Communication skills required in developing effective team Essay

Communication skills required in developing effective team relationships and monitoring performance of group activities - Essay Example When all the members are convinced of achieving the same goal effective team building is made possible. It is important to se how vital is communication skill in effectively motivating the team members to achieve the same goal. Eventually a team tastes success when there is a solid and healthy relationship with each other and measuring the improvement in the performance of it as a group. Developing to be an Effective Communicator In order to develop effective communication skills one must have a change in attitude towards the environment. Such transformation makes a person free of all inhibitions. This change will bring certain qualities in a person who undergoes that change in his/her personality. Firstly, good communicators have good perceptions for instance they can read the mind of their audience and can modify their message accordingly. A communicator will have precision as they will be able to create an accurate vocal picture in the mind of the listener. Good communicators also develop a credibility as they would appear to be believable and trust worthy people. Moreover, good communicators can control the conversation as well as the minds of the listeners. He can motivate the listeners in line with the intend of the message. Finally, good communicators always develop congeniality as they always maintain pleasant and positive relationship with their audience (Hamilton, et. al 1998). An effective communicator can motivate and hold people together for communication can be used as the glue to hold the solidarity of the team. A good leader, therefore, must craft the massage with utmost care, so that he/she will be able to overcome barriers and influence the listeners to act in the intended way. As species, the development for homo sapience was faster than all other species. The obvious reason to such a phenomenon was human being’s ability to communicate. Hence the skill of communication became the core of cooperation and betterment of mankind. The times have passed, human beings based their existence and development on this skill which taken humans across communities, countries and continents. Now he is on the verge of moving across planets. The narration explains how communication is being the key to success in leadership. Communication is the most common denominator that supports all the activities of a team (Courtland and Thil 1992). None of the basic procedures of managing or leading a team is possible with out communication. As explained earlier, a leader need to have those qualities explained earlier such as precision, perception, control and congeniality. Potential of a group is in close relation with the self efficacy of the group members, argues Lindsly, Brass and Thomas (1995). However, both these terms would mean the self belief every member of a team has about the team’s ability to achieve the goal. This positive forebear of effectiveness is made possible due to the good communication of the team leader and the existing positive communication among the team members. Starting from the initial process of management – the pioneering personality declaring the need of a group to achieve certain objectives – the flow of ideas, thoughts, and actions begins by the means of transferring information. Thus, the stages of planning, leading, appointing and controlling are the key areas which

The Los Angeles Basin Pollution Problems Essay Example for Free

The Los Angeles Basin Pollution Problems Essay Final draft The significant air pollution problem in the Los Angeles Basin has been one of the most severe environmental issues that concerned the society. Due to the American tradition, public transportations are not so commonly used; therefore, a majority of the individuals owned a car. The most commonly used transportation is the convenient motor vehicles that are driven everywhere. With the high volume of traffic daily, the tremendous amount of air pollution that is produced by highly-polluted vehicles are growing at an exponential rate Although the government has been putting a massive amount of work into preventing additional air pollution from being continuously produced and also trying to wipe out the polluted air that already existed, it is still the most challenging environmental issue in America. Statistically proven that â€Å"in Southern California, episodic outdoor levels of ozone (O3), particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) historically have been among the highest in the United States, and they continue to exceed federal and state clean air guidelines.† (Kà ¼nzli et al., 2003, p.1) CAUSE Historically, * â€Å"The first recognized episodes of smog in Los Angeles occurred in the summer of 1943. Visibility was limited to only three blocks and residents suffered from smarting eyes, respiratory discomfort, nausea, and vomiting†¦ Smog events continued to plague Los Angeles throughout the 1940s.† â€Å"The City of Los Angeles began its air pollution control program in 1945, establishing the Bureau of Smoke Control in its health department. On June 10, 1947.† â€Å"During the 1940s and 1950s, air pollution control focused on obvious sources, such as backyard burning and incinerators, open burning at garbage dumps, and smoke emissions from factories. During the 1950s and 1960s, local air quality officials implemented the use of vapor recovery equipment for the bulk transfer of gasoline, regulated petroleum-based solvents, and required permits for rendering plants that processed animal waste. Starting in 1970, the federal government phased out lead in gasoline. In 1975, the first oxidizing catalytic converters to reduce CO and hydrocarbon tailpipe emissions came into use as part of CARB’s Motor Vehicle Emission Control Program.† (2007, pp. 276-278)

Value Chain Analysis:

Value Chain Analysis: Primary Activities: Research and Development: The Coca-Cola Company has invested more than $60 million to build the worlds largest plastic-bottle-to-bottle recycling plant and support recycling. â€Å"The Coca-Cola Company is a company with the power to transform the marketplace, and the introduction of the â€Å"PlantBottleà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢Ã¢â‚¬  is yet another great example of their leadership on environmental issues†( Carter Roberts, President and CEO of World Wildlife Fund, U.S). Interactive vending machines Climate friendly coolers. Production: Amatils association with Cocacola date back to 1964 and from then, Coca Cola Amatil ruling the roost in Australian Non alcholic beverage industry. CCA manufactures wide range of carbonated drinks like Coca Cola, Diet coke, Vanilla Coke, Sprite etc.,and recently started manufacturing well being products like fruit juices, water, low calorie carbonated drinks. After acquiring SPC Ardmona in 2004, CocaColaAmatil also entered the food manufacturing and distribution business. CocaCola Amatil manufactures its finished products from the concentrate and beverage base supplied by THE CocaCola Company. http://www.ccamatil.com.au/australianProducts.asp Marketing and Sales: Through out the century of existence, the name â€Å"Coca Cola† became its own marketing symbol. The name itself is perceived as a epitome of brand value and quality by the millions of its customers. CCA mainly bank its marketing strategy on the availability of its products to the customers. â€Å"By being part of the Coca-Cola system CCA has access to the worlds most popular branded beverages supported by strong advertising and unique marketing properties. CCA and TCCC are working together to utilise their complementary skills and assets, to profitably build consumption in each of our market†. TCCCs main marketing strategy include heavy advertising and promotion by sponsoring sports events and roping international celebrities as brand ambassadors. TCCC funds the marketing activities of coming up with new brands and different packaging plans. The sales and marketing plans are developed together by both the companies every year using their skills and assests. Affiliation: CCA and TCCC are affiliated to the communities in which they operate from sponsoring development programs of physical fitness and life style skills to sponsoring major sporting events. CCA also participates in assisting the communities in the time of any natural disasters. â€Å"CCA and TCCC have established foundations in Australia and Indonesia to provide assistance to community development activites to assist young people to realise their potential.† Customer Service: CocaCola Amatil has a national call center â€Å" Coke Connect† which undertakes all the consumer enquiries and customer requests by giving accurate, clear and prompt service. The consumer information center with in the coke connect takes all the consumer feedback and then feed the information at the organisation level through out the world and also be included in its monthly management report and the feedback is considered in making business decisions. By knowing what customer needs and thinks, CCA is always keep itself in delivering best customer service possible. http://www.ccamatil.com.au/customers_consumers.asp Support Activities: Human resources: Coca Cola is built on its core assests of its people and its brand value. Coca Cola believes that the work place should be a place which involves with creativity, innovation, professional relationships and professional growth. Coca Cola has 92400 associates world wide and many more supportive staff of which 86% are from outside United states which makes CocaCola inculcate its business environment with local culture of its employees and keep learning from this local cultures as cultures matters a lot in the success of a product in a local community. CocaCola follows a decentralised system in decision making in which it tries to incorporate ideas and concepts from its employees and passing them across all the departments for further evaluation. Infrastructure: CocaCola established its trademark since its inception in 1986 in United states. The companys every operation from manufacturing to delivering is supported by its strong infrastructure base. Some companies like spherion, Jones lang lasalle, IBM, Ogilveyand mather,prudential provide TCCC with basic ingredients and bottling and delivery machines. The Logistic operations of CocaCola Amatil in Australia is outsourced to LINFOX logistics which assisting Coca Cola to keep it value in delivering. This understanding between Linfox and Coca Cola may help TCCC to come up new products and its new logistic demands can be met in time. http://wotnews.com.au/news/Linfox Core Competency Analysis: Brand Value: People relate themselves to the brand value of a company. A brand value makes the consumer choices easy and this brand image gives the company a competitive edge over its rivals. Brand value brings trust in customers and it takes a lot of investment to keep the brand image intact over the years and this Coca colas strong brand identity through out the years rose its sales into an unprecedented levels. In 2007, TCCCc brand value is 44.13 billion US$ and it was regarded as the worlds fourth powerful brand only lying behind Microsoft, Google and GE, as per the Millward Browns BrandZ index. The TCCCs greater brand value allows its consumers revisit and makes its entry into a new market easy. Large Scale of Operations: CocaCola beverage products are available easier than water in this world. We will find CocaCola vending machines in almost every educational institution of the world and their easy access in public places. The main advantage of CocaCola is its easy availability than any of its rivals. Innovation: Innovation is a heart of any company which continously strive to make any difference in the competitive environment. Differentiation in its products gives CocaCola a edge in attracting many customers or consumers. Coca Cola displays its ability to innovate in its products, equipment, packaging and in the external environment. It recently launched its ‘JIANCHI health product in Milan, which inculcates 5000 years of chinese wisdom in that bottle. TCCC also invested 60 million in building a bottle to bottle recycle or reuse plant in North America as part of its mission to recycle 100% of its products. It also came with innovative climatic friendly vending machines or coolers which reduced carbon emission by 99% and has a smart detective system which reduce energy use by 35%. Performance Analysis: Any companys performance whether it is small or large can be analysed by taking its financial figures into consideration. In todays business world, It is reality that numbers count a lot than anything else in analysing a companys performance. Coca Cola witnessed Net operating revenue growth of 11%, operating income growth of 16% and unit case volume growth of 5%. CocaCola holds 1st position worldwide in terms of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready to drink coffees and teas, comes 2nd in terms of sports drink and 3rd in terms of packaged water and energy drinks. Portfolio Analysis: TACCs motive of â€Å" A beverage for every need† is the energy behind CocaColas success with more than 3000 products in more than 190 countries. The company head quartered in Atlanta, Georgia, employs nearly 71000 people (In Year 2006) and 74% of its products were sold outside United States. Its portfolio includes 13 billion dollar brands and has a company associates of 92400 people world wide. The CocaCola Company has different strategic business units for its product types like Sports drink, Juice drinks, Squash, Water, Low sugar soft drinks, general soft drinks and energy drinks. 49.9% of all coke products are sugar free. http://www.cokecorporateresponsibility.co.uk/marketplace/developing-our-portfolio/changing-our-portfolio.html Portfolia of Coca Cola includes many brands which evolved throught out the history of Coca cola and some of the brands include Barqs, CocaCola, Coke zero, Diet Coke, Glaceau, Fanta, Minute maid, Fuze, Thumsup, Vault, Powerade etc.,. CocaCola touches 1.5 billion lives a day. Coca Cola added 200+ juice and juice drink products to its portfolio in 2008 and accommodated 700+ low calorie or no calorie products in its profile. In Australia, CocaCola Amatil acquired SPC ARDMONA in 2004 which is a food manufacturing brand and this may help CocaCola in establishing strategic business unit for manufacturing chips. http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/presscenter/nr_20090514_plantbottle.html Now a days, Coca Cola is much about health and wellness.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Essay: Romanticism and Realism :: Midsummer Nights Dream

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Romanticism and Realism In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare, love is viewed in different ways. Bottom proves to be quite accurate characterizing the four main lovers when he states, "O what fools these mortals be† (Act #, Scene #, Line #). While the four main characters believe in romanticism, Theseus is a strong supporter of realism. Demetrius and Lysander both speak in figurative language and both are very handsome. Their love for Helena and Hernia deal mainly with physical attraction and flirtatious acts than love that captures body, mind, and soul. If any of the four characters posses anything of realistic love, it would be Hermia. She was willing to risk death in order to be with Lysander. This act of love goes beyond any other in this play, and demonstrates Hermia’s devotion to Lysander. "My good Lysander, I swear to thee by Cupid’s strongest bow- Tomorrow truly will I meet with thee" (Act 1, Scene 1, Line #). Helena is one of the silliest characters in the play, and at times can be quite irritating. Demetrius shows no love for her, yet she persists in chasing him. "And even for that do I love you the more. I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, the more you beat me, I will fawn on you" (Act 2, Scene 1, Line #). These characters are a true definition of lovesick. All of them appear to be in love with love, more so than in love with each other. They all frantically run about, each changing partners so often that one is never really sure of who loves whom. Each consumes themselves with what they consider to be real love to the point of losing touch completely with the real world. To them, love is a fairy tale that involves no reason. They all believe that falling in love involves nothing more than romantic speech and desire for each other. Unlike the four main lovers, Theseus, Duke of Athens, believes that men should never be out of touch with the real world. In short, he views the four lovers’ story as nothing but an illusion concocted in their imaginations. The entire idea of being infatuated with one’s lover to the point of losing touch with the real world is ludicrous to him. At first, Theseus’ love for Hippolyta may be viewed as cold, but once one realizes Theseus’ realistic and noble character, it is obvious that he strongly desires his bride.

