Saturday, December 28, 2019

French Expressions Using Soir and Soirée

The French words un soir and une soirà ©e both mean evening (we explain the difference here) and are also used in many expressions. Many of the expressions including soir  and soirà ©e  are idioms — phrases with meanings that cant be derived from a direct translation of the words they use. With this list of expressions using soir  and  soirà ©e,  you can learn how to say frequently used sayings like an  evening meal, a night owl, formal wear and more. Common French Expressions With Soir à   prendre matin midi et soirto be taken three times a dayau soir de sa vieto be in the evening of his lifeles cours du soirnight classesà ªtre du soirto be a night owlIl est arrivà © un beau soir.He turned up one evening.le repas du soirevening mealune robe du soirevening gownle soir descend / tombeevening is closing inla veille au soirthe previous eveningVoulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir  ?Do you want to sleep with me tonight? Common French Expressions Using Soire bonne soirà ©ehave a nice eveningune soirà ©eparty, evening performanceune soirà ©e dansantedance​la tenue de soirà ©eformal wear, evening dressla tenue de soirà ©e de rigueurblack tie

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Essay on Red Lobsters Ethical Dilemma - 2438 Words

Red Lobsters Ethical Dilemma - Term Paper Gerry Mullen, CEO of Red Lobster restaurants, has been faced with a dilemma. He recently received an email from Terry Modotti, Vice President for Public Relations concerning the lobster retrieval in La Mosquitia, also known as the Mosquito Coast. The article states that many of the young working men are being killed and maimed to make lobsters available at cheap process to consumers in the United States. The men, known as buzos, must dive up to 130 feet for lobster, and face dangerous decompression sickness which begins with paralysis and ends in a slow death. This is due to the fact that there are no medical or decompression facilities on the boats, and there is also no equipment to aid†¦show more content†¦Another disadvantage of implementing this option would be that net earnings would decrease due to a decrease in consumers, and shareholders will be angered by the decreasing figures of the company. With all of the negativity being placed upon the company as a resul t of this option, a bad light would be shown on the CEO and the company, especially since Gerry is relatively new. Since there are clearly more disadvantages than advantages for Gerry and Red Lobster by exercising this option, I would advise Gerry to further pursue other options. Another option with which Gerry could investigate would be for Red Lobster to offer to pay a higher price for lobster to boat companies in the Mosquito Coast in order for the divers to receive a higher salary cut. A possible advantage to this is that it would provide a better living environment for the divers. It is stated in the article that after the sacabuzos (middlemen), boat captains, and fish processors take their share of the money, what remains for the buzos is a mere $2 per pound of lobster fetched. Within a two week time period, this rate will amount to about $300. If the divers are trying to support families, $300 for two weeks is quite meager. By increasing the price that Red Lobster is wi lling to pay for wholesale lobster, the divers will benefit considerably due to a higher salary. Another advantage to a higher salary would mean that more individuals would be inclined to become divers,

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Abnormal Psychology for Alzheimer Disease and Vascula-myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theAbnormal Psychology for Alzheimer Disease and Vascula. Answer: Neurocognitive Disorder Due To Alzheimer's Disease In the neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimers disease the patients cognitive domains like learning and memory are impaired. There are two types of cognitive disorders like major and minor (Solomon et al., 2014). No cerebrovascular diseases can be found in the medical history. When the disorder is major the patients everyday activities are interfered. The decline in memory is gradually progressive. Generally the age of average people to get affected by this disease is 80 and men survive up to 4.2 years and women 5.7 years (Mentalhealth.com, 2017). Agnosia and Apraxia are common in the disease. Vascular Neurocognitive Disorder This is a neurocognitive disorder due to disruptions in brains blood supply (Elementsbehavioralhealth.com, 2017). The decline of the cognitive happens in fluctuating or stepwise course and there are improved stable period in between unlike the gradual progression neurocoginitive disorder due to Alzheimers disease. Generally grows in a rapid speed after a stroke. History of other cerebrovascular diseases can be found in the medical history. This disorder can be experienced in any age, however the severity increases after the age of 65 and common survival period is 4 years(Mentalhealth.com, 2017). According to Konrth et al, the treatment of Alzheimers disease sees promises in the ICHE Cholinesterase inhibitors drugs as the enzyme proves to be effective. In this drugs quaternary beta-carboline, huperzine, lycorine and aporphyrin alkaloids are used. These chemical groups are generally used in the clinical phase of Alzheimers diseases symptomatic treatment however the researchers are considering changed course and mechanism are being considered. The A oligomers in relationship with enzyme cholinesterase are the source with increased density and subsequesnt neuron disposition. In the conventional practice of treatment Galantamine or Physostigmine alkaloids are used. During the course of Alzheimers, the researchers have been investigating some natural alkaloids in order to identify the changes. Like Triterpene which is a steroidal alkaloid and promotes inhibition of non competitive type, benzylisoquinoline and aporphyrin are isoquinolines that are non competitive and beta carboline s are non competitive (Sun, Jin lin, 2012). On the other hand Huperzine alkaloids such as lycopodium and quinolizidine alkaloids promote inhibition of competitive nature, lycorine, galantamine, physostigmine, monoterpenes and indole alkaloidsa re competitive compounds (Len , Garcia Marco-Contelles, 2013).The authors claim that among so many competitive and non competitive compounds, the huperzine is selective, potent and reversible. This was successfully applied in organophosphate poisoning, myasthenia gravis and schizophrenia. The successful trail of Huperzine resulted in improved in short term memory. However its toxic effects have to be minimized in order to make it more effective. There are other issues related to Huperzine its limited ability to overcome blood brain barrier and it is highly selective. Further detail research and trial will enhance its possibility. According to McGuinnes et al, Allele APOE ?4 expresses the apolipoprotein E subtypes action which is highly potential to effectively link between NPs and A oligomers. GSK 3beta activities can also be increased by it and this can cause tau protein like hyperphosphorylation and NFTs are formed. This protein subtype statines is capable of reducing A plaque formation. This drug is significantly effective in the treatment of Alzheimers disease because of its lipid lowering power. This specialty of Statins makes it a multi target drug. In certain cases of dementia the researchers have found evidences that this subtype reduces systematic cholesterol. The brains cholesterol level can a;lso be controlled by the Statins mechanism which results in reduced NFTs. The physicians have been using Stanits in increased number after it showed positive results in the patients. The Alzheimers patients have been experiencing lower level of dementia after using this drug for a certain period. This drug has also shown signs of crossing the brain blood barrier in more successful manner that other drugs. The usage can also improve the CNS circulation Loci. Howver there are only limited investigations has been observed dutring the course of Alzheimers which successfully makes it the most effective prevetion. Above that if it is applied for a continuous lng period to te Alzheimers patients , it might shows hepatic impairment. The Rhabdomyolysis risk can be increased as well and there are laso safety issues assoviated with the use of Statins. The researchers have conducted a meta analysis and nineteen observational studies to determine the drugs longitudinal and cross sectional actions. The cross sectional observation demonstrates that Statins are really eff ective drugs. The results have also highlighted that Statins is capable of reducing various forms of dementia among Alzheimers disease patients. Feng and Wang (2012) researchers have found that during the course of Alzheimers disease, the oxidative stress causes serious problems for the victims and increases the severity. The NFT or NP progression and increased inflammatory process are enhanced by some glicidic, protein or lipid oxidation. This generally happens prior to pathophysiological treatment. This leads the researchers focus on the antioxidants as a potential preventive element in the Alzheimers disease. They investigated the antioxidant compounds that are capable of treating the preventing the Alzheimers disease. The antioxidant compounds are likely to resist Alzheimers pathophysiological course and hold that capability of reducing the ROS or reactive oxygen species. The a-tacopherol of the vitamin E has gain much attention among the researchers as an effective anti oxidant compound capable of bringing the desired successes. Over a period of 4 years during the treatment course of Alzheimers disease this vitamin E sub stance has shown the evident of lowering the development of Alzheimers. The multiple trials have shown the result between 2.5 and 4.0 fold. However, not many investigations have been done to measure its great potential to become an adjunct of the treatment. Selegiline is another drug that has shown positive sign in the treatment of Alzheimers. the behavior and mood of the Alzhiemers patients have been improved by this drug. This result has been concluded from evaluating by 12 researchers in 8 different trials. Another meta analysis related to the use of the Selegiline has shown that there is also an improvement in the victims memory. The antioxidant qualities and capability of increasing blood circulation of Ginkgo Biloba demonstrated significant result in the treatment of Alzheimers disease. This can also resist synapses reduction and can increase the neurotrophic production related to Alzheimers neuronal apoptosis. This is the reason that the drug is capable of improving the behav ioral qualities by reducing the A induction of the Alzheimers patients. However the researchers have also found that the drug is capable of causing several side effects during the application especially when used during the anticoagulation therapy. There are other antioxidant compounds found in the antioxidants that have demonstrated potentiality in Alzheimers treatment, like Carotenoids of Vitamin C, Omega 3, Vitamin B12, resveratrol, glutathione and palmatine alkaloids. Reference Feng, Y., Wang, X. (2012). Antioxidant therapies for Alzheimer's disease.Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity,2012. Konrath, E. L., Passos, C. D. S., Klein?Jnior, L. C., Henriques, A. T. (2013). Alkaloids as a source of potential anticholinesterase inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology,65(12), 1701-1725. McGuinness, B., O'hare, J., Craig, D., Bullock, R., Malouf, R., Passmore, P. (2013). Cochrane review on Statins for the treatment of dementia.International journal of geriatric psychiatry,28(2), 119-126. Neurocognitive Disorder Due To Alzheimer's Disease. (2017).Mentalhealth.com. Retrieved 30 August 2017, from https://www.mentalhealth.com/home/dx/dementiaalzheimer.html Solomon, A., Mangialasche, F., Richard, E., Andrieu, S., Bennett, D. A., Breteler, M., ... Skoog, I. (2014). Advances in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.Journal of internal medicine,275(3), 229-250. Sun, X., Jin, L., Ling, P. (2012). Review of drugs for Alzheimer's disease.Drug discoveries therapeutics,6(6), 285-290. Understanding Vascular Neurocognitive Disorder. (2017).Addiction Treatment | Elements | Drug Rehab Treatment Centers. Retrieved 30 August 2017, from https://www.elementsbehavioralhealth.com/health-2/understanding-vascular-neurocognitive-disorder/ Vascular Neurocognitive Disorder. (2017).Mentalhealth.com. Retrieved 30 August 2017, from https://www.mentalhealth.com/home/dx/dementiainfarct.html

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Lenovos Operations free essay sample

