EC on customer services as well on businesses is dramatic enough to affect any and every organization. Electronic commerce is the buying and selling of products and services and information via a computer network.. It provides opportunities for companies to expand their business worldwide at a small cost. Business to Consumer EC includes business interaction with consumers where companies sell directly to consumers over the Internet. In terms of retail, Business- to – Consumer applications have increased revenues, and eliminated costly intermediaries like distributors, warehousing, etc. In addition, with the development of EC, the use of catalog or television shopping channels are becoming less popular. The former, limits an individual to what is seen on the screen or paper rather than the latter – EC that allows a wide variety of products. Shopping online also offers 24-hour service, the luxury of shopping for an item at your own convenience and detailed information of products and their prices, even when they go on sale! With the use of EC, distribution channels are eliminated maki... ...It benefits consumers immensely by providing convenience and variety. Computers and communication networks have paved the way for a technological driven economy in the last 20 years. Organizations are able to create efficient services and products, resulting in competitive markets, leading to specialization of products and concluding in higher profits and enhanced service. Moreover, the growth of E-commerce obliterates the ‘production focused economy’ of the industrial age and extends the information age to new heights through business services offered using the internet. http://hotwired.lycos.com/special/ene/ Works Cited Efraim Turban, R.Kelly Rainer, Richard E. Potter. Introduction to Information Technology. Toronto: John Wiley and Sons Inc. (2001) Joh Browning and Spencer Reiss. Encyclopedia of the New Economy. (http://hotwired.wired.com/special/ene/)

The Forests Symbolisim in The Scarlet Letter Essay -- essays research

A Refuge from Prosecution: The Forest in The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter is a tale of constant trial and punishment. For Hester Prynne, there is no escape from the shame and belittlement she has been forced to endure within puritan society. However, like the puritans who had escaped prosecution by migrating from England to the New World, characters in The Scarlet Letter can escape the prosecution of puritan society by visiting the forest. It is a symbolic realm that embodies freedom and privacy, and the only sanctuary for those who seek liberty to express their true nature, whether it be through acts of love, or heresy. The forest as a symbol of escape from puritan society is persistent throughout the novel through its use by the witches and the Black Man, Dimmesdale and Hester?s interactions there, and Pearl?s union with nature there. From its earliest significant mention in the novel, the forest is portrayed as a place of lawlessness and mystery, as demonstrated by its most frequent visitors, the witches, and the Black Man that inhabits it. Early in the book, after Hester and Pearl visit Governor Bellingham?s estate, they are accosted by Mistress Hibbins, who is referred to as a witch, and is in good company with the Black Man of the forest. Mistress Hibbins invites Hester to some sort of meeting that would take place that night in the forest, which one can only assume is of some Satanic or heretical nature. ?Wilt thou go with us tonight (120) she asks, but Hester refuses. The Black Man and his book are themselves symbols of heresy and dissent from puritan law. The Black Man never shows himself to anyone in the novel or enters the village, instead, he lurks in the forest?s cover until those who choose to deviate f... ... showing a less hostile nature. She adorns herself with flowers, and is in ?closest sympathy with the antique wood.? (214) Through this description of Pearl, the forest takes on a sympathetic nature, and is portrayed as an environment where one can find peace with one?s surroundings and be in an environment where they feel amicability instead of antagonism. Of all the symbols in The Scarlet Letter, the forest is one of the most important. By providing an escape from the overbearing nature of puritan life, the forest allows characters to be presented in a different backdrop, it can serve as a place of both light and darkness, but above all, liberty. For every character that visits it, the forest is freedom, protection, and peace. Without it, there would be no contrast with the village as well as puritan society, and Hawthorne?s message would not be as convincing.

