Social Bias free essay sample

Social Bias Paper There are numerous types of social predisposition in which individuals segregate and act distinctively towards different gatherings and societies. This paper subtleties out the ideas of preference, generalizing, and segregation. These ideas assume a significant job with the idea of social inclination. Huge contrasts among unobtrusive and explicit predisposition is talked about. The effects that inclination practices can have on others is nitty gritty in this paper. At long last, arrangements that guide with beating social predispositions are given. The Concept of Social BiasThe idea of social predisposition is characterized as â€Å"prejudicial perspectives toward specific gatherings, races, genders, or religions, including the cognizant or oblivious articulations (Education. com, Inc. , 2011)†. There is a distinction between biased mentalities and discriminative perspectives. A case of social inclination would be if one somehow happened to accept that every Muslim American are connected to the Taliban bringing about frightful and furious musings. Despite the fact that these are simply musings, on the grounds that the considerations are not turning out to be activities, this is delegated social inclination. We will compose a custom exposition test on Social Bias or then again any comparative subject explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page On the off chance that the considerations were to become activities, at that point this would be a type of discrimination.Discrimination is when individuals carry on a specific path towards others dependent on their way of life. Idea: Prejudice The idea of bias is characterized as ones assessment of another before increasing the entirety of the subtleties. Partiality is ordinarily rehearsed over the world. One communicates partiality practices when they are awkward about things that dislike their own self. Bias practices are competent at home, in families, in workplaces, in social settings, etc†¦ A case of partiality is like the announcement â€Å"don’t judge a book by its cover†.People will pass judgment on others by how they see others preceding picking up information on the others being broke down. America has become a socially different nation. By society advancing different societies, giving instruction on different societies, and by the enormous increment in the assorted populace, partiality is reducing. â€Å"Schools and organizations progressively use preference decrease mediations, which normally stress 1 of 3 ideas: participation, political resistance, or regard. † (Blincoe Harris, 2009) Concept: StereotypingStereotyping alludes to one who will place others into a specific grouping dependent on how they see the individual. Many will be generalized by others experiencing childhood in schools. A case of generalizing is when society puts an individual in a specific order, for example, â€Å"blue collar†, â€Å"class-a†, â€Å"preferred†, class-b†, â€Å"poor†, â€Å"rich†, â€Å"democrat†, â€Å"republican†, etc†¦Classifications can likewise be founded on ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation inclination, culture, religion, etc†¦ Concept: Discrimination varies from partiality and generalizing in which one will carry on or act dependent on their predisposition musings of another.An case of separation is the point at which one will abstain from rendering help to another on the grounds that they look a specific way. On account of Wendy Norville, â€Å"Norville was a dark attendant who claimed that the clinic where she worked had victimized her by refus[ing] to oblige her incapacity in spite of having made employment housing for two crippled white medical attendants (Goldberg, 2011). There are laws actualized in work puts that are planned as a protection from discriminative activities. Society has its own feelings concerning what is satisfactory or not, and presently, society is grasping decent variety which helps in diminishing separation. Contrasts: Subtle and Blatant Bias The contrasts among inconspicuous and glaring inclination is best clarified utilizing models. A case of unobtrusive inclination is the point at which one communicates their conviction as Jehovah Witness’ that solitary they will rising to Heaven. This gathering of individuals will stand pleased with their conviction, however they are not radical about it. A case of glaring inclination is the rule of Hitler, when one will hurt another or go about as a fanatic against others to help their conviction or culture. Effect of Bias on Lives of Individuals There is a noteworthy effect of inclination on the lives of individuals.When one is thinking or carrying on in a predisposition way towards another, the other individual is by and large sincerely or truly hurt dependent on ones inclination musings. The individual reasoning and responding in a predisposition way is communicating animosity and expanding tension and numerous other pessimistic wellbeing side effects, just as conduct wellbeing designs, as the individual keeps on communicating such inclination musings and practices. This procedure can without much of a stretch become a propensity if not appropriately controlled. The model recently gave in on a little individual scale.This can be taken a gander at an a lot bigger scope when enormous populaces of individuals are included. This can without much of a stretch outcome in numerous individuals having negative musings identified with their self-idea, self-esteem, melancholy, tension, etc†¦ This can bring about unsafe savage practices in which one is stoned on the grounds that they are of a specific sexual orientation inclination. On a positive note, inclination prompts the spot light being attracted to a related circumstance happening. As the populace in America has developed, there has been a critical increment of spot light on minority groups.Over the years, this has all helped in the unification of an assorted society. Should predisposition have never been perceived or learned, at that point laws to forestall practices, for example, stoning others as a result of the race and consuming others on account of their religion has been executed in. Technique: Overcome Social Biases One procedure to conquer social inclination is to take part in training, network administrations, get-togethers, etc†¦ Through information and experience one will instruct themselves to expand agreeableness and diminish social bias.Museums, occasions, media, etc†¦ these are on the whole fantastic advertising and showcasing systems which has helped in the unification of such an enormous different nation. Through rehearsing socially tolerating practices one will abstain from winding up in a muddled circumstance where social predisposition will set in through contemplations or activities. Determination Social predisposition is an enormous piece of worldwide history. It is communicated in types of partiality, separation, and generalizing. America has become such a huge different nation, and it is useful having rules and laws which actualize in assurance against such practices.

Watching Erin Brockvich in Feminist viewpoint Essay

Watching Erin Brockvich in Feminist perspective - Essay Example The film Erin Brockovich is a moving, genuine anecdote about a lady who beats hardships, including sexual orientation segregation, to examine a huge corporate claim. Her fight to introduce the case in the â€Å"man’s world† of a law office is viewed as a fantastic advance toward women's liberation and engaged ladies. In any case, Erin Brockovich doesn't follow the rules of genuine woman's rights. In the film Brockovich shows an unreasonable favorable position over her male partners that give her an upper-edge as well as negate the genuine significance of woman's rights and sex fairness. The best model in the film is Brockovich’s permission into the area water board. The scene starts with Brockovich escaping her vehicle and strolling toward the structure. The shot trims to the representative inside who is quickly fixing his hair and fixing his garments. He has a prompt appreciation for Brockovich and her interesting garments. Brockovich enters the structure, flashes an amazing grin and starts to play and talk with the radiating assistant. She additionally offers a couple of remarks that propose she’s only a stupid young lady who doesn't have a clue or care at all about open records. Her shrouded motivation is to access open water records that may contain data on polluted water. Ed Masry cautioned her that these records can be effectively â€Å"lost† if an inappropriate people begin requesting them. She will probably enchant the agent into letting her inquiry the records alone. The vast majority would not be allowed full, unassisted access to an o pen records office.

Sharp Going To Launch Two Android-Based Tablets

Sharp Going To Launch Two Android-Based Tablets Make Money Online Queries? Struggling To Get Traffic To Your Blog? Sign Up On (HBB) Forum Now!Sharp Going To Launch Two Android-Based TabletsUpdated On 23/04/2017Author : Pradeep KumarTopic : Android TechnologyShort URL : http://hbb.me/2ozgWSW CONNECT WITH HBB ON SOCIAL MEDIA Follow @HellBoundBlogSharp announced it is going to launch two Android-based Tablets this December. It will be a 5.5-inch and a 10.8-inch tablet named Galapagos. They are also planning to open an electronic bookstore in December, but unfortunately only in Japan.The 5.5-inch tablet will have a 1024 x 600 LCD screen and the 10.8-inch tablet will have a 1366 x 800 LCD screen. Galapagos will feature Wi-Fi communication and are Android-based. They will be available in red, silver and black.Talking about the electronic bookstore, it features “Automatic Scheduled Delivery Service” for periodicals and also it delivers free trial versions of recommended content. The e-bookstore will also feature 30K books at launc h. Though Sharp plans to expand content to movies, music and games on 2011.Needless to say Sharp will have to face the tough competition and battle. Apple iPad is the top competitor for Sharp and tablets like HP Slate and Samsung Galaxy Tab should also be considered.Man, so many tablets launching, the trend is changing. Are you going to buy this one? Share your opinions as comments below. READHow to Create Your Video Studio for YouTube

America Needs Moral Leadership to Bring Justice to an...