Abstract Leno does all the operations from the cargo to the assembly production, from the product-sells to the post-sale service. This has helped company realize the large scale production and cost efficiency. In sales aspect, the company provides many kinds of purchases and the marketing channels. The customer can directly get the product through the on-line purchase or buy in-directly at large retail stores. These features have helped Leno grow its business and now it is considered the worlds second-largest PC vendor. Physical Distribution Market Exposure For most of us its nearly impossible to go a day without touching a notebook computer. Fast-moving technology has rendered the PC a commodity. Product features are not the differentiator they used to be. A brands emotional connection with the customer and time-to-market advantages are becoming the ultimate gig. An ideal market exposure makes a product available widely enough to satisfy target customers needs but not exceed them and too much exposure only increases the total cost of marketing. We will write a custom essay sample on Lenovos Operations or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As some product classes require much less market exposure than others. A marketing campaign that provides good marketing exposure is one hat has a high profile. I believe that Leno uses Selective Distribution in selling through only those intermediaries who gives their products special attention. Distribution Customer Service and Direct/lenience Channels Customers dont care how a product was moved or stored or what channel was used to provide it, rather they only think in terms of how rapidly and dependably a firm can deliver what they want. If you want to buy a new Leno computer and the store you went to doesnt have it on hand, youre most likely to buy it elsewhere or switch to some other brand so it is very important for a firm to have the products available or he sale will be lost which adds up to immense loss. Leno distributes through both direct and indirect channels. They have direct-to-customer e-selling option of placing orders by customers on their website and indirect selling of its products through wholesales, retailers and other specialists. Specialization makes the distribution channel more efficient and Leno takes full advantage because trained salesmen can provide in-depth product information to the customers. Additionally specialist channels provide Leno crucial information about customer needs and insights into differences in the current market trends. Wholesalers/Retailers In the USA large Retailers like Walter, Best Buy, Staples, Amazon, Buy. Com, B, Circuit City, Compass, Frys electronics, JR, Disrespect. Com, newest. Com, micrometer. Com Office Depot, and Officemate. At present, Cost is the only wholesaler that Leno sells through. Leno has an extensive network of business partners who are also available to help the customers choose from a range of PCs, accessories and unique technologies. Some of these local resellers in Delaware are Wagon Technology Group, Secure Data Computer Solutions, Inc. , and Hypertext USA. Discrepancies and Separations Sometimes the assortment and quantity of products customers want can be different from the assortment and quantity of products companies produce. Most of the time a customer may need more than Just a laptop or a desktop in order to complete a task, they may also need the accessories to go with the product and usually they dont want to shop for each item separately. In order to pursue this, Leno has enhanced their website and product availability to be a one-stop shop where customers can buy a large range of accessories and upgrades along with Laptops, Tablets, Ultrasound, etc. Laptop bags, speakers, keyboard and mice, software, printers, projectors, servers, storage devices, cameras and scanners are some of the accessories that are widely available on its website for purchase. Leno has a wide range of cheaper to high end models prices for separations of products. Special coordination, parent organization, channel, and supply chain To enable more accurate and timely recording of its sales of Leno products a secure website is provided to facilitate reporting. Leno authorizes its resellers to report weekly sales ND inventory through either the Web tool or via Electronic Data Interchange (DE) and no other forms of reporting is being accepted. Their Purchase orders, shipping reports, and other paper documents are being replaced with computerized DE. Improved information flow and better coordination of physical distribution activities is a key reason for success. Coordinating all of the elements of distribution is a challenge and trying to coordinate orders, inventory, and transportation throughout the whole supply chain is even tougher and EDI offers access to up-to-date information that the company requires. Transportation requirements In an effort to minimize Lenos climate change impact and reduce its carbon footprint, Leno uses local manufacturing facilities in the Americas, Europe and Asia, as well as the lowest carbon shipping methods via truck, rail or sea where possible. Leno is working closely with its shipping partners to ship products responsibly by certified EPA Smarty program for implementing fuel efficient shipping standards. Leno has shifted 7% of its products that are transported by air to ocean transport to minimize environmental impacts related to shipping. Maintaining the right inventory level is often difficult when its hard to foresee the likely demand of a product. Stockpiling allows producers and intermediaries to keep stocks at convenient locations ready to meet customers needs. A convenient location and access to workers with the right skills were critical factors that led Leno to build its first in-house U. S. Distribution and assembly facility in Withiest, N. C. , Just outside Greensboro which also handles reverse logistics. Wave Systems Corp.. And SEED International Holdings are also some of the global distributors that Leno partners with. Reverse Channels Leno has Joined hands with Greenness and RESEARCH, reverse logistics companies, to manage its reverse logistics process. These collaborations provide a dedicated alternate sales channel for their refurbished and take-back products that will not cannibalize Lenos new product sales channels. These channels provide Leno with facilities and processes like brokering, refurbishing, reselling, dismantling, recycling, disposal services, returns and recalls regardless of their geographic location. This is a strategic advancement towards providing cost effective and environmentally responsible return or recalls service. Lenos efficient returns management is rapidly gaining foresight to strengthen their leadership position. New Courses of Action One of the things that I would like Leno to excel is making laptops and ultrasound with increased protection of personal data and safety. These portable devices are prone to theft and certainly theft cases involving these have increased over the past few years to an extent that 1 in 10 laptops will be stolen within its lifetime. It is advised not leave these devices in car at parking lots. Thefts can also occur while traveling at airports, hotels, rental cars, and conference events.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Computers Essays (140 words) - Classes Of Computers,

What ia a computer it is a desk top or a laop top and they have really pocket size computers from little screens to real big screen. how many computers do you have I have 4 to 5 different computers. What is the differneces between a desktop and a laptop computer a Laptop you can take with you and a desktop you cannot a desktop the screen is seperate and on the laptop it is attached and the mouse is attached on a laptop and on a desktop it is seperate and on a laptop the keyboard is attached and on a desktop it is seperate and the speakers are attached on a laptop and on a desktop they are seperate. On both the screen can be big or small and the printer is seperate on both laptop and desktop.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Types of Digital Storage

Types of Digital Storage Free Online Research Papers Types of Storage While many types of storage exist today, one should strive to choose which type of storage is best for the situation. Some types of storage are hard disk, floppy disk, RAM, CD ROM, tape, and flash or jump Drive. While each type of storage is a type of storage that a person can be use to save personal or profession data not all storage devices are the same. This paper will attempt to explain the different type of storage. First, one should know the difference between secondary and main memory. Secondary storage also referred to as the auxiliary storage that holds information and software programs when the computer operator is not using the data. Secondary storage is more stable than the computer’s main memory, retaining information and software programs even with the computer powered off. Main memory also called primary storage refers to the physical memory that the computer retains inside the computer. The computer can only use information that is in the main memory bank. As a result, all software programs that the computer implements and all folders that are used are first copied from a secondary storage device into the computers main memory. Hard disk A hard disk is a magnetic disk used to store data from a computer. The expression hard is used to make a distinction the disk from a floppy disk. A hard disk can also referred to as the hard drive of a computer. The hard drive holds more data and is faster than a floppy disk when accessing saved data. The maximum storage for a floppy disk is 1.4 megabytes where the maximum storage for a hard drive can be 10 gigabytes and up. In most cases, hard drives are not as mobile as a floppy disk, even though detachable hard drives are in existence today. Floppy disk A floppy disk like the hard disk is also a magnetic disk used to store data from a computer. A floppy disk is made-up of a thin and floppy magnetic disc encased in a protective plastic shell. The floppy disk though convenient is easy to destroy or contaminate the data on the disk. The disk sometimes fails for no apparent reason and if the computer user has not backed up the data on the disk, they lose all information saved. The floppy disk has become increasingly obsolete since the invention of flash drives. RAM Random access memory (RAM) requires electrical energy to maintain the stored data. The expression random therefore, refers to the thought that every section of data can be returned in a timely manner, despite the position of the data or if data is connected to the preceding portion of information. The acronym RAM is mainly instructions or data that can be temporarily stored memory but that lose their contents if the current is turned off or disrupted (Stair Reynolds, 2006, p. 51). CD ROM Compact Disc Read-only Memory (CD ROM) is a disc that can contain information data a user can access but is not able to write information to the disc (2008). CD ROMs can store different types of data from music, games, and even software programs. Even though CD ROMs are a good source for receiving data, they cannot store any data unless they are rewriteable. Tape Two different forms cartridge or a cassette knows magnetic tape also called tape storage. The tape storage most common use is to perform backup of a large amount of information either nightly or on a weekly basis. Tape storage is generally low costing and has long shelf life making it the storage device of choice for a business. Tape drives allow for access of data in the sequence that the information was saved to the tape, while the hard drive that allows for random access to saved information. Tape drives are slower since they have to spend a large amount of time winding the tape to read they piece of data. Flash or Jump Drive Jump or Flash drive is a portable storage device integrated with a Universal Serial Bus (USB). Most operating systems support plug and play devices making the jump drive a popular choice for data storage. Jump or flash drives allow the user to backup files, store programs, music, and photos. The jump or flash drive is compact, allows for faster retrieval of files, holds extensive data and is rewriteable. The jump or flash drive has little or no moving parts making the drive more dependable. Since most computers manufactured today do not have, a floppy drive installed, and USB ports appear on almost any computer and laptop that are manufactured today. In conclusion, after researching the different types of storage devices the jump or flash drive seems to be the one that is growing to be the most widely used for storage. The jump drives allows for easier access to stored information. The jump or flash drive is easier to carry from place to place with out the fear of damage to the data. References (2008). Glossary of Terms . Retrieved October 12, 2008, from stiltonstudios.net/glossary.htm Stair, R. M., Reynolds, G. W. (2006). Fundamentals of Information Systems (3rd ed.). (M. Mendelsohn, Ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Thomson Course Tech Research Papers on Types of Digital StorageIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThree Concepts of PsychodynamicInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesResearch Process Part OneThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseOpen Architechture a white paperThe Project Managment Office SystemNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceEffects of Television Violence on Children

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Renaissance Humanism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Renaissance Humanism - Essay Example Bernini captures the essence of the story of Apollo and Daphne because of the actions and reactions of the characters in the sculpture and because of the items in it that altogether provide the emotions and meanings of the original story. Apollo lovingly grabs Daphne. He is running after her, so he is in the movement of a running man. It shows his desperation because of his passionate love for her. Daphne, however, hates Apollo and calls help from his father. Her face is a frantic plea for her father to save her from Apollo. She reaches up to prevent Apollo from touching her and she becomes a tree during this process. Her hands are already turning to branches and leaves. Somehow, her face also shows freedom. She seems to be in a transition from anxiety to calmness as she becomes a tree and remains free from Apollo’s advances. This transition from human to tree is part of the Greek myth. Bernini’s sculpture captures the story of St. Teresa of Avilas encounter with an angel because he includes the main characters of the story and the emotions that came with the story. His sculpture has an angel with the arrow that is positioned toward Teresa’s heart. He is smiling in his act of thrusting the arrow to her. Rays of light are coming down on Teresa. Teresa is already experiencing ecstasy with her closed eyes and parted lips. The deep folds of her clothes suggest movement of her pleasures for the arrow. The way that Teresa also lies down with her left hand clutching the clouds and left foot in display reinforce her feelings of deep oneness with God. She receives God inside her and feels the full force of her spiritual marriage with God as if it is both physical and spiritual. This is Bernini’s sculpture, The Rape of Proserpina. Pluto or Hades kidnaps and rapes Proserpina in the Underworld. The two-headed dog Cerberus is included to signify that it is Hades who kidnaps her. It can be seen how he grabs Proserpina by her waist and thighs that

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

World of Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

World of Work - Essay Example According to Ashenfelter (1999), computer technology has resulted to change in relative demand for skills. Change in workplace caused by introduction of computer has required individual workers to enhance their skills. However, the change has made work to be much easier and enjoyable than it used to be before. This has actually made individual workers to be more efficient on their roles thus becoming more productive. Currently, an employee who used to type one page using the typewriter can write ten pages using a computer in a much easier and enjoyable manner. The change in workplace resulting from introduction of computers has also resulted to great impact to the society. Through internet technology, computers enhance searching of record as well as the displaying of results (CSA, 2010). This has reduced the level of fatigue for individual workers. As a result, their interaction during work and after work has been greatly enhanced. Moreover, the technology has improved communication between individuals. This has greatly enhanced the relationships of individuals in the society thus resulting to societal

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Torts problem question-Negligent misstatements Case Study

Torts problem question-Negligent misstatements - Case Study Example Whoever makes a claim due to somebody's negligence besides proving duty of care, breach and damages, must also show extra factors under 'duty' As pure economic loss caused by negligence is not a tort but liability under common law negligence. In Hedley Byrne & Co Ltd v Heller & Partners Ltd [1963]1 UKHL 4 (28 May 1963, it was held by the House of Lords that respondents were not liable as bankers for giving negligently favourable opinion about their client whom the appellants dealt with as a result. The reason was that the bankers had no fiduciary relationship with the appellants nor had any duty of care to them as there was no contract. Besides they had cautioned the appellants that their opinion was without owning any responsibility. Applying the same principle in the above case, it can be argued that though the bankers had been in the process of making a fiduciary relationship subject to the surveyor's opinion, such a relationship had not been established. There was also no negligence on the part of the bankers. Besides they also had relied on Surveyor's opinion and lost business as a result. In fact Helen and the Bank are in the same position. On the other hand whether Helen as well as Andrew can claim compensation from the Surveyor depends on the principles of duty of care, fiduciary relationship, and negligence. ... But proximity of relationship could be deemed to exist as two of them have suffered due to his negligent opinion. Therefore both Helen and Andrew can claim damages from him. In fact, valuer was held liable in Can v Wilson2, wherein the valuer was held responsible to the mortgagees for negligent undervaluation and was asked to pay loss incurred by the mortgagees due to mortgagor's default. In this case, the defendant who was the valuer sent his valuation report to the agent of plaintiff (mortgagee) in order to induce him to advance money against the mortgage of the property he valued. As the valuer had knowingly placed himself in that position, he had a duty of care in the preparation of a valuation document. In somewhat identical cases, Smith v. Eric S. Bush and Harris v. Wyre Forest District Council [1989]3, both the plaintiffs purchased houses relying on valuations of the surveyors who acted under the instructions of the defendant mortgagees and their fees were paid by the plaintiff purchasers. The valuations of the surveyors turned out to be defective resulting in serious financial loss to the plaintiffs. Even though the terms of agreement excluded liability for both the mortgagees and the surveyors for any loss due to inaccuracy in valuation, the House of Lords held that surveyors had a duty of care to the plaintiffs and the terms of exclusion of liability was struck down by virtue of section 2(2) and 11 (3) of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977. B In the case of B.Pen & Co, Charles lent money to James to buy the business of B.Pen & Co, relying on the Accountant's report which later turned out to be untrue to the detriment of both Charles and John. Although it was

