Ken Burns free essay sample

Jazz is one of the few arts that will be considered truly American. Founded primarily in the south during the sasss, this form of music was the first significant African American contribution that would be heard all around the world. Its constantly changing nature and loose rules allow it to be flexible and therefore, viable to audiences of all ages. Why is it unique to the American experience? In the south during the sasss, this form of music was the first significant African audiences of all ages.How is It unique to the American experience? The sound began to travel across the united States in the sasss, becoming popular in large cities such as New York and Chicago. New players used the piano to combine a Ragtime feel with already established sounds. James Race Europe began to experiment with full orchestras, a real testimony to the classic Jazz improvisation to come. We will write a custom essay sample on Ken Burns or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page List some of the elements which Jazz incorporates (I. E. , Baptist church. ,) Historically, where was Jazz born?The combination of an already established African American population with the Influence from Caribbean and Mexican merchants began to Integrate with the popular brass bands. The town was home to legendary players such as Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton. What is improvisation? Why must Jazz be preserved? By the turn of the 20th century, the minstrel show enjoyed but a shadow of its former popularity, having been replaced for the most part by vaudeville. It survived as professional entertainment until about 1910; amateur performances continued until the sass In high schools, and local theaters.As the call rights movement progressed and gained acceptance. Minstrels lost popularity. How can Jazz best be preserved? Today, Jazz can still be heard echoing in the Smokey clubs In towns Like Kansas City, Memphis and New Orleans, but a new generation has begun to appreciate the sounds of Jazz and swing. Bands like The Brian Seltzer Orchestra, Big Bad Vow Do 1 OFF genre and drawn in a much younger audience What were some elements of Minstrelsy? Blackjack minstrelsy was the first distinctly American theatrical form.In the sass and sass, it was at the core of the rise of an American music industry, and for several decades, it provided the lens through which white America saw black America. On the one hand, it had strong racist aspects; on the other, it afforded white Americans a singular and broad awareness of what some whites considered significant aspects of black-American culture to be. Who was a Creole? Although the minstrel shows were extremely popular, being consistently packed with families from all walks of life and every ethnic group they were also controversial.Racial integrations decried them as falsely showing happy slaves while at the same time making fun of them; segregationists thought such shows were disrespectful of social norms, portrayed runaway slaves with sympathy and would undermine the southerners. Louisiana Creole people are those who are descended room the colonial settlers in Louisiana, especially those of French, Spanish, and African descent Where and when and by whom was Jazz first recorded?

Study on Infiltration and Soil Texture Under Banana and Maize Land Use Systems in Gatundu Catchment, Kiambu County, Kenya Essay Example

Study on Infiltration and Soil Texture Under Banana and Maize Land Use Systems in Gatundu Catchment, Kiambu County, Kenya Essay Example Study on Infiltration and Soil Texture Under Banana and Maize Land Use Systems in Gatundu Catchment, Kiambu County, Kenya Essay Study on Infiltration and Soil Texture Under Banana and Maize Land Use Systems in Gatundu Catchment, Kiambu County, Kenya Essay KENYATTA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PURE AND APPLIED SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY STUDY ON INFILTRATION AND SOIL TEXTURE UNDER BANANA AND MAIZE LAND USE SYSTEMS IN GATUNDU CATCHMENT, KIAMBU COUNTY,KENYA KAKAIRE JOEL I56EA/20023/2012 ICEDUNA MARION I56EA/20021/2012 MWM714: FIELD MAPPING AND LABORATORY TECHQNIUES FIELD REPORT COURSE INSTRUCTOR: DR. MAKOKHA GEORGE TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENTS PAGES 1. 0 Introduction 1 1. Significance of the study . 2 1. 2 Objectives .. 2 1. 2. 1 Specific Objectives . 2 2. 0 METHODS AND MATERIALS . 3 2. INTRODUCTION.. 3 2. 2 Study area .. 3 2. 3 Research design 6 2. 4 Data collection procedures and laboratory analysis . 6 2. 4. Soil Texture 6 2. 4. 2 Infiltration .. 7 3. 0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 8 3. 1 Soil Infiltration Measurements . 8 4. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION .. 