Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Rice Thailand Native Foods

Rice Thailand Native Foods Introduction Despite the fact that food is a commodity consumed by all people in the world, different countries and people are associated with a specific type of food which is native to them. The native food types of any country or ethnic group make the larger part of their cuisine as part of cultural representations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Rice: Thailand Native Foods specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The specific food types therefore contribute to their culture and values in the society. However, there are regions that hold more to their cultures as compared to others. For example, most of the Asian nations still hold their cultural roots unlike their counterparts in Europe and America. This paper is therefore about the representative food(s) of an Asian nation known as Thailand. The Country’s food item Thailand is a country located in the south east of Asia. The common language spoken in Thailand is Thai hence making the Thai people. The country is endowed with many natural resources as well as agricultural products such as rice in which Thailand is the largest world exporter of rice (Cummings, 2000, p.211). Thus, rice is the staple food of the Thai people and especially the jasmine variety of rice which makes up the largest portion of the Thai cuisine. The Thai cuisine is known internationally because of the seasoning combination used. As a matter of fact, it is a blend of all the five key tastes namely spicy, sour, bitter, salty and sweet. The Thai cuisine is made up rice (Known as Khao in Thailand) that is served with other accompanying dishes made of sauces, salads and curries among others (Kahrs, 2000, p. 76). Its role, image and use Social occasions in Thailand are not complete without the Thai cuisine. As a matter of fact, food in Thailand can be a reason to hold celebrations, something that is very unusual in other nations. Apart from rice forming part of every meal in Thailand, it plays a great role in earning foreign income to the country. This is because, it exports rice to the world market and because of its high quality it has high demand in the market thus fetching much income (Schmidt, 2005, p.1). Rice has on the other hand created an image of Thailand globally. Thailand is among the first nations that people think of when you mention rice.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More History of rice in Thailand For a long period of time rice has formed the heart of every meal in Thailand. Rice is said to have its origin in the Asian arc, from where it spread to other continents. However, the Thailand people have their own history with regard to the origin of rice. They claim that Lord Vishnu is the one who gave birth to rice thereafter the people were taught how to raise the rice by a God called Indra (Huke and Huke, 1990, p.1). It is be cause of this that the growth of rice in Thailand is considered as a holistic activity despite its economic and health benefits. Social and cultural roles of the Rice in Thailand Rice plays a big role in terms of social and cultural functions among the Thai people. It is the main food consumed during their social occasions and gatherings. As mentioned above, the practice of growing rice in Thailand is not only for health and economic benefits but it is also a cultural practice. It is the food that is used in shrines to give to the Thai gods. Studies done have also indicated that the spirit of rice is usually attached to the rice fields hence making rice a holistic commodity in Thailand. It is because of this that throwing away rice in Thailand is a taboo, which if gone against may lead to bad omen to the land. Religious uses The native food of Thailand has religious uses in that there is the ‘god of rice’ who gets very annoyed whenever rice is thrown away. The god of ri ce may cause bad luck or even phenomena such as famine whenever he is angry. It is therefore a taboo to throw away food and especially rice in Thailand. Because of this, most of the restaurants in Thailand have employed a deity who keeps watch as people eat to ensure that no food with rice is thrown away. In addition to this, since most people in Thai are Buddhists, they make food offerings in the temple which comprises of rice to feed the spirits. Conclusion From the above discussion it can be clearly seen that rice plays a great role among the people of Thailand as their staple or native food. This importance ranges from economic, food, social and cultural benefits. It has also been seen that rice is the forms the heart of the Thai cuisine (Schmidt, 2005, p.1).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Rice: Thailand Native Foods specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, due to relations with their neighbouring countries, t he Thailand cuisine has had variations as compared to the traditional cuisine. This is because of the cultural influences from those countries. Nevertheless, the influences have not had much effect because the Thai cuisine is still internationally famous for its unique taste. Reference List Cummings, J. (2000). World Food Thailand. Victoria, Australia: Lonely Planet Publications Huke, R. and Huke, H. (1990). A Brief History of Rice. Web. Kahrs, K. (2003). Thai Cooking. Dallas: Hackberry Press. Schmidt, D. (2005). Thai Food and Culture. Retrieved from https://www.thespruceeats.com/thai-food-and-culture-3217393

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Real Irish Republican Army (IRA) Profile

