Friday, November 29, 2019

Obesity and Healthy Eating

Introduction Obesity has been on a steady increase in the US resulting in a decline in the individual’s health since people who are obese are at increased risk of physical as well as psychosocial health consequences.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Obesity and Healthy Eating specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The high prevalence rates of obesity particularly among children and adolescents have caused alarm. Calls have been made for direct action to be taken and effective strategies and programs implemented to prevent the problem. Chief among the many solutions proposed has been the adoption of healthy dietary practices. This paper shall argue that the consumption of healthy foods is the most effective solution in fighting the obesity epidemic and as such, it should be endorsed by everyone. Obesity and Healthy Eating While obesity can be caused by differing reasons, the fact is that obesity is mostly limited to people who overindulge in unhealthy food and exhibit limited activity. This may point to lifestyle issues being one of the chief causes of the disease. As proof that nutrition plays a major role in obesity, there is a rise in obesity among school going children. This is against a backdrop of extensive documentation to the effect that food available in schools is of low nutritional value and unhealthy as it is mostly made up of snacks, fast foods and sodas. Fast foods are the biggest culprits in promoting unhealthy eating habits among youths. Health foods on the other hand are balanced and they do not lead to an excessive increase of the calorie count in an individual. Adoption of healthy dietary practices helps to alleviate obesity and reduces the risk of obesity even further.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As a result of this, healthy eating is hailed as the biggest contri buting factor to an individual’s well being and it is associated with an increased quality of life as well as longer life expectancy. Case against Healthy Eating Some skeptics of healthy eating argue that despite all the efforts currently in place emphasizing proper nutrition, obesity seems to be in fact growing. The effectiveness of healthy eating as a means to prevent obesity is therefore questioned due to lack of visible results. While it is true that the society is now more aware of the benefits of adopting a healthy lifestyle, this does not translate to adoption of the recommended proper nutrition by the individual. People are continuing to indulge in unhealthy eating habits despite being aware of alternative healthier diets. Healthy eating is therefore not failing to prevent obesity; rather, it is people who continue to ignore healthy eating who are making obesity rates rise. Discussion and conclusion Obesity is unequivocally linked to fatal conditions such as strokes a nd may also lead to diabetes. It would therefore not be an exaggeration to claim that obesity is a killer disease. This is a view that is shared by the CDC who place obesity as second only to smoking in the preventable causes of early death. Obesity also makes up a significant amount of the annual health care expenditure in the US. This being the case, all measures of preventing obesity should be taken up. This paper set out to argue that consumption of healthy food helps to prevent obesity. This paper has effectively demonstrated that unhealthy eating habits are the main cause of obesity.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Obesity and Healthy Eating specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It can therefore be inferred that health eating will reduce the prevalence of obesity which will be beneficial to the individual since it will lead to an improved quality of life. This essay on Obesity and Healthy Eating was written and submitted by user Elise Walker to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Presidential Election Campaign Fund Details

Presidential Election Campaign Fund Details The Presidential Election Campaign Fund is a government-run program whose mission is to help candidates for the highest elected office in the United States pay for their campaigns. The Presidential Election Campaign Fund is financed by taxpayers who voluntarily contribute $3 of their federal taxes to publicly financing presidential campaigns. Donors to the fund contribute by checking the yes box on their U.S. income tax return forms in answer to the question: Do you want $3 of your federal tax to go to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund? Purpose of the Presidential Election Campaign Fund The Presidential Election Campaign Fund was implemented by Congress in 1973 following the the Watergate scandal, which in addition to the now-infamous break-in at Democratic Party headquarters involved large, secret contributions to President Richard Nixons re-election campaign. Congress intended to limit the influence of big money and donors on campaigns and level the playing field between presidential candidates. The two national political parties, at one time, also received money from the Presidential Election Campaign Fund to pay for their national conventions, which are held to nominate presidential and vice presidential candidates; in 2012, $18.3 million went to the Republican and Democratic national conventions. Before the 2016 presidential conventions, however, President Barack Obama signed legislation to end the public funding of nomination conventions. By accepting Presidential Election Campaign Fund money, a candidate is limited in how much money can be raised in large contributions from individuals and organizations in the primary run. In the general election race, after the conventions, candidates accepting public financing can raise funds only for general election legal and accounting compliance. The Presidential Election Campaign Fund is administered by the Federal Election Commission. Few Taxpayers Are Willing to Give $3 The portion of the American public who contribute to the fund has shrunk dramatically since Congress created it in the post-Watergate era. In fact, in 1976 more than a quarter of taxpayers- 27.5 percent - answered yes to that question. Support for public financing reached its peak in 1980, when 28.7 percent of taxpayers contributed. In 1995, the fund raised nearly $68 million from the $3 tax checkoff. But the 2012 presidential election it had drawn less than $40 million, according to Federal Election Commission records. Fewer than one in ten taxpayers supported the fund in the presidential elections of 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016, according to Federal Election Commission records. Candidates who claim their share of financial support must agree to limit the amount of money they raise and spend on their campaigns, restrictions that have made public financing unpopular in modern history. In the 2016 presidential election, neither of the major-party candidates, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton, accepted public funding. And only two primary candidates, Democrat  Martin O’Malley of Maryland and the Green Partys Jill Stein, accepted money from the  Presidential Election Campaign Fund. Use of  Presidential Election Campaign Fund has been declining for decades. The program cant compete with wealthy contributors and super PACs, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to influence the race. In the 2012 and 2016 elections, the two major-party candidates and the super PACs supporting them  raised and spent $2 billion, far more than the publicly run Presidential Election Campaign Fund offered. The last major-party candidate to accept financial support from the Presidential Election Campaign Fund was John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee who lost his bid for the White House against Democrat Barack Obama. McCains campaign accepted more than $84 million in taxpayer support for his campaign that year. The public-funding mechanism has outlived its usefulness in its current form and needs to be either overhauled or abandoned altogether, critics say. In fact, no serious presidential aspirant take public financing seriously anymore. â€Å"Taking matching funds has really been seen as the scarlet letter. It says you’re not viable and you’re not going to be nominated by your party,† former Federal Election Commission Chairman Michael Toner told Bloomberg Business. Candidates who agree to accept money from the fund must agree to limit spending to the amount of the grant and may not accept private contributions for the campaign. In 2016, the Federal Election Commission offered $96 million to the presidential campaigns, meaning the candidates - Trump and Clinton - would have been limited to spending the same amount. Both campaigns, which declined to participate in public funding, raised far more than that in private contributions. Clintons campaign brought in $564 million, and Trumps campaign raised $333 million. Why Public Financing Is Flawed The idea of financing presidential campaigns with public money stems from the effort limit the influence of influential, wealthy individuals. So to make public financing work candidates must adhere to restrictions on the amount of money they can raise in a campaign. But agreeing to such limits puts them at a signification disadvantage. Many modern presidential candidates are likely to be unwilling to agree to such limits on how much they can raise and spend. In the 2008 presidential election, Obama became the first major party candidate to reject public financing in a  general presidential election. Eight years earlier, in 2000, Republican Gov. George W. Bush of Texas shunned public financed in the GOP primaries. Both candidates found the public money unnecessary. Both candidates found the spending restrictions associated with it too cumbersome. And in the end both candidates made the right move. They won the race. Presidential Nominees Who Took the Money Here are all the major-party presidential nominees who elected to fund their general-election campaigns with money from the Presidential Election Campaign Fund. 2016: None2012: None2008: Republican John McCain, $84 million.2004: Republican George W. Bush and Democrat John Kerry, $75 million each.2000: Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore, $68 million each.1996: Republican Bob Dole and Democrat Bill Clinton, $62 million each, and third-party candidate Ross Perot, $29 million.1992: Republican George H.W. Bush and Democrat Bill Clinton, $55 million each.1988: Republican George H.W. Bush and Democrat Michael Dukakis, $46 million each.1984: Republican Ronald Reagan and Democrat Walter Mondale, $40 million each.1980: Republican Ronald Reagan and Democrat Jimmy Carter, $29 million each, and independent John Anderson, $4 million.1976: Republican Gerald Ford and Democrat Jimmy Carter, $22 million each.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