13 5. 0 REFERENCES.. 15 APPENDIX 17 Appendix 1: Data sheet for Infiltration for Banana and Maize Fields .. 17 ii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Infiltration Curve of Banana field . 0 Figure 2: Cumulative Infiltration of Banana Field 10 Figure 3: Infiltration curve of Maize Field 11 Figure 4: Cumulative infiltration of Maize Field 11 iii LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Description of infiltration sites .. 8 Table 2. Summary of the soil texture report from the test sites .. 12 LIST OF PLATES Plate 1: Infiltration in Banana and Maize field respectively 7 iv v 1. 0 Introduction Water is one of the most important factors limiting the growth of plants in all Agricultural systems. In this respect, good water management is necessary in order to solve water related problems such as irrigation and erosion control. Infiltration is the process by which water arriving at the soil surface enters the soil. This process affects surface runoff, soil erosion, and groundwater recharge (Gregory et al. , 2005). The rate at which it occurs is known as infiltration rate which mainly depends on the characteristics of the soil. ( Saxton, 1986) reported that, the major soil and water characteristics affecting infiltration rates are: the initial moisture content, condition of the surface, hydraulic conductivity of the soil profile, texture, porosity, degree of swelling of soil colloids, organic matter, vegetative cover and duration of irrigation or rainfall and of these, soil texture is predominant. Therefore the measurement of water infiltration into the soil is an important indication in regard to the efficiency of irrigation and drainage, optimizing the availability of water for plants, improving the yield of crops, minimizing erosion and describing the soil permeability. Land use and land cover changes among other factors have also been reported to infuluence the infiltration rate of soil. According to (Suresh, 2008), for a given soil, the land use pattern plays a vital role in determining its infiltration characteristics. Different land use practices affect infiltration rates in different ways. (Taylor et al, 2009), observed that intensified land use results primarily in a change in soil structure rather than soil compaction. When land is put to certain uses, there is an accompanying change in the properties of the soil and this alters the hydrological balance of the soil. According to (Osuji, 2010) infiltration rates in tropical forests under bush fallow were found to be high compared to arable crop land. In addition, Majaliwa et al. 2010) explains that the change from natural forest cover to tea and Eucalyptus induces changes in top soil properties like exchangeable Magnesium and Calcium, available Phosphorus, soil organic matter, soil pH, and soil structure of sub soil. Furthermore, Land use/type cover influences soil organic matter evolution which is a vital indicator of soil quality and it has implications on soil properties like aggregate stability/soil structure, infiltration and aeration rates , microbial activity and nutrient release (Boye and 1 Albrect, 2001). Additionally a soil’s water retention characteristic, is affected by soil organic matter (SOM) content and porosity, which are significantly influenced by land use type (Zhou et al. , 2008). Gatundu catchment is one of the catchments in Kenya which have experienced soil degradation due to conversion of natural forest to crop land mainly banana, maize and Coffee. This has been fastened by the increasing population in the catchment leaving most of the natural forest cover cleared and replaced by crop land. The result has been massive soil degradation, through loss of plant nutrients and organic matter, soil erosion, river bank degradation; build up of salinity, and damage to soil structure (Bekunda et al. , 2010). Therefore this study aims to determine the degree of relationship between infiltration rates and the land use types in two selected sites under Banana and Maize cropping systems in Gatundu sub catchment. 1. 1 Significance of the study The knowledge of water retention capacity and land use effects is important for efficient soil and water management. Upon conversion of natural lands to cultivated fields, water retention capacity is strongly influenced (Schwartz et al. , 2000; Bormann and Klaassen, 2008; Zhou et al. , 2008). Thus, infiltration rate is an important factor in sustainable agriculture, effective watershed management, surface runoff, and retaining water and soil resources. Properly designed and constructed infiltration facilities can be one of the most effective flow control (and water quality treatment) storm water control practices, and should be encouraged where conditions are appropriate (Ecology, 2005) 1. Objectives The objective of the study is to determine the effect of banana and Maize land use practices on water infiltration into the soil in Gatundu catchment 1. 2. 1 Specific Objectives 2 1. 2. Describe how different soil types influence water flow through the soil Compare Water movements through the soil at two different sites (Banana and Maize fields) 3. To find out how soil texture influences water infiltra tion into the soil 2. 0 METHODS AND MATERIALS 2. INTRODUCTION This section covers the methods and materials used in the study which include description of the study area, experimental design, field data collection procedures for soil samples and data analysis procedures; laboratory and statistical data analysis using Microsoft office package. 2. 2 Study area Gatundu district is one of the districts located in central province of Kenya at 1 ° 1 0 South, 36 ° 56 0 East; covering an area of 481. 1 km2 and borders Thika district to the East and North and Kiambu East to the South and West (Figure 5). The population density varies from 370 persons per Km2 in Chania and Mangu divisions to 636 persons per Km2 in Gatundu division on the 2008 population projections. Gatundu division is the most densely populated division with 636 persons per square Km. The population over the plan period is expected to increase marginally thereby increasing demand and competition for the available resources like water and land resources (Gatundu District Development plan, 2008 -2012). 3 ` Figure 5: Map of Gatundu south Topography features of Gatundu district Gatundu district is located about 1520 m ASL at the lowest point and 2280 m ASL at the highest point. There are several permanent rivers and streams that traverse the landscape and these include Ndaruga, Thiririka, and Kahuga. All these rivers flow from the Aberdare ranges to the west and towards the southeast joining River Tana thus forming part of Tana and Athi river 4 drainage system. The train is conducive for gravity system of irrigation (Gatundu District Development plan, 2008 -2012). Terrain Gatundu district is characterized by a ragged terrain, which has had both the negative and positive impacts on the development of the district. The steep slopes and valleys characteristic of the most part of the district, coupled with intensive crop cultivation render most of these areas susceptible to soil erosion making it necessary for farmers to practice terracing which is costly. The conducive environment in the district favour the cultivation of tea and coffee however, other crops like cereals, horticultural crops such as pineapple, mangoes, avocadoes and vegetables plus bananas (Gatundu District Development plan, 2008 -2012). Soils Gatundu district has soils that correspond entirely with typical Aberdare Humic Andosols and Nitosols. These Nitosols have great agricultural potential coupled with the relatively high rainfall regime in the region. Production of tea, coffee, tropical fruits and food crops such as maize, beans and potatoes are the most common sources of income to the households. The hilly terrain of the district has had profound effect on the soils, resulting into low and moderate fertility levels (Gatundu District Development plan, 2008 -2012). Climate The rainfall pattern is bi-modal with two distinct rainy seasons, long rains falling in March and May while short rains between October and November. The amount received varies with altitude ranging from 800 mm to 2000 mm with the highest rainfall being experienced in the tea zones. The mean temperature is 200 C with coldest months being June, July and August. The hottest months are February, March and April. Temperatures vary from 80C minimum to 300 C maximum during the year. (Gatundu District Development plan, 2008 -2012) 5 2. 3 Research design A completely randomized block design was used for the study. Two treatments were considered (Banana and Maize land uses) and the blocking was landscape position. For Each land use type, only one experiment was carried out because of time. . 4 Data collection procedures and laboratory analysis 2. 4. 