America Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers, Research Papers

America Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers, Research Papers America AMERICA America is the land of opportunity. This country is full of great ways to better our lives. There are many different kinds of opportunities we can use to improve the quality of our living conditions. For example, there are many public school systems here, as well as the many college opportunities we are offered. This country is also a great place to find adventure, or just have a good time playing sports or exercising. Something else that is great about our country is our fantastic government system. Whether it's Federal, State, or Local government; ours is one to be proud of. America offers the most to any kind of person, no matter who you are or what you enjoy. In America there is an unbelievable amount of ways to learn. There is a public school system where anyone can go to school, Kindergarten through twelfth grade. If you want to further your education by going to college, there is a great variety of schools you could go to. If you want to be a doctor there are specific schools designed to teach people how to be doctors. Some colleges are good at different sports, and some are incredible acedemically, some schools are well-known for their drama programs or other things. Most schools offer scholarships to those who excel in specific areas. Scholarships are a good way to get financial aid if you can't or don't want to pay for college. If you're looking for action and adventure, you've come to the right place. America is the greatest place to kick back and have a good time. You could ski the icy slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Utah and Colorado, or you could surf and lay out on the sandy beaches of Hawaii or California. You could go crabbing on the rocky coast of Maine, or go ice fishing on a barren lake in the nippy weather of Alaska. Different places around the country offer a variety of seminars if you're looking for instruction, or you could read up on the subject before braving the great outdoors by yourself. Many people also enjoy sports. In Utah, there are all kinds of sports programs designed for people of all ages. This is a great place to come whether you're looking for sports action or outdoor adventure. Some might worry about the quality of our government. Despite the recent problems our president has had, the government is nothing to worry about. The local government is here to help us in any way needed. The local government helps us out with our school systems, roads, and many other things. The Federal government helps pass laws to make our states and towns better for us. All in all, the government is still going just as strong as they were in the beginning in 1776. Taking all the factors into consideration, I think America is the greatest place on earth to live. No matter what you want to do, where and when you want to do it; you can probably find it here. Whether you want to further your education, find a passion in some sort of outdoor adventure, or discover the mystery behind our government, this country is where you'll want to be. America truly is the land of opportunity.

Preparing for the First Certificate Examination for Free

Preparing for the First Certificate Examination for Free Cambridge Universitys First Certificate Examination (FCE) is probably the most widely respected English learning certificate outside of the United States. Examination centers around the world offer the First Certificate Exam twice a year; once in December and once in June. In fact, the First Certificate is only one of a number of Cambridge examinations aimed at levels from young learners to business English. However, the FCE is certainly the most popular. The tests are given in Cambridge University approved exam centers using Cambridge University approved examiners. Study Strategy Studying for the First Certificate Exam usually involves a long course. First Certificate preparation course can last 120 hours and involve a difficult (and long) exam which contains five papers including: ReadingWritingUse of EnglishListeningSpeaking There are few resources on the Internet for First Certificate preparation. However, you can  find practice tests, wordbanks, and practice  exercises. You can use these materials to prepare for the exam or to check to see if your level of English is right for working towards this exam. About the Test Before beginning to study for the First Certificate, it is a good idea to understand the philosophy and purpose behind this standardized test. Practicing techniques on test taking can help you understand general test-taking preparation. The best way to understand the specifics of the FCE is to go straight to the source and visit the introduction to the exam at Cambridge Universitys EFL site. For information about where the First Certificate is placed on the European 5-level scale, you can visit this informative page. Listening Finding FCE-specific listening practice exercises can be difficult, so get creative! Visit the BBCs audio and visual page and listen to or watch various ABC programs. The exam is purely British English, so its best to listen to this classic British radio station.

Report on Religious Field Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Report on Religious Field Research - Essay Example Boundless light is both love and the element of love past the individual or human beings. This activity is not designed by any individual or for any individual. Boundless light is all inclusive. It argues that actual nature entails displaying everything and every individual as absolute love, and one of the forms of love involves the soul (Hagen, 1998). The soul also acknowledges that it is the expression of the love of real nature. In addition, meditation has been identified as a core part of the Buddhist religion. It is not clear the number of Christians who pray, but a large number of Buddhists all through history have not engaged in meditation. Until recent times, mediation has been perceived as a basic activity and is solely practiced by specified monks. Moreover, the Buddha largely laid emphasis on meditation, but a number of traditions, for example, the pure land engage in minimal or no meditation in their activities (Brodd, 2003). This paper will be a report on religious field research. The paper will discuss personal misconceptions on Buddhism, analyze how my previous understanding about Buddhism was changed through my encounter, discuss whether misconceptions about the religion of other people are widespread and an explanation on why or why not, and recommend a minimum of one action that could help lessen misconceptions individuals have about other people’s religion. Question 1 There are a number of misconceptions that I have had about Buddhism. One, that chanting is useless and meaningless. In contrast, Buddhist recitation or chanting contains explicit meanings with specified uses. There are also numerous forms of recitations. The recitation involving loving-kindness helps in passing loving-kindness to other human. Chanting also helps during meditation. It helps the mind in developing concentration (Hagen, 1998). Two, that Buddha is a god. Conversely, Buddhism does not follow the notion of God that is widespread to the monotheistic beliefs. Bud dhists hold the belief that all individuals have the power to become a Buddha. Three, that it is difficult to understand nibbana. In simple terms, nibbana refers to independence from the fundamental reasons of all suffering; the incorrect notion that people exists autonomously as a non-changing and intrinsic self. Nibbana illustrates the dousing of all delusion, hatred, and greed, causing extraordinary peace and clarity (Hagen, 1998). Three, that everything should be blamed on kamma. Conversely, kamma does not involve fatalism. Kamma refers to people’s choice expressed as actions of speech, body, or mind. What individuals presently go through, both pleasant and awful, are determined by the actions and thoughts of the individual in the past. Identically, what individuals will go through in the future is determined by their actions and thoughts in the present. A person’s kamma constantly changes based on how the individual act and think in the present times (Hagen, 1998) . Four, women are mediocre and is punishment to be born a woman. In contrast, Buddhism does not perceive women to be inferior to their male counterparts. Buddha was clear about treating both men and women in the same way. Buddha included females in the Sangha in spite of severe oppositions. Question 2 My previous understanding of Buddhism was changed through the encounter. First, I developed listening techniques so that I could hear what