What roles does video games play in developing problem solving skills Research Paper

What roles does video games play in developing problem solving skills in students k-12 grades - Research Paper Example Video gaming has successfully cut across gender barriers and, surprisingly, almost 40% of all gamers, are female. In as much as two-thirds of all US households play video games, nearly 25% of all gamers are under the 18 years age bracket. Over the last ten years, children have exhibited a substantial increase in amount of time spent on video gaming (Rideout, Foehr and Roberts, 2010). From an average of 26 minutes in 1999, a child spent about an hour and thirteen minutes in 2009, on video gaming. Against the backdrop of such overwhelming popularity, this activity which seduces children and adults alike, present a host of benefits. Paradoxically, anti-gaming activists, too, make up a sizeable number and with good reason, as well. Introduction Video gaming as an educational pedagogy and a learning mode opens up a world of possibilities. A judicious marriage of caution and openness, supplemented by appropriate investments by way of time and effort, would prove to be ideal. Drawing pointe rs from issues such as gaming collaboration, single player games and usage of video gaming as an academic pedagogy, this paper attempts to prove that video games do not enrich the problem solving skills of K-12 students. The issue of why kids play video games and what they learn from this addictive activity has been a source of constant debate and dispute, among parents, teachers, VIDEO GAMES DO NOT ENRICH PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS researchers as well as the students. (Olthouse, 2009) proposes video gaming as a new, diverse and a growing phenomenon. While the fun element is what essentially draws kids to video games, it can be viewed against the backdrop of a host of perspectives such as gaming as a play, reinforcement, social interaction, fantasy as well as a cognitive exercise. While younger children sought immediate positive responses through the gaming exercise, mature children in the age group 14 to 18 years, exhibited good emotional value, sought stimulus and took risks in an act ion-packed genre. However, in many a case, video games offered a high dose of motivational power and requited large investment in terms of time and money. These proved to be heavy put offs for children. On a positive note, video games promoted meta cognition, computer and perceptual skills. On the downside, these games proved to be highly addictive, costly and heightened aggression. It also discouraged imagination and wonderment among the players. Another negative outcome was Stereotypical gender representations. Collaboration The advent of multi-player and on line games invited gamers to an interactive, participative and collaborative genre of video games Collaboration (Meij, Albers & Leemkuil, 2011) is an attempt to make an individual play, commercial off the shelf games, in pairs, rather than in a solitary mode. This strategy aims at benefitting from the resultant synergy as also to promote social interaction. Though the players reportedly benefitted a great deal from the opportu nity to discuss and analyse the test VIDEO GAMES DO NOT ENRICH PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS scores, surprisingly, collaboration did not exhibit any positive affect on gaming engagement and individual knowledge scores, presumably, because the game dialogues were concentrated on superficial gaming features such as game movements. Single player games The attractiveness of single player games is still hard to beat. Citing three examples of the best video games ever, namely, Roller Coaster Tycoon, The Sims and Grand Theft Auto III (Prensky, 2002), a comprehensive analysis elucidates through the 5 Ws - how, why, what, where and when/whether - the need for welcoming video games into the learning domain. Both the positive and