Friday, November 15, 2019

Toyota Marketing Strategy Marketing Essay

Toyota Marketing Strategy Marketing Essay Toyota Motor Corporation Profile According to Toyota Global (2015) Toyota is a worldwide Japanese automotive corporation headquartered in Aichi, Japan. Toyota was founded in August 28 1937 by founder Kiichiro Toyoda. Marketing Strategy Fifield (2012) claims there are countless meanings for the term Marketing Strategy. Fifield (2012) accumulates and provides a number of meanings from various authors for the term Marketing Strategy. But the most captivating definition from Fifields (2012) research was from an author named Craven. Fifield (2012, p.xxiv) quotes Cravens definition of a marketing strategy in which he defines it as a process that involves strategically analysing environmental, competitive as well as business factors that affect business units and forecasting future trends in business areas of interest to the company. Penetration Pricing Marketing Strategy A marketing strategy currently used by Toyota is a strategy called penetration pricing (See Appendix A). Ferrell and Hartline (2010) reveal that the purpose of the penetration pricing marketing strategy is to maximise sales and to attain widespread market share within the market a company is competing in. Ferrell and Hartline (2010)also bring to light that the penetration pricing marketing strategy has the objective of capturing a large market share rapidly by setting low prices for products that a company sells. Furthermore Ferrell and Hartline (2010) claim that penetration pricing is best executed when consumers are sensitive towards the price of the product. Harrison and John (2013) highlight Toyotas usage of the penetration pricing marketing strategy which states that Toyota sell their cars in the low end of the price spectrum. This strategy caters to the price sensitive consumers. Whats more Wood (2007) exemplifies Toyotas use of the penetration pricing marketing strategy when Toyota introduced their Yaris Subcompact car production to the Europe market. Wood (2007) highlights that Toyotas usage of the penetration pricing marketing strategy for their Yaris car production enabled the corporation to compete with other well-known automotive companies such as Ford, Volkswagen, Renault and Vauxhall. Guerrilla Marketing Strategy Another marketing strategy used by Toyota is a marketing strategy called the guerrilla strategy (See Appendix B). Boone and Kurtz (2014) inform that guerrilla marketing involves companies using unconventional techniques to attract consumer attention. Boone and Kurtz (2014) also regard the guerrilla marketing strategy as a fairly new marketing technique, in addition Boone and Kurtz (2014) reveal that the strategy is normally used by companies that do not have financial resources for other well-known or more effective marketing strategies. What is more Boone and Kurtz (2014) bring forward that established companies such as Toyota and Pepsi also employ the guerrilla marketing strategy even though such companies have the financial capacity to implement more effective marketing strategies. Boyles (2008) acknowledges Toyotas incorporation of the guerrilla marketing strategy which outlines that Toyotas main reason for using the guerrilla marketing strategy is to attract the younger crowd i.e. young adults. Boyles (2008) also points out that companies such as Toyota conduct this strategy by placing advertisements on objects that are used everyday e.g. food or drink packaging. What is more Boyles (2008) goes further by revealing that companies such as Toyota use alternative methods for the guerrilla marketing strategy such as placing advertisements in locations where people commute frequently. Social Media Marketing Strategy A further strategy currently used by Toyota is the social media marketing strategy (See Appendix C). Marketing via use of social media is considered a contemporary strategy in the marketing world and is also considered a very effective marketing strategy. Many companies in this day age are now taking advantage of the social media marketing strategy such as Toyota. Zarrella (2009) notifies that social media marketing involves the usage of web technologies. Zarella (2009) also points out that social media web technologies include activities such as blogging, social networks (such as Facebook and LinkedIn) and media sharing sites (such as Flickr and YouTube). Tybout and Calde, (2010) present a detailed example of Toyotas usage of the social media marketing strategy. Tybout and Calde (2010) exemplify Toyotas usage of the social media strategy marketing by unveiling Toyotas affiliation with a company called iCrossing. Tybout and Calde (2010) go further by acknowledging iCrossings role in building awareness of Toyotas IQ city car which was released by Toyota in 2008. Tybout and Calde, (2010) declare that iCrossing is a UK based company who specialise in digital marketing. Additionally Tybout and Calde, (2010) mention that iCrossing helped to promote Toyotas IQ car model via the use of a campaign called the The Hypermiling Campaign. Hypermiler (2015) is an online community that focuses on providing fuel saving advice. iCrossings assistance in promoting the IQ car production helped Toyota to generate positive anticipation amongst the communitys online users. Tybout and Calde, (2010) continue by talking about Toyotas IQ blogging site which was created specifically for the IQ car production. Tybout and Calde, (2010) carry on by disclosing Toyotas increase in traffic on their blogging site which increased by more than 212 percent as a result of their affiliation with iCrossing. Tybout and Calde, (2010) lecture on how the social media marketing strategy has enabled Toyota to reach new audiences through the use of alternative social media marketing techniques such as blog posting, Flickr and Twitter. Tybout and Calde, (2010) conclude by addressing an additional technique used by Toyota in the social media realm which is the integration of their online newsroom with social media outlets such as YouTube, Flickr and Twitter. The result of this marketing technique integration has allowed the web community to access Toyotas images, videos, activities and anything else associated with Toyota. Trade Show Marketing Strategy The last strategy used by Toyota is trade show marketing strategy (See Appendix D). This marketing strategy is used by many well-known automotive companies within the car industry. Trade show marketing involves companies exhibiting their new product(s) or service(s). Sà ¶ilen (2013) describes trade show marketing as person to person, information exchange and selling. Sà ¶ilen (2013) proceeds by stating that trade shows involve the gathering and distribution of information. Toyota uses this particular strategy to exhibit new car productions. An example of Toyotas trade show marketing strategy is their collaboration with a German company called B+s exhibitions. B+s exhibitions (2015) illustrate the partnership between the two companies where they present galleries as well as video footage of Toyotas trade shows. Toyota and b+s exhibitions have worked together since the early 1980s. B+s exhibitions are a company who have been specialising in trade shows for over 40 years where one of their primary focuses is trade show marketing for top automotive companies all around the world. Recommendations to Improve Toyotas Marketing Strategies Penetration Pricing Marketing Strategy Improvement Based on the findings, Toyota could improve their penetration pricing marketing strategy by initially selling their cars at a low price then slowly increasing their prices once they have established a strong clientele on any new production they release. As mentioned earlier companies use the penetration strategy to attain widespread market share within the market they are competing in. What this means is companies such as Toyota using the penetration pricing strategy are trying to build a strong clientele which Toyota achieved many times over the years with the various car productions they have released. Holden and Burton (2010) address this issue in which they write about the problems that can arise from the penetration pricing strategy. First Holden and Burton (2010) tackle the issue of customers who come to companies such as Toyota based on price where they highlight such customers as being the first to leave once another competitor enters the market. What is more Holden and Burton (2010) state that competing with competitors based on price is the least sustainable competitive advantage strategy to have. Even though Toyota has been one of the worlds leading automotive competitors for many years it is imperative to take such precautions into consideration for the reason that they could sooner or later find themselves in such a situation. The tactic of starting off with low price then slowing increasing the price could help sustain the companys competitive advantage years down the line. Guerrilla Marketing Strategy Improvement Toyota could improve their guerrilla marketing strategy by integrating their guerrilla marketing strategy with their social media marketing strategy. Levinson and Gibson (2010) speak about the effectiveness of combining the two marketing strategies. Levinson and Gibson (2010) delve into how guerrilla marketing strategy is able operate alongside the social media marketing strategy by noting the cost aspect of combining the two marketing strategies. They reveal that creating a social media platform requires zero fees. Levinson and Gibson (2010) carry on by discussing that all guerrilla marketers should take advantage of this idea as it gives guerrilla marketers such as Toyota the opportunity to maximise their brand to a wider audience. Social Media Marketing Strategy Improvement Based on the findings Toyota has already constructed a solid social media marketing strategy. However Toyota could improve their social media marketing strategy as a way to study their competitors. West, Ford and Ibrahim (2015) bring to light how the social media marketing strategy can useful weapon when analysing your competition. West, Ford and Ibrahim (2015) provide an insight on how the social media strategy is a contemporary tool for monitoring and gathering information about competitors within your market segments. Moreover West, Ford and Ibrahim (2015) go further by making a note of the type of information that can be gathered about competitors where information can include competitor brands, strengths, weaknesses and strategic decisions. Additionally West, Ford and Ibrahim (2015) present an extra commodity where they state corporations such as Toyota can employ specialist firms to analyse competitors on their behalf. Having access to such information would provide Toyota with ammunition which they can then use to get a better understanding of the market they are competing in. Trade Show Marketing Strategy improvement Toyota could improve their trade show marketing strategy by integrating their trade show and social media strategies together. Executing their social media strategy before and during their trade shows would help Toyota to improve traffic and awareness of their trade shows. Stratten and Kramer (2012) bring to attention that social media is one of the best ways to increase traffic at a trade shows. This can be done is by engaging in social media before and during the event. Stratten and Kramer (2012) offer an example of this tactic by saying that users of the trade show marketing strategy could use a social media outlet such as Twitter for their trade shows by using the hashtag tool. According to Chen et al. (2014) the hashtag tool is a feature on social media that is used to identify messages by topic. Stratten and Kramer (2012) continue by explaining that the use of hashtags enable the hosts of trade shows to see what people are saying about their conferences. This tactic can be carried out days or weeks before the event. Conclusion Research has revealed how instrumental marketing strategies can be to a companys success. Additionally the report has shown how various marketing strategies play different roles to elicit varied results. Research has also illustrated how marketing strategies can be the catalyst to a companys longevity and possess the power to separate successful companies from unsuccessful companies. What is more from research conducted it can be seen that even established companies such as Toyota still have room for improvement as development is a never ending process. Overall the report has helped to discover how Toyota has attained their current status within the automotive market. Toyota is good example of a company that executes effective marketing strategies. The marketing strategies outlined in the report have helped to expose how Toyota has had such a strong force in the automotive market over the years. References Boone, L. and Kurtz, D. (2014). Contemporary Marketing. ArkansasBoyles, D. (2008). The Corporate Assault on Youth. New York: Peter Lang B+s exhibitions (2015). b+s exhibitions GmbH |. [online] Available at:  http://wordpress.bs-exhibitions.de/?lang=en Chen, Y., Balke, W., Xu, J., Xu, W., Jin, P., Lin, X., Tang, T. and Hwang, E. (2014). Web-age information management. Macau: Springer. Ferrell, O. and Hartline, M. (2010). Marketing Strategy. 6th ed. Erin Joyne. Fifield, P. (2012). Marketing Strategy. 2nd ed. The Chartered Institute of Marketing Harrison, J. and St. John, C. (2013). Foundations in strategic management. Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-Western. olden, R. and Burton, M. (2010). Pricing with Confidence. Somerset: Wiley. Hypermiler (2015). Hypermiler.co.uk, Hypermiling News, Techniques Tips. [online] Available at:  http://www.hypermiler.co.uk/ Levinson, J. and Gibson, S. (2010). Guerrilla Marketing for Social Media: 100+ Weapons to Grown Your Online Influence, Attract Customers and Drive Profits. Entrepreneur Press. Solberg SÃÆ' ¸ilen, K. (2013). Exhibit marketing and trade show intelligence. Berlin: Springer. Stratten, S. and Kramer, A. (2012). UnMarketing. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Toyota Global (2015). Toyota Global Site | Overview. [online] Available at:  http://www.toyota-global.com/company/profile/overview/ Tybout, A. and Calder, B. (2010). Kellogg on Marketing. 2nd ed. Illinois. West, D., Ford, J. and Ibrahim, E. (2015). Strategic marketing. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Wood, M. (2007). Essential guide to marketing planning. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall. Zarrella, D. (2015). The Social Media Marketing Book. Sebastopol: OReilly Media. Bibliography Conway, A. (2015). Beijing Auto Trade Show Toyota Unveil its new Concept. [online] Auto-Types.com. Available at:  http://www.auto-types.com/autonews/beijing-auto-trade-show-toyota-unveil-its-new-concept-8598.html Global, T. (2015). Toyota Global. [online] YouTube. Available at:  https://www.youtube.com/user/TOYOTAglobal Lum, R. (2012). Toyota: Protect Whats Behind You. [online] Creative Guerrilla Marketing. Available at:  http://www.creativeguerrillamarketing.com/guerrilla-marketing/toyota-protect-whats-behind-you/ Seymour, R., Haddon, E. and Brownlee, S. (2012). Hot looks and Cool Connections with New Toyota Aygo Fire and Ice UK Media Site. [online] Media.toyota.co.uk. Available at:  http://media.toyota.co.uk/2012/02/hot-looks-and-cool-connections-with-new-toyota-aygo-fire-and-ice/ Appendix A: Penetration Pricing Marketing Strategy Example Sourced from Toyota UK Media, 2012 Appendix B: Guerrilla Marketing Strategy Example   Sourced from Creative Guerrilla Marketing, 2012 Appendix C: Social Media Marketing Strategy Example   Sourced from YouTube, 2015 Appendix D: Trade Show Marketing Strategy Example   Sourced from Auto Types, 2015