Real Irish Republican Army (IRA) Profile The Real IRA was formed in 1997 when the Provisional IRA entered into negotiations for a ceasefire with Northern Ireland unionists. Two members of the PIRA Executive, Michael McKevitt and a fellow Executive member and common law wife Bernadette Sands-McKevitt, are the core of the new group. Real IRA Principles The Real IRA rejected the principle of non-violent resolution that formed the basis of the ceasefire negotiations. This principle has been stated in the six Mitchell principles and the Belfast Agreement, which would be signed in 1998. Real IRA members also objected to the division of Ireland into a southern independent Republic and Northern Ireland. They wanted an undivided Irish republic with no compromise with Unionists – those who wanted to join in a union with the United Kingdom.   A Violent Approach The Real IRA used terrorist tactics on a regular basis to hit economic targets as well as specific symbolic human targets. Improvised explosive devices and car bombs were typical weapons. The Real IRA was responsible for the Omagh bombing on August 15, 1998. The attack in the center of the Northern Irish town killed 29 people and wounded between 200 and 300 others. Reports of injuries vary. The devastating attack prompted severe hostility toward RIRA, even from Sinn Fein leaders Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams. McKevitt was convicted for directing terrorism in 2003 for his participation in the attack. Other members were arrested in France and Ireland in 2003. The group also involved itself in hunt-and-kill missions aimed at drug dealers and organized crime.   The Real IRA in the Millennium Although the Real IRA fractured considerably with the passage of time, MI5 – the UKs intelligence agency – called it the UKs primary threat in July  2008 based on surveillance evidence. MI5 estimated that the group had about 80 members  as of July 2008, all willing to conduct bombings or other attacks. Then, in 2012, the splintering RIRA merged with other terrorist groups with the goal of forming what the new group called a unified structure under a single leadership. The move is said to have been prompted by McGuinness shaking hands with Queen Elizabeth. In keeping with RIRAs vigilante efforts against drug dealers, one of these groups was Radical Action Against Drugs or RAAD.   Both RIRA and the media have referred to the group as the New IRA since this joining of forces. The New IRA has said that it intends to target British forces, police and the Ulster Bank headquarters. The Irish Times called it the deadliest of the dissident republican groupings in 2016, and its been active in recent years. The group detonated a bomb in front of the home of a Londonderry, England police officers home in February 2016. Another police officer was attacked in January 2017, and the New IRA is reportedly behind a series of shootings in Belfast, including that of a 16-year-old boy.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Economic Nature of the Construction Industry Assignment

Economic Nature of the Construction Industry - Assignment Example Later on, Karl Marx introduced his ideas of exploitation of labor by capital and concluded that the huge constructions that the economy witnessed were all the result of labor that were unjustly and unethically denied the fruits of their efforts which were usurped by capitalists. With progress of time, came the Great Depression and the development of a radically new approach to macroeconomics by John Maynard Keynes. Faced with gloomy prospects of an ever deepening economic depression where the roaring economy of United States that was confident that good times will last forever suddenly faced a scary scenario where jobs vanished and with it the much vaunted purchasing power of populace, Keynes had to think of an way out of that desperate situation. He realized that increasing aggregate demand was the only way out and chose construction industry as the most convenient vehicle of autonomous investment to undertaken by the US government. He prescribed large doses of investment by the gov ernment in construction industry that would, through multiplier effect, generate substantial aggregate demand and consequent rise in general price level that would be sufficient to motivate producers to undertake induced investment. Once this process gets started the upward moving price-wage spiral would pull the entire economy out of the depths of depression. Construction industry is seldom characterized by cutting edge innovations. Any new technique implemented by a builder is quickly replicated by competitors and generally all firms in the industry have access to similar technology. Thus it is an industry that experiences intense competition among equally formidable rivals. It is also an industry where production cycle is possibly the longest and with huge potential for employment requiring substantial levels of continuous investment to keep the industry healthy, construction industry becomes one of the benchmarks for judging the overall

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Library Research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Library Research - Assignment Example For our company performance play a vital role in determining pay, promotions, transfers, terminations and other such decisions that impact well-being as well as the overall company performance. Thus access to objective performance evaluation systems is key to the overall benefit of the company, employees and the society. An objective performance management system will help improve the relationship between the managers and their subordinates as well as boost motivation (Jackson et al.2011). As a newly designated manager for the HR department, we would ensure that performance management is properly designed, documented and implemented (Pope, ). It should be clearly understood that proper execution of the program cannot be done without cooperation of line managers and unless the top management shows commitment to it. Activities such as ensuring performance management is embraced on a daily-basis, timely completion of performance reviews, providing valuable feedback throughout the process and making developmental opportunities available to high performers are all responsibilities of line managers. Thus it is the proper execution of the performance management program by management and line-managers that can make or break it. The role of HR for this proper execution would be to: According to the evaluation of past organizational practices, some departments have informally attempted to introduce performance-based pay systems in the form of appraisals. This process needs to be properly documented and managed by the HR department in coordination with other department managers. It has been proven in a study conducted by Subramanov, Krause, Nortom and Burns in 2008 that creating a model for competitive pay can be used as incentive to enhance a company’s performance via enhanced employee performance (Chow et. Al, 2012). Some aspects that the new appraisal system should incorporate are: The role of performance of company executive and their management teams

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The Women of Dreaming in Cuban Essay Example for Free

The Women of Dreaming in Cuban Essay Four characters spanning three generations dominate the storyline of Dreaming in Cuban (Garcia, 1992), four women of the same blood who could not possibly contrast more. Centered on the rise to power of Fidel Castro and the ways in which the members of the family del Pino embraced or rejected la revolucion, Dreaming in Cuban is poignant tale enriched with beautiful language. The matriarch of the family is Celia del Pino, a woman whose passion for the lost love of her youth can be replaced only, but not completely, by her ardor for the socialist ideals Castro brings to the island. Celia stands alone in her patriotic zeal; her lone companero in the family, son Javier, disappears to Czechoslovakia to further the movement there and to hide his politics from his father, Jorge. Celia is, of all her family, the only one suited to bear the torment life brings to them all. She knew before they were born that her daughters, though flesh of her flesh, would be strangers to her. And although she would realize before his death that she had grown to love her husband, it was a different love than the torturous passion she bore for Gustavo, her wayward Spanish lover who disappeared from her life completely when she was just a young woman, not a love to replace but to reside, understandingly, alongside it. Even her zeal for El Lider and the revolution, a cause to which she could devote herself fully as she was never able as a wife and mother, exposed to her that quality which is mostly non-existent among men, a spirit of generosity. She knew that, without it, Cuba would fail (Garcia 114,115). Celia’s daughters are as different as the countries they live in. Lourdes, eldest, whose name her mother at her birth vowed to forget (Garcia 43), would immigrate to America to escape Castro and the revolution, while Felicia would be imprisoned by cruel husband who would nearly destroy her. Lourdes, always her father’s daughter, was fittingly named after the miraculous French locale (Garcia 42). Fitting not because there was anything miraculous about her, but because it reflected the faith Jorge embraced and Celia scorned. By being born a girl, Lourdes denied her mother the chance to escape her marriage and seek out Gustavo in Spain, and it was perhaps due to the consequent shunning that Lourdes’ various attempts at different types of fulfillment are seemingly in vain. Whether by constantly eating, constantly sexually devouring her poor husband, over-mothering her daughter Pilar or harrying the immigrants who are always so briefly in her employ, Lourdes never manages to be fully satisfied with herself or with the world. Even her conversations with her father after his death left her confused and disoriented, as if the solace he sought to bring her only furthered her malcontent. Felicia was also named with portent, though in a much more sinister fashion than her sister. When Celia was in the hospital she met a woman who had murdered her husband by dousing him in gasoline and lighting him on fire. She would later be killed, also by being burned alive. Her name was Felicia; Celia would name her second daughter in memory of her friend. Felicia would grow to marry a man, a merchant marine who was rarely home, and when he was only to abuse his wife and share his venereal diseases. Losing herself in that horrible place that resides choosing between family and family, Felicia would eventually seek to free herself as her namesake had, by burning her husband. Unfortunately for Felicia she did not manage to fully escape the clutches of unreality, and she would even drag her young son Ivanito into its grasp. Pilar is Lourdes’ headstrong, rebellious daughter. Having moved to America with her mother at a very young age, she has a rather idyllic memory of her grandmother and Cuba, but it is what she longs to return to. For her entire life in the U. S. , her mother has sought to repress her, much as she would like to suppress the revolution the took her homeland from her. Much as Lourdes remembers the first words her mother spoke in her presence, Pilar remembers conversations word for word all the way back into her infancy. Pilar’s great understanding of things at such a young age was likely why she did not simply accept things for what they were as many children do. And her refusal to accept the state of things, a feeling all of the other women in her family can readily identify with, would lead to her running away bringing on a whole new world of problems to understand. From generation to generation, the women of the del Pino family are constantly and consistently different. Pilar was born at the beginning of the revolution but would grow up away from it, her mother and aunt were the of the generation targeted by the movement but would ultimately resist it, and only Celia, her grandmother, of the conservative generation mostly likely to scorn socialism would completely embrace it. And so each generation of the family stood alienated; alienated from the others of their own respective generations whose ideals did not match their own, and alienated from their own family members for the same reason and many more. Looking back on one’s own life, it is easy to remember the feeling of the latter, rolling your eyes at your out-dated parents or sighing in exasperation at your rebellious children. But imagine having no peers to turn to, no comrades to share stories and advice with, no empathy anywhere to be found. It is no wonder fulfillment was ever beyond their grasp. If the women of this story share any common ground, it is in their blood and their inability to find peace. And one, quite possibly, could be used to help the other. A great deal of the trials these women face lie in the division amongst them, and if they ever tried to address that, then maybe they wouldn’t have to continually seek answers in pecan sticky buns and Cuban sugar cane fields and Santeria cults. Perhaps that is the solace the spirit of Jorge del Pino is trying to bring; perhaps he is saying, â€Å"You are my family, my blood, my wife, my daughters, my granddaughters. Know that there will be differences. Know that you have made mistakes and will have regrets. Agree to disagree. Forgive one another. Love one another. Move on. † Perhaps that is a little too simplistic. But I recognize something in this story that is all too common among people, a throw-your-hands-up attitude that occurs when life happens and the current feels too strong. People are willing to surrender to one crisis in order to reach the calm waters that bridge the gap to the next. But if you don’t learn how to handle the rapids, what do you do when you reach the waterfall? References Garcia, Cristina. Dreaming in Cuban. New York, Ballantine. 1992.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Essay --

From the 1920’s up until his death Joseph Stalin was the leader of Russia. What ensued under Stalin’s reign didn’t evoke emotions of love for country within the Russian people. Under Stalin the people lived in constant fear because of an epidemic within their own country, genocide of Stalin’s own people by Stalin himself. From 1934 up until 1939 a period of mass fear swept over Russia and at the helm Stalin with his (helpers?) of mass killings, the NKVD which are the internal police. Russia has always had a form ‘state security service’ commonly thought of now as â€Å"the secret police†, but in 1929 under the direction of Stalin the NKVD was formed and though it may have a new name it still held the infamous fear and practices of its predecessors, the GPU, The GUGB, and others. Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov was alive during this period of fear, and one of the books he wrote titled The Master and Margarita shares a lot more than one s imilarity with Stalin and his regime of fear. In fact it seems like the author created this book as a commentary of the times because of the way he writes ...

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Dressed All in Pink Essay

Literary Ballad A literary ballad is a poem written by a specific author. These ballads are not set to music. An example of a literary ballad would be Dudley Randall’s ballad â€Å"Dressed All In Pink† Dressed All In Pink by Dudley Randall It was a wet and cloudy day when the prince took his last ride. The prince rode with the gonernor, and his princess rode beside. â€Å"And would you like to ride inside for shelter from the rain? † â€Å"No I’ll ride outside, where I can wave and speak to my friends again. † They ride among the cheering crowds, he young prince and his mate. The governor says, â€Å"See how they smile and cheer you where they wait. † The prince rides with the governor, his princess rides beside, dressed all in pink as delicate as roses of a bride. Pink as a rose the princess rides, but bullets from a gun turn that pink to as deep a red as red, red blood can run, for she bends to where the prince lies still and cradles his shattered head, and there that pink so delicate is stained a deep, deep red. the princess rides beside, and her dress of pink so delicate deep, deep red is dyed. Jackie Kennedy is the princess -iambic tetrameter -rhyming scheme: abcb -the dress symbolizes the country itself falling from grace -colour imagery of pink as roses and red as blood -princess is described in colour -â€Å"dyed† at the end has a double meaning -dress is said to be as pink as roses but roses are also a deep shade of red, but the dress is not referred to a rose when it is covered in blood -Pink is the colour of innocence and it turni ng red is significant in displaying the loss of innocence

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Red Bull and Reaction Times Essay

Introduction Substances that humans intake in food or drink contain various chemicals that affect the normal bodily functions of the consumer. Stimulants are drugs which when absorbed into the body raises physiological or nervous activity. The Red Bull Energy Drink is a stimulant, which contains psychoactive ingredients such as taurine, glucuronolactone and caffeine. Sportsmen and people requiring large amounts of energy or mental stimulation consume Red Bull because the beverage claims to â€Å"increase concentration and reaction speed†. Due to Red Bull’s claim, and its increasing popularity amongst teenagers in my grade, I wanted to test if the drink did actually affect the consumer psychoactively, and to how significant an extent. To test the claim, I decided to assess 20 subjects in their psychomotor performance (reaction time/concentration) both at a normal bodily function state, and then under the influence of the chemical stimulant Red Bull. Such a test would involve many variables that had to be kept constant. Hence, this test involved 20 male subjects aged 18 to 19 years of age, who were informed beforehand of the assessment procedure. These subjects were given instructions to have at least 8 hours of sleep the night before the experiment, and were told to be present for the assessment on an empty stomach. These subjects were also not allowed to consume any other food or drink substances during the window period of testing, and the entire experiment was conducted on the same day in a 3 hour window (8:30am to 11:30am). Each subject was to consume 250ml of water (experiment control) and 250 of Red Bull. Also, to allow the substances to absorb into the body of the consumer, reaction tests were conducted only 45 minutes after consumption of the substance. Such variables were important to have been kept in order to ensure that no other environmental factors or other chemicals being absorbed into the body will affect the experiment. The reaction speed assessment is conducted electronically. Each assessment consists of the subject concentrating on a yellow spot on the screen, which will turn red. Upon changing colour, the subject has to click using a provided mouse as fast as possible, and the reaction time is calculated electronically. Each assessment consists of 5 trials. A 2 sample t-test will be used to assess the if there is a significant difference between the reaction time of the subjects under the influence of water, versus under the influence of Red Bull. Research Question Is there a significant difference between the reaction speed of 18-19 year old males under the influence of water and under the influence of Red Bull Energy Drink? Hypothesis I believe that the reaction speed of the subjects under the influence of Red Bull Energy Drink is shorter than under the influence of water. Considering how consumers drink Red Bull to boost themselves when feeling lethargic, or having difficulties focusing, Red Bull must have a significant effect on the body’s psychoactivity. I also believe that an increase in the chemical stimulants (taurine, glucuronolactone and caffine) as well as high sugar levels will cause an increase in psychoactivity within the consumer’s body due to the nature of the chemical stimulants. (A sample sign-up form can be found on the following page.) Pre-Experiment Procedure: 2. Measure 250ml of water and pour it into the large cup. 3. Repeat step 2 20 times. This is to prepare the initial control for the subjects to consume. 4. Give a cup to each subject. Subjects consume the 250ml of water at about 2 minute intervals from each other. Start the stopwatch once the first subject has begun drinking. 5. Prepare a computer terminal with the reaction test given in the following link below. Instructions on how to conduct the test are provided on-site. You may need a computer lab to carry out the test. Each test involves five trials. http://www.steriley.com/speed/ 6. When 45 minutes has passed, allocate the first subject to the computer. Instruct him/her to carry out the test. Assist any volunteer who may require extra help. 7. When the subject has completed the test, collect the results into a table. Allocate the next subject to begin the test. This step should be completed in exactly 2 minutes. 8. Repeat steps 3-7 once more, but instead give each subject a can of Red Bull instead of water. Investigate How Red Bull Energy Drink Affects The Reaction Time of 18-19 Year Old Human Males. (Sign-up sheet) Details: Venue: St Josephs Institution International Date: 11 June 2011 Time: 8:30am – 11:30am (please be punctual) Instructions (read carefully before signing up): * Volunteers must be male and between the ages of 18 and 19.* * Volunteers must receive 8 hours of sleep before the experiment day. * Volunteers must not have consumed any food or drinks at least 3 hours before the experiment. * Volunteers are not to consume any food or drink during the experiment period. * Volunteers are not allowed to do any strenuous activities during the experiment period. This includes running, and other forms of exercise. Std. Dev:| 0.033| 0.019| Graph showing mean reaction times of 20 males, ages 18-19 under influence of water and of Red Bull: From the graph, we can already infer that there is quite a large difference between the reaction times of the subjects under the influence of Red Bull as compared to water. The t-test to follow will show if this difference shown on the graph is a significant difference or not. T-test: I will now use a t-test to prove whether there is a significant difference between the reaction times of an 18-19 year old male under the influence of water or Red bull. Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant difference between the reaction times of an 18-19 year old male under the influence of either water or Red Bull Energy Drink. Alternate Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant difference between the reaction times of an 18-19 year old male under the influence of Red Bull Energy Drink as compared to water. Working: For this experiment, the degrees of freedom is calculated to be: 20+20-2=38. The t-value as provided by the GDC is 6.2966 or 6.30 corrected to 3 significant figures. The p-value as provided by the table is 1.684 (at 40 d.f) with a confidence level of 95%. 6.30>1.684, ∠´t>p. The value of t is larger than p. The P-value as calculated by the GDC is 2.232737 x 10 -7 or 0.000000223 (3.s.f.) P

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Leave Our Natural Supplements Alone essays

Leave Our Natural Supplements Alone essays Most Americans have used some sort of natural nutritional supplements at least one point or another in their life. Millions of people believe that dietary supplements help maintain proper a health balance. For years people have searched for the best natural healing system available. Supplements have been well documented over history and have showed to have a lot proven benefits. Food supplements play an important part in people maintaining proper health. Scientific research continues to prove that minerals and vitamins can help in preventing certain types of diseases, plus help people live a healthier life. Some people have a misconception about natural substances. Dietary supplements are considered food supplements, not drugs. The Food and Drug Administration regulates or has the power to ensure that products being sold are safe and properly labeled. In 1994 the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) was passed. This law was a big step in the right direction for natural supplements. The government should not be involved with regulating food supplements. The FDA already regulates the prescription drug market and thousands of people die yearly from adverse effects from medication they consume, which is considered safe (OMeara 3). The legislation acts like they are concerned about peoples safety. But in fact they are upset because of the loss of control over nutritional supplements. The 1994 DSHEA law keeps the FDA from being able to ban nutritional supplements. Natural supplements are not drugs and should not have to follow the same expensive regulation guidelines as prescription medications. When Prescription Pharmaceutical drugs enter the market, they are considered safe for consumers. Maybe this should state partially safe, or safe enough to make a large profit off. If the safe for consumers statement is true, then why do 240,000 deaths occur each year by using these drugs co...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Everything You Need to Know About Commas for the ACT

Everything You Need to Know About Commas for the ACT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Nobody likes commas: they're weird and confusing and possibly pointless. My brother decided to boycott them entirely in his senior year of high school, leaving his lists running together and his appositives undefined. Even veteran copy editors sometimes struggle with where exactly to place these reviled punctuation marks. Even so,if you want to succeedon the ACT English, you'll have to learn how to expertly employ commas. The good news is that there is a fairly limited set of comma rulesyou'llneed to know for the ACT. But before we get into the nitty-gritty technical stuff, let's establish one very important principle. Here's an overview of what we're going to cover: The Single Most Important Rule About Commas 4 Key Rules for Comma Use on the ACT When NOT to Use a Comma Practice Questions When in Doubt, Leave It Out! This is the single most important rule to keep in mind when dealing with commas on the ACT: if you aren't sure if you need a comma, you probably don't need a comma. In fact, you're far more likely to miss a question because youadd inan unnecessarycomma than you are to miss one because you left an important comma out. Take a look at the following ACT questions: Though it may be tempting to leavea comma after "value" or put one after "officials," the sentence is perfectly clear without either: Nevertheless, these tests convinced the officials of the value of using the Navajo language in a code. (H is thus the correct choice.) This principle holds forthe next example as well: Write this sentence out with no commas and you get "Perhaps this legacy of letters explains what she meant when she said that her friends were her 'estate.'" Again, it makes sense without either comma, so D is the correct choice. Unfortunately as much as we may wish that we could just stop using commas altogether, there are certain times that they're necessary. The following four rules will help you determine when and where you need to place commas. An example of an extremely vital comma. 4 Key Rules for Comma Use on the ACT The basic purpose of commas is to clarify relationships between phrases and clauses. That's a pretty broad goal, and there are a lot of different uses for commas. Luckily, you only really need to focus on a few main rules in order to do well on the ACT. The four rules you absolutely have to know deal with modifying phrases and clauses, introductory phrases and clauses, connecting independent clauses with a conjunction, and separating items in a list. Don't worry if that all sounds like gibberish: we'll go over each case with examples! Appositives, RelativeClauses, and Interjections As a general rule, any part of a sentence that can be removed without changing the sentence's fundamental meaning must be bracketed by commas. Take, for example, the following sentence: Timmywho loves Supermanis excited for the upcoming movie. The point of the sentence is that Timmy is excited about the movie- his love of Superman is just helpful background info. Since taking out "who loves Superman"wouldn't affect the main idea of the sentence, that clause needs to be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas, like so: Timmy, who loves Superman, is excited for the upcoming movie. If you aren't sure whether a part of a sentence needs to be surrounded by commas, try crossing it out. If the sentence still makes sense, then the commas are needed; if it doesn't, then they aren't. Let's try it out with an example: The student who forgot her homework got detention. "Who forgot her homework" seems like it might need to be set off with commas, so let's cross it out and try reading the sentence again: The student who forgot her homework got detention. With that clause crossed out, it's no longer clearwhichstudent got detention, so by removing it we have changed the meaning of the sentence. This means that it shouldn't be surrounded by commas. With these general principles in mind, let's examine the three main cases, which- as you may have guessed from the title of this section- are relativeclauses, appositive phrases, and general interjections. RelativeClauses: Non-Restrictive vs. Restrictive Relativeclauses are dependentclauses that describe a noun and start with a relative pronoun or adverb like "which," "that," or "where." If you're not sure exactly what those terms mean, don't worry about it too much but consider checking out our guide to clauses. The rule for using commas with relativeclauses is that you don't use commas around a clause if it's restrictive, i.e. it clarifies the specific thing you're talking about, butyou do usecommas if the clause isnon-restrictive, i.e. it merely comments on a clearly defined noun. This may seem confusing, but it's much clearer in practice, so let's look at the two types of clauses individually. Restrictive: These areclauses that are necessary to the meaning of a sentence- they clarify exactly who or what you're talking about. You can't take a restrictive clause out of asentence without fundamentally altering its meaning. Take a look at the example below. People who dislike kale won’t enjoy green smoothies. In this sentence, if you take out the clause â€Å"who dislike kale,† you’re left with â€Å"People won’t enjoy green smoothies,† which is not making the same point as the original sentence. Because this kind of clause can't be removed without changingthe meaning of the sentence, it should not be marked off with commas. Non-Restrictive:These are clauses that provide additional information and are therefore not integral to the meaning of the sentence. My sister, who dislikes kale, doesn’t enjoy green smoothies. The point of this sentence is that my sister doesn’t enjoy green smoothies; even if you remove the underlined portion, that point is still made.Unlike in the example of a restrictive clause above, the underlined portion is not vital to meaning of the sentence. As such, it needs to be separated from the main thought of the sentence with commas. An important point for the ACT: clauses starting with "which" are always non-restrictive, while those starting with "that" are always restrictive. This means that "which" ALWAYS takes a comma and "that" NEVER does: I love reading books that are full of adventure because they take me away from my boring life. I loveHarry Potter and the Sorcerer'sStone, which is full of adventure, because it takes me away from my boring life. The lovely comma butterfly ( ©Michael Palmer) Appositive Phrases Appositive phrases are basically the grammatical younger sibling of descriptive clauses: they serve the same purpose, describing a noun or pronoun, but they don't include a verb. Nonetheless, the basic rule for comma use isidentical. If a phrase can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence, it needs to be surrounded with commas.Consider the following examples. Where do you think they need commas? Her mother a doctor was often late.→Her mother, a doctor, was often late. Jonah a fifth-grader jumps rope on the playground everyday.→Jonah, a fifth-grader, jumps rope on the playground everyday. The nouns "a doctor" and "a fifth-grader" modify"her mother" and "Jonah," respectively, but they aren't necessary to main gist of the sentences. The one slightly confusing spin on this rule is that when the order of appositives are reversed, they usually don't require commas anymore. Ernest Hemingway, an author, wrote nine novels. Ernest Hemingway an author wrote nine novels. In the above example, we employ our strikethrough strategy anddetermine that the commas are appropriately placed. However, when we reverse the word order below, you'll notice a change. Author Ernest Hemingway wrote nine novels. Author Ernest Hemingway wrote nine novels. Even though "author" now comes first, it's still modifying "Ernest Hemingway." This means that"Ernest Hemingway" shouldn't be set off with commas; as you can see, the sentence wouldn't make sense with his name removed. Moreover, tempting as it may be to put a comma after "author," it's actually serving as an adjective in this context. Just like you wouldn't put comma in the middle of "President Barack Obama," you shouldn't stick one in "Author Ernest Hemingway." Interjections The last case we'll discuss is interjections, which are words or short phrasesthat disruptthe flow of a sentence like "of course." We tend to use these a lot more when we speak than when we write, but they do pop up on the ACT occasionally. What you are more likely to see is therelated construction that occurs when a transition word is moved into asentence, like in the following example. Version 1: However, my sister refused to help me move the couch. Version 2: My sister, however, refused to help me move the couch. The second type of sentencestructure appears relatively frequently on the ACT- just know that if you see a transition word interrupting a clause, it needs to be set off with commas. We've covered alot of information and it may seem reallycomplicated, butthe important thing is to rememberthe fundamental principle: if something is surrounded by commas, thenit isn't important to the main point of the sentence. ACT Applications ACT questions about appositives and relative clauses usually require you to determine whether you need a comma to complete a pair and, if so, where it needs to go. Let's go through the question step by step.As written, this sentence doesn’t have a main verb- it’s just a subject, â€Å"Houdini,† followed by a long non-restrictive clause- so F can't be correct. J doesn’t solve this problem. G and H both place a comma after spiritualism, which gives you the non-restrictive clause â€Å"who devoted considerable effort to exposing hoaxes involving spiritualism.† If you cross that out, you’re left with either: G)Houdini, who devoted considerable effort to exposing hoaxes involving spiritualism,being skeptical about the existence of spiritualism. or H)Houdini, who devoted considerable effort to exposing hoaxes involving spiritualism, was skeptical about the existence of supernatural beings. His clearly correct, since "being" isn't a correctly conjugated verb. (In fact, answers with "being" are almost always wrong: see our post on quick tips for the ACT Englishfor a more in depth explanation and other helpful tips.) The key to this question is determining what belongsin the relative clause and then making sure that what's outside of that adds up to a complete sentence. Just like you shake hands to mark an introduction in person, you use a comma to mark an introduction in a sentence Introductions Now that we'vecoveredwhen to use commas to with phrases and clauses inside the main clause ofa sentence, let's discuss when you need commas to separate clauses and phrases that come at the beginning of a sentence. The short answer? Always.The basic rule for using commas with introductions is that any time a sentence starts with a dependent clause or modifying phrase, itmust be followed by a comma: Even though I was tired, Jenny convinced me to go to the strawberry festival. In the library, she found the books she needed. Weird-looking as it was, the lizard was sort of cute. In each of these examples, the underlined portion serves to introduce an independent clause. Weirdly, if you reverse the order of the sentence, you usually don't need the comma any more: Jenny convinced me to go to the strawberry festival even though I was tired. She found the books she needed in the library. The third example sentence is a slightly different case, since you can't actually put the underlined clauseat the end of the sentence- it's a modifier and thus needs to be next to what it's describing, which in this case is the lizard. You can, however, move it into the sentence: The lizard weird-looking as it was was sort of cute. Any idea what this version of the sentence is missing? That's right: a comma on either side of "weird-looking as it was," which could be removed without fundamentally altering the meaning of the sentence. The correctly punctuated version looks like this: The lizard, weird-looking as it was, was sort of cute. ACT Applications The ACTrarely teststhe introduction rule directly; instead, you'll usually see it come up in questions that have multiplephrases or clauses strung together. Take a look at the following example: "The next morning" is an introductory phrase, so it must be followed by a comma- this rules out answer D. Answer choice C has an improperly placed semi-colon, so wecan eliminate it as well. (For more info on semicolon rules, check out our post on other punctuation!) Now we just have to decide whether the commas should surround "using twigs" or "using twigs for kindling." Let's try each version with our strikethrough strategy from the last section. A. The next morning, using twigs, for kindling she starts a small blaze B. The next morning, using twigs for kindling, she starts a small blaze Answer B is clearly the correct choice, since it correctly punctuates both "the next morning" and "using twigs for kindling." When dealing with commas, alwaysremember that whenyou surround something withcommas, you're telling the reader that it can be removed without altering the main point of the sentence. Connecting Independent Clauses (with a Conjunction) The other main case where you need commas to separate clauses is when you use a coordinating conjunction to connect independent clauses. If you have two independent clauses and want to combine them into one sentence, you can use a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), instead of a semicolon. You probably use this construction correctly all the time without even thinking about it! I wanted to go hiking, but it was pouring rain all day. The important thing to remember is that using just a comma (no FANBOYS) to connect two independent clauses is absolutely always incorrect. A comma isn't interchangeable with a semicolon. This mistake is called a comma splice, and it's one of the most common errors students make on the ACT English. Incorrect: I had a terrible case of the flu, my mom brought me chicken noodle soup in bed. Correct:I had a terrible case of the flu, so my mom brought me chicken noodle soup in bed. Correct: Ihad a terrible case of the flu; my mom brought me chicken noodle soup in bed. ACT Applications On the ACT, this comma rule is usually tested in the context of other types of punctuation or in terms of identifyingindependent and dependent clauses. For more information on this, see our post on correctly connecting independent clauses. Lists The last comma rule is likelythe one you're most familiar with: in lists of three or more items, you must place a comma after every item except the last.It's really as simple as that, as you can see in the examples below. The pirate loves going toBarbados because there's so much to do, including shopping for eye patches, sharpening his sword, and visiting the pub. Today, I'm going to skip school, go to the movies, and eat a giant bag of popcorn. Note that on the ACT you must use the oxford, or series, comma, whichgoes before the "and." You may not like the Oxford comma, but you still have to use it. Lists of Two Items The ACT writers won't give you a bunch of lists with no commas in them- instead they'll try to trick you in subtler ways. After looking at the last two rules, you might assume that you need to put a comma anywhere you see "and," but that's not the case! If "and" (or any other coordinating conjunction) is connecting two things that are not independent clauses, then you DON'T use a comma. Jamesandhis brothertraveledto Oregon and Washington. The ACT writers' other favorite trick is to give you lists that don't look like lists because each item is so long. Yesterday, Talia went on a boring first date that she left early and plotted to take over the world using nothing but duct tape and string. You don't need commas in eitherof these cases because they are lists of only two items. Lists of Adjectives This is a slightly different type of list, but it does come up on the ACT occasionally. If you have more than one adjective in front of a noun or pronoun and their order doesn't matter, then you need to put a comma between them. Let's look at two examples, one where you need a comma and one where you don't: The hot dry desert Thefirst female astronaut Which one do you think needs a comma?If you're not sure, checkwhether the examples make sense with the order of the adjectives reversed: The dry hot desert Thefemale first astronaut The first example makes perfect sense with the new word order, so it does need a comma: the hot, dry desert. The second, however, doesn't work when the order of the adjectives is switched, so no comma is needed: the first female astronaut. ACT Applications As I mentioned above, ACT questions about lists tend to try to throw you off by adding in complicating factors like lots of extra words or commas being used for another purpose. Let's take a look at an example of this: It may seem like you need a comma after "labor," but this sentence is actually correct as written. It is a list of two things: "of her labor" and "of the fire's magic." A, no change, is the correct choice; the other answers only complicate the sentence. (This question also deals with parallelism, which you can learn more about here.) Remember the fundamental rule of commas: when in doubt, leave it out! WhenNOT to Use a Comma We just spent a long time going over when you do need commas, so let's circle back to that first principle byexamining someplaces where you should NEVER put commas. Between a Subject and a Verb Commas exist to clarify the relationships between clauses and phrases, so it is NEVER correct to stick one in the middle of a single thought. Any sentence where there is a lone comma between a subject and its verb is incorrect: Incorrect:She, ate a lot of cookies. Correct: She ate a lot of cookies. In the above example, the comma is pretty clearly out of place, but that isn't always the case: Incorrect:Walking to the store, was a chore. Correct: Walking to the store was a chore. Once again, the comma is unnecessary and should be removed: "walking" is the subject and "was" is the verb. But it's much less obvious, since it seems like"walking to the store" is an introductory phrase, which would require a comma. Before or After a Preposition Another place you may think you need commas is at the beginning of prepositional phrases; after all, I just said that commas should only be used to seperate clauses and phrases. However, on the ACT,it is NEVERcorrect to place a comma after a preposition and veryrarely correct to place one before a preposition.Let's look at some example of incorrect comma placement: Lucy enjoys reading aloud, fromHarry Potter every night. Jim watched the terrifying horror movie, in the new theater on, 2nd Avenue. Though these commas may seem correct, they are unnecessary and just add clutter to the sentences. The correctly punctuated versions have no commas: Lucy enjoys reading aloud fromHarry Potter every night. Jim watched the terrifying horror movie in the new theater on 2nd Avenue. The one,very rare, exception to this rule is when a preposition introduces a non-restrictive clause. For example: Julie, for whom I was waiting, got to the restaurant very late. Because "for whom I was waiting" is actually non-restrictive clause, you do need the comma before "for." However, this only rarely comes up on the test- you are much more likely to make a mistake by putting a comma in front of a preposition than by leaving oneout. Around an Emphatic Pronoun What on earth, you're wondering, is an emphatic pronoun? The emphatic pronouns aremyself, yourself, herself, himself, itself, ourselves,yourselves, and themselves when they are used immediately after a noun or other other pronoun: I myself The book itself These constructionssound like they need commas, but emphatic pronouns should never be surrounded by commas. Incorrect: The pope, himself, will be at the party. Correct: The pope himself will be at the party. This may seem like a fairlyobscure rule: it is! However, it shows up on the ACT fairly often, so it's worth studying anyways. To comma or not to comma? That is the question ( ©Placbo) Try Your New Knowledge Out! We've covered a lot of material and hopefully armed you with some helpful new strategies for tackling commas on the ACT English, but it's one thing to read about comma rules and another to put them in practice. With that in mind, I've created some practice ACT questions for you test out what you've learned. The soft,blue cloth slid through her fingers easily. NO CHANGE blue, cloth slid through blue cloth slid, through blue cloth, slid through After hearing good things about it, I wanted to readCrime and Punishment,but the book, itself, turned out to be super boring. NO CHANGE the book itself, the book itself itself Talking to my friends, on the phone, is one of my favorite things to do. NO CHANGE friends on the phone friends on the phone, friends on, the phone I wasn't planning on going to the wedding, however you've convinced me that it's a good idea. NO CHANGE wedding, however, wedding. However, wedding, Answers: 1. A, 2. C, 3. B, 4. C What's Next? If you're confused about what exactly is tested on ACT English, take a look at our guide to what's actually on the test. You might be surprised by how much of it we've just covered! Looking to score a 36 on ACT English? Check out 9 strategiesfrom someone who achieveda perfect score on the ACT. Maybe you're now feeling okay about punctuation, but are worrying about vocab questions. In that case, have I got the guide for you! BecauseACT English recycles the same types of questions over and over, it's especially important to understand why you missed a given question. Make sure you're reviewing your practice tests effectively. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Teaching Assistants Sopporting the Curriculum Essay

Teaching Assistants Sopporting the Curriculum - Essay Example This interaction will also instil in me the ability to assess where each pupil stands in terms of their individual learning and help me identify any gray areas where further effort is required to help the pupil progress further. I am aware that when working in any school as a teacher's assistant there will be a number of children who will be identified as having special educational needs. Some of these special needs pupils may have the same diagnosis and at times some of them may have not one but a combination of conditions. I will make sure that I adapt class activities to suit these special needs pupils. As Susan Bentham has successfully pointed out "In any discussion of diagnosis it is important to remember that a child is first and foremost an individual with his/her own personality". (Bentham pg 72) I plan to use this very philosophy to help each special need child and cater to them in the way that will suit them the best. This may involve adjusting various class activities to suit the personality and level of understanding of the special pupil or group of special pupils.

Friday, November 1, 2019

The impact of corporate social responsibility on organisational Essay

The impact of corporate social responsibility on organisational effectiveness - Essay Example The article also focuses the value of those components for the stakeholders of the companies. The article further segregates the ethical component of the corporate social responsibility in order ton relate it to some major ethic management approaches, which include moral, immoral, and amoral managements. I think the author of the article has written the article in a well-structured format. The article is easy to read, as well as easy to understand for the readers. All sections of the article are well-organized and provide a clear view of the author’s thoughts. The article is also based on the logical facts about the significance of corporate social responsibility in achieving higher levels of productivity. The author has also focused on ethical and moral; management approaches which is also an important part of the article. The article relates to our research in a way that it makes us aware of ways executives can use corporate social responsibility to fulfill their responsibilities that they owe towards their shareholders and other competing groups. This article focuses of how managers can use finance to make the organization socially responsible and responsive. Of course, finance always play a critical role in almost every organizational matter and corporate social responsibility is no exception. The author puts his views on the criticism regarding corporate social responsibility that it is of little significance of companies as it used mostly as a tool of enhancing public relations. The article reveals that many organizations actually incorporate corporate social responsibility in their daily business activities but are unaware of the way to report that responsiveness in a formal way. Moreover, the article focuses on how accountants can use their knowledge in developing CSR and reporting the metrics to show the organizational involvement in social responsiveness. I have found the article to be very useful in learning the role of