1 Soil Texture Five (5) soil samples from both Banana and Maize land uses at different landscape positions were collected. The sampling was done at depth of 0 -15 cm and were collected using a 50 mm diameter auger using a Random sampling Technique as explained by Haghighi et al. (2010) . The 0- 15cm depth was considered because it’s the major agricultural layer and root zone for most of the crops. The five soil samples from each land use were thoroughly mixed to obtain composite soil samples which were taken to Makerere University Laboratory for Analysis. Soil texture was determined using the hydrometer method described by Bouyoucos (1962) and results presented in percentages of mineral proportions. The samples were passed through an electric shaker for 30 minutes and then the sample was treated with sodium hexametaphosphate to complex Ca++, Al3+, Fe3+, and other cations that bind clay and silt particles into aggregates. The density of the soil suspension was determined with a hydrometer which was calibrated to read in grams of solids per liter after the sand settled out and again after the silt settled. Corrections were made for the density and temperature of the dispersing solutions. The percentages of mineral fractions were calculated as below; Percent clay: % clay = corrected hydrometer reading at 6 hrs, 52 min. x 100/ wt. of sample Percent silt: % silt = corrected hydrometer reading at 40 sec. x 100/ wt. of sample % clay Percent sand: 6 % sand = 100% % silt % clay Results were reported as percentages of the mineral fraction, % sand, % silt, and % clay. Soil texture was based on the USDA textural triangle. 2. 4. 2 Infiltration The infiltration rate was determined using double-ring infiltrometer as described by American Society for Testing and Materials (1994). It consists of two concentric metal rings. The rings were driven into the ground and filled with water. The outer ring helped to prevent divergent flow. The drop-in water level or volume in the inner ring was used to calculate the infiltration rate. Clock time was recorded when the test began and noted the water level on the ruler at different time intervals as seen in Appendix 1, recorded the drop in water level in the inner ring on the ruler and kept adding water to bring the level back to approximately the original level. The tests were conducted for a period of one to two hours, until the infiltration rate became constant. The infiltration rate was calculated from the rate of fall of the water level in the inner ring as seen in Appendix 1 in the tenth minutes in both the banana field and maize fields. The data was analyzed by drawing graphs of infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration. In both cases, curves were obtained. Plate 1: Infiltration in Banana and Maize field respectively 7 3. 0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 3. Soil Infiltration Measurements Soil infiltration measurements were made at 2 sites in Gatundu sub catchment (Plate 1 above). The two sites have the same soil characteristics, therefore they have been classified by the different land uses and land scape positions coupled by other field observations. Sites were selected based on land use, proximity to water source, site accessibility, and soil type. Table 1: Description of infiltration sites Site Location Banana Site Observed and use and field observations Site with Banana plantations, Has some mounds, some trees adjacent to the field, it’s on a higher elevation Maize Site Site with Maize, The site is close to a trench used for moving water, Its close to the road , It’s on a lower elevation Figure 1(Banana land use) and Figure 3(Maize land use) shows that the water infiltrates at a very high rate at the beginning with 1800 mm/hr and 720mm/hr respectively; because the hydraulic gradient is high and then keeps declining with time until it becomes fairly steady after the soils become saturated, which is termed as basic infiltration rate. This is also emphasized by Horton (1940) where he asserts that infiltration becomes constant with time as the soil column reaches fully saturated conditions which occurred at 40th and 49th minute time intervals in Banana and Maize Land use Systems as seen in appendix 1. Rubin and Steinhardt (1963) also showed that the final infiltration rate reached under these conditions is equal to the vertical hydraulic conductivity of a saturated soil. 8 The steady state in Maize was attained earlier than in banana land use corresponding to 204mm/hr and 450mm/hr respectively. This can be associated to soil disturbances during ploughing and land preparation season after season for annual crops like maize compared to banana field (Perennial) which have less soil disturbances. The scenario under maize land use may lead to soil compaction as a result of continuous cultivation. This is emphasized by Pitt et al. , 2002 and 2008; Pitt et al. , (1999b) who found substantial reductions in infiltration rates due to soil compaction. The implication is that beyond the steady point (saturation point), if more water is applied to the soil, it results into surface water runoff. Infiltration depends upon physical and hydraulic properties of the soil moisture content, previous wetting history, structural changes in the layers and air entrapment. The basic infiltration rate of maize land use is lower than that of Banana land use system as seen in Appendix 1; this can be associated to a number of factors although not conclusive for the attained results; 1. The Initial moisture content; the study was carried out in a rainy season, therefore for saturated soils, the infiltration falls to the aturated hydraulic conductivity almost instantaneously. 