Infectious Disease and Public Health (Microbiology) Essay

Infectious Disease and Public Health (Microbiology) - Essay Example Therefore, this exposes people, who are nearby to these bacteria, thereby increasing chances of being infected. Actually, TB bacteria are activated by the state of low immunity system in a person, who is infected. In United States, the government has made necessary strategic plans aimed at eliminating TB since 1989, which was a period that America experienced re-emergence of TB (CDC, 2005). In fact, the high prevalence of HIV contributed significantly to resurgence of TB, though there were other factors such as increased immigration of people from countries with high TB prevalence and availability of multidrug-resistant TB (CDC, 2005). On the other hand, the government has made necessary effort to improve infrastructure to facilitate control of TB in America. Therefore, this led to correction of the problem that had deteriorated, through crucial deployment of resources at a state and local levels in the country. In addition, CDC (2005) explains that effort made by American government to deal with the negative implications of TB led to a forty-four percent decrease of its prevalence during the period between 1993 and 2003. Government’s effort to deal with implications of TB is attributable to articulate national approach, which facilitated response to initial reappearance of TB (CDC, 2005). Furthermore, this effort can also be attributed to coordination of government officials in health care field at the local and state level. Nevertheless, the government has been ensuring that there are ample resources to deal with this problem; thus leading to spectacular decrease of TB cases among Americans. Nonetheless, government effort increased possibility of eliminating TB in 1999 and reaffirmation of objectives to expunge TB through America by Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET) (CDC, 2005). According to a recent research by CDC (2012), there were 10,528 incidences of

Pros and Cons of Genetically Modified Foods Essay Example for Free

Pros and Cons of Genetically Modified Foods Essay Our ancestors first cultivated plants some ten thousand years ago. They domesticated animals later and then selectively bred both plants and animals to meet various requirements for human food. Humans discovered natural biological processes such as fermentation of fruits and grains to make wine and beer, and yeast for baking bread. Manipulation of foods is not a new story, therefore. The latest agricultural discovery uses genetic engineering technology to modify foods. Farmers and plant breeders have been changing crop plants to improve characteristics such as size, resistance to disease and taste. Plants which grow well, have a higher yield or taste better are selected and bred from. This is still the most widely used technique for developing new varieties of a crop, and is limited by natural barriers which stop different species of organisms from breeding with each other. Genetic modification is very different to these traditional plant breeding techniques. Genetic modification is the insertion of DNA from one organism to another, usually by molecular technologies. Genetically Modified Foods (GMF) are animals or plants that have had genetic modification. This changes the characteristics of the organism, or the way it grows and develops. Jim Maryanski from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration, had the following to say in an interview published on the FDAs website. ?There are hundreds of new plant varieties introduced every year in the United States, and all have been genetically modified through traditional plant breeding techniquessuch as cross-fertilization of selected plantsto produce desired traits.? (Robin)Current and future GM products include:a)Food that can deliver vaccines bananas that produce hepatitis B vaccineb)More nutritious foods rice with increased iron and vitaminsc)Faster growing fish, fruit and nut treesd)Plants producing new plasticsIn so many respects, genetic modification is perfect for todays society. It would help agriculturalists overcome all headaches associated with growing large crops, and basically tailor the food growth industry to mass consumption by the general population. The famous frost-resistant tomato example is perfect in illustrating this point. With a tomato that resists frost, the season for growing them would be longer and therefore a farmer would be able to produce more tomatoes in one year than they were able to do in the past. Gene technology not only gives us the potential to select the exact characteristics we want in an organism, but it also enables us to cross species barriers. For example, we can take an insecticide-producing gene from a bacterium and insert it into a plant, making the plant resistant to insect attack. This new-found ability to cross species barriers is what makes gene technology such a powerful tool. Producing enough food for the worlds population without using up all the available land is an enormous challenge. One solution is to develop crops that yield more with fewer inputs; that are more resistant to diseases; that spoil less during storage and transport; that contain more useful nutrients; and that can grow in agricultural land that has been degraded. Gene technology gives us the potential to do this. Genetically modified foods have been available since the 1990s. The principal ingredients of GM foods currently available are derived from genetically modified soybean, maize and canola. The first commercially grown genetically modified food crop was a tomato created by Calgene called the FlavrSavr. Calgene submitted it to the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for assessment in 1992; following the FDAs determination that the FlavrSavr was, in fact, a tomato, did not constitute a health hazard, and did not need to be labeled to indicate it was genetically modified, Calgene released it into the market in 1994, where it met with little public comment. Considered to have a poor flavor, it never sold well and was off the market by 1997. However, it had improved solids contents which made it an attractive new variety for canned tomatoes. Transgenic crops are grown commercially or in field trials in over 40 countries and on 6 continents. In 2000, about 109. 2 million acres (442,000 km? ) were planted with transgenic crops, the principal ones being herbicide- and insecticide-resistant soybeans, corn, cotton, and canola. Other crops grown commercially or field-tested are a sweet potato resistant to a US strain of a virus that affects one out of the more than 89 different varieties of sweet potato grown in Africa, rice with increased iron and vitamins such as golden rice, and a variety of plants able to survive extreme weather. Between 1996 and 2001, the total surface area of land cultivated with GMOs had increased by a factor of 30, from 17,000 km? (4. 2 million acres) to 520,000 km? (128 million acres). The value for 2002 was 145 million acres (587,000 km? ) and for 2003 was 167 million acres (676,000 km? ). Soybean crop represented 63% of total surface in 2001, maize 19%, cotton 13% and canola 5%. In 2004, the value was about 200 million acres (809,000 km? ) of which 2/3 were in the United States. In particular, Bt corn is widely grown, as are soybeans genetically designed to tolerate glyphosate herbicides. Future applications of GMOs include bananas that produce human vaccines against infectious diseases such as Hepatitis B, fish that mature more quickly, fruit and nut trees that yield years earlier, and plants that produce new plastics with unique properties. The next decade will see exponential progress in GM product development as researchers gain increasing and unprecedented access to genomic resources that are applicable to organisms beyond the scope of individual projects. Biologist Stephen Nottingham explains the risks of GMF:? Experimental trials with transgenic organisms are usually conducted strict regulations to minimize the potential spread of genetic material? Even given these regulations, however, no field trial can be said to be 100% secure. This was illustrated when flooding struck the American Midwest in July 1993 and an entire field of experimental insect-resistant maize was swept away in Iowa. ?once released accidentally into the environment, plant material may prove difficult to recover. (Bragi)Unique ecological risks have been associated with virus-resistant transgenic crop plants?leaving crops more vulnerable to virus attack and risking the spread of virus susceptibility to other plants. Genetically modified foods are unlikely to present direct risks to human health. There are two main areas of concern:a)The possibility of allergic reactions to genetically modified foods, andb) The possibility that bacteria living in the human gut may acquire resistance to antibiotics from marker genes present in transgenic plants. Proponents claim that a genetically-modified potato is as safe as one modified the old-fashioned way, through generations of selective breeding; biotechnology just gets the job done more quickly. Critics are concerned that mixing together genetic material from different species might produce unexpected allergic reactions in the person who eats or drinks it. For instance, if an individual consumer who is allergic to broccoli eats a banana that just happens to have a little broccoli DNA under the peel, that person might get sick. Some studies on animals indicate that consuming genetically-modified foods may cause allergic responses, compromise immune systems and inhibit organ growth, although no proven cases of widespread reactions have been definitively documented. Opponents of biotech foods want other questions answered, as well. Will re-engineering a plant or animal to serve a specific end, such as improving taste, decrease its nutritional value? Will consuming genetically-modified food products make a person more resistant to antibiotics, which are widely used to treat bacterial infections? Does consuming milk or meat from livestock that has been injected with growth hormones (a form of biotechnology that is different from genetic modification) subject consumers to early puberty, cancer, and other ailments? Since neither side has been able to provide definitive answers, the jury is still out on food safety; after all, genetic technology itself is barely decades old. So one can condense the issue into a single question: should we move forward with new technologies that might help provide higher crop yields, new and interesting types of food products, and more profits for the companies that own the technology; or play it safe and wait until we better understand the health and environmental consequences of manipulating life forms that took generations to develop? Multinational Corporations benefit because GMF can be very profitable. GMF have taken hold quickly because multinational corporations with the resources to make large financial investments in research and development can profit directly. Multinational companies can spread out the benefit and profit to many branches of their businesses. Many such corporations combine the following: an agrochemical company, a seed company, a pharmaceutical company, a food processing company and sometimes businesses involved with veterinary products. Developments in one part of the corporation can be used to sell products in another branch. Farmers benefit in the short term because they can grow and sell more crops with fewer problems due to weeds, pests, fungi or frost. The genetically modified seed is designed to resist these traditional enemies. Food processing companies benefit from a ready supply of raw food ingredients designed for specific processing needs. Genetically modified tomatoes and potatoes, for instance, have higher solid contents and yield more sauces and French fries. These foods take longer to ripen and rot. Thus less food is spoiled and more gets processed. Supermarkets benefit for the same reasons. The fresh produce lasts longer on the shelves and is more profitable. Consumers, to date, havent benefited. GMF have been developed for the convenience of the producer and processor. Yet they cost more to produce and the costs get passed along to the consumer. Eventually there will be some kind of designer novelty foods for shoppers to try. Nottingham adds that there are many other concerns including ethical questions involving animal welfare, whether DNA is actual life, and intellectual property rights and genetic resources from the Third World. (Bragi)The worlds poorest nations account for around 95. 7% of the worlds genetic resources. Traditional farming practices involve farmers retaining seeds, from the harvest of one years crop, for planting in the following year. This practice saves money on buying seed and in itself represents a continuous selection for yield and resistance to pests and diseases. However, with genetically modified seed, royalties are payable to the companies holding the patent for the seed. Under world trade agreement rulings, farmers have to make substantial royalty payments to multinational companies if they keep seed for replanting, even if the crop happens to be native to their particular country. Genetic engineering is a valuable new technology that can develop more plentiful and nutritious foods, with great potential benefits for humanity and the environment, and this new scientific discovery needs to be implemented as quickly as possible for humanitarian reasons. As with every new scientific technology, harmful side effects of genetic engineering are inevitable and great care should be taken in its implementation, including carefully controlled long-term tests on human health and environmental impacts. All genetically engineered foods have been thoroughly tested and demonstrated to be safe before they are released into the marketplace. However, this testing is typically conducted only on rats and other animals, by the companies involved. Very little of this research has been reviewed by independent scientists and then published in scientific journals. Genetically engineered foods are usually substantially equivalent to other foods, with no increased risk to human health, and no need for the lengthy and expensive human testing demanded of, for example, new food additives. However, the unpredictable disruptions in normal DNA functioning caused by genetic engineering can produce unanticipated and unknown side effects for human health, including unknown and unpredictable toxins and allergens, and these possibilities can only be definitively assessed through human testing. Genetic engineering is a scientific and technological process, and its evaluation and governmental regulation should be based on purely scientific and objective criteria. To have a purely scientific evaluation of genetically engineered foods, we need more science, especially human studies and environmental studies. Moreover, purely scientific assessment of genetic engineering ignores the fact that, for many people, food has cultural, ethical and religious dimensions that must also be considered. Alan McHughen, author of Pandoras Picnic Basket: The Potential and Hazards of Genetically Modified Foods, in the introduction he states:Make no mistake: I am in favor of an orderly and appropriately regulated introduction of some GMOs into the environment and marketplace, and I adamantly oppose others. There are good reasons to ban certain products of genetic technology, and good reasons to allow, with management, certain others; some may require no extraordinary regulation at all. If your opinion differs from mine after reading this book, I hope you will be able to justify, if only to yourself, why we disagree. My philosophy is to be skeptical, be critical, even cynical of claims by business interests, government agencies, and activist groups. But also keep an open mind and then decide for yourself. (Internet 7)There? s no doubt that the GM food supply should be closely monitored and regulated, but that doesn? t mean it should all be banned. I believe that genetic engineering of plants, animals, and humans has much to offer as long as we are aware of potential benefits and side effects. And that? s true even for more traditional methods of farming, animal husbandry, and medicine. Work Sited:1. Cummings, Michael R. , and Williams S. Klug. Concepts of Genetics. New Delhi: Pearson Education, 2004. 2. Dubey, R. C. A Textbook of Biotechnology. New Delhi: S. Chand, 20063. Kumar, H. D. Modern Concepts of Biotechnology. New Delhi: Vikash Publishing House, 20034. Purohit, S. Agricultural Biotechnology. India: Agrobios, 20055. Purohit, S. Biotechnology: Fundamental and Applications. India: Agrobios, 2004Internet. Reference:1. Bragi, David. ?Food Savior Or Frankenfood? The Debate Over Genetically Modified Foods?. http://www. sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article. cgi? f=/gate/archive/2001/06/25/healthwatch. DTL2. Robbin, Adria. ?What Are We Eating http://serendip. brynmawr. edu/biology/b103/f00/web1/robbin. html3. Schultz, Norman. http://www. beyondintractability. org/essay/fact_finding_limits/. 4. Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia. http://www. wikipedia. org/wiki/genetic_engineering5. Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia. http://www. wikipedia. org/wiki/genetically_modified_food6.? Genetic Engineering: The Controversy?. http://www. genetic-id. com/prosncons/index. htm7. http://www. foodmuseum. com/issues. html.

My Decision :: Essays Papers

My Decision As the three o'clock bell rang, a sense of excitement filled the air. I ran with my friends through the cluttered hallways and scurried onto the bus. The seats were filled with bouncing children preparing to go home. Many waved to their teachers as the buses departed. I had anticipated this moment for so long--I was officially a second grader. The last day of first grade had arrived, and I had the remainder of summer to enjoy and have fun. I couldn't wait to get home and begin my vacation. The bus finally rolled quietly around a corner and stopped at my house--the last stop. My mother was standing at the door waiting for me. She smiled and causally took my bag. I didn't even have to ask for permission to go to a friends house, my mom simply said to be home by dark. I walked only a short distance to where my friend, Maggie, was waiting. It seemed odd that we were such good friends. She was pretty and popular, and I was simple and somewhat shy. The differences however made a perfect match. The times of fun and laughter between us were countless. A majority of my summer was guaranteed to be spent running around with this close friend. Soon, however, darkness was drawing in, and I reluctantly said good-bye to my friend and headed for home. The porch light was the first thing I could see of my house. The light was such a brilliant white. I loved how it illuminated its surroundings. A sense of security overwhelmed me when I saw this light, for my mother always turned it on until I had safely returned home. I walked up the steps to the front door. When I stepped inside, I was bombarded with the wonderful aroma of a home-made meal. I could see my mother working in the kitchen. She looked up from her masterpiece and welcomed me home. "Did you have fun?" "Of course", I replied. "We made a lot of plans for the summer." "That's good." "Don't you want to know what we're going to do?" "Not really, I feel that you are old enough to make good judgments. As long as you use your head, are reasonable, and are being safe, I don't mind what you do." I looked at my mother with a blank stare for a moment. I was totally confused. "Do you mean that I can do anything that I want to?

Compare and contrast at least three of Fanthorpe’s poems Essay

Four of Fanthorpe’s poems, Dear Mr. Lee, You’ll Be Hearing From Us Shortly, Half Past Two and Not My Best Side all have things in common yet on different subjects. In her poems, Fanthorpe challenges our views particularly on stereotypes and prejudices both traditional and modern. The serious point of Dear Mr. Lee is to get across that looking at writing, so intensely can ruin the original idea the writer had. Some pieces of writing should just be read and enjoyed. Fanthorpe as a teacher often has to take apart pieces of work and analyse them yet she seems in this poem to disagree with the over analysing of writing. Also similar in all four of these poems is the structure. All are written as prose, the most obvious prose like poem is Dear Mr. Lee. It seems to be written as a letter by a student who has read Mr. Lee’s book. Yet looking further into the poem the reader discovers that it is actually written as the thoughts of the student. The way the student talks about and criticises the teacher. â€Å"Mr. Smart is my least favourite person† and â€Å"Mr. Smart has to explain why they’re jokes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  are good examples of thoughts. Dear Mr. Lee’s lines end randomly, which is odd for a poem, rhythm and pattern are not present and generally the poem has no traditional poetry techniques such as alliteration, onomatopoeia and rhyme. Also not all the lines begin with capital letters, which is very strange for a poem. â€Å"I wanted to say Dear Laurie (sorry) your book’s the one that made up for the other,†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The poem seems to be unplanned and has no apparent structure, using random line lengths, and also it seems to be this way because of the line beginning without capitals, which makes it, look messy and unplanned. Dear Mr. Lee is trying to get across a point that criticises the studying of writing whereas Not My Best Side challenges the use of stereotypes both traditional and modern. St George is a critic reading the poem making his objections to it, complaining about the way the new characters differ from the traditional or stereotypes. â€Å"Don’t you want to carry out the roles that sociology and myth have designed for you?† Not My Best Side is more tongue and cheek than Dear Mr. Lee in the way it makes fun of the stereotypes. In many stories involving dragons, the dragon is often fierce and often the bad guy. Fanthorpe has made fun of this and made the dragon totally the opposite: vain, proud, patronising and feels he is superior. He is a prima donna. The woman is not beautiful, helpless and grateful to the hero. She is self-centred, and a gold-digger. Then there is St. George who is supposed to be brave, handsome and modest. Fanthorpe’s St. George is a modern day man with a huge ego. Not My Best Side also appears to be written as prose. Also it lacks traditional poetry techniques, as does Dear Mr. Lee. The lines seem to end randomly, and yet again there is also the use of brackets as afterthoughts, which are found, for the same reason in Dear Mr. Lee. Unlike Not My Best Side, Half Past Two may be written from a personal experience. From her experiences Fanthorpe tries to get across that there are different kinds of time. Fanthorpe uses the child to represent the first kind of time: Events that the child remembers or has picked up. The child does not know ‘adult’ time and so uses events in the day as time. For example: â€Å"Gettinguptime†, and â€Å"Timeyouwereofftime†. The second time portrayed is real time. This type of time is the day divided up by the clock in hours and minutes. The third of time is suspended time. This is the type of time the child is in when he ‘daydreams’ and drifts off into his own world. As he doesn’t understand the adult time he goes into his own suspended time to escape. In Not My Best Side, Fanthorpe introduces three voices that divide the poem and show the reader who is speaking. This also appears in Half Past Two. There is the narrator, the teacher and the child. These three voices appear randomly within the stanzas whereas the three voices in Not My Best Side are used to divide the poem into stanzas. Like Dear Mr. Lee and Not My Best Side, Half Past Two is also written as prose. The randomly ending lines and use of brackets, also used in both Dear Mr. Lee and Not My Best Side emphasise the writing as prose. The brackets in Half Past Two represent afterthoughts, similar to Dear Mr. Lee and Not My Best Side. All of Fanthorpe’s poems seem to involve thoughts of someone, concerned about all that occurs in their own head. Maybe this person is Fanthorpe herself. Therefore the poems would be written about self-experiences. For example, the views of the Dragon, Princess, Knight, the suspended time of the child and the thoughts of the interviewee could all be taken as Fanthorpe’s own thoughts. Fanthorpe’s poems are idiosyncratic, all have a lose structure, the line endings are odd and stanza lengths are also all different. Her poetry is written mainly as prose and is easy to tell why, the use of brackets mid line to represent after thoughts and different length structure makes the poems look like prose writing. This is typical of Fanthorpe’s writing and hence her poems being similar in all ways.

A Remake Play of Oedipus Essay

Oedipus Rex has always been one of the most intriguing and interesting plays that William Shakespeare has ever written. By combining a tragic with complex plots, the legendary playwright was able to establish himself as a classic poet known for psychological tragedies. A modern version of Shakespeare’s plays always produces an equally intriguing curiosity from contemporary audiences. Setting and Milieu If given a chance to produce a remake of this play, I would prefer transforming this play to a modern one. This method would provide the audiences a much convenient way of absorbing the message of the story. By means of using the present and commonly used language, audiences can easily relate with the events pertaining to the story of Oedipus. The lyrical and archaic lines would have to be dropped to achieve modernity and represent a younger generation. It would be set in present New York where the busiest streets and cities can be found. Characterization Since this is a modern remake of the original Oedipus Rex, King Laius and Queen Jocasta would be an overly superstitious couple who reigns in the city of New York as the state’s richest business tycoons. It is still the same plot, though. Fortune-tellers warned of a son who would later murder his father and marry his mother. A high school teacher who saw him abandoned in the woods near the school would raise Oedipus. He would grow up as an educated man who fights for what he believes is right. All of the original characters would be transformed into other characters which can represent the present time and eliminate the Shakespearean era of the story. It would be entirely based on modern events. Props and Prosthetics Clearly, the characters would be using casual clothing which is common to what they represent. The character of Oedipus is most likely to wear plain and casual clothes while Laius and Jocasta are more fitting to wear highly corporate attires. Masks are definitely out of the picture and the facial expressions and gestures would solely rely on the actors’ skills in acting. Stage props include various equipment and tools which are necessary to the backdrop of each scene. It would include materials which can produce a picture of living room, streets, bedroom, and other equipment necessary. Conclusion Modern versions are not always as successful as the original. However, creating a contemporary remake of something very classic is always convenient for audiences who seek to understand more about a specific classic. Language and differences in poetry interpretation are always a major hindrance in achieving the primary message of a certain literature; but if a person wants to understand the deeper meaning of that classic, it is always productive to turn into modern remakes. They give easy-to-understand insights which are simplified versions of the originals.

Overview of the Second Opium War

Overview of the Second Opium War In the mid-1850s, the European powers and the United States sought to renegotiate their commercial treaties with China. This effort was led by the British who sought the opening of all of China to their merchants, an ambassador in Beijing, legalization of the opium trade, and the exemption of imports from tariffs. Unwilling to make further concessions to the West, the Qing government of Emperor Xianfeng refused these requests. Tensions were further heightened on October 8, 1856, when Chinese officials boarded the Hong Kong (then British) registered ship Arrow and removed 12 Chinese crewmen. In response to the Arrow Incident, British diplomats in Canton demanded the release of the prisoners and sought redress. The Chinese refused, stating that Arrow was involved in smuggling and piracy. To aid in dealing with the Chinese, the British contacted France, Russia, and the United States about forming an alliance. The French, angered by the recent execution of missionary August Chapdelaine by the Chinese, joined while the Americans and Russians sent envoys. In Hong Kong, the situation worsened following a failed attempt by the citys Chinese bakers to poison the citys European population. Early Actions In 1857, after dealing with the Indian Mutiny, British forces arrived at Hong Kong. Led by Admiral Sir Michael Seymour and Lord Elgin, they joined with the French under Marshall Gros and then attacked the forts on the Pearl River south of Canton. The governor of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, Ye Mingchen, ordered his soldiers not to resist and the British easily took control of the forts. Pressing north, the British and French seized Canton after a brief fight and captured Ye Mingchen. Leaving an occupying force at Canton, they sailed north and took the Taku Forts outside Tianjin in May 1858. Treaty of Tianjin With his military already dealing with the Taiping Rebellion, Xianfeng was unable to resist the advancing British and French. Seeking peace, the Chinese negotiated the Treaties of Tianjin. As part of the treaties, the British, French, Americans, and Russians were permitted to install legations in Beijing, ten additional ports would be opened to foreign trade, foreigners would be permitted to travel through the interior, and reparations would be paid to Britain and France. In addition, the Russians signed the separate Treaty of Aigun which gave them coastal land in northern China. Fighting Resumes While the treaties ended the fighting, they were immensely unpopular within Xianfengs government. Shortly after agreeing to the terms, he was persuaded to renege and dispatched Mongolian General Sengge Rinchen to defend the newly returned Taku Forts. The following June hostilities recommenced following Rinchens refusal to allow Admiral Sir James Hope to land troops to escort the new ambassadors to Beijing. While Richen was willing to allow the ambassadors to land elsewhere, he prohibited armed troops to accompany them. On the night of June 24, 1859, British forces cleared the Baihe River of obstacles and the next day Hopes squadron sailed in to bombard the Taku Forts. Meeting heavy resistance from the forts batteries, Hope was ultimately forced to withdrawal with the aid of Commodore Josiah Tattnall, whose ships violated US neutrality to assist the British. When asked why he intervened, Tattnall replied that blood is thicker than water. Stunned by this reversal, the British and French began assembling a large force at Hong Kong. By the summer of 1860, the army numbered 17,700 men (11,000 British, 6,700 French). Sailing with 173 ships, Lord Elgin and General Charles Cousin-Montauban returned to the Tianjin and landed on August 3 near Bei Tang, two miles from the Taku Forts. The forts fell on August 21. Having occupied Tianjin, the Anglo-French army began moving inland towards Beijing. As the enemy host approached, Xianfeng called for peace talks. These stalled following the arrest and torture of British envoy Harry Parkes and his party. On September 18, Rinchen attacked the invaders near Zhangjiawan but was repelled. As the British and French entered the Beijing suburbs, Rinchen made his final stand at Baliqiao. Mustering over 30,000 men, Rinchen launched several frontal assaults on the Anglo-French positions and was repulsed, destroying his army in the process. The way now open, Lord Elgin and Cousin-Montauban entered Beijing on October 6. With the army gone, Xianfeng fled the capital, leaving Prince Gong to negotiate peace. While in the city, British and French troops looted the Old Summer Palace and freed Western prisoners. Lord Elgin considered burning the Forbidden City as punishment for Chinese use of kidnapping and torture, but was talked into burning the Old Summer Palace instead by other diplomats. Aftermath In the following days, Prince Gong met with the Western diplomats and accepted the Convention of Peking. By the terms of the convention, the Chinese were forced to accept the validity of the Treaties of Tianjin, cede part of Kowloon to Britain, open Tianjin as a trade port, allow religious freedom, legalize the opium trade, and pay reparations to Britain and France. Though not a belligerent, Russia took advantage of Chinas weakness and concluded the Supplementary Treaty of Peking which ceded approximately 400,000 square miles of territory to St. Petersburg. The defeat of its military by a much smaller Western army showed the weakness of the Qing Dynasty and began a new age of imperialism in China. Domestically, this, coupled with the flight of the emperor and the burning of the Old Summer Palace, greatly damaged the Qings prestige leading many within China to begin questioning the governments effectiveness. Sources victorianweb.org/history/empire/opiumwars/opiumwars1.html state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/dwe/82012.htm

The Six Spellings of Long E

The Six Spellings of Long E The Six Spellings of Long E The Six Spellings of Long E By Maeve Maddox Some of you have had the opportunity to attend, but we wanted our members to have a sneak peak at what they have to offer. The above quotation is from a club announcement. The words sneak peak certainly seem as if they ought to match, but the word peak is a misspelling in this context. The word meaning a surreptitious look is spelled peek. A peak is a projecting point. As I pointed out in English Spelling is Not Total Chaos, English has more phonograms (sound symbols) than it needs. This multiplicity of spellings applies especially to the vowel sounds. Long E is the vowel sound represented by the e in me. This long e sound can also be represented by five other phonograms: ee Achilles was wounded in his heel. The double e spelling ee always represents the long e sound: see, kneel, feel, tee (golf term). ea Physician, heal thyself. Long e is the most common sound represented by ea: read, zeal, appeal, deal, meal, real. (The spelling ea can also represent two other vowel sounds.) ei That man is filled with conceit. This ei spelling for long e occurs in words in which the ei follows the letter c: ceiling, conceit, perceive, receipt, receive. (Theres a rule that often helps: i before e except after c) ie Lets plant oats in that field. Long e is spelled ie in several common words: believe, belief, brief, chief, field, niece, priest, siege, achieve, piece. ey Follett wrote The Key to Rebecca. The ey spelling for long e is not common in one-syllable words. Key is the only one I can think of. The phonogram ey to represent long e does appear at the end of two-syllable words like valley, alley, and galley. (The spelling ey more often represents the long a sound, as in they.) Its too bad that we have so many ways to spell the long e sound, but its probably too late to do anything about itother than learn the variants. Even Richard Mulcaster (1531-1611), an early advocate of English spelling reform, had to concede that No set of rules can cover all points; some things must be left to observation and daily practice.* *Baugh, A History of the English Language p. 255) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:85 Synonyms for â€Å"Help†10 Types of TransitionsGlimpse and Glance: Same or Different?

English Vowel Length Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

English Vowel Length - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that every individual has specific pronunciation peculiarities, for example, /s/ may be pronounced in a different manner. A phonologist may be interested in discussing peculiarities of different pronunciation types of /s/ in words where only one basic unit of this sound is met. Phonetician would be more interested in articulation peculiarities. Consequently, the phonological system of English consists of â€Å"number of phonemes which are used in this language and to how they are organized†. The English language has 12 pure vowel sounds which can differentiate word meanings. The following features differentiate vowels from consonants. Thus, from phonetic perspective vowels are produced via vocal configuration of the vocal tract: mouth is open and we can hear the sound created by air passing through the mouth (so-called audible friction). From a phonological perspective, vowels consist of sound system units which can take place in the m iddle of a syllable (e.g., rat, bad). A distinctive principle of vowels discussed in this paper is vowel length. Symbolically, length is symbolized by colon [:]. There are 5 relatively long and 7 relatively short vowels. It is possible to distinguish the length of vowels in accordance with the quantity and quality principles. Length variation is also presented in the following pair of sounds /ÉÅ":/ and /É™/. The former sound occurs only in stressed syllables in RP (bird, servant); the latter in unstressed ones (above, butter). This pair of sounds doesn’t produce a difference in meaning. Length of vowels can be explained not only by quantity features but also by quality (or place of articulation). There is a special name for long vowels, which is tense-lax. This group of vowels is formed by a tension of certain mouth muscles. They are: /i/, /e/, /u/, /o/, /É”/, /É‘/. In case when no tension is required, lax vowels appear:   /É ª/, /É›/, /à ¦/, /ÊŠ/, /ÊÅ'/. In order to illustrate what length of vowels actually means, it is possible to discuss tendencies on the following examples: same-Sam-psalm may be transcribed in the following way: [sem], [sà ¦m], [sÉ‘m]. In this example, it is possible to show that concepts of length and duration are different. A relative duration may be exemplified by showing length degree in the same vowel or consonant: allophone [i] in the words bee and beet has the different degree of lengths. With regard to the fact if this sound is voiced/voiceless, stopped/constituent degrees of length varies. From a phonetic perspective, degrees of length can be explained by speaker’s habits to speak slowly or quickly, emotional context of the situation of speaking and stress amount carried by syllable. Phoneticians realize difference of length degree and they depict it as follows: [bid], [bi ·d], [bi:d], or [bÉ ªid]. Still, in such a way, vowel length is depicted only approximately. If to depict the degree of length exactly, then phoneticians have to appeal to phonologists. Phonologic studies may prove many Americans, who underestimate the role of vowel length as the essential determinant factor of words distinction, that this phenomenon is very important in the scientific area. Unfortunately, very often vowel length is underestimated and is considered to have a stylistic value and not practical importance. For phonologists and phoneticians length of vowels is rather meaningful that’s why following consonants or unstressed syllables are all taken into account. For example, in a child [tÊÆ'aÉ ªld] the diphthong [aÉ ª] refers to norms of Old English [i:]; in the word children, the extra consonant [r] and the extra syllable caused the effect on a vowel to remain lax and short. Moreover, vowel length is usually defined in case an unstressed follows a stressed vowel and the latter is usually long (e.g. re-enact [ˈri: É™nà ¦kt]). On the other hand, if the unstressed vowel fol lows the stressed vowel, then it is short as a rule (e.g. react [riˈà ¦kt]).

Public argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Public argument - Essay Example As a result, there has been an increase in the size of the deserts in the world. Initially people would rely on rain-fed agriculture (Bredahl 26). However, this is not possible anymore. The seasons have become more unpredictable. In addition, some adverse weather conditions have been experienced in various parts of the world. These conditions have affected the ability of the current resources to sustain the increasing population†. †Genetically modified crops produce high yields. The crops have been genetically engineered in order to produce more produce that other crops. As a result, the crops can be used to fight the increasing levels of food insecurity in the world. The statistics indicate one person dies each day as a result of hunger. Therefore, the genetically modified foods can close this gap by ensuring that the world has adequate food to feed the current generation. As a community we need to be in the forefront in fighting hunger in the world. However, we cannot achieve this noble idea with the current production practices†. â€Å"The increased use of pesticides by farmers has created strains of pests that are resistant to the pesticides. This aspect is affecting the level of production by the farmers across the world. In addition, some pest causes some crop diseases which affect the productivity of the crops. Nevertheless, genetically modified crops have the ability to resist the pests, an aspect that plays a significant role in increasing the yields†. â€Å"According to Bredahl (31) genetically modified foods have high nutrient contents. Currently, the world is struggling with the increasing number of people suffering from heart diseases, high blood pressure, and other chronic diseases that are associated with obesity. This results from consuming foods with unbalanced nutrients value. Genetically modified foods close this gap by ensuring that the foods have the correct nutrient content.