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

An Investigation into the Best Current Practice of Supply Chain Managem

An Investigation into the Best Current Practice of Supply Chain Management This report documents an investigation into best current practice of Supply Chain Management. Various methods of materials procurement are outlined in addition to their relevance to examples in modern industry. The report discusses the ideal characteristics of a successful supply chain. From a traditional perspective, this has proven to be based around the development of strong inter-firm relationships among the participating organisations that make up the supply chain. Additionally, a detailed strategy of materials management is proposed for a manufacturer of earth moving equipment; JCB, and a digital camera manufacturer; Sony. Management Practice Supply Chain Management Materials procurement from the 60s to the 90s Although developed prior to this period, Henry Ford introduced a strong foundation for businesses of the 1960s with Vertical Integration. Ford attempted to control all of the operations in his business by buying other companies in the distribution channel. The Ford Motor Company owned the suppliers up the channel in backward integration and down the channel in forward integration, thereby gaining total control of all stages of the process from raw material extraction to finished car showrooms. Organisations of the 1960s maintained this Vertical Integration structure, in addition to somewhat adversarial inter-firm relationships that were a prevalent characteristic among 1960s businesses. Buyers and sellers typically operated at arm's-length, independent relationships, competing for resources rather than collaborating. The primary benefits associated with the arm's length philosophy were concerned with cost effectiveness when managing external sources. This arm's length approach to merchant and customer relations was balanced with the vertically integrated structure, as primary functions of the organisation were mostly under the firm's control. Before long, this vertically integrated organisational structure began to flatten, which gave rise to the supply chain organisation. Many organisations began to sell their units acquired by vertical integration and chose to partner with other companies that provided these services. Consequently, the concept of supply chain management developed, as organisations were attempting to achieve ... ...o a lack of motivation of the organisation in ensuring the success of the relationship with the supplier. It is anticipated that this work has demonstrated the importance of the role of the supply chain manager in establishing strong relationships with suppliers. Bibliography Boddy, D. & Paton, R. (1998). Management: an Introduction., Prentice Hall, Europe. Harrison, M. (1993) Operations Management Strategy. Pitman. Lines, D., Marcouse, I., & Martin, B. (2000). The complete A-Z Business Studies, 3rd ed., Hodder and Stoughton, England. Pietrak, W. J., Rietzke, J., & Wamsher, W. (1988) Material requirements planning. APICS Online JCB Groupn http://www.jcb.com Sony Corporation http://www.sony.com Duxbury. (2004), What is Supply Chain Management?, [Online]. Available: http://www.duxbury.com/statistics_d/templates/student_resources/0534373631_shapiro/introduction/introduction.html [2004, November 21]. Minicom. (2004), Asset management systems, [Online]. Available: www.mincom.com [2004, November 22]. Seagate. (2004), Electronic Data Interchange, [Online]. Available: http://www.seagate.com/support/edi/whatised.html [2004, November 24].

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Activity-Based Costing (Abc); Hunter Company

Activity-based Costing (ABC) Hunter Company Emmanuel Achirem ACC 560-Managerial Accounting Dr. Lotfi Geriesh Strayer University 08/04/2012 Activity-based Costing (ABC) Hunter Company, 1 Introduction Over the past two decade’s adoption of Activity-Based Costing ABC has been tossed around like a hot potato by every size and type of organization. It was adopted by organizations ranging in size from huge multi-national companies like General Motors to the much smaller Alexandria Hospital. Lanen, Anderson, & Maher, 2011) Some companies began the initial processes but stopped short of actual implementation when they discovered more time and resources were needed to effect the change so management ran from it just as they had run from quality improvement concepts from the seventies and eighties. (Romano, 1990) Was this because ABC was not a good fit for the organization or was there a deeper issue? These organizations knew they were not adequately capturing the costs of activities ye t they final cost could be. T.J Rodgers who founded Cypress Semiconductor wrote: â€Å"The seeds of business failure are sown in good times, not bad†¦Growth masks waste, extravagance, and inefficiency. The moment growth slows, the accumulated sins of the past are revealed all the way to the bottom line. † (Clemmer, 1992) Given the competitive nature of business today organizations both big and small cannot long afford to ignore the 900 pound gorilla in the room. The goal of this paper is to discuss Time-driven ABC cost system can be implemented and how it has benefited some companies such as Hunter Company.The system was not widely accepted in the beginning, but ABC has play major role in cost accounting today and has help some managers to combat corporate resistance to change when trying to implement it. Operating managers have known for many years that while the traditional costing approach was inaccurate; and archaic it was close enough. Today, because of the global a nd high speed Activity-based Costing (ABC) Hunter Company, 2 nature of the business environment, the errors of conventional costing are systematic and can affect too many decisions.Time-driven ABC is not a hypothetical improvement to traditional ABC analysis. It has been applied in dozens of companies, helping them to deliver significant profit improvements quickly. The Hunter Company (disguised name of actual company), a large, multinational distributor of scientific products with over 20 facilities, 300,000 customers, and 460,000 product SKUs, processes more than one million orders each month. Hunter already had an existing activity-based costing model that had been built with the assistance of an external consulting team.The insights revealed from the model were extremely informative but many in the company questioned if the view was worth the climb. Their main complaints can be summarized as follows: †¢ The model had been cumbersome to build and maintain. With more than 1,0 00 activities, the monthly survey of department staff of where they had spent their time was complex and costly. Also, tracking the driver quantities for each activity and customer was difficult. †¢ The model did not reconcile with actual financials since activity cost driver rates had not been updated recently. Despite the already large number of activities, the model was still not considered accurate or granular enough. It did not reflect several important differences between orders. To increase accuracy, more activities would have to be added, and employees would have to be re-interviewed. Also, an additional data extract to track the quantities of the new cost drivers would be required. The existing ABC approach was not easily maintainable, and thus not sustainable.The company called in a software and consulting company to help it implement the time-driven ABC approach. The time-driven approach led to the following changes: For a department, such as the inside sales departm ent, the previous ABC model required employees to estimate, each month, the percentage of their time spent on their three activities: customer set-up, order entry, and order expediting. In the time-driven approach, the ABC team estimated the time required to perform each activity.For example, the activity to set-up a new customer took 15 minutes. Since a field already existed within Hunter’s ERP system that identified whether a customer was new, assigning a customer set-up cost to a new customer became a simple transaction. For order entry, the team learned that every order took about five minutes to enter the basic order information, plus three minutes for each line item on the order. Again this was a simple calculation to implement since the ERP system already tracked the number of line items for each order.Finally, the team learned that order expediting was triggered by a request by the customer to rush the shipment, resulting in an additional 10 minutes of time to coordin ate the expediting. The order included a field that identified it is a â€Å"rush order. † The project team could write a simple equation to estimate the Inside Sales Department time required for each order received: Inside Sales Process Time = 15*[New Customer] + 5 + 3*[Number of Line Items] + 10*[Rush]The Inside Sales Department cost for the order was obtained by multiplying this time by the cost per minute of Inside Sales Department resources. This process was replicated in each department to arrive at the total cost of producing, handling, and fulfilling the order. Note that once the team had created the Inside Sales Process algorithm, it did not need to continually re-interview personnel. Each period, the costs of the department would be assigned based on the volume and nature of the transactions it handled.Activity-based Costing (ABC) Hunter Company, 4 The Hunter Company identified the following benefits from shifting its ABC model to the time-driven approach. †¢ I t reduced the number of activities to maintain. It transformed 1,200 activities (e. g. , set-up new customer, enter orders, expedite orders) to 200 department specific processes (e. g. , the equation used to estimate Inside Sales Department time). Also, it could easily update the resource cost of each cost center and departments so that its process costs were accurate and current. Its cost estimates were more accurate since they were based on actual observations of processing time and actual transaction data, not subjective estimates on where and how people spent their time †¢ It was easier to increase model accuracy and granularity, when wanted, for high cost and heterogeneous processes. Adding more elements to the time equation enabled managers to easily add more variety and complexity to the model when required. This enabled managers to identify specific SKUs, customers, and processes where improvements could be made. The model was easier to validate. The calculated total pr ocess time, based on all transactions in a period, could be reconciled to head count (resources supplied during the period). If the total process time exceeded the actual resources supplied, managers received a signal that some of their unit times were likely too high. If total calculated process time was well below the time supplied, but employees felt they were working at or beyond capacity, managers learned that some of their unit times were under-estimated or employees were working less efficiently than anticipated.Activity-based Costing (ABC) Hunter Company, 5 †¢ The model provided explicit information on processes operating at or beyond capacity, and those operating well below capacity. Managers could take action to relieve bottlenecks expected to persist in future periods, or act to reduce capacity in departments where any unused capacity was expected to persist for several periods into the future. Today, it takes two people, two days per month to load, calculate, valida te and report findings, compared to the 10-person team spending over 3 weeks to maintain the previous model.Employees now spend time generating increased profits from the information rather than just updating and maintaining the information. Over the past 15 years, activity-based costing has enabled managers to see that not all revenue is good revenue, and not all customers are profitable customers. Unfortunately, the difficulties of implementing and maintaining traditional ABC systems have prevented activity-based cost systems from being an effective, timely, and up-to-date management tool. The time-driven ABC approach has overcome these difficulties.It offers managers a methodology that has the following positive features: 1. Easy and fast to implement 2. Integrates well with data now available from recently installed ERP and CRM systems 3. Inexpensive and fast to maintain and update 4. Ability to scale to enterprise-wide models 5. Easy to incorporates specific features for partic ular orders, processes, suppliers, and customers Activity-based Costing (ABC) Hunter Company, 6 6. More visibility to process efficiencies and capacity utilization 7.Ability to forecast future resource demands based on predicted order quantities and complexity These characteristics enable activity-based costing to move from a complex, expensive financial systems implementation to becoming a tool that provides meaningful and actionable data, quickly and inexpensively, to managers. In conclusion, we can see that the methodology behind Activity-Based Costing is sound, and can result in sometimes great savings to a company willing to take the time, effort and expense to implement a plan.Although there are some pitfalls to the process, with perseverance and a solid commitment from management, ABC can be of great benefit to a manufacturing company. Activity-based Costing (ABC) Hunter Company, 7 References C. Argyris and R. S. Kaplan, â€Å"Implementing New Knowledge: The Case of Activity -Based Costing,† Accounting Horizons (September 1994): 83-105. Journal of Cost Management (Winter 1989): 34-46; R. Cooper and R. S. Kaplan, â€Å"Measure Costs Right: Make the Right Decisions,† Harvard Business Review (September-October 1988). http://www. hbs. edu/research/facpubs/workingpapers/papers2/0304/04-0

Friday, November 8, 2019

Coming to America essays

Coming to America essays Social class in modern society is a very interesting topic to explore. There are many ways to understand concepts that describe class, but I believe the best way in doing this is by comparisons through movies. I believe one of the best movies that distinguishes social characteristics and relates social theories on class is Coming to America starring Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall. The movie is about an African prince who comes to Brooklyn in search of an American bride who will love him for who he is, rather than for his wealth and royal status. He poses as a poor bus boy in a restaurant in NY. He falls in love with his bosses daughter, but his boss is rich and thinks he is poor so he doesnt want them to become a couple. He wants her to marry some rich man from a wealthy family. This movie shows how people use SES, or socioeconomic status to make class judgments. Such as when her father believes the prince is poor, uneducated, and has no occupational prestige he thinks he is not good enough for his daughter, as soon he find out he is a wealthy prince he thinks he is the best guy in the world. At first the father would only see the prince at work, so he assumed he was of lower class, because he worked at a fast food restaurant and that is also not a prestigious job, but a prince on the other hand is a prestigious add a long, its like having dr. before your name, and if youre a prince wealth is associated along with your name. This is based on the objective approach of class. Many people also believe certain groups of people are poor like for example single mothers. Race and social class are also said to have close ties. Even though 2/3 of all poor people are white it is said the percentage of poor in minorities is disproportioned, according to Second Edition Sociology, by Linda L. Lindsey and Stephen Beech, 11 percent of whites are poor but 26.5 percent of blacks are poor. The movie also illustrates this, bu...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Find Scam-Free Postal Service Jobs