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Animal rights and Nazi in Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Animal rights and Nazi in Germany - Essay Example Vivisection was first banned in Nazi Germany. Immediately after the Nazis took power, regulation on animal protection was passed. This was followed by regulation of the slaughter of poikilotherms. The prime minister of Prussia, Goring announced an end to suffering and unbearable torture in animal experiments. He threatened that those who continue to treat animals as inanimate property would end up in concentration camps (Sax, 2000). Hermann Goring also banned animal trapping and made sweeping restrictions on hunting and shoeing of horses. Boiling of crabs and lobsters was also regulated. On one occasion, a fisherman was taken to a concentration camp for cutting up a bait frog. In 1933, Reich animal protection act was enacted to protect animals. The law prohibited the use of animals in film making, forceful feeding of fowls and tearing up the thighs of frogs which are alive. This was followed by enactment of a decree by Prussian ministry of education which facilitated education on animal protection. Enforcement became a challenge causing the regulations to become weak. Some laws were revised, and later many lax provisions were

Monday, November 18, 2019

Nursing theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Nursing theory - Essay Example process of the patient’s environment, socio-economic surroundings, and researching the available information to find ways to help the patient achieve optimal health again. The nursing educator, my chosen field of practice, is the greatest disseminator of the required information that helps student nurses correctly learn theories, utilize them in case studies, and to conduct appropriate research to find the right answers to the patient’s problems. The theory of social cognition and metacognition provides an excellent process in education by which students learn the concepts of theories through examining of one’s own cognition or understanding of concepts as relates to how they think and feel. This is achieved through role playing, case studies, and games that provide an educational informative outcome (Hadi, Hamid, Abbas, Eskander, & Sima, 2013). This provides a social cognition opportunity to play the patient (‘walk in his shoes’), the Human Patient Simulation, and to also have students examine what they experience (metacognition) in the other side of nurse role playing. The nursing environment today, allows for quick, in-depth research and analysis of cases from medical databases all over the world, including research studies that have found solutions to various health problems under various conditions, and with specific samples of the population (Alligood, 2014). Much of this information can be found through hospital computer access and through palm-held devices which, with the proper method of search parameters, can provide nurses with quick results and answers to the questions being asked during the search. Informatics is one field of nursing which has benefited nurses greatly, as nurse researchers assist in the latest methods of finding and recording information for others to access as well. In nursing education, the nursing educator provides the means and instruction to all nursing students to understand not only the nursing field in general,

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Teaching Conditional Sentences

