Images and Imagery in Macbeth Essay -- Macbeth essays

Imagery in Macbeth  Ã‚     Ã‚   Shakespeare uses a variety of techniques in order to add depth and the underlying subtext within his plays. 'Macbeth' is no exception, he uses the stark imagery of clothing, the sickening physicality of blood and the concept of darkness to communicate a number of themes.   In turn this conveys important symbols that can be found within the play.    Within 'Macbeth' the imagery of clothing portrays how Macbeth is seeking to hide his "disgraceful self" from his own eyes and those around him. Shakespeare wants to keep alive the ironical contrast between the wretched creature that Macbeth really is, and the disguises he assumes to conceal the fact. In my opinion, the reader thinks of the play honors as garments to be worn; likewise, Macbeth is constantly represented symbolically as the wearer of robes not belonging to him. He is wearing an undeserved dignity, which is a crucial point that Shakespeare has made. The description of the purpose of clothing in Macbeth is the fact that these garments are not his. This perhaps leads to the notion that Macbeth is uncomfortable in them because he is continually conscious of the fact that he is not the rightful owner.    Below we can see the way in which that Macbeth's new honors sits ill upon him, like loose and badly fitting garments, which in essence belongs to someone else:    "New honours come upon him, Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mould, But with the aid of use."(Act I, iii: 144)    Specifically the use of the word 'strange' allows the reader to see how he fills uncomfortable in what he is wearing and therefore the role that he is performing.    In a Shakespearean tragedy, he is known to create a unique t... ...contrast to moments with less detailed subtext.   These depths of meanings are vitally important within Macbeth as it signifies not only character intention but plot devises that manipulate the lives we see on stage.    Works Cited and Consulted: Bradley, A.C. Shakespearean Tragedy. Toronto: Penguin Books Canada Ltd., 1991. Campbell, Lily B. Shakespeare's Tragic Heroes, Slaves of Passion. Gloucester: Peter Smith Publisher Inc., 1973.  Ã‚   Edwards, Terence. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Macbeth. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1977. Hunter, G.K. "Macbeth in the Twentieth Century." Aspects of Macbeth. Ed. Kenneth Muir Shakespeare, William.   Tragedy of Macbeth . Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul Warstine. New York: Washington Press, 1992.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Scott, Mark W. (Editor).   Shakespeare for Students.   Gale Research Inc. Detroit, Michigan. 1992   

Key Issues in W.E.B. DuBois’ The Souls of Black Folk

The Souls of Black Folk, by W.E.B. DuBois, is a compilation of essays written by DuBois and first published in 1903. In these essays, DuBois covers many of the problems that he sees in the lives of African American people. These multitude of problems can be summed up into one issue, â€Å"the problem of the color-line† (DuBois 1994, 9).DuBois sees this â€Å"color-line† as the root of difficulties for his race reaching back to the days of the Civil War, but he claims to really see it take hold in the era that he published his book, the early twentieth century (DuBois 1994, 9). Through his collection of essays, DuBois allows the reader to see multiple events pertaining to the lives of African Americans through his eyes, and paints the history of black struggles in ways that might not have been clear to someone who had not been so close to them.DuBois chose to begin each of his essays with a â€Å"sorrow song,† a line or two of music that â€Å"welled up from blac k souls in the dark past† (DuBois 1994, 1). These bits of song give the tone for each of the essays. DuBois speaks of being â€Å"a problem† to the white world around him, but he sees major issues in his time that keep people thinking of him as â€Å"a problem† (DuBois 1994, 2). These issues are those of â€Å"work, culture, and liberty,† (DuBois 1994, 6), things that DuBois does not see coming easily to his people.At the time, they lacked the right to vote, many lacked adequate schooling, and the â€Å"emancipation† granted in the Civil War era had not led to anything resembling true freedom (DuBois 1994, 6). An example of this lack of freedom is illustrated in the chapter, â€Å"Of The Black Belt.† This particular essay gives the reader the view from a traveling buggy in early twentieth century Georgia (DuBois 1994, 53). Due to recession after the war, most of the land has been abandoned by the previously wealthy owners, and is being rented to the African Americans who are willing to work on it (DuBois 1994, 53).These African Americans live in broken down plantations houses, barely fit for inhabitation, but still must pay exorbitant rents to the people who previously lived there (DuBois 1994, 53). On top of the out of control rents, no amount of money that the African Americans pay ensures them of ever owning any home or land (DuBois 1994, 60). The work they had   done on the land over the years quite often ended up sold to a white person, not matter how much the African American had paid on it (DuBois 1994, 61).Most of them are destitute, for all the money they make from growing crops goes into the hands of their landlords (DuBois 1994, 57). For a few older people, these landlords are their former owners. DuBois does not see this as freedom in any way. In fact, in the chapter â€Å"Of the Quest for the Golden Fleece† he is critical of the Emancipation due to the fact that it turned out so many slaves on thei r own, slaves who had not thought past being freed, and eventually caused them to come back to their former owners in order to have food and a place to live (DuBois 1994, 66).Another issue that DuBois finds relevant to the problem of the â€Å"color line† is the general lack of higher educational options, or â€Å"culture,† for the African American. In â€Å"Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others† DuBois gives the credit for a lot of this problem to Booker T. Washington and his plan of â€Å"Negroes (surviving) through submission† (DuBois 1994, 27). Washington’s plan was threefold. In it, African Americans should give up, â€Å"at least for the present: political power, insistence on civil rights, and higher education of Negro youth† (DuBois 1994, 27).Washington believed that these things could be accomplished later, but â€Å"compromise† would further the Negro cause at the time. DuBois was very much opposed to this system, stating t hat it caused, â€Å"the disfranchisement, the legal creation of a distinct status of civil inferiority, and the steady withdrawal of aid from institutions of higher training for the Negro† (DuBois 1994, 27).   He questioned any plan that would continue holding back his race, saying that Washington was hindering by bringing up the old â€Å"attitude of adjustment and submission† (DuBois 1994, 26).Another problem point for DuBois was the lack of liberty that his people had. For example, in the chapter â€Å"On The Coming of John,† DuBois tells the tale of a young African American man who strived to get past the â€Å"veil†and make something of himself. At first he was a poor student, but he refocused after being kicked out of school and came back with a real desire to learn. This learning, however, made him aware of the many things that he was excluded from.He â€Å"noticed now the oppression that had not seemed oppression before,† was angry when people did not call him â€Å"mister,† and was offended at having to ride in the â€Å"Jim Crow† cars (DuBois 1994, 95). The story continues on with the young man facing racism at every turn. The essay ends with the young man having exerted liberty by saving a young Negro woman from an amorous white man, whom he kills, but the liberty of action came at a price. As we leave the tale, the young man is sitting calmly at the site of the crime, waiting for the lynch mob he hears from far away to come get him (DuBois 1994, 102). The message that the tale conveys is that the lack of liberty to take part in the white world in bound to lead to disenchantment and anger for those held behind the â€Å"veil† (DuBois, 1994, 95).DuBois tackles the topic of African American religion in the chapter, â€Å"Of the Faith of the Fathers.† He explains the roots of Negro religions on the plantations. They were more likely to be pagan and voodoo like, because that is what most of them were taught in their native lands (DuBois 1994, 84). It took the impressions of missionaries and plantation owners to give the religion a â€Å"veneer of Christianity,† and it took several generations for the Negroes to come to a following of authentic Christianity (DuBois 1994, 84).However, DuBois has a problem with how Christianity came to be presented to the slave population. Whereas the â€Å"voodoo† type religions had â€Å"deepened and strengthened† the slaves, Christianity was manipulated by the plantation owners to weaken them (DuBois 1994, 84-85). In DuBois’ opinion, the Negro had been so run down that he was â€Å"losing the joy of this world† and â€Å"(eagerly) seizing upon the offered conceptions of the next† (DuBois 1994, 85). The Negroes became â€Å"fatalistic,† and with that fatalism came the traits of â€Å"shiftlessness† and â€Å"hopelessness† (DuBois 1994, 85).When they became free, many turn ed their religion into an idea of â€Å"revenge† (DuBois, 1994, 85). The â€Å"Coming of the Lord† was looked for, and people pledged to die before going back to slavery (DuBois 1994, 86). There was also an idea that the slave owners would get their punishment when the Lord came, so the event was highly anticipated. At the time DuBois was writing, religion had split into two sectors for the Negro. Northern blacks held a vengeful ideal, and Southern blacks fell into â€Å"hypocritical compromise† (DuBois 1994, 87). Neither were ideal, and DuBois closed with the hope that there would be an â€Å"awakening† and â€Å"the real Negro heart† would come â€Å"out of the Valley of the Shadow of Death,† and create a new world where the things he desired for his people would not be â€Å"for White People Only† (Dubois 1994, 88).There is much more that could be said about DuBois’ essays, but the main thing that this writer believes that h e would want a person to take from his work is the idea that one group of people cannot be subjugated forever. Although some may not want to work for freedom, there are always a few that will want to learn and make a better person out of themselves. Instead of a taste of liberty angering them because they cannot do anything with it, the taste should bring them joy as they are accepted into the new world they have so longed for. DuBois never got to see a world like that, but perhaps one day his descendants, and ours, will.Reference ListDuBois, W.E.B. 1994. The souls of black folk. New York: Dover Publications.

The Benefits of Preschool for Your Toddler

How Beneficial is preschool for your toddler? Jane M. Rentas Barry University Author Note This paper was prepared for English 202 taught by Dr. Louise Rogers How beneficial is preschool for your toddler? Preschool is an early childhood program in which children combine learning with playing in a program run by professionally trained adults. Children are most commonly enrolled in preschool between the ages of two through five years old..Preschools are different from your traditional daycare in that their emphasis is learning and development rather than enabling parents to work or pursue other activities. In addition to being called preschool, these programs are known by other names, including child care, day care, and nursery school. They vary widely in their setting, format, and educational requirements. Preschools may meet all-day or half-day, either every day or just a few days per week. They could be sponsored by a church, operate as an independent non-profit, or run for profit.Th ey may be part of the public school system or part of the Federal Head Start program. Before 1960, the education of young children was the responsibility of families within the home. As of 2004, most young children in the United States spend some of their days apart from their parents. Most children attended some sort program like Headstart, Daycare or VPK prior to kindergarten. The enrollment rate for four-year-olds in 2001 was almost the same as the enrollment rate for five-year-olds in 1970. There are several factors that influence this dramatic change.One factor being a rise in the numbers of mothers working outside of the home, a decline in the size of families which leads more parents to turn to preschools as a social outlet for their children, and a desire to give children a head start academically. The higher the income and educational level of the parents, it is more likely that their child will attend preschool. As the years go by, we will see an increase of children atten ding preschool because of the substantial increase of governmental support for programs targeting children in low-income households.According to the National Institute for Early Education Research, the types of teaching activities and classroom emphases that contribute to a high-quality early education for children include the opportunities to learn persistence when working at tasks, direction following, and good listening skills, focus on language and literacy skills, as well as interactive book reading, emphasis on teaching children problem-solving skills and opportunities for preschoolers to engage in music and art. The greatest academic and social progress seen in preschools is in children from deprived backgrounds.Most children in preschool are not disadvantaged, and some researchers believe the same gains of attending preschool can be done at home by providing them educational toys, games, movies and books for the child. In some preschools, the ability of groups might mean tha t children will not receive the one on one attention they require. This is a major risk if the preschool does not follow the National Association for the Education of Young Children's recommended teacher-to-child ratio of no more than ten preschoolers per staff member.One-on-one instruction is an advantage parents will not likely find in any preschool. There are other opportunities for playing with other children that exist in churches, clubs, and other sports, where the child can learn social skills. Some believe that what children need most is lots of playing and free time and close interaction with their parents something that may be affected if the child is away from home for long periods of time. Another disadvantage is that some children experience acute separation anxiety, which indicates that they are not yet ready to make the transition to the environment of preschool.Many programs also expect the child to be toilet-trained , which is a milestone that not all children have at the preschool age. Parents considering sending their child to preschool should investigate several different ones and consider many factors before choosing one. Parents should also realize that in spite of the potential advantages that preschool may have, preschool may not be for every child. Parents can also find and research alternative ways of introducing their child to early academic skills and social activities.

Conservative Perspective on Health Care Reform

Conservative Perspective on Health Care Reform Contrary to popular opinion, conservatives do indeed believe there is a need for health care reform. If there is one thing upon which Republicans, Democrats, liberals, and conservatives can agree, it is that the health care system in America is broken.The issue, then, is what exactly is broken about it. Liberals generally believe the only way to fix the system is for the government to operate it, the way Canada and the United Kingdom run their systems via universal health care. Conservatives, on the other hand, disagree with this notion and contend that the American government is wholly unequipped to take on such a huge endeavor, and even if it were, the resulting bureaucracy would be terribly inefficient like most government programs.Conservatives arent just naysayers, however. Their plan is more optimistic in tone because they believe the current system can be fixed with reform measures such as promoting competition between health insurance and pharmaceutical companies, reforming the Medicare payment system, establishing clear standards of care and ending the lottery court system by capping damage awards ordered by activist judges. Latest Developments Democrats on Capitol Hill have been floating the concept of a single-payer health care system similar to the ones currently in practice in Canada and the United Kingdom.Conservatives staunchly oppose this idea on the grounds that regardless of what filmmaker Michael Moore says government-run health care systems are notoriously slow, inefficient and costly.Before he was elected in 2008, President Barack Obama promised to save the typical American family $2,500 annually by reforming the insurance market and creating a National Health Insurance Exchange. In his press releases, the president claims the Obama/Biden plan will Make Health Insurance Work for People and Businesses Not Just Insurance and Drug Companies.The National Health Insurance Exchange is ostensibly modeled after the Congressional health benefits plan. The plan would allow employers to reduce their premiums by switching most of their employees over to the government program (of course non-unionized workers would have n o say in the matter at all). The new nationalized health care plan would then absorb these new individual health care costs, bloating an already overburdened federal government even further. Background Costs surrounding the health care industry are inflated by three very particular elements, two of which involve the insurance industry. Because of (in many cases) preposterous court settlements that create a veritable lottery for plaintiffs seeking damages, liability insurance for health care providers is out of control. If doctors and other medical professionals want to continue to operate and generate a profit, they often have no choice but to charge exorbitant fees for their services, which are then passed along to the consumers insurance company. Insurance companies, in turn, raise premiums on the consumers. Physician and consumer insurance plans constitute two of the culprits in the high cost of health care, but both are related directly what is happening in American courtrooms.When consumer insurance companies receive the bills for these high-cost services, it is in their best interest to find reasons not to pay or reimburse the insured. In many cases, these companies are unabl e to successfully avoid payment (because in most cases the services are medically necessary), so not only the consumer but the insured consumers employer experiences a rise in health care insurance premiums, as well. Bottom line: activist judges, seeking to drive home a point or make an example of a particular physician, combine to drive up the costs of liability insurance, which in turn drives up the costs of health care insurance.Unfortunately, these problems with the health care system are compounded by an out-of-control pharmaceutical industry.When a pharmaceutical manufacturer makes an important discovery and successfully introduces a new medication into the health care market, the immediate demand for that medication creates a disproportionate rise in cost. Its not enough for these manufacturers to make a profit, these manufacturers must make a killing (literally, when certain consumers are unable to afford the medication they need).There are pills that cost upwards of $100 each in the retail market, yet cost less than $10 per pill to manufacture. When the insurance companies receive the bill for these very expensive medications, it is in their nature to attempt to find a way to avoid absor bing those costs. Between exorbitant physician fees, exorbitant pharmaceutical fees and exorbitant health insurance fees, consumers often cannot afford the health care they need. The Need for Tort Reform The main culprit in the battle over health care costs is the extensive damage awards doled out by activist judges every day across the country. Thanks to these inflated awards, defendants hoping to avoid a court appearance are left with no other option than inflated settlements.Conservatives realize, of course, that in many cases there are reasonable complaints against providers who misdiagnose, mismanage or neglect a consumers proper treatment. Weve all heard the horror stories about doctors who confuse patients, leave utensils inside surgery patients, or make an egregious misdiagnosis.One way to ensure plaintiffs receive justice, while keeping health care costs from becoming artificially inflated is to develop clear standards of care to which all physicians must abide, and assign clear penalties in the form of reasonable financial damages for breaches of those standards and other transgressions.This may sound eerily like the concept of mandatory minimum sentencing, but it is not. Instead, it sets maximum civil penalties, which judges may impose, with the maximum penalties being awarded for circumstances resulting in wrongful-deaths. For more than one transgression, more than one penalty would apply. Such guidelines could also urge jurists to be creative; requiring providers to perform specific community service or, in the case of physicians, pro-bono work for a specific segment of society.Presently, legal lobbyists have made imposing caps on damages virtually impossible. Lawyers have a vested interest in procuring the maximum penalty possible, since their fees are often a percentage of the settlement or award. Reasonable legal fees should also be built into any system placing caps on penalties to ensure settlements or awards actually go to intended parties. Extravagant lawyer fees and frivolous lawsuits do as much to drive up the high costs of health care as the scandalous damages awarded by activist judges. The Need for Competition Many conservatives believe families, individuals and businesses should be able to purchase health insurance nationwide to heighten competition for their business and provide a variety of choices.Further, individuals should be permitted to obtain insurance privately or through organizations of their choice: employers, churches, professional associations or others. Such policies would automatically bridge the gap between retirement and Medicare eligibility and cover multiple years.More choices in coverage is just one aspect of a free-market health care system. Another is allowing consumers to shop for treatment options. This would promote competition between conventional and alternative providers and make patients the center of care. Permitting providers to practice nationwide also would build genuine national markets and give consumers greater responsibility in their own health care decisions.Competition ensures the public is better educated about preventative health care and treatmen t options. It forces providers to be more transparent regarding medical outcomes, quality of care and the costs of treatment. It also means more competitive pricing. Lesser quality providers get weeded out, because like elsewhere in the free-market economy they get priced out of malpractice insurance and have no way to raise their prices. Developing national standards of care to measure and record treatments and outcomes ensures only top-quality providers remain in business.Dramatic reforms in Medicare would have to supplement a free-market health care system. Under this scenario, the Medicare payment system, which compensates providers for prevention, diagnosis and care, would have to be overhauled into a tiered system, with providers not being paid for preventable medical errors or mismanagement.Competition in the pharmaceutical market would force down drug prices and expand cheaper generic drug alternatives. Safety protocols permitting the re-importation of drugs would keep competition in the drug industry vigorous, as well. In all cases of health care competition, the consumer would be protected through enforcement of federal protections against collusion, unfair business actions and deceptive consumer practices. Where It Stands Democrats in the US House and Senate are preparing legislation that would include government-subsidized insurance plan and would require individuals and businesses to be covered or face financial penalties.Obamas vision of a National Health Insurance Exchange is a step closer to reality, while the nation is a step closer to universal health care.The governments entrance into the health insurance market could spell disaster for private insurers, which would be unable to compete. Adding further complications for the private health insurance industry are new mandates included in the bill that would prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to individuals based on their medical history.In other words, Democrats want to create a public health insurance program that competes with private companies, and at the same time, make it harder for private companies to stay in business.Conservatives, meanwhile, fear that the legislation could lead to an entire takeover of the health care ind ustry, thus implementing a model of European socialism in America.

The eNotes Blog Changes Are Afoot for theSAT

Changes Are Afoot for theSAT Yesterday it was announced that the SAT would be revising its test for the second time in just over a decade. To help you prepare for the next version of this popular standardized test, find here an outline of the changes plus other important announcements from The College Board that will impact future college admissions. What will the new SAT look like? The new SAT, to be released in 2016, will feature four significant changes: The SAT essay, introduced in 2005, will become an optional segment of the exam SAT scoring, also changed in 2005, will return from the 2400- to the 1600-point system Points will no longer be deducted for incorrect answers (currently students lose 1/4 of a point for each wrong answer) And lastly, SAT vocabulary will become a thing of the past, as complete-the-sentence sections of the exam are replaced by ones that test students critical reading of a passage. Why make these changes? One thought that struck me when I read over these changes was that the SAT is increasingly becoming more like the ACT. The criteria are familiar: no deduction of points for incorrect answers, no required essay, and a significant critical reading section are all key points of the ACT that many students over the past decade have recognized as advantages to taking it over the SAT. So much so that gone are the days that the SAT is the go-to test; when I was a high school junior, nobody ever mentioned the ACT, but when I became a test-prep tutor five years later it was the exam 90% of my students elected to take. Why? When they were evaluated at the start of our course, the overwhelming majority performed better on the ACT than the SAT. It gave them a step-up in achieving a higher ranking, and as students favor of the test increased, colleges willingness to accept it on equal terms with the SAT followed suit. For whatever reason, be it an attempt to curry more favor (and cash) or a genuine recognition of a need to assess students more fairly, the SAT is moving towards a format more similar to the ACT. What do these changes mean for students? When I tutored students for the SAT, a significant focus of our preparation was on strategy. To perform well, one has to form a plan of attack, making a practical decision from the outset on how many questions would need to be answered to achieve the desired score. Thats because every wrong answer a student might give could decrease his or her overall score, thanks to the quarter-point deduction for an incorrect choice. Except for the cases where students strove for a perfect score, it was more advantageous to leave x number of questions blank. Now, however, the idea of SAT strategy will be tossed by the wayside. Is this good or bad? Perhaps we should simply say it assesses a different skill. The SAT Reasoning Test, to go by its full name, was designed to test a students ability to reason and evaluate. In reality, though, this has meant that in many cases the SAT measures little more than how well a student takes the SAT. If it moves closer towards assessing students mathematical and verbal abilities, I say thats a very good thing. New SAT scoring will make the guessing game a thing of the past Another prime focus of my SAT tutoring sessions was on SAT vocabulary. For those of you who havent taken the SAT in a while, the dreaded a:b as c:__ questions were thankfully removed from the test some time ago. That question type had students do nothing more than memorize as many SAT words as they could, and if you think punctilious and occlusion stayed in their minds past the big exam day, youd be wrong. But vocabulary continued to be a part of the exams Critical Reading section, only in the form of complete-the-sentence questions. This format is drastically different, as blank spaces are surrounded by context clues that smart testers look for when determining a definition. Learning how to look for these clues is the secret to scoring well on a vocabulary test, much more than studying a dictionary. Equally helpful is the study of Greek and Latin root words, as shown below. Now, I have to tell you: this will not change on the 2016 version of the SAT.  Yes, complete-the-sentence questions will be removed, but that doesnt mean vocabulary wont still be a factor in testing. When the Critical Reading section is adapted to be very similar to the ACTs (containing multiple passages and accompanying multiple choice questions that assess ones understanding of those passages) you can be sure that test-makers will still look to assess your ability to determine the definition of a word. On the ACT these questions are called Vocabulary-in-Context questions, and look a little something like this: In line 38, the word  soft means?                                                                           A. Smooth                                                                           B. Friendly                                                                           C. Quiet                                                                           D. Angry Without looking at the word soft in context, the correct choice could be A or C. The true test is of a students ability to look back at the passage and determine the correct connotation of the word. My prediction is that SAT vocabulary will move even more in this direction than it has in the past. That said, I still believe SAT novels like this one  are a good way to expose students to words they might encounter on any standardized test. Thats because half the challenge is overcoming the intimidation that an unfamiliar, lengthy word presents to the test-taker. Speaking of the Critical Reading section, the passages within it will follow a different focus than before, with a greater emphasis on real-world texts. Once again, the SAT will closely align itself with the ACT: the reading section will enable students to analyze a wide range of sources, including literature and literary non-fiction, science, history and social studies (the ACTs reading section contains 4 passages, in Prose Fiction, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Natural Science). The good thing about the SAT is that source documents will in places originate from some well-known places: Each exam will include a passage drawn from the Founding Documents of America or the Great Global Conversation they inspire - texts like the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers and Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. That means students have plenty of opportunities to study familiar texts beforehand. In fact, has study guides and annotated etexts of those very documents to help students gain understanding prior to taking their exams: Letter from Birmingham Jail study guide The Federalist Papers study guide Declaration of Independence questions and answers and more Social Sciences and History eTexts Finally, the subject of the SAT essay being dropped. Lets tackle this monster on its own To take or not to take the SAT essay? Hallelujah!  young freshman across the country will exclaim, on hearing the 25-minute essay portion of the SAT is no longer a requirement. Poor little babies, they think theyve been given a free pass. Sadly, that isnt the case. Yes the essay is now  optional, but dont think that means colleges wont be expecting you to take it. The essay portion of the ACT is optional, too, but I made every student of mine take it. Why? For one, its not as hard as you make it out to be; no test grader expects a polished final draft in such a short time span, and a little practice goes a long way in improving your score. Secondly, and simply, taking the essay looks better than not taking the essay. Believe it or not, colleges praise attempts just as much as achievements. So, my advice is to always take the essay on either standardized test.  Just make sure you go into it having practiced ahead of time. To help you, here are our 8 steps to writing a good essay for the SAT.  Once youve completed those, submit your essay to our Essay Lab Homework Help section  for a real-life teacher to grade and provide feedback on. One more note on the SAT essay: the above is in regards to the essay portion of the exam that is apart from the rest of the test. However, the future Critical Reading section will also include a short essay portion, the essay analyzing a source.  Therefore, one SAT essay will continue to be a requirement, though this CR essay will evaluate how well students analyze evidence and explain how an author builds an argument to persuade an audience and will greatly differ from the prompts given in the Writing section. Whether you take both essays or just one, you should still prepare for some hand cramping. What other changes to the SAT  will impact students? Free test-prep from The College Board and Khan Academy What this country needs is not more tests, but more opportunities, said Coleman. The real news today is not just the redesigned SAT, but the College Boards renewed commitment to delivering opportunity. David Coleman, College Board President, quoted in its press release In accordance with this promise, Coleman announced that free test-prep will be provided to students the world over, thanks to a partnership with Khan Academy. The material will be designed by both partners together and launched in the spring of 2015. Financial aid to students in need Qualifying students who take the SAT will receive four fee waivers to apply to college. It doesnt appear from the press release that The College Board will offer the actual test for free to these students, but offering them the expensive opportunity to apply to their desired colleges will make a drastic impact on many students lives. Bringing test-prep into the classroom? The press release is vague on these details, but this statement seems to indicate that classwork may be influenced to prepare students for standardized testing: Moving forward, the College Board will also support the practice of excellent work in classrooms by working with teachers and college faculty to design course frameworks and modules for use in grades 6–12. A writing prize modeled after the Pulitzer From edSurge: While writing might be taking a back seat on the SAT, College Board revealed plans to create a writing competition, modeled after the Pulitzer Prize. The prize will be awarded for analytical writing pieces. Winners will be published in  The Atlantic. More details have yet to be released. There you have it: an outline of the biggest changes to the SAT. For more details on these adjustments, you can find the official press release from The College Board here. And as always, our educators are standing by to deliver any test-prep help you may need with the current SAT and ACT. Good luck to everyone taking the SAT in just a couple of days! And dont forget the deadline to register for the next ACT is tomorrow.

Longisquama - Facts and Figures

Longisquama - Facts and Figures Name: Longisquama (Greek for long scales); pronounced LONG-ih-SKWA-mah Habitat: Woodlands of central Asia Historical Period: Middle Triassic (230-225 million years ago) Size and Weight: About six inches long and a few ounces Diet: Probably insects Distinguishing Characteristics: Small size; feather-like plumes on pack About Longisquama To judge by its single, incomplete fossil specimen, Longisquama was closely related to other small, gliding reptiles of the Triassic period like Kuehneosaurus and Icarosaurus. The difference is that these latter reptiles possessed flat, butterfly-like wings of skin, whereas Longisquama had thin, narrow plumes jutting out from its vertebrae, the exact orientation of which is a continuing mystery. Its possible that these quill-like structures extended from side to side and gave Longisquama some lift when it jumped from branch to branch of high trees, or they may have stuck straight up and served a strictly decorative function, probably related to sexual selection. Of course, it hasnt escaped the notice of scientists that Longisquamas frills seem to have stopped just short of being genuine feathers. A small handful of paleontologists have seized on this resemblance to propose that Longisquama may have been ancestral to birdswhich would either cause this creature (which is tentatively classified as a diapsid reptile) to be reclassified as an early dinosaur or archosaur, or upend established thought entirely and trace modern birds back to an obscure family of gliding lizards. Until more fossil evidence is found, though, the current theory (that birds evolved from feathered theropod dinosaurs) appears to be safe!

Employee Compensation and Benefits Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employee Compensation and Benefits - Assignment Example In this case, subordinates like a secretary earns within the lower range. The wages will be paid every Sunday of every week and the amount of wages per worker will be reviewed annually based on the prevailing inflation rates of the country, performance measures and amount of profits earned in the company (Trani, 2003). Bonus payments will be paid to employees who perform exceptionally. The secretary will therefore earn a bonus if customers provide a positive feedback about her. Performance management system of the company will appraise the performance of the secretary annually and provide bonuses based on the performance rankings and ratings. The bonus will be provided in cash basis determined as a percentage of salary. The bonus is paid based on appraisal of the employee’s performance in terms of the speed of performing tasks, level of organisation during employee training, and how the secretary treats applicants when they come for interview. The employee benefits of the secretary will include healthcare benefits, disability insurance and retirement benefits, and will be paid to the secretary just like any other employee of the organization. 2.5 percent of secretary’s weekly wages will be deducted to cover for monthly premium of the employee’s healthcare and the remaining amount of monthly premium is paid by the business to cover for the secretary’s healthcare benefits (Goldman et al, 2005). If the secretary is not able to work on a short term basis due to disability, the business provides 50% of income (pre-disability wages) as part of her benefits package. This is based on the requirement of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ fixed percentage earnings which requires 50%-70% of employee’s predetermined salary to be paid as disability insurance (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013). This will be paid every