China – the aims and effects of the one child policy

A variety of social policies aimed at controlling population change have been established around the world. But in this answer I will be evaluating a very controversial example of a policy that aimed to tackle rapid population growth by reducing fertility rate (also known as anti-natalist) – China's One-Child Policy. During the second half of the twentieth century, the Chinese government became concerned about the population growth; this is mainly due to the philosophy of the government under Chairman Mao, in the mid-twentieth century, which was that ‘a large population gives a strong nation' and so the government encouraged people to have more and more children. This consequently led to an increase in population of 55 million every year and a famine in 1962 which caused nearly 30 million deaths. This massive growth in population forced a policy change in 1974, in order to avoid a Malthusian-type disaster in the future (The theory that population increases more rapidly than the food supply leading to famine and, inevitably, death). It encouraged the country to reduce the birth rate by the slogan ‘wan-xi-shao' which called for later marriages, longer gaps between children and fewer children. However, this policy was not effective enough, and the population continued increasing and did not follow the pattern of the DTM (demographic transition model). This then led the government to introduce the one-child policy in 1979, which set strict limits on the number of children that a couple were allowed to have. In order to further enforce this policy; strong pressure was put on women to use contraceptives (e.g. contraceptive pills) which were more widely available. Special family planners and ‘granny police' were introduced in order to make sure that women were practising contraception and were instructed to report any pregnancies. The government also introduce incentives like; free healthcare and education for one child and then fines for more than one child. Also, more controversially, enforced late abortions and sterilisation became common, which mainly human rights activist heavily criticised and opposed. However, the policy had very negative effects on the country. Firstly, it led to female infanticide; where couples preferred sons, and baby girls were killed so they could have another chance of getting a boy. This occurred more often in rural areas, where there was less control from the government, and also where traditions were most important. This was mainly because male descendents were preferred as they can carry on the family name from generation to generation. This male dominance led to an imbalance in male to female sex ratio, where the number of men far exceeded that of men. This then further lowered fertility rates as there weren't enough women ‘to go round'. As well as an imbalance in the sex ratio, where was also an imbalance in the age ratio, as the policy vastly increased the dependency ratio and the country suffered from an ageing population. This was mainly due to the ‘4-2-1' situation, which meant that ‘1' child had to look after their ‘2' parents and ‘4' grandparents all at the same time and because of the increasing life expectancy. The policy also led to social implications on the child itself, such as the spoilt ‘little emperor' syndrome where the attention of the family fell on one child. It is also suggested that it had a negative effect on the child's social skills, as they grew up with no other siblings, therefore found it harder to integrate into society and led to poor communication skills. However, from 1990 onwards, the policy was slightly relaxed in order to combat some of the problems. For example, only-child couples were allowed to have two children, in order to relieve some of dependency on the children and also because they were concerned about the economic implications of an ageing population. In addition, the policy became harder to enforce for reasons such as the revolution in global communication and socialisation, which opened up the country to much greater social influence from the west. However, in more remote parts of the country, the policy is still encouraged. For example, the authorities in Guangdong (state capital) order 20,000 abortions and sterilisations by the end of 2001. Despite all of the negative implications, the decrease in overall population growth has had some positive effects, such as the positive economic growth. This was mainly due to the major decrease in demand for resources to support the needs of the population, which in turn led to a reduction in the stress placed upon the environment. There was also a drop in unemployment due to labour surplus and more disposable being available due to less money being spent on children. In conclusion, I believe that the one-child policy was a very brutal policy that disregarded the basic human rights of people and that a more gentle approach should have been taken. However, there is no argument that population management was inevitable in order to maintain a high standard of living, and that the one-child policy has avoided a Malthusian-type disaster (e.g. famine and war) and has better stabilised the population of China. This is because 400 million births were prevented and the annual growth rate had fallen to 0.6% as well. It is also clear that the policy is evolving for the better, as by 2006 the Chinese government moved towards a more health-orientated policy and committed itself to implement international agreements, promoting mother and child welfare.