Find Scam-Free Postal Service Jobs You may have seen them online or in the classified section of your local newspaper - ads offering to help job seekers find Postal Service jobs ... for a fee, of course. Heres the thing: Theres no trick to finding those Postal Service jobs ... for free. When it comes to federal and postal jobs, the word to remember is free, the Federal Trade Commission says in an alert to consumers. Information about job openings with the U.S. government or U.S. Postal Service is free and available to everyone. Applying for a federal or postal job also is free. How the Scams Work The consumer-protection arm of the government wants that scam artists try to hoodwink Postal Service job seekers into shelling out cash by hiding behind important-sounding federal agencies. Some examples of those bogus agencies are the U.S. Agency for Career Advancement and the Postal Employment Service, according to the FTC. One popular scam is conducted by con artists who lure job seekers into responding to ads placed in local newspapers. They inform the job seekers there are openings locally and that they qualify, but that they need to pay for study materials to get a high school on the postal exam. The FTC says such claims are ridiculous. The company isnt part of the U.S. Postal Service, the materials may be worthless, and a passing score on a postal exam does not assure youll get a postal job. There may not even be an available job in your area, the FTC says. How to Spot Scams Here are a few tip-offs to Postal Service job rip-offs from the government: Classified ads, online ads or telephone sales pitches that imply an affiliation with the federal government, guarantee high test scores or state that no experience is necessary;Ads that offer information about hidden or unadvertised federal jobs;Ads that refer you to a toll-free phone number; Often, in these cases, an operator encourages you to buy a valuable booklet of job listings, practice test questions and tips for entrance exams.Toll-free numbers that direct you to other pay-per-call numbers (such as 900 numbers) for more information. Under federal law, any solicitations for pay-per-call numbers must include full disclosures about the cost of the call. If you have concerns about a company’s advertisement for employment services, contact: The Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint, or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).The U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Find your local office at postalinspectors.uspis.gov or in the blue (government) pages of your telephone directory.Your state attorney general at naag.org, or your local Better Business Bureau at bbb.org. In addition, federal government job information is available through the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s USAJOBS at usajobs.gov. How to Find a Postal Service Job on Your Own The federal government makes it very easy to find Postal Service Jobs. To look for Postal Service jobs go online to www.usps.com/employment. The site will tell you where the Postal Service is hiring, as well as whether you need to take an exam. Even you do need to take a test, the agency typically offers sample questions to people who sign up for the exam. Best of all, its free. Are Postal Workers Government Employees? While Postal Service employees must follow federal government rules and do receive federal employee benefits, they are not classified as federal employees by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics because the postal service is a quasi-federal agency. Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress has direct control over the rules and regulations the post office must follow concerning operations and personnel. The U.S. Postal Service does not receive tax dollars for personnel and most of its operations. Instead, all its revenue comes from the sale of postage stamps and other postal produces and mailing supplies. Updated by Robert Longley

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Relationship between Organizational Culture, Leadership Behaviour and Essay

Relationship between Organizational Culture, Leadership Behaviour and Job Satisfaction - Essay Example Approaches to Research In my career as a student, I have had a little scope to perform researches and therefore had limited knowledge in the field. From this particular module, emphasising on the various approaches used in a research purpose, especially those regarding cultural issues, I was able to come across multiple facts which will surely help me in my future endeavours in the field of academic researches. Research is defined as the expansion of knowledge and/or the use of existing information as a resourceful way in generating new concepts. From my learning, I understood that the collected data are implemented or used in the research process through certain approaches which are often regarded to be the strategies or steps through which the collected data are used systematically. In my study to this particular module, I learnt that the approaches to research, especially those concerning cultural differences, are categorised into four different phases such as separation, encultur ation, assimilation and integration or pluralism while elaborating on the issue. With regards to my module learning, I was able to define the separation approach as a process to identify the individualistic behaviour of restraining own cultures and desires from being influenced by others. Through enculturation approach, I have been able to notice those groups’ practices in which the members keep hold of their primary rules and behaviours, without incorporating other sets of value system from differing ethnic rudiments (Kim & et. al., 2009). Similarly, with the help of assimilation approach, I gained knowledge regarding certain measures to cooperate with the superior culture in order to gain confidence from them for future career developments. From the discussion with regards to integration or pluralism approach, I learnt that it reveals the strategies of managing the cultural diversification and therefore I would categorise the approach as a more practical and objective-orien ted one (Berry, 2011). After gaining an in-depth knowledge regarding the approaches, I can state that the integration, often regarded as pluralism approach, is the most realistic research method which motivated me to work in a group with different cultured members. I also learnt that research focusing on the identification and evaluation of cultural differences are often based on theoretical pursuits, such as those inscribed by Trompenaar and Hall. The theoretical explanation presented by Hall upon the cultural differences helped me to understand the levels or dimensions present within the culture. The theory focuses on the cultural differences in terms of social level, personal freedom and time management as well. From the lecture class, I was also able to gather adequate information that along with the levels of culture, the personal attitude related to liberty and time management also leads to diversification of culture within the environment (Nardon & Steers, 2004). I further le arnt that from a similar perspective, Trompenaar presented the theoretical concept stating the differences of culture with the help of seven dimensions. From the Trompenaar’s theory, I learnt that five of the factors deal with the people’s relationship amid the society and the remaining two factors helped me to indicate the time management

Friday, November 1, 2019

Are virtual organisations Multinational Enterprises (MNE) Assignment

Are virtual organisations Multinational Enterprises (MNE) - Assignment Example According to Preston (n.d), there are four key characteristics of virtual organizations as a process. Virtual organisations involve developing relationships with a wide range of partners each having a core competence that complements the others. It capitalises on the ability of telecommunications technology to overcome distance and time related problems. Furthermore, it involves trust between parties. Virtual organisations are also motivated by specific opportunities. As soon as these opportunities are exploited enterprises move on to form new partnerships and alliances. 2.0 Description of MNEs A multinational enterprise (MNE) or corporation (MNC) is an entity that operates in more than one tax jurisdiction whether as a single tax payer entity or as a group of such entities (Fernandez and Pope 2002). MNEs have their headquarters in one country (the parent/home country) and operate subsidiaries in several other countries known as host countries. There are a number of enterprises world wide that operate in this way. MNEs continue to grow and expand their operations because of WTO trade rules which facilitate globalisation as well as the growth of electronic commerce and information technology. Some MNEs have budgets that are larger than some countries and this indicates the extent of their power and influence as it relates to the setting of trade rules and regulations by international bodies. Multinational enterprises have many dimensions to them and can be viewed from several perspectives. These dimensions include and are not limited to management, ownership, strategy and structure. In terms of ownership, it may be argued that an enterprise is multinational if it is owned by nationals of more than one country. Companies that fit this particular criterion include Shell and Unilever which is owned by both British and Dutch interests. Many multinational enterprises do not meet this test as most of them originated in one country. In terms of the management criterion the managers are from different nationalities according to the countries in which they operate. However, as a starting point most multinational enterprises use persons from their home country to lead the management team in the initial stages of their operations in host countries. In terms of strategy, multinational enterprises seek to maximise their profits globally by entering new markets. The structure of these companies is such that the head office which is located in the home country controls the operations of the subsidiaries and assists in the direction and coordination of their activities. According to Moran (2007) MNE investments in the developing world occurs in four distinct forms. They are Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in extractive industries, FDI in infrastructure, FDI in manufacturing and assembly, and FDI in services. However, multinationals operate in not just developing countries but also developed countries. In addition to FDIs they also provide licenses and mana gement agreements in the fast food and hotel sectors. Therefore, FDI and licensing are the two ways in which MNEs

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Business Process Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Business Process Management - Essay Example success of the ERP software implementation procedure, while the details of Hershey Company have communicated the reason behind the failure of the ERP system. The discussion has further communicated the major problems faced by organisations during the application of the system. It has also suggested a number of solutions to avoid these discrepancies. The system is developing its services by collaborating with various updated technologies such as mobile applications and cloud computing. It has also been illustrated that organisations are using different tactics to reduce the expenses regarding malfunctioning of the ERP system. The final outcome of this discussion has suggested that the ERP system is gathering great acceptance from different organisations industry sectors. It has also suggested that the technology is developing rapidly to accrue a huge market share worldwide. The study is based on the discussion about various aspects of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. This discussion will mainly focus on the importance of the usage of ERP system in different businesses. Two organisational case studies will be illustrated to analyse various implementation procedure of ERP system in business operations. The case study of Cadbury and Hershey’s company will demonstrate the success and failure of the ERP system implementation procedure in the organisational operations. A list of problems regarding the usage of the system in business process will be discussed. The study will also offer some solutions to the problem of ERP implementation. A number of recent technological developments of the ERP system will be illustrated in the report. These developments will enable business operations cope up with the ever changing market structure. Finally, recommendation will be made regarding the major vendors of ERP software and current level of usage of the system. ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning system is considered as business process management software which

Monday, October 28, 2019

Star Appliance Company Essay Example for Free

Star Appliance Company Essay The methods that could be used to determine the cost of capital of Star Appliance Company would be to calculate the cost of equity of the company and then using that in finding another discount (hurdle) rate. Being that the currently used discount rate of 10 percent has been used since the company’s first years before the depression it should be recalculated in order to get a more appropriate discount rate in the time of the decision of for the dishwasher, trash compacter, or the food disposal. After increasing the discount rate to a more appropriate percent for the current time, you would then want to reevaluate the net present value of the three proposed investments in order to determine which of the three should be chosen. Now that these values have been recalculated with the newer discount rate, it can be determined that both the dishwasher and the trash compactor would be the best investment decisions for Star Appliance Company. This is because at the higher discount rate, these both still have positive net present values along with a higher internal rate of return than the new discount rate. These would prove best for the company’s investments where as the food disposal would be more costly to the firm. In the second half of the Star Appliance case (B), the given strategies would be in calculating dividend discount model, earnings/price model, and CAPM. Each of these models come about calculating things that are similar but different characteristics of the company can be represented by each different calculation. The current cost of capital that I calculated came to 11. 58%. The investment opportunities are now different than previous years for Star because now they are opening the chance for debt financing where as before they were 100 percent equity financed. It is because of this that they must calculate there newer cost of capital as compared to the original of 10 percent. Also, the investments made in the stock market are different than that of the company because the different betas used will result in different calculations for the stock market and for the company, as well as the various amount of different internal investing opportunities that Star could decide to do would also make for different investments. After going over the different circumstances the projects that Star should except would be the new grain dryer product. Although this project has more risk, the return on the project would be much greater than that of the refrigerator. This is also due to the different cost of capital from the years previous for Star as the more current at the time of the case. With newer investments in long-term debt, it amounts in different costs of capitals to the previous 0 debt 100 percent equity investments.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Changes in Frank and Ritas Relationship :: Educating Rita Relationships Plays Essays

Changes in Frank and Rita's Relationship Referring closely to Scenes 6 & 7 in Act 2, discuss the changes seen in Frank and Rita's relationship. In this essay I will be referring closely to Scenes 6 & 7 in Act 2. I will be discussing the changes in Frank’s and Rita’s relationship, and comparing their relationship â€Å"now† as to what it used to be in the beginning of the play. Rita & Frank are the two main or, only characters in the play. This is a powerful and smart way to let the audience or reader to get to know our two characters, their feelings, emotions and thoughts. The audience can see and tell the difference in the characters social status straight away. Frank is a professor in a university, teaching English literature – in his late forties. He is an alcoholic – loves to drink, he has a girlfriend, but this relationship that he’s in is going like all others; failure. He is the type of person that drinks in order to forget his troubles and worries – drink makes him happy, even though it is killing him and his relationship just as well as his career: â€Å"Yes, I probably shall go to the pub afterwards. I shall need to go to the pub afterwards. I shall need to wash away the memory of some silly woman’s attempts to get into the mind of Henry James or whoever it is we’re supposed to study on this course†¦Oh God, why did I take this on? †¦Yes I suppose I did take it on to pay for the drink† This is a conversation that Frank has with his girlfriend over the phone, it immediately goes to prove that he doesn’t really care about his career and the only thing that is on his mind is alcohol. Rita on the other hand is a twenty-six year old, working class woman who wants to get an education, and by doing that she believes that she is going to â€Å"discover† herself. She is in a relationship; she’s been living with her partner for six years. She also wants to learn how to speak â€Å"proper† English. In the beginning of the play Rita and Frank are getting to know each other, and they have nothing more than a â€Å"teacher-student† relationship, although throughout the play we can see that they get to know each other better, and they gain more respect for each other. Everything starts to change when Rita goes off to summer school. When she comes back from summer school Frank is surprised by her appearance

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Modulation: Computer Software and Unknown Music Virus