Teaching Conditional Sentences The Teaching of Conditional Sentences Part 1: Evaluation of the Textbook Treatment of Conditional Sentences I. Introduction: Definition of Conditional Sentences In grammar, conditional sentences refer to the discussion of factual implications or imaginary or hypothetical situations and their results. They express something that must happen or be true if another thing is to happen or be true (Hornby, 2000; Swan, 1996). Generally, conditional sentences consist of two main clauses – a main (‘conditional) clause containing a verb in a form with will or would, and a subordinate clause that is introduced by if (Parrott, 2000). The order of the two clauses can appear interchangeably. When the if-clause leads the sentence, normally a comma is used. However, when the conditional sentence takes the lead, no comma is found after it. In certain cases, the way we use this comma in conditional sentences lies ‘partly on their length and partly on personal preference (Parrott, 2000, p. 231). II. First Conditional A. Basic Form In the basic form of the first conditional, the verb in the if-clause takes the present tense, and the verb in the main or conditional clause takes the simple future. If Clause Conditional Clause If + present tense, Future tense Conditional Clause If Clause Future tense If + present tense B. Meaning and Use Generally, the first conditional or conditional sentence type one is used to express a probable condition and its probable result in the future (Soars Liz, 2007; Swan, 1996; Thomson Martinet, 1986). Nonetheless, it does not limit itself only to this use. Parrott (2000) points out that this type of conditional is employed to show ‘aspects of persuasion such as cajoling and negotiation and for giving warnings and making threats'(p. 232), as can be seen in the examples below. Examples: [a] If you have enough rest, you will feel better. [b] Ill cook for you this evening if you help me with this assignment. [c] If he procrastinates, hell miss the flight. [d] Ill kill you if you dont stop your relationship with my sister. Apart from these functions, the first conditional sentence can possibly appear in certain variations. Variations can be present in both the conditional clause and the if-clause. In the conditional clause, a range of other forms, such as may, might, can, must, should or imperative or any expression of command, request or advice, may be used instead of will, depending on what messages we want to send (Parrott, 2000; Thomson Martinet, 1986). For example, if we want to show that something is possible, we can use either may or might instead of will, or when want to indicate permission, either may or can is possible. Moreover, when we want to advise or suggest someone to do something, we can use should or had better or imperative form. Examples below show these. Examples: [a] If you drive fast, you may/might hit others on the road. [b] If you dont feel well, you may/can leave early today. [c] If you want to thoroughly enjoy Christmas, you should finish your assignment well before the deadline. [c1] If you want to gain weight, you had better eat and sleep more. [c2] If dont feel well with coffee, never drink it again. Interestingly, two present tenses can also appear in both the if-clause and the conditional clause. When it is the case, it is usually used to indicate automatic or habitual results (Thomson Martinet, 1986). An example below shows this usage. It should be noted here that this kind of use can mostly be seen in the zero conditional, which mainly discusses factual situation or natural phenomena. Therefore, students at a lower level should not be presented this difference. Example: If there is a shortage of any product, prices of that product go up. Similar to the variations in the conditional clause, we can also use a range of present forms in the if-clause, depending on the meaning we want to convey (Parrott, 2000; Thomson Martinet, 1986). For example, we can use present continuous or present perfect instead of present simple to show a present action or a future arrangement. When we want to show that something is less likely possible and it may happen only by chance, we can use should because it helps weaken the possibility (Parrott, 2000). All these can be found in the examples below. Examples: [a1] If you are coming over next week, Ill bake our traditional cakes for you. [a2] If the letter hasnt arrived by the next hour, well have to phone the post office. [b] If she should call me at night, I wont answer. Moreover, we can also find the use of will or would in the if-clause when we want to indicate polite requests. However, often will is seen as less polite than would (Swan, 1996). At this point, it should also be noted that should can also be used in replacement of if, usually in more formal, written contexts (ibid, 2000), without any change of the meaning (Azar, 2002). This kind of use indicates offer or suggestion. Here are the two examples: If you will/would carry this bag, Ill treat you lunch. Should you need more help, you can call me any time. III. Second Conditional A. Basic Form In general, the basic form of Type 2 conditional uses the past tense in the if-clause, and would + bare infinitive or ‘the conditional tense in the conditional clause to ‘distance our language from reality (Swan, 1996; Thomson Martinet, 1986). If Clause Conditional Clause If + past tense, would + bare infinitive Conditional Clause If Clause would + bare infinitive If + past tense B. Meaning and Use The second conditional is used to talk about an unreal situation and its probable results now or in the future. The situation or condition is improbable, impossible, untrue, imaginary or contrary to know facts (Azar, 2002; Parrott, 2000; Soars Liz, 2007; Swan, 1996; Thomson Martinet, 1986). It is important to note that there is no time difference between Type 1 and 2 conditionals, and the past tense in the if-clause of Type 2 conditional is not a true past, but a subjunctive (Parrott, 2000; Thomson Martinet, 1986). However, while Type 1 conditional is viewed as a real possibility, Type 2 is not the case. Besides, were instead of was is more often found in the if-clause in more formal sentences, and many people consider it more correct, especially in American English (Parrott, 2000; Swan, 1996; Thomson Martinet, 1986). Examples below show these uses. Examples: [a] If I had enough saving, Id buy that grand house. [b] If I were rich, Id be happy! [c] If the plan crashed, Id be terrified. Not different from the first conditional, the second conditional likewise has its possible variations, in both the if-clause and the conditional clause. For the variation in the conditional clause, we can use, for example, might or could or the past tense in place of would to talk about several other things. This ranges from ability or permission to the past automatic or habitual actions. Below examples show this use. Examples: [a1] If she applied for that position again, she might get it. [a2] If they had tickets, they could enter the theater. [b] If he got home late, his wife slept first. In the if-clause, instead of using if with a simple past, it is possible to have if with a past continuous, indicating a wish for a difference for a temporary situation. Moreover, sometimes were + infinitive, in placement of a past tense form in the if-clause, is used to make the situation more hypothetical or polite. At other times, the inversion of the if-subject and were can be seen, and when were takes the if-subjects place, if is then left out. The meaning is still the same. Here are the examples: Examples: [a] She doesnt like the children but now they are going to her home. If they were not going there, shed be a lot fine. [b] If they were to study harder, their teacher would be much happier to help them. [b1] Were they to study harder, their teacher would be much happier to help them. IV. Third Conditional A. Basic Form The basic form of the third conditional takes the past perfect in the if-clause, and would with have plus past participle, or ‘the perfect conditional in the conditional clause. If Clause Conditional Clause If + past perfect, would + have + past participle Conditional Clause If Clause would + have + past participle If + past perfect B. Meaning and Use The third conditional is generally used to speculate about the past events, which are unreal or imaginary, and about the ways things might have been affected just because how other things happened or did not happen. This conditional is also used to talk about regret, criticism or excuse (Parrott, 2000; Thomson Martinet, 1986; Vince Emmerson, 2003). Examples: [a] Kate would have been nice if Peter had treated her equally. [b] If she hadnt gone out late at night, she wouldnt have been rapped. [c] If my car hadnt broken down, Id have been able to catch you up. The same as the first and second conditional, the third conditional has its possible variations, in both the if-clause and the conditional clause. In the conditional clause, in place of would, we can use, for example, might or could to discuss ability, possibility or permission. Examples: [a1] If we had found him earlier, we could have saved his life [a2] If we had found him earlier, we might have saved him. [a3] If our documents had been in order, we could have left at once. In the if-clause, had can be used in the form of inversion. When had is used, then if is to be deleted. No meaning is changed in such usage. If you had asked for his permission, he wouldnt have been that mad at you = Had you asked for his permission, he wouldnt have been that mad at you. V. ‘Unless in conditional sentences In conditional sentences we can use a wide range of conjunctions, such as supposing, as long as, provided, unless, etc., instead of if. Here, however, only unless is discussed. Unless is usually perceived as sharing similar meaning with if†¦not (Swan, 1996; Thomson Martinet, 1986). However, as Parrott (2000) argues unless has a ‘strong degree of reservation compared to if†¦not. Examples: I wont go with you unless you pick me up. Ill go with you only if you pick me up. There is an exceptional case when unless cannot be used in replacement to if†¦not. We would rather use if†¦not instead of unless if it refers to something negative that would be the main cause of the situation we are talking about (Swan, 1996). Instead of saying, ‘My wife will be very upset unless I get back tomorrow, we say, ‘My wife will be very upset if I dont get back tomorrow. This being so because the root cause of the wifes unhappiness is if the speaker does not go back. VI. Implications for teaching conditional sentences Different types of conditional sentences are taught at different levels. A general suggestion given by Parrott (2000) is that the first conditional should be introduced at an elementary or intermediate level; the second at a lower intermediate; and the third at an upper intermediate level. As for the Secondary 3, Band 2 students who are seen as pre-intermediate level, they should be introduced to all the four types of conditional. However, the introduction of details or variations of each type should be carefully considered. As can be seen from the detailed explanation of the three types above, there are many variations in each type, in both the if-clause and the conditional clause. The Secondary 3 students at this level should therefore not be taught all these variations. Otherwise, this will become a very good confusion for them. However, if there are some strong students in the class and if the teacher is ambitious, he or she can introduce his or students to some kind of the variations of the conditional clause Type 1 and 2. These variations could be the use of might or may instead of will in the first conditional, and might or could instead of would in the second conditional. The third conditional is already very difficult and the students should not be made confus ed because of these variations. It should be noted that before all these variations can be introduced, teachers should make sure that the students are made clear with the basic forms of the four types. Furthermore, the way how the conditionals are punctuated should also be ensured since for most Chinese students, recognizing the order of conditional sentences is difficult for them. This being so because the order of clauses does not go with the order in their language (Parrott, 2000). VII. Treatment of a Hong Kong textbook on conditionals