Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Identify And Discuss The Main Factors In The Origins Of The Essay

Identify And Discuss The Main Factors In The Origins Of The Reformation Who Or What Was The Single Greatest Catalyst For Change - Essay Example While some causes for doubt where natural processes quite beyond the scope or prevention of the church of the times, such as in the case of the Black Death and subsequent plagues that periodically decimated the European population, others were undoubtedly the result of greed and bids for power, such as could be seen in the Western Schism. Finally, social changes ranged far out of the control of the church through a variety of factors. A growth in the population leading up to the reformation, coupled with significant changes in economic structures as agrarian workers moved to towns and villages began to produce a more literary public. This was encouraged by the invention of the printing press that made the production of books faster and more economical and thus making them more accessible to a wider audience. This, in turn, promoted the spread of Humanitarian ideas throughout the general public following a period of church failures. Thus, while it can be argued that Martin Luther was the biggest catalyst for change, he was heavily assisted by a variety of factors that came together at just the right time and place for his words to have maximum impact. The Black Death was the first of several waves of plague that would periodically decimate and terrorize the European population until a probable cause was finally identified. In this, the first of the plagues, the populace was more than terrified at the horrible curse that had been brought upon them, striking seemingly at random and completely unstoppable. Those suffering the illness might not know they’d contracted it for up to seven days and then would experience headaches, nausea, aching joints, swelling of the lymph nodes, high fevers and vomiting. Reports indicate as much as a third of all Europeans died of the disease and the mortality rate for those contracting it was reportedly as high as 75 percent (Luftus et al, 1999). In the face of this devastating and mysterious illness that

Monday, October 28, 2019

Effective Persuasion Assignment Essay Example for Free

Effective Persuasion Assignment Essay Welcome to WritePoint, the automated review system that recognizes errors most commonly made by university students in academic essays. The system embeds comments into your paper and suggests possible changes in grammar and style. Please evaluate each comment carefully to ensure that the suggested change is appropriate for your paper, but remember that your instructors preferences for style and format prevail. You will also need to review your own citations and references since WritePoint capability in this area is limited. Thank you for using WritePoint. The city of Detroit was once the most populated city in the United States for single family homeownership, what happened? [Writing suggestion: Unless in a quote or a title, avoid rhetorical questions in academic writing. A good idea is to provide answers, not questions] How did urban blight take over seemingly [Avoid this word. It means in a seeming manner (which is meaningless); it does not mean it seems] , overnight? When you ride down a street where you grew up 20 years ago, only to see more abandon houses than standing occupied one’s it is heartbreaking. When a single family home or a business catches fire is it normal to leave the rubble standing as an eyesore? This is what you see. The Building and Safety Department, in charge of the responsibility of demolition, seems to be closed. The owners of businesses and single family homes are allowed to just walk away. During the eighties and early nineties there was a program called the Nuisance Abatement Program. It was put in place to allow low income families to have homeownership. Families that applied for the program were screened for approval to repair and occupy the homes for three years without paying any taxes. This gave the family time to fix up the property and secure homeownership without a mortgage. After three years the city had a tax base on the property again. A win, win marriage the program seem to be. The politicians in charge decided it was not profitable enough for them. During this same period many businesses that were [Writing suggestion: rewrite the sentence to remove that were] given tax breaks to move their businesses in the city, found other areas to move to and left the businesses vacant without finishing the promised period they were given the breaks for. No one held them accountable for breaking their agreement with the city. They owed taxes for the period they stayed in the city, for not fulfilling their obligation. Why didn’t anyone pursuit them? The state and federal government finally gets involved, they send money to aid in the tearing down of dangerous properties to eradicate the blight that is [Wordiness: see if you can remove that or that is] being [Doctoral rule (but good advice for any academic writer)If not a noun (as in human being), the word Being is hard to imagine; it means existing. Try to rewrite this without using beingwith action words like attending, working, living, experiencing, simply asor even removing being completely] reported. This is great [Writing suggestion: great is an overworked word, too frequently seen, and too vague. It has too many meanings: huge, superior, numerous, etc. Use a more specific adjective] news right? Only the problem is not being fixed, where is the money going to? This question is being asked so much that the Federal government begins to launch its own investigation. The allegations run deep, there is a pay to play scheme going on in the political arena. The mayor, the city cou ncil and several prominent people are involved in the scheme. Where is the money? Is it in the pockets of politicians small and great? The mayor is indicted and a couple of city council members are indicted as well on multiple charges involving running a criminal enterprise, misappropriation of funds and abuse of the public trust. Documents seized by the Fed’s reveal a deep rooted plan to take money out of the city to suburban areas where building projects could gain maximum dollars. The press reporting of these events are ignored and rejected as rumor and racial targeting of Black public officials, when all along the scheme was being unfolded by law enforcement at the very same time. While these events are taking place the city begins to look like a war zone. Neighborhoods ravished like waste dumps with tires and junk, abandoned burned out buildings and homes are the norm in most neighborhood. Amid the scandal the city officials are not addressing the people. One by one they began to resign and [Grammar: A run-on sentence requires a comma before and (or other conjunction) linking main clauses] the truth begins to come out. It was all a plan, it was done on purpose. They abandoned the city and left it in ruins, why? For investor’s that paid them millions of dollars to come in and by the property for nothing and rebuild unaffordable housing to drive out the elderly and the poor. As more and more [Writing suggestion: doubling a word like this can be effective in speech but is less intensive in writing] documents are uncovered and presented to the public the leadership begins to change hands. A new mayor is elected with a different plan but the same mission, to sell out the citizens of the city, this time without corruption, but with deception. He declares his plan to shrink the city, by selling off portion of it to the suburbs, making it a smaller city. The media again reveals documents of secret meeting with neighboring cities to go forward with this plan long before it was public knowledge. The people have been tricked again by the politicians in charge, when called by the citizens to explain these events the mayor and the city council set up town hall meeting where they hire a private company to conduct the meeting with none of them present. The mismanagement of funds causes the governor to respond by sending a team to investigate the condition of the city’s finances. It is discovered that the city is in deeper debt than it reveals to the government and [Grammar: A run-on sentence requires a comma before and (or other conjunction) linking main clauses] he assigns a nine member board to take over city financial operations. The city council votes in favor of the nine member board despite the outcry of the people.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Banking :: essays research papers fc

Banking So Much for That Plan "More than 70% of commercial bank assets are held by organizations that are supervised by at least two federal agencies; almost half attract the attention of three or four. Banks devote on average about 14% of their non-interest expense to complying with rules" (Anonymous 88). A fool can see that government waste has struck again. This tangled mess of regulation, among other things, increases costs and diffuses accountability for policy actions gone awry. The most effective remedy to correct this problem would be to consolidate most of the supervisory responsibilities of the regulatory agencies into one agency. This would reduce costs to both the government and the banks, and would allow the parts of the agencies not consolidated to concentrate on their primary tasks. One such plan was introduced by Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen in March of 1994. The plan called for folding, into a new independent federal agency (called the Banking Commission), the regulatory portions of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS). This plan would save the government $150 to $200 million a year. This would also allow the FDIC to concentrate on deposit insurance and the Fed to concentrate on monetary policy (Anonymous 88). Of course this is Washington, not The Land of Oz, so everyone can't be satisfied with this plan. Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan and FDIC Chairman Ricki R. Tigert have been vocal opponents of the plan. Greenspan has four major complaints about the plan. First, divorced from the banks, the Fed would find it harder to forestall and deal with financial crises. Second, monetary policy would suffer because the Fed would have less access to review the banks. Thirdly, a supervisor with no macroeconomic concerns might be too inclined to discourage banks from taking risks, slowing the economy down. Lastly, creating a single regulator would do away with important checks and balances, in the process damaging state bank regulation (Anonymous 88). To answer these criticisms it is necessary to make clear what the Fed's job is. The Fed has three main responsibilities: to ensure financial stability, to implement monetary policy, and to oversee a smoothly functioning payments system (delivering checks and transferring funds) (Syron 3). The responsibilities of the Fed are linked to the banking system. Banking :: essays research papers fc Banking So Much for That Plan "More than 70% of commercial bank assets are held by organizations that are supervised by at least two federal agencies; almost half attract the attention of three or four. Banks devote on average about 14% of their non-interest expense to complying with rules" (Anonymous 88). A fool can see that government waste has struck again. This tangled mess of regulation, among other things, increases costs and diffuses accountability for policy actions gone awry. The most effective remedy to correct this problem would be to consolidate most of the supervisory responsibilities of the regulatory agencies into one agency. This would reduce costs to both the government and the banks, and would allow the parts of the agencies not consolidated to concentrate on their primary tasks. One such plan was introduced by Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen in March of 1994. The plan called for folding, into a new independent federal agency (called the Banking Commission), the regulatory portions of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS). This plan would save the government $150 to $200 million a year. This would also allow the FDIC to concentrate on deposit insurance and the Fed to concentrate on monetary policy (Anonymous 88). Of course this is Washington, not The Land of Oz, so everyone can't be satisfied with this plan. Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan and FDIC Chairman Ricki R. Tigert have been vocal opponents of the plan. Greenspan has four major complaints about the plan. First, divorced from the banks, the Fed would find it harder to forestall and deal with financial crises. Second, monetary policy would suffer because the Fed would have less access to review the banks. Thirdly, a supervisor with no macroeconomic concerns might be too inclined to discourage banks from taking risks, slowing the economy down. Lastly, creating a single regulator would do away with important checks and balances, in the process damaging state bank regulation (Anonymous 88). To answer these criticisms it is necessary to make clear what the Fed's job is. The Fed has three main responsibilities: to ensure financial stability, to implement monetary policy, and to oversee a smoothly functioning payments system (delivering checks and transferring funds) (Syron 3). The responsibilities of the Fed are linked to the banking system.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Edgar Allen Poe Essay examples -- essays research papers fc