Richard Powers’ â€Å"Modulation† is about a mysterious, unhackable music virus that is taking over and controlling the minds of the people it comes in contact with. Out of nowhere this virus comes about and starts to spread vigorously through cyberspace, eating up computer software systems around the world. Not only is this virus spreading to computer systems and to data bases, but it starts spreading through people’s minds. Toshi, Marta, Jan, and Mitchell are the main characters in this story and all are unified throughout by this music virus.Powers tells how each character deals with the virus and how it affects them internally. Toshi, thrilled off of hacking through cyberspace, finally met his match when the RIAA hired him to work for their company. They thought by hiring the man that hacked through their system could defeat such a virus as this one. Toshi, in awe by this unknown music virus, is being beaten internally because it is the one thing he himself c annot beat, but at the same time this scares him because he does not know what it is capable of.The virus was something Toshi had never seen or heard before. It was a new type of music, so haunting and powerful that it imbedded inside his brain. Marta, a reporter reporting on the war in Iraq, hears this catchy tune she had never heard before. It sticks in her head as if it was like an â€Å"earworm† of some sort. This tune she keeps hearing is like a sickness she cannot get rid of. It starts eating at her mind like a virus eats at a computer hard drive. The only way Marta is at ease is when she hears the catchy tune again.The music virus not only sickens her, but also relieves her; making the tune the perfect medication. Not only is it a virus trying to destroy, but it also serves as a firewall against itself. Jan, a recently retired music professor, is searching for something he has never heard before. He wants something new and reinvented to offer society so he can change h ow people look at music. He believes all music should be free and his life passion is discovering world music. As soon as he hears the music virus he knows it is what he had been searching for.This tune was so refined and new, he had never heard such a tune before. After listening to this he knew his lifelong goal had been met. His search for a new and different type of music had been complete. He could now die a happy man. On another note, Mitchell, a music composer, found himself threatened by the music virus. His compositions were starting to sound like the infamous tune. No matter what he did he could not get the catchy tune out of his head. His performance was in danger as he could not produce anything but what was ingrained in his mind by the virus.He soon realizes he can use this threat as an opportunity to achieve greatness in his compositions and as a composer. All of the characters that Powers uses in his short story are unified by this sick, unhackable music virus that ha s only one motive: to spread. Each character deals with the virus to the best of their ability and tries not to let this innovative type of music control and get the best of them in times of vulnerability. Powers tells the readers how each character in the story deals with the music virus, how it affects them internally and how they try to overcome it.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Plato and Aristotle Essay

Plato and Aristotle were two philosophers who made an impact on philosophy as we know it as today. Plato is thought of as the first political philosopher and Aristotle as the first metaphysical philosopher. They were both great intellectuals in regards to being the first of the great western philosophers. Plato and Aristotle each had ideas in how to better life by improving the societies in which they were part of during their lives. The views of Plato and Aristotle look different but they do have some similarities to them. Plato is mostly known for his Theory of Forms and Aristotle is known for his thoughts in universals. Even though they both thought a bit differently they did agree in a few things. Plato and Aristotle not only had an impact on society in the past but today’s society as well. Plato was a teacher to Aristotle and lived during the Peloponnesian War, which lead to the end of the Athenian democracy. He had eyewitness account of Socrates, his mentor, trial and execution. Unhappy with the political corruption that plagued the Athenian democratic government, he removed himself from politics. He strongly felt that neither a moral individual nor a state could be established in a democratic environment. Plato felt that the common man was not intelligent enough to deal with concepts that influence the state such as economics, policies and other relative matters. He thought of philosophers as being the most intelligent among men. He viewed political incumbents in the Athens government basically as bought individuals in office for the good of themselves and not society as a whole. Another danger was that extreme liberties given to the people in the democratic society could potentially lead an anarchy. Aristotle was a student of Plato’s and teacher of Alexander the Great. He created his own school in Athens. He thought of metaphysics to be the first philosophy, which was a large interest to him. Aristotle’s stated that forms were universal. According to Aristotle, notion of Essential properties makes something what it is, and accidental properties are the differences of that item. Aristotle believed the state and the individual are similar and democracy would be the better government. In Book VII of The Republic by Plato, Socrates describes the Allegory of the Cave. It is a metaphor to illustrate the effects of education on the human soul. It can also be understood as what is real and what is believed to be real in life. Even though Plato had his ideal city, the forms was really what people could connect with. There is so much one can take from his thoughts on the forms that could be applied to society today. Plato starts out comparing people that are uneducated to prisoners chained in a cave, unable to turn their head. All they can see is the wall of the cave in front of them. A fire behind them burns bright. Between the fire and the prisoners, there is an area for puppeteers to move around and hold up the puppets to cast shadows on the wall that is in front of the prisoners. This is what the prisoners see every single day. This is all they know; shadows, echoes, the smell of the fire, and darkness. They believe that that shadows are reality. One of the prisoners is allowed to go outside of the cave. Once they reach the outside of the cave, they are blinded by the light because they have not seen such. Once their eyes start to adjust, they start seeing shapes and objects around them. They see that the sun is what creates light and that the tall objects with leaves are trees. They are colorful with moving parts. They go back outside to tell the prisoners, but they are not believed. Those still inside of the cave thinks the person just came in from the outside ill because that is not what they see in the cave, they did not see the outside for themselves, so therefore, it does not exist. So now the person that just came in from the bright sun light cannot see very well in the darkness of the cave, their eyes have not adjusted to the darkness, and people think they are crazy. This is where this view fails for Aristotle because it is not realistic. Aristotle rejects Plato’s Theory of Forms, and makes the way for his realistic approach, which underlines observation first and abstract reasoning second. Being a student of Plato’s, I believe he was indebted to justify at lengths why he disagrees with doctrines of his teacher. He provided detailed arguments against many of Plato’s doctrines, a lot of his major works, focusing in particular on the Theory of Forms. In Aristotle’s critique he thinks this theory is essentially an assertion of the superiority of universals over particulars. Plato argues that particular instances of beauty or justice exists only because they participate in the universal Form of Beauty. Say a there are two objects, one is colorless and the other one is red. The colorless one goes where the red on is located. Since the colorless object and the red object are participating, they are both red objects. They have a certain nurture and nature. However, Aristotle argues that universal concepts of beauty and justice derive from the instances of beauty and justice in this world. We only arrive at an idea of beauty by observing particular instances of beauty. This universal quality of beauty has no existence beyond this idea that we build from particular instances. He is staying that the particulars come first and the universals come after and therefor, Aristotle places emphasis on the importance of observing the details of this world. Which leads me to understand his thoughts on happiness a little more. With putting the weight on observing happiness can measured by a person’s life. Aristotle lays out in Book X in the Nicomachean Ethic’s, the continuation of his thoughts on pleasure, happiness and the end of life, and ethics and politics. His view on happiness and the end of human life really made me question his way of thinking. Aristotle suggests that happiness is the final end of life because nothing is greater than happiness or the good life and it goes against his universal theory. Aristotle proposes that happiness, or the good life, is taken to be a most final end. â€Å"We said, then, that happiness is not a characteristic, for in that case it could be present even to someone asleep thought his life, living the life of plants, and to someone undergoing the greatest misfortunes. †(Nicomachean Ethics, 1176a-1176b). The good life for humans is the life of choosing to life the life according to the virtues. â€Å"For we choose everything, so to speak, for the sake of something else-except happiness, for it is the end. † (Nicomachean Ethics, 1176b). Also, it seems that only humans can be happy because the happiness is an important nature of every individual human and it is unique to humans in that the function of humans is what distinguishes them from other kinds of things. Happiness is a self-sufficient activity desirable for its own sake. One seeks nothing from happiness beyond the actual experience or performance of it as an activity. Activities that are desirable in themselves are activities in conformity with virtue and indicates that the greatest happiness must be activity in conformity with the highest virtue. It is wrong to confuse happiness with various kinds of amusements involving bodily pleasures, as many people do. Such amusements are neither virtuous nor ends in themselves, but are merely relaxing diversions in which one occasionally engages for the sake of future activity. The greatest happiness is activity in conformity with the highest virtue is excellence. Intelligence is man’s highest possession and the objects of intelligence are the highest objects within his grasp. It is clear that the life of contemplation and theoretical wisdom must be the greatest of human virtues and the highest form of happiness. The objects of the contemplative life are the unchangeable and eternal verities that underlie and govern the universe. From contemplation of these truths the soul derives a feeling of purity and stability. â€Å"Further, this active is most continuous, for we are more able to contemplate continuously than we are to do anything else whatever. † (Nicomachean Ethics, 1177a). Also, the wise person is able to contemplate by himself, the wiser he is the more adept he will be doing so. Contemplative happiness is not dependent on other men. It is the form of life in which human beings come most nearly to being divine, the life that harmonizes with intellect, and that life seems to be the happiest, according to Aristotle. There is another kind of happiness, based on moral virtue and practical wisdom, which is concerned with feelings that spring from man’s bodily nature. It can be defined as the harmonious coordination of all parts of man’s complete being. This kind of happiness is not as exalted as the contemplative, but it helps prepare us for the higher happiness and, since man is not all mind and reason, gives us something to fall back upon when we are unable to remain continuously at the higher level. â€Å"For if there is a certain care for human things on the part of gods, as in fact there is held to be, it would be also reasonable for gods to delight in what is best and most akin to them – this would be the intellect – and to benefit in return those who cherish this above all and honor it, on the grounds that these latter are caring for what is dear to gods as well as acting correctly and nobly. † (Nicomachean Ethics, 1179a). This person is the happiest and a wise person would be extremely happy. I believe this idea has some hints of Plato’s forms. The one person who went outside of the cave and saw it all was brought down by all the people in the cave that didn’t see the outside. Aristotle states that you cannot be happy with a lot of friends because they are not true friends. I believe those excess friendships would be a similar situation in the cave. They would not bring your happiness, only suffering. Aristotle and Plato have similarities in their city states as well. Plato gives a place to women, but Aristotle does not seem to care for women. When reading Plato, the texts are in Socrates’s voice. It makes it hard to connect what he is saying, especially in the Republic since it is a play. Also, one cannot tell if Socrates, Plato, is being serious or straightforward or if it’s Socrates’s thoughts or Plato’s. In Nicomachean Ethics, the text is Aristotle’s lecture notes and he is the author of them. While reading, it seems that Plato comes out and gives his opinion on matters, but Aristotle presents them, but does not come out and say what his thoughts are. Plato and Aristotle were two philosophers who made a huge impact on philosophy. They were both great western philosophers. Plato and Aristotle each had ideas in how to better life by improving the societies in which they were part of during their lives. Although they are thought to have completely different views, when laid out, their views have some similarities.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Changes in Terms of High Technology essays

Changes in Terms of High Technology essays America has experienced many changes in terms of high technology of communication since last century. One of these devices and the most common to my consideration is the Television. The TV has made possible the transmission of important news and events worldwide. It also has educated and entertained with its variety production. However, lately, most of these tv-programs have lost the meaning of ethic communication and lacked of professional direction and instruction in their content. In that sense they provide a poor level of principle with their indignant images and deplorable dialogs. To begin with, the Top Shows demonstrate American lifestyle with a sense of immorality. First, These shows give an impression that Americans are unrespectfull with God, their family and friends. Second, even though many of this shows talk about private and personal staffs, the participants explain freely and proudly about their life and the vulgar and indignant thought about life. Third, it also shows rude manners, attitude and language between participants and public on TV. In addition, in terms of TV-kids programs, some of these creators do not have any sense of what kids should have being watching. First, TV-kids provide violence and rude behavior among students, family, professors and others. Second, watching these TV- shows kids become means and aggressive . Third, instead kids are watching TV. they should be reading and getting some knowledge and in that sense have enough information to make right decisions in life. Finally, I consider a completely negative for tv-novellas. First, the production of these novellas and their scripts, as we know, are false. Some people, most of them adolescents who are attached to this production day by day think that real life might be similar. As a matter of fact, when they are playing and acting their own life, they sometimes expect for those fancy and perfect moments to happen as on TV. Of cour...