Background The 1930’s In The USA Essay

In the 1920’s/1930’s a lot of Americans got the idea that investing in shares was a safe way of making money, but many didn’t know the risks that could occur when buying shares, and on the 4 October 1929 America suffered from the ‘Wall Street Crash.’ This meant that billions of dollars were lost due to the stock markets crashing and the prices of shares dramatically falling, the ‘Wall Street Crash’ left countless numbers of American citizens with no life savings and on the edge of bankruptcy. It also caused many companies and businesses to go bust or close down, and consequently left many workers unemployed and broke. This mass of unemployment resulted in many people moving from the big cities out to the countryside to find work on farms as itinerant workers. These itinerant workers were most often men who were sacked due to the Wall Street crash, and a lot of the time found themselves alone and lonely. Itinerant workers had to keep moving from farm to farm and therefore could never make any long time friends, many had no home to go back to or even any family to contact. The farms conditions were very poor and there was a big health and safety risk due to the large and dangerous machinery used daily by the workers, the average number of deaths on farms in America per year was around 25,000. But this high number of deaths didn’t stop the Itinerant workers from working, as they had no other way of getting money and had no other choice. The itinerant workers were made to live in poor condition bunkhouses with a group of other workers, the workers had their food prepared by a cook that the boss would hire, but of course this was not free and came out of their already small wages. The workers were made to work during the day but also found themselves with spare time where they would play games or go into town. During this time in the1930’s when money was short for everyone, farmers found themselves in the position where either they could save money and cut back on something or simply go bust. So a lot of the farmers left their soil without any fertilizer, but continued to grow crops on the fields, this destroyed and dried out the soil leaving it near worthless to them. The farmers also cut down field barriers so bigger more efficient machinery could be used, but this also helped to destroy and dry out the top part of the soil and also left it vulnerable to strong winds. These farming techniques particularly effected the south-west of the USA as they had seasonal bad weather which usually posed a problem but what they didn’t know was there was going to be exception bad weather. And due to the weather and poor farming methods, the fast and strong winds which the bad weather brought were able to race across fields upon fields and whip up the dry top soil creating big clouds of ‘dust’. This ecological disaster was named the ‘Dustbowl’ and it whipped up dust that landed in other states to where it originated from, and left farms and homes under dust which left many people no choice than to just pack up anything they could and leave. A lot of these itinerant workers migrated to California which is known as ‘the golden state’ where dreams come true and is also the home of Hollywood ‘the dream factory’ but mainly because it was away from the dust bowl and the because the farms in California were known for having rich fertile land. This fertile land and unharmed farms, not only created a big attraction for people looking for work, but also created an attraction to farmers wanting to start again and own a farm. Although the itinerant workers moved out to California due to the large amount of farms there, many still had no job and the workers still found themselves moving from one farm to another as the bosses only employed most workers for short periods. The Author John Steinbeck, was born in Salina’s, California, and is one of the USA’s greatest writers, he is known for writing the book ‘Of Mice And Men’ which we are studying, and has also written books such as ‘The Pearl’ and ‘Cannery Row’. We have found that a lot of the ideas in the story ‘Of Mice And Men’ are from events which were past experiences in his own life. We know this as John Steinbeck has worked on farms himself as an itinerant worker and therefore has an idea of the loneliness and the continuous search for friendship and somewhere to settle down that all itinerant workers had. This dream that all itinerant worker had of settling down is shown in the book by all the worker but especially George and Lennie for they have a dream of owning a place of their own. John Steinbeck also got ideas for the book from past events such as when he saw a large man kill a pet rabbit and when he saw one of his bosses killed by a disturbed man. He writes about the migrants to California and how the itinerant workers are needy and desperate and will work for a small wage. In a way the characters of George and Lennie are microcosms of what was happening to the USA in the 1930’s, as they suffered from the ‘Wall street crash’ and are itinerant work that have migrated to California. John Steinbecks title ‘Of mice And Men’ is taken from a poem written by an 18th century Scottish poet, and the novel was first published in 1936 and followed shortly after by the stage play.

A Guide to Lexical Verbs

A Guide to Lexical Verbs In English grammar, a lexical verb  is the  main verb  in a sentence. Lexical verbs- also called full verbs- convey the  semantic (or lexical) meaning  in a sentence, such as I ran fast or I ate the entire hamburger. Not surprisingly, the great majority of verbs in English are lexical verbs, which are those that are not auxiliary  (or  helping)  verbs. Lexical vs. Auxiliary Verbs Lexical verbs are the doing verbs, while auxiliary verbs are their helpers, as  eNotes  explains: Lexical verbs indicate the main action taking place in any sentence and therefore the intention of the sentence becomes clear; whereas, auxiliary verbs have a more subtle function because they often complete a sentence without the reader being aware how they contribute to [its] structure. An auxiliary verb determines the  mood,  tense,  voice,  or  aspect  of another verb in a verb phrase. Put another way, a  helping verb comes before the  main (lexical) verb in a  sentence. Together, they form a  verb phrase. In English, the auxiliary verbs are: Is, am, are, was, wereBe, being, beenHas,  have,  hadDo, does, didWill, shall, should, wouldCan, couldMay, might, must Lexical verbs constitute all the rest. Lexical verbs can be grouped according to four types:  transitive and intransitive,  linking,  dynamic  and  static (or stative),  as well as  regular  and  irregular. Transitive and Intransitive A  transitive lexical verb expresses action and needs a direct object to receive that action, notes Dictionary.com, which gives the sentence  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Alice  sees  the candle† as an example. In the sentence, sees  is the lexical verb and is transitive, while  the candle  is the direct object because it receives the action of the lexical verb sees. Intransitive verbs, by contrast,  express action but don’t affect a direct object. For example, if you say â€Å"Alice  dances,† the word  dances  is the lexical verb, but it is intransitive because it doesn’t require a direct object. Linking Verbs A linking verb is an important lexical verb  (such as a form of  be  or  seem) that joins the  subject  of a sentence to a word or phrase that  tells something about the subject. For example,  is  functions as a linking verb in the sentence The boss  is  unhappy. Note that  to be  verbs such as is can also serve as auxiliary verbs depending on how the sentence is constructed. In the sentence, Alice  is helping  Victor with his homework, is  serves as the auxiliary verb because it helps the lexical verb  helping.   Dynamic and Static A  dynamic verb- also called an action verb- is used primarily to indicate an action, process, or sensation. An example of dynamic verbs in action is this saying uttered by Hall of Fame baseball player Willie Mays in describing the game: They  throw  the ball, I  hit  it. They  hit  the ball, I  catch  it. By contrast, a static (or stative) verb  is  used primarily to describe a state or situation.  An example would be,  We  are  what we  believe  we  are.  Note that as in the linking verbs section, the  to be  verb- in this case,  are- can be a lexical verb, describing a state of being. Regular and Irregular A regular  verb is one that forms its tenses, especially the  past tense  and  past participle, by adding one in the set of generally accepted standardized suffixes. Regular verbs are conjugated by adding either -d, -ed, -ing, or -s to their  base form. An  irregular  verb, meanwhile, does not follow the usual  rules  for verb forms. In the sentence, â€Å"She  looks  in the mirror,† the main verb  looks  is a regular verb, Dictionary.com explains, adding that the past tense of look is looked. So in the past tense, the sentence would read, She looked  in the mirror. In comparison, an example of irregular verbs in a sentence would be: The bridge they  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹built brought traffic in both directions. The present tense of the first verb in the sentence is build, but in the past tense, it is  built. Similarly, the present tense of the second verb would be  bring,  but in the past tense  as used in the sentence, its  brought. Hard-Working Verbs Clearly, lexical verbs do much of the heavy lifting in English. They provide the action (intransitive and dynamic verbs), explain what is happening to various direct objects (transitive verbs), and describe states of being (static) among their many duties. Learn the lexical verbs in English and you will master the very heart of what it means to speak and write the language  correctly, effectively, and in an engaging manner

Religion in America Professor Ramos Blog

Religion in America https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MpeDAaedxNID8jIa4R_sfG9xLM2nD1ySPYhRh1kirys/edit?usp=sharing