Ias 11

IAS 11 International Accounting Standard 11 Construction Contracts In April 2001 the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) adopted IAS 11 Construction Contracts, which had originally been issued by the International Accounting Standards Committee in December 1993. IAS 11 Construction Contracts replaced parts of IAS 11 Accounting for Construction Contracts (issued in March 1979). Other IFRSs have made minor consequential amendments to IAS 11. They include IAS 23 Borrowing Costs (as revised in March 2007) and IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements (as revised in September 2007). IFRS Foundation A613 IAS 11 CONTENTS from paragraph INTERNATIONAL ACCOUNTING STANDARD 11 CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS OBJECTIVE SCOPE DEFINITIONS COMBINING AND SEGMENTING CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS CONTRACT REVENUE CONTRACT COSTS RECOGNITION OF CONTRACT REVENUE AND EXPENSES RECOGNITION OF EXPECTED LOSSES CHANGES IN ESTIMATES DISCLOSURE EFFECTIVE DATE 1 3 7 11 16 22 36 38 39 46 FOR THE ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTS LISTED BELOW, SEE PART B OF THIS EDITION ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES Disclosure of accounting policies The determination of contract revenue and expenses Contract disclosures A614 Â ©IFRS Foundation IAS 11 International Accounting Standard 11 Construction Contracts (IAS 11) is set out in paragraphs 1–46. All the paragraphs have equal authority but retain the IASC format of the Standard when it was adopted by the IASB. IAS 11 should be read in the context of its objective, the Preface to International Financial Reporting Standards and the Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting. IAS 8 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors provides a basis for selecting and applying accounting policies in the absence of explicit guidance. IFRS Foundation A615 IAS 11 International Accounting Standard 11 Construction Contracts Objective The objective of this Standard is to prescribe the accounting treatment of revenue and costs associated with construction contracts. Be cause of the nature of the activity undertaken in construction contracts, the date at which the contract activity is entered into and the date when the activity is completed usually fall into different accounting periods.Therefore, the primary issue in accounting for construction contracts is the allocation of contract revenue and contract costs to the accounting periods in which construction work is performed. This Standard uses the recognition criteria established in the Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements1 to determine when contract revenue and contract costs should be recognised as revenue and expenses in the statement of comprehensive income. It also provides practical guidance on the application of these criteria. Scope This Standard shall be applied in accounting for construction contracts in the financial statements of contractors. 2 This Standard supersedes IAS 11 Accounting for Construction Contracts approved in 1978. Definitions 3 The fo llowing terms are used in this Standard with the meanings specified: A construction contract is a contract specifically negotiated for the construction of an asset or a combination of assets that are closely interrelated or interdependent in terms of their design, technology and function or their ultimate purpose or use.A fixed price contract is a construction contract in which the contractor agrees to a fixed contract price, or a fixed rate per unit of output, which in some cases is subject to cost escalation clauses. A cost plus contract is a construction contract in which the contractor is reimbursed for allowable or otherwise defined costs, plus a percentage of these costs or a fixed fee. 4 A construction contract may be negotiated for the construction of a single asset such as a bridge, building, dam, pipeline, road, ship or tunnel.A construction contract may also deal with the construction of a number of assets which are closely interrelated or interdependent in terms of their design, technology and function or their ultimate purpose or use; examples of such contracts include those for the construction of refineries and other complex pieces of plant or equipment. 1 IASC’s Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements was adopted by the IASB in 2001.In September 2010 the IASB replaced the Framework with the Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting. A616 Â © IFRS Foundation IAS 11 5 For the purposes of this Standard, construction contracts include: (a) contracts for the rendering of services which are directly related to the construction of the asset, for example, those for the services of project managers and architects; and contracts for the destruction or restoration of assets, and the restoration of the environment following the demolition of assets. (b) 6Construction contracts are formulated in a number of ways which, for the purposes of this Standard, are classified as fixed price contracts and cost plus contracts . Some construction contracts may contain characteristics of both a fixed price contract and a cost plus contract, for example in the case of a cost plus contract with an agreed maximum price. In such circumstances, a contractor needs to consider all the conditions in paragraphs 23 and 24 in order to determine when to recognise contract revenue and expenses.Combining and segmenting construction contracts 7 The requirements of this Standard are usually applied separately to each construction contract. However, in certain circumstances, it is necessary to apply the Standard to the separately identifiable components of a single contract or to a group of contracts together in order to reflect the substance of a contract or a group of contracts.When a contract covers a number of assets, the construction of each asset shall be treated as a separate construction contract when: (a) (b) separate proposals have been submitted for each asset; each asset has been subject to separate negotiation and the contractor and customer have been able to