Charles Wade Barkley Essays - McDonalds High School All-Americans

Charles Wade Barkley Essays - McDonalds High School All-Americans Charles Wade Barkley Charles Wade Barkley is an American Professional Basketball Player, known to fans as "Sir Charles". He was born in Leeds, Alabama and later attended Auburn University where he started basketball and was named Basketball Player of the Year in the South Eastern Conference. He left college in the same year (1984) to be a part of the NBA. Charles Barkley was a top scorer and rebounder in the NBA. He worked hard to be in the NBA and had many awards like the NBA Player of the Month Award and the Most Valuable Player Award in the NBA . He was also a member of the "American Dream Team" that won a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Leigh Montville reports in Sports Illustrated that {Barkley now ranks fifth in the NBA and is trying to get better every day. Barkley showed that he was still one of the NBA's best . After contemplating retirement in the offseason, Barkley stayed in the Phoenix Suns and was as good as ever, particularly in the second half of the campaign. He already ranked second in the NBA Playoff history with 456 rebounds. Barkley is also the shortest player in the NBA in rebounding.} Barkley's fans are crazy about him and don't care what he thinks of them, they still like him and want him to be the best. They know Barkley has a kind heart and is a pretty good person deep down. Rick Reilley, author of Sports Illustrated, Feb. 1993 in his report said that {Barkley doesn't even think about his fans, but they do care about him and think of him a lot. Barkley spares nothing and no one. He offers no apologies. He always thinks that he's right and doesn't care what anyone else thinks about him. After all this, he has the kind of fans no one else probably had. They could probably even risk their lives for him.} One of the severe injuries Charles got was off his back. Neff Craig says in Sports Illustrated that {because his back was vulnerable, he had problems playing and was even considering retirement for the season. He had a hard time with it until he got over it by having a surgery and by undertaking a program of stretching and weight training.} Barkley says "You don't have to be perfect to be a good role model and people shouldn't expect perfection". He says "We all don't choose to be role models, we are chosen. Our only choice is to be a good role model or a bad one". He also surprisingly said that he loves being a good role model and tries to be a positive one. Karl Malone in an article "One Role Model to Another" of Sports Illustrated reports that {Charles Barkley is a kind of a person who doesn't care what people think of him. He said "There are days when I don't want to pose for a picture with every fan I run into, when I don't feel like picking up babies and giving them hugs and kisses. Those are the days when I just try to steer clear of the public. I know what's right or wrong and I know what I am doing". He doesn't want people to mind his business, he wants them to mind theirs.} Neff Craig in Sporting News reported that {Barkley honors his teammates. He says that it's true his relationship with his teammates has eventually soured, but says that he has always been a player's player, a teammate's teammate. Charles says "I would always be there for them no matter if they be there for him or not". He honors Magic Johnson, and in the 1991-92 season, he switched his uniform numbers from 34 to 32 in honor of him getting retired from the NBA contracting HIV.} I would never knock someone for saying what he thinks of me or someone else. If Charles doesn't consider himself a role model, that's certainly his right. But I think he's a role model and a good one too. Charles is a very good and innocent person deep down. The thing I like most about him is that he doesn't really care what people think of him, he's not scared of anyone and has the guts to knock someone out just because he thinks the person is showing off. He is pretty good with almost all of his teammates and tries to be even better. He is one of my best

MCAT Fee Assistance Program (FAP)