Complete List of AP Courses and Tests

Complete List of AP Courses and Tests SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Have you ever seen the full list of AP classes? Are you confused about which ones you should take? We’ll help you choose by showing you a list of all AP courses available. We'll also reveal which ones are the most popular and which are the hardest to pass. Read on for advice to help you pick your ideal advanced placement courses! Complete List of AP Exams First things first: here is the full list of AP tests. Before we delve into popularity and difficulty, this basic list can be really helpful. Scope it out and see which topics look interesting to you! There are 38 exams in total: AP Research AP Seminar Art History Biology Calculus AB Calculus BC Chemistry Chinese Language and Culture Computer Science A Computer Science Principles English Language and Composition English Literature and Composition Environmental Science European History French Language and Culture German Language and Culture Government and Politics (Comparative) Government and Politics (US) Human Geography Italian Language and Culture Japanese Language and Culture Latin Macroeconomics Microeconomics Music Theory Physics 1: Algebra-Based Physics 2: Algebra-Based Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism Physics C: Mechanics Psychology Spanish Language and Culture Spanish Literature and Culture Statistics Studio Art Drawing Studio Art 2-D Design Studio Art 3-D Design US History World History When reading through this list, think about subjects you already enjoy and want to delve into more. For example, if you’ve always liked math, challenging yourself with the BC Calculus course (and exam) could be a rewarding experience. You can also look ahead to college. AP classes are a great way to explore subjects that aren’t usually part of high school curricula. Many AP classes, such as Computer Science, Psychology, and Economics, can give you a taste of college courses while you’re still in high school. AP classes: perfect if you're dreaming of life on campus. Also, think about the tests that could make you a more competitive applicant to the colleges you're applying to. You want to showcase your strengths, after all! For example, if you're applying as a science major and have done several science-related extracurriculars, it would be a smart idea to take (and ace!) the science AP tests, including Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Before you sign up for an AP course or test, think about your prior preparation. In most cases, you shouldn’t jump into an AP class if you have no experience in that subject. For instance, many high schools have students take a regular or honors biology class before they can take AP Biology. Moreover, consider which AP courses are offered at your high school. Most schools don’t offer every single AP subject as a class. It is definitely possible to study on your own for a test, but it’s much easier if you take a class. This is especially true for the tougher subjects like Calculus and Literature. For a full description of each AP class and its exam, check out the AP Student website. Which AP Tests Are the Most Popular? Just knowing which AP classes exist won't help you totally narrow down your choices. To give you a better perspective, check out this list of AP courses, organized by popularity (i.e., the number of students taking them): AP Course/Exam # of Students Taking (2018) English Language 580,043 United States History 501,530 English Literature 404,014 Government Politics (United States) 326,392 Psychology 3,759 Calculus AB 308,538 World History 303,243 Biology 259,663 Statistics 222,501 Human Geography 216,783 Spanish Language 180,435 Physics 1 170,653 Environmental Science 166,433 Chemistry 161,852 Macroeconomics 146,673 Calculus BC 139,376 European History 101,740 Microeconomics 90,032 Computer Science Principles 72,187 Computer Science A 65,133 Physics C Mechanics 57,399 Studio Art 2-D Design 36,249 Seminar 30,964 Spanish Literature 27,451 Physics 2 25,741 Physics C EM 25,074 Art History 24,964 Government Politics (Comparative) 24,675 French Language 22,867 Studio Art Drawing 20,853 Music Theory 19,018 Chinese Language 13,825 Research 9,640 Latin 6,409 Studio Art 3-D Design 5,777 German Language 5,053 Italian Language 2,926 Japanese Language 2,459 Total Number of AP Exams Taken 5,090,324 Total Number of Students Taking AP Exams 2,808,909 Source: The College Board Taking a more popular AP exam has a lot of benefits. For one, the class is more likely to be offered at your high school. Another plus is that there are more study guides and resources you can use for the test- both online and in print. It will also be easier to find other students to study with. On the flip side, you can distinguish yourself by taking and passing a less popular AP test. For example, having AP Japanese or AP Research under your belt can set you apart from other high-achieving students, especially in college applications. AP Test Passing Rates In addition to knowing all your AP exam choices and how popular each test is, it’s helpful to know how many students pass each exam. (AP tests are scored between 1 and 5, with anything 3 and higher considered passing.) Most AP tests have a pass rate of around 65% or higher. The high score of 5 is rarer- usually between 10% and 20% of a test's scores. Check out our table below, organized in order of the passing rate of each exam. Note: There are two different subgroups for language exams: Standard and Total. The score rates for language exams (Standard) only include students who didn't indicate they spoke that language at home or had spent four or more weeks in a country where that language was spoken. On the other hand, the rates for language exams (Total) also include students who speak that language at home and/or have completed study abroad programs. This is why many of the language AP exams (Total) have very high passing rates. AP Test Passing Rates 2019 Exam Name Passing Rate (3+) 5 Rate Studio Art: Drawing 91.1% 20.8% Spanish Language and Culture 89% 24.9% Chinese Language and Culture 88.3% 57.2% Studio Art: 2-D Design 86.4% 21% Calculus BC 81.5% 43.2% Physics C: Electricity Magnetism 81.1% 35.9% Seminar 80.7% 6.8% French Language and Culture 76.7% 15.5% Research 76.2% 10.8% Japanese Language and Culture 75% 38.2% Computer Science Principles 72.7% 13.6% Spanish Literature 71.9% 9.1% Physics C: Mechanics 71.1% 34.6% German Language and Culture 70.5% 18.4% Studio Art: 3-D Design 70.1% 10.1% Computer Science A 69.9% 27% Microeconomics 68.4% 22.2% Gov. and Politics - Comparative 66.2% 22.2% Biology 64.6% 7.1% Italian Language and Culture 64.6% .8% Psychology 64.4% 20.2% Art History 63.9% 12% Physics 2 63.5% 12.6% Music Theory 63.4% 20.9% Latin 63.1% 13.1% Statistics 59.2% 14.5% European History 58.4% .7% Calculus AB 58.3% 18.9% Macroeconomics 57.9% 17.6% World History 56% 8.7% Gov. and Politics - United States 55.2% 12.9% English Language and Composition 55.1% 10.1% Chemistry 54.6% 10.7% United States History 54.3% 12.1% English Literature and Composition 50.1% 6.2% Environmental Science 49.6% 9.5% Human Geography 49.1% 10.7% Physics 1 44.6% 6.2% Source: The College Board You might be wondering why tests like BC Calculus and Chinese- which seem really difficult- have some of the highest passing rates. It's not because they're the easiest AP tests. These tests have high pass rates because students who take AP Calculus BC and AP Chinese are much more likely to have prior experience in those subjects and are willing to take on a tough class. In other words, the students who take the hardest AP exams are a self-selecting group of high achievers. It takes years of math classes to build up to Calculus BC questions like this one. View a whole free-response section here if you’re curious about how hard Calculus BC is. On the flip side, some of the most popular tests, such as US History and US Government, have some of the lowest passing rates. This is likely because a wider pool of test takers means that there are more underprepared and unprepared students. In addition, note that Environmental Science, English Literature, and World History- also very popular tests- have very low 5 rates, under 10%. This could be because, again, a wider test taker pool makes for more unprepared students. However, since so few students can pull it off, it’s still pretty hard to get a 5 on these tests. If you take those courses, be prepared to study hard- especially if you want a 5! What’s Next? Once you’ve chosen an AP class to take, you might be curious about what the test is like. Learn about how long AP tests are and get tips on managing test fatigue. You're probably also wondering about your SAT/ACT score and how to improve it. If you're taking the ACT, get tips on how to avoid the most common ACT mistakes and learn how to get a perfect 36 score. Aiming for the SAT instead? Learn how to boost your score on each section: Reading, Writing, and Math. Thinking about college? Read our guides to developing a target ACT or SAT score to get into your target colleges. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Country of origin labeling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Country of origin labeling - Research Paper Example On September 2008, The United States Congress expanded the provisions of the COOL law and added more food items like fresh fruits and vegetables under the jurisdiction of this law. This paper will discuss the Country of Origin Labeling law, its advantages, and disadvantages. Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) Although this rule was proposed several years before, it went into effect in the country on 30th September 2008. The Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 was amended by ‘the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills’ as part of providing source country information to customers (National Archives and Records Administration, 2009). The 2008 Farm Bill includes a set of provisions such as addition of new commodities and requirement for labeling products of multiple origins. This framework also requires a supplier to share country of origin and other production information with the retailer. Retail firms which are functioning under the Perishable Agricultural Marketing Act (PACA) are legall y liable to comply with the provisions of the COOL. A person selling any type of perishable goods at retail comes under the jurisdiction of PACA. As per PACA requirements, retailers must be licensed when their invoiced purchase costs of perishable agricultural commodities exceed a limit of $230,000 during a calendar year (Rynn & Janowdky, LLP, 2010). According to this Act, perishable agricultural commodities include fresh fruits and vegetables. Since exporters are excluded in the definition, they do not need to adhere to COOL requirements. Similarly, other food service establishments such as restaurants, lunchrooms, bars, lounges, taverns are also exempt from this rule in addition to salad bars and delicatessens that supply fast food. In addition, processed foods- which refer to food items undergone several processing changes- like chocolate, bagged salad, mixed nuts, breading, and orange juice need to comply with COOL requirements (cited in GPO Access, 2012). However, it must be no ted that this law covers some additional items such as canned roasted peanuts although they are considered as a processed food. The origin of country labeling statute clearly directs that if the covered commodity undergoes the processes like frying, boiling, roasting, broiling, steaming, curing, grilling, baking, smoked, or restructuring, the item does not need to be labeled (Third Party Written Submission of Australia, 2010). As Johnecheck (2010) points out, the COOL rule clearly states that the labeling has to be specific and accurate. According to this statute, the labeling option may include sticker, label, sign, placard, twist tie, pin tag, stamp, or band. It is allowable for the retailer to give the information on the package, holding unit, display material, or the bin placed at the end point of the sale. The country of origin information must be displayed in a conspicuous place so that customer can easily read and understand the information during the course of purchase proce ss. The rule also specifically mentions that the country of origin information printed or handwritten should not overlay other labeling information mandated by the Federal regulation. Sometimes, retailers may use bulk containers to display a large number of products, including covered commodities from different countries. Under such circumstances, retailers are required to list all possible origins and other product information. Nowadays, the concept of e-commerce has attained

PLMC Models Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PLMC Models - Coursework Example However unlike linear approach the incremental method allows for change in scope (Westland, 2007). It also solves problems by releasing solutions in parts. This approach is suitable for construction management projects as it facilitates its delivery in an incremental manner. With Iterative model, solutions are delivered at every iteration phase. This approach is also based on the Agile Project Management approach (Westland, 2007). In iterative approach the solutions are not defined in advance and hence solutions become visible through client participation such as feedbacks that may help in delivering the solutions needed. In other words in depends on the clients input to offer solution that refines the design process. Unlike the Iterative model, with adaptive approach the solution hardly exists as well as the methodology to provide the solution. The adaptive approach has been mostly adapted in software development (Wysocki, 2011). This process is suitable for projects that are complicated or projects that unique in nature. Because of its approach, it is most adoptable in projects that are highly uncertain in solution delivery in regards to the project goals at hand. The extreme model is suitable for research and development based projects. With the extreme approach, client participation is highly recommended. Furthermore, whereas other approaches have a hint of the solution, with extreme approach it only applies to projects that have no known solutions and are highly risky can adopt this type of approach (Schwalbe, 2010). It is therefore used for projects that present so many unknowns. Personally, I would recommend an iterative approach as it involves client t participation as well as the fact that it demands a strict timeline and accountability which guarantees project delivery within the expected time frame with respect to a client’s specifications (Wysocki,

TV Makes People Dumber Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

TV Makes People Dumber - Essay Example This essay generally believes that TV is bad for the youth. TV makes people dumber because it teaches racial prejudice and discrimination, it may boost memory, but not critical thinking skills, and it may be too complex for their cognitive and emotional levels, thereby limiting their ability to maximize potential learning from it. TV shows, even those with complex narratives, contains ideas that promote racial prejudice. Steven Johnson, in his essay, â€Å"Watching TV Makes You Smarter,† maintains that TV is good for people’s brains because many shows, including bad ones, have complex narratives with multiple-occurring plots. The complexity of TV stories compels people to think deeply, and this thinking makes them smarter. This paper opposes this argument because 24 may have a complex narrative, but it promotes racial stereotypes about Arabs and Muslims. It turns race into a literal black-and-white plot of morality, disabling people from realizing that TV is just a stor y, not a valid generalization of racial identities. Furthermore, some reality TV shows suggest that racial prejudice is fun and entertaining. Scholastic Scope explores the dangers of watching reality TV shows in â€Å"Is Reality TV Making You Stupid?† ... ho are negatively portrayed on TV and movies, such as what Dana Stevens highlights in â€Å"Thinking outside the Idiot Box.† Teenagers might think that racism is nothing serious and become discriminatory to minorities. Moreover, Reality TV might be making people stupid because it portrays negative values and conduct. It teaches selfishness. Most shows are about â€Å"me† than about â€Å"we.† In addition, reality TV teaches materialism. Shows such as My Super Sweet 16 underscore the negative effects of TV on the young mind. They might learn that materialism is good for their lives. Aside from potentially forming negative conduct, TV may improve memory, but not critical thinking skills. Susan Smith presents some evidence that TV is good for the brain in â€Å"TV Makes You Smart.† She mentions a study which provides findings that watching TV, especially comedy, can enhance memory. Johnson agrees with Smith and says that TV is a memory-booster because people have to memorize plots and characters to understand what they are watching. However, this essay argues that comedy and complex dramatic narratives might be good for the memory, but they are not true cognitive workouts as Johnson claims. It may produce short-term memory enhancement, but it does not train young minds to challenge what they watch. Moreover, watching TV makes people want to watch more TV only because it captures attention. Stevens believe that instead of making people smarter, TV merely conditions people to watch more. Watching more TV, if it does not make people smarter and can even make them dumber, will only make matters worse for people’s ability to think critically. In addition, watching TV trains people to be sensitive to changing actions and social relationships, but not how to question these

'Capitalism is a force of progress for business and society'. Discuss Essay

'Capitalism is a force of progress for business and society'. Discuss - Essay Example Progress, on the other hand, can be defined as a gradual shift from one state to another. This paper seeks to discuss capitalism as a force of progress for business and society. Capitalism as a Force of Progress for Business and Society In a capitalistic nation, a business and a society can be seen to relate in that both involve a group of people held by some common beliefs and objectives. The main principle applied in capitalism as an economic system is the principle of open competition. Capitalism treats all parties in an economy equally. As such, completion gets encouraged in the production of goods and delivery of services (Chang 2011, p.133). With capitalism, more choices get given for goods needed in an economy. This gives customers a large pool of products from which to choose their preferred taste. Capitalism makes it possible for these goods to come at the preferred prices of the customers. The same product may be produced at different levels of quality so as to be affordabl e to all classes of people in an economy. Competition has a wide range of benefits to the business sector. One such benefit is that it ensures a continuous production of standard goods as businesses try to compete with each other. In a competitive environment, businesses get to acquire the most competitive human labor available in the market. In order to impress businesses, individuals get required that they keep their skills up to date. Competition in a capitalistic society also entails competing for the available scarce resources (Hurrell 2007, p.348). This competition keeps businesses on their toes in terms of management and production. It is, therefore, necessary for the progress of such a society. In a capitalistic economy, the influence of the government on production gets highly minimized. This allows for all owners of the factors of production to compete fairly in the economy. Lack of government interference further ensures that potential investors get attracted to invest in such an economy. This is because they feel that they will have sole control of their production processes. When companies have less burdensome regulations from the government, they tend to perform better than when there is a lot of regulation from the government (Wade 2009, p.568). Capitalism in most cases works for the social good of the society. Although it may seem at the first instance that in capitalism everyone is greedy for money, an inner look of the matter may reveal otherwise. Every economic activity carried out in a capitalistic economy provides some benefits to another person different from the one producing it. Goods and services offered get produced by owners of the factors of production who later use the same income to pay for the factors of production such as labor and raw materials. These incomes, therefore, get rechanneled back to the economy. Capitalism brings equality in the society. No matter where a person may start in life, everyone has the opportunity to ach ieve what they wish. The basic principle used is that the harder one works the higher the reward one gets. Capitalism treats all individuals in a society equally providing them with equal opportunities to succeed. In a capitalistic society, all individuals get subjected to the same rules that govern the production activities in such a country. Capitalism further provides

What should Paul do to determine how Plastec compares with other area Essay

What should Paul do to determine how Plastec compares with other area employers in terms of wages and benefits - Essay Example Compensation administration is a section of   human resources focusing on planning, organizing, and controlling the payments that staff gets for the work they carry out. Compensation includes direct forms such as merit, incentive and base pay and indirect forms such as holiday pay, health insurance and deferred imbursement. The final objectives of compensation supervision are: proficient maintenance of a productive  labor force,  just pay, and agreement with state, federal and local regulations based on what companies can meet the expense of. It is a major concern and drawback for Plastec that their turnover has increased. This could further affect their production and the development of the company. Plastec needs to critically analyze their employees working conditions and point out where they lack. One of the reasons for the workers resignation is better packages that are being offered by other companies. Having a sound knowledge of the environment is very crucial for the com pany. Plastec offers less money and health insurance than other companies do. The job is also stagnant as some workers pointed, â€Å"there was no place to go†.   How could Plastec use variable pay to motivate its machine operators to stay? To increase their productivity?     Variable pay, also famous as "pay for performance", is given for particular performance results rather than for routine time worked. While incentives are  not  the answer to all personnel challenges, they can contribute much to motivate the employee. Plastec could use it effectively to enhance the performance of its workers. It is natural instinct of humans to strive for reward, thus variable pays would be a good source of motivation. They could give a month’s free health services, extra pay for over time, or form and evaluate different work groups and rewards on who performs the best. Such positive competition would make them work harder and increase their productivity (Variable Pay: Ho w to manage it effectively, 2011). The majority of the machine operators are in their mid to late forties, some with families, and some without. What types of benefits would you suggest offering?   To make an employee work effectively and efficiently, a company needs to offer him some benefits. One way of keeping a worker content is by offering him bonuses with competitive salaries. Though salary is one of the important incentives that keeps employee satisfied with his job, but it can be the least effective. People eventually get used to their paychecks and increased salary fails to keep the morale of the workers high. Giving out a bonus when employee’s performance is outstanding encourages him to work better (Marr, n.d.). As, majority of the machine operators are in their late or mid forties, there is a very thin chance of them switching jobs. They must be offered retirement benefits. Middle-aged workers usually place a high value on good retirement plans. Employees must b e given reasonable healthcare, vacation days and sick and annual leave. When going out of station for meetings or conferences, the married employees must be allowed to take their spouses with them if feasible. Which employment laws or regulations should Paul pay the most attention to and why? When Paul joined the business firm, the owners gave him two instructions, â€Å"use HR to keep us staffed up so we can grow† and â€Å"keep us out of court†. Hence, it is very essential for Paul to see that the organization is carefully following all the rules and regulations and is free from employee discrimination and harassment. Ensuring the prevention of discrimination and harassment is not just the right thing to do, it is a good business decision. Organizations can avoid costly lawsuits, fines, and settlements by fostering a workplace that is free from harassment and discrimination. The first step is to hire the right people for a specific job to be performed. The workforce hired should be diverse and

Conflict styles profile paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Conflict styles profile paper - Essay Example And I am not unfamiliar with it†¦ Still fresh in my memory is one conflict that I have been through prior to my coming to college. When everybody was busy and frantic about what they were going to do right after their secondary education, I was already certain that I would be pursuing college. In fact, I was really resolute in pursuing a degree. Fortunately for me, my parents and I were basically in agreement regarding this matter. However, that was where we only meet. As I look into my future and try to imagine what I would someday become I have realize that what I want is to be in the field of sciences and to be more particular in the field of Physics. Or if not Physics then I would love to do Philosophy. Although, to be honest, I really do not know what I would be doing right after finishing Physics or Philosophy but still I have set my heart on it. Unfortunately, my mother has a different plan. She wants me to enter in Hotel and Restaurant Management or Nursing because that is the trend and those two fields are in demand. Deep in my heart I know that she is correct. And that what she is trying to do is that she is opening to me other possibilities or channels that I may not be seeing or taking notice of. But you see I cannot just throw away the things that really catches my fancy, the stuffs that I love to do, the things that I would like to learn. Besides, being young, I am still being idealistic. I have this notion that in college the rudime nts of textbooks should no longer burden one. But one rather should already see the beauty of knowledge itself. So, I often tell myself in college, I will be pursuing my interests. But you see reality checks. I found myself in a situation wherein my self-interests conflict with that of my mother. Though I see it as a kind of conflict that will lead to a positive solution but still I know at the same time that I

'Capitalism is a force of progress for business and society'. Discuss Essay

'Capitalism is a force of progress for business and society'. Discuss - Essay Example Progress, on the other hand, can be defined as a gradual shift from one state to another. This paper seeks to discuss capitalism as a force of progress for business and society. Capitalism as a Force of Progress for Business and Society In a capitalistic nation, a business and a society can be seen to relate in that both involve a group of people held by some common beliefs and objectives. The main principle applied in capitalism as an economic system is the principle of open competition. Capitalism treats all parties in an economy equally. As such, completion gets encouraged in the production of goods and delivery of services (Chang 2011, p.133). With capitalism, more choices get given for goods needed in an economy. This gives customers a large pool of products from which to choose their preferred taste. Capitalism makes it possible for these goods to come at the preferred prices of the customers. The same product may be produced at different levels of quality so as to be affordabl e to all classes of people in an economy. Competition has a wide range of benefits to the business sector. One such benefit is that it ensures a continuous production of standard goods as businesses try to compete with each other. In a competitive environment, businesses get to acquire the most competitive human labor available in the market. In order to impress businesses, individuals get required that they keep their skills up to date. Competition in a capitalistic society also entails competing for the available scarce resources (Hurrell 2007, p.348). This competition keeps businesses on their toes in terms of management and production. It is, therefore, necessary for the progress of such a society. In a capitalistic economy, the influence of the government on production gets highly minimized. This allows for all owners of the factors of production to compete fairly in the economy. Lack of government interference further ensures that potential investors get attracted to invest in such an economy. This is because they feel that they will have sole control of their production processes. When companies have less burdensome regulations from the government, they tend to perform better than when there is a lot of regulation from the government (Wade 2009, p.568). Capitalism in most cases works for the social good of the society. Although it may seem at the first instance that in capitalism everyone is greedy for money, an inner look of the matter may reveal otherwise. Every economic activity carried out in a capitalistic economy provides some benefits to another person different from the one producing it. Goods and services offered get produced by owners of the factors of production who later use the same income to pay for the factors of production such as labor and raw materials. These incomes, therefore, get rechanneled back to the economy. Capitalism brings equality in the society. No matter where a person may start in life, everyone has the opportunity to ach ieve what they wish. The basic principle used is that the harder one works the higher the reward one gets. Capitalism treats all individuals in a society equally providing them with equal opportunities to succeed. In a capitalistic society, all individuals get subjected to the same rules that govern the production activities in such a country. Capitalism further provides

Conflict styles profile paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Conflict styles profile paper - Essay Example And I am not unfamiliar with it†¦ Still fresh in my memory is one conflict that I have been through prior to my coming to college. When everybody was busy and frantic about what they were going to do right after their secondary education, I was already certain that I would be pursuing college. In fact, I was really resolute in pursuing a degree. Fortunately for me, my parents and I were basically in agreement regarding this matter. However, that was where we only meet. As I look into my future and try to imagine what I would someday become I have realize that what I want is to be in the field of sciences and to be more particular in the field of Physics. Or if not Physics then I would love to do Philosophy. Although, to be honest, I really do not know what I would be doing right after finishing Physics or Philosophy but still I have set my heart on it. Unfortunately, my mother has a different plan. She wants me to enter in Hotel and Restaurant Management or Nursing because that is the trend and those two fields are in demand. Deep in my heart I know that she is correct. And that what she is trying to do is that she is opening to me other possibilities or channels that I may not be seeing or taking notice of. But you see I cannot just throw away the things that really catches my fancy, the stuffs that I love to do, the things that I would like to learn. Besides, being young, I am still being idealistic. I have this notion that in college the rudime nts of textbooks should no longer burden one. But one rather should already see the beauty of knowledge itself. So, I often tell myself in college, I will be pursuing my interests. But you see reality checks. I found myself in a situation wherein my self-interests conflict with that of my mother. Though I see it as a kind of conflict that will lead to a positive solution but still I know at the same time that I

The portrayal of Crooks In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Essay Example for Free

The portrayal of Crooks In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Essay In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck we learn about the daily life of the black stable-buck Crooks and how he is portrayed by the life on the ranch. American people in the 1930s were in the midst of a Great depression. The Great Depression affected everybody. Many people became unemployed and work that was available was hard to find. During the Great Depression, the Wall Street Crash, which was the collapse of the stock market. The shareholders lost lots of money and found it necessary to reduce the number of employed to save money. Between 1928 and 1933, industrial and farm production fell by 40% and wages by 60%. In 1933 14 million were unemployed and farm prices had fallen, so the cost of transporting animals cost more than the animals were worth and the income slipped to $5 billion. Therefore, for the white worker life was exceptionally hard. Also in the 1930s, black people suffered from racial prejudice. This made the blacks feel worthless and they did not mix with the whites. The cause of this prejudice was the reminisce of the slave trade which happened in the 18th and 19th century. White Americans considered the blacks as worthless and treated them as lowly citizens, perhaps comparable to that of animals. When people saw sense the law changed and the slave trade was stopped. In edition to the effects of the Great Depression, and the inequality white workers suffered is the issue of racial prejudice. In the novel, John Steinbeck creates a character called Crooks. He excludes himself from the white workers because of the racial prejudice he has suffered in the past. Crooks lives in the harness room instead of the bunk house with the white workers, this is the result of many years of racial prejudice and exclusion. had his bunk in the harness room Crooks is a tall old black man with a crooked back. He has no friends in the ranch because he is only the black man and the white workers dont like to mix with him. guys dont come into a colored mans room very much. Crooks is permanent to the ranch as the others are not, so over the years he has picked up more possessions. As he lives in his own room he can also have more things than the other workers and he can leave all his objects on the floor. The result of an accident made his back go cripple, this meant it was hard to travel and this helped to gain personal possessions. scattered about the floor were a number of personal possessions being a stable buck and a cripple, he was more permanent As Crooks was cripple he felt intimidated so he had a shot gun in his room. Although it could be used for shooting vermin and for his job, but it might also be used for the intimidation of other people. and a single-barreled shotgun. In the novel it tells us that Crooks has lots of books, this includes the Californian civil rights book. These books seem to comfort him as he has no friends. The civil rights book shows us that he knows his rights and knows how he should be treated a mauled copy of the Californian civil rights code for 1905. In addition to Crooks loneliness and isolation the dialogue between Crooks and Lennie is tight and Crooks seems to be angry at Lennie for coming into his room to be friendly. you got no right to come in my room you go on get outta my room. Crooks also might be afraid of Lennie. This might be because Lennie is a big man and he does not know his own strength. a huge man He stood up and moved dangerously towards Crooks. Whilst Crooks and Lennie are talking Crooks makes Lennie get angry because he said that George might not come back. Lennie relies on George for everything and he would not like it if George left him. Spose George dont come back no more. ` George wouldnt do nothing like that. I been with George a long time. Hell come back tonight -` Lennie has a very babyish mind and can really only talk about one thing. He gets obsessions. Like when he was talking to Crooks, he would not stop talking about what George and him are going to do when they get enough money and slims pups that he likes. The rabbits were gonna get, and I get to tend em How long do you think itll be before them pups will be old enough to pet? Crooks thinks it funny to discriminate Lennie because of his simple mind. This is because Lennie relies on George and Crooks has picked up on it and calls him names. Your crazy as a wedge. Jus talks, an you dont understand nothing. Besides Crooks experiencing loneliness another character in the novel Curleys wife also experiences it because she is the only woman in the ranch. Curleys wife admits to Lennie that she is lonely and that she only wants someone to talk to. I get lonely. The reason why she is lonely is because she lives in a patriarchal society. The male dominated society means that when she is bored she flirts with all the men and they think that she is always giving them the eye. I seen her give slim the eye. Today, there is still an issue on racism. In the fifties and the sixties a lot of icons have come forward to fight the rights of inequality. Some of the main ones are Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X. Martin Luther King fought in the non violence matter and Malcolm X fought in the violence matter. Although they both fought for freedom. Here is a piece from his speech: I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal. To the present day people have died through racism, but it is not so much an issue. People have been brought up to treat everyone as equals, although there are a small minority that dont. This shows that the 1930s were prone to racism and loneliness among blacks and that nowadays there is little.