accept or reject that part of the contract relating to each asset; and the costs and revenues of each asset can be identified. (c) 9 A group of contracts, whether with a single customer or with several customers, shall be treated as a single construction contract when: (a) (b) the group of contracts is negotiated as a single package; the contracts are so closely interrelated that they are, in effect, part of a single project with an overall profit margin; and the contracts are performed concurrently or in a continuous sequence. (c) 10A contract may provide for the construction of an additional asset at the option of the customer or may be amended to include the construction of an additional asset. The construction of the additional asset shall be treated as a separate construction contract when: (a) the asset differs significantly in design, technology or function from the asset or assets covered by the original contract; or the pri ce of the asset is negotiated without regard to the original contract price. b) Â © IFRS Foundation A617 IAS 11 Contract revenue 11 Contract revenue shall comprise: (a) (b) the initial amount of revenue agreed in the contract; and variations in contract work, claims and incentive payments: (i) (ii) to the extent that it is probable that they will result in revenue; and they are capable of being reliably measured. 12Contract revenue is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable. The measurement of contract revenue is affected by a variety of uncertainties that depend on the outcome of future events. The estimates often need to be revised as events occur and uncertainties are resolved. Therefore, the amount of contract revenue may increase or decrease from one period to the next.For example: (a) a contractor and a customer may agree variations or claims that increase or decrease contract revenue in a period subsequent to that in which the contract was init ially agreed; the amount of revenue agreed in a fixed price contract may increase as a result of cost escalation clauses; the amount of contract revenue may decrease as a result of penalties arising from delays caused by the contractor in the completion of the contract; or when a fixed price contract involves a fixed price per unit of output, contract revenue increases as the number of units is increased. b) (c) (d) 13 A variation is an instruction by the customer for a change in the scope of the work to be performed under the contract. A variation may lead to an increase or a decrease in contract revenue. Examples of variations are changes in the specifications or design of the asset and changes in the duration of the contract. A variation is included in contract revenue when: (a) (b) it is probable that the customer will approve the variation and the amount of revenue arising from the variation; and the amount of revenue can be reliably measured. 4 A claim is an amount that the co ntractor seeks to collect from the customer or another party as reimbursement for costs not included in the contract price. A claim may arise from, for example, customer caused delays, errors in specifications or design, and disputed variations in contract work. The measurement of the amounts of revenue arising from claims is subject to a high level of uncertainty and often depends on the outcome of negotiations.Therefore, claims are included in contract revenue only when: (a) (b) negotiations have reached an advanced stage such that it is probable that the customer will accept the claim; and the amount that it is probable will be accepted by the customer can be measured reliably. A618 Â © IFRS Foundation IAS 11 15 Incentive payments are additional amounts paid to the contractor if specified performance standards are met or exceeded. For example, a contract may allow for an incentive payment to the contractor for early completion of the contract.Incentive payments are included in c ontract revenue when: (a) (b) the contract is sufficiently advanced that it is probable that the specified performance standards will be met or exceeded; and the amount of the incentive payment can be measured reliably. Contract costs 16 Contract costs shall comprise: (a) (b) costs that relate directly to the specific contract; costs that are attributable to contract activity in general and can be allocated to the contract; and such other costs as are specifically chargeable to the customer under the terms of the contract. c) 17 Costs that relate directly to a specific contract include: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) site labour costs, including site supervision; costs of materials used in construction; depreciation of plant and equipment used on the contract; costs of moving plant, equipment and materials to and from the contract site; costs of hiring plant and equipment; costs of design and technical assistance that is directly related to the contract; the estimated costs of rect ification and guarantee work, including expected warranty costs; and claims from third parties.These costs may be reduced by any incidental income that is not included in contract revenue, for example income from the sale of surplus materials and the disposal of plant and equipment at the end of the contract. 18 Costs that may be attributable to contract activity in general and can be allocated to specific contracts include: (a) (b) (c) insurance; costs of design and technical assistance that are not directly related to a specific contract; and construction overheads. Â ©IFRS Foundation A619 IAS 11 Such costs are allocated using methods that are systematic and rational and are applied consistently to all costs having similar characteristics. The allocation is based on the normal level of construction activity. Construction overheads include costs such as the preparation and processing of construction personnel payroll. Costs that may be attributable to contract activity in general and can be allocated to specific contracts also include borrowing costs. 