Edgar Allan Poe; A Man of Secrecy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809 as Edgar Poe. He was the second son to Elizabeth Arnold Poe and David Poe. Both parents were actors, and shortly after Poe’s birth, his father deserted his family around 1810. Edgar became an orphan before the age of three years, when his mother died on December 8, 1811 in Richmond, Virginia at the age of twenty-four years. His father died at the age of twenty-seven years old. After his mother’s death, the childless couple, John and Frances Allan, took in Poe; his paternal grandparents took in brother William Henry; and foster parents cared for sister Rosalie. Allan was a strict and unemotional tobacco merchant and his wife was overindulgent. Poe was educated by the Allan’s aid, in private academies, excelling in Latin, in writing verse and declamation. However, regardless of his education, he was looked down upon by the upper class of society, perhaps because Poe was never legally adopted by the Al lan’s, nonetheless he was regarded as an outsider by the Richmond elite. However, being the child of former actor’s could have also added to his reputation of not fitting in with Richmond’s culture at that time. The loss of his mother at an early age definitely affected Poe, â€Å"The angels, whispering to one another, Can find, among their burning terms of love, None so devotional as that of ‘Mother’† (To My Mother). In Tamerlane, he not only wrote about his father, but he wrote about his mother too. He had more respect for his mother than he did for his father. In Tamerlane he speaks much nicer of his mother. â€Å"O, she was worthy of all love! Love – as in infancy was mine – ‘Twas such as angel minds above Might envy; her young heart the shrine on which my every hope and thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Tamerlane). He thought of life with his mother and how it might have been.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1831 Poe moved to Baltimore to live with his aunt, Maria Clemm. There he fell in love and married her daughter and his cousin Virginia Clemm, who was not even fourteen at the time. Ten years later she also died of tuberculosis. He dearly loved his wife and after she died his life just went to pieces. In â€Å"The Raven†, the character is morning over the death of â€Å"Lenore† when a raven visits him. Poe used the raven because it is a bird that feeds on dead flesh – a symbol of death. â€Å"... ... of common usage—it is the work of nine tenths of his critism† (221). Edgar Allan Poe was in fact born before his time! Works Cited Bohner, Charles H. â€Å"The John Hopkins Press†. John Pendleton Kennedy URL: http.//www.usna.edu/EnglishDept/poeperplex/kennedyp.htm (21 July 2000). Buranelli, Vincent. Edgar Allan Poe. Boston: Twayne Publishers. URL: http.//:www.toolcity.net/~zrm/lit/telltale/html (21 July 2000). Ljunguist Kent P. Edgar Allan Poe. ‘Guide to Literary Theory & Critism†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  URL: http.//www.press.jhu.edu/books/hopinks_guide_to_literary_theory/   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  entries/edgar_allan_poe.html (20 July 2000). Ljunguist Kent P. Edgar Allan Poe. The World Book Encyclopedia. 2nd Edition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chicago, Ill: World Book Inc, 1987. Vol. 15. Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809-1849. The Collected Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Poe. New York: Modern Library, 1992. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 5th Edition. New York, New York: Norton & Company, 1999.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

You Too Can Have a Healthy Skeletal System

You too can have a healthy skeletal system, even in old age Announcer: I Just came from the doctor and I am definitely going to start hiking once a week, and am going to bump up my exercise routine to three times a week. I also need to get to the grocery store to buy some calcium-rich foods. Radio Personality: You know, I am so sick of my doctor telling me what to eat and when to exercise. I am naturally in good shape and can eat whatever I want and still have a great physique.Announcer: We both are getting up there in age, and I hope you realize that It Is not serially what is on the outside, but what is happening on the inside that matters when it comes to arthritis, osteoporosis, and injuries from falls. Yes, the fact that you are able to keep a good weight Is a starting point, but I am sure that you have many other risk factors for all of these problems. Radio Personality: What other risk factors could I possibly have? Announcer: Well for starters your smoking Is a risk factor fo r osteoporosis and I am sure that it does not help your overall health In general.Both of our ages will always e a risk factor, and also your fast-food diet and alcohol consumption Is a risk factor for arthritis, osteoporosis, and Injuries from falls. Radio Personality: What can I do? I think the damage may already have been done. Announcer: You can begin by stopping the smoking and drinking alcohol on only special occasions. Exercise regularly, especially bone and muscle strengthening exercises, and eat a healthy diet that Is rich In calcium and Valetta D. Have regular eye check-ups and carefully look at the side-effects of any medications you may be taking.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Legalization of Narcotics essays

Legalization of Narcotics essays Narcotics, or drugs, are substances that affect the bodys functions. They can stimulate the mind, make people depressed, or make them hyper. Marijuana, heroin, LSD, PCP, cocaine, and anabolic steroids are all considered narcotics. Narcotics are illegal in the U.S. Even though drugs are illegal, about 12 million people use them anyway. Many strict laws have been passed against drugs but they seem to have little affect. People still decide to sell or use drugs for recreational purpose. This is why narcotics should be legalized. Before 1914, it was legal to make, sell, or use any type of drugs. Many of the drugs were used for medicinal use. This was before people found out how addictive and harmful drugs were. The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 required medicine labels to show whether over the counter drugs contained narcotics. After the act was passed, many Americans did not buy medicine that contained narcotics. The Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914 made narcotics illegal except for medicinal purpose. On 1919 the Supreme Court changed the Harrison Narcotics Act. They made it illegal for doctors to prescribe narcotic drugs to addicts. The Controlled Substance Act was created in 1970. The CSA turned fifty-five drug laws into one big one. This act sets the minimum penalties for the use or distribution of narcotics. State and local governments can make the drug laws stricter, but have to follow the minimal guidelines set by the CSA. The CSA divides narcotics into five categories called schedules. Schedule I drugs are only allowed for controlled experimentation. They have the highest potential for abuse. These drugs are: heroin, LSD, marijuana, and Ecstasy. Schedule II drugs are also restricted, but can be prescribed by doctors under special circumstances. These drugs are cocaine and PCP. Schedule III drugs have medical use, but can be abused. These are mostly painkillers and barbiturates such as codeine ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Familiarize with and Habituate to

Familiarize with and Habituate to Familiarize with and Habituate to Familiarize with and Habituate to By Maeve Maddox A reader wonders about the usage in the following invitation to a website: Come in, familiarize yourself to our site, ask questions and read our stories. She asks, â€Å"Shouldn’t that be ‘familiarize yourself with our site’?† Yes, the idiom is â€Å"familiarize with.† Since the 1880s at least, the usual preposition to follow familiarize has been with, not to. Here are recent examples of contemporary usage: Employees should take time to familiarize themselves with these policies as a violation of the policies may result in disciplinary action, up to and including removal. All students are expected to familiarize themselves with the following information, available on the York University Senate Academic Standards. If you are a new Intern, you must spend some time at the office (any of the offices will do) to familiarize yourself with the program before going out to the field on a regular basis. I familiarized myself with weather forecasts, wind patterns, and how to avoid being conned out of our money by smugglers. It’s not surprising to find prepositional oddities in hurried comments and on amateur blogs, but it is jarring to find them on academic sites and in printed educational materials: Read the objectives below to familiarize yourself to the material. - Assignment directions on University of Nebraska Medical Center site. Young children with visual impairments can learn techniques to  familiarize themselves to  rooms in their homes and to their classrooms.  - Text published by American Foundation for the Blind. Occupants can  familiarize themselves to  drill procedures, location of fire exits, and the sound of the fire alarm.  - University of New Hampshire fire drill instructions. It is possible that the expression habituate to, which has a similar meaning, has something to do with the prepositional mix-up. habituate  verb: to fix in a habit; to accustom to, familiarize with. Used with to. Here are examples of the correct use of to with habituate: By doing this kind of exercise regularly,  you habituate yourself to  staying in that  state of mind for longer and longer periods and to writing while in it. After a while you cease to see pictures on your wall. Your vision becomes habituated to them. What strategies does Meursault employ to  habituate himself to  life in prison while  he awaits trial? Children become habituated to  the screens easy gratifications. Note: In American usage, habituate is also used as a transitive verb to mean â€Å"to resort to habitually, to frequent.† For example, â€Å"While not playing the horn, he writes software,  habituates coffee shops  and tries to incite political, economic and religious discussions.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Examples of Passive Voice (And How To Fix Them)Empathy "With" or Empathy "For"?40 Idioms with First

Sunday, October 20, 2019

5 Ways to Shake It Up Without Changing Careers

5 Ways to Shake It Up Without Changing Careers Feeling stifled? Desperate for a major change? Want to chase your dream to another continent, or to another career altogether? Feel any or all of those desires, but realize with a pang that you simply can’t just up and totally change your career? There are still ways you can get back in a groove and get excited about your job again without throwing the baby out with the bathwater.Try these five strategies first before decided on changing careers.1.  Start from withinIf things are really stale, you always have two options that aren’t the nuclear one. First, you can change your role within your own industry. Or, you can keep your job but change to another field. Try switching from corporate law to entertainment law. Or from serving and bartending to managing. Or from at-home nursing to ER nursing. These feel like big changes, but they don’t involve scrapping your entire career!2. Try your hand at consultingThis word covers quite a bit of ground. The nutshell of t his strategy is to figure out what you know because of your career so far and figure out who needs that knowledge and skill. Could you teach? Develop textbooks or manuals or training guides? Recruit? This keeps you squarely in your wheelhouse, where you’ve been successful, but doesn’t require you to learn a whole new set of skills.3.  Think about how your role could changeThere’s always the option of sticking with your current company, but changing jobs within it. Have a think about your colleagues- is there anything they do that you think would be more fulfilling to you? Ask questions. Chat with your boss about shifting your responsibilities and taking on new challenges. Figure out what you need to brush up on and prove- if only to yourself- that you can learn new things.4. Find joy in extracurricularsSo maybe you can’t change even your job in a significant way, for whatever reason. You can still do more, and different, things! Try volunteering, or tak e a guest bartending gig, or start a blog, or join forces with friends or colleagues to work for a foundation. Doing a bit of good in the world, or a bit of freelance work, can give you the breath of fresh air you need to put your work in better perspective.5. Keep honoring that little voiceMaybe you’ll follow these strategies and still can’t deny that overwhelming desire to chuck it all and do something totally different with your life. If that voice just won’t go away, no matter what else you do or how you tweak the margins, that might be the sign you need. Check in with yourself from time to time and see how you feel. You’ll know when it’s time to light the match.Five Easier Alternatives to Totally Changing Careers

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Exchange Rate Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Exchange Rate - Assignment Example Kerr Inc. may reduce its economic exposure to foreign exchange risk by using foreign exchange contracts. A foreign exchange contract will enable the company to make future transactions using the current exchange rate (Jacque & Jacque, 1996). Kerr Inc. can minimize its exposure to foreign exchange risk by expanding its investments to other foreign markets. For instance, the company may experience losses if the U.S dollar appreciates in value against the Japanese Yen. However, the company can recoup the losses if the U.S dollar depreciates or devalues against the currency of another country it exports to, which increases the money the company receives for the same volume of goods (Managing foreign exchange risk, 1986). Alternatively, Kerr Inc. can decide to accept payment for its exports in U.S dollars only. Using the U.S dollar as the only currency of transactions will enable the company to mitigate the exchange rate risk because the exchange rate between the U.S dollar and the Japanese Yen will no longer affect the transactions of Kerr Inc (Managing foreign exchange risk, 1986). Kerr Inc. may decide to charge more for its products in the Japanese market to carter for the foreign exchange risk. This strategy may require the company to study the Japanese Yen to determine the magnitude of the risk of exporting to the Japanese market. For instance, if the company discovers that the Yen fluctuates by about 8% annually, then it may decide to charge 8% more for its products (Jacque & Jacque, 1996). However, this strategy may fail to yield desires results if the exchange rate fluctuates more than anticipated. More so, market forces or government intervention may hinder the company’s move to raise prices for its products (Small Business - Chron.com, 2015). Small Business - Chron.com. (2015). How Do Companies Mitigate the Risk of Foreign Currency? Retrieved 2 May 2015, from

Friday, October 18, 2019

Cultural industries Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Cultural industries - Personal Statement Example However all theorists tend to agree that the cultural industries have an important influence on our daily lives. Within these texts circulated we find symbols and meanings. Are the cultural industries just there to make money and serve the interests of their owners' Or are we as an audience able to take what we want from them and look at them with a decisive nature. The best contributions to such debates suggest the complete, negotiated and often indirect nature of media influence, but of one thing there can be no doubt: the media do have an influence. We are influenced by informational texts, such as newspapers, broadcast news programs, documentaries and analytical books. We are moreover influenced by entertainment. Films, TV serials, comics, music, video games and so on provide us with recurring representations of the world and thus act as a kinf of reporting. Just in the same way, they crucially influence our privet lives while ruling by our fantasies, emotions and identities. The great amount of time that we spend absorbing texts produced by cultural industries make the latter a powerful factor that affects lives of many people. Knowledge of texts circulation helps to deal with the problem of cultural industries effects on people's lives. ... First, it is important to note that most texts that people consume are under circulation of influential corporations. These corporations work on profit basis and are created to support their interest in getting revenues from their activity. In societies where the cultural industries are big business, cultural industry companies tend to support conditions in which large companies and their political allies ca make money: conditions where there is constant demand for new products, minimal regulation by the state outside of general competition law, relative political and economic stability, workforces that are willing to work hard and for low payment and other conditions that result in big profits for such companies. However, in contemporary societies not all texts exist on such conditions. Many of them are based on non-profit conditions aimed at orienting their audience towards ways of thinking that do not coincide with the interest of capitalism, or of structured domination by men ove r women, or institutional racism. The reasons why such companies exist vary. From one hand, they are partly created for the simple economic reason that cultural companies have to compete with each other, as well as support general conditions of doing business. Competition leads to outrun of one company by another in search of meeting expectations of the audience. From another hand, such companies exist because of social and cultural factors deeply rooted in many societies. When it comes to are and entertainment, the competition is great and the audience is highly demanding and therefore, it is important for cultural industries to follow the rules of doing business in this area and to propose the audience those text that would best fit its requirements, either texts

Strategy,Strategic planning and the tradtional steps to build an Essay

Strategy,Strategic planning and the tradtional steps to build an organizational strategic plan,Strategic management and Competititve Strategy - Essay Example On the other hand, strategic planning is the process through which an organization defines the strategy to achieve major, as well as minor goals. In other words, strategic planning is the directing and the making of crucial decisions that concern the allocation of the available resource as per the institutions strategy. The strategic plan also involves the control process of management as a way of implementing the decisions that encompass the strategic plan. The traditional planning method of building an organizations strategy comprises several steps. However, the tradition style of strategy planning omits the step of innovative thinking which to some works of research is the most important aspect of strategic planning is innovative thinking. It is significant also to state that the approach to strategic planning varies given the unique features of every organization. The unique features may include the purpose of every institution, the culture of each organization, the environment and immediate surroundings and the history of other plans; whether they were successful or not. The first step in strategic planning is the identification of the purpose of the planning process. The procedure makes up the mission statement. The step tends to put forward the reason behind the existence of the firm. The needs of the client makeup the basic purpose of the organization and thus are an outline in the first step. The second step enumerates the vision of the organization. The step’s main focus is the description of the future state of the business entity and the state of the clients of the organization in the future. The third step is the establishment of mandatory goals that the institution must reach in an attempt to achieve the set down goals as per the organization’s mission and vision. The step also tries to give answers for the prevailing challenges that the organization is undergoing through in its operations. The

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Petroleum Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Petroleum Engineering - Essay Example The Kolga sands had been remobilized under the burial which led to sand fluidization and injection along weakness zones. On seismic sections, injection wings appeared cross cutting what surrounded seismic reflection, this was considered as an artifact. They launched the development of the Nini east field in 2009 with a drilling campaign which included two horizontal and one injection in Kolga sand. The main reason for using this kind of approach was to increase the percentage of horizontal section in pay while avoiding the sele shale and maintaining the oil water contact. They also decided that it was crucial to get a better handle on seismic data to plan for the two upcoming wells. The seismic data was processed and inverted to improve the imaging of the injectable sands The understanding of the reservoir and its heterogeneity was greatly improved with the use of the new generation deep directional electromagnetic tool which was the LWD and the new processing method. This tool was critical in refining the reservoir model and ultimately for the management of this field in the long

Self assessment of Tiger Nursing informatics competencies Coursework

Self assessment of Tiger Nursing informatics competencies - Coursework Example These are consistent with recommendations of the Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (Finkelman & Kenner, 2014). My clinical information management, based on the self-assessment, identifies a weakness. As a registered nurse, I should be skilled in computer technology applications and data analysis for informed care decision and this requires ability collect, record, manage, analyze, and interpret data. My self-analysis results, however, identify competence in a majority of clinical information management measures, an indicator of average potential. My best scores were proficiency in ensuring data confidentiality and data security, with no expertise score in a single measure. Retrieval of information from stores was the most challenging of clinical information management aspects. There was however better results on information literacy as about 50 percent of my scores were proficient. No expertise score was reported and novice scores were limited. Analysis of information and information sources were the most challenging aspects. My basic computer competencies were however outstanding with exper tise score in most of the measures. Comparative analysis of my current competencies identifies weaknesses in application of data for nursing purposes. Competencies in computer applications for data entry, management, analysis, and interpretation are recommended for my professional qualification and experience but I am below average in related measures that correspond to clinical information management and information literacy. Age barrier, having trained and entered the nursing profession before integration of high-level of information technology into the nursing profession explains my weakness. My areas of specialty, that have required minimal application of computer competencies and information literacy explain my weakness. I have worked in long-term care, psychiatric, and correctional nursing, areas that may

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Petroleum Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Petroleum Engineering - Essay Example The Kolga sands had been remobilized under the burial which led to sand fluidization and injection along weakness zones. On seismic sections, injection wings appeared cross cutting what surrounded seismic reflection, this was considered as an artifact. They launched the development of the Nini east field in 2009 with a drilling campaign which included two horizontal and one injection in Kolga sand. The main reason for using this kind of approach was to increase the percentage of horizontal section in pay while avoiding the sele shale and maintaining the oil water contact. They also decided that it was crucial to get a better handle on seismic data to plan for the two upcoming wells. The seismic data was processed and inverted to improve the imaging of the injectable sands The understanding of the reservoir and its heterogeneity was greatly improved with the use of the new generation deep directional electromagnetic tool which was the LWD and the new processing method. This tool was critical in refining the reservoir model and ultimately for the management of this field in the long

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Cyber activism and hacktivism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cyber activism and hacktivism - Essay Example Activism involves a range of activities from online search for information, creating and feeding data to new or already existing websites, conducting communication via internet publications or emailing of letters, forming online forums to discuss various issues or coordinating certain activities. Hacktivism activities involve virtual blockades, email bombing, hacking web sites or breaking into computers systems, planting computer worms and viruses. The activities of activism are keen on developing the internet as a useful tool for social progress and policymaking. However, hackvists activities stem from anger and seek to destroy what is created by activism. The internet offers a vast body of information that would take one a lot of time and energy to search manually. Business corporations, organizations, governments and teaching institutions avail information on the internet that is easily accessible by the target audience or any other person interested in the data. The offered information extends beyond geographical demarcation. One can access the information necessary to facilitate his mission. Researchers use this collection of information to argue or prove their theses. While an activist will use this information to improve himself or the society, a hacktivist will seek to destroy this collection of information (Denning, 1999). Various humanity groups such as non-governmental organizations, civil boards and self-help groups publish information in the internet for the public to see. Some businesses such as luxury brand companies employ this technique to promote their products to the vast body of potential customers using the internet. Depending on the organization involved, some will post or publish information on public web sites or may develop their own site where they publish information on regular basis (Denning, 1999). Private websites provoke the anger or interest of hackers who hack to phish information

Azt Pricing Decision Essay Example for Free

Azt Pricing Decision Essay In 1986, Burroughs-Wellcome Company introduced the first major breakthrough against acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). It was the life-prolonging drug AZT. The product has turned out to be very successful for the company and, largely because of AZT’s success, Burroughs-Wellcome’s profits have doubled in the three years ending in 1988. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to expand the authorization for the drug’s usage to those who are infected with the AIDS virus, but not yet showing signs of serious illness. The estimate of the size of this market is hundreds of thousands rather than the tens of thousand who are currently sick with AIDS (1988). The controversy over the drug centers on its price. AZT costs about $8,600 for a year’s supply for each patient (lowered from $10,000 in 1987). Critics in the gay, medical, and legal communities contend that Burroughs-Wellcome executives are â€Å"corporate extortionists.† Some believe that the company has already made too much money at the expense of the sick. The price is so far out of reach of indigent and moderate-income people that the federal government had to step in with subsidies of millions of dollars. Burroughs-Wellcome defends it pricing practices by stating that its profit margins (in the 50-70 percent range) are in line with those companies introducing new drugs. They contend these high returns are necessary to finance research and recoup the millions of dollars invested in developing the drug. They initially gave the drug free-of-charge to as many as 5,000 AIDS patients and spent $80 million on a new plant. Additional criticism revolves around the actual development of the drug. The Wall Street Journal stated, â€Å"But Wellcome’s moral position is undercut by its relatively minor role in the creation of AZT.† Researchers at the Michigan Cancer Foundation, from West Germany, and at the National Cancer Institute are credited with the major discoveries that led to AZT. Nevertheless, Wellcome performed toxicology, pharmacology, and animal studies before AZT was given to the first human volunteer. It also financed the big clinical trial and bankrolled the give-away to the patients in the initial experiment. Wellcome is under pressure to cut its price. The government is attempting to institute a â€Å"reasonable price† clause where an unduly high price could trigger a government order for a company to open its books. Any company found in violation could be sued for breach of contract. Congress is also studying AZT and one Congressman wrote the company contending that the original price rationale (achieving a decent return on investment during a short product life) no longer exists as the drug has been on the market for three years and the market is growing for the product.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Analysis Of Hampton Machine Tool Company Financing Finance Essay

Analysis Of Hampton Machine Tool Company Financing Finance Essay Introduction: Hampton Machine Tool Company, a machine tool manufacturer, was founded in 1915. Until 1979, the company had successfully forecasted the severe cyclical fluctuations characteristic of the industry. The companys primary customer base included the aircraft and automobile manufacturers in the St. Louis area. During the mid to late 1960s, Hampton was very profitable due to a strong automobile market, and, to the heavy defense spending associated with the Vietnam War. However, in the mid-1970s, Hamptons profitability slowed down with the United States withdrawal from Vietnam War and the oil embargo. By the late 1970s, they had a larger share in the market due to their competitors who were unable to make it through these difficult times, while Hampton managed to stabilize. Case Background: Ten years prior to December, 1978, the company had no debt because it had conservative financial policies, which maintained a strong working capital position as a buffer against economic uncertainty. In December,1978, Hampton requested a $1 million loan from the St. Louis National Bank. The loans terms were a monthly interest payment at a rate of 1.5%, with the principal to be paid back at the end of September, 1979. Now (September of 1979), Benjamin G. Cowins, president of Hampton, has asked to renew the initial loan until end of 1979, and, has requested an additional loan of $350,000 with promise of repayment at the end of December, 1979 with an interest rate of 1.5% per month. This additional loan is required for an update of their machinery which hasnt been done since the economy went into a recession in the early 1970s. For the last several months, Hamptons shipment schedule has been upset because they have had to wait for parts from their suppliers. On August 31, the accumulation of seven machines cost about $1,320,000, in addition to the installation cost for these parts. They received the parts last week, and will be able to complete a number of machines within next few weeks. The reduction in work in progress of about $1,320,000 is due to not receiving the electronic control mechanisms on time. However, the remainder of their work in progress inventories will probably remain steady for the foreseeable future because of their capacity rate of production. In July and August, Hampton bought raw materials beyond their immediate needs to be assured of completing their order schedule to be shipped by the end of the year. Therefore, they currently have accumulated about $420,000 worth of scarcer components above their normal raw materials inventories. They estimate it will be used by the end of the year. Because they bought ahead this way, they expect to cut raw material purchases to about $600,000 a month in each of the four remaining months of 1979. The companys revised shipment estimates are: September, $2,163,000; October, $1,505,000; November $1,604,000; December, $2,265,000. The shipment estimates include a $2,100,000 order for the General Aircraft Corporation. Hampton is now scheduled to ship against this order as follows: September, $840,000; October, $840,000; November, $420,000. Because General Aircraft gave Hampton an advance payment of $1,566,000 on this order, the company will be due nothing on these shipments until their $1,566,000 credit with Hampton is exhausted. Hamptons assuming accruals will remain about the same on August 31, and their monthly outlay for all expenses other than interest and raw materials purchases should be around $400,000 per month. Due to poor economic conditions and the companys desire to conserve cash; they have spent little on new equipment in the last several years, 1979. This has contributed somewhat to the difficulties they have had in maintaining production at full capacity this year. As a result, Hampton has requested an additional $350,000 loan at an interest rate of 1.5% monthly, with promise of repayment at the end of December, 1979. This loan is necessary to purchase certain needed equipment to maintain the production. The tax people estimated the equipment will qualify for a 10% investment tax credit. The company is scheduled to pay $181,000 in taxes on September 15 and December 15. Also, Mr. Cowins has suggested paying $150,000 dividends to stockholders in December. Analysis: The Hampton Machine Tool Company is facing problems in paying its $1 million loan and requesting for a new loan from the St. Louis National Bank. By following Mr. Cowins plan, the company will be short $332,000 (Exhibit 1) in December. Hampton, a profitable firm, has fallen behind on their orders, and Mr. Cowins recommends that they need more financing to purchase certain needed equipment. Hampton has notified the St. Louis National Bank that they will not be able to repay in September. Also, they have requested an extension. For the past month or more, Hampton has been operating at full capacity, and with additional back orders, which has put them behind in their shipment of orders. In addition, their shipment schedule has been upset because they have been waiting for electronic control mechanisms from their suppliers. The falling behind has also caused them to have less than what is needed for accounts receivables turnover. The cash budgets and statement of sources and uses yield negative results concerning the principal payment of the loan for December (Exhibit 1), based on Mr. Cowins plan. This analysis is based on projected sales, dividend payments and tax payments. Consequently, the sales projects and accounts receivables are 30 days net; if not paid on time, then this could change the results significantly by putting the company in more of a financial bind. Based on my forecasts it seems that Mr. Cowins is incorrect about being able to repay the loan in December, but Hampton should be able to repay in January with more precise planning. Hampton used the initial loan plus $2 million in excess cash to repurchase a substantial fraction of its outstanding common stock, because it had decreased sufficiently in value. Although they had good intentions to increase the companys stock value, their finances have suffered because of the repurchase. Mr. Cowins offer to pay $150,000 in dividends in December is not reasonable, because Hamptons finances will suffer, causing them to have negative cash flows. (Exhibit 1) Recommendation: It is obvious that Hampton cannot afford to repay the loan in December, if they proceed with their original plans. The company will have a negative cash flow in December according to Exhibit 1. They should request a one-month extension on the loan, as they cannot afford to make a loan payment in December. Extending the loan repayment one month until January allows for account receivables of December to become collected, because of the company collection policy of 30 days net. This means Hampton will not have to go into the negative to pay the loan in December, keeping cash flow at an expectable level which is $1,168.50. (Exhibit 2) Hampton cannot afford to make a dividend payment in December, regardless of their willingness to do so. Canceling the dividend payment will free up $150,000 in December, keeping the net cash flow in the positive (Exhibit 2), which compensates for the $350,000 loan payment. This also helps keep the net cash flow positive in December, as well as waiting for accounts receivables of $2,265,000 to come in January for the final payment. This makes the company profitable for the future, and, in turn, the stock will not become valueless. Conclusion: My recommendation for Hampton Machine Tool Company is they should request a one month extension on the loan, and cancel the dividend payment to make the company more profitable. Also, this would strengthen Hamptons relationship with the bank by paying off both loans. Based on the forecasted cash budget, Mr. Jerry Eckwood, vice-president of the St. Louis National Bank, should reject the $350,000 loan request based on the current terms proposed by Hampton Machine Tool Company. According to Exhibit 1, there is an inability to repay the initial loan. The numbers fall short of being able to repay the original loan in December without even considering the requested loan. However, with the proper financial adjustments, both loans can be fully repaid by January. For relationship reasons, Mr. Eckwood may want to grant the loan, as long as the terms are reworked to help guarantee, that the bank will get paid. The extension of the loan and cancelation dividends will leave Hampton in a manageable situation, allowing them to continue to be a profitable customer of the bank. The St. Louis National Bank should bring up the solutions that I mentioned above, but Mr. Eckwood will want to make sure that the bank puts Hampton on a repayment plan, so, that in the nea r future they can expect to collect the principal of the outstanding loans. If I was the St. Louis National Bank, I would have to reject the loan on the current terms proposed by Mr. Cowins, because the Hampton Machine Tool Company shows an inability to repay the loan, based on the numbers they have forecast.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Defining Good Advice :: Definition Essays

Defining Good Advice Many times, good advice will happen if a person has gone astray, then, suggestions would be made to the lost and he could either take it or leave it. Also, as Doug mentioned in discussion, is that "it may be impossible to deny information given to you." So, in this case, the advisee knows what has been said to them, and "he may not take the advice at the time", but store it for later.(Nate Hall), and because of this, good, or bad advice, in my opinion, is also in the eye of the beholder. Advice may only be used if it hasn't been heard before. For example, if someone is doing something wrong, and someone keeps telling them over and over, it may just go in one ear and out the other. This is why the advisor must find a way to leave the suggestions up the person weather they want to use it or not and they have to be ready for the information given to them.(Mike) Being the advisor takes a lot of patience and confidence. You must be able to tell truthfully to someone, something that they may not want to hear. When my friend came to me asking why her boyfriend wasn't acting the same towards her, I had to be honest and sincere to tell her the bad news. Tone of voice may also play a role in this factor. If someone says something to me in a rude tone or like I am in 5th grade, I may not take them seriously, or may even get mad. In basketball, someone might catch me doing something wrong and would like to point it out to me. If they yell at me I get frustrated and on the other hand, if they talk down on me, that makes me furious. Advice works best when the advisor should puts themselves in the other person's shoes. Sincerity is a must to make a good connection. Advice can be spoken, written, or portrayed by body language. Putting your finger up to your lips may make someone quiet for awhile, but saying, "Shut up." Would make more of an effect on them. As far as good advice in writing, I believe that many people are capable of saying many things while writing, but not always is the right idea portrayed. Sharing advice in notes, or e-mails, isn't the same as hearing it person.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Distortion in Fahrenheit 451 Essay -- Fahrenheit 451 Essays

Distortion in Fahrenheit 451 For an author to grab hold of their reader's attention, demanding they listen and understand the meaning behind a work, they must develop the skill to understand their audience's preferences or curiosities. Fulfilling these emotions in his readers, Ray Bradbury creates a unique futuristic society, consisting of distorted character personalities brainwashed by a totalitarian government, which clearly amplifies Bradbury's central theme. In "Fahrenheit 451", distortion of normal reality seems abundant immediately, as we're introduced to Guy Montag, a fireman, who's job requires him to efficiently burn books when a call enters the station. In the future, the government, in control of millions of people, decides to make reading books against the law. The fear that a literate society would destroy itself, creates a new, fast-paced, impersonal, way of life. Guy, through the vision of a young girl and an old English professor, discovers his own wonderment of his surroundings, triggered through great ideas found in books. Discovering this universal wonderment lies at the foundation of Bradbury's main theme, highlighted brilliantly through his distorted futuristic society. The warped, new society is painted through imaginative descriptions and ideas. The society, seen through the eyes of Guy Montag, consists of TV walls, super computers developed into efficient and lethal guard dogs, and medical breakthroughs that seem much too unsettling to be true. As Montag walks into his fire station the computerized guard dog growls and shows its attack needle frightening Guy upstairs. This futuristic technology, meant for protection and designed to perfection, shows its flaw in an at... ...omen not willing to live without her literature. This question, burning in Guy's mind, is quenched by an old English professor that teaches Guy the three reasons why books are so important. One, they have a quality, a texture, that record all records of life good or bad. Two, they offer their own kind of leisure, stemming off the idea of meditating and developing an individuals mind. Third, the freedom to act based on rules one and two. Of course, these underlining messages create an immense impact on any reader who, like Guy, questioned society and intellectualism and received a fundamental answer. With this futuristic society, a distortion of trends found in today's culture, Bradbury captures his reader's attention and makes them open their eyes, hearts, and mind to the true importance of independent intellectual enhancement through reading.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Analysing the results of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI)

This article considers the consequences of the Private Finance Initiative ( PFI ) and public interface in the United Kingdom ‘s public services. Along with briefly reexamining anterior research based upon the subjects proposed by Broadbent and Laughlin ( 1999 ) , this article suggests a control system need to make incentive to private houses in recent old ages.IntroductionIn these twenty-four hours and age, the issue of control and legalizing in authorities procedure is debated widely. The Private Financial Initiative strategy which has been given the power over the fiscal resource whether has been good strategy to cut down cost and portion the hazard with authorities. In the society, people who are working closely with implementing controls tend to hold their ain opportunism. By looking at the society as whole system that carried with it certain demands from assorted parts, different function has different involvement that must be fulfilled ( Emile Durkheim ) . Organizational maps are to advance integrating, stableness, consensus and balance.Key IssueWho is accountable? To whom? Is the PFI is the good strategy? Is that PFI independency? Government control power? Control lead to command?Private finance enterprise ( PFI )In 1992, UK authorities seeks private sector to assist out the populace sector development with big graduated table and economic sciences cognition. There are two elements of which private sector have involved: finance and operation. In this essay we focus on the private finance enterprise ( PFI ) which is a method of funding major capital investings that less affecting the public fund ( cf. Broadbent & A ; Laughlin, 1999 ; Broad Broad et al. , 2000 ) and that motivate the private sector to be more cost effectual in the design, building and subsequent operation of many public sector undertakings ( McKendrick and McCabe 1997 ) .The aim and intent of PFIThe PFI system was created with the intent to put in capital without enforcing revenue enhancements, raising debts or deviating cost from other precedences. It acts as an mediator between authorities and private sectors to offer better value for money than public resource by comm anding the undertaking over its life-time. By sharing answerabilities with private sectors, authorities can cut down the hazard and increase benefit to public ( Broadbent et al. , 2000, p 23 ) .Accomplishment of PFIIn term of power, PFI has Institutional power which relies on an external legal or regulative base from which power derives. They can hold the power to force providers and contractors to cut down the monetary value and better public presentation. They besides can make economic systems of graduated table by commanding Numberss of private contracts. PFI has proven to be effectual in the yesteryear for illustration, during 1992 and 2003, 563 PFI undertakings with a capital value of ?35.5 billion achieve fiscal near with most of them being decided after 1997 ( Her Majesty ‘s Treasury ( HMT ) 2003 ) . From 1995 to 2002, the one-year PFI plan has increased from nine undertakings numbering ?667 million to 65 undertakings valued at ?7.6 billion ( HMT 2003 ) . Estimate by 2010 it is around 200 undertakings with a entire value of ?26 billion will be closed ( HMT 2006 ) . Without the aid of private sectors, authorities would hold paid tantamount sum of fund to supply public service ( Gaffney et al.A BMJ.1999 ; 319: 116-119 ) .Accountability and control of PFIPFI was given the power of fiscal resources from authorities ; hence, they are accountable to authorities as an agent. In other words, they have duty to the work provided ( Gray, 1983 ) . Consequently, chief transportations finance every bit good as the right to specify and acc ount what is appropriate to agents. The PFI trades have been drying up. The figure of trades completed in 2009 was about the worst of 10 old ages period ( FT 2010 ) . The first ground is private sector houses require higher net incomes for anticipating high hazard. Therefore, PFI can non finish the trades with the limited budget that authorities set. During the fiscal crisis, the cost of adoption has been increasing. In fact, private sector involvement rates of borrowing are much higher than the authorities adoption because there is hazard of default. PFI ‘s undertaking has lower net income due to involvement refunds is higher than if it had been borrowed by the authorities. That means they increase the hazard oppose to authorities. Controling the beginning of finance, the agents are accountable for their determination as the one duty to execute a certain map. Accountability may be dictated or implied by jurisprudence, ordinance, or understanding or outlook. The agents have to bear the effects for failure public presentation as they are accountable for ( Hoskin, K. 1996 ) . Even though, Hoskin ( Hoskin, K. 1996 ) said agents have to take duty for their action, in March 2009, the planetary fiscal crisis created the trouble in support, theA TreasuryA established an Infrastructure Finance Unit in order to guarantee the continuance of PFI undertakings ( Timmins, N, 2009 ) . Furthermore, Government has bail out ?30m for a 2nd PFI undertaking make up the sum of a ?700m wasted in May 2009 ( Webb, Tim, 2009 ) . In fact, the trades from PFI are unreplaceable even though they need to be bail out. However, the PFI debt can non be refinanced without being punished ( Worcester News 2009 ) . There will be punishments to PFI for outdate and out budget. Consequently, PFI will take responsible for those losingss in forepart of authorities for punishments while authorities has to confront the duties to public society.ControlPrinciples have been given the power to PFI to command the finance resource as the agents and ‘Control is the procedure by which directors assure that resources are obtained and used efficaciously and expeditiously in the achievement of the organisation ‘s aims ‘ ( Anthony, 1988 ) . The issue is whether agents prove themselves good strategy or non. PFI claim to supply control system that can do good usage of resource such as: Legislation punishment act as a motivation for houses to complete undertakings on clip and within budget Private contractors are accountable for care disbursals there is motive for high quality building. Private sectors are better directors with better cognition of market and economic systems of graduated table. PFI can transportations put on the line from the authorities to houses. Firms receive net income as the wages for hazard pickings. PFI has chosen the high hazard undertaking However, the bureau theory defined ; there is the possibility that the agent ignore the wants of rule. The ground is PFI has their ain involvement and private information that authorities has no control. The authorities has no control over the twenty-four hours by twenty-four hours basic activities of the PFI, so that they can conceal the information from authorities. By secret contract with private houses they can profit themselves as mediators ( ICAEW-2009 ) . Furthermore, from interpretative position point, agent has their ain civilization to derive benefit as for private enterprise. Culture is something we portion and impact our thought and behaviour. It ‘s besides affected the work organisation, change the manner of construing strategy and reiterate the same everyday brand people wont and behaviour ( Smircich, 1983 ) . Unlike public sector organisations, net income motivation is the motive of private sector. They need to last, develop and be profitable ; hence, they need to carry through their demand foremost when they complete the undertaking given by authorities. Furthermore, PFI become obsolescence because people get used to the environment and status. Therefore, they are non cognizant of the un-certainty hazards. Believing their expertness and disregard the hazard lead to an impulse for the authorities bailout. It can be seen that power of authorities might non alter the civilization of organisation. â€Å" The mission to enforce a new ‘culture ‘ on public sector organisations via structural solutions based on market theory frequently fails to analyse the old civilization or the implicit in value constructions and administrative political relations † ( Gray & A ; Jenkins, 1995 ) . Control systems must be sensitive to organisational civilization. Those running counter to civilization are improbable to be successful ( Hofstede, 1981 ) . Therefore, the authorities has allowed the PFI to run as they have been. On the other manus, one of the cardinal statements is that authorities can command the bureau through societies and organisations force per unit area. For illustration, authorities can present statute law over term and status of contracts or status of economic system such as involvement rate, duty and so on. ( Broadbent 2003 ) As an agent PFI work under the authorities wants but non as they suppose to, hence, their system become obsolescence and incapable to accommodate. A undertaking bringing theoretical account which focuses less on advanced result and produces installations might non be able to cover with future alterations in demand ( James Barlow, Martina Koberle Gaiser 2008 ) . The money from populace has been wasted. Taking NHS as an illustration they have wasted ?350m a twelvemonth on outside direction advisers at their ain disbursals, while taxpayer wage one million millions to companies who gain benefit in the NHS from PFI.A ( Guardian Feb 2010 ) . In my sentiment, PFI is good strategy for public involvement as they have been supplying aid and support major capital investings, without trusting on immediate assistance from public beginnings. However as bureau theory defined, their work is non efficient as they proclaim because of obsolescence, their ain involvement and other forces ( Baiman1982 ) .GovernmentGovernment answerabilities & A ; controlGovernment has been given power by society through voting so they are accountable to public involvement. In the power theory ( extremist paradigm ) , authorities have gain tremendous power to command over the society. They have the ability to act upon behavior, change the path of events, victory over opposition, and acquire people to make things that they would non make ( Pfeffer, 1992 ) . As a rule of PFI, they have the power to command PFI, their public presentation and procedure. For illustration, in 2009, the authorities changes the accounting criterion ( FT, 2010 ) to accommodate with international accounting. Government politically, forms the manner to roll up more item of how PFI is treating, and should treat in pattern. The authorities besides steer the society utilizing ordinances and societal systems. ( Broadbent & A ; Laughlin, 1997 ) Although, as indicated above, PFI might conceal some information from rule, authorities has other manner to command their item provided with National Audit Office ( NAO ) . By supplying the auditing over PFI undertaking, they can cut down the disregards of bureau with private information. Consequently, authorities can command PFI public consequences as they please and force PFI to follow authorities wants. However, the authorities has control over PFI while the bailout has been increasing quickly. The ground is because their system has less effectual. Mark Mattison discussed that PFI has been provided its best value docket in term of clip, cost of capital and related consequences ( Mark Mattison 2009 ) . The possible ground is NAO is besides an agent so that the authorities might non be able to acquire clasp of PFI public study. An bureau theory â€Å" suggests that principals have lack grounds to swear their agents. The proprietor will happen to decide these concerns by seting nontrivial monitoring costs to aline the involvements of agents with principals and to cut down the range for information dissymmetries and timeserving behaviour † ( ICAEW-2009 ) . The authorities can swear in NAO and PFI study or they need to hold another company to look over. Additionally, authorities has less cognition of expertness than private houses. They tend to concentrate more on the work and politic instead than economic. Therefore, the program has failed to coerce PFI to take the utmost hazard with low return. Furthermore, private house demand to be motivated in order to execute better. By motivate agents, rule can have better consequences. Taking one mill, Hitachi used direct labour hours as overhead allotment base to make inducement for mechanization ; they cut down their cost and increase their end product ( Hiromoto, 1991 ) . From public point of position, the control over authorities was low because public merely can vote one time over 4 old ages for the party to take control. They gain control over the states so that populace has no control over twenty-four hours by twenty-four hours basic of authorities.The job of managerial and political answerabilityGovernment with the power of political as a consequence of their power base in planetary capital markets which was achieved through their function in the allotment of excess value ( Armstrong, 1987 ) . They provide public with context of control over PFI. Stewart ( 1984 ) suggests that managerial and political answerability as different degrees. A cardinal statement is that authoritiess merely accountable in a political, instead than managerial term. Consequently, authorities makes an increasing in ways of control over society. Because of their alone power in society, which their being is depending on how they exercise control over society, anything they do has a controlling result. In combination with a deficiency of twenty-four hours by twenty-four hours control by the election, which has power to vote these organic structures but without a power to order practical action, leaves authoritiess in a unambiguously powerful place. ( Jane Broadbent and Richard Laughlin 2003 ) Furthermore, authorities civilization is politic. They can non merely alter their behavior to managerial merely to command the system of PFI ( Hofstede, 1980 -1983 ) . The civilization of public sector was showed as â€Å" the mission to enforce a new ‘culture ‘ on public sector organisations via structural solutions based on market theory frequently fails to analyze the old civilization or the implicit in value constructions and administrative political relations † ( Gray & A ; Jenkins, 1995 ) .DecisionIn my sentiment, with the power to command PFI through many signifiers in the society, authorities makes them less incentive and mutuality on authorities and associate. Government is under low control of society, so they do non take the duty as a managerial but political.Discussion of the control systemIn the terminal, the staying inquiry is â€Å" Do command take to command † . Equally far as I am concern, the reply can be no. First, bureau job is a affair of struggles between ego involvements, therefore, bureau theory seeks to equilibrate the differences to find the optimum contract for an agent ‘s service ( Eppen, 1987 ) . However, the inquiry is can people swear the control of control ( Baiman 1982 ) . Because as NAO is an audit they still an agent of authorities, they might supply inaccurate study to authorities. Furthermore, the public point of position is NAO is besides under the control of authorities so that the study they provide can non be trusted. Second, the ground is stress make people less motivate. As the essay indicated earlier PFI tend to work less expeditiously. They follow the authorities order alternatively of making what they should make. That makes the system become obsolescence. Another alternate paradigm for direction control & A ; answerability is that people are dominated by the ideological superstructures with which they interact. The civilization of organisation depends on the outgrowth of shared interpretative strategies, expressed in linguistic communication and other symbolic buildings that develop through societal interaction. Such strategies provide the footing for shared systems of intending that allow twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours activities to go indispensable modus operandis or civilization ( Smircich, 1983 ) . Consequently, the alteration in control can take to a depression. On the other manus, the public organisations such as HMT, NAO and the Office of Government Commerce ( OGC ) have made recommendations to better the operation of the strategy. They bring the control to PFI coerce them to work with the punishments as an inducement to execute in clip and budget. ( J Laffont and D Martimort 2002 ) Contingency theory implies that different systems should be adopted in response to different environmental conditions and claims that there is no 1 best manner to do a determination ( Otley, D. 1980 ) hence, any determination that has been made irrespective of its suitableness at the clip, will still be capable to the environmental and external impacts, hence appropriate contingent programs needs to be established to take into history the hazards that are likely to originate in order to outdo brush the uncertainnesss lies beyond. As each method has its restriction we should be cognizant, Variable factors will impact the concern in different ways. Therefore, there is no best manner to pull off organisation when doing a determination.DecisionIn decision, the control procedure demands to be analyzed better before the authorities introduces new control procedure. It depends on the state of affairs and civilization of houses they control. Looking at different literature, I can reason that Government are to a great extent involved in political undertakings, but are bit by bit involved in direction and supplying private inaugural better influence and do informed determinations on strategic programs, as opposed to merely being tools in the procedure. Therefore, both their involvements align and they can work together towards the same end. This nevertheless does non work if a spread is evident between the two. Accountants will non take much notice of controls if they are non involved in doing informed determinations and covering with direction. In my sentiments, in current economic system the private inaugural demand to acquire motivate instead than control.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

California Critical Thinking Skills Test Education Essay

Most attacks to developing critical thought are rooted in doctrine. The philosophical positions of believing are based on ground in order to steer behaviour with formal logic harmonizing to Aristotle and Plato and formal logic. The formal logic attack has appeared since the 1950s and after that in the stuffs developed by Lipman ( 1985 ) and Ennis ( 1985 ; 1987 ) . On the other manus, in the early 1990s, Marzano ( 1991 ) declared that critical thought is now utilizing psychological attacks every bit good as philosophical 1s. The psychological attacks consider the human head as a working mechanism that can be studied from cognitive psychological positions that include metacognition, componential ( sum uping, comparing, analysing, oppugning and developing visuals ) and heuristics ( job resolution and decision-making ) . Dispositional attack is besides another attack, introduced by Marzano ( 1991 ) , as wonts of head, cognitive mental sets for specific state of affairss. The socially-based attacks adjoin the philosophical and psychological attacks represented by Heath ( 1991 ) . A societal attack includes larning to believe critically in collaborative acquisition state of affairss. Thankss to these diverse attacks, critical thought has become broader. Benesch ( 1993 ) , one of the postmodernist advocates, gives us a different definition of critical thought. She believes that critical thought is a procedure of oppugning the position quo and of disputing bing cognition and the societal order. She sees it as a investigation for societal, political and historical beginnings of conventional cognition and an orientation to change acquisition and society. Harmonizing to Benesch and her followings, critical thought is a democratic acquisition procedure which encourages scholars to take part actively and raise issues of concern in their day-to-day lives. Therefore, the scholars can associate their ain experience to the linguistic communication, political relations, and the history of the new civilization. In malice of the effectivity and efficiency of critical thought and promoting learning critical thought in schoolrooms, pedagogues, trial shapers, and experts are concerned about scholars ‘ hapless critical thought. The fact is that the scholars ever do non utilize good thought accomplishments or they add indefensible premise into their logical thinking and have jobs to happen alternate solutions and believe creatively. Another job is the important power over scholars by publishing house and writers. In order to antagonize this power, Heath ( 1991 ) points out that pupils must hold certain premises before they can show critical thought, and get their ain authorization through critical thought. Aside from all the attacks with different definitions in which there is much convergence and treatments of the jobs in order to happen solutions to heighten the scholars ‘ critical thought, attempts on developing this accomplishment have non ever been successful. Students ‘ critical thought accomplishments improve as pupils progress but public presentation by and large remains under expected degree ( Tsui, 1998 ) .2.2.1 Bloom ‘s TaxonomyIn 1956, Bloom introduced the taxonomy of educational aims in a signifier of categorization of the purposes of the educational procedure to help teachers in the rating of their class stuff and proving results. A peculiarly utile characteristic of Bloom ‘s taxonomy is the hierarchical agreement of cognitive abilities that provides a straightforward method for instructors to plan instructional aims and activities that relate straight to want learning results. The cognitive sphere of Bloom ‘s taxonomy included six major subd ivisions from lower order believing accomplishments ( LOTS ) to higher order believing accomplishments ( LOTS ) : cognition, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and rating. Bloom defined ‘knowledge ‘ as â€Å" those behaviours and trial state of affairss which emphasize the memory, either by acknowledgment or callback, of thoughts, stuff, or phenomena † ( p.62 ) . In add-on, ‘comprehension ‘ is defined as â€Å" pupils ‘ abilities to understand what is being communicated and analyse its content † ( p.89 ) . In this respect, Bloom considered comprehension as three signifiers of behaviour: interlingual rendition, reading, and extrapolation. The following class is ‘applying ‘ that shows how a scholar can use what has been learned to new state of affairss. In Bloom ‘s point of position, â€Å" analysis emphasizes the dislocation of the stuff into its component parts and sensing of the relationships of the parts and of the manner they are organized † ( p.144 ) . The most originative behaviour in this taxonomy, ‘synthesis ‘ , was defined as the â€Å" seting together of elements and parts so as to organize a whole † ( p.162 ) . Furthermore, the last measure, ‘evaluation ‘ , was regarded as â€Å" devising of judgements about the value of thoughts, plants, and solutions † ( p.185 ) . Originally, Bloom ‘s taxonomy was based on the behaviourist theory and groups educational activities into three chief classs that affect the procedure of larning in different ways: cognitive, affectional, and psychomotor ( Krathwohl, Bloom & A ; Bertram, 1973 ) . The six classs under the ‘cognitive facet ‘ were explained from the least complex to the most complex accomplishment in the preceding paragraph. The ‘affective sphere ‘ is the manner persons deal with the growing in feelings or emotional accomplishments, including five classs of receiving, reacting, valuing, forming, and internalising. And the last 1 is ‘psychomotor sphere ‘ which focuses on the country of physical motion, coordination, and usage of motor accomplishments incorporating six degrees of perceptual experience, set, guided response, mechanism, complex overt response and version. Although Bloom ‘s original taxonomy was a radical theoretical account which presented systematic classifications of cognitive accomplishments, Anderson and Krathworthl ( 2001 ) revised it to concentrate on the active, ongoing procedure of larning in order to assist instructors understand and implement a standards-based course of study. In add-on, other research workers developed it harmonizing to the aims that teachers, skilled specializers, and supervisors need to measure the scholars ‘ acquisition and public presentation in a given class. Anderson and Krathworthl ( 2001 ) reevaluated the original version and the revised taxonomy included memory, apprehension, using, analysing, rating and making. In other words, the revised taxonomy duplicates the six classs of the original 1 with the cognition class labeled as ‘remember ‘ , the comprehension class termed ‘understand ‘ and synthesis was changed into ‘create ‘ . They are arranged in a h ierarchal construction, but non every bit stiffly as in the original taxonomy. ( Krathwohl, 2002, p. 218 ) Since Bloom provided the tool that helps research workers to find the scholars ‘ learned preferable behaviour forms after taking a class, Bloom ‘s taxonomy has long been applied by pedagogues, instructional interior decorators in order to orient and accomplish the aims, lesson, and appraisals ( Joyce & A ; Weil, 1996 ) . Furthermore, the cognitive taxonomy has received much attending because of its pertinence in secondary and postsecondary instruction ( Chyung, 2003 ) . Therefore, the research workers have besides used Bloom ‘s taxonomy as an assessment tool to measure pupil public presentation in traditional classs versus on-line simulations ( Boyd & A ; Murphrey, 2002 ) . Based on the consequences of Garrison, Anderson, and Archer ‘s research in 2001 which utilizing Bloom ‘s six degrees of cognitive processing, they noted that over 80 % of scholars ‘ treatment stations ( online ) reflected lower degrees of thought. Similarly, Gilbert and Dabbagh ( 2005 ) reported that about 75-80 % of their pupils ‘ on-line posters were at the lower degrees of Bloom ‘s taxonomy. .In 2006, John DiMarco examined the Bloom ‘s taxonomy and Peschl ‘s manners of cognizing for categorization of larning objects on the PBS.org/teacher beginning Website. By qualitative content analysis, he found that larning objects at PBS.org/teacher beginning were instructionally designed on accomplishing aims that were lower in the cognitive sphere based on the research of Bloom and his column group and the subsequent instantiations of the 1956 work in 2002 by Krathwol and in 2005 by Krumme. Hamad Odhabi, in 2007, conducted a qualitative research in order to see the impact of laptops on pupils ‘ larning utilizing Bloom ‘s larning taxonomy. It concluded that pupils agree that larning with laptops would better pupils ‘ acquisition in the cognitive ( cognition ) and psychomotor ( pattern ) domains. Hasan SA?eker and Sevki KoA?muA?r in 2008 were done a survey which aimed at look intoing the relationship between critical thought accomplishments and in-class oppugning behaviours of English Language Teaching ( ELT ) pupils at the Faculty of Education at Mugla University. The findings of this survey revealed that the pupils in the higher mark group experienced believing procedures more intensively than the lower mark group. Recently, Churches ( 2008 ) updated the revised Bloom ‘s taxonomy to modify behaviours and actions that implemented with digital acquisition. In Bloom ‘s digital taxonomy, coaction has been added as an factor that supports the acquisition procedure. In other words, he presented the Bloom ‘s Digital Taxonomy with a set of rubrics that each of these leads the use of a digital acquisition engineering in order to accomplish Bloom ‘s acquisition degrees. In 2010, Alyson Simpson conducted a classroom-based research to look into the premiss that an information and communicating engineering ( ICT ) undertaking where kids read books and so utilize email communicating to interchange responses with other scholars will back up critical thought. Improvements in critical thought were measured utilizing lingual analysis. Although there were additions in critical thought, there was small student battle with engineering and the treatment problematised the integrating of engineering in the schoolroom through a repositioning of coaction in a blended acquisition context known as book blames. Ertmer, Sadaf and J. Ertmer in 2011 examined the relationships among inquiry types and degrees and pupils ‘ subsequent responses/interactions in on-line treatment forums and the consequences of their research supported the hypothesis that inquiries at the higher degrees of Bloom ‘s taxonomy facilitate higher degrees of pupils ‘ responses. A survey was done by El-Ghalayini in 2011, which presented a systematic design procedure for developing blended classs for undergraduate higher instruction. The instructional design procedure for e-learning was on the footing of instructional design theories and utilised three taxonomies: Bloom Taxonomy, Redeker Taxonomy and Guerra graduated table. It was found out that all the different design methodological analysiss try to supply a set of activities or guidelines that address all or portion of these determination doing procedure to guarantee the quality and/or the cost of the concluding merchandise. The meta-cognitive standards is less likely to be achieved by undergraduate scholars. Birjandi and Alizadeh were developed a study in 2013 to look into the extent to which the books employed for Teaching English as Foreign Language include critical thought accomplishments. a 70 two-item critical thought checklist based on Likert-scale and dwelling of 12 accomplishments ; viz. , comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, rating, tax write-off, initiation, balanced-thinking, multiple perspective-taking, originative thought, constructing community of minds, and cognition. However, the mark accomplishments on the checklist were chiefly based on Bloom ‘s taxonomy. The paper discussed the deficiency of critical thought in the schoolroom and stuffs and proposes some ways to include more critical thought accomplishments in the stuffs.2.1.2. California Critical Thinking Skills TestAn appropriate appraisal plan will lend to learner growing and development, ensuing in increased competency, self knowledge, self esteem, and assurance ( Allen, et al. , 1985 ) . Before 1880s, there were many arguments on definitions of critical thought as there were writers on the topic. In 1987, in order to define a clear consensus definition of critical thought, the Committee on Pre-College Philosophy of the American Philosophical Society ( APS ) began look intoing into the establishing of critical thought definition and its appraisal. A facilitator conducted an anon. , biennial intercommunication between 46 critical thought experts in the Fieldss of doctrine, psychological science, and instruction. They were from different parts of the universe, across the United States and Canada. They could accomplish the first consensus definition, and this research has been called the Delphi Report ( Facione, 1990 ) . On the other manus, critical thought accomplishments are important for each human and society every bit good, hence, set uping a proper trial to measure critical thought is a important undertaking ( Ennis, 1993 ) . There are many trials available and there are besides many ways to measure critical thought accomplishments, such as: standardised trials, locally developed trials, portfolios, essays, and competence/ public presentation appraisal. In Ennis ‘ position ( 1993 ) , about all of standardised critical thought accomplishments trials are with a format of multiple picks which are preferred for establishments in footings of cost, efficiency ; and clip. However, he noted that more researches and development in this country are needed. Before the Delphi Project, based on different theoretical concepts, there were merely three trials available for measuring critical thought accomplishments at the college degree ( Facione and Facione, 1994 ) . California Critical Thinking Skills Test ( CCTST ) developed in 1990 by Peter Facione, used the Delphi definition of critical thought as its conceptual model ( Facione & A ; Facione, 1994 ) . An objectively scored standardised instrument that assesses the cognitive accomplishments dimension of critical thought. It is a 45- minute multiple pick trial with 34 points. There are an overall critical thought mark and five sub-scores can derive from CCTST, and can be used for post-test merely or pretest-posttest designs ( California Academic Press, 1996b, 1996c ) . Technical surveies have been completed on concept, content, and coincident cogency, point favoritism and trouble, and dependability ( P. A. Facione, 1991 ) . Facione and Facione, ( 1994 ) implied that increasing the length of the CCTST to increase dependability would impact its ability to be given during a typical category period. It would besides likely cause increased mental weariness due to the trouble of the inquiries and consequence in reduced dependability estimations. Hence, no dependabilities are given for the subscale tonss ( Jacobs, 1995 ) . In add-on, it is worthy to observe ( CCTST ) does non do differentiation below the belt between gender, ethnicity, degree of critical thought assurance, and major ( P. A. Facione, 1991 ) . The alpha dependability is estimated at.71 ( Jacobs, 1995 ) . From one manus, the trial manual declares that the two signifiers ( A and B ) are statistically tantamount and the same for practical intents ( California Academic Press, 1996c ) . On the other manus, Jacobs ( 1995 ) indicated that a survey of 1,383 pupils at a big university found no important difference on the unchanged points and a important difference in agencies for Form A and B, with signifier B being more hard than organize A and it shows how critical thought is extremely contextually sensitive. Construct cogency is supported in proof surveies by little but important additions in pretest-posttest tonss in experimental groups after a critical thought class was taken. Controls did non do the same additions ( Facione & A ; Facione, 1994 ) . These additions were merely between 0.04 and 1.45 in average tonss, but they were statistically important for the big samples used ( McMorris, 1995 ) . This may explicate why important alterations are non seen in many of the smaller graduated table surveies. However, more psychometric research is required to allow widespread usage of CCTST in order to look into the countries where the trial is strong or weak. Raykovich ( 2000 ) conducted a survey to find whether the California Critical Thinking skills trial discriminate between first semester pupils ‘ and forth semester pupils ‘ critical thought. Consequences of this survey indicated that important additions in the CCTST entire mark were observed in the instance group. Stein et Al. ( 2003 ) were done a study in Tennessee Technological University to research methods of measuring critical thought accomplishments as portion of a public presentation support enterprise since 2000. American College Test ( ACT ) and the California Critical Thinking Skills Test ( CCTST ) were utilized as the appraisal tools. The initial trial demonstrated good face cogency and high standard cogency when correlated with tonss on both ( ACT ) and ( CCTST ) . In Iran, Khalili and Hossein Zadeh ( 2003 ) investigated the dependability, cogency and norm of CCTST Form B. on 405 BSN nursing pupils of Nursing Faculties located in Tehran. The findings showed that the inquiries of trial is sufficiently dependable as a research tool, and all subscales measure a individual concept, Critical Thinking, and are able to separate the individuals with different degrees of critical thought. Husband ( 2006 ) employed the CCTST appraisal tool on a computing machine information engineering unit of direction to look into the effectivity of critical thought learning methodological analysiss. The survey concluded that the average tonss from the post-test were non significantly higher than the pre-test mean tonss. In 2008, Yang and Chou investigated the relationship between critical thought accomplishments and temperaments and the effectivity of different degrees of on-line instructional scheme. Findingss presented that the sweetening in critical thought accomplishments reinforced critical thought temperaments, but the betterment in critical thought temperaments did non increase the degree of critical thought accomplishments. Cotter and Tally in 2009 examined the effectivity of the critical thought exercisings on critical thought accomplishments. It was revealed that the critical thought assignments did non hold a positive consequence on either formal operational idea or critical thought accomplishments. Dehghani et Al. ( 2011 ) conducted a descriptive-correlation survey aimed to see the relationship between pupils ‘ self-efficacy and critical thought in Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. The consequences revealed a significantly positive relationship between pupils ‘ self-efficacy and critical thought.2.2 Ex Reading and Critical ThinkingMany research workers have emphasized the importance of including extended reading in foreign linguistic communication course of study ( Day & A ; Bamford, 1998 ; Grabe, 1995 ; Krashen, 1982 ) Extensive reading is an attack to 2nd linguistic communication ( L2 ) reading direction and aims to do covering big sums of reading stuff gratifying for scholars, as Day & A ; Bamford, ( 1998 ) believe ; reading addition without reading hurting. It besides needs to observe that upon scrutiny of Bamford ‘s ( 2000 ) annotated bibliography on ER, one rapidly discovers that a good figure of ER plans use simplified books or ranked readers as the basic reading stuff ( Day and Bamford, 1988 ) . A figure of experimental and quasi-experimental surveies have been conducted to analyze the effectivity of ER and to supply support for the usage of ER in 2nd linguistic communication ( ESL ) and EFL scenes. ER surveies have shown that their participants improved in countries such as reading comprehension, spread outing vocabulary cognition, and heightening composing accomplishments and Many English as a foreign linguistic communication ( EFL ) research workers ( e.g. , Camiciottoli, 2001 ; Day & A ; Bamford, 1998 ; Krashen, 1982 ; Mason & A ; Krashen, 1997 ; Robb & A ; Susser, 1989 ; Yamashita, 2004 ) have suggested ER as a good scheme to better reading proficiency, and a big figure of surveies ( e.g. , Elley & A ; Mangubhai, 1981 ; Greenberg, Rodrigo, Berry, Brinck & A ; Joseph, 2006 ; Hafiz & A ; Tudor, 1990 ; Lai, 1993 ) have confirmed its effectivity in edifice lingual competency ( e.g. , reading ability, vocabulary, composing and spelling accomplishments ) . Numerous schoolroom activities utilizing graded readers have besides been described ( e.g. , Bamford & A ; Day, 2004 ; Nakanishi, 2005 ) . On the other manus, In order to larn English successfully, EFL learners non merely necessitate to get the four macro accomplishments composing, but besides need to develop critical analytical accomplishments. Traditionally, among the four macro accomplishments, the educational accent has preponderantly been on the acquisition of productive accomplishments. The importance of receptive accomplishments, and the development of critical accomplishments, has most frequently been neglected in the context of EFL scenes ; consequently, there has been less infinite to develop critical thought among scholars. Reading is a medium that a instructor usage to further scholars ‘ critical thought and tonss of the text editions include assignments and activities purported to tap into critical thought accomplishments. Distinguishing among four types of reading, it can be said that extended reading ( ER ) is one of the most good, since it promotes the development of critical thought. This means critical thought is an of import accomplishment ESL pupils need to develop from extended reading stuffs which are books of their pleasance to go analytical and witting people about the environment that surrounds them. Learners need to believe about the stuffs they read and use their ain conceptualisations and scholars can larn to hold or differ with the texts they have read in order to show their points of position. Previous surveies on the effects of extended reading ( text-based and on-line stuffs ) had adopted assorted research designs, but few provide deduction for the consequence of extended reading on critical thought accomplishments. The focal point of the present survey is on the relationship between ER and critical thought.2.3 ConcordancerWith the coming of engineering and its attendant impact on stylistics literary surveies, the quality of instruction and acquisition in linguistic communication schoolrooms has been enhanced. An effort has been made to incorporate computing machines, the Internet and computer-aided plan as tools in linguistic communication schoolrooms to ease the instruction and acquisition. The most of import end of modern teaching method is to assist scholars travel beyond the lower order cognitive accomplishments to the higher order believing 1s, including application, analysis, synthesis, and rating ( Bloom et al.,1956 ) . These accomplishments are necessary for scholars to analyse, measure, synthesise, utilize critical penetration, be originative, work collaboratively, work out jobs, and direct their ain acquisition ( Romiszowski, 1996 ) . In order to obtain command of these accomplishments, instructors need to supply larning environments that are learner-centered, reliable, problem-based and collaborative. With increasing figure of research, the good effects of ( on-line ) computer-assisted plans on linguistic communication acquisition have emerged. They have intended to back up the pedagogical concerns in the schoolrooms. Among the modern instruction AIDSs, concordancers characterized as computer-based plans became available in the 1980s and a figure of surveies have been conducted to supply empirical grounds to the effectivity of principal concordancing in linguistic communication schoolrooms ( Hadley, 2000 ; Ilse, 1991 ; Lee & A ; Liou, 2003 ; Someya, 2000 ; St. John, 2001 ) and of import developments began in the 1990s, get downing with publications recommending the usage of principals and harmonies in linguistic communication instruction ( Tribble & A ; Jones, 1990 ) . Concordancers provide a list of frequence happenings in a pre-selected principal and affect exposing the defined points within the current context. They search for happenings of a given word, portion of a word, combination of words, a punctuation grade, affix, or a phrase or construction within a given text principal to demo its immediate context ( Granger, 1998 ; Biber, Conrad & A ; Reppen, 1998 ) . Through this, scholars can develop their ability to detect, to theorize and to place forms in the mark linguistic communication ( Johns, 1988 ) . In add-on, the end product of concordancer hunts and nowadayss scholars with reliable, existent picks that linguistic communication users make and allows them to research and detect ordinary forms of word or sentence use in assorted manners. Therefore, the capableness of contextual illation can be well enhanced by supplying multiple contexts for a given word with the assistance of a computing machine system ( Cobb, 1997, 1999 ) . As a consequence, harmonies have been used for a scope of intents. By utilizing concordancers, the scholars can research characteristics of mark linguistic communication independently, including regulations of grammar, the use in different context, and lexical properties. This, accordingly, leads to data-driven acquisition ( DDL ) ( e.g. Johns, 1994 ) . By this pedagogical attack, scholars are research workers, who discover and analyze regulations and forms embedded in the informations instead than implementing rule application exercisings or following a spoon feeding attack. Prior surveies have shown that a DDL attack creates a learner-centered acquisition ambiance in which scholars are involved in explorative concordance-based undertakings to spread out their linguistic communication experience ( Biber, Conrad, & A ; Reppen, 1998 ) . Furthermore, they can detect the implicit in linguistic communication forms on their ain, and therefore they become active participants in the acquisition procedure ( Brown, 2001 ; Johns, 1997 ; Sun, 1999 ) . Therefore, the data-driven attack utilizing harmony package stimulates the scholars ‘ analytical capacities, improves their expressed cognition of mark linguistic communication, advances critical linguistic communication consciousness, and supports the development of scholar liberty. Furthermore, scholars themselves besides show positive reactions to DDL and utilizing concordancer due to their turning consciousness of descriptive instead than normative linguistic communication ( Chambers, 2005 ; Yeh, Liou, & A ; Li, 2007 ) . Consequently, equipped with Language Awareness ( Hawkins, 1987, Wolff, 1992 ) , Consciousness-raising ( Sharwood-Smith, 1981, Rutherford, 1987 ) and Critical Thinking ( Astleitner, 2002 ; Facione, 2007 ; Paul, 1995 ) through concordancer, scholars change inactive information from the huge sum of different available lingual characteristics into dynamic end product to explicate the linguistic communication regulations in their ain public presentation. Several surveies have been carried out to measure the potency of utilizing concordancer and research attacks to incorporate concordancing tools into linguistic communication acquisition and instruction ( Chen, 2000 ; Cobb, 1997 ; Conrad, 1999 ; Flowerdew, 1993 ; Turnbull & A ; Burston, 1998 ) . Besides, several surveies were conducted to look into the efficaciousness of harmonies in EFL schoolroom ( Sripicharn, 2003 ; Boulton, 2008 ) . In Todd ‘s ( 2001 ) survey, a category of college pupils consulted a web-based principal to assist with their self-corrections of lexical mistakes. The consequences showed that these pupils were able to bring on valid forms from their self-selected harmonies and to do valid self-corrections of their mistakes. Gabel, in 2001, conducted a research in which focused on another possibility of using concordancers, viz. a comparative survey taking at penetrations into the scholars ‘ lingua franca ( IL ) and examined the over-indulgence and under-representation of lingual characteristics in the linguistic communication usage of advanced German EFL pupils. It was concluded that scholars benefited because they tried to bridge the spread between their ain public presentation and that of native talkers. In add-on, in Malaysia, the survey carried out by Daud and Husin ( 2004 ) indicated the potency of a literary text, Othello, and a concordancer in developing and heightening critical thought ability and the findings revealed that there is a important difference between the experimental and control groups in their critical thought ability. In 2003, Sun conducted a survey that endeavored to implement reading plan, Extensive Reading Online ( ERO ) , having specific demands for EFL scholars in Taiwan. He utilised concordancer, stage-by-stage reading scheme preparation, and text note maps. As the consequences, pupils held a positive attitude toward the reading system. Again, in the same twelvemonth, Sun worked on a instance survey by three Chinese college pupils which conducted the acquisition procedure in the concordancer puting. During set abouting a proofreading activity, a web-based concordancer assisted the participants. Four factors evolved the consequences and scholars ‘ larning procedure: ( 1 ) prior cognition, ( 2 ) cognitive accomplishments, ( 3 ) instructor intercession and ( 4 ) concordancer accomplishments. Concordancer is besides good in the acquisition of vocabulary ( Cobb, 1997 ; Zahar et al.,2001 ) . In add-on, the 2nd linguistic communication vocabulary cognition includes balls, such as collocations or parlances ( Nation, 2001 ) . Much of the research on concordancers has focused on grammar and collocation acquisition. It is believed that collocational cognition is hard to get for linguistic communication scholars ( church et.al. , 1991 ) and it ‘s particularly effectual for sentence coevals ( Smadja & A ; Mckeown,1990 ) . Sun and Wang ( 2003 ) , with a category of 11th grade pupils in Taiwan, examined the consequence of concordancing on larning grammatical collocations and they found the inductive group significantly outperformed deductive group in the proofreading undertaking. Similarly, Lee and Liou ( 2003 ) probed into the consequence of pupils as principal research workers by measuring and comparing the lexical public presentation of pupils and the consequences showed th at concordancer searching was good to pupils who employed inductive acquisition schemes. In the field of collocation, in 2005, Chan and Liou carried out a survey to research the impact of utilizing five web-based pattern units on English verb-noun collocations with the assistance of a web-based Chinese-English bilingual concordancer. Consequences indicated that scholars improved significantly after the on-line pattern at one time but regressed subsequently. Furthermore the on-line instructional units with using the concordancer were acceptable to most scholars. In the context of ESL scholars, Horst et Al. ( 2005 ) blended the usage of a harmony, a dictionary, a cloze-builder, a hypertext, and a database with synergistic self-quizzing characteristics in several academic English classs and evaluated the effects of the tools and activities on 150 pupils. The findings evidenced the acquisition additions provided support for vocabulary acquisition. Webb and Kagimoto ( 2011 ) , examined the effects of three factors ( the figure of collocates per node word, the place of the node word, synonymity ) on larning collocations. The consequences revealed that more collocations were learned as the figure of collocates per node word increased, the place of the node word did non impact acquisition, and synonymity had a negative consequence on acquisition. Additionally, few surveies have addressed issues refering the sweetening of scholars ‘ composing accomplishments. In this respect, Yeh, Liou and Li ( 2007 ) carried out another research under the rubric of on-line equivalent word stuffs and concordancing for EFL college composing. They addressed overused adjectives by non-native speech production scholars by assistance of a bilingual collocation concordancer, TANGO. The findings showed that, non merely they improved in the immediate posttest, but besides pupils ‘ word cognition for equivalent word usage was retained as measured two months subsequently in the delayed posttest. Furthermore, in the post-instruction authorship undertaking, pupils avoided utilizing general adjectives, tried to use more specific points to better their overall authorship quality. Sun ( 2007 ) besides examined the effects that the scholar variables had on participants ‘ perceptual experience of the on-line Scholarly Writing Template ( SWT ) . The consequences of the survey showed that the templet had different effects on pupils ‘ scholarly composing procedures and usage of scheme. Indeed, pupils held a positive attitude towards the scholarly authorship templet. Besides, concordancers allow linguistic communication scholars to prosecute in larning more actively and to seek for lingual forms by straight researching computerized principals and concordancers, in other words, concordancers can be used as the key tools in the data-driven acquisition ( DDL ) attack. By computer-based DDL attack, scholars can seek the principal with the aid of a concordancer. In Iran, Tabriz, Jafarpour and Koosha ( 2007 ) studied concordancing stuffs presented through data-driven learning attack and the findings showed that the data-driven attack is extremely effectual in the instruction and larning collocation of prepositions. Another survey in Taiwan explored the DDL attack utilizing harmony roll uping package in instruction of J. K. Rowling ‘s utilizations of the preposition in Harry Potter and the Philosopher ‘s Rock by Lee ( 2009 ) which expressed data-driven acquisition is helpful for pupils both in fixing for their tests and besides for their general English acquisition. In 2011, Chen undertook a research to find if the new tool, WebCollocate, which is based on a big portion of speech-tagged Gutenberg principal could advance the DDL attack and ease the searching of collocations. The consequences indicated that the pupils who used the WebCollocate tool found more proper English collocates. And Thanh ( 2010 ) , in Netherland, designed a study to analyze the consequence of concordancing and staging in developing scholars ‘ cognition of lexical collocations. This survey revealed that scaffolding did non do a important difference in footings of the pupils ‘ ability to place ( myocardial infarction ) collocations but concordancing produced important effects on the topics ‘ overall public presentation in lexical collocation. Further, in the field of interlingual rendition, bilingual concordancers are one the most widely used computer-assisted interlingual rendition tools amongst transcribers. Bourdaillet et Al. ( 2011 ) studied the betterment of the commercial bilingual concordancer, TransSearch, in order to implant a word alliance characteristic. The consequences gained utilizing a big interlingual rendition memory comprising of 8.3 million sentence braces were verified by human rating. Most of the above-named surveies have been done with different ESL or EFL scholars at different degrees of proficiency. Holec ( 1990 ) and Hadley ( 2002 ) claimed that concordancing might be relevant to progress scholars merely as those of lower degrees do non hold plenty lingual resources and analytical accomplishments to get by with reliable informations. In this respect, this survey aims to present scholars who are at the same degree of proficiency and in a homogeneous category as intermediate degree. Otherwise, concerns sing troubles in comprehending and pull outing information from linguistic communication illustrations will be prevailing in linguistic communication schoolrooms ( Sun, 2003 ) . On the other manus, the surveies show that concordancing-based interventions could be good for English acquisition. Although, other surveies have examined the effects of concordancing on assorted facets of linguistic communication acquisition. Yet few old surveies have examined the impact of concordancing on the acquisition of reading accomplishment. Therefore, it may be good to plan concordance-based stuffs with the purpose of developing scholars ‘ reading accomplishments through concordance-based extended reading. Using different reliable narratives alternatively of working on one literary text will promote scholars to be involved with different characters and genres and will perchance do a more optimal usage of concordancer hunts. In other words, larning can be driven by reliable linguistic communication informations ( Johns 1991a, Johns 1991b ) . Since a few surveies have been carried out to turn to the proficiency of reading accomplishment by assistance of computer-based plan, concordancer, the present survey seeks to research the impact of computer-assisted extended readingA direction on EFL scholars ‘ reading comprehension.