Bitcoin as a Worldwide Currency

Bitcoin as a Worldwide Currency Andrew Rushing Priscilla Hartley Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency, has been the topic of many debates since its conception, on whether it should be considered as a viable worldwide currency for international trade. Bitcoin is a type of currency known as cryptocurrency; it is an all virtual currency that can be used at some online shops and to pay bills from a few different companies. Bitcoin should not be consider a viable worldwide currency for international trade, with its lack of a standard to back it up, whether it would have been by gold or silver. The non-supporters, of using the Bitcoin as a worldwide currency, argue against the Bitcoin by saying the currency is not very stable. In Christopher Matthews’ 2014 Time Magazine article, he states, â€Å"On December 6th and 7th of last year, the value of one Bitcoin fell from $1200 to $600 in the course of 48 hours. The non-supporter of the Bitcoin currency would use this example of a value drop to deface the value of the Bitcoin, because if a company were to store all of its wealth in the bitcoin currency and the currency had another drop like that forty-eight hour period in December of 2013, the company could face bankruptcy as stated by Christopher Matthews in his 2014 Time Magazine article. (Matthews, 2014, Paragraph 6) Most people seem to find the currency as more of gambling or the stock market then a currency to use for shopping, because of its spontaneous drop and rises of value. Besides the lack of stability of value in Bitcoins, non-supporters of the cryptocurrency argue that the currency is not protected well, according to Erin Negley, Hackers are a problem when it comes to the Bitcoin system; he feels hardly anything was done when hackers hacked into a Bitcoin Market and stole billons of the cryptocurrency. Non-Supporters of the Bitcoin system feel there is a lack of traceable information, so it could be used to act out acts of terror by terrorist. One person who is intrigue with the use of Bitcoin, Judy Walker, says some people feel Bitcoins are a lot safer than credit or debit cards because there is a lot less personal information stored in the records for Bitcoin accounts. Another reason supporters feel that Bitcoins should be more widely used as a worldwide currency is that international transaction, such as sending money to someone in another country, in their opinion is a lot easier and faster using Bitcoins over transferring country by country currency that would have to be transferred into a different currency and cause fees to be charged. Judy Walker is intrigued by the Bitcoin, but she says she would rather stay with the dollar for now. Marc Andreessen, a supporter of Bitcoins, states in his 2014 New York Times article that he feels the Bitcoin is a lot more consumer friendly because of the lack of fees for transfers, that banks would have charged the consumer. He also states in the 2014 New York Times article, He fee ls the use of Bitcoin would bring underdeveloped countries into the modern world when it comes to economical standards set by the first world countries. He also thinks that Bitcoins could help the â€Å"underbanked† citizens in the United States by having lower fees then the conventional banking systems offer. Andressen later states his opinion on an issue that the non-supporters of Bitcoin express, â€Å"Finally, I’d like to address the claim made by some critics that Bitcoin is a haven for bad behavior, for criminals and terrorists to transfer money anonymously with impunity. This is a myth, fostered mostly by sensationalistic press coverage and an incomplete understanding of the technology. Much like email, which is quite traceable, Bitcoin is pseudonymous, not anonymous. Further, every transaction in the Bitcoin network is tracked and logged forever in the Bitcoin blockchain, or permanent record, available for all to see. As a result, Bitcoin is considerably easie r for law enforcement to trace than cash, gold or diamonds.†(Andressen, paragraph 31) There are many different points of views when it comes to the Bitcoin system being used as a worldwide currency. The non-supporters, who feel it should not be used as a worldwide currency, state that the system is not very reliable when it comes to value, and the system is not very secured as nothing was done when billons of Bitcoins were stolen from a Bitcoin market. The supporters, who feel the Bitcoin should be used as a worldwide currency, state that the system is more secure because it does not require information about the consumer to be release to the buyer as that of a debit or credit card would. The supporters also feel that the Bitcoin would make international trading easier, making it easier to send money to family members back in another country, and would help the â€Å"underbanked† citizens of the United States by having lower fees than that of a conventional banking system. The Bitcoin system is a system that does not have a standard to back it up, the value inc reases and decreases rapidly; therefore the system should not be used for a worldwide currency. Annotated Bibliography Andreessen, Marc. Why Bitcoin Matters. New York Times, January 21, 2014, www.nytimes.com. Andreessen discusses the history of the bitcoin from conception to present. The article includes information on what a bitcoin is and how the currency is valued. He gives facts, with information to back those facts up. An obvious plus of this article is that, the author uses both arguments for and against the use of bitcoins virtual cryptocurrency as a worldwide currency; he does use expressive words when discussing the opinions of both sides. Because of the use of opinions in this article, care would be needed to stay unbiased when taking things from this source. This source would be overall an okay source to use for a research paper. CHAFKIN, MAX. CAN BITCOIN CLEAN UP ITS ACT? (Cover Story). Details 33.4 (2015): 94. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. This article is on the virtual cryptocurrency, called Bitcoin. The article goes over the beginnings of the international conference series Coin Congress, the assistance for finances offered by Crypto Currency Partners for bitcoins startup, and plans of hackers. He goes over how the leaders of the bitcoin movement are now being shut out by the elite member of American Society, where at the beginning it was mostly used by hackers, drug dealers, and illegal arms traffickers. This article is okay to use, but the writer of a research paper would need to be carefully when using direct quotes from the article. Matthews, Christopher. Why Economists Are Right to Hate on Bitcoin. Time, January 3, 2014, www.time.com. This article is based around the cons of using Bitcoins as a currency. The author uses financial records and his background in the financial world to show his statements are able to be backed up. He states that businesses would not want to use the bitcoin virtual currency because the currency is not very stable. The currency value dropped 600 dollars in the matter of two days which would have caused any businesses to be on the verge of financial collapse if they had store their revenues in bitcoins. He does state the opposite sides opinions and answers them with his own response. The author does a good job at stating facts and when he says his opinion it is quite obvious that it is an opinion. I believe if the writer of the research paper is careful this would be a good source to use for the research paper. Negley, Erin. Bitcoin basics. Reading Eagle (PA) 01 June 2014: Points of View Reference Center. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. The author explains that bitcoins are a cryptocurrency. He provides an overview of the mining system used for bitcoins. He states that little is done when hackers hack the system, taking billions of the virtual currency known as bitcoins. He provides an overview of the markets used to exchange the cryptocurrency. The article provides both the benefits, that those who agree with the bitcoin virtual currency system uses to support their belief, and the drawbacks, that those who disagree with the bitcoin virtual currency system uses to support their beliefs. The article provides information about where you can use the bitcoins, both in online stores and brick and mortar businesses. He goes over the potential that bitcoins have. He uses very little expressive language in the parts of his article consisting of pure facts, but there are spots where he uses people opinions and those have expressive language in those opinions. He uses facts and opinions used by both sides, those who agree and disagree with the bitcoin system, this would be a great source to use for a research paper. Walker, Judy. Bitcoins: The Future Of Money?. Faces 31.6 (2015): 20. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. The author provides information on bitcoins, and she mentions that bitcoin are a form of money used on online shopping. She later states that bitcoins can be used to exchange for goods and services also at brick and mortar business in everyday life. He also states that some consumers feel better about using bitcoins over credit cards and debit cards, because little information is needed about the consumer. The use of bitcoins also makes international trading easier. The author uses more facts than opinions, but states opinions supporting bitcoins as a virtual currency are stated. A drawback of this source is the lack of opposing views, the author states those opinion that only agree with the use of bitcoin virtual cryptocurrency. This could be a source to use for a paper, however care would be needed to make sure the use of opinions in this article are not transferred to the r esearch paper, as a fact because this would be bias.

The Experimental Film, Fallen Angels Essay -- Movie Film Essays

The Experimental Film, Fallen Angels This experimental film makes use of a variety of camera shots to create a unique story that is at times funny, at times violent, and at times sad. It follows a man and a woman who are business partners; he is a hit man and she tells him the target. They are attracted to each other, but he does not want to start a relationship for fear it will destroy their business relationship. He finds another girl and in the end decides to end the business relationship because his partner can not get over him. He does, however, agree to one more job, where he ends up getting killed by his target. There is also a parallel story of a young man who earns money by annoying people and his relationship with his father and the girl he likes. He helps this girl look for the woman her boyfriend is cheating on her with and then the girl goes back to her boyfriend. In the end he meets the girl whose partner died and they ride off â€Å"into the sunset† on his motorcycle. Although there are two separate storylines that converge in the end, the story seems like it’s prett...

World Literature Essay -- English Literature

World Literature Essay â€Å"The Jane Austen novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is basically concerned with the education of a young heroine† The statement â€Å"The Jane Austen novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is basically concerned with the education of a young heroine† raises many questions. The term education in this context means a journey of ones self rather than a formal schooling education. From the beginning pages of the book the idea of Elizabeth being the heroine is established. Since there are other themes of the novel, themes of love, reputation and class, it can be questioned as to whether the novel is centred on the education of Elizabeth. Darcy is also a major character to the plot of the novel and contains the same faults as Elizabeth so the book could be centred on his journey as well as hers. However, Elizabeth’s education in overcoming her obstacles is a very long one compared to that of Darcy’s In the first three pages of the novel the character of Elizabeth is depicted as a very intellectual character by her father. ‘ â€Å"..they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of a quickness than her sisters.† ’[1] It is clear that Austen introduces and forms such an impression of Elizabeth early in the novel in order to promptly get the reader into the plot and communicate the heroine of the novel. No other character commands the same interest as Elizabeth. Even though Elizabeth is depicted as the heroine, she possesses faults which are very set. The character’s biggest issues lie with pride and prejudice, each one in the way of her conquering the other. Whether the novel is basically concerned with the education with Elizabeth can be questioned as there are other major... ...enguin Books, London 1996. * Williams.M, Jane Austen: Six Novels and Their Methods. Macmillan, London 1986 * Lambert. J, A Text Response Guide to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Wizard Books, Ballarat 1993 * Curtis.T, Get Smart Study Guide: Pride and Prejudice. Science Press, Australia 1999 * Handley.G, Brodies Notes on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, London 1990. --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Penguin Books, London 1996. pp 7 [2]Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Penguin Books, London 1996. pp 36 [3] ibid.,pp33 [4] ibid.,pp57 [5] ibid.,pp309 [6] Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Penguin Books, London 1996. pp21 [7] Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Penguin Books, London 1996. pp 89 [8] ibid.,pp94 [9] ibid., pp 202 [10] ibid., pp 295

Using Material from Item a and Elsewhere Assess the Sociological Explanations for Ethnic Differences in Educational Success