9 Costs that are specifically chargeable to the customer under the terms of the contract may include some general administration costs and development costs for which reimbursement is specified in the terms of the contract. Costs that cannot be attributed to contract activity or cannot be allocated to a contract are excluded from the costs of a construction contract.Such costs include: (a) (b) (c) (d) 21 general administration costs for which reimbursement is not specified in the contract; selling costs; research and development costs for which reimbursement is not specified in the contract; and depreciation of idle plant and equipment that is not used on a particular contract. 20 Contract costs include the costs attributable to a contract for the period from the date of securing the contract to the final completion of the contract.However, costs that relate directly to a contract and are incurred in securing t he contract are also included as part of the contract costs if they can be separately identified and measured reliably and it is probable that the contract will be obtained. When costs incurred in securing a contract are recognised as an expense in the period in which they are incurred, they are not included in contract costs when the contract is obtained in a subsequent period.Recognition of contract revenue and expenses 22 When the outcome of a construction contract can be estimated reliably, contract revenue and contract costs associated with the construction contract shall be recognised as revenue and expenses respectively by reference to the stage of completion of the contract activity at the end of the reporting period. An expected loss on the construction contract shall be recognised as an expense immediately in accordance with paragraph 36.In the case of a fixed price contract, the outcome of a construction contract can be estimated reliably when all the following conditions are satisfied: (a) (b) total contract revenue can be measured reliably; it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the contract will flow to the entity; both the contract costs to complete the contract and the stage of contract completion at the end of the reporting period can be measured reliably; and 23 (c) A620 Â © IFRS Foundation IAS 11 (d) he contract costs attributable to the contract can be clearly identified and measured reliably so that actual contract costs incurred can be compared with prior estimates. 24 In the case of a cost plus contract, the outcome of a construction contract can be estimated reliably when all the following conditions are satisfied: (a) it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the contract will flow to the entity; and the contract costs attributable to the contract, whether or not specifically reimbursable, can be clearly identified and measured reliably. b) 25 The recognition of revenue and expenses by reference to t he stage of completion of a contract is often referred to as the percentage of completion method. Under this method, contract revenue is matched with the contract costs incurred in reaching the stage of completion, resulting in the reporting of revenue, expenses and profit which can be attributed to the proportion of work completed. This method provides useful information on the extent of contract activity and performance during a period.Under the percentage of completion method, contract revenue is recognised as revenue in profit or loss in the accounting periods in which the work is performed. Contract costs are usually recognised as an expense in profit or loss in the accounting periods in which the work to which they relate is performed. However, any expected excess of total contract costs over total contract revenue for the contract is recognised as an expense immediately in accordance with paragraph 36.A contractor may have incurred contract costs that relate to future activit y on the contract. Such contract costs are recognised as an asset provided it is probable that they will be recovered. Such costs represent an amount due from the customer and are often classified as contract work in progress. The outcome of a construction contract can only be estimated reliably when it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the contract will flow to the entity.However, when an uncertainty arises about the collectibility of an amount already included in contract revenue, and already recognised in profit or loss, the uncollectible amount or the amount in respect of which recovery has ceased to be probable is recognised as an expense rather than as an adjustment of the amount of contract revenue. An entity is generally able to make reliable estimates after it has agreed to a contract which establishes: (a) (b) (c) each party’s enforceable rights regarding the asset to be constructed; the consideration to be exchanged; and the manner and terms of settlement. 6 27 28 29 It is also usually necessary for the entity to have an effective internal financial budgeting and reporting system. The entity reviews and, when necessary, revises the estimates of contract revenue and contract costs as the contract progresses. The need for such revisions does not necessarily indicate that the outcome of the contract cannot be estimated reliably. Â © IFRS Foundation A621 IAS 11 30 The stage of completion of a contract may be determined in a variety of ways. The entity uses the method that measures reliably the work performed.Depending on the nature of the contract, the methods may include: (a) (b) (c) the proportion that contract costs incurred for work performed to date bear to the estimated total contract costs; surveys of work performed; or completion of a physical proportion of the contract work. Progress payments and advances received from customers often do not reflect the work performed. 