Monday, October 21, 2019

The Ultimate SAT Literature Subject Test Study Guide

The Ultimate SAT Literature Subject Test Study Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The SAT Subject Test in Literature, formerly known as the SAT II Literature Exam, is one of the most popular Subject Tests. This might be because you don't necessarily need specialized knowledge, such as foreign language fluency, to do well on it. However, it also has a reputation for being a fairly difficult test. Luckily, I- 800-scoring sorceress of the SAT Literature Subject Test- am here to take you through all the particulars of the exam. We'll go through whether the exam is right for you, its format and content, its question styles, study hacks, practice resources, and test-day tips. Let's get the magic started! Here is a quick guide for those who'd prefer to skip around: Should You Take the SAT Literature Subject Test? SAT Literature Subject Test Format Passage Content Question Formats SAT Literature Test: Question Content and Skills Tested SAT Literature Test: 4 Essential Strategies for Preparation Where to Find SAT Literature Practice Tests and Resources How to Ace the Literature Subject Test: 6 Test-Taking Tips Wrap-Up: What to Know About SAT Literature Bonus: Want to get a perfect SAT score? Read our famous guide on how to score a perfect 1600 on the SAT. You'll learn top strategies from the country's leading expert on the SAT, Allen Cheng, a Harvard grad and perfect scorer. No matter your level, you'll find useful advice here - this strategy guide has been read by over 500,000 people. Read the 1600 SAT guide today and start improving your score. Should You Take the SAT Literature Subject Test? There are, in general, a few reasons why you might take one or more Subject Tests. You might take them because a school you are applying to requires or recommends them, or you might take them because you want to show mastery in a subject that you are particularly gifted in. Beyond that, should you choose the SAT Literature Subject Test in particular? Ask yourself the following three questions to help you decide: Burning questions. #1: Do You Like (or at Least Not Hate) English? Most people don't love all subjects equally. You might feel as though you should take Literature if your other SAT Subject Tests are all math and science so that you can show a diverse set of skills- even if, in reality, English bores you to tears. But trust me- it's going to be much less painful for you, and better for your college applications, if you take SAT Subject Tests in things you are really interested in. This will give a truer picture of who you are as a student anyways. #2: Will You Do Well on It? Obviously, you aren't an oracle and can't know for sure whether the SAT Subject Test in Literature will be a home run for you. But before you register, you should think about whether or not you are positioned to do well on the exam. The College Board recommends three to four years of literary study "at the college prep level." I took the test in the fall of my junior year and was fine, but I wouldn't advise taking it earlier than that. If you've done well in your high school English classes, you can reasonably expect to do well on the Literature exam with the help of some preparation. That being said, you might still want to take a practice test before you register to get a ballpark idea of how much work you have to put in. Don't expect to get an 800 right off the bat! However, if you do really poorly on a practice test, consider going with a different Subject Test or postponing the Literature exam so you have more time to prepare for it. #3: When Are You Applying to College? When you'll be applying to college can help determine how soon you should take the Literature Subject Test. If you take the exam too early in your high school career, you won't necessarily have the skills base you need to do well. Take it too late, though, and you might not have time to retake it if you didn't score as well as you wanted to. I'd advise doing your first go-around sometime in your junior year. (You can take it later in the school year or over the summer if you think you need more time to prepare- see our guide to SAT Subject Test dates.) If you decide to take the Literature exam, you'll want to get familiar with the test format. Read on to learn more, noble scholars of literature! So noble. Very scholarly. Wow. SAT Literature Subject Test Format Like the other Subject Tests, the SAT Literature Subject Test is one hour long. You'll answer about 60 multiple-choice questions, although the number varies slightly among administrations of the test. Each question has five answer choices. Every correct answer is worth 1 point, and incorrect answers are worth -1/4 points as a way to discourage random guessing. Unanswered questions are worth 0 points. On the test, your task will be to answer questions on six to eight passages of English literature. Passages will generally not include authors or titles, but you will be able to find the original date of publication (or estimated date of composition) at the end of each excerpt. Every fifth line will be marked so you can quickly find your way around the passage when answering questions. Each passage has its own set of questions; it's like six to eight little mini-tests ranging from four to 12 questions per passage. The first and last questions for each excerpt will generally be about the passage as a whole, while the ones in the middle will usually ask questions about specific parts of the passage. Unsurprisingly, the questions on this exam will ask you to analyze elements of literary passages. This could be anything from identifying the overall theme, to dissecting the meaning of a phrase in context, to analyzing the use of figurative language. I'll go over more specifics later on, but that's the basic idea. On the exam you could see prose, poetry, drama, etc., from as early as the Renaissance period to as recent as the 20th century. Expect to see literature from the US, England, and occasionally other English-speaking countries. Works have to be originally written in English to be included in the exam, so no excerpts from Les Miserables or One Hundred Years of Solitude. Note that topics and genres are not randomly distributed. In the next section, we'll go into what percentages of different sorts of material you can expect to see on the Literature test. You might see an excerpt from one of these on the exam! SAT Literature Passage Content Passages will generally not come from highly recognizable works, but they will be chosen because they have some literary merit in the eyes of the College Board. In general, the College Board takes pains to select passages that are pretty uncontroversial in their theme and content, avoiding anything that requires a deep level of specialized cultural or religious knowledge to interpret (so no drawn-out allegories about Christianity or anything like that). The six to eight passages you'll need to examine for the SAT Literature Test can be divided along three categorical lines: Author's nationality (American, English, or other) Genre Time period It breaks down like this: #1: Author's Nationality On the Literature Subject Test, 40-50% of passages will be written by an American author, 40-50% by a British author, and 0-10% by another author writing in English. So you can expect about half and half British and American authors, with maybe one passage written by an author from another country. As you might have noticed, this is very much a Western-lit centric test. #2: Genre In terms of genre, 40-50% of passages will be prose; these are mostly short excerpts from fiction or essays. Another 40-50% will be poetry; these are typically full-length poems, though sometimes the College Board will take a shorter section from a long work of verse. Finally, about 0-10% will be drama or another genre, such as a folktale, myth, etc. Once again, you can expect about half and half between poetry and prose, with maybe one passage using a different form of writing. #3: Time Period This breakdown is a little different than the two above. You can expect 30% of passages to come from the Renaissance (late 15th century) through the 1600s. This equals about two passages. Another 30% will come from the 1700s-1800s, so expect another two passages or so there. The remaining 40%- around three passages- will come from the 20th century. As you can see, the test is a little more heavily weighted toward the modern era, but you should be prepared for literature anywhere from the late 1400s to the 1900s. Don't worry- you won't need to read Middle English or Old English for earlier works. Passages will be comprehensible. The language won't be any older than Shakespearean English! You might see stuff by this guy. Extra Advice: Want to get into the best college you can? Read our famous guide on how to get into Harvard, the Ivy League, and your top choice college. In this guide, you'll learn: What colleges are looking for in your application How to impress your top choice colleges Why you're probably wasting your time on activities that don't matter Even if you're not actually interested in Ivy League schools, you'll still learn something fundamental about how to apply to college. Read our top college admissions guide today. SAT Literature Question Formats All questions on the Literature Subject Test are multiple choice with five answer choices each. Within that framework, there are four kinds of questions you can expect to see. I've included an example of each type (though I haven't included the passage). I will use most of the same questions with the passage later on in the article, so if you'd like to see the passage, scroll down (or Google "Aedh Wishes For the Cloths of Heaven" by W.B. Yeats). Note: I wrote all the questions in this article, but they are closely based on real SAT Literature questions written by the College Board. #1: Standard Multiple-Choice Questions About the Entire Passage These are questions that apply to the whole passage; they often ask about things such as theme or tone, or other concepts that can be generalized to the entire excerpt. EXAMPLE The best description of the tone of the poem is: joyful and fanciful despairing and grim serious and triumphant earnest and supplicating witty and lighthearted #2: Standard Multiple-Choice Questions Referring to a Specific Line or Moment in the Passage You will be pointed to a specific part of the passage and asked a question about only that part. Usually, these questions will have a line reference included, but sometimes you are just given the specific phrase, and you'll need to find it in the passage yourself to answer the question. EXAMPLE In the context of the poem, the adverb "enwrought" (line 2) most nearly means: decorated rewarded purchased compensated destroyed #3: NOT or EXCEPT Questions For these SAT Lit questions, you'll need to select the answer choice that does not apply to the passage. "NOT" or "EXCEPT" will helpfully be capitalized, so you should be able to spot these fairly easily. Just remember to read carefully! EXAMPLE The following words all describe the cloths of heaven EXCEPT: embroidered blue dim dark poor #4: Roman Numeral Questions For these questions, you will first be asked a question, and then given a series of statements identified with Roman numerals that are potential answers to that question. Your five lettered choices (A-E) will present different combinations of the Roman numerals. This essentially allows the College Board to ask multiple-multiple choice questions, in which more than one Roman numeral statement correctly answers the question. EXAMPLE Which of the following statements can be inferred about the speaker from the poem? The speaker thinks the person he is addressing is very beautiful. The speaker is not wealthy. The speaker's dreams are very precious to him. I only I and II only III only I, II, and III II and III only You will not be taking the test on a typewriter. SAT Literature Test: Question Content and Skills Tested The SAT Literature Test won't ask you any questions about literary history, though a basic working knowledge of literary movements probably wouldn't hurt- it might even help you orient yourself on the passages. Instead, your main task on the test will be to analyze the passages. In order to be able to answer these analytical questions, the College Board says that you'll need to know "basic literary terminology" and "literary concepts." This might seem a little intimidating, but the truth is that you've likely heard of many of these concepts before- ideas such as tone, theme, stanza, hyperbole, alliteration, etc. And even if you haven't, they're pretty easy to learn. (See the "4 Essential Strategies for Preparation" section below.) All of this might sound daunting, but it's not so bad. SAT Lit questions generally fall into eight easily digestible sub-categories. These categories apply to both prose and poetry, although you will see some kinds of questions appear more often with prose passages (e.g., character analysis), while others appear more often with poetry (e.g., figurative language). In the interest of readability, examples will be grouped together in the middle of this section and at the end so that questions can appear with the relevant passages. Category 1: Reading Comprehension "But Ellen," you might be wondering, "Aren't all these questions more or less about reading comprehension?" Yes, yes they are. But some questions- instead of asking you to do deeper analysis- will ask more basic questions about things such as who is speaking, who's being addressed at a given point in the text, or what events are being described. I will also include in this category the very rare (maybe one per test) grammar question. That's right- very occasionally, the SAT Literature Test will ask you a functional grammatical question on something like subject-verb agreement or identifying the main verb. The purpose of this question is generally to clarify a complex sentence for you so the passage is easier to analyze. Category 2: Meaning of Words and Phrases in Context This is a super-popular category; you can expect about one of this question type per passage. You'll be given a word and asked what it means in the specific context of the passage; this could be either the denotation (literal meaning) or connotation (implied meaning). Sometimes you'll be asked one of these questions because the word is being used in a strange way. Sometimes you'll be asked because the word itself is unusual. You can almost always figure these questions out from context clues, even if you aren't immediately familiar with the usage. Category 3: Questions on General, Sweeping Elements of the Passage A couple of questions per passage will ask you to make a sweeping analysis of the excerpt. These questions might ask about the following elements: Tone of the passage Theme Mood Overall descriptions of the language used Overarching purpose or argument You might also occasionally be asked a question about the structure or the genre of the piece (e.g., Is this prose passage a work of satire, a personal narrative, etc.). Category 4: Literary and Rhetorical Devices This is where knowledge of basic literary terminology will come in handy. These questions ask you to identify and/or analyze the use of literary and rhetorical devices. You might be given a phrase and asked what device is being used (e.g., is it hyperbole, alliteration, personification, etc.). You might also be asked to note where in the text a specific device is being deployed. You will need a little specialized knowledge for this type of question, and it's an important area to do some targeted studying in before you take the exam. Ah, the stars. Perennial subject of poetic imagery. Examples 1-4 Examples 1-4 are based on the following passage: Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half light, (5) I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. (1899) Example 1: Reading Comprehension The following words all describe the cloths of heaven EXCEPT embroidered blue dim dark poor This is a reading comprehension question because it relies on your ability to understand what words are describing the "cloths of heaven" at various points in the poem and what words are not. "Poor" describes the speaker; everything else describes the cloths: the "embroidered cloths," the "blue" cloths, the "dim" cloths, and the "dark" cloths. The correct answer, therefore, is E. This question tests your ability to reach a fairly basic understanding of what is being said in the poem as opposed to any sort of deeper literary analysis. Example 2: Meaning of Words/Phrases in Context In the context of the poem, the adverb "enwrought" (line 2) most nearly means: decorated rewarded purchased compensated destroyed Any time you have a line reference and are asked what a word or phrase means, what it connotes, or what it is best understood to mean, it's probably a vocab/phrase in context question (unless you're being asked what a metaphor or simile means). "Enwrought" is sort of a weird old word- exactly the kind of word the College Board likes to target for this kind of question. The correct answer is A: decorated because it's the only answer choice that makes sense in the context of the poem- even if you have no idea what "enwrought" means when you first look at it. Example 3: Questions on the Overall Passage The best description of the tone of the poem is: joyful and fanciful despairing and grim serious and triumphant earnest and supplicating witty and lighthearted This question asks you to identify the tone of the entire poem, so it's an overall passage question. Since the poem is so short, you could go back and quickly reread it to answer this question. You might notice that the tone is rather serious in nature; this poem is not meant to be funny or cute but is a deep expression of devotion. By the same token, the tone is not particularly happy or sad but expectant: the speaker is making a request ("tread softly ... on my dreams") and does not yet know whether his request will be