The Living English 3B by Nancarrow, Thomas and Yuen (2005) used for Secondary 3 features all the four types of conditionals. Type 0, 1 and 2 are introduced mainly in terms of revision and of some forms of variations. Type 3 is presented virtually exclusively in form of basic rule and usage. However, there is no introduction of conjunctions which can be used in place of if. Perhaps this may be helpful for the students instead, for they are not overwhelmed with too many things at this level. The presentation of the use of the first conditional is simple and well enough for the students to understand. Nevertheless, there seems a bit vague for weaker students to fully recognize the changing of the order of the clauses, explained in the note on page 43. The students should be drawn to the fact that there is no change in meaning even if the position of the two clauses is changed. Another thing is that there is an explanation of variation of this conditional in the Teachers Book (TB), which requires teachers to tell their students but which is generally not necessary at this level. There are two problems in the explanation of the first conditional. The first one is with its description of usage. The explanation tells that this type of conditional is used to describe ‘the future consequences of a situation that is true now (Nancarrow, et al., 2005, p. 43). The wording here looks easy but it may not be the case for the students to grasp the whole picture, and thus needs revision. The second problem concerns with the variation of this type. The book explains that it is possible to use can or may instead of will. However, in the Students Book (SB), it does not give any example of this possibility, nor does it indicate what it means when they are used. A short explanation is available only in TB, though. For the second conditional, it carries only the last problem of the first conditional. In other words, SB gives the same explanation that variation is possible for the second conditional, but fails to show the usage and meaning. Again, only TB explains this va riation in more details. The presentation of the third conditional in this book is very well structured. It introduces the students to the most basic use of this conditional through clear explanation and examples. It suits the students level quite well. One last note is that the textbook should not introduce the variations of the first three types of conditional. Ironically, the title is devoted only to revising, yet the students are also presented with variations. At this level, the students should learn mainly the basic or general forms and usage. Variations should be presented in the next levels. However, one good thing is that there is no presentation of conjunctions, which can be used to replace if. It is good to make sure that the students can understand the basic first. Part Two: Critique and Reflection I. Critique on Ms Leungs teaching Ms Leung is revising conditional sentences Type 1 and 2 and trying to introduce Type 3 and conjunction unless to her Secondary 3 students. Certain problems appear as she handles these grammatical aspects in each excerpt. Among all problems, her inadequacy of knowledge of the underlying system of language is the central one and in turn affects the ways she handles her teaching. In excerpt 1, in which she revises the first and second conditionals, Ms Leung generally appears unclear herself in what she explains to her students. She asks her students to remember that with Type 1 conditional, it has to be future in the main clause. She yet does not point out specifically what kind of future tense it is to which she is referring since there are many future tenses. Although this is apparently clear that she is referring to the simple future will, being a well-language aware teacher, she should present it to the students to clear confusion it may have. Concerning her explanation of the use of this conditional, I feel the word choice is rather ambiguous. She tells her students that conditional Type 1 is for a prediction. Even though the form of will here is used as the normal future form in general, there is a significant difference between the use of will in conditional sentences and in general sentences. In a general sentence, will is used ‘for unplanned fu ture events, or to make predictions that arent based on present or past evidence (Parrott, 2000, p. 170). However, in a Type 1 conditional sentence, the use of will in the main or conditional clause is to indicate a probable result, not a prediction of it. This can be implied that the teacher is not truly well aware of the content subject. When Ms Leung revises the second conditional in the same excerpt, she seems to create similar problems as when she handles the first conditional. The first problem concerns with the relationship between her own explanation of the use of the second conditional and her examples. She gives two examples to her students and informs the students that the second conditional is used to talk about ‘things which are not so probable, they are possible but not very probable. To some degree, the examples do carry an improbable meaning. However, the two are just contrary to known fact, with the first example indicates an imaginary future situation, and the second an imaginary present situation. The second example also indicates clearly that it is advice, which the teacher misses to convey to her students. The second problem is the extent of her explanation, in addition to the first problem. She does not make it clear to her students whether the past tense used in the if-clause refers to the real past, or present or future speculation. Some students may be still doubtful about this tense, though they have already gone through it. This implies that the teacher is not well aware of the students difficulties or that she is not thinking about the language content from the viewpoint of the learners (Andrews, 2007). In excerpt 2, she introduces the third conditional, and here two critical problems come about. The first one is about overgeneralization of the conditional form in both the if-clause and the main clause. Ms Leung presents to her students that all the third conditionals begin with if plus Past Perfect. To say that all the third conditionals start with if is already too exaggerated. She seems not to take into consideration the variation of this form. It is questionable in her explanation whether it is still called Type 3 conditional when ‘had is used instead of if in the case of inversion. As she goes on to explain the form in the main clause, Ms Leung makes the same overgeneralized mistake. She mentions that would have done is always used in the main clause. This rule again ignores the fact that there are variations in the third conditional too. In addition, it creates confusion in the use of ‘have done. As can be seen from her example, ‘done is not used with ‘have. Instead, it is ‘woken that is being used with ‘have. The example and the rule then do not match, and so another question arrives whether this is a conditional sentence or not. The second problem in her presentation of this Type 3 conditional is the fact that there is no explanation of when it is used at all. She presents to her students only the form and a single example. Why or when the third conditional is used is not explained. Although the students may know how to structure this conditional, they surely do not know when to use it. This seems like it is nothing for the students to learn because how useful it is to use this conditional they are not aware of. One last note is that the teacher seems not willing to give more examples to help with her explanation. This insufficient example would mean to limit the general understanding of the students, and so they will not learn. Ms Leung finally finishes her class by trying to introduce another language point. She teaches her students how to use unless in place of if†¦not. Even though she can manage to tell her students relatively well that unless can be used instead of if†¦not when the if-clause is negative, she perhaps may not be well aware that meaning of the two sentences is not exactly the same as she has claimed. According to Parrott (2000) unless carters a stronger degree of reservation compared to if†¦not. This shows that the teachers knowledge of the subject-matter is insufficient enough. Besides, Ms Leung is unable to clarify when to use unless instead of if†¦not. From the beginning of this introduction, she tries to tell her students that they can use unless sometimes. Nonetheless, she ends up not explaining when exactly, and so abruptly changes the way she presents to the students. This perhaps indicates also that she lacks ‘strategic competence (Bachman, 1990). Through her teaching of all the language points, it is obviously clear that Ms Leung does not check with her students whether or not they have understood what has been taught. Instead, she seems to rush from one language point to another very quickly. This seems that she does not care about the students learning or that she wants to escape from the students questions. An implication from this behavior and her so far inability to clarify each language point is that she is short of necessary subject-matter knowledge as well as language competency. These inadequacies will in turn impact the way the teacher handles the teaching in a negative way. According to Andrews (2007), professional factors of teacher affect the teachers attitudes in a way that the teacher is afraid of giving serious attention to language-related issues. Because of this, the learners cannot get a meaningful learning from the teacher. II. Reflection of what can be done differently better If I were Ms Leung, I would adopt a different approach to teaching this language point to the students in this target group. As can be seen from her teaching, she is trying both to revise two conditional types and to introduce two other major language points at the same time. This teaching is already too much with the time available and the target group, and therefore can be unfruitful. ‘At different levels of language learning students will need to be shown different aspects of grammar and teachers will need to decide how detailed their approach to grammar will be (Joyce Burns, 1999, p. 66). If I were the teacher myself, I would not introduce conjunction unless to the students. At this level, the students should be taught only the basic form or marked feature, that is, if†¦not first. The unmarked feature such as unless should be left for the students to learn by themselves naturally before the right time comes (Ellis, 2006). I would therefore use the available time for teaching this conjunction to focus more on the revising of Type 1 and 2 conditionals and on the elaboration of Type 3, for I believe this intensive teaching will help them progress through the sequence of stages involved in the acquisition of that structure (ibid, 2006). For the explanation of Type 1, I would simplify the wording that the teacher uses to discuss when this conditional is used. Instead of telling the students that this conditional is used for predictions, I would say it is used to show a possible condition and its probable result in the future. In the same way for Type 2, I would tell t he students that it is used to talk about an unreal situation and its probable results now or in the future, or to give advice to someone. I would also draw their attention to the fact that the past tense used in the if-clause is not the real past, but a subjunctive which indicates unreality or improbability. In addition, I would give the examples that truly reflect its usage, so that the examples can help facilitate the students understanding in a better way. For Type 3 conditional, I would first change the extreme generalization the teacher makes in both clauses. I would tell the students that in the if-clause, we usually use the Past Perfect, and would plus Past Participle in the main clause. Then I would give them 3 examples. From this, I would present to them when we use this third conditional. The students will find it easier to understand the central meaning with the facilitation of the examples on the board. If I had some time left, I would establish connections between form and meaning for them to practice the language point since this is a fundamental aspect of language acquisition (VanPatten, Williams, Rott, 2004, as cited in Ellis, 2006).