31 When the stage of completion is determined b y reference to the contract costs incurred to date, only those contract costs that reflect work performed are included in costs incurred to date.Examples of contract costs which are excluded are: (a) contract costs that relate to future activity on the contract, such as costs of materials that have been delivered to a contract site or set aside for use in a contract but not yet installed, used or applied during contract performance, unless the materials have been made specially for the contract; and payments made to subcontractors in advance of work performed under the subcontract. (b) 32When the outcome of a construction contract cannot be estimated reliably: (a) revenue shall be recognised only to the extent of contract costs incurred that it is probable will be recoverable; and contract costs shall be recognised as an expense in the period in which they are incurred. (b) An expected loss on the construction contract shall be recognised as an expense immediately in accordance with paragraph 36. 33 During the early stages of a contract it is often the case that the outcome of the contract cannot be estimated reliably.Nevertheless, it may be probable that the entity will recover the contract costs incurred. Therefore, contract revenue is recognised only to the extent of costs incurred that are expected to be recoverable. As the outcome of the contract cannot be estimated reliably, no profit is recognised. However, even though the outcome of the contract cannot be estimated reliably, it may be probable that total contract costs will exceed total contract revenues.In such cases, any expected excess of total contract costs over total contract revenue for the contract is recognised as an expense immediately in accordance with paragraph 36. Contract costs that are not probable of being recovered are recognised as an expense immediately. Examples of circumstances in which the recoverability of contract costs incurred may not be probable and in which contract costs m ay need to be recognised as an expense immediately include contracts: (a) that are not fully enforceable, ie their validity is seriously in question; 34 A622 Â © IFRS Foundation IAS 11 (b) (c) (d) (e) 5 the completion of which is subject to the outcome of pending litigation or legislation; relating to properties that are likely to be condemned or expropriated; where the customer is unable to meet its obligations; or where the contractor is unable to complete the contract or otherwise meet its obligations under the contract. When the uncertainties that prevented the outcome of the contract being estimated reliably no longer exist, revenue and expenses associated with the construction contract shall be recognised in accordance with paragraph 22 rather than in accordance with paragraph 32.Recognition of expected losses 36 When it is probable that total contract costs will exceed total contract revenue, the expected loss shall be recognised as an expense immediately. 37 The amount of s uch a loss is determined irrespective of: (a) (b) (c) whether work has commenced on the contract; the stage of completion of contract activity; or the amount of profits expected to arise on other contracts which are not treated as a single construction contract in accordance with paragraph 9. Changes in estimates 8 The percentage of completion method is applied on a cumulative basis in each accounting period to the current estimates of contract revenue and contract costs. Therefore, the effect of a change in the estimate of contract revenue or contract costs, or the effect of a change in the estimate of the outcome of a contract, is accounted for as a change in accounting estimate (see IAS 8 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors). The changed estimates are used in the determination of the amount of revenue and expenses recognised in profit or loss in the period in which the change is made and in subsequent periods.Disclosure 39 An entity shall disclose: (a) (b) the amount of contract revenue recognised as revenue in the period; the methods used to determine the contract revenue recognised in the period; and the methods used to determine the stage of completion of contracts in progress. (c) Â © IFRS Foundation A623 IAS 11 40 An entity shall disclose each of the following for contracts in progress at the end of the reporting period: (a) the aggregate amount of costs incurred and recognised profits (less recognised losses) to date; the amount of advances received; and the amount of retentions. b) (c) 41 Retentions are amounts of progress billings that are not paid until the satisfaction of conditions specified in the contract for the payment of such amounts or until defects have been rectified. Progress billings are amounts billed for work performed on a contract whether or not they have been paid by the customer. Advances are amounts received by the contractor before the related work is performed. An entity shall present: (a) (b) the g ross amount due from customers for contract work as an asset; and the gross amount due to customers for contract work as a liability. 2 43 The gross amount due from customers for contract work is the net amount of: (a) (b) costs incurred plus recognised profits; less the sum of recognised losses and progress billings for all contracts in progress for which costs incurred plus recognised profits (less recognised losses) exceeds progress billings. 44 The gross amount due to customers for contract work is the net amount of: (a) (b) costs incurred plus recognised profits; less the sum of recognised losses and progress billings or all contracts in progress for which progress billings exceed costs incurred plus recognised profits (less recognised losses). 45 An entity discloses any contingent liabilities and contingent assets in accordance with IAS 37 Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets. Contingent liabilities and contingent assets may arise from such items as warrant y costs, claims, penalties or possible losses. Effective date 46 This Standard becomes operative for financial statements covering periods beginning on or after 1 January 1995. A624 Â © IFRS Foundation

Do Comedies Beginning in Turmoil but Ending in Harmony Celebrate Life? Essay