MCAT Fee Assistance Program (FAP) When you find yourself interested in medical school, and as such, the MCAT exam, but also find yourself a little lacking in the funds necessary  to get you there, then the AAMC offers you a way to get what you want without the hefty price tag attached: The Fee Assistance Program or FAP. Below, youll find out the basics about the Fee Assistance Program, the benefits of the program and the ways to obtain assistance if you qualify. Read on for the details before you register! Fee Assistance Basics The AAMC started the Fee Assistance Program to help those students who wanted to apply to medical school with the American Medical School Application Service (AMCAS) or take the MCAT, but couldnt do so because the cost of both was too prohibitive. Medical schools that accept the AMCAS, also decided to help those applicants out, too. Students who have received aid from the AAMC through the Fee Assistance Program, often get their application fees waived, too. Bonus! Benefits So, what exactly is offered with the Fee Assistance Program? Starting on January 2, 2014, recipients of the FAP will get the following: A reduction in the MCAT registration feeA reduction in the MCAT rescheduling fee if it is requiredA free copy of the MCAT prep book, The Official Guide to the MCAT Exam (worth about $30)A free authorization code to The Official MCAT Self-Assessment package (worth about $104).Free admission to MSAR (Medical School Admission Requirements), a suite of guides to help students prepare for medical school and the application process (worth about $22)A waiver for all AMCAS fees for up to 15 medical schools (worth about $650) Please keep in mind that these benefits are not retroactive. For example, if youve taken the MCAT and wish to apply to medical schools and have your fees waived, even if you are accepted into the FAP, your MCAT registration fees will not be refunded. They do, however, last five years. So, if youre thinking of taking the MCAT, but youre unsure about when youd like to apply to medical school, go ahead and apply for FAP if you think youll qualify because you have time to make your decision before your benefits run out. Eligibility With benefits as fantastic as those, obviously, everyone cannot qualify. So, what are the qualifications for the program? The AAMC considers the Department of Health and Human Services poverty level guidelines when making their fee assistance decisions. If your familys income is 300%  or less of the poverty level for the previous year for your family size, then you will be automatically approved for fee assistance. You must also be a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident (LPR) of the United States (Green Card holder), or have been granted refugee/asylum status by the U.S. government. Obtaining Assistance If you believe youre eligible for assistance, then youll need to fill out an FAP application, providing the following information: Personal information: Your financial information (adjusted gross income and non-taxable income). Youll include your spouses financial information if applicable, as well.Parental information: Your parents financial information (adjusted gross income and non-taxable income) regardless of whether youre dependent or not and regardless of your age. The only time you will not provide this information is if your parents are deceased.Supporting documentation: Tax filers must provide a copy of their Federal Income Tax Forms (1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, etc.) for the previous calendar year. Non-tax filers are required to provide copies of W-2 forms for the previous calendar year. Students whose primary source of support was educational aid/scholarships must provide a copy of their Financial Aid Award Letter.Cover letter: You and your parents must print and sign the FAP Supporting Documentation Cover Letter. The AAMC requests that you allow approximately 15 days for final FAP decisions. Submitting Your Application Ready to apply? Complete your FAP application here!

Compare the ethical views of Aristotle and Aquinas ( Editing, writing Essay

Compare the ethical views of Aristotle and Aquinas ( Editing, writing the final draft) - Essay Example The life is of three types; the life that was mentioned, the contemplative life and the political life (Aristotle 8). Aquinas also agrees with Aristotle on what entails a noble task and highest good. Aquinas claims that external acts, the product of activity and the activity are considered as the highest goods. The other types of goods that Aquinas pointe out are the acts of reasoning and understanding. Both the philosophers place substantial importance to external goods and say that external goods are the highest quality of good activities. These goods are very vital for a person to perform well. Both Aristotle and Aquinas agree that every person can be a good judge of himself. According to Aristotle (5), a person can competently judge the items he knows. The judge has to be trained in that particular field in order to pass judgment. According to Aquinas (168), a judge can examine a witness and find ways to acquit the innocent individual. Aquinas also comments on the competence of the judge and says that if the judge is unable to give the required judgment, the person being judged can be remitted to the higher court. Aristotle and Aquinas propose similar philosophy in the area of virtuous actions and virtues. Aristotle defined virtue as a balance point that lies between the minimum and the maximum quantity of a train. Aristotle (39) says that in virtue, knowledge has little significance and it is the repeated acts of self-control and justice that can lead to the possession of values. Virtue brings out the good thing itself of which the good thing is the excellence. Virtue also results in excellences to perform assigned functions in a nice way (Aristotle 41). Virtue entails actions and emotions and actions consist of deficiency, excess and median. Success and praise constitute the signs of excellence or virtue (Aristotle 43). Knowledge brings no benefit to a deficient and morally weak person. The person pursues his or her interests under the

Technology ethis in the classroom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Technology ethis in the classroom - Essay Example When computers are properly utilized, they can be good tools for education, as well as an investment. Everyday, schools, as well as teachers and students, are reliant on computers in the performance of everyday activities. Teachers can use them in recording student grades, as well as the reception and sending of mail. The individual can use them to create, store, and manage critical information. Therefore, they must be protected from loss, misuse, and damage. For instance, school districts are expected to ensure that a student’s information regarding learning problems, grades, attendance rates, and personal data is protected from loss and maintains confidentiality (Barcalow et al 1). While the use of the internet has significantly revolutionized communication, as well as provided new educational tools for student learning, it has also come with risks and raised ethical issues for all students in different grades (Sandler 1). This has also made for various opportunities for ill egal and inappropriate behavior, as well as behaviors that are deemed unsafe for the students. More K-12 educators, progressively, have come to appreciate the urge and importance of utilizing the internet for instructions, as well as teaching and familiarizing the students with knowledge and critical thinking skills required for production of responsible citizens in and out of school. Some school districts have successfully completed the incorporation of internet safety and security lessons into their curricular, in preparing students from every grade for responsible and ethical behavior when operating online. I would proceed to implement security through teaching students to raise questions on the reliability and authenticity of websites that they access (Sandler 1). The learners need to be provided, as well as permitted to utilize specific websites for research purposes. Additionally, the students need to be provided by a protocol set for which they are required to follow if somet hing that they find appropriate appears on the computer screen. Most of the cover news on issues that have to do with internet safety and security issues are mainly focused on the young learners and, for this reason, it is vital to begin education efforts aimed at this (Conway 1). I would encourage the implementation of web usage education immediately the learners begin using computer technology. Learners and students in the first two grades need to be taught to on application and use of passwords and why this needs to be kept secret. I would also create copyrights with students using agreements in the classroom, as well as parents signing acceptable policies for use that regulate the use of technology in school. The usage of the web would incorporate acceptable policies of use that need to be the first line of defense in order to avert unlawful and insecure use of technology resources in the school (Conway 1). The technology policy must be reliable with in comparison with policies used for other resources that relate to the school, replicating the school’s goals and mission. Three ethical practices would be implemented in the classroom. For one, it would be essential to solicit parent involvement. Not only the learners and tutors will be targeted by internet safety and security education (Vance 1). It is important for school districts to hold, at schools, internet safety rights for both students

The Research Methodology Essay Example for Free

The Research Methodology Essay The Research Methodology The descriptive survey method of research was utilized in this study. A survey questionnaire was used to gather all the needed data. Information regarding the profiles of the respondents (student and the enrollment personnel), the status of the existing enrollment in terms of its resources used (personnel involved, machines and equipment, procedures and forms used), the problems encountered by the customers in the existing enrollment system were analyzed. The results of the study were served asa an input for management review and action plan. Fig.1 Flow of the Study Input -status of the existing enrollment process, problems encountered in the existing enrollment system Process -analysis of information base on the survey questionnaire, statistical computation, and interpretation Output -inputs for management review and action plan Environment Fig.2 Location Map of Cebu Technological University This study was conducted in CTU-Main Campus located along the corners of R. Palma Street and M.J. Cuenco, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines 6000. There are four (4) colleges of the campus: College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education, College of Engineering, and College of Technology. Together with the colleges are the enrollment stations namely: Clinic, NSTP (first year), PTA, MIS, EDPO, Cashier, and Registrar. Respondents The respondents of this study were the customers of the enrollment process of the school, both the student and the personnel assigned for the enrollment process with the four (4) colleges of the school. Table 1 Distribution of Respondents Instrument This study used the research-made questionnaire to gather data that could provide the needed information. Procedure Gathering Data Random sampling method was used in gathering the data. Students belong to the day and night programs were also considered to determine the appropriate sample size and a 5% margin of error was used. The sample was drawn using the Slovins Formula. Scoring Procedure To facilitate the computation of the weighted mean, each weight was assigned to the scale eith its corresponding verbal description. a. On the Respondents Self-Assessment as to their knowledge of the equipments used b. On the Respondents Perception regarding the existing system c. On Possible Problems encountered in the existing enrollment system

The Fish Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"The Fish†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Poems to me are an expression of a person’s outlook on a particular scene or subject. By reading a poem a person can be enlightened and take an understanding of what they are actually reading. In â€Å"The Fish†, I personally was caught up in all the excitement because I know what it feels like to catch a really gigantic fish. This poem, to me, shows an outlook on nature that I have always been accustomed to. In writing poems there is a whole category of tools and techniques you can use to make the poem great instead of mediocre. In this poem, to me imagery plays a very big role. When you read the poem the imagery lets you not only think about what you are reading but also it lets you actually see it in your head. Another tool used in the poem is personification. It can help the author do so much more explaining than the usual. Personification in this poem is just as important as the use of imagery is. Also, the ideas/themes of this poem are very cru cial as well to make it a very good poem. When Elizabeth Bishop put all of these tools together she made â€Å"The Fish† what it is today, a great poem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The use of imagery in this poem had to be used in just the right way. If it was not used properly then the poem could have lost all meaning and understanding, making the poem pretty much useless. When Bishop uses lines like this the imagery is shown very well. â€Å"Here and there his brown skin hung in strips l...

Disclosure Analysis Paper

Individual – Disclosure Analysis Paper ACC 422 Intermediate Financial Accounting II February 25, 2013 Toys â€Å"R† Us, Inc. is the company that I will analyze. To analyze the disclosures of the company’s financial statement is important because it allows one to understand the position of the company. Toys â€Å"R† Us is one largest in the world toy retailers offering a selection of toys and baby products for families around the world. For more than 60 years, Toys â€Å"R† Us has been an all-time favorite for kids and grown-ups with many kinds of toys, games, learning aids, electronics, apparel and furniture.Merchandise is sold in 872 Toys â€Å"R† Us and Babies â€Å"R† Us stores in the United States and Puerto Rico and in more than 645 international stores and over 150 licensed stores in 35 countries and jurisdictions (About Toy â€Å"R† Us Corporate). One category to analyze is cash and cash equivalents which are the most liq uid current assets. On the statement of cash flows, cash has a much broader definition than just seeing it as cash on hand and cash in the bank. It cash equivalents plays an important role within. Cash equivalents are short-term investments that are easily converted to cash but treated like cash.In the third quarter, Toys â€Å"R† Us showed $2. 3 billion of liquidity which included cash and cash equivalents of about $399 million and available lines of credit that totals about $1. 9 billion. The amount of cash used in the operating activities totaled to $449 million which was lower than the previous year (About Toy â€Å"R† US Corporate). Toy â€Å"R† Us along with other companies is responsible for disclosing components of cash and cash equivalents along totals from the cash flow statement with the equivalent items showing in the balance sheet.Extraordinary items, interest and dividends, taxes on income and foreign currency cash flows and non-cash transaction sh ould be disclosed separately. Accounts receivable is another short-term liquid asset that results from credit sales to customers. Credit is offered to increase sales, uncollectible accounts associated with credit sales should be charged as expenses in the period in which the sales are made. A small number of customers account for a large share of Toy â€Å"R† US net sales and accounts receivable. Toy â€Å"R† Us receivables in 2012 are $236 million. Total current receivables make up 4. 6 percent of total assets for the year.Accounts and other receivables consist primarily of receivables from vendor allowances and consumer credit card and debit card transactions. The accounts receivable turnover compares the level of receivables with sales. Its allowance for doubtful accounts reduced to 2. 9 million in fiscal year 2011 to 2012. Toy â€Å"R† Us capital expenditure plays a major role of it long term toy and juvenile strategy (Toys â€Å"R† Us, Inc. ). By the end of the quarter the company had about $2 billion of liquidity, including cash and cash equivalents of about $6 million and unused available for lines of credit totaling $1 billion.Inventory is another current asset of a company. Inventory represents items held for resale that will go into the manufacturing of goods to be sold. Toy â€Å"R† Us financial disclosures states that the inventory balances of $3,551 on October 27, 2012 and $2,232 million on January 28, 2012. This financial disclosure wants investors to know that inventory on this statement were at completion. Toys â€Å"R† Us offers customers the Toys R Us Credit Cards, both by GE Capital Retail Bank.Toy â€Å"R† Us maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure and maintain information that is required to be disclosed in the financial reporting. The purpose of the disclosures notes to the financial reporting presents information which cannot be presented on income statemen t, balance sheet and statement of cash flows. Analyzing the disclosures contained within the notes to the financial statements is mainly conducted in order to identify the company financial performances, such as, cash and cash equivalents, receivables and its inventory.Toy â€Å"R† Us wants to be committed to maintaining and conducting its business with integrity ensuring that each asset, liability, expense and other transaction are disclosed accurately. The disclosure analysis defines whether or not the company under analysis is a good or bad investment for the company interested in acquisition (ehow. com). References Kieso, D. E. , Weygandt, J. J. , & Warfield, T. D. (2010). Intermediate accounting (13th ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. About US – Toy â€Å"R† Us Corporate, retrieved February 25, 2013 from http://www. toysrusinc. com How to Write a Disclosure Analysis Paper | eHow. com

Compare and Contrast Pi and Chuck

Josh Monsi English 12/4 Ms. Rock 29 November 2012 There is not one key to survival; no it’s more like the key ring to survival. The first key I want to talk about is strength, but there is more to strength then just the physical strength there is also a need for emotional strength. â€Å"Its life’s only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. † Martel, Yann. â€Å"56. †Ã‚  Life of Pi: A Novel. New York: Harcourt, 2001. 203. Print. This is why the mastery of fear can help you survive.Love which is almost an exact opposite of fear but goes hand in hand with hope; alas there are many forms of love that can bring about the needs to survive, this helps Pi and Chuck near the end of the trials. Knowing you are at the top, or that you are the alpha gives you strength and courage to carry on, both Chuck and Pi need to come to this realization in order to survive. This key ring of characteristics does not stop here; I have only a chosen a select few. Although both Pi and Chuck survived they accomplished this feat using the same characteristics but in a unique way differing from the other.Emotional and physical strength will determine your ability to survive as it did in the stories of Pi and Chuck. â€Å"†¦ without mercy. Not caring if we're healthy or ill. Hungry or drunk. Russian, American, beings from Mars. It's like a fire, it could either destroy us or it could keep us warm. †. Castaway. Dir. Robert Zemeckis. Perf. Tom Hanks. 20th Century Fox, 2000. DVD. This quote is from the movie Castaway and in a way explains what the lack of physical and emotional strength can do to you. First the physical side of strength, this characteristic helped Pi and Chuck with the physical challenges they faced.Pi's first major struggle was with hunger; this burden took most if not all of Pi's strength. The hunger lead Pi to do things and eat things he would have never done in his life if he were not in this situation where he had no other choic e. Chuck had a different first physical challenge, this challenge affected him quite a lot in his story and it was physical injuries; constantly he was getting cut by his tools or getting hurt by things he was trying to build, but in any case he was getting hurt and cutting down on his physical strengths.Though these trials are different they both needed physical strengths to overcome their challenges. Emotional strain can cause a person to lose the will to survive or even the will to live. This is more clearly shown when chick is thinking about suicide, his emotional strength was done he no longer had the will to live. Pi didn’t struggle with the thought of suicide like Chuck but instead he emotionally struggled with death. From the ship that went down with his family to the lifeboat with slaughtered animals this all must have been an emotional shock to a boy who cannot even kill a fish without tears.Though the trials of their physical and emotional strengths were different hey both had the strength needed to survive. Strength played another important role in both of their stories when they needed to step up and be the alpha male. â€Å"I had to devise a training program for Richard Parker’s had to make him understand that I was the top tiger and that his territory was limited†¦ †Martel, Yann. â€Å"58. †Ã‚  Life of Pi: A Novel. New York: Harcourt, 2001. 211.Print Pi and Chuck both show the characteristic of being an alpha male, but at the same time show a weakness to something that might be stronger. In the quote above it talks about Pi when he is starting to train Richard Parker the lion, peeing on the boat, and blowing his whistle are a few of the ways that he marks his territory and lets him know he is the alpha. Chuck on the other hand there is not doubt he is alpha, alone on an island he has total control nothing to fear but there is one thing still holding him in place.So in order to survive you need to be an alpha male and both of these characters eventually by the end of survival overcome these two antagonists holding them back. With Pi his antagonist is Richard Parker, but soon he marks his territory and trains Richard Parker and it’s easier sailing from there. Chucks antagonist was the waves; the waves held him back when he tried to escape and left him in fear until he finally had the courage and resources to try again. In both stories the characters survive because they were able to overcome these obstacles and truly be the alpha in their certain situations.A big part that they had to overcome on their path to being alpha was the fear of the task; fear plays an immense role in the story of survival for these two. â€Å"Fear next turns to your body†¦ your jaw begins to gallop on the spot. Your ears go deaf. Your muscles begin to shiver as if they had malaria and your knees to shake as though they were dancing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Martel, Yann. â€Å"56. †Ã‚  Life of Pi: A Novel. Ne w York: Harcourt, 2001. 203. Print. The fear that Pi has is the same fear that chuck has, though the fear may come in a different form it is something they both have to overcome.One of the reasons these two are able to survive is because of their fear, the fear of pain, of death, this fear is what helps them to push on and survive. Pi describes fear almost like a disease the way it affects you, this fear almost led chuck to suicide and this fear almost influenced Pi to give up his hope. By being able to surpass this fear and suppress it as well chuck doesn’t give up hope and he is soon rewarded by a piece of trash that will help him overcome and pass through that seemingly impenetrable wall of water blocking his escape.For Pi his fear was of living on a raft with a 450 pound killing machine and with good reason, but by overcoming his fear not only is he able to survive but train the tiger as well in order to survive more comfortable. Fear was a necessary characteristic that t hese two needed in order to survive, but they needed another characteristic to have a ying and yang effect and help them progress, which was love. â€Å"I just want to love God† Martel, Yann. â€Å"23. †Ã‚  Life of Pi: A Novel. New York: Harcourt, 2001. 87.Print, Pi’s love for God helped him understand his trial and that he would just needed to be patient and have hope. I say this about pi to show how love can help you survive; he learned through his love of God to appreciate the little things that did go right and to deal with the big things that went wrong. Chuck had a similar love but this love was for his fiance, he wanted to return to her and he used the wanting to push him to live and to survive. Now fear has the effect for one to be afraid of death or pain; love on the other hand helps a person look at their life and learn to love it.This love of life is just as powerful as the fear of death, these two characteristics make them want to survive and even at the same time help them to survive. This unbeatable mix of characteristics helped Pi stay on a small boat even though death was feet away in striped fur, and it was this same two characteristics that froze Chucks feet in place when he wanted to jump of the cliff and end his life. Even though love may seem like one small key on a big key ring it can help you survive longer than the strongest man without love.This key ring is not complete, I have selected only a few of the keys that Chuck and Pi needed to survive. Their Mental and Physical strength may have faltered at times but they didn’t stop, they didn’t give in to the doubt that filled their minds and they pushed through their trials headstrong. They proved their strength by becoming the alphas; they took the obstacles in their way and faced them head on having the courage to take risk that could end their lives. They feared, they feared the end and were not ready for it to come and they used fear to push them to t he limits.They loved thought they loved for different reasons they still loved, Pi with his love of God and Chuck with his love of women pushed through and survived to the end. Although their trials may have been different these two characters utilized the same characteristics to help them overcome their challenges and survive. Knowing that they survived it almost makes you think about your own future and your own set of characteristics, and in a way makes you want to go out there and try to survive and see if you really have what it takes; to be an mentally and physically strong, to be the alpha, to fear death, to love life, but ultimately to survive.

5 Reasons the New SAT Changes Arent Revolutionary

5 Reasons the New SAT Changes Aren't Revolutionary SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Today the makers of the SAT test announced some changes coming up in the next few years to focus better on academic skills. The changes were supposed to come in 2015 originally, but due to some bugs, they were delayed until at least 2016. Even today, a precise launch date isn't set yet. The purported changes include reducing emphasis on vocabulary, making the essay optional, changing from a 2400 scale to 1600, and eliminating the guessing penalty, and more. What does this mean for you? Aside:Considering taking the new SAT? Check out our guides to deciding, whether you got ahigh scoreor a low one. The short answer is: less than you think. Here's why: 1. New Scoring System or Old Scoring System? One of the major changes is a shift from 2400 points to 1600 total. Seems like a drastic change? Well, the 1600 system used to be the old system until year 2005. This isn't so much a "new change" insomuch as it's a reversion to the old way of doing things. And eliminating a pure writing section to be reading and math again? We saw that before 2005 too! This isn't a surprise to SAT experts. Many colleges have been reluctant to accept the 2400 system. Most colleges downweight the writing section, and some colleges throw away the writing score altogether. The College Board has learned their lesson that cramming a writing score down the mouths of students and colleges isn't the way to go. A turn to the 1600 system isn't so much a major step forward as much a reversion to older times and older strategies. 2. No Guessing Penalty? That makes no difference! The SAT makers announced today that the guessing penalty will be eliminated from the SAT. It turns out that mathematically this makes no real difference on the way you take the test. This isn't mere speculation, but a proven Statistics 101 fact. The intuition behind the proof is that even now there is no real guessing penalty to begin with: even in the current SAT, there is no expected statistical loss if you make a completely random guess! We'll post more about the proof later, and what you can do to take advantage of the new system, but take our words on it there's no change at all to meaningful guessing tactic. 3. Less Vocabulary? This has been the trend already. Did you hear that the new SAT won't be chock full of rare words (esoteric, inscruable, recondite, etc)? While this gives academics a topic to argue about (how important are difficult words in assessing education), it doesn't mean that much for the student. This has been the way the SAT has been trending for years. In fact, most of the power of vocabulary for the SAT was neutralized when the SAT decided to get rid of analogies in 2005. Before 2005, analogies and vocabulary used to dominate the SAT and form the large majority of skill tested in the reading section. The reduction of vocab on the SAT is more symbolic than practical. Practically speaking, rare words have been on the decline for years. And don't pack up your index cards yet: the SAT will still target vocab to some extent, but more towards words that are used in college courses like "synthesis and "empirical". 4. Optional Essay? Optional if you don't want to impress colleges. Supposedly the new essays are going to be optional. Some people have even called this "dropping the essay from the SAT." This is far from true if the past is any indicator. In reality, the colleges that students apply to will decide what's optional and what's not. What's technically optional optional paper may not be optional in reality. For example, back in 2005, not only were essays optional, the entire writing section was optional! You know what happened? A large number of universities requested the writing section anyway. In the end, all students had to take the "optional" writing section in order to have a shot at these universities. Sure, so go ahead and make the essay optional. But until colleges stop requesting them, new students will still do well by studying for an essay. 5. Real Changes? Look at history. This isn't the first time the makers of the SAT said they were going revolutionize the SAT. Did you know major changes were announced in 2005, 1994, and regularly before that even? Of course, some of the smaller details and strategies will change, and the ecosystem, including us at PrepScholar will adapt to that. To hail this as fundamentally revolutional would be to take these announcements too far though. How do you prepare for this new test? We at PrepScholar Online SAT Prep are always keeping abrest of the latest changes, and in the next few months we'll be talking about some tactical and strategy changes that students will have to make for the SAT. If you're interested subscribe to our blog to the right to keep updated! Other Posts You May Like: Should you take the new SAT or old SAT? A Breakdown of the New SAT - the Complete Guide Want to Improve your SAT score?

Language Functions in English

Language Functions in English A language function explains why someone says something. For example, if you are teaching a class youll have to give instructions. Giving Instructions is the language function. Language functions then require certain  grammar. To use our example, giving instructions requires the use of the imperative. Open your books.Insert the DVD into the drive.Purchase your ticket online. There is a wide range of language functions. Here are examples of guessing, expressing wishes and persuading- all language functions.   Guessing He might be busy today.She must be at work if shes not at home.Maybe shes got a new boyfriend! Expressing Wishes I wish I had five million dollars!If I could choose, Id buy the blue car.  Id like to have a steak, please.   Persuading I think youll find our product is the best you can buy.Come on, lets go have some fun! What can it hurt?If you give me a moment, I can explain why we should do this deal. Thinking about which language function youd like to use helps you learn phrases used to accomplish these tasks. For example, if you want to make a suggestion youll use these phrases: How about ...Lets ...Why dont we ...Id suggest we ... Using Language Function in Your Learning Its important to learn correct grammar such as the tenses, and when to use relative clauses. However, if you think about it, its probably just as important to know why you want to say something. What is the purpose? What is the language function? Teaching Language Functions Teaching language functions can lead to confusion at times as its common to use a wide range of grammatical structures for each function. For example, when expressing wishes students might use the present simple (I want ...), conditional sentences (If I had the money, I could ...), the verb wish for past and present wishes (I wish I had a new car / I wish she had come to the party), and so on. When teaching, its best to mix language functions with grammar. Provide functional language as students are ready to learn. In the example above, using I wish I could go to the party will likely confuse lower level students. On the other hand, Id like to go to the party or I want to go to the party is appropriate for lower level classes.   Generally speaking, the more advanced a student becomes the more they will be able to explore language and improve increasingly subtle functional demands. Heres a short overview of some of the most important language functions by level. Students should be able to accomplish each task by the end of the course. Naturally, students should also master language functions of lower levels: Beginning Level Expressing likesDescribing people, places, and thingsAsking yes / no and information questionsComparing people, places, and thingsOrdering food in a restaurantExpressing abilities Intermediate Level Making predictionsComparing and contrasting people, places, and thingsDescribing spatial and time relationsRelating past eventsExpressing opinionsShowing preferences  Making suggestionsAsking for and giving adviceDisagreeing  Asking for a favor Advanced Level Persuading someoneGeneralizing about topicsInterpreting dataHypothesizing and speculatingSummarizing  Sequencing a presentation or speech Grammar-Based Learning or Function-Based Learning? Some courses try to focus on only functional based English. However, I find these courses fall short as the focus is often on NOT speaking about grammar. Unfortunately, students need explanations. Focusing only on function can turn into an exercise of just memorizing specific phrases for specific situations. Mixing the two gradually as students improve their understanding of the underlying grammar will help students put appropriate phrases into use to obtain their functional goals.

A Rose For Emily Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Rose For Emily - Essay Example She was even able to keep Homer around despite her odd behavior. Emily was an outsider. Not only did she hide herself behind her decrepit house, but she hid herself behind her attitude that suggested that nothing was amiss in her life. She gave off an attitude in hopes of being admired by the townspeople. However, both her house and attitude would suggest the kind of woman that Emily was: sheltered, aged beyond her years, barely able to stand on her own too feet, much like her house on its foundation. Despite this, though, Emily requires attention, mainly from men. She ignores her neighbors and the community until Homer comes along, fulfilling her needs. Emily was also a necrophiliac, having a sexual attraction to dead bodies, which could have developed after her father’s dead body was properly disposed of. Having everything that she loved constantly taken from her, it is almost unsurprising that she would keep Homer’s body long after his death. She did not want yet ano ther of her loved possessions removed from her. The arsenic that she had bought prior to Homer’s arrival, which never made an appearance again in the story, could assumed to have been the cause of Homer’s death.