honored. A glance through the answers shows that the only answer choice that really makes sense is D. Example 4: Literary Devices Which of the following devices does the poem use most frequently? repetition personification alliteration apostrophe hyperbole This is a pretty typical question you might see in the literary devices category. You're given a list of literary terms, and then you have to pick the one that is most appropriate to the poem. Even if you don't know all the terms here, it's pretty clear that the answer is A. The poem involves the repeated invocation of "cloths," "light," "feet," and "dreams." It'd be hard to top that level of repetition with pretty much any other device. With the first four examples covered, let's move on to the last four question categories on the SAT Literature Subject Test. Tread softly on these dreams. Category 5: Metaphor and Simile- Identification and Interpretation Yes, metaphor and simile are technically literary devices, but I've given them their own subcategory because questions about them are so prevalent on the SAT Literature Test. In general, these questions fall into two categories: identification and definition. For identification questions, you will simply need to identify the metaphor or simile among the choices given; you might also need to identify what is not a metaphor or a simile for NOT/EXCEPT questions. For definition questions, you'll need to choose the answer that best describes what a particular metaphor or simile means or conveys in the text. Category 6: Analyzing the Narrator (Prose) or Speaker (Poetry) The "narrator" and the "speaker" are two different names for the same term; the narrator is the voice that relates a prose passage and the speaker is the voice that relates a poem. This is not the same as the author. The narrator/speaker is a construct created by the author to relate the passage. In a sense, the narrator/speaker functions as a lens through which the passage is conveyed to you, the reader. You might be asked questions about the narrator or speaker's tone, motives, position within the text, point of view, attitude, voice, etc. Essentially, who is the person relating the passage, how are they saying it, why are they saying it, and who are they speaking to? Category 7: Analyzing Character You will be asked to analyze character more often in prose than poetry, but poems do sometimes have characters, so this category applies to both kinds of passages. You will almost certainly be asked to analyze character in dramatic excerpts. You might be asked to identify characteristics of a character as conveyed by the author (characterization), a character's motives, and so on. Category 8: Analyzing Dialogue This is similar to character analysis as character is often conveyed through dialogue, but you might also be asked to identify the tone of a piece of dialogue, its meaning, or its specific function within the piece. This is another category you can expect to see a lot of for drama, and some for prose- but only a little for poetry, if at all. I bet this dialogue would be interesting to analyze. Examples 5-8 Examples 5-8 are based on the following passage: "Nelly, do you never dream queer dreams?" she said, suddenly, after some minutes' reflection. "Yes, now and then," I answered. "And so do I. I've dreamt in my life dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and (5) changed my ideas: they've gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the colour of my mind. And this is one: I'm going to tell it- but take care not to smile at any part of it." "Oh! don't, Miss Catherine!" I cried. "We're dismal enough without conjuring up ghosts and visions to perplex us. Come, come, be merry and like yourself! Look (10) at little Hareton! He's dreaming nothing dreary. How sweetly he smiles in his sleep!" "Yes; and how sweetly his father curses in his solitude! You remember him, I daresay, when he was just such another as that chubby thing: nearly as young and innocent. However, Nelly, I shall oblige you to listen: it's not long; and I've no power to be merry to-night." (15) "I won't hear it, I won't hear it!" I repeated, hastily. I was superstitious about dreams then, and am still; and Catherine had an unusual gloom in her aspect, that made me dread something from which I might shape a prophecy, and foresee a fearful catastrophe. She was vexed, but she did not proceed. Apparently taking up another subject, she recommenced in a short time. (20) "If I were in heaven, Nelly, I should be extremely miserable." "Because you are not fit to go there," I answered. "All sinners would be miserable in heaven." (1847) Example 5: Figurative Language The simile "like wine through water" (line 5) reveals that Catherine's dreams ... make her intoxicated reveal the future affect her powerfully. frighten her are very strange SAT Literature will frequently ask you to either identify metaphors/similes or analyze what they mean. It's important in questions like this one to consider only what the specific figurative language means and not whether the other answers are true based on the rest of the passage. Her dreams might be strange (she calls them "queer"), but that is not what the simile means. She says that they are like wine through water in that they "change the colour of her mind." This suggests that the simile means the dreams influence her, in much the same way that adding wine to water would change the water. The correct answer is C. Example 6: Narrator/Speaker Analysis Which of the following statements can be inferred about the narrator from the passage? The narrator is uncomfortable with the supernatural. The narrator believes Catherine is a good and moral person. The narrator dislikes children. I only I and II only III only I, II, and III II and III only. Narrator analysis questions will frequently ask you to identify the viewpoints or opinions of the narrator based on the passage. It's important in these questions to rely only on what is in the text and not make any unsupported inferences. It's pretty clear, for example, that the narrator here is "uncomfortable with the supernatural" since she describes herself as "superstitious of dreams" and fears they might be prophetic. It's also clear that the narrator does not believe Catherine to be good and moral because she says Catherine is a sinner who does not belong in heaven. It doesn't seem that she dislikes children, though; she describes Hareton as "smiling sweetly." The only Roman numeral statement that there is enough evidence in the passage to agree with is I, so the answer is A. Example 7: Character Analysis We can understand from Nelly's admonishment, "be merry and like yourself" (line 9), that Catherine's current mood is ... a portent of things to come unusual given her typical disposition normal for her dangerous to the baby Hareton evidence of her moral perversity This is a character question as we are being asked to analyze Catherine's character based on a specific moment in the passage (Nelly's admonishment). In a question like this which points to a particular line or place in the text, it's important to examine what the particular line means and not make any inferences about the character based on the rest of the text. In this case, it might well be that Catherine's mood is portentous or evidence of her perversity, but this is not suggested by the phrase "be merry and like yourself." It tells us that she is (1) not merry and that this is (2) unusual. So, the correct answer is B. Example 8: Dialogue Analysis The tone of "Because you are not fit to go there," (line 21) can be best described as apprehensive sharp patronizing reverent whimsical This is a dialogue question because you are being asked to analyze the dialogue (specifically its tone) in a way that is not related to a given character. It can be hard to identify the tone of a piece of dialogue when there aren't many cues surrounding the dialogue, as in this passage. It might be easiest to simply imagine the dialogue being said in each tone and pick which makes the most sense and/or is the most consistent with the rest of the passage. It should be pretty clear that, if you do this, the answer is B: sharp. Don't worry- the passages will not be rendered in the authors' original handwriting. Those are the eight question types you can expect to see on the SAT Literature Subject Test. But how should you prepare for them? I'll cover four essential prep strategies next. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Tired of wasting time prepping in ways that don't work? We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. It's the best prep program available right now. Best of all, we guarantee your money back if you don't improve your score by 160 points or more. Check out our 5-day free trial today: Improve Your SAT Score by 160+ Points, Guaranteed SAT Literature Test: 4 Essential Strategies for Preparation Although you'll learn a decent amount of the knowledge necessary to do well on the SAT Literature exam just from your high school English class, there are still some things you can (and should) do if you really want to hit it out of the park. Here are four essential steps you can take to prepare: Strategy 1: Read Old Stuff The College Board recommends "close, critical reading of English and American literature from a variety of historical periods and genres." It's not likely you'll read anything that will end up on the exam, but reading a wide range of poetry and prose originally composed in English from relevant time periods (i.e., Shakespearean era through the 20th century) will help you feel familiar with English-language literary writing from all the time periods covered on the exam. Also, if you look up any words you don't know when you encounter them in a text, you'll have a leg up on meaning in context questions. So I'd try to read classic literature and poetry from many time periods for a few hours a week. Strategy 2: Learn Literary Terms and Concepts Even if you think you know them all, you should review basic literary terms and make sure you know how various devices are deployed. Some good resources for learning literary terms are as follows: PrepScholar's list of the 31 most important literary devices to know, with definitions, explanations, and examples for each Literary-devices.com (an actual site all about literary devices!) offers an extremely comprehensive list, with examples This list from a high school teacher's AP course also has a pretty good array of major literary terms Strategy 3: Learn and Practice Literary Analysis (Especially Poetry) You've hopefully learned literary analysis techniques in your high school classes, but it doesn't hurt to brush up on these skills. A primary skill needed for the SAT Lit test is the ability to close-read texts- that is, to identify what the author is doing and why he or she is doing it. Most close-reading you do in school is going to involve building your own argument about a text as opposed to answering analytical questions, but the skills are similar. Here are some helpful resources you can use to practice close reading: The writing center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison offers a helpful guide to close reading The Purdue OWL gives good advice on how to close-read poetry specifically The Harvard College Writing Center also has a useful close-reading guide Furthermore, many students, even those who are good at English, are not particularly comfortable with poetry. Never fear! There are resources available to help you get more comfortable with poetry. First things first, reading more poetry will make you more comfortable with it (shocking, I know). Here are some excellent resources you can use in your studies: The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin has a guide to reading poetry Poets.org has their own guide to reading poetry, along with two close readings of poems Strategy 4: Take Practice Tests If you want to prepare well for the SAT Literature Subject Test, take practice tests! Familiarity with the exam format and the way the questions are worded will keep you from being tripped up on exam day. For more tips on where to find practice tests, read on! Practice, practice, practice! Where to Find SAT Literature Practice Tests and Resources The best resources for SAT Literature practice tests come straight from the source- the College Board. Since they create and administer the SAT Literature Subject Test, it makes sense that they would have the best study resources. The College Board offers a set of 23 practice questions on their online prep interface. You can get the same practice questions in PDF form by downloading their booklet on preparing for the Subject Tests. If you want a complete and official SAT Literature practice test, you will need to purchase The Official Study Guide for ALL SAT Subject Tests, 2nd Edition (about $19 on Amazon). This book offers sample questions with explanations and a complete practice test for every Subject Test. Other than this, official resources are limited. Practice questions in the Kaplan guide bear very little resemblance to actual questions, so I don't advise going there. While The Princeton Review guide questions are much better, they're still not official. How to Ace the Literature Subject Test: 6 Test-Taking Tips All of your general test-taking tips apply here: get a lot of sleep, bring a snack to the testing center, arrive early, and so on. There are also some best practices more specific to the SAT Subject Test in Literature, though. Read on for our top six tips. #1: Read the Passage Carefully This might seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many students get tripped up on the SAT Lit test just because they didn't read the passage closely. You might find it helpful to mark the text by making notes or circling or underlining parts that stand out to you. Interacting with the text this way will help you to process it better. Some people like to read the questions before they read the passage so that they know what they are looking for. If you find this helpful, go ahead and do it! I personally find that it wastes time and distracts me from fully absorbing the passage, but your mileage might vary. Just remember that the time to experiment with your approach is not test day but while you're taking practice tests. Also, there's no law that you have to address all the passages in order. If you come upon one that just seems hard to process, it's fine to skip it and come back to it later. However, if you do this, be sure to line up your answers on the answer sheet correctly. You don't want to have to erase half a scantron because you didn't count right when you skipped a passage! #2: Think of the Answer Before Looking At the Choices When you read the question, you might find it helpful to think of what you think the answer should be before you look at the answers listed. At the very least, doing this should help you eliminate answers that are clearly wrong. #3: Read All the Answer Choices Carefully This tip probably sounds obvious, too, but, when you're pressed for time, it's tempting to just circle the first answer that looks like it could be right. Don't do this! Read all the answer choices before you choose the best one. #4: Look Back at the Passage When a question refers to a specific place in the passage, go back and look at it in context. Do not rely on your memory alone! Context is everything on this exam. #5: Don't Infer Don't make inferences that aren't supported by the text. It can be tempting to choose answers that the text doesn't explicitly disallow, but you need to choose the answer choice that is the most supported by what's actually written in the passage. #6: Don't Waste Time Since there is some time pressure on this exam, don't waste too much time on any one question. If you find yourself stumped, just skip the question and come back to it later. Odds are that it will be much clearer to you on a second pass. Time is of the essence! Wrap-Up: What to Know About SAT Literature This is all there is to the SAT Subject Test in Literature: you get one hour to answer 60 analytical questions on six to eight passages. Be prepared for a wide range of time periods and make sure you can confront prose, poetry, and the occasional dramatic work. Be certain that you're also ready to answer questions in any of the eight question categories: Reading comprehension Words/phrases in context Questions on the passage overall Literary devices Figurative language Narrator/speaker analysis Character analysis Dialogue analysis What can you do to prepare for the SAT Literature Subject Test? Read works from a variety of time periods, learn major literary terms, get comfortable analyzing prose and poetry, and take as many high-quality practice tests as possible! On test day, remember to read the passages carefully, skip any questions that stump you (and return to them later), and don't make any inferences beyond what's written in the text. With all this in mind, you'll be ready to ace SAT Literature in no time! Get inspired by this magical cat! Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: Raise Your SAT Score by 160 Points(Free Download) What's Next? Once you decide to take the SAT Literature test, you'll need to choose a test date. Read this guide to learn how to find the best test date for you. Taking the SAT Biology Subject Test, too? Check out our ultimate SAT Subject Test guide for SAT Biology to learn what kinds of content you'll need to know to ace the exam. Trying to figure out what's a good SAT Subject Test score? Let us break it down for you. Once you need to send your scores, see out step-by-step guide to sending SAT Subject Test scores. Taking the regular SAT or the ACT? See our expert guide to the best SAT/ACT prep methods. Need a little extra help prepping for your Subject Tests? We have the industry's leading SAT Subject Test prep programs (for all non-language Subject Tests). Built by Harvard grads and SAT Subject Test full or 99th %ile scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. Learn more about our Subject Test products below: