The Decline of Students Writing Skills Causes and Outcomes

The Decline of Students Writing Skills Causes and Outcomes The Decline of Students’ Writing Skills: Causes and Outcomes Writing is still the most common form of evaluating students’ achievements. You must write term papers, coursework, theses, and dissertations to prove that the teachers effort did not go to waste, and that you can acquire knowledge on your own. But something did go to waste, as more and more teachers begin to realize that they spend more time fixing grammar mistakes than focusing on the information related to topic of the work. So, what happened? If the problem keeps getting worse, maybe it’s high time to get to the bottom of it and find out the reasons for weak writing skills. Statistics on Student Writing Skills Numerous studies have been taken involving writing skills of grade-school to college age students. Annual reports from the National Center for Education Statistics show that the SAT mean scores in writing have dropped from 497 to 484 in 9 years (2006 – 2015). It’s already bad that the score is decreasing, but it also never stayed the same two years in a row during this period. Therefore, we can assume that the SAT result in writing will continue to decrease at the same rate. The same statistics show that SAT reading scores have also decreased in the same way. This also contributes to poor writing skills, particularly where analyzing and synthesizing sources is required. Causes of Students Poor Writing Skills Many teachers think that the main reason for poor writing is social media. Student paper writing seems to have shrunk to 140 characters in Twitter. But if you think about it, shouldnt these 140 characters teach young people how to express their thoughts concisely? Maybe the problem is not in the communication services that they use, but rather because they were never taught how to think and write properly. Actually, the basis of the problem lies in the limited skill set students get from secondary and high school education. They were not taught what they are required straight after entering college. Most of the time, high school students dont get to do anything more than argue an opinion in their essays. Analyzing and synthesizing information are neglected. Another point to consider is that more and more students are becoming reticent about sharing something personal, including their point of view on an essay topic. Possible Outcomes and Solutions Poor writing skills influence both employers and their prospective employees. Employers waste hundreds of dollars on training; that is, when they can attract applicants. If you’ve ever searched the job market, you’ve seen the error-filled job descriptions. Those vacancies are certainly not too appealing. On the other hand, if you’re a student looking for a job, writing skills are essential in writing a believable resume or cover letter. And in the future work place, you’ll have to write reports, business letters, and maybe even press-releases. This means you have to be prepared before you even start searching for a job. Writing is a way to communicate your thoughts, feelings and opinions. It’s an essential skill in everyday life, as well. Grade school should be the place to lay the basis for such skills. Considering that students come to colleges and universities unprepared, the grade school system should be altered to raise interest in writing and to develop the basic required knowledge for literacy. In the end, students should be encouraged to write rather than criticized. It’s one thing to evaluate grammar and structure, but if students feel like their personal opinions are evaluated, they’ll be hesitant to express them. Unfortunately, this is what grade school education is lacking today – freedom of expression.

Biography of Edward Low, English Pirate

Biography of Edward Low, English Pirate Edward Ned Low (1690–1724) was an English criminal, sailor, and pirate. He took up piracy sometime around 1722 and was very successful, plundering dozens if not hundreds of ships over the course of his criminal career. Low was known for his cruelty to his prisoners and was greatly feared on both sides of the Atlantic. Fast Facts: Edward Low Known For: Low was an English pirate known for his viciousness and brutality.Also Known As: Edward Lowe, Edward LoeBorn: 1690 in Westminster, London, EnglandDied: 1724 (place of death unknown) Early Life Low was born in Westminster, London, probably sometime around 1690. As a youth, he was a thief and a gambler. He was a strong young man and would often beat up other boys for their money. Later, as a gambler, he would cheat brazenly: if anyone called him on it, he would fight them and usually win. When he was a teenager, he went to sea and worked for a few years in a rigging house (where he made and repaired ships ropes and rigging) in Boston. Piracy Tiring of life on land, Low signed on board a small vessel that was headed to the Bay of Honduras to cut logwood. Such missions were risky, as the Spanish coastal patrol would attack them if they were sighted. One day, after a long days work cutting logwood, the captain ordered Low and the other men to make one more trip, so as to fill the ship faster and get out of there. Low became enraged and fired a musket at the captain. He missed but killed another sailor. Low was marooned and the captain took the opportunity to rid himself of a dozen or so other malcontents as well. The marooned men soon captured a small boat and turned pirate. The new pirates went to Grand Cayman Island, where they met a pirate force under the command of George Lowther on board the ship Happy Delivery. Lowther was in need of men and offered to let Low and his men join. They did happily, and Low was made lieutenant. Within a couple of weeks, the Happy Delivery had taken a big prize: the 200-ton ship Greyhound, which they burned. They took several other ships in the Bay of Honduras over the next few weeks, and Low was promoted to captain of a captured sloop, which was outfitted with 18 cannons. It was a quick rise for Low, who had been a junior officer on board the logwood ship only weeks before. Not long after, as the pirates refitted their ships on an isolated beach, they were attacked by a large group of angry natives. The men had been resting on the shore, and although they were able to escape, they lost much of their loot and the Happy Delivery was burned. Setting out in the remaining ships, they resumed piracy once more with great success, capturing many merchant and trading vessels. In May 1722, Low and Lowther decided to part ways. Low was then in charge of a Brigantine with two cannons and four swivel guns, and there were some 44 men serving under him. Over the next two years, Low became one of the most successful and feared pirates in the world. He and his men captured and robbed dozens of vessels over a wide area, ranging from the western coast of Africa to the southeastern United States. His flag, which was well-known and feared, consisted of a red skeleton on a black field. Tactics Low was a clever pirate who would use brute force only when necessary. His ships collected a variety of flags and he would often approach targets while flying the flag of Spain, England, or whatever other nation they thought their prey might be from. Once close, they would run up the Jolly Roger and begin firing, which was usually enough to demoralize the other ship into surrendering. Low preferred to use a small fleet of two to four pirate ships to better outmaneuver his victims. He could also use the threat of force. On more than one occasion, he sent messengers to coastal towns threatening an attack if they were not given food, water, or whatever else he wanted. In some cases, he held hostages. More often than not, the threat of force worked and Low was able to get his provisions without firing a shot. Nevertheless, Low developed a reputation for cruelty and ruthlessness. On one occasion, as he prepared to burn a ship he had recently captured and no longer needed, he ordered the ships cook tied to the mast to perish in the fire. The reason was that the man was a greasy fellow who would sizzle- this proved amusing to Low and his men. On another occasion, they caught a galley with some Portuguese aboard. Two friars were hung from the Fore-Yard and jerked up and down until they died, and another Portuguese passenger- who had made the mistake of looking sorrowful at the fate of his friends- was cut to pieces by one of Lows men. Death In June 1723, Low was sailing in his flagship Fancy and was accompanied by the Ranger, under the command of Charles Harris, a loyal lieutenant. After successfully seizing and plundering several ships off of the Carolinas, they ran into the 20-gun Greyhound, a Royal Navy ship on the lookout for pirates. The Greyhound pinned down the Ranger and shot down its mast, effectively crippling it. Low decided to run, leaving Harris and the other pirates to their fate. All of the hands on board the Ranger were captured and brought to trial in Newport, Rhode Island. Twenty-five men (including Harris) were found guilty and hung, two more were found not guilty and sent to prison, and eight more were found not guilty on the grounds that they had been forced into piracy. Historians are not quite sure what happened to Low. According to the National Maritime Museum in London, the pirate was never captured and spent the rest of his life in Brazil. Another history suggests that his crew tired of his cruelty (he supposedly shot a sleeping man he had fought with, causing the crew to despise him as a coward). Set adrift in a small ship, he was found by the French and brought to Martinique for trial and hanged. This seems the most likely account, although there is little in the way of documentation to prove it. In any event, by 1725 Low was no longer active in piracy. Legacy Edward Low  was the real deal: a ruthless, cruel, clever pirate who terrorized transatlantic shipping for about two years during the so-called Golden Age of Piracy. He brought commerce to a halt and had naval vessels searching the Caribbean for him. He became, in a sense, the poster boy for the need to control piracy. Before Low, many pirates were either cruel or successful, but Low was a sadist with a well-armed and organized fleet. He was hugely successful in pirate terms, plundering well over 100 ships in his career. Only  Black Bart Roberts  was more successful in the same area and time. Low was also a good teacher- his lieutenant Francis Spriggs had a successful pirate career after absconding with one of Lows ships in 1723. Sources Defoe, Daniel, and Manuel Schonhorn. A General History of the Pyrates. Dover Publications, 1999.Konstam, Angus. World Atlas of Pirates: Treasures And Treachery On The Seven Seas- In Maps, Tall Tales, And Pictures. The Lyons Press, October 1, 2009.Woodard, Colin. The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down. First edition, Mariner Books, June 30, 2008.

Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 7

Book Review - Essay Example However, the intrinsic qualities of both the works cannot be negated. In the book, â€Å"Taj Mahal† (Wonders of the World) by â€Å"Giles Tillotson†, writer elaborates the history regarding the construction of the â€Å"Taj Mahal†. Writer describes that the design of the Taj is the combination of Iranian, Afghani and Indian construction techniques while Islamic designs have also played an important in the overall construction. The doom and the minarets of the Taj are originally Islamic architectural techniques. According to the writer, Taj Mahal was constructed by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan around 1631 to 1653. White Marble is the main constructional element of the Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan bought the location of the Taj Mahal from Maharajah Jai Singh and presented a vast palace in Agra as an exchange for the land. The foundation took about 12 years to complete while the whole Taj took about 22 years to get completed. Shah Jahan, built the Taj as the mausoleum of his beloved wife, â€Å"Mumtaz Mahal†. Shah Jahan’s wife Mumtaz Mahal died during childbirth. He immensely loved his wife and decided to build a mausoleum as final resting place for his wife. The mausoleum has four minarets at the four corners of the foundation. Taj lies in the middle of the foundation. It has a single bigger doom. There are several rooms inside the Taj besides a wide-open place in the centre of the building. The foundation is about 5-6 feet about the surface. Wells were dug and then filled with stones to build the foundation of the Taj Mahal. White marble was used in the construction as the major element, while sapphire, silver and gold were used to beautify the structure. The beautiful gardens with lush green grass and trees and fountains enhance the mystical beauty of the structure. At night, the translucent marble of the Taj, shines and presents a beautiful scene. During the day, the sunlight tries to

Technology and its Effects on Privacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Technology and its Effects on Privacy - Essay Example The Internet has played a major role in making this happen, since most people from different world regions will easily link up today by using the E-mail and other social network sites, including Facebook and MySpace. However, the use of information and information transmission through technology use has resulted in major problems regarding ethics and jurisdiction. These problems are mainly concerned with the right of privacy and the right of access to information, which are threatened by the current free flow of information, as well as the safeguarding of the financial interests of the owners of intellectual property. This essay mainly focuses on how people lose their privacy by putting all their information online, including in social network sites such as Facebook, and how this and similar technology influence people negatively, thus, endangering the human race. The present generation is known to be dependent on technology more than the past generations. Therefore, most of the vari ous problems that arise in the world today are based on technology. Unlike the past decades where technology was used in moderation, the present generation has informationalized most of its activities. According to Coughlan, this rampant use and increasing inventions in technology put the human race in danger. The overuse and misuse of technology by humans might lead to the extinction of the human race in future (n.pag.). Therefore, in regard to the privacy issue, various technologies today infringe people’s privacy, obtaining their personal information, which is highly sensitive. Additionally, different countries get the sensitive online information about other countries, which they consider their foes, through the Internet. Therefore, the party that retrieved the information online might use this information for different purposes. Nonetheless, a negative and malicious use of this information might result in negative effects for the individual or the country that was tracke d. Coughlan notes that today, computer technology can manipulate the real world, and, therefore, misguided intentions of computer use might be detrimental to the human race. With an increased advancement in technology, which might be lethal if misused, the humanity of this generation poses a threat to its own survival (Coughlan n.pag.). The issue of privacy has existed in the world since the development of information technology, computing, as well as the digital media. Today, social computing, email, mobile data, cookies, GPS, and networked video and audio capture among others are the examples of technologies, which have a negative impact on the users regarding their privacy (Lohr n.pag.). These technologies allow to mine the user’s information, as some of them monitor and keep surveillance of communication and data. In addition, the people using these technologies make it easier for their identity to be established, as they post their personal information and share it with other users. According to Lohr, most online activities a person is engaged in often lead to the diminishing of their level of privacy (n.pag.). For instance, Internet sites such as Facebook and Twitter require one to share most of their personal information such as birthday details with other friends. In this case, most people share their photos, photos of their families, gossipping at their work place and school, among other social and personal information. According to Lohr, when people engage in such self-revelation, it becomes easier for computers to assemble their information

Greed, Need and Money, Walter Williams Essay Example for Free

Greed, Need and Money, Walter Williams Essay In the article entitled, Greed, Need and Money, Walter Williams presents his take on the economics and logic of keeping CEOs highly paid. He essentially argues that these huge â€Å"golden parachutes† and corporate salaries are justified by return that these companies get in return. Just because a CEO gets a high salary does not mean that he does not deserve it or do anything to help the company recover that value. By comparing this to a simple supply and demand model, Walter Williams is able to show that the reason the salaries are so high is because the demand is high as well and supply is pretty scarce. One manner by which the mention of the word greed can be applied to the economic lessons that have been discussed is to juxtapose this to the application of greed as an economic theory. Greed can be said to be the primal instinct for self-preservation of people. In an attempt to protect one’s self, man seeks only to pursue his individual interests without care for the well-being of others. In relation to economics, this pursuit of individual interests is greed or the pursuit of economic self-interests, otherwise known as individual wealth accumulation. Greed as a driving force is not an entirely new concept as it was originally part of the Invisible Hand theory introduced by Adam Smith. The basic precept of the invisible hand is that in a free market a person who chooses to be greedy and pursue his own interests in invariably also furthering the good of the entire community. A perfect example is in a situation where a person seeks to maximize his personal profits in total disregard of other factors. By applying the Invisible Hand theory of Adam Smith, it can be shown that when the total revenue of society is calculated this becomes identical to the summation of the individual revenues of every member of that society. In order to arrive at a better understanding of how greed, which is a key concept under the Invisible Hand Theory, both drives and regulates capitalist markets, it is essential to have a brief discussion of the basic supply and demand model. This is because production is driven by the willingness of the seller to supply and the basic goal of every seller is to increase profits (greed). This can be understood from two approaches, however, the first being profit maximization through an increase in the volume of units sold (assuming ceteris paribus) and the second being profit maximization through a decrease in the cost of the factors of production which in turn increases the profit margins per unit sold. The basic supply-demand model becomes critical in this understanding because under the market model sales will only willingly occur at the equilibrium point. The price level of a good essentially is determined by the point at which quantity supplied equals quantity demanded. The law of supply and demand predicts that the price level will move toward the point that equalizes quantities supplied and demanded. Greed is crucial in this sense because it is the basic assumption or behavior under this model. Without greed, there would be no drive for the individuals in society to pursue their own self-interests. The absence of this driving mechanism would mean that there will be no individual revenues and thus leading to the failure of the community revenue to equalize with its summation. This basically means that society’s scarce resources become more efficiently allocated through the regulatory nature of greed in capitalist markets. While the Invisible Hand theory has already been rejected as an acceptable economic model by the works of John Maynard Keynes and Milton Friedman, the more complex markets of today have shown that the pursuit of self-interests, while natural of human behavior, must be regulated by external systems in order to ensure a more equitable and efficient allocation of resources. This means that greed is not necessarily good in today’s current economic situation. As used in this discussion and in the article, this greed may not only be the effect of supply and demand but the pursuits of an individual’s self-interests for the improvement of the economic system.

The Impact of Recording Technology on Music Essay -- Exploratory Essay

The Impact of Recording Technology on Music Most successful musicians know a hidden art carried out by the work of a good sound engineer; it is essential for a magnificent album. For the rest of us novice listeners and fans, we believe what we hear through our speakers or played over the radio are the true skilled professional musicians, soaring at their craft. Most contemporary music, from pop to R&B and acid jazz to the sophisticated realm of orchestral film scores, has been modernized by several inventions encased within the studio. The art of audio engineering has taken on new forms, from the nuts and bolts, "plug it in, and see if it works" era into the digital world, because of these wonderfully tragic solutions to a higher pace of life. A musician's art have been made solely because of it, and others have been destroyed and humiliated by it. The complex new inventions of technology shape the adaptive method of studio recording and production however caused a drastic negative musical degrading of our beloved art. Basic terms are often confused when describing an individuals musical sense. Microsoft Encarta World English Dictionary defines an artist as somebody who does something with great skill and creativity, and a musician is a music maker who plays, performs, conducts, or composes music, either as a hobby or a profession. The focus of this essay is not the plausible crime of a solely techno creator, or in contrast, the soaring melodies of a humans voice. Technology has tarnished the value of pure talent of music's original creation for the sake of popularity, riches and unnatural perfection. The invention of pop and rap equivalent styles were formed on the foundation of digitally synthesize... ...ost consumers do not realize who, or what lurks behind the wall of a speaker. The creative mind of a musician extends into the boundaries of timbre, pitch, melodies, harmonies, and the skill to create for the sake of art. If the recording engineer behind the mind-boggling boards and gizmos is really the mastermind, then why not give him a spot on stage? Work Cited Bazer, Mark. "James Newton vs. The Beastie Boys" Down Beat 69 Oct 2002: 25. Easton, Michael. "Music Sampling" Art + Law Sept 2000. Jewel, Dan. "Getting in sync" People Weekly Dec 1997: 167-168. Lehrman, Paul D. "Into the New Millennium With. Midi ?" Mix Magazine Jan 2001. Ogilvy, David. "Dave Matthews Band at Pacific Bell Park ." Mix Magazine Aug 2001: 172-176. Rumsey, Francis, Time McCormick. Sound and Recording, an Introduction . Woburn , MA : Focal Press, 2002.

Sales People

Chapter 4 Salespeople Work In Two Markets 1. Consumer Markets 2. Business Markets: Industrial or organizational markets FACTORS INFLUENCING ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN AND STRUCTURE * Examine customers in each market. * Determine the types of sales jobs needed to serve a market. * Note the job activities salespeople must do. * Design sales jobs around customers. * Set up the sales force organizational structure, which includes the various sales jobs and geographic territories.Application Of The Sales Job Classifications 1. Order Takers: wait for the costumer to order 2. Order Getters: obtain, retain, and increase business with customers. This salesperson must often create discontent with what the prospect already has and has to overcome the most powerful and obstinate resistance. THE LINE ORGANIZATION In the pure line organization, the chief executive – usually the president – does the decision making for the firm. The president has complete authority.Line authority means tha t people in management positions have formal authority to direct and control immediate subordinates. Staff authority is narrower and includes the right to advise, recommend, and counsel in the staff specialists’ areas of expertise. Geographic Specialization Many large corporations are organized by geographic territory. This type of organization is generally used by companies with more than strictly local distribution of their products Product Specialization Another common type of organization in large companies is based on the firm’s product.The entire company may be organized by product, with separate sales, advertising, marketing, and so on, along with staffs for each, or some functional units may remain centralized. Customer Specialization Companies with several separate and distinct markets accounting for major portions of their sales often organize based on these markets or customers. Combination of Design Elements Many companies organize on the basis of some comb ination of functional, geographic, product, or customer design.

Food Prices and Supply

Food Prices and Supply Kirk Condyles for The New York Times Updated: July 26, 2012 In the summer of 2012, scorching heat and the worst drought in nearly a half-century sent food prices up, spooking consumers and leading to worries about global food costs. On July 25, the United States government said it expected the record-breaking weather to drive up the price for groceries in 2013, including milk, beef, chicken and pork. The drought has affected 88 percent of the corn crop, a staple of processed foods and animal feed as well as the nation’s leading farm export.The government’s forecast, based on a consumer price index for food, estimated that prices would rise 4 to 5 percent for beef in 2013, with slightly lower increases for pork, eggs and dairy products. The drought comes along with heat. So far, 2012 is the hottest year ever recorded in the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, whose records date to 1895. That has sapped t he production of corn, soybeans and other crops, afflicting poultry and livestock in turn.The impact of the hot and dry weather on the nation’s farmers has put new pressure on Congress to move ahead on a pending five-year farm bill. But House Republican leaders have been reluctant to act because of divisions within the party’s rank-and-file about the cost of the nearly $1 trillion bill. The legislation includes several federal agriculture programs that farmers have come to expect, though it does not include any specific drought assistance. Several important disaster relief programs expired at the end of 2011, leaving farmers and ranchers who have lost cattle or grazing land with few options without Congressional action.For now, analysts said they expected the broader economic impact of rising food prices to be modest. Americans spend just 13 percent of their household budgets on food. Economists fear a far greater impact outside of the United States because America is a major exporter of a broad variety of agricultural products. Experts Warn of a Global Spike in Food Prices In early September, agricultural experts  urged international action to prevent the global spike in food prices from causing global hunger.The directors of three major United Nations food and agriculture programs sounded the alarm both on the immediate problem of high food prices and the â€Å"long-term issue of how we produce, trade and consume food in an age of increasing population, demand and climate change. † Agricultural production fell in a number of major crop exporters during summer 2012. Besides damaging the corn crop in the United States, droughts also hit Russia and Ukraine, hurting the wheat harvest, as well as Brazil, affecting soybean production.Low yields have translated into high prices. In late August, the World Bank reported that food prices climbed 10 percent from June to July, with the price of both corn and wheat jumping 25 percent to records. So ybean prices climbed 17 percent over the same period, and rice prices declined moderately, the Washington-based institution said. The World Bank and the United Nations food agencies — along with other development and aid groups — have urged countries to prepare for what seems likely to become the third food price shock in five years.Low-income countries that rely on agricultural imports should invest in safety-net programs for the poor, they recommended. They also urged countries to bolster local production. Groups including the World Bank and the United Nations have also warned against trade protectionist policies in light of climbing food prices. International groups increasingly see inconsistent yields and drastic swings in food prices as a problem driven by climate change — and a global challenge that is not intermittent, but here to stay.Since the food crisis in 2007 and 2008, they have bolstered international cooperation to help foster more stable food sup plies and keep the most vulnerable countries prepared. Oxfam, the international nonprofit, issued a report in early September estimating how extreme weather events might affect food prices in the coming decades — forecasting that the prices of a number of food staples could surge far beyond the projected increases. The United Nations agencies warned that too few countries were producing too large a proportion of staple crops — leaving the world more vulnerable to droughts and floods.

Tale of Troy or Iliad - The Story Behind the Trojan War

Tale of Troy or Iliad - The Story Behind the Trojan War During the time when gods were petty and cruel, three of the leading goddesses had a contest to determine who was most beautiful. They contended for the prize of Eris golden apple, an apple no less dangerous than the one in the story of Snow White, despite its lack of consumable poison. To make the contest objective, the goddesses hired a human judge, Paris (also called Alexander), son of the Eastern potentate, Priam of Troy. Since Paris was to be paid according to the largesse of the winner, the contest was really to see who provided the most attractive incentive. Aphrodite won hands down, but the prize she offered was the wife of another man. Paris, after seducing Helen while a guest in the palace of her husband, King Menelaus of Sparta, went blithely on his way back to Troy with Helen. This abduction and violation of all rules of hospitality launched 1000 (Greek) ships to bring Helen back to Menelaus. Meanwhile, King Agamemnon of Mycenae, summoned the tribal kings from all over Greece to come to the aid of his cuckolded brother. Two of his best men one a strategist and the other a great warrior were Odysseus (aka Ulysses) of Ithaca, who would later come up with the idea of the Trojan Horse, and Achilles of Phthia, who may have married Helen in the Afterlife. Neither of these men wanted to join the fray; so they each devised a draft-dodging ruse worthy of M.A.S.H.s Klinger. Odysseus feigned madness by plowing his field destructively, perhaps with mismatched draft animals, perhaps with salt (a powerful destructive agent used according to legend at least one other time by the Romans on Carthage). Agamemnons messenger placed Telemachus, Odysseus infant son, on the path of the plough. When Odysseus swerved to avoid killing him, he was recognized as sane. Achilles with blame for cowardice conveniently laid at the feet of his mother, Thetis was made to look like and live with the maidens. Odysseus tricked him with the lure of a peddlers bag of trinkets. All the other maidens reached for the ornaments, but Achilles grabbed the sword stuck in their midst. The Greek (Achaean) leaders met together at Aulis where they awaited Agamemnons command to set sail. When an inordinate amount of time had passed and the winds still remained unfavorable, Agamemnon sought the services of Calchas the seer. Calchas told him that Artemis was angry with Agamemnon perhaps because he had promised her his finest sheep as a sacrifice to the goddess, but when the time came to sacrifice a golden sheep, he had, instead, substituted an ordinary one and to appease her, Agamemnon must sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia .... Upon the death of Iphigenia, the winds became favorable and the fleet set sail. Â   Trojan War FAQs [Summary: The head of the Greek forces was the proud king Agamemnon. He had killed his own daughter, Iphigenia, in order to appease the goddess Artemis (big sister of Apollo, and one of the children of Zeus and Leto), who was angry with Agamemnon and so, had stalled the Greek forces on the coast, at Aulis. In order to set sail for Troy they needed a favorable wind, but Artemis ensured the winds would fail to cooperate until Agamemnon had satisfied her by performing the required sacrifice of his own daughter. Once Artemis was satisfied, the Greeks set sail for Troy where to fight the Trojan War.] Agamemnon did not stay in the good graces of either of the children of Leto for long. He soon incurred the wrath of her son, Apollo. In revenge, Apollo the mouse god caused an outbreak of plague to lay the troops low. Agamemnon and Achilles had received the young women Chryseis and Briseis as prizes of war or war brides. Chryseis was the daughter of Chryses, who was a priest of Apollo. Chryses wanted his daughter back and even offered a ransom, but Agamemnon refused. Calchas the seer advised Agamemnon on the connection between his behavior toward the priest of Apollo and the plague that was decimating his army. Agamemnon had to return Chryseis to the priest of Apollo if he wanted the plague to end. After much Greek suffering, Agamemnon agreed to the recommendation of Calchas the seer, but only on condition that he take possession of the war prize of Achilles Briseis as a replacement. A minor point to think about: When Agamemnon had sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia, he hadnt required his fellow Greek aristocrats to give him a new daughter. No one could stop Agamemnon. Achilles was enraged. The honor of the leader of the Greeks, Agamemnon, had been assuaged, but what about the honor of the greatest of the Greek heroes Achilles? Following the dictates of his own conscience, Achilles could no longer cooperate, so he withdrew his troops (the Myrmidons) and sat on the sidelines. With the help of fickle gods, the Trojans began to inflict heavy personal damages on the Greeks, as Achilles and the Myrmidons sat on the sidelines. Patroclus, Achilles friend (or lover), persuaded Achilles that his Myrmidons would make the difference in the battle, so Achilles let Patroclus take his men as well as Achilles personal armor so that Patroclus would appear to be Achilles in the battlefield. It worked, but since Patroclus was not so great a warrior as Achilles, Prince Hector, the noble son of Trojan King Priam, struck Patroclus down. What even Patroclus words had failed to do, Hector accomplished. The death of Patroclus spurred Achilles into action and armed with a new shield forged by Hephaestus, the blacksmith of the gods (as a favor for Achilles sea goddess mother Thetis) Achilles went into battle. Achilles soon avenged himself. After killing Hector, he tied the body to the back of his war chariot, The grief-maddened Achilles then dragged Hectors corpse through the sand and dirt for days. In time, Achilles calmed down and returned the corpse of Hector to his grieving father. In a later battle, Achilles was killed by an arrow to the one part of his body Thetis had held when she had dipped the baby Achilles into the River Styx to confer immortality. With Achilles death, the Greeks lost their greatest fighter, but they still had their best weapon. [Summary: The greatest of the Greek heroes Achilles was dead. The 10-year Trojan War, which had begun when the Greeks set sail to retrieve Menelaus wife, Helen, form the Trojans, was at a stalemate.] Crafty Odysseus devised a plan that ultimately doomed the Trojans. Sending all the Greek ships away or into hiding, it appeared to the Trojans that the Greeks had given up. The Greeks left a parting gift in front of the walls of the city of Troy. it was a giant wooden horse which appeared to be an offering to Athena a peace offering. The jubilant Trojans dragged the monstrous, wheeled, wooden horse into their city to celebrate the end of the 10 years of fighting. Who Really Built the Trojan Horse?What Is the Trojan Horse? But beware of Greeks bearing gifts! Having won the war, the filicidal King Agamemnon went back to his wife for the reward he so richly deserved. Ajax, who had lost out to Odysseus in the contest for Achilles arms, went crazy and killed himself. Odysseus set out on the voyage (Homer, according to tradition, tells in The Odyssey, which is the sequel to The Iliad) that made him more famous than his help with Troy. And Aphrodites son, the Trojan hero Aeneas, set out from his burning homeland carrying his father on his shoulders on his way to Dido, in Carthage, and, finally, to the land that was to become Rome. Were Helen and Menelaus reconciled? According to Odysseus they were, but thats part of a future story.

Definition and History of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

Definition and History of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is the  linguistic theory that the semantic structure of a language shapes or limits the ways in which a speaker forms conceptions of the world. It came about in 1929. The theory is named after the American anthropological linguist Edward Sapir (1884–1939) and his student Benjamin Whorf (1897–1941). It is also known as the  theory of linguistic relativity, linguistic relativism, linguistic determinism, Whorfian hypothesis, and Whorfianism. History of the Theory The idea that a persons native language determines how he or she thinks was popular among behaviorists of the 1930s and on until cognitive psychology theories came about, beginning in the 1950s and increasing in influence in the 1960s. (Behaviorism taught that behavior is a result of external conditioning and doesnt take feelings, emotions, and thoughts into account as affecting behavior. Cognitive psychology studies mental processes such as creative thinking, problem-solving, and attention.) Author Lera Boroditsky gave some background on ideas about the connections between languages and thought: The question of whether languages shape the way we think goes back centuries; Charlemagne proclaimed that to have a second language is to have a second soul. But the idea went out of favor with scientists when  Noam Chomskys theories of language gained popularity in the 1960s and 70s. Dr. Chomsky proposed that there is a  universal grammar  for all human languages- essentially, that languages dont really differ from one another in significant ways....  (Lost in Translation. The Wall Street Journal, July 30, 2010) The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis was taught in courses through the early 1970s and had become widely accepted as truth, but then it fell out of favor. By the 1990s, the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis was left for dead, author Steven Pinker wrote. The cognitive revolution in psychology, which made the study of pure thought possible, and a number of studies showing meager effects of language on concepts, appeared to kill the concept in the 1990s... But recently it has been resurrected, and neo-Whorfianism is now an active research topic in  psycholinguistics. (The Stuff of Thought. Viking, 2007) Neo-Whorfianism is essentially a weaker version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis and says that language  influences  a speakers view of the world but does not inescapably determine it. The Theorys Flaws One big problem with the original Sapir-Whorf hypothesis stems from the idea that if a persons language has no word for a particular concept, then that person would not be able to understand that concept, which is untrue.  Language doesnt necessarily control humans ability to reason or have an emotional response to something or some idea. For example, take the German word  sturmfrei, which essentially is the feeling when you have the whole house to yourself because your parents or roommates are away. Just because English doesnt have a single word for the idea doesnt mean that Americans cant understand the concept. Theres also the chicken and egg problem with the theory. Languages, of course, are human creations, tools we invent and hone to suit our needs,  Boroditsky continued. Simply showing that speakers of different languages think differently doesnt tell us whether its language that shapes thought or the other way around.

Wireless Technologies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Wireless Technologies - Research Paper Example This paper aims to discuss wireless technologies with respect to its initial development, current status and the future prospects. Introduction to Wireless Technologies Few decades back the wireless technology was an unreal phenomenon for a common man but today millions of people communicate with each other through the wireless networks. This clearly represents that the wireless technology has undergone tremendous success in the last few years which has made it not only publically available rather it has also advanced the computer communication systems. In broader terms, wireless technology has its roots in the radio waves which travel through the space with the help of electronic signals (Mathias, 2004). Comer in his book related to the computer networking argues that no single model can actually explain the real theory behind the development of wireless technology (Comer, 2008). However, this can only be understood by rigorously investigating the initial development of electricity, electromagnetism and the radio waves. Although the wireless technology is significantly complex in nature but it has brought flexibility, value and ease in terms of communication and business networking. It functions on the basis of electromagnetic energy such as the radio waves, laser, infrared etc. The most common examples of wireless technology are the T.V. remote controller and the cellular devices. In internet or Local Area Networks more complex forms of data transferring systems are used which help in fast communication between two or more computers. This signifies that the fundamental purpose of wireless technologies is to provide safe and reliable platform for data transference. Hence the modern scientists are now striving to increase the strength of wireless internet (Mathias, 2004). Wireless Technologies of the Past How and why Wireless Technology was first developed? Research indicates that the wireless technology was actually initiated some 200 years ago when Benjamin F ranklin conducted his renowned kite experiment. The radios, mobile phones and the internet that we use today are a result of continuous improvement and experiments over the time. Wireless Technology does not evolved through single experiment rather it was followed by electromagnetic theory, highly significant inventions and the development of radio waves (Mathias, 2004). In 1747, Franklin actually proposed an electricity model which gave way to the development of fast, highly reliable and cheap wireless system. Franklin was primarily working on the electricity generation however, during his experiments he realized and later concluded that electricity can actually move through the air medium. In 1819, A Danish physicist identified the astonishing relationship between magnetic and electric field. He observed that the needle of a compass was moving when placed into the electric field. This phenomenon was later termed as electromagnetism. Michael Faraday, in 1831 built the very first ge nerator which was operated through direct current. Although his experiment was not beneficial in the way of wireless technology but it did provide a clear way to the future scientists to work upon (Mathias, 2004). Later James Clerk Maxwell gave the theories on electromagnetic waves travelling through the space. These actually laid the foundation of wireless technology. These equations were then used by Heinrich Hertz who invented the oscillator in 1887 which helped in the creation of radio waves. Thereafter the FM radio, electronic tube and the digital decoding systems were developed. These were then linked with the wireless

Physics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Physics - Assignment Example The universe comprises of millions of super clusters. These super clusters consist of hundreds of different sized galaxies. Of such a super cluster is our earth a part of. The super cluster consists of galaxies in the form of groups. The galaxy in which earth is situated is called Milky Way and is situated in a group called the local group which comprises of more than 30 galaxies (Caprara & Harris, 2003). The Milky Way is made up of a number of stars and constellations of stars, planets, rocks, sun, gaseous elements and other such similar things. Our earth is the part of a solar system which lies in the Milky Way galaxy. Our earth is the third planet from the sun. The Milky Way galaxy is extended in a number of directions and these extensions have been named as arms. The name of the arms has been given by the name of the constellation which can be observed in that particular direction. Orion spur is the name of one its minor arm in which our solar system is situated. It is placed at the far edge of the galaxy. The sun is approximately at a distance of 26,000 to 28,000 light years from the center of the Milky Way galaxy. 2. Electromagnetic Spectrum has been divided into different regions according to the difference in the values of the frequency and wavelength. Following are the types of waves comprising of the electromagnetic spectrum and their applications: 1.