America Needs Moral Leadership to Bring Justice to an Unjust World Injustice is unavoidable and all over the world, justice is violated. Almost everywhere people are persecuted in their own countries, the innocent are sent to jail, and people are victims of violent crimes. These acts of injustice affect the global community and inhibit the spread of equality and righteousness. In â€Å"The Letter from Birmingham Jail,† Martin Luther King says that â€Å"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere . . . Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly† (143). Everyone wants to be treated fairly but there are places in the world where atrocities take place which impact the entire world, such as the persecution of Tibetans in†¦show more content†¦Although China still has not yet given Tibet its freedom, the country of Nepal has offered refuge to monks, artists, and other Tibetans. Despite being away from their homeland, these people will be able to preserve their culture and with a leader like the Dalai Lama, perhap s one day Tibet will be free again. Next, America has become a symbol of freedom and equality to the entire world. Throughout its short history, the US had many great moral leaders, such as Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King. Probably the most recognized moral leader was Martin Luther King. He strove to bring justice towards the African American community by rallying together thousands of people and peacefully protesting the common injustices that made their lives miserable. He also spoke against the hypocrisy of the church for not treating everyone equally. He stated that â€Å"The church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound† (153). Martin Luther King inspired many Blacks not to accept injustice and he inspired many whites to reform. According to Martin Luther King, â€Å"All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality† (143). Under his leadership, the African American people had the strength to fight segregation. Even thoug h he was killed, he left a powerful impression on American society and a few years later, African AmericansShow MoreRelatedThe Right Time for Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay1342 Words   |  6 PagesAs a leader in the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had to confront both the oppression of blacks in America as well as dissenters who objected to the timing and methods King advocated. Deeply involved in the civil rights movement, King rarely had time to respond to his critics. However, while confined to the Birmingham jail after being arrested during a civil rights demonstration, King had time to address several of these widely held criticisms that were the subject of a letterRead MoreLetters to Birmingham Analysis1728 Words   |  7 Pagesstatement A Call for Unity as published by eight Alabama Clergymen was necessary. In this way, King’s letter in fact served a fourfold purpose: to establish himself as a legitimate authority in the eyes of his audience, to sh ow the trials of the black in America, to justify his cause, and to argue the necessity of immediate action. In Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter, written to the Clergymen from Birmingham Prison, he uses the rhetorical appeal of ethos to establish his credibility on the subject of racialRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr.s Letter From Birmingham Jail1726 Words   |  7 Pagesstatement A Call for Unity as published by eight Alabama Clergymen was necessary. In this way, King’s letter in fact served a fourfold purpose: to establish himself as a legitimate authority in the eyes of his audience, to show the trials of the black in America, to justify his cause, and to argue the necessity of immediate action. In Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter, written to the Clergymen from Birmingham Prison, he uses the rhetorical appeal of ethos to establish his credibility on the subject of racialRead MoreEssay on Critical Analysis of Martin Luther King, Jr.s Speech1674 Words   |  7 Pagesdiscrimination in the 1950s and 1960s helped persuade many white Americans to support the cause of civil rights in the United States. Following his assassination in 1968, King became a representation of protest in the struggle for racial justice. ====================================================================== Martin Luther King, Jr, History ------------------------------- Martin Luther King was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and he was the eldest son of MartinRead MoreA Comparative and Contrasting Essay on 20th Century Black Political Leaders: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X2551 Words   |  11 Pagesthat would go on to reflect throughout the years. Holding a firm stance called Black Nationalism, he discusses the movement’s philosophy on the economy of black communities, political trends in America, and social hierarchies. He presses the issue of the unjust circumstances surrounding the black race of America; oppression, neglect, exploitation and the undermining of political equality. Malcolm X pointed out the number of blacks that are called to fight a war for a nation that treats them unequallyRead MoreThe Ideal Of A Perfect Community1811 Words   |  8 Pages A mouthpiece for the belief is then to speak out and help lead the followers to this promised reward. Although the reasoning for the following is for the end reward, it is also to help live a so called â€Å"good† and respectable life. Trad itions and moral values then stem from this, which allow the followers to use these as ways to prove their faith and commitment. However, many times this position of the ‘mouthpiece† is used negatively for the leaders own selfish reasons. Corruption and power hungerRead MoreOctogesima Adveniens3250 Words   |  13 Pagesof Octogesima adveniens confirms this awareness. After a seven-paragraph introduction, Octogesima adveniens turns to a reading of the signs of the times, which highlight the challenges faced by particular groups of people (e.g. workers and women), world-wide issues (e.g. media influence and environment) and aspirations (e.g. participation and equality). The remainder of the letter provides some ecclesial reflections on these signs of the times and an exhortation to action. Thus, two-thirds of theRead MoreHow Should Society Treat And Accommodate Immigrants?1767 Words   |  8 PagesThough President Ronald McDonald may like to think that Fast Food Land (FFL) is â€Å"the most perfect of societies,† it is clear from the â€Å"cultural and religious strife† that he describes that this not the case. Indeed, FFL may be in need of more than just â€Å"minor reforms.†. The answer to what steps should be taken in order to remedy the situation in FFL lies in an examination of the following questions: How should society treat and accommodate immigrants as opposed to indigenous national minorities?Read MoreEssay on Its Time to Legalize Illegal Immigrants4950 Words   |  20 PagesLook at the world around you. Is it anything like it was 100 years ago? How about anything like it was 10 years ago? The world is changing at an alarming place. When this country was first founded, land west of the Mississippi was considered uncharted territory. It was seen as a whole new world. Nowadays, there is not a place on the planet that we haven’t been to. There are places on other planets that we have been to. The worl d has shrunk due to technological advancement. The world is globalizingRead MoreHow Did Religion Influence Martin Luther King, Jr as He Led the Civil Rights Movement2455 Words   |  10 Pagesskills? There is not an accurate definition explaining who or what a leader is because each is different. I feel that Martin Luther King Jr is a great example because he has the ability to inspire people, which led to a movement that forever changed America. This paper goes into detail of things accomplished by Martin Luther King Jr, which allowed him to be considered one of the most influential leaders of our time. Martin Luther King Jr was born January 15, 1929 to the name of Michael Luther King Jr

All About the Yuan Dynasty

The Yuan Dynasty was the ethnic-Mongolian dynasty that ruled China from 1279 to 1368 and founded in 1271 by Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan. The Yuan Dynasty was preceded by the Song Dynasty from 960 to 1279 and followed by the Ming  which lasted from 1368 to 1644. Yuan China was considered the most important piece of the vast Mongol Empire, which stretched as far west as Poland and Hungary and from Russia in the north to  Syria  in the south. The Yuan Chinese Emperors were also the Great Khans of the Mongol Empire, controlling the Mongol homeland and had authority over the khans of the Golden Horde, the Ilkhanate and the Chagatai Khanate. Khans and Traditions A total of ten Mongol khans ruled China in the Yuan period, and they created a unique culture that was an amalgam of Mongolian and Chinese customs and statecraft. Unlike other foreign dynasties in China, such as ethnic-Jurchen Jin from 1115 to 1234 or the later ethnic-Manchu rulers of the Qing  from 1644 to 1911, the Yuan did not become very Sinicized during their rule. Yuan emperors initially did not hire the traditional Confucian scholar-gentry as their advisors, although later emperors began to rely increasingly upon this educated elite and the civil service exam system. The Mongol court continued many of its own traditions: the emperor moved from capital to capital with the seasons in a rather nomadic fashion, hunting was a major pastime for all of the nobility, and women in the Yuan court had much more authority within the family and in matters of state than their Chinese female subjects could have even imagined having. Initially, Kublai Khan distributed large tracts of land in northern China to his generals and court officials, many of whom sought to drive out the farmers living there and convert the land into pasture. In addition, under Mongol law, anyone who stayed on land that was distributed to a lord became a slave of the new owner, regardless of their social status within their own culture. However, the emperor soon realized that the land was worth much more with tax-paying farmers working on it, so he confiscated the Mongol lords holdings back again and encouraged his Chinese subjects to return to their towns and fields. Economic Problems and Projects The Yuan emperors needed regular and reliable tax collection in order to fund their projects around China. For example, in 1256, Kublai Khan built a new capital city at Shangdu and eight years later he built a second new capital at Dadu — now called Beijing. Shangdu became the Mongols summer capital, located nearer the Mongol homelands, while Dadu served as the primary capital.  The Venetian trader and traveler Marco Polo stayed in Shangdu during his residence in Kublai Khans court and his stories inspired western legends about the wondrous city of Xanadu. The Mongols also rehabilitated the Grand Canal, parts of which dated back to the 5th century BCE and the majority of which was built during the Sui Dynasty from 581 to 618 CE. The canal — the longest in the world — had fallen into disrepair due to warfare and silting over the past century. Fall and Impact Under the Yuan, the Grand Canal was extended to link Beijing directly with Hangzhou, cutting 700 kilometers from the length of that journey — however, as Mongol rule began to fail in China, the canal once again deteriorated. Within less than 100 years, the Yuan Dynasty tottered and fell from power under the weight of crushing droughts, floods, and widespread famine. The Chinese began to believe that their foreign overlords had lost the Mandate of Heaven as unpredictable weather brought waves of misery to the populace.   The Red Turban Rebellion  of 1351 to 1368 spread throughout the countryside. This, paired with the spread of the bubonic plague and further dampening of Mongol power eventually brought an end to Mongol rule in 1368. In their place, the ethnic-Han Chinese leader of the rebellion, Zhu Yuanzhang, founded a new dynasty called the Ming.

Every Success Story Is Also a Story of Great Failure

EVERY SUCCESS STORY IS ALSO A STORY OF GREAT FAILURE Failure is the highway to success. Tom Watson Sr. said, If you want to succeed, double your failure rate. If you study history, you will find that all stories of success are also stories of great failures. But people dont see the failures. They only see one side of the picture and they say that person got lucky: He must have been at the right place at the right time. Let me share someones life history with you. This was a man who failed in business at the age of 21 ; was defeated in a legislative race at age 22; failed again in business at age 24; overcame the death of his sweetheart at age 26; had a nervous breakdown at age 27; lost a congressional race at age 34; lost a†¦show more content†¦you think youll lose, youre lost; For out in the world we find Success begins with a fellows will; Its all in the state of mind. If you think you are outclassed, you are, Youve got to think high to rise, Youve got to be sure of yourself before You can ever win a prize Lifes battles dont always go To the stronger and faster man, But sooner or later the man who wins Is the man who thinks heShow MoreRelatedF. Scott Fitzgerald Essay1597 Words   |  7 Pagesand will forever be read. Fitzgerald is most known for his novels detailing the youth of America in the 1920s to the 1930s. Many of these books that Fitzgerald wrote are based of his life experiences. Fitzgerald is considered a literary genius and also lived a very interesting life. Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896 and died on December 21, 1950 in Hollywood, California. Fitzgerald was born an only child to an unsuccessful aristocratic father and energetic mother. For early schooling FitzgeraldRead MoreThe Great Gatsby And Cugat s Cover Art1446 Words   |  6 Pagesconnect in a multitude of ways, including style, message, and creative vision. Yet, it is not often that these two converge in a way that heightens the messages of both. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Cugat’s cover art exhibit the synthesis of these two expressions. By writing the cover into the story, Fitzgerald blurs the line that separates these two pieces of art and merges their message of change to culture and the true nature of that culture. With the artistic aspects of blue shade, brightRead MoreThe Current Economic Environment Of Lean Manufacturing959 Words   |  4 Pagesprocesses, and increase productivity. Although lean manufacturing can well enough be the answer, some companies have found lean manufacturing implementation to be an ongoing battle. Which is not to say, however, that there have not been some major success stories. There are many obstacles to lean implementations. Two Major Obstacles for Lean Manufacturing Implementation One obstacle is the perception that the use of lean manufacturing solutions is, at best, nothing more than a trend. In addition, atRead MoreThe American Dream In The Great Gatsby Analysis749 Words   |  3 PagesThe Great Fantasy Idealism is the paramount theme in â€Å"The Great Gatsby.† Each of the characters have a craving for self-definition and a high position in society. The story is shaped by the ideals each of these characters hold. These ideals allude to the American Dream, along with the superficiality and corruption associated with it. Fitzgerald uses Jay Gatsby as a medium to portray hopeless romanticism, fantasy fueled ambition, and failure to achieve self-contentment. Gatsby is characterizedRead MoreThe Secret Of Life By Paulo Coelho1040 Words   |  5 Pagestrue is success can be reached only through determination and from the knowledge of pervious failures. Although it is true that we need to spend a longer time by doing a task more than once, but that is how it gives us the strength of mind to do it better next time. Each and every pathway we take in our lives are a learning experience. Some of them are easier to cross and others are steeper, that are able to give us a stronger co nfidence in our task. Now, do we really need to go through failures andRead MoreDifferent Directions May Lead For Success1338 Words   |  6 Pagesdirections may Lead to Success Challenges are like mountains, climbing each step will encounter difficult stages that each individual will face. Whenever it is a block or clear path there are obstacles and different strategies to go from point A to B. When overcoming obstacles it is only the beginning and one step closer to the success. Several factors of success are: mindset, learning and failure, working hard, persistence and understanding will guarantee a high rate of success. In the article, â€Å"Brainology:Read MoreOedipus The King Of Oedipus868 Words   |  4 Pagesis knowledgeable with every challenge that waits upon one. Confidence overpowers cockiness. The cocky trait is heavily represented in the story â€Å"Oedipus the King† (c. 430 B.C.) by Sophocles. In the story, Oedipus the king of Thebes has the cocky trait and it results in torture for life. Oedipus’s arrogant personality shows throughout the story as he tries to find the killer of the former king of Thebes, his father. Oedipus tends to deem himself as a god throughout the story which plays a big roleRead MoreSuccess And Success : John Wooden, An American Basketball Player And Coach View Success1145 Words   |  5 Pages2015 Achieving Success When we hear the word â€Å"success,† we often think of wealth and money. To some people, the embodiment of being successful is earning a lot of money. In fact, the concept of success is often primarily based on how much money a person earns. However, each person views the definition of success differently. One way to define success is something that has more to do with flash than it does with substance. John Wooden, an American basketball player and coach view success as â€Å"a peaceRead MoreThinking, Fast And Slow By Daniel Kahneman1286 Words   |  6 Pagesfactors of success and the decision making process. This book is overall concluded with the understanding of behavioral economics, which is the social and cognitive components on economic decisions that are defined by individuals and have consequences that reflect from making those decisions and taking those risks. Mirzakhanian 2 Mr. Kahneman speaks of both luck and skill in his book. He states that both are needed in order to be successful, but luck plays a larger role in success rather thanRead MoreThe Weather in San Francisco and Corporal by Richard Brautigan1098 Words   |  5 PagesRichard Brautigan’s short fiction stories incorporate protagonists that are recognizably fictionalized versions of the author himself. He writes in order to extract his own struggles of the past and the difficulties of discovering himself in the present. Through the characters in The Weather in San Francisco and Corporal, the portrayal of his optimistic view of life as a consequence of the rigors of daily life, and the use of symbols, Brautigan presents his personal story through the words on the paper

Early American Literature free essay sample

Through literary analysis, the audience Is able to trace the dominant themes of opportunity and religion that contribute to American values in literature from the earliest letters and narratives by exploration and alongside, through the Puritan period, to the Age of Reason. Puritan ethics are prevalent throughout early American literature, stemming from the Puritans themselves, and continuing into and beyond 19th century literature. Puritans such as John Winthrop, governor and community leader, wrote many stories which religion was emphasized.In one of his most famous works, A Model of Christian Charity, Winthrop prepares the people for planting a new society In a perilous environment. His belief along with other Puritans is that God had a preordained plan (Winthrop 7) for everyone. They believed that they were the covenant people, and that hard work, spiritual health, and self-reliance would lead to eternal salvation. These religious beliefs would later become known as the Puritan ethic, and would continue to Influence the authors of early American society. We will write a custom essay sample on Early American Literature or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Literary works from the colonial period were written primarily to teach, preach the Gospel, praise God and examine religion. It was believed that through these teachings and divine revelation, God will have a heavy affliction and positive affect on the people and the land on which hey settled (Winthrop 75). This would in turn make the new world a pure and holy society. Other authors such as William Bradford and Anne Broadsheet (the first published female American author), wrote on religion, Puritans views, and Gods influence on early colonial society.During the Journey across the seas to the new land, many of the Separatist encountered many trials and tribulations, one of those being a horrible storm. Through Gods mercy and goodness and love they were able to survive the storms and safely make It to the new world. Bradford 61). The Puritan ethic emerged from the rhetoric and beliefs that God and Love Is the bond of perfection (Winthrop 80) of the early writers of America.These ethics and morals would continue to influence many writers in early American literature as they explored the value of religion, and its place in the world. Along with being a nation that was being built on the principles and beliefs of the Pilgrims and Puritans, America was seen as a safe haven from the corrupt rule of the British King and a land of opportunity and chance. Occurred was an exceptional addition to the world of American literature and this was even more obvious with publishing of his extraordinary works.Through a series of letters, he illustrates the idealized version off free society. A place where man is free, (Occurred 31 1) a country where the government Initially had no bread (Occurred 313) to feed Its citizens, but who would eventually morph Into a country of riches and wealth. Initially the new world was a place that was very poor and had very little to offer to Its citizens, but over time as able to become a more advanced and developed place for opportunity.Even discrepancies in the society. We often credit the Europeans for colonizing America, even though the Indians were the first to occupy the land. Many stories and narratives from the Colonial Age where written from the perspectives of European settlers which in turn gave our current society a skewed view of the early Native Americans. European authors would often refer to Native Americans as savage or animals who shouted and hallowed (Rowland 119) since of civilization.Along with being misunderstood as a culture, and having their homeland now occupied by European settlers, the Native Americans faced many other issues in which their society would be changed for ever. Red Jackets Speech to the U. S. Senate moreover is one that is a great example of how the Native American society wished to remain the way they were and continue in their ceremonious rituals such as celebrating their religion because they do not know of the Great Spirit that the white people serve (Red Jacket 215).The Age of Reason which began in the 18th century presents common deistic arguments; for example, it highlights the corruption of the Christian Church and criticizes its efforts to acquire political power. Thomas Paine advocates reason in the place of revelation, leading him to reject miracles and to view the Bible as an ordinary piece (Paine 329) of literature rather than as a divinely inspired text. The Age of Reason is not atheistic, but Deistic: it promotes natural religion and argues for a creator God (imagine of a clock maker).This age is here rational thinkers n which literary geniuses, such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, and Thomas Jefferson brought to the forefront the ideas and beliefs that everything has a rational explanation. In Common Sense, Thomas Paine argues for American independence. His argument begins with more general, theoretical reflections about government and religion, and then progresses onto the specifics of certain colonial situations. In conclusion the early American literature, its authors, and the great mind of the Colonial Age and the Age of Reason have helped to shape the land of opportunity that we call America. Early American Literature free essay sample Although it was a product of Europe in its beginnings, America came into its own as a nation with literary prestige as it grew more independent from Its European roots. Before the age of colonization, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, America was uncharted territory. It was fresh, new, and relatively unclaimed. Because of its novelty and unfamiliarity, the first pieces of American literature were travel narratives written by Europeans who were exploring the New World.According to Dry. Watson in her lecture titled, Early Colonization, these travel rarities were written by explorers who discussed the perils of ocean passage, described the new terrain in comparison to Europe, gave advice to others who wished to brave the New World, and critiqued earlier reports (Watson). One such travel narrative is A True Relation of Virginia, which was written in 1608 by John Smith, a settler, and later a leader, In one of the Southern settlements, Jamestown. We will write a custom essay sample on Early American Literature or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In this narrative, John smith discusses the potentials of the rich American plenty, and emphasizes adventure along with his formidable encounters with the American Indians (Roland 7). Travel narratives were products of the Europeans because they were written by European explorers and requested by the European people, who financed and encouraged these trips In order to reap the benefits. However, these travel narratives are still considered somewhat American because they were written by those that explored America. Another form of early American literature is the didactic, religious, and plain writings of the Puritans.Puritanism is a protestant sect of Charlatanry that agrees with many Calvinist teachings such as the belief In predestination and Gods providence (Roland 17). Early in the seventeenth century, two Puritan groups sought religious freedom by traveling to America. The separatist sect of the Puritans wanted to break away from the Church of England, so they boarded the Mayflower In 1 620, and settled In Plymouth, Massachusetts. Another Puritan sect wanted to purify the Church of England, but saw no way of doing so in England, so they boarded the Rubella in 1630, and settled in Massachusetts Bay.The Puritans wrote in many styles, but they mostly contained similar themes, such as nature being the second book of God, life being a test or a battlefield, and Ame rica Ewing a wilderness or a New Canaan (Watson). Some Puritans, such as John Winthrop, wrote Journals or diaries to reflect on their individual lives. Others, like 1 OFF to express their inner thoughts. Still others, such as William Bradford, wrote Jeremiads which called for a return to a lost purity; and some others, like Mary Rowland, wrote captivity narratives which documented the trials they suffered while being held captive (Roland 17).Another common Puritan genre was the sermon, such as John Winthrop A Model of Christian Charity, given aboard the Rubella in 1630. In this influential sermon, Winthrop charges those listening to be a city upon a hill, one that would stand as a lesson and beacon to the entire world (Roland 11). Although given by a European Puritan, this sermon exemplifies the American dream and the American desire to be set apart from its European predecessors. As the seventeenth century came to a close, the population in the colonies began to rise. According to Dry.Watson in her lecture titled Eighteenth- Century American Literature, the increase in population in the colonies caused an increase in diversity, secularism, and sectionalism as the eighteenth century began Watson). The increase in secularism was mainly due to the revolutionary ideas of the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment was a movement motivated by reason and rationality, which began in Europe in the seventeenth century and spread to America by the eighteenth century. While the Age of Reason sparked many great changes in science and philosophy in Europe, it was largely a political movement in America.American thought was very much shaped by the ideas of natural law and individual liberty from European enlightened thinker, John Locke, so liberalism and progress increasingly became the appropriate ways to interpret the American Experience (Roland 38). The Enlightenment was a widespread movement that effected America at its very core with the writing of the Declarati on of Independence, a document that illustrates the Locked ideas of life liberty, and property and exemplifies the nations desire to be its own entity (Roland 38). Because of the great influence of the Enlightenment, many enlightened writers and thinkers even used their reason to argue for the American Revolution. Thomas Paine published a pamphlet in 1776 titled, Common Sense, where he embodied the voice of the revolution itself by logically arguing for it (Roland 57). One person that was greatly influenced by enlightened principles and ideas was Benjamin Franklin who was a Deist, a scientist, politician, American Founding Father, and even a literary critic (Roland 46).Franklin is what some would call a self-made American man because in his Autobiography, he describes his attempt to prove himself by going from rags to riches (Watson). In contrast to the Enlightenment, there was another movement exerting much influence as well, the Great Awakening. The Great Awakening was a religious movement that spread throughout the colonies by religious figures such as Jonathan Edwards, a theologian who wanted to reconcile faith with Enlightenment thought. J onathan Edwards gave many powerful sermons such as Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God and A Divine and Supernatural Light (Watson). Jonathan Edwards and Benjamin Franklin were both men who exemplified life in America in the eighteenth century and seemed to realize and sum up the changes [in] American thought and the variety within it (Roland 38). Although he was a European living in America, Occurred published Letters from an American Farmer, the first work that asks the question: What is an American? In this epistolary work, Occurred America by describing its mild government, agrarian society, and tolerance for religion (Watson).By the end of the eighteenth century, America was beginning to gain its own identity as a nation and also as one with literary prestige, but found itself caught between two contradictory claims: the need for literary independence and republican originality, and the hereditary tie for nourishing contact with the European cultural past (Roland 64). Towards the end of the eighteenth century, there was a shift from Enlightenment ideas to Romanticism because of the growing sense of individual ism in the new nation and the endless possibilities of the American landscape.According to Dry. Watson in her lecture titled Romanticism, the Enlightenment celebrated reason, wit, the society as a whole, and nature as law; while Romanticism celebrated emotion, imagination, the beauty of nature, and the individual (Watson). Washington Irving used the many Romantic themes in his innovative travel sketches and short stories, and was the first successful American author because he had an international literary reputation (Bam 25). Under the persona of Dietrich Knickerbockers, Irving penned the widely celebrated short story, Rip Van Winkle.In this short story, the character of Rip Van Winkle, an Englishmen living in America, falls asleep for twenty years and wakes up to a Post-revolutionary America (Bam 30-41). Irving uses the theme of change over time, especially the revolution and its impact, along with the romantic elements of the supernatural and nature. By employing these themes, Irving created a literature that was uniquely American and even linked nationalism to literature created in America (Watson). One aspect of Romanticism in America that separated it from its European counterparts was the concept of the American frontier.Cooper was among the most important writers of his time?a writer who helped chart the future course of American Fiction (Bam 62). In his famous Leathernecks Novels, Cooper creates the celebrated character of Natty Bumpy, the true image of what it meant to live life on the American frontier. One could either read them in the order of Natty life: The Deerstalker (1841), The Last of the Musicians (1826), The Pathfinder (1840), The Pioneers (1823), and The Prairie (1827); or one could follow the order of writing to see how Knottys image and Coopers view of fiction altered from book to book (Roland 97).In chapter three of The Pioneers, some of the people that were traveling to the West decided to slaughter pigeons for fun. Natty Bumpy was very troubled by this and said that he did not like how they shot at the pigeons in such a wicked manner (Bam 77). In his Leathernecks Novels, Cooper employs the Romantic themes of emotion and nature to idealize life on the American frontier and to stir up an appreciation for the beauty that nature has to offer.He also proved that literature in America could stand on its own by demanding respect and by fighting his literary nickname, The American Scott (Watson). Another way that American Romantic literature attempted to break away from its European roots was through Poetry. According to Dry. Watson lecture, Sentimental Poetry, most women were constrained, and felt like they could only write about a limited subject matter, such as the importance of domestic values (Watson).Lydia Sojourner, the most popular women poet of the early national and ante-bellum period, took many risks and broke out of the status quo of women writing sentimental poetry by attempting to fuse of her time, in both America and Europe, and wrote two thousand articles as well as published fifty-six books, fifty of which are volumes of verse (Watson). In Our Aborigines she employs the Romantic themes of the supernatural, emotion, and nature by personifying the forest, bringing up the Greek gods, and using words like hollow groan (Bam 116).In her poetry, and in Romantic poetry in general, nature and emotion act as teachers and guides. Sojourner is the perfect example of literature flourishing and coming into its own in America. In contrast to the American literary exemplar of Lydia Sojourner, some write rs such as Longfellow and Whittier, riding in the Boston Genteel Tradition, wished to remain closely knit to European style (Watson). Although evident in both European literature and American literature, the gothic concept of the sublime is unique in American literature because the American scenery is different from European. One author who employs the gothic style along with the grotesque and psychological is Edgar Allan Poe, a southern writer. Although Poe was from the South, he did not consider himself a Southern writer, according to Dry. Watson in her Lecture titled, Edgar Allan Poe (Watson). In the sorority of his works, Poe is difficult to understand because he uses supernatural elements along with natural and he uses grotesque elements along with psychological. This is evident in the short story, Algeria, which involves many supernatural and psychological elements.In some ways, Edgar Allan Poe does not fit with the American literary tradition because most of his stories do not even take place in America, but in the European Aristocracy. However, Edgar Allan Poe did set the tone for the modern detective story with his characters in The Purloined Letter of Duping (Roland 136). Although not a traditional author, Edgar Allan Poe did help to make the mystery story and the gothic one popular. Edgar Allan Poe exemplifies the ability of an American writer to gain popularity by mixing European and American themes in literature, while still remaining true to an American identity.From the European colonization of America to the post-revolutionary and expansive American frontier, writers in America attempted to create their own literary identity as they became less dependent on their European predecessors and focused more on their own development as a nation. Although never completely breaking apart from its European roots, as illustrated in the writings of Edgar Allan Poe, America developed into a nation with its own version of literary prestige with the works from authors such as Lydia Sojourner and James Feminine Cooper.

King Lear Essays (286 words) - British Films, Films,

King Lear In the King Lear play, Shakespeare creates many conditions in which humans live in the world. The main characters in the play are used to portray Shakespeare's ideas. One of these ideas which Shakespeare is trying to portray is evil between the characters and in the world which are emphasized throughout the play. The evil, created by humans, is outweighed by good in the world of King Lear. Evil was created by humans who decided to do wrong to others. Duke of Albany, said that all evil people will be justly punished (ACT V, iii, 303). Albany indicated that it is the people who caused evil and people decided to do evil, not gods. Lear believes that since Edgar is out on the heath he must have given everything to his daughters as well (ACT III, iv, 62ff). Since he believes that Edgar gave everything to evil Lear must believe that people are the cause of evil. It were Lear's daughters who decided to do wrong to Lear and it was Lear's fault in giving away all of his land. Si ughters are the humans in the play, it is the humans who caused the evil and Lear believes that humans were the ones who created evil. Edgar, is another character in the play who believes that evil is caused by humans and not the gods. Edgar said, "The gods are just, and of our peasant vices make instruments to plague us" (ACT V, iii, 169). Edgar clearly says that the gods are right and it is the people who are responsible for promoting evil in the world. It is us who make the instruments necessary for evil to spread and plague the world. In the world of King Lear many characters believe evil was caused by the people and not by the gods.

Douglass essays

Douglass essays Slavery was perhaps one of the most appalling tragedies in the history of the United States of America. As explained in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, each slave had a different experience with slavery, but they all had certain things in common and a couple of those things were a life of unthinkable acts of cruelty and the desire to become free. In Douglass Narrative, he explains his life as a slave and how he uses his education and extraordinary ability of speaking to influence the freedom of all slaves. In reading the Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, I like others, found myself to be deeply moved. The way in which Mr. Douglass walked me through his life as a slave gave me a better understanding of the struggle that African American slaves encountered. Douglass was born in Talbot County, Maryland, but he does not know the year, as most slaves are not allowed to know their ages. He points out that slave owners deliberately keep their slaves ignorant, and that this is a tactic whites us to gain power over slaves. This is the recurrent structure Douglass uses in his narrative. I find this to be interesting, and wonder why that is. How does not knowing the age of ones self keep them ignorant? I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it. By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant.(pg.19) However, based on an overheard comment from his master, Douglass guesses that he was born in or around 1818. Douglasss mother was Harriet Bailey, and they were separated soon after birth, a common practice among slave owners. Douglass assumes that this cust om is intended to break the natural bond of affection between mother and child. For what this separation is done, I do not know, unless it i...

Construction and Testing of Solid State Oxygen Sensor Lab Report

Construction and Testing of Solid State Oxygen Sensor - Lab Report Example In the second experiment, the quenching of luminescence is tested. Experimentally, luminescence is developed and quenched. This process is usually undesirable and very high requirement are therefore imposed on the purity of luminescent. Quenching may occur without any permanent change in the molecules, for example with no photochemical reactions. In static quenching, a complex is formed between the fluorophore and the quencher and the complex is nonfloures-cent. Numerous application for quenching is as a result of the requirements of molecular contact, for example quenching measurements can reveal the accessibility of fluorophores to the quencher.Both static and dynamic quenching requires molecular contact between the fluorophore and the quencher. For collisional quenching, the quencher must diffuse to the fluorophore during lifetime of the excited state. When in contact, the fluorophore returns to the ground state without emitting photons. For a static and dynamic quenching to occur , the fluorophore and the quencher must be in contact.In this experiment, tri (2,2†²-bipyridine) ruthenium (II) hexafluorophosphate is used with two quenchers namely phenothiazine (PTZ) and N, N, N’, N’-tetramethyl-p phenylenediamine (TMPD).In the third experiment, chemical electronic transitions that are usually induced through the absorption of visible light spectrum result in excited state molecules. In the process, energy is absorbed. The absorbed energy must be released to return the excited species back to the original ground state.

Effect of the Economic Downturn on a Manufacturing Company Essay

Effect of the Economic Downturn on a Manufacturing Company - Essay Example The essay "Effect of the Economic Downturn on a Manufacturing Company" talks about the economic problems in a manufacturing company and analyzes the actions of the management's team. The union, the main company's problem which strongly opposed the layoff of any employee, happened to guarantee their members job security, which was the main reason that nearly all the workers had joined up. A number of alternatives were suggested by managers during a brainstorming session, the most extreme being to lay off twenty percent of the workforce permanently. The least disruptive was to retain the full complement of employees and merely schedule them on a revolving four-day work week until the crisis is over and the company can return to full production. The management eventually decided to reduce the working hours of each production worker instead of laying off employees. They felt that dismissing workers from their jobs would be too disruptive, and before they could do so they would have to meet with the union members and negotiate who should be dismissed, according to the terms of their collective bargaining agreement. They expected stiff opposition and a possible court case if they were to insist on laying off people. Unfortunately, when the decision was implemented, many of the good employees lost interest in their jobs and filed for resignation when they were offered better-paying jobs by a competitor firm. The final decision achieved the objective to reduce labor costs by twenty percent.... A joint meeting of the executive and operations management committee was called, the finance manager briefed them on the need to reduce operations expense of which the labour cost is the largest, and the managers then brainstormed on the different alternatives that they felt were viable. Bounded rationality in the decision-making process Source: University of Portsmouth, 2005 The four best alternatives were as follows: Twenty per cent of the production employees across the board shall be laid off with two week’s severance pay. The managers should identify who are to be separated. Ten per cent of production employees shall be laid off, only from those departments that may be reduced, and some shifts reduced from the regular three to only two. Some departments may not be affected at all. Convince the employees to take a uniform fifteen per cent pay cut. In this case management will also take a pay cut to make up the difference from what employees save to what finance needs to ma ke up. Scheduled leaves will be given to the amount of the cut. Declare a four-day work week for all production employees, eliminating twenty per cent of the work hours and reducing production personnel’s pay by twenty per cent. There are a number of criteria that the management team considered in making the final decision. The top criterion is to absolutely reduce labour cost in production by twenty per cent. The number is not arbitrary. The finance department reasoned that twenty per cent of the production capacity is being suspended until demand picks up. Other than this, there are many uncertainties, such as the length of the suspension of operations, whether further reductions shall be necessary, and whether the firm will still return to full operations after the crisis

The Functional Requirement Of Cladding System Essay

The Functional Requirement Of Cladding System Essay Strength and Stability A wall structure should have adequate strength to support its own weight between points of support or fixing to the structural frame, and sufficient stability against lateral wind pressures. To allow for differential movements, there has to be adequate support to carry the weight of the wall structure, and also restraint fixings that will maintain the wall in position and at the same time allow differential movements without damage to either the fixings or the wall material. Thin sheet wall materials such as GRP, metal and glass suffer rapid changes in temperature and consequent expansion and contraction which may cause distortion and damage to fixings or the thin panel material or both. In the design of wall structure faced with thin panel or sheet material, the ideal arrangement is to provide only one rigid support fining to each panel or sheet with one other flexible support fixing and two flexible restraint fixings. The need to provide support and restraint fixings with adequate flexibility to allow for thermal movement and at the same time adequately restrain the facing in place and maintain a weather tight joint has been the principal difficulty in the use of thin panel and sheet facings. Resistance to weather/exclusion of wind and rain The least thickness of solid wall material necessary to prevent penetration of rainwater to the inner face depends on the degree of exposure to driving rain. Common practice is to construct a cavity wall adequate thermal resistance to the passage of heat, and an attractive finish. Common practice is to construct solid cladding systems with an outer leaf of light weight block for insulation. Material used to seal joints is required to be resilient enough to accommodate movement and resist weather deterioration. The rain screen principle is designed to provide a separate outer skin, to screen wall panels from scouring by wind and rain and deterioration by sunlight, and to improve the life and efficient of the joint seals. Durability and freedom from maintenance The durability of a wall structure is a measure of the frequency and extent of the work necessary to maintain minimum functional requirements and acceptable appearance. For example, masonry required a little maintenance because the dirt stained due to slow run-off of water from open horizontal joints. Panels of glass will maintain their finish over the expected life of buildings but will require frequent cleaning of the surface if they are to maintain their initial appearance, and periodic attention to and renewal of the seals. Another material that can be used is metal. bronze and stainless steel, both materials, will weather by the formation of a thin film of oxide that is impermeable and prevents further oxidation. Fire safety/fire Resistance Primary precautions are the internal spread of fire across the surface materials of the wall and ceilings, external fire spread over the fabric and fire spread such as cavities. The Building Regulations prohibit the use of materials that encourage spread of flame across their surface when subject to intense radiant heat and those which give off heat when burning. Limits of using thermoplastic materials in roof lights and lighting diffusers set in Building Regulation. To limit the spread of fire between buildings, limits to the size of unprotected areas of walls. The term unprotected area is used to include those parts of external walls that may contribute to the spread of the fire between buildings such as windows. The Regulations also limit the use of materials of roof coverings near a boundary that will not provide adequate protection against the spread of fire over their surfaces. Resistance to the passage of heat/thermal property Addition insulation need to be provided by lining of the cladding material. The interiors of building clad with large areas of glass may gain through large part or the whole of their internal heat from a combination of solar heat gain through glass cladding and from internal artificial lighting. Solar heat gain can be controlled through the use of simple shading devices fixed externally or internally to the building fabric. Control of internal temperatures As we know, solar is gain through glass panel. The thermal control can be achieved by deep recessed window used in conjunction with external vertical fins, non-transparent external louvers and used of special solar control glass. Another way is minimized the air leakage in the building. We need to maintain the temperature in the building like the concept of green house effect that can traps the heat in the building in the cool day. Resistance to the passage of sound/sound insulation There are several ways to overcome this problem. Firstly, used the resilient pad to prevent sound originating within the structure to be transferred vertically through cladding members. Airbone soung can be prevented by utilizing double glazing panel to window area. B) A client requires a road that requires little maintenance with reasonable non-skid properties. With the aid of diagramme, suggest a type of road and the construction methodology for the proposed used. A client requires a road that requires little maintenance with reasonable non-skid properties. With the aid of diagramme, suggest a type of road and the construction methodology for the proposed used. Type of Road: Flexible Road Sub-grade: original soil or backfilling soil Sub base: small aggregates. The surface of the compacted sub-base should be close textured to prevent migration of sand from the bedding course. Example: sand or quarry dust. Road base: crusher run Surfacing : pre-mix bituminous. Prime coat as binder of particles. Construction Methodology Site Clearing Right of way The corridor of the road has to be cleared to the required width (prevention of soil erosion) Make sure that the accessibility of the road is permitted legally. Clearing and grubbing of the site Using dozer or grader for the works. The hedges and grass roots can be removed by using dozer. Grader is usually for grubbing works where the topsoil needs not to remove form site Cut and fill of the road Cutting: Formation level is lower than original ground level. Filling: Formation level is higher than original level. Preparation of sub grade layer Make sure that the base and subgrade layers must provide adequate and moisture resistant strength and modulus, in addition to durability and stability. Before subgrade can start, make sure the installation of services has finished such as ground surface drainage, piping for water supply and electrical. Subgrade is started and compacted until reaching uniform density for the whole width and to falls. Replaced the unsuitable material such as rock or not useful soil. Subgrade, and base materials frequently require treatment with additives such as asphalt, cement, fly ash, and lime.   Should have unsoaked C.B.R (California bearing ratio) of 15% in the subgrade. CBR is a penetration test for evaluation of the mechanical strength  of  road  subgrades Preparation of sub base 300mm thick of sand/quarry dust. Compacted with 8-10 tonne smooth wheeled roller at 125mm layer 12 times. Rolling start from one side of the road to the center of road in horizontal direction by using roller-compactor. Road base construction Constructed into two layers with same thickness with each layer not more than 150mm thick. Materials (crusher run) leveled following chambers. Lastly, using compactor to compact the mixing tar of the road. Surfacing Construction the graded subgrade or the top granular base layer may be prepared with a prime coat A prime coat is a sprayed application of a cutback (MC-30 or MC-70) or emulsion asphalt applied to the surface of untreated subgrade or base layers.   The size of the premix: 12.5mm to 19mm Compaction should be done quickly Underseal which is a sprayed application of asphalt binder (emulsion or hot applied asphalt binder) immediately covered by a layer of one-sized aggregate. The last step is Road surface marking by using white paints. C) Describe the performance and specify of the material that can be used to fill the void of disused structures e.g. culverts, redundant sewers, cellars and basements and also for soil stabilization, e.g. bridge abutments tunnel stabilization and embarkments. Describe the performance and specify of the material that can be used to fill the void of disused structures e.g. culverts, redundant sewers, cellars and basements and also for soil stabilization, e.g. bridge abutments tunnel stabilization and embarkments. Materials used: Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Developed in Sweden in the late 1920s, autoclaved cellular concrete (ACC) is a lightweight precast concrete building material that is cured under elevated pressure inside special kilns called autoclaves. Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (often shortened to AAC) is effectively concrete with lots of closed air pockets in it. It is lightweight and energy efficient, and is produced by adding a foaming agent to concrete in a mould, then wire cutting blocks or panels from the resulting cake, and cooking it with steam (autoclaving). Performance Appearance It contains many small voids (similar to those in aerated chocolate bars) that can be clearly seen when looked at closely. The closed air pockets contribute to the materials insulating properties and also its aerated nature. Although there is no direct path for water to pass through the material, an appropriate coating is required to prevent water penetrating into the AAC material. AAC can be sculpted with wood working tools, but its softness means that it is rarely used as an exposed finish owing to its need for surface protection. Structural Capability The compressive strength of AAC is very good and load-bearing structures up to three storeys high can be safely erected. Entire building structures can be made in AAC from walls to floors and roofing with reinforced lintels, blocks and floor, wall and roofing panels available from the manufacturers. AAC panels and lintels contain integral steel reinforcement to ensure structural adequacy during installation and design life. Thermal mass With its mixture of lightweight concrete and air pockets, AAC has a moderate overall level of thermal mass performance. The temperature moderating thermal mass is most useful in climates with high cooling needs. Sound insulation With its closed air pockets, AAC can providevery good sound insulation. As with all masonry construction, care must be taken to avoid gaps and unfilled joints that can allow unwanted sound transmission. Combining the AAC wall with an insulated asymmetric cavity system will provide a wall with excellent sound insulation properties. Fire resistance AAC is inorganic and incombustible and is thus especially suited for fire-rated applications. Depending on the application and the thickness of the blocks or panels, fire ratings up to four hours can be achieved. AAC does not harbour or encourage vermin (ulat). Durability and moisture resistance The purposely lightweight nature of AAC makes it liable to impact damage. With the surface protected to resist moisture penetration it is not affected by harsh climatic conditions and will not degrade under normal atmospheric conditions. The porous nature of the material can allow moisture to penetrate the material to a depth but appropriate design (damp proof coarse layers and appropriate coating systems) prevents this happening. AAC will not easily degrade structurally when exposed to moisture. Toxicity and Breathability There are no toxic substances and no odour in the final product. If low toxic, vapour permeable coatings are used on the walls and care is taken not to trap moisture where it can condense, AAC may be an ideal material for homes for the chemically sensitive. Environment Impact AAC has manufacturing, embodied energy and GH emission impacts similar to those of concrete, but can be up to one quarter to one fifth that of concrete based on volume. Its much higher insulation value reduces heating and cooling energy consumption. As an energy and material investment it can often be justified for buildings intended to have a long life. Buildability, availability and cost AAC is relatively easy to work, is light and easily carved, cut and sculpted. Very large block sizes may require two-handed lifting and be awkward to handle but can result in fewer joints and more rapid construction. Low waste component, as the offcuts can be re-used in the construction of the wall. *Figure show the principle of heat insulation and sound insulation D) Briefly describe the activities involved in external works at the start of the contract. Briefly describe the activities involved in external works at the start of the contract. External work is means by the work or the construction is carried out outside of the building or the work generally done externally from main building. At the contract commencement, there are many types of external work can be carry out such as drainage, temporary access, temporary storage, temporary car parks, temporary site facilities, and public utilities such as water, electricity and telecom. Those external works must be prepared before the construction can be started. Most of the activities will span the whole contract period but bulk of activities will fall under early stages of construction and toward the end of the construction. In early stages of construction, there are many external work s need to prepare. For examples, drainage main runs, access arrangement, storage facilities, car parks, place to settle the machinery for foundation construction, and services to the construction sites. The first activities involves in external works at the start of the contract is drainage system. There are two categories of drainage which are surface drainage and sub-surface drainage. Surface drainage is the removal and disposal of water from the surface of the pavement. Whereas sub-surface drainage is the use of underground pipes and other fittings to corect the flow of water from where it is not wanted to some other place. This includes land drainage that removing and disposing of surplus groundwater from gardens, fields and other plots of open land. A subsurface drain is a perforated conduit, such as tile, pipe or tubing, installed below the ground surface to intercept, collect or convey drainage water. *The picture show the surface drainage and sub-surface drainage Besides drainage that need to take consider in the early stages of external work, temporary access also an importance in construction site. Ususally, a geotextile is used as a temporary road access. A geotextile is a synthetic permeable textile material used with soil, rock, or any other material. Geotextiles extend the service life of roads, increase their load-carrying capacity, and reduce the incidence of ruts. These benefits are accomplished by separating aggregate structural layers from subgrade soil while allowing the passage of water. Geotextiles should be considered for use on any section of road requiring an aggregate (rock) layer for surfacing. Geotextiles can reduce the amount of aggregate required, thus reducing the cost of the road, as well as providing the benefits described in the previous paragraph. * The picture show how the geotexile work. Next, temporary site storage and car park (empty area) also consider as external work that need to prepare in construction site. The uses of the temporary site storage is to keep important material or the expensive material. For example, the cement which cannot put outside space, it must be covered by the roof to avaid raining. The cement also need to keep in a dry place because it is easily chemically react with water. Car park or empty area also need in construction site because it is for the lorry to loading or unloading the things for the construction. Car parks also need for the site manager or outsides visitor to keep their vehicle. * The picture show the temporary car park at the site of construction Apart from that, at the commencement for external works, public utilities such as water supply, electricity and telecom also need to prepare in the site of construction. The piping work must be installated at early stage of external work in order to easy the work. The electricity supply need for the lighting, and machinery used. Telecom is used for the communication purposes.

The Ming Dynasty Essay -- Chinese Empire China History Essays

The Ming Dynasty The Chinese Empire was large and controlled most of Asia at one point in time. One of the dynasties that ruled the empire was the Ming Family. Ruling from 1368-1644, almost three hundred years, the Ming Dynasty impacted Chinese history very much. The purpose of this paper is to tell the history of the Ming Dynasty’s impact on the Chinese Empire, and to explain why the Chinese Empire was in fact an empire. The Ming Dynasty had created an empire. They had the government, the military, and the economic system to prove it. At different points in time, The Chinese Empire was the greatest in the world, for trade, military, and other key factors in a society. The main reason for the creation of the Ming Dynasty was the collapse of the Yuan dynasty. The word Ming means â€Å"brilliant† and â€Å"bright.† The creator and first emperor of the Ming Dynasty was Chu Yuan-chang, who later changed his name to suit him and his new government. Chu Yuan-chang was the youngest of the Yuan dynasty and due to the collapse of the dynasty; Chu never got to rule, and was left as a peasant. So after the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, Chu created the Ming dynasty. Chu’s new name, Hongwu, was made to describe the new government that he wanted to create. The name Hongwu means, Vast Military and it reflects the increased prestige of the military during his reign. Due to the fact that Hongwu was a peasant before his reign, he established rules and laws that applied only to those who were peasants. The laws sort of boosted their lives; he kept the land tax low, and the granaries stocked to guard against famine. During his reign he also attempted and succeeded in building up the class of those of the peasant and working class. Hongwu’s new government did not cause any change for those in other social classes. Hongwu’s reign affected the government of China greatly. In Hongwu’s government, he felt that â€Å"Principle was the diffusion of the imperial government.†(www.travelchinaguide.com). So in order to correct the situation of the government, he tried to strengthen rule into absolute rule by emperor. One of the single most important innovations that Hongwu made to the Chinese government was the abolishment of the Chief Minister. By eliminating the Chief Minister, Hongwu essentially took over the administration. In a way he was proclaiming absolute... ...lmost all of Asia, and is the largest empire that Asia has seen. If the Chinese Empire is not considered a true empire, then I will ask you this: Why has the Chinese Empire been called one of the most powerful empires of its time? Author Unknown. Empires Past: China: Ming Dynasty. 9 Dec. 2004 http://library.thinkquest.org/16325/c-min.html . Author Unknown. Ming China, 1368-1644. 9 Dec. 2004 http://www.stockton.edu/~gilmorew/consorti/2feasia.htm . Author Unknown. Ming China(1368-16440). 8 Dec. 2004 http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/history/ming.htm . Davis, Richard L. Ming Dynasty. 9 Dec. 2004 http://www.virtualology.com.virtualmuesamofnatuarlhistory/hallofanthropology/china/themingdynasty.com/ . Hall, John Whitney and Rene Grousset. â€Å"The Establishment of the Ming Dynasty.† 1300’s Headlines in History. San Diego: Greenhaven Press Inc., 2001. 241-261 â€Å"Ming Dynasty(1368-16440† World Eras. Imperial China. Volume 7, 2003 Richard Hooker. Ming China. â€Å"The Decline of the Ming.† 8 Dec. 2004 http://www.wsu.edu:800/~dee/MING/DECLINE.htm . Richard Hooker. Ming China. â€Å"Ming China.† 8 Dec. 2004 http://www.wsu.edu:800/~dee/MING/MING.htm .

Elc1013 Unit 1

ELC1013 English for University Studies Unit 1 – Achieving an Academic Writing Style (IEEE / Vancouver) Unit 1 Achieving an Academic Writing Style Learning Outcomes By the end of this unit, you should be able to: †¢ †¢ use appropriate language to demonstrate academic style in writing express ideas and views in tentative rather than assertive language where appropriate Introduction This unit is divided into three sections providing reference and practice material on various aspects of academic writing style. Section 1 Features of academic writing style Section 2 Improving the style of your writing Section 3 Hedging in academic writingReferencing note: This unit uses IEEE referencing style for all in-text referencing. Pre-Unit 1 IndiWork Activities Go to eLearn (http://elearn. elc. polyu. edu. hk/) and complete the Pre-Unit 1 IndiWork Activities. IndiWork 1 Academic Style Go to eLearn and complete the What is Academic Style? Activity. Section 1 The features of academic writing style What do you think are the differences between the essays that you wrote at secondary school and the essays that you will need to write at university? Make sure you think about style* when considering these differences. Style often refers to level of formality. For example when writing to a friend you would use an informal style.  © English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 1 ELC1013 English for University Studies Unit 1 – Achieving an Academic Writing Style (IEEE / Vancouver) Activity 1 Reading How do the language choices in this first essay draft below create a non-academic / inappropriate style? Read the passage and identify (highlight / circle) the style problems. Note down your ideas at the end of the passage. Be prepared to share your observations with the rest of the class.How often do PolyU students use English outside the classroom? Because many people think PolyU students don’t use English much outside of class, I wanted to find out the answer to this question so I decided to do a survey. I worked out a questionnaire and then handed it out to lots of students from eight 5 departments. The students filled in the questionnaire and then gave it back to me. I did the survey in April 2011. A total of 707 students took part in the survey, which is a really huge sample. In fact, this is the biggest survey of its kind ever done in Hong Kong which is terrific!And when I got the questionnaires back, I looked closely at the data and put it into a number of figures. Grandparents Parents Domestic helper Social functions Brothers / sisters Situations Private tutors Restaurants / bars PolyU friends Part-time jobs Relatives Non- PolyU friends Overseas holidays 0 0. 5 1 1. 05 1. 32 1. 69 1. 95 1. 95 1. 99 2. 11 2. 12 2. 4 2. 45 2. 55 2. 72 1. 5 Mean 2 2. 5 3 Figure 1: Speaking in English outside university 10 The first area I’d like to look at is speaking in English. Basically, what I wanted to know was how ofte n students speak English outside the classroom.The questionnaire asked the students to say how often they use English when they talk to friends, parents etc. When they filled in the questionnaire, the students had to circle a number from 1 (never) to 6 (very often). If they circled 15 the numbers 1-3, it means that they don’t use English very much. If they circled the numbers 4-6, it means that they use English fairly often. As you can see, I’ve put all the data about speaking in English in Figure 1. Let’s now talk about the data in Figure 1. First and foremost, it’s crystal clear that students don’t have many opportunities to speak English outside the 20 classroom.You can tell this because all the means are under 3. 00. Clearly, PolyU students don’t have any need to speak to parents etc. in English. This is undoubtedly because their family members are Cantonese speakers.  © English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 2 E LC1013 English for University Studies Unit 1 – Achieving an Academic Writing Style (IEEE / Vancouver) Obviously, there’s no point in speaking English when everyone can speak C a n t o n e s e . A s yo u c a n s e e , Po l y U s t u d e n t s n e v e r s p e a k t o t h e i r 25 grandparents in English.This is not surprising because, as we all know, old people in Hong Kong can’t speak English. That’s because the education system wasn’t very good in the past. But, you can see that there are a few situations (overseas holidays and so on) where students do get a golden opportunity to use their English, even though this is not really very often. In a 30 nutshell, then, the data in Figure 1 prove that PolyU students don’t speak English much outside the classroom. Note down the style problems you found in the box below. For each problem you identify, write an appropriate solution.Problem (inappropriate language) Solution (appropriate language) 1. 2 . 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.  © English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 3 ELC1013 English for University Studies Unit 1 – Achieving an Academic Writing Style (IEEE / Vancouver) Section 2 Improving the style of your writing In this section you will learn how to improve the style of your academic writing. Read through the following twelve subheadings and complete Activities 2 to 7. 1. Avoid informal verbs Use formal (i. e. ingle-word verbs) such as examine rather than phrasal / multi-word verbs such as look at. This report looks at ? [examines] ? the problem of juvenile delinquency. Hong Kong has got over ? [recovered from] ? the latest recession. University-linked companies have not taken off ? [been successful]? in recent years. Activity 2a Formal verbs Fill in the blanks with five of the following formal verbs. Make sure that you put the verbs into the correct form / tense. discover conduct fluctuate establish devi se increase investigate assist reduce discuss ) The team (came up with) _____________________ an imaginative solution to the problem. b) In this essay, I will (talk about) _____________________ the issue of genetic engineering. c) The study was (carried out) _____________________ between May and July 2012. d) A research associate was appointed to (help out) __________________ with the analysis of the data. e) Researchers (found out) __________________that the chiller was the source of the problem. Activity 2b Formal verbs With a partner, write five sentences using the unused formal verbs from Activity 2a. )†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ b)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ c)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ d)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ e)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦  © English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 4 ELC1013 English for University Studies Unit 1 – Achieving an Academic Writing Style (IEEE / Vancouver) 2. Avoid Colloquial expressions Avoid informal or colloquial expressions such as a lot of in your written assignments. ? a lot of research ? a great deal of / a considerable amount of lots of studies ? numerous / a large number of / myriad / a plethora of a really interesting study ? very / extremely / particularly a bit disappointing ? somewhat / rather / fairly it is a must ? essential / necessary / crucial / vital 3. Avoid Cliches Cliches are expressions that have become overused. The expressions below are dull and unoriginal. In addition, the meaning of some cliches, such as ‘in a nut shell’, may not be clear to a global audience as the words and meaning may not be closely related.Avoid using them in your written work. ? ? ? hot topic heated debate last but not least every coin has two sides all in all as we all know first and foremost crystal clear golden opportunity In a nutshell†¦ financial tsunami a double-edged sword 4. Avoid vague, everyday language Avoid common, informal everyday words. Use more precise words instead. Adjectives Pollution has been a big ? [major] ? problem in Hong Kong in the past thirty years. The facilities in the lecture theatre are bad ? [inadequate]?. The students felt she was a good ? [organised / enthusiastic] ? instructor. Verbs Bonny got ? [obtained] ? er degree from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Chan [1] says ? [comments] ? that the English standard of students is improving. Others This issue has raised the attention of everyone ? [the public]. ? There are many things ? [elements] ? to a successful presentation. 5. Be objective As well as being impersonal, academic writing should be as objective as possible. Subjective and strongly emotional language should be avoided. Do not use words such as: fantastic, wonderful, lovely, absolutely, totally, terrific, excellent! Objectivity can also be boosted through hedging techniques (see section 3). English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 5 ELC1013 English for University Studies Unit 1 – Achieving an Academic Writing Style (IEEE / Vancouver) Activity 3 Academic style Change the underlined words in the following sentences to improve the style. a) The student did a presentation last week. c) The results of the survey were shockingly bad! e) Freedom of the Internet is a double edged sword. 6. Avoid Repetition Repeating the same words and phrases in your written assessments may make your work appear boring and unsophisticated to the reader.To make your writing more interesting, use appropriate synonyms. For example: findings inquiry ? ? results investigation appear argue ? ? seem contend b) It is a good essay. d) It was a poor presentation. f) The analysts obtained a lot of data. Tip: When using Microsoft Word, if you right click on a word it will give you a list of synonyms that you could use. Note that not all the words will be suitable to use in a particular sentence, so you should ensure that the alternative language choices convey the meaning you intend to express. Academic writing should be easy to follow. 7.Avoid contractions Avoid using contractions such as it’s and they’re in academic writing. won’t ? will not don’t ? do not I’ve ? I have It’s ? [It is] ? widely acknowledged that English plays an important role in Hong Kong’s business sector. 8. Avoid personal references Avoid directly referring to yourself as ‘I’ or ‘we’, or to the reader as ‘you’. Academic writers generally avoid using the personal pronoun ‘I’ because it makes their work seem too subjective. You can see the findings in Table 1. ? I have presented the findings in Table 1. ? As you can see, the findings are in Table 1. We can see the findings in Table 1. ? The findings are presented in Table 1. ? The passive voice is useful for this and achieves a more impersonal, action-focused style appropriate for academic writing.  © English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 6 ELC1013 English for University Studies Unit 1 – Achieving an Academic Writing Style (IEEE / Vancouver) 9. Avoid informal sentence starters Starting sentences with And, Because, or But is considered poor style in academic writing. Use a more formal alternative instead. For example: And ? In addition, Apart from But ?However, Because ? Due to, This is because 10. Avoid rhetorical questions Avoid using rhetorical questions as they can make your writing appear unsophisticated. In my report, I will answer the following question: What are the causes of stress? ? This report examines the causes of stress. ? Whether exams cause stress is examined in this report. ? The above analysis concludes the first part of my essay regarding the problems of teenage drug abuse. Now, how about the solutions? ? The next part of my essay examines some solutions to teenage drug abuse. ? Activity 4 Academic styleImprove the style of the following sentences. a) Has China been af fected by the financial tsunami? She’d appear to be managing quite nicely. b) And it’s high time we started to think about the wealth gap. c) Some business leaders make some bad business decisions. 11. Avoid ‘Run-on’ expressions Limit the use of ‘run-on’ expressions such as etc. and and so on in academic writing. Use the term such as to inform the reader that not all possible examples are given. Professionals often need to write reports, memos etc. at work. ? Professionals often need to write documents such as reports and memos at work. ? 12.Use positive forms Avoid informal negative forms such as not much and not many. Use the positive (without ‘not’) forms little and few. Not much ? [Little] ? research has been conducted into job stress in universities. Not many ? [Few] ? studies have investigated Hong Kong society in the 19th century.  © English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 7 ELC1013 English for Unive rsity Studies Unit 1 – Achieving an Academic Writing Style (IEEE / Vancouver) Activity 5 Academic style There are style errors in the sentence below. Identify the error and change the language to improve the style of the sentences.Then match the error to the style issues in the box below. Most sentences have more than one problem. emotional / subjective colloquial expressions vague/everyday cliche contraction / negativity personal reference sentence starter a) The problem of air pollution has become more and more serious in recent years. b) In the past decade, a lot of research has been done into indoor air quality. c) The results let everyone see that the quality of service in Hong Kong restaurants is bad. d) Hong Kong companies value employees who have good communication skills. ) And language policy in secondary schools has been a hot topic for many years. f) We all know that students learn better when they are taught in their mother tongue. g) The students didn’t e ncounter many problems finding good data for their project. h) Ensuring a big sample of subjects for a questionnaire survey is a must. i) j) Researchers got their data by doing telephone interviews. Tong’s [2] interpretation of the data is totally wrong.  © English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 8 ELC1013 English for University Studies Unit 1 – Achieving an Academic Writing Style (IEEE / Vancouver) Activity 6 ReadingThe following essay is a more appropriately written academic essay than the draft analysed in Activity 1. Discuss with a partner the ways in which this passage is more academically appropriate than the earlier Activity 1 version. Students’ use of English outside university (A) This essay investigates the perceived problem of Hong Kong students’ lack of English use outside university. The data reported below were derived from a questionnaire survey of a substantial sample of first-year undergraduates from eight departme nts at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. (B) The survey was conducted between 12 and 23 April 2011.The subjects completed the questionnaire during their English for University Studies classes under the supervision of a research assistant. A total of 1,283 questionnaires were distributed and 707 correctly completed copies were returned and subsequently analysed. The questionnaire required the respondents to indicate the frequency with which they speak, listen, read and write in English outside the formal setting of the English-medium classroom. (C) The first section of the questionnaire asked the subjects to indicate on a six-point scale how often they speak in English in a range of nonacademic situations.On the evidence of the findings presented in Figure 1, it would appear that tertiary students in Hong Kong generally have little need to speak in English outside the classroom. (D) The evidence suggests that undergraduates rarely communicate with their parents or grandparents in English. This finding is perhaps not surprising as census data indicate that the overwhelming majority of people in Hong Kong speak Cantonese [1]. In the intimate family domain, young people understandably have little need or desire to speak English, apart from special circumstances such as preparing for English language examinations. E) The results indicate that the situation in which tertiary students use English least is in interactions with their grandparents. When interpreting this finding, it is worth noting that recent surveys have revealed that English is less widely known among Hong Kong people in their sixties and seventies than among those in the 4060 and 20-40 age groups [2]. This largely stems from the fact that the provision of Englishmedium secondary education was limited in the 1940s and 1950s [3]. The majority of citizens in the 60-70 age group are likely to have received only a Chinese-medium primary education [4]. F) While the data in Figure 1 suggest that tertia ry students tend not to speak English very frequently outside class, there are apparently several situations where spoken English has some degree of importance in the subjects’ lives. As might be expected, the situation where the subjects need to speak the language most is on overseas holidays. As Cantonese is not widely spoken outside China, it is perhaps understandable that students need to communicate in English on trips to Europe, North America and other parts of Asia. (G) As noted above, students rarely talk to their immediate family members in English.However, it is interesting that some of the subjects apparently have some need to communicate with their relatives in English. One possible factor behind the use of English in this situation is that their relatives live in an Englishspeaking country. In the case of younger relatives (e. g. cousins), it is possible that they have no knowledge of Cantonese, while older relatives (e. g. uncles, aunts) may feel more comfortabl e using their adopted language.  © English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 9 ELC1013 English for University Studies Unit 1 – Achieving an Academic Writing Style (IEEE / Vancouver) Activity 7Improving academic style Use the academic writing advice above to complete the following exercises. 1. Skim through the Activity 6 essay and find formal verbs with similar meanings to the following informal phrasal verbs. The paragraph is given in brackets to help you. filled in (B) handed out (B) ____________________ ____________________ looks into (A) ____________________ found out (E) ____________________ 2. Find words in the Activity 6 passage which have similar meanings to the following vague, everyday words: done (B) ____________________ later (B) ____________________ big (A) ____________________ got (A) ____________________ . To avoid repeating the words students and findings, the writer uses a number of synonyms. List the synonyms used. students: findings: _ __________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 4. How does the writer avoid using informal negative forms? Underline one example in the passage in Paragraph D. 5. The draft that you read in Activity 1 included the following inappropriate sentences: This is not surprising because, as we all know, old people in Hong Kong can’t speak English.That’s because the education system wasn’t very good in the past. How does the writer revise this part of the report? ‘Li Wei falls to Hong Kong’ reproduced with kind permission of Li Wei  © English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 10 ELC1013 English for University Studies Unit 1 – Achieving an Academic Writing Style (IEEE / Vancouver) Activity 8 Writing This activity gives you the chance to apply the features of academic writing style covered so far. By being able to write in an appropriate academi c style, you will be more able to successfully complete assignments at university.Situation For a course that you have been doing at university, you have been researching whether the consumption of organic produce can affect the health of a population. You are also interested in whether a subject’s positive opinion of their well being* has an effect on their general level of health. The area that you are investigating for an assignment is whether Hong Kong subjects also feel better about themselves after consuming organic produce. In Table 1 below, the results of two surveys are presented.First, a large scale survey was conducted by Wallace and Welbeck [1] among 4619 students in the UK about consumption of organic produce and self health ratings. The questions were adapted by your group to survey 89 students in the Polytechnic University. In the survey, subjects were asked to say whether they felt the following illnesses would increase or decrease on a scale from 0 (increase a great deal) to 3 (no effect) to 6 (decrease a great deal) after the consumption of organic produce. XuanXuan 13’ reproduced with kind permission of Li Wei *Note: â€Å"well being† describes the state of feeling healthy and happyIn pairs, discuss the data in Table 1. How would you explain the findings? When you have completed your discussion, write a short text of 3 or 4 paragraphs in which you describe and discuss the data. Table 1: Reduction and increase of illnesses after consumption of organic produce Features Headaches Colds Coughs Aches and pains Skin complaints UK students 4. 9 3. 1 2. 2 4. 5 3. 4 Polytechnic University students 5. 5 4. 1 5. 4 3. 2 4. 5 Source: Figures for UK students from Wallace and Welbeck [1]  © English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 11 ELC1013 English for University StudiesUnit 1 – Achieving an Academic Writing Style (IEEE / Vancouver) Section 3 Hedging in academic writing One of the main problems in the Act ivity 1 text is the writer’s use of assertive (overly strong or sure) language when discussing the data. Examples of assertive language are highlighted below. Let’s now talk about the data in Figure 1. First and foremost, it’s crystal clear that students don’t have many opportunities to speak English outside the classroom. You can tell this because all the means are under 3. 00. Clearly, PolyU students don’t have any need to speak to parents, etc. n English. This is undoubtedly because their family members are Cantonese speakers. Obviously, there’s no point in speaking English when everyone can speak Cantonese. As you can see, PolyU students never speak to their grandparents in English. This is not surprising because, as we all know, old people in Hong Kong can’t speak English. That’s because the education system wasn’t very good in the past. You can see, though, that there are a few situations (overseas holidays and so on) where students do get a golden opportunity to use their English, even though this is not really very often.In a nutshell, then, the data in Figure 1 prove that PolyU students don’t speak English much outside the classroom. Expressing opinions or making claims in overly strong language leaves you open to attack by critical readers. Such statements will often be doubted by readers thereby reducing your power and authority as a writer. A reader who does not believe a writer will rarely read on. To avoid such a situation, when stating ideas or discussing data you should use tentative rather than assertive language. You should avoid expressions such as: clearly ndoubtedly obviously definitely without a doubt there is no doubt that certainly absolutely Be very careful about using words like always (very common in Chinese), never, every and all because these suggest absolute certainty, which is inappropriate, and often incorrect, in many situations. Compare the following sentenc es: 1. The Hong Kong economy will grow next year. (Too strong! The writer is open to criticism if the Hong Kong economy does not grow next year) 2. The Hong Kong economy might grow next year. (Ok. The writer is hedging by using the modal verb ‘might’) 3.Some economists believe the Hong Kong economy will grow next year. (Ok. The doubt is transferred to a third party (economists). This means that the readers' confidence in you is not reduced) Techniques used in the sentences two and three above are known as hedging.  © English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 12 ELC1013 English for University Studies Unit 1 – Achieving an Academic Writing Style (IEEE / Vancouver) Hedging Techniques Activity 6 illustrated a number of hedging techniques. These are summarised below: 1.Use hedging verbs The following ‘hedging’ verbs are often used in academic writing: suggest indicate estimate imply The results indicate that the situation in which te rtiary students use English least is in interactions with their grandparents. The verbs appear and seem are used to ‘distance’ the writer from the findings (and therefore avoid making a strong claim and be subject to criticism from readers). On the evidence of the findings presented in Figure 1, it would appear that tertiary students in Hong Kong generally have little need to speak in English outside the classroom.Note that the writer also ‘protects’ himself / herself by using the phrase on the evidence of. The following expressions are used in a similar way: according to, on the basis of, based on. 2. Use modal verbs Another way of appearing ‘confidently uncertain’ is to use modal verbs such as may, might and could. In the case of younger relatives, it is possible that they have no knowledge of Cantonese, while older relatives may feel more comfortable using their adopted language. 3. Use adverbs The following adverbs are often used when a wri ter wishes to express caution. robably apparently possibly seemingly perhaps presumably arguably conceivably This finding is perhaps not surprising as census data indicate that the overwhelming majority of people in Hong Kong speak Cantonese [1]. 4. Use adjectives Another technique is to use an adjective. probable possible arguable unlikely likely One possible factor behind the use of English in this situation is that their relatives live in an English-speaking country.  © English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 13 ELC1013 English for University Studies Unit 1 – Achieving an Academic Writing Style (IEEE / Vancouver) 5.Use nouns The following nouns are often used to hedge:: probability possibility evidence likelihood indication The evidence suggests that undergraduates rarely communicate with their parents or grandparents in English. 6. Softening generalisations There are several ways in which you can soften and hedge a generalisation. (i) Use the verb tend or the noun (have / be a) tendency (to). While the data in Figure 1 suggest that tertiary students tend not to speak English very frequently outside class, there are apparently several situations where spoken English has some degree of importance in the subjects’ lives. ii) Use an adverb such as: generally predominantly largely mainly primarily usually for the most part to a great extent This largely stems from the fact that the provision of English-medium secondary education was limited in the 1940s and 1950s [3]. (iii) Use a hedging expression such as most or the majority of. The majority of citizens in the 60-70 age group are likely to have received only a Chinesemedium primary education [4]. (iv) Identify exceptions by using expressions such as except for or with the exception of.In the intimate family domain, young people understandably have little need or desire to speak English, except for special circumstances such as preparing for English language examinations. 7. Avoid negative words You should also avoid direct, negative words such as lies, cheat, false, rubbish, cheap, useless and worst. Try to use cautious, indirect language when expressing negative ideas. Without a doubt, the worst aspect of Dr Wong’s teaching is the lack of feedback. ? Giving feedback is perhaps the least successful aspect of Dr Wong’s teaching.?The president told lies to the media during his rubbish handling of the crisis. ? The president may have misled the media during the less than satisfactory handling of the crisis. ?  © English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 14 ELC1013 English for University Studies Unit 1 – Achieving an Academic Writing Style (IEEE / Vancouver) Activity 9 Hedging Choose the most appropriate option below. a) Everybody knows / It is generally accepted that all / the majority of English people always / often fail to learn any language other than their own. ) Perhaps / clearly the world will / is like ly to face major / total environmental destruction in the next fifty years. c) Without a doubt / It is widely believed that assertive writing is never / unlikely to be positively regarded by most / all readers. Activities 10a and 10b gives you an opportunity to practise the hedging techniques outlined in Section 3. By being able to use hedging techniques while writing in an appropriate academic style, you will more be able to successfully complete assignments at university. Activity 10a WritingIn 2011, the English Language Centre of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University surveyed 978 Form 7 school leavers about their preferences when studying in higher education. A summary of the results is presented below. Table 1: First Choice of University Hong Kong University The Chinese University of Hong Kong Hong Kong University of Science and Technology The Hong Kong Polytechnic University City University of Hong Kong Hong Kong Baptist University The Open University of Hong Kong Lingnan Univer sity Hong Kong Shue Yan University 21% 17% 15% 14% 11% 11% 8% 7% 4% A pause for humanity 3’ reproduced with kind permission of Li Wei Read what the writer said about the reason why Hong Kong University and Chinese University were the most favoured. Note the underlined language. The survey results indicate that the preferred universities were Hong Kong University and Chinese University. A probable reason for this is their long history, and the preference of employers for employees who graduate from these institutions. Write two or three paragraphs giving possible reasons for the ranking of the other universities. Use the hedging techniques from Section 3. English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 15 ELC1013 English for University Studies Unit 1 – Achieving an Academic Writing Style (IEEE / Vancouver) Activity 10b Writing The school leavers were asked a similar question regarding their first choice of course when applying for University. Examine Table 2 below giving the results, and write two more paragraphs providing some possible explanations. Table 2: First choice of course when applying for University Engineering Law Nursing and Health Sciences Design Business Computing Textiles Construction Logistics Others 15% 4% 8% 12% 20% 15% 4% 7% 16% 5%Further Learning Materials Besides IndiWork, you are also strongly encouraged to complete the Further Learning Materials found at the end of each unit. By doing so, so will be able to perform better in this subject’s assessments. Go to eLearn (http://elearn. elc. polyu. edu. hk/) to complete the following activities. 1. Unit 1 Review of learning 2. Unit 1 Further Learning Materials  © English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 16