This is not the best essay (it’s rubbish but take from it what you will) To some extent, the statement is true as proof lies in many plays and novels. An example of this is Shakespeare’s comedic plays. The play ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ begins in Athens where there is turmoil in the sense that Egeus’ daughter, Hermia, does not want to marry Demetrius. At the time of writing the play, these kinds of issues where the epitome of turmoil, parents were desperate to have their daughters married off, the disobedience of this tradition would have caused disharmony and embarrassment, which at the time of writing the plot was abhorrent, demonstrating the turmoil referred to in the question. By the end of the play, the characters fall in love with their respective partners, thus the play ends in harmony. This can mean that the Shakespearean comedy celebrates life as it demonstrates the hardships that the characters faced and how they overcame them. This shows the audience that they can also overcome the situations that they are facing as the audience could relate to the characters. This provided the audience with reassurance and a motive to remain positive, they know that their problems will be solved eventually. The comedy in this sense is celebrating life’s pain, harmony and ability to overcome. However, many comedies that begin in turmoil and end in harmony fail to ‘celebrate life’. Examples include Heller’s ‘Catch 22’. This novel includes the main character Yossarian trapped in the middle of World War II. It is soon revealed that Yossarian seems to think that everyone is trying to kill him, and so takes the war on a personal level. This situation appears quixotic and so the reader is subsequently unattached from the novel and the improbable storyline. Readers are unable to feel a connection to Yossarian, and the plot of the novel means that readers are unable to draw parallels from their own lives to Yossarian’s or any other characters, consequently the story does not celebrate life of the readers or the characters, even if the novel ends in harmony. The novel being set in World War II and the audience reading in the 1960s up until today suggests that life would have been completely different. This includes the fact that in the 1960s and to today turmoil is perpetual, especially recently with all sorts of problems regarding the recession, politics and personal issues such as rises in divorce and dealing with depression. Consequently, the issues dealt with in ‘Catch 22’ concerning the war are completely different to what people arerecently dealing with thus making it progressively difficult to relate to, and so the comedy does not celebrate life in this sense, the two lives differ enormously. However, it could be argued that the distorted image of life that Heller has put across in ‘Catch 22’ could be celebrated. Although the novel contains improbable situations and unlikely events, the readers are still able to somewhat relate to the characters through their personalities and can develop a connection with certain characters they feel they may relate to. ‘Catch 22’ ends in harmony, at which point the readers would be able to joyous for the fictitious characters and the obstacles they’ve overcome, the comedy in this sense is celebrating life of the fictional characters. Other comedic texts, such as Pride and Prejudice celebrate life as Jane Austen writes the book to be metaphorically representing life at the time of writing. In the novel, a mother is desperate to have her daughters married; this was very common in the 1800s. Along with this, PP deals with issues regarding manners, education and upbringing; all of which were important in the audience at the time because of the society that they were in. This in itself celebrates life of the people of that generation as the novel metaphorically represents the lives of the readers, the hardships they face to do with class, marriage, education, how these are overcome and prospective happy ending. The readers may not necessarily achieve the same happy ending, or a happy ending at all, but the fact that Austen has employed the happy ending allows the readers to feel resonance, and also happiness for the characters and because through Austen’s writing style, they have been so closely connected to, almost like friends. Thus the life of the characters is celebrated as well as the readers, whether or not they gain the same outcome.

Thought piece

We have discussed different learning theories (e. G. Classical conditioning and operant conditioning) in Lecture 3. Please derive ONE hypothesis related to any real-life issues based on one of these theories and then design an experiment to test your hypothesis. When you work on this assignment, try to think of and answer the following questions: D what Is your hypothesis? What are your independent variable (IV) and dependent variable (DVD)? How will you manipulate your IV (I. E. At is your treatment) and how will you measure your DVD? What are your experimental and control groups? What are the possible confounding variables and how would you control them? How would you decide that your hypothesis/sees have been supported? (I. E. Whether or not your hypothesis is supported by your data)? What may be potential problems with your experiment? How can they be solved? The major goal of this assignment is to apply what you have learned about the key elements of experimental design to real- life situations. You will need to describe the design of an experiment to best test your hypothesis.Please be specific about all of the key elements of your design and also about what results will be consistent or inconsistent with your predictions. Issues like sampling, group assignment, confounding factors etc. Should be considered when designing the experiment. Basically you will not need to read anything extra apart from the textbook and lecture notes for this assignment. Of course if you find it helpful to use ideas from other sources, you may do so, and in that case you should clearly state the source. Work will be penalized with severe mark reduction.Late submission will also be subject to mark reduction (marked down by 10% per day after due date). Your thought piece should be written in ENGLISH. It should be about and no more than three pages long (AY double-spacing, font: Time News Roman, size 12, 1 inch margin), excluding supplemental materials you may have (e. G. , refere nce list, table and figures, experiment materials, media clips)