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Power of Myth Essay examples -- Literary Analysis, Joseph Campbell

According to Joseph Campbell’s The Power of Myth, one archetypal mythic hero appears in diverse cultures in different forms. Two protagonists in Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist and Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki share similar heroic characteristics despite their different backgrounds and cultures. One of the concepts explained in The Power of Myth is the stages of human development. Campbell states that â€Å"As a child, you are brought up in a world of discipline, of obedience, and you are dependent on others. All this has to be transcended when you come to maturity, so that you can live not in dependency but with self-responsible authority† (Campbell 87). Thor and Santiago both experience the stages of human development, from dependence to maturity. In The Alchemist, Santiago decides to become a shepherd and travel the world, disobeying his parents who want him to be a priest. When his father says â€Å"Amongst us, the only ones who travel are the shepherds†, Santiago makes up his mind to become a shepherd. (Coelho 9). In Kon-Tiki, Thor was disappointed and discouraged because his theory is rejected and ignored by people. However, soon, he decides to sail the sea with few other people to show that his theory is right. Thor says to his friend, â€Å"I’m so sure the Indians crossed the Pacific on their rafts that I’m willing to build a raft of the same kind myself and cross the sea just to prove that it’s possible† (Heyerdahl 23). Santiago’s making his own decisions and Thor’s taking action to get out of his helpless situation show their developments to the more mature human beings. According to The Power of Myth, one of the characteristics of hero is to encounter troubles. He explains, â€Å"The trials are designed to see to it that the intending hero sh... ... by giving money to prepare sailing, and equipments that they need while sailing. Also, when they struggle to settle on the land, the native people help Thor and his companions. Native people helped them settle the raft on the island, and to reach the destination. According to Thor, the native inhabitants â€Å"pointed westward indicating that they were heading toward dangerous reefs† (Heyerdahl 182). Listening to this, they got prepared for the dangerous way and succeed go through there. These examples demonstrate that the two protagonists escape from their troubles with the help of other people. In conclusion, the two characters in The Alchemist and Kon-Tiki share similarities in their stages of human development, encountering troubles, and getting help from other source. These supporting details illustrate the universality of the characteristics of mythic heroes.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Mandatory Human Chip Implants Essay

The idea of mandatory human chip implants is wrong on so many different levels. Not only is there a major concern about how it will affect the privacy of society, but also how much we don’t know about the adverse effects on the actual human body. Another major concern is the public backlash that can be expected from all religious bodies and communities. This is why we as a society must stand up for what we believe is right, and what is right is that mandatory human chip implants cannot and will not be tolerated. One of the biggest issues with mandatory human chip implants is privacy issues and concerns. Many questions immediately come up whenever the topic arises. What organization or body of government controls the data stored from these chips? Is the information stored in the chip safe and secure? Can my information be stolen and or sold? As of right now the only chip approved for humans in a medical application is the â€Å"Verichip†. The Verichip is a chip comparable to the size of a grain of rice. It is a fairly simple device that consists of only a coiled wire and a hermetically sealed microchip inside a glass casing. It uses the coil as an antenna to create a radio signal that is unique. This unique signal can be transmitted and received to identify a person’s medical records if they are in some sort of dire state in which they could not communicate efficiently.(Foster, Kenneth R. 2007,March) This could save so many lives in the medical field simply by pulling up a patient’s records and receiving this signal. In a perfect world this would work correctly and only for good intentions but, the way we as a society constantly strive to streamline every aspect of our life, where would it stop? The notion or idea is that it would replace driver’s licenses or bank atm and debit cards. Social security numbers, birth certificates, bank account numbers, basically your entire life. As technology continues to grow and advance, how secure can these chips really be? If someone was able to steal your signal they would be able to do so many things with the information stored in it. Your life would be stolen in the blink of an eye. Also, another terrifying realization is if the signal is stolen or locked on to, you could be followed or tracked. This is very unsettling if we cannot be sure how safe this information really is. Would you really want someone  to know where you or your loved ones are at all times? What if some sick individual was watching your child or children? The possibilities are endless in these scenarios. So with no guarantee on how secure the information stored in these chips really is, this is one of the many reasons why there should not be mandatory human chip implants. Another strong arguing point on this subject is health concerns. With these devices being as small as they are, there is not enough data to prove that they are not a health concern. There is lots of data about these chips that should raise some eyebrows, as well as the manner in which they were approved by the FDA. Back in 2005 when the FDA approved human chip implants they claimed with â€Å"†reasonable assurance† the device was safe. The one thing they failed to mention in that claim was that studies going back to the mid-nineties directly links these chip implants with cancer. Many studies and research showed that one in six lab rats developed tumors because of the implanted chip. So how could this slip by the FDA you ask? According to Lewan (2007), well back in 2005 when it was brought before the FDA for approval, the head of the Department of Health and Human Services at the time which presided over the FDA, was a man by the name of Tommy Thompson. Well two weeks af ter the approval of the chip in humans, Thompson left his position at the DHHS to become a board member of VeriChip Corp. and Applied Digital Solutions. Even though it was five months later, he was compensated with cash and stock options from the companies. Can we chalk this up as a coincidence? I don’t think so. With all the facts and research done on this particular subject I find it hard to believe that the FDA did not come across any of this information before approving human chip implants. So with the data already in front of us claiming to link these chips with cancer in lab rats, can we honestly agree to be implanted ourselves? Finally, the thought or notion of human chip implants would cause a huge backlash in our religious communities. Just recently in Virginia, there was a public outcry against mandatory micro-chipping that caused the House of Representatives to vote on the subject matter. Krunkle , (2010) wrote, Del. Mark L. Cole (R-Fredericksburg), the bill’s sponsor, is quoted saying â€Å"My understanding — I’m not a theologian — but there’s a prophecy in the Bible  that says you’ll have to receive a mark, or you can neither buy nor sell things in end times,† Cole said. â€Å"Some people think these computer chips might be that mark.†(p.1) In our society, religion is at times, a very controversial and touchy subject matter between religious communities. There will be millions of people who will become distraught if human chip implants become mandatory. Our country has so many different religious cultures that it would directly effect. Are we r eally ready for the consequences that will follow if this eventually happens? In conclusion, we as a society need to stand up to what we consider right from wrong. So is it wrong to make someone have a chip implanted so they can buy or sell things in order for them to survive even though it goes against their religious beliefs? Or is it wrong for these chips to be approved for humans even though there is substantial evidence that it could cause cancer. The answer is entirely up to us. My conclusion is that yes, it is completely wrong. Not only does it violate our ethical privacy rights as human beings, it also causes so many concerns medically and spiritually. We cannot allow this to come to fruition. We have to stand up for ourselves and our beliefs and say no to mandatory human chip implants to protect our future generations to come. References Foster, Kenneth R (2007, March) The murky ethics of implanted chips. IEEE spectrum. Retrieved from http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~markhill/cs252/Spring2013/handouts/spectrum07_rfid_ethics.pdf Holtzman, David H (2008). Human ID chips get under my skin, BusinessWeek Online, 5-5(1). Krunkle, Frederick (2010). Human chips seen by some in Virginia House as device of antichrist, The Lewan, Todd (2007). Chip implants linked to animal tumors, The Washington Post Washington Post

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Chemistry Definition of Gas Constant (R)

Chemistry Definition of Gas Constant (R) Chemistry and physics equations commonly include R, which is the symbol for  the gas constant, molar gas constant, or universal gas constant. The Gas Constant is the physical constant in the equation for the Ideal Gas Law: PV nRT P is pressure, V is volume, n is the number of moles, and T is temperature. Its also found in the Nernst equation relating the reduction potential of a half-cell to the standard electrode potential: E   E0  - (RT/nF)lnQ E is the cell potential, E0 is the standard cell potential, R is the gas constant, T is the temperature, n is the number of mole of electrons exchanged, F is Faradays constant, and Q is the reaction quotient. The gas constant is equivalent to the Boltzmann constant, just expressed in units of energy per temperature per mole, while the Boltzmann constant is given in terms of energy per temperature per particle. From a physical standpoint, the gas constant is a proportionality constant that related the energy scale to the temperature scale for a mole of particles at a given temperature. Units for the gas constant vary, depending on other units used in the equation. One common value is  8.3145 J/mol ·K. Value of the Gas Constant The value of the gas constant R depends on the units used for pressure, volume and temperature. R 0.0821 liter ·atm/mol ·KR 8.3145 J/mol ·KR 8.2057 m3 ·atm/mol ·KR 62.3637 L ·Torr/mol ·K or L ·mmHg/mol ·K Why R Is Used for the Gas Constant Some people assume the symbol R is used for the gas constant in honor of the French chemist Henri Victor Regnault, who performed experiments that were first used to determine the constant. However, its unclear whether his name is the true origin of the convention used to denote the constant. Specific Gas Constant A related factor is the specific gas constant or individual gas constant. This may be indicated by R or Rgas. It is the universal gas constant divided by the molar mass (M) of a pure gas or mixture. This constant is specific to the particular gas or mixture (hence its name), while the universal gas constant is the same for an ideal gas.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Blind nation essays

Blind nation essays The color of our skin automatically makes us a suspect in todays stereotypical world. Despite the civil rights victories of 30 years ago, official skin color prejudice is still reflected throughout the Criminal Justice System. (Racial profiling, A.C.L.U) Many African Americans know that we are dealing with a subtle form of discrimination, and that our nation has gone blind. We live in a country where Jim Crow Justice is still enforced. The question arises about if we had made any progress since the civil rights movement. There are many incidents that show that our Criminal Justice System is being unfair and bias towards African Americans. Many African Americans are innocent victims of harsh, brutal police abuse, racial discrimination in police shooting, and racial profiling. Many organizations have tired in the past, and still are trying to protect the civil rights of African Americansthat are innocent victims. Police brutality towards African Americans has been a problem in the past and is still very much a problem in the present. March 3,1991, the beating of a young black man named Rodney King projected the brutal reality of police abuse towards black people. The Rodney King incident exposed a new form of subtle discrimination towards the black community. Several officers beat King, who was dragged, clubbed, and hit with a Taser gun, while 23 other officers watch the horrible beating. King suffered skull fractures and nerve damages to his face. When the officers involved were brought to trial and found not guilty of the charges pressed against them, riots broke out in then city of Los Angeles. A year later the officers were trailed again and found guilty. They were sentenced prison time. Incidents like this happen all the time and have to stop. Another example, of police abuse towards Americans of color happened in December 1996. Two black men died in handcuffs at the hands of the Palm B each County she...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Human relationship and introduction to counseling Essay

Human relationship and introduction to counseling - Essay Example Accordingly, this analysis will be broken into six subsections which will be numbered accordingly and seek to answer key components of this authors communications model, the ways in which it has developed, and how a greater understanding of communications and communication theory can help in ameliorating future breakdowns in interaction with key shareholders of given topics. Communication is essential in every interaction because it is through this process that an individual makes clear his/her thoughts and ideas. In health and social care, effective communication is necessary because there are certain conditions that greatly require the skill. For instance, for health caregivers, they should not just be able to be patient in making the patients understand why they need to take in their medicines, rest at appointed periods of the day or do some exercise. They can do this by explanation but the fact is that, when one deals with a person who is in pain, they can easily get irritated an d would refuse to listen and cooperate with the caregiver. Therefore, it has been suggested that people working in health and social care environments should be able to organize a conversation for effective communication. ... In addition, the caregiver should also understand cultural differences in order to understand what is being communicated by the patient and s/he would also know how to tell things to the patient. Asking questions is another skill that health and social care providers must be proficient in because they are able to bring out more necessary information about their clients through questioning (Lawrence 4). Lastly, they should also have listening skills, understanding what is said between the lines and not just grasping meanings from spoken words. There are indeed many facets of communication and these should be mastered for effective communication. As a function of analyzing the different means whereby communication takes place, and under what contexts/within which theories, this analysis will seek to briefly elaborate on the main categorizations of applicable theory and draw a level of inference upon the way in which models of communication can ultimately help in increasing the level an d excellence of healthcare, as well as social care, to the end patient. Although it is not specifically the intent of this brief research to discuss the level to which communications within healthcare and social care can affect each and every shareholder, it is worth mentioning, and will be briefly discussed, the level to which communications ultimately leads to a clearer and more nuanced approach to healthcare and social care even within the healthcare community and the many shareholders this ultimately represents. Although the term communications encompasses a great many mechanisms, theories, and constructs, the term itself, with relation to healthcare and social care can be simply defined as â€Å"the process of

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Kachin Insurgency in Myanmar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Kachin Insurgency in Myanmar - Essay Example Thus, in this regard, the department of defense defines the current insurgency as an organized opposition movement that employs subversion, incapacitation and armed conflict to realize its objectives (Bortnyk). Therefore, insurgencies usually seek to overthrow the recurrent social order by altering power within a nation. A number of factors contribute to an insurgency in various occurrences but often political power is the primary issue in both insurgencies and counterinsurgencies with each faction aiming at gaining a people’s patronage. Major contributors are economic deprivation, poor governance and lack of government legitimacy. For instance, economic deprivation leads to poverty that leaves young men with fewer options in life or less to lose; thus, leaving them with no choice but to join insurgent groups (Bortnyk). In addition, poverty leads to increased crimes, a premonition of a population’s desensitization to lawlessness and aggression, which creates an illegal market in support of insurgencies (Army). That notwithstanding, most repressive systems of governances deny second or alternative voices from surfacing to question or criticize government operations and activities; thus leaving oppositions and alternative resort to insurgency to force the government to deliver on its mandate or to relinquish power. Thus, with the above understanding, this paper features the insurgency efforts of the Kachin Independence Army and its affiliates such as Myanmar military. The study focuses on the history of movements with no choice but to resort to insurgency. Lastly, besides governance, governments are expected to provide their citizens with security, justice, economic needs and allow space for ideology sharing (Aylwin-Foster and Army). Therefore, failure to provide such services to citizens, they often the Myanmar insurgency, the underlying causes, the army’s tactics and