There are many reasons for educational underachievement and it has been said that ethnicity is one of these key factors. It has been found that Indian and Asian pupils are of higher educational achievement than White, African-Caribbean, and Black, Pakistani and Bangladeshi pupils. One possible cause of ethnic differences in education could be at the fault of the education system.To investigate this Sewell conducted a study using semi-structured interviews and observations in an inner-city boys’ comprehensive school, his study revealed the ways in which African-Caribbean students are labelled by their teachers, peers, white students as ‘problems’ in the classroom. Sewell showed how Black boys use these negative perceptions to construct different responses to school based on their own ‘masculine’ images, many of these belonging the anti-school culture, such as conformists, innovators, rebels and retreatists, all in favour of gang culture.However some so ciologists are critical of this study in that they feel Sewell is blaming ‘black-culture’ for the educational failure as opposed to recognising racism within the education system. Another reason for ethnic differences in achievement lies in the school itself. Sociologist Connolly found that teachers are more likely to be overly critical of African-Caribbean pupil’s behaviour due to stereotypical views of their ethnic ways resulting in them being labelled as troublemakers and being in need of stricter discipline.This can therefore lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy of the student whereby they become troublesome in a ‘screw-you’ effect to their teachers. However, as criticism to this Sewell found evidence that not every pupil responded with the self-fulfilling prophecy, and in fact some African-Caribbean students adopted ‘White’ values and behaviours at the expense of losing their African-Caribbean stereotypical identities.There are clearl y definite suggestions as to why certain ethnic groups are underachieving in the education system; however they are reasons as to why some ethnic groups are performing better than others. For example, the home of a pupil is a primary agent in their socialisation and education and this therefore has the biggest impact on the pupil so when at school they will either be handicapped or at an advantage from their upbringing.For example, Modood argued that some ethnic minorities have higher levels of cultural capital, despite often being from a working-class background. Many Indians and Asians originate from working-class backgrounds even though they end up with middle class jobs. These parents therefore place particularly high values on educational success and contain the knowledge and understanding of education to motivate their children and help them to succeed.Strand also investigates ethnicity and achievement in education, he compared the progress of Indian, African-Caribbean and whi te British pupils in their secondary education. Strand found that Indian children made more positive progress than the white British students but African-Caribbean pupils fell even further behind. Strand found the Indian’s success was due to both material and cultural factors such as high aspirations and dedication to homework, low levels of truancy and exclusion and good resources at home such as computers and private tutoring.However there was no evidence that African-Caribbean parents and pupils adopted a culture that would hold them back in their educational success, they had high aspirations and a positive attitude to school. Overall his research found little, if any, difference in the cultural support for education between working-class white and African-Caribbean pupils and so, although there were valid reasons found for the Indian pupils’ success, it was difficult to explain why African-Caribbean pupils were doing less well.These are, in my opinion the most imp ortant factors affecting ethnic differences in educational achievement and although Strand’s research did not come to a clear conclusion as to why African-Caribbean pupils are underachieving it is clear to see that negative stereotypes and material/cultural deprivation are the reasons for their underachievement and the positive labelling and encouragement from parents’ cultural capital is what gives Indian and Asian children an advantage and therefore contributes to their educational success.

Constructivist Approach

I think when a secondry student starts learning new language for the first time in school It is very useful and important that the feeling of freedom of action they were to thought and responds. Consructivist approach is a helpful way to get a new trainee interested in learning English as a second language. When a students begins to learn,they rest and concern whould are not just for remembering and memorizing. unfortunately, in most of our public schools, The teacher was alone as the center of attention And only he is eloquent and the rest of the learning is specific to the subject matter of the book and the examinations and questions include just book content. Even behaviourism has not been implemented, and lack of the build-up,beginners have begun teaching of the same lesson without making innovation and research and thought of students in relation to the culture that they are learning the language and have no participation, their interest It reduces the scope of research in that branch. The teacher is written not only as a guide but as an absolute spokesman who only reads the contents of the book and students have to memorize the word of their words and questions are written without any stimulation of the initiative and the action of students from the concrete content of the curriculum. Dont give them any experience and just impact their behaviour.In this condition reinforcement and punishment is become more important.Student just imitating teacher and learning is done through repititon.They have no volountry to control their reflex to stimulus and response. These students continue to maintain and provide repetitive lessons without learning to take initiative and collaborate with their other classmates, even in the curriculum.The lack of psychological knowledge and no image of the culture of the target language of the teacher leads to the development of students without initiative and interaction.

Chapter 4 Back to the Burrow

The imminent arrival at their house of an assortment of wizards was making the Dursleys uptight and irritable. Uncle Vernon had looked downright alarmed when Harry informed him that the Weasleys would be arriving at five o’clock the very next day. â€Å"I hope you told them to dress properly, these people,† he snarled at once. â€Å"I’ve seen the sort of stuff your lot wear. They’d better have the decency to put on normal clothes, that’s all.† Harry felt a slight sense of foreboding. He had rarely seen Mr. or Mrs. Weasley wearing anything that the Dursleys would call â€Å"normal.† Their children might don Muggle clothing during the holidays, but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley usually wore long robes in varying states of shabbiness. Harry wasn’t bothered about what the neighbors would think, but he was anxious about how rude the Dursleys might be to the Weasleys if they turned up looking like their worst idea of wizards. Uncle Vernon had put on his best suit. To some people, this might have looked like a gesture of welcome, but Harry knew it was because Uncle Vernon wanted to look impressive and intimidating. Dudley, on the other hand, looked somehow diminished. This was not because the diet was at last taking effect, but due to fright. Dudley had emerged from his last encounter with a fully grown wizard with a curly pig’s tail poking out of the seat of his trousers, and Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had had to pay for its removal at a private hospital in London. It wasn’t altogether surprising, therefore, that Dudley kept running his hand nervously over his backside, and walking sideways from room to room, so as not to present the same target to the enemy. Lunch was an almost silent meal. Dudley didn’t even protest at the food (cottage cheese and grated celery). Aunt Petunia wasn’t, eating anything at all. Her arms were folded, her lips were pursed, and she seemed to be chewing her tongue, as though biting back the furious diatribe she longed to throw at Harry. â€Å"They’ll be driving, of course?† Uncle Vernon barked across the table. â€Å"Er,† said Harry. He hadn’t thought of that. How were the Weasleys going to pick him up? They didn’t have a car anymore; the old Ford Anglia they had once owned was currently running wild in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts. But Mr. Weasley had borrowed a Ministry of Magic car last year; possibly he would do the same today? â€Å"I think so,† said Harry. Uncle Vernon snorted into his mustache. Normally, Uncle Vernon would have asked what car Mr. Weasley drove; he tended to judge other men by how big and expensive their cars were. But Harry doubted whether Uncle Vernon would have taken to Mr. Weasley even if he drove a Ferrari. Harry spent most of the afternoon in his bedroom; he couldn’t stand watching Aunt Petunia peer out through the net curtains every few seconds, as though there had been a warning about an escaped rhinoceros. Finally, at a quarter to five, Harry went back downstairs and into the living room. Aunt Petunia was compulsively straightening cushions. Uncle Vernon was pretending to read the paper, but his tiny eyes were not moving, and Harry was sure he was really listening with all his might for the sound of an approaching car. Dudley was crammed into an armchair, his porky hands beneath him, clamped firmly around his bottom. Harry couldn’t take the tension; he left the room and went and sat on the stairs in the hall, his eyes on his watch and his heart pumping fast from excitement and nerves. But five o’clock came and then went. Uncle Vernon, perspiring slightly in his suit, opened the front door, peered up and down the street, then withdrew his head quickly. â€Å"They’re late!† he snarled at Harry. â€Å"I know,† said Harry. â€Å"Maybe – er – the traffic’s bad, or something.† Ten past five†¦then a quarter past five†¦Harry was starting to feel anxious himself now. At half past, he heard Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia conversing in terse mutters in the living room. â€Å"No consideration at all.† â€Å"We might’ve had an engagement.† â€Å"Maybe they think they’ll get invited to dinner if they’re late.† â€Å"Well, they most certainly won’t be,† said Uncle Vernon, and Harry heard him stand up and start pacing the living room. â€Å"They’ll take the boy and go, there’ll be no hanging around. That’s if they’re coming at all. Probably mistaken the day. I daresay their kind don’t set much store by punctuality. Either that or they drive some tin-pot car that’s broken d -AAAAAAAARRRRRGH!† Harry jumped up. From the other side of the living room door came the sounds of the three Dursleys scrambling, panic-stricken, across the room. Next moment Dudley came flying into the hall, looking terrified. â€Å"What happened?† said Harry. â€Å"What’s the matter?† But Dudley didn’t seem able to speak. Hands still clamped over his buttocks, he waddled as fast as he could into the kitchen. Harry hurried into the living room. Loud bangings and scrapings were coming from behind the Dursleys’ boarded-up fireplace, which had a fake coal fire plugged in front of it. â€Å"What is it?† gasped Aunt Petunia, who had backed into the wall and was staring, terrified, toward the fire. â€Å"What is it, Vernon?† But they were left in doubt barely a second longer. Voices could be heard from inside the blocked fireplace. â€Å"Ouch! Fred, no – go back, go back, there’s been some kind of mistake – tell George not to – OUCH! George, no, there’s no room, go back quickly and tell Ron -â€Å" â€Å"Maybe Harry can hear us, Dad – maybe he’ll be able to let us out -â€Å" There was a loud hammering of fists on the boards behind the electric fire. â€Å"Harry? Harry, can you hear us?† The Dursleys rounded on Harry like a pair of angry wolverines. â€Å"What is this?† growled Uncle Vernon. â€Å"What’s going on?† â€Å"They – they’ve tried to get here by Floo powder,† said Harry, fighting a mad desire to laugh. â€Å"They can travel by fire – only you’ve blocked the fireplace – hang on -â€Å" He approached the fireplace and called through the boards. â€Å"Mr. Weasley? Can you hear me?† The hammering stopped. Somebody inside the chimney piece said, â€Å"Shh!† â€Å"Mr. Weasley, it’s Harry†¦the fireplace has been blocked up. You won’t be able to get through there.† â€Å"Damn!† said Mr. Weasley’s voice. â€Å"What on earth did they want to block up the fireplace for?† â€Å"They’ve got an electric fire,† Harry explained. â€Å"Really?† said Mr. Weasley’s voice excitedly. â€Å"Eclectic, you say? With a plug? Gracious, I must see that†¦.Let’s think†¦Ouch, Ron!† Ron’s voice now joined the others’. â€Å"What are we doing here? Has something gone wrong?† â€Å"Oh no, Ron,† came Fred’s voice, very sarcastically. â€Å"No, this is exactly where we wanted to end up.† â€Å"Yeah, we’re having the time of our lives here,† said George, whose voice sounded muffled, as though he was squashed against the wall. â€Å"Boys, boys†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Mr. Weasley vaguely. â€Å"I’m trying to think what to do†¦.Yes†¦only way†¦Stand back, Harry.† Harry retreated to the sofa. Uncle Vernon, however, moved forward. â€Å"Wait a moment!† he bellowed at the fire. â€Å"What exactly are you going to -â€Å" BANG. The electric fire shot across the room as the boarded-up fireplace burst outward, expelling Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, and Ron in a cloud of rubble and loose chippings. Aunt Petunia shrieked and fell backward over the coffee table; Uncle Vernon caught her before she hit the floor, and gaped, speechless, at the Weasleys, all of whom had bright red hair, including Fred and George, who were identical to the last freckle. â€Å"That’s better,† panted Mr. Weasley, brushing dust from his long green robes and straightening his glasses. â€Å"Ah – you must be Harry’s aunt and uncle!† Tall, thin, and balding, he moved toward Uncle Vernon, his hand outstretched, but Uncle Vernon backed away several paces, dragging Aunt Petunia. Words utterly failed Uncle Vernon. His best suit was covered in white dust, which had settled in his hair and mustache and made him look as though he had just aged thirty years. â€Å"Er – yes – sorry about that,† said Mr. Weasley, lowering his hand and looking over his shoulder at the blasted fireplace. â€Å"It’s all my fault. It just didn’t occur to me that we wouldn’t be able to get out at the other end. I had your fireplace connected to the Floo Network, you see – just for an afternoon, you know, so we could get Harry. Muggle fireplaces aren’t supposed to be connected, strictly speaking – but I’ve got a useful contact at the Floo Regulation Panel and he fixed it for me. I can put it right in a jiffy, though, don’t worry. I’ll light a fire to send the boys back, and then I can repair your fireplace before I Disapparate.† Harry was ready to bet that the Dursleys hadn’t understood a single word of this. They were still gaping at Mr. Weasley, thunderstruck. Aunt Petunia staggered upright again and hid behind Uncle Vernon. â€Å"Hello, Harry!† said Mr. Weasley brightly. â€Å"Got your trunk ready?† â€Å"It’s upstairs,† said Harry, grinning back. â€Å"We’ll get it,† said Fred at once. Winking at Harry, he and George left the room. They knew where Harry’s bedroom was, having once rescued him from it in the dead of night. Harry suspected that Fred and George were hoping for a glimpse of Dudley; they had heard a lot about him from Harry. â€Å"Well,† said Mr. Weasley, swinging his arms slightly, while he tried to find words to break the very nasty silence. â€Å"Very – erm – very nice place you’ve got here.† As the usually spotless living room was now covered in dust and bits of brick, this remark didn’t go down too well with the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon’s face purpled once more, and Aunt Petunia started chewing her tongue again. However, they seemed too scared to actually say anything. Mr. Weasley was looking around. He loved everything to do with Muggles. Harry could see him itching to go and examine the television and the video recorder. â€Å"They run off eckeltricity, do they?† he said knowledgeably. â€Å"Ah yes, I can see the plugs. I collect plugs,† he added to Uncle Vernon. â€Å"And batteries. Got a very large collection of batteries. My wife thinks I’m mad, but there you are.† Uncle Vernon clearly thought Mr. Weasley was mad too. He moved ever so slightly to the right, screening Aunt Petunia from view, as though he thought Mr. Weasley might suddenly run at them and attack. Dudley suddenly reappeared in the room. Harry could hear the clunk of his trunk on the stairs, and knew that the sounds had scared Dudley out of the kitchen. Dudley edged along the wall, gazing at Mr. Weasley with terrified eyes, and attempted to conceal himself behind his mother and father. Unfortunately, Uncle Vernon’s bulk, while sufficient to hide bony Aunt Petunia, was nowhere near enough to conceal Dudley. â€Å"Ah, this is your cousin, is it, Harry?† said Mr. Weasley, taking another brave stab at making conversation. â€Å"Yep,† said Harry, â€Å"that’s Dudley.† He and Ron exchanged glances and then quickly looked away from each other; the temptation to burst out laughing was almost overwhelming. Dudley was still clutching his bottom as though afraid it might fall off. Mr. Weasley, however, seemed genuinely concerned at Dudley’s peculiar behavior. Indeed, from the tone of his voice when he next spoke, Harry was quite sure that Mr. Weasley thought Dudley was quite as mad as the Dursleys thought he was, except that Mr. Weasley felt sympathy rather than fear. â€Å"Having a good holiday, Dudley?† he said kindly. Dudley whimpered. Harry saw his hands tighten still harder over his massive backside. Fred and George came back into the room carrying Harry’s school trunk. They glanced around as they entered and spotted Dudley. Their faces cracked into identical evil grins. â€Å"Ah, right,† said Mr. Weasley. â€Å"Better get cracking then.† He pushed up the sleeves of his robes and took out his wand. Harry saw the Dursleys draw back against the wall as one. â€Å"Incendio!† said Mr. Weasley, pointing his wand at the hole in the wall behind him. Flames rose at once in the fireplace, crackling merrily as though they had been burning for hours. Mr. Weasley took a small drawstring bag from his pocket, untied it, took a pinch of the powder inside, and threw it onto the flames, which turned emerald green and roared higher than ever. â€Å"Off you go then, Fred,† said Mr. Weasley. â€Å"Coming,† said Fred. â€Å"Oh no – hang on -â€Å" A bag of sweets had spilled out of Fred’s pocket and the contents were now rolling in every direction – big, fat toffees in brightly colored wrappers. Fred scrambled around, cramming them back into his pocket, then gave the Dursleys a cheery wave, stepped forward, and walked right into the fire, saying â€Å"the Burrow!† Aunt Petunia gave a little shuddering gasp. There was a whooshing sound, and Fred vanished. â€Å"Right then, George,† said Mr. Weasley, â€Å"you and the trunk.† Harry helped George carry the trunk forward into the flames and turn it onto its end so that he could hold it better. Then, with a second whoosh, George had cried â€Å"the Burrow!† and vanished too. â€Å"Ron, you next,† said Mr. Weasley. â€Å"See you,† said Ron brightly to the Dursleys. He grinned broadly at Harry, then stepped into the fire, shouted â€Å"the Burrow!† and disappeared. Now Harry and Mr. Weasley alone remained. â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢bye then,† Harry said to the Dursleys. They didn’t say anything at all. Harry moved toward the fire, but just as he reached the edge of the hearth, Mr. Weasley put out a hand and held him back. He was looking at the Dursleys in amazement. â€Å"Harry said good-bye to you,† he said. â€Å"Didn’t you hear him?† â€Å"It doesn’t matter,† Harry muttered to Mr. Weasley. â€Å"Honestly, I don’t care.† Mr. Weasley did not remove his hand from Harry’s shoulder. â€Å"You aren’t going to see your nephew till next summer,† he said to Uncle Vernon in mild indignation. â€Å"Surely you’re going to say good-bye?† Uncle Vernon’s face worked furiously. The idea of being taught consideration by a man who had just blasted away half his living room wall seemed to be causing him intense suffering. But Mr. Weasley’s wand was still in his hand, and Uncle Vernon’s tiny eyes darted to it once, before he said, very resentfully, â€Å"Good-bye, then.† â€Å"See you,† said Harry, putting one foot forward into the green flames, which felt pleasantly like warm breath. At that moment, however, a horrible gagging sound erupted behind him, and Aunt Petunia started to scream. Harry wheeled around. Dudley was no longer standing behind his parents. He was kneeling beside the coffee table, and he was gagging and sputtering on a foot-long, purple, slimy thing that was protruding from his mouth. One bewildered second later, Harry realized that the foot-long thing was Dudley’s tongue – and that a brightly colored toffee wrapper lay on the floor before him. Aunt Petunia hurled herself onto the ground beside Dudley, seized the end of his swollen tongue, and attempted to wrench it out of his mouth; unsurprisingly, Dudley yelled and sputtered worse than ever, trying to fight her off. Uncle Vernon was bellowing and waving his arms around, and Mr. Weasley had to shout to make himself heard. â€Å"Not to worry, I can sort him out!† he yelled, advancing on Dudley with his wand outstretched, but Aunt Petunia screamed worse than ever and threw herself on top of Dudley, shielding him from Mr. Weasley. â€Å"No, really!† said Mr. Weasley desperately. â€Å"It’s a simple process it was the toffee – my son Fred – real practical joker – but it’s only an Engorgement Charm – at least, I think it is – please, I can correct it -â€Å" But far from being reassured, the Dursleys became more panic- stricken; Aunt Petunia was sobbing hysterically, tugging Dudley’s tongue as though determined to rip it out; Dudley appeared to be suffocating under the combined pressure of his mother and his tongue; and Uncle Vernon, who had lost control completely, seized a china figure from on top of the sideboard and threw it very hard at Mr. Weasley, who ducked, causing the ornament to shatter in the blasted fireplace. â€Å"Now really!† said Mr. Weasley angrily, brandishing his wand. â€Å"I’m trying to help!† Bellowing like a wounded hippo, Uncle Vernon snatched up another ornament. â€Å"Harry, go! Just go!† Mr. Weasley shouted, his wand on Uncle Vernon. â€Å"I’ll sort this out!† Harry didn’t want to miss the fun, but Uncle Vernon’s second ornament narrowly missed his left ear, and on balance he thought it best to leave the situation to Mr. Weasley. He stepped into the fire, looking over his shoulder as he said â€Å"the Burrow!† His last fleeting glimpse of the living room was of Mr. Weasley blasting a third ornament out of Uncle Vernon’s hand with his wand, Aunt Petunia screaming and lying on top of Dudley, and Dudley’s tongue lolling around like a great slimy python. But next moment Harry had begun to spin very fast, and the Dursleys’ living room was whipped out of sight in a rush of emerald-green flames. Chapter 4 Back to the Burrow The imminent arrival at their house of an assortment of wizards was making the Dursleys uptight and irritable. Uncle Vernon had looked downright alarmed when Harry informed him that the Weasleys would be arriving at five o’clock the very next day. â€Å"I hope you told them to dress properly, these people,† he snarled at once. â€Å"I’ve seen the sort of stuff your lot wear. They’d better have the decency to put on normal clothes, that’s all.† Harry felt a slight sense of foreboding. He had rarely seen Mr. or Mrs. Weasley wearing anything that the Dursleys would call â€Å"normal.† Their children might don Muggle clothing during the holidays, but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley usually wore long robes in varying states of shabbiness. Harry wasn’t bothered about what the neighbors would think, but he was anxious about how rude the Dursleys might be to the Weasleys if they turned up looking like their worst idea of wizards. Uncle Vernon had put on his best suit. To some people, this might have looked like a gesture of welcome, but Harry knew it was because Uncle Vernon wanted to look impressive and intimidating. Dudley, on the other hand, looked somehow diminished. This was not because the diet was at last taking effect, but due to fright. Dudley had emerged from his last encounter with a fully grown wizard with a curly pig’s tail poking out of the seat of his trousers, and Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had had to pay for its removal at a private hospital in London. It wasn’t altogether surprising, therefore, that Dudley kept running his hand nervously over his backside, and walking sideways from room to room, so as not to present the same target to the enemy. Lunch was an almost silent meal. Dudley didn’t even protest at the food (cottage cheese and grated celery). Aunt Petunia wasn’t, eating anything at all. Her arms were folded, her lips were pursed, and she seemed to be chewing her tongue, as though biting back the furious diatribe she longed to throw at Harry. â€Å"They’ll be driving, of course?† Uncle Vernon barked across the table. â€Å"Er,† said Harry. He hadn’t thought of that. How were the Weasleys going to pick him up? They didn’t have a car anymore; the old Ford Anglia they had once owned was currently running wild in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts. But Mr. Weasley had borrowed a Ministry of Magic car last year; possibly he would do the same today? â€Å"I think so,† said Harry. Uncle Vernon snorted into his mustache. Normally, Uncle Vernon would have asked what car Mr. Weasley drove; he tended to judge other men by how big and expensive their cars were. But Harry doubted whether Uncle Vernon would have taken to Mr. Weasley even if he drove a Ferrari. Harry spent most of the afternoon in his bedroom; he couldn’t stand watching Aunt Petunia peer out through the net curtains every few seconds, as though there had been a warning about an escaped rhinoceros. Finally, at a quarter to five, Harry went back downstairs and into the living room. Aunt Petunia was compulsively straightening cushions. Uncle Vernon was pretending to read the paper, but his tiny eyes were not moving, and Harry was sure he was really listening with all his might for the sound of an approaching car. Dudley was crammed into an armchair, his porky hands beneath him, clamped firmly around his bottom. Harry couldn’t take the tension; he left the room and went and sat on the stairs in the hall, his eyes on his watch and his heart pumping fast from excitement and nerves. But five o’clock came and then went. Uncle Vernon, perspiring slightly in his suit, opened the front door, peered up and down the street, then withdrew his head quickly. â€Å"They’re late!† he snarled at Harry. â€Å"I know,† said Harry. â€Å"Maybe – er – the traffic’s bad, or something.† Ten past five†¦then a quarter past five†¦Harry was starting to feel anxious himself now. At half past, he heard Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia conversing in terse mutters in the living room. â€Å"No consideration at all.† â€Å"We might’ve had an engagement.† â€Å"Maybe they think they’ll get invited to dinner if they’re late.† â€Å"Well, they most certainly won’t be,† said Uncle Vernon, and Harry heard him stand up and start pacing the living room. â€Å"They’ll take the boy and go, there’ll be no hanging around. That’s if they’re coming at all. Probably mistaken the day. I daresay their kind don’t set much store by punctuality. Either that or they drive some tin-pot car that’s broken d -AAAAAAAARRRRRGH!† Harry jumped up. From the other side of the living room door came the sounds of the three Dursleys scrambling, panic-stricken, across the room. Next moment Dudley came flying into the hall, looking terrified. â€Å"What happened?† said Harry. â€Å"What’s the matter?† But Dudley didn’t seem able to speak. Hands still clamped over his buttocks, he waddled as fast as he could into the kitchen. Harry hurried into the living room. Loud bangings and scrapings were coming from behind the Dursleys’ boarded-up fireplace, which had a fake coal fire plugged in front of it. â€Å"What is it?† gasped Aunt Petunia, who had backed into the wall and was staring, terrified, toward the fire. â€Å"What is it, Vernon?† But they were left in doubt barely a second longer. Voices could be heard from inside the blocked fireplace. â€Å"Ouch! Fred, no – go back, go back, there’s been some kind of mistake – tell George not to – OUCH! George, no, there’s no room, go back quickly and tell Ron -â€Å" â€Å"Maybe Harry can hear us, Dad – maybe he’ll be able to let us out -â€Å" There was a loud hammering of fists on the boards behind the electric fire. â€Å"Harry? Harry, can you hear us?† The Dursleys rounded on Harry like a pair of angry wolverines. â€Å"What is this?† growled Uncle Vernon. â€Å"What’s going on?† â€Å"They – they’ve tried to get here by Floo powder,† said Harry, fighting a mad desire to laugh. â€Å"They can travel by fire – only you’ve blocked the fireplace – hang on -â€Å" He approached the fireplace and called through the boards. â€Å"Mr. Weasley? Can you hear me?† The hammering stopped. Somebody inside the chimney piece said, â€Å"Shh!† â€Å"Mr. Weasley, it’s Harry†¦the fireplace has been blocked up. You won’t be able to get through there.† â€Å"Damn!† said Mr. Weasley’s voice. â€Å"What on earth did they want to block up the fireplace for?† â€Å"They’ve got an electric fire,† Harry explained. â€Å"Really?† said Mr. Weasley’s voice excitedly. â€Å"Eclectic, you say? With a plug? Gracious, I must see that†¦.Let’s think†¦Ouch, Ron!† Ron’s voice now joined the others’. â€Å"What are we doing here? Has something gone wrong?† â€Å"Oh no, Ron,† came Fred’s voice, very sarcastically. â€Å"No, this is exactly where we wanted to end up.† â€Å"Yeah, we’re having the time of our lives here,† said George, whose voice sounded muffled, as though he was squashed against the wall. â€Å"Boys, boys†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Mr. Weasley vaguely. â€Å"I’m trying to think what to do†¦.Yes†¦only way†¦Stand back, Harry.† Harry retreated to the sofa. Uncle Vernon, however, moved forward. â€Å"Wait a moment!† he bellowed at the fire. â€Å"What exactly are you going to -â€Å" BANG. The electric fire shot across the room as the boarded-up fireplace burst outward, expelling Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, and Ron in a cloud of rubble and loose chippings. Aunt Petunia shrieked and fell backward over the coffee table; Uncle Vernon caught her before she hit the floor, and gaped, speechless, at the Weasleys, all of whom had bright red hair, including Fred and George, who were identical to the last freckle. â€Å"That’s better,† panted Mr. Weasley, brushing dust from his long green robes and straightening his glasses. â€Å"Ah – you must be Harry’s aunt and uncle!† Tall, thin, and balding, he moved toward Uncle Vernon, his hand outstretched, but Uncle Vernon backed away several paces, dragging Aunt Petunia. Words utterly failed Uncle Vernon. His best suit was covered in white dust, which had settled in his hair and mustache and made him look as though he had just aged thirty years. â€Å"Er – yes – sorry about that,† said Mr. Weasley, lowering his hand and looking over his shoulder at the blasted fireplace. â€Å"It’s all my fault. It just didn’t occur to me that we wouldn’t be able to get out at the other end. I had your fireplace connected to the Floo Network, you see – just for an afternoon, you know, so we could get Harry. Muggle fireplaces aren’t supposed to be connected, strictly speaking – but I’ve got a useful contact at the Floo Regulation Panel and he fixed it for me. I can put it right in a jiffy, though, don’t worry. I’ll light a fire to send the boys back, and then I can repair your fireplace before I Disapparate.† Harry was ready to bet that the Dursleys hadn’t understood a single word of this. They were still gaping at Mr. Weasley, thunderstruck. Aunt Petunia staggered upright again and hid behind Uncle Vernon. â€Å"Hello, Harry!† said Mr. Weasley brightly. â€Å"Got your trunk ready?† â€Å"It’s upstairs,† said Harry, grinning back. â€Å"We’ll get it,† said Fred at once. Winking at Harry, he and George left the room. They knew where Harry’s bedroom was, having once rescued him from it in the dead of night. Harry suspected that Fred and George were hoping for a glimpse of Dudley; they had heard a lot about him from Harry. â€Å"Well,† said Mr. Weasley, swinging his arms slightly, while he tried to find words to break the very nasty silence. â€Å"Very – erm – very nice place you’ve got here.† As the usually spotless living room was now covered in dust and bits of brick, this remark didn’t go down too well with the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon’s face purpled once more, and Aunt Petunia started chewing her tongue again. However, they seemed too scared to actually say anything. Mr. Weasley was looking around. He loved everything to do with Muggles. Harry could see him itching to go and examine the television and the video recorder. â€Å"They run off eckeltricity, do they?† he said knowledgeably. â€Å"Ah yes, I can see the plugs. I collect plugs,† he added to Uncle Vernon. â€Å"And batteries. Got a very large collection of batteries. My wife thinks I’m mad, but there you are.† Uncle Vernon clearly thought Mr. Weasley was mad too. He moved ever so slightly to the right, screening Aunt Petunia from view, as though he thought Mr. Weasley might suddenly run at them and attack. Dudley suddenly reappeared in the room. Harry could hear the clunk of his trunk on the stairs, and knew that the sounds had scared Dudley out of the kitchen. Dudley edged along the wall, gazing at Mr. Weasley with terrified eyes, and attempted to conceal himself behind his mother and father. Unfortunately, Uncle Vernon’s bulk, while sufficient to hide bony Aunt Petunia, was nowhere near enough to conceal Dudley. â€Å"Ah, this is your cousin, is it, Harry?† said Mr. Weasley, taking another brave stab at making conversation. â€Å"Yep,† said Harry, â€Å"that’s Dudley.† He and Ron exchanged glances and then quickly looked away from each other; the temptation to burst out laughing was almost overwhelming. Dudley was still clutching his bottom as though afraid it might fall off. Mr. Weasley, however, seemed genuinely concerned at Dudley’s peculiar behavior. Indeed, from the tone of his voice when he next spoke, Harry was quite sure that Mr. Weasley thought Dudley was quite as mad as the Dursleys thought he was, except that Mr. Weasley felt sympathy rather than fear. â€Å"Having a good holiday, Dudley?† he said kindly. Dudley whimpered. Harry saw his hands tighten still harder over his massive backside. Fred and George came back into the room carrying Harry’s school trunk. They glanced around as they entered and spotted Dudley. Their faces cracked into identical evil grins. â€Å"Ah, right,† said Mr. Weasley. â€Å"Better get cracking then.† He pushed up the sleeves of his robes and took out his wand. Harry saw the Dursleys draw back against the wall as one. â€Å"Incendio!† said Mr. Weasley, pointing his wand at the hole in the wall behind him. Flames rose at once in the fireplace, crackling merrily as though they had been burning for hours. Mr. Weasley took a small drawstring bag from his pocket, untied it, took a pinch of the powder inside, and threw it onto the flames, which turned emerald green and roared higher than ever. â€Å"Off you go then, Fred,† said Mr. Weasley. â€Å"Coming,† said Fred. â€Å"Oh no – hang on -â€Å" A bag of sweets had spilled out of Fred’s pocket and the contents were now rolling in every direction – big, fat toffees in brightly colored wrappers. Fred scrambled around, cramming them back into his pocket, then gave the Dursleys a cheery wave, stepped forward, and walked right into the fire, saying â€Å"the Burrow!† Aunt Petunia gave a little shuddering gasp. There was a whooshing sound, and Fred vanished. â€Å"Right then, George,† said Mr. Weasley, â€Å"you and the trunk.† Harry helped George carry the trunk forward into the flames and turn it onto its end so that he could hold it better. Then, with a second whoosh, George had cried â€Å"the Burrow!† and vanished too. â€Å"Ron, you next,† said Mr. Weasley. â€Å"See you,† said Ron brightly to the Dursleys. He grinned broadly at Harry, then stepped into the fire, shouted â€Å"the Burrow!† and disappeared. Now Harry and Mr. Weasley alone remained. â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢bye then,† Harry said to the Dursleys. They didn’t say anything at all. Harry moved toward the fire, but just as he reached the edge of the hearth, Mr. Weasley put out a hand and held him back. He was looking at the Dursleys in amazement. â€Å"Harry said good-bye to you,† he said. â€Å"Didn’t you hear him?† â€Å"It doesn’t matter,† Harry muttered to Mr. Weasley. â€Å"Honestly, I don’t care.† Mr. Weasley did not remove his hand from Harry’s shoulder. â€Å"You aren’t going to see your nephew till next summer,† he said to Uncle Vernon in mild indignation. â€Å"Surely you’re going to say good-bye?† Uncle Vernon’s face worked furiously. The idea of being taught consideration by a man who had just blasted away half his living room wall seemed to be causing him intense suffering. But Mr. Weasley’s wand was still in his hand, and Uncle Vernon’s tiny eyes darted to it once, before he said, very resentfully, â€Å"Good-bye, then.† â€Å"See you,† said Harry, putting one foot forward into the green flames, which felt pleasantly like warm breath. At that moment, however, a horrible gagging sound erupted behind him, and Aunt Petunia started to scream. Harry wheeled around. Dudley was no longer standing behind his parents. He was kneeling beside the coffee table, and he was gagging and sputtering on a foot-long, purple, slimy thing that was protruding from his mouth. One bewildered second later, Harry realized that the foot-long thing was Dudley’s tongue – and that a brightly colored toffee wrapper lay on the floor before him. Aunt Petunia hurled herself onto the ground beside Dudley, seized the end of his swollen tongue, and attempted to wrench it out of his mouth; unsurprisingly, Dudley yelled and sputtered worse than ever, trying to fight her off. Uncle Vernon was bellowing and waving his arms around, and Mr. Weasley had to shout to make himself heard. â€Å"Not to worry, I can sort him out!† he yelled, advancing on Dudley with his wand outstretched, but Aunt Petunia screamed worse than ever and threw herself on top of Dudley, shielding him from Mr. Weasley. â€Å"No, really!† said Mr. Weasley desperately. â€Å"It’s a simple process it was the toffee – my son Fred – real practical joker – but it’s only an Engorgement Charm – at least, I think it is – please, I can correct it -â€Å" But far from being reassured, the Dursleys became more panic- stricken; Aunt Petunia was sobbing hysterically, tugging Dudley’s tongue as though determined to rip it out; Dudley appeared to be suffocating under the combined pressure of his mother and his tongue; and Uncle Vernon, who had lost control completely, seized a china figure from on top of the sideboard and threw it very hard at Mr. Weasley, who ducked, causing the ornament to shatter in the blasted fireplace. â€Å"Now really!† said Mr. Weasley angrily, brandishing his wand. â€Å"I’m trying to help!† Bellowing like a wounded hippo, Uncle Vernon snatched up another ornament. â€Å"Harry, go! Just go!† Mr. Weasley shouted, his wand on Uncle Vernon. â€Å"I’ll sort this out!† Harry didn’t want to miss the fun, but Uncle Vernon’s second ornament narrowly missed his left ear, and on balance he thought it best to leave the situation to Mr. Weasley. He stepped into the fire, looking over his shoulder as he said â€Å"the Burrow!† His last fleeting glimpse of the living room was of Mr. Weasley blasting a third ornament out of Uncle Vernon’s hand with his wand, Aunt Petunia screaming and lying on top of Dudley, and Dudley’s tongue lolling around like a great slimy python. But next moment Harry had begun to spin very fast, and the Dursleys’ living room was whipped out of sight in a rush of emerald-green flames.