2. Considering the type of land use in each of the sites; Soils under Perennials (Banana Land use) are subjected to less interferences in terms of land preparations compared to land under annuals (Maize Land use) which correlates with the obtained results of 450mm/hr and 204mm/hr respectively 3. The surrounding of the site; the Maize field is on a lower elevation and near a trench which collects water, therefore itâ€⠄¢s possible that the soils could easily reach saturation 9 Infiltration rate mm/hr 000 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Infiltration rate,mm/hr infiltration rate mm/hr Time(minutes) Figure 1: Infiltration Curve of Banana field Cummulative infiltration cummulative infiltration,mm 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Cummulative infiltration Time,hrs Figure 2: Cumulative Infiltration of Banana Field In Banana land use, Infiltration was recorded at time intervals of 1, 5 and 10 minutes and in Maize land use it was at 3, 6 and 10 minutes time intervals (Appendix 1) 10 Infiltration rate/hr 800 Infiltration rate mm/hr 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Infiltration rate/hr Time,hrs Figure 3: Infiltration curve of Maize Field Cummulative infiltration Cummulative infiltration,mm 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Cummulative infiltration Time,hrs Figure 4: Cumulative infiltration of Maize Field 11 Table 2 below compares the infiltration rates of two sites, classified according to the texture of the soil profiles in Banana and Maize land use systems. In each set of measurements, the infiltration rate of the Banana field belonging to the sandy clay loam was much higher than Maize field belonging to clay loam because of the variation in the physical properties of the two textural classes. In the banana field, basic infiltration rate was attained at 450mm/hr which is higher than that of maize field, 204mm/hr and this explains the relationship between soil texture, structure and infiltration which was obtained in our results where the Banana field with sandy clay loams having larger pores allowed in more water to infiltrate compared to clay loam with relatively smaller pores. From our results, The banana field reached saturation earlier (40th minute) than the Maize field (49th minute) which deviates from the assumption that the field at lower elevation reaches saturation earlier than the other on the higher elevation, and this case the maize field was on a lower elevation. As it is not possible to vary soil texture independently of other characteristics it is not inferred that the infiltration rates are caused by texture. Table 2 Summary of the soil texture report from the test sites Sample Percentage % Sand Banana Field Maize Field 50 40 Silt 26 26 Clay 24 34 Sand clay loam Clay loam Textural Class 12 4. 0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION Generally from the findings, the two sites registered high basic infiltration rates with banana and maize land use having 405mm/hr and 204mm/hr respectively. The two sites as well reached saturation easily because of the amount of water that was held within the soil because of the rainy season. Several factors influenced the test; measuring rapidly changing water levels was difficult especially for one minute time intervals and therefore subject to inaccuracy and the local site features, challenges in elevation and the soils being too soft which kept altering the position of the ruler and varying the depth thus may have affected individual test results. Therefore the study required more data collection and time to be able to sample many sites at different time intervals. For this study, tests were conducted during a rainy period in December, 2012, where the water table was expected to be above most soil layers. However, Infiltration is a key parameter in Watershed management therefore Properly designed and constructed infiltration facilities can be one of the most effective flow control (and water quality treatment) , and should be encouraged where conditions are appropriate (Ecology, 2005). Additionally infiltration separates water into two major components surface runoff and subsurface recharge, therefore assessment and Evaluation of runoff risk has assumed an increased importance because of concerns about associated pollution hazards in which pollutants are likely to be transferred from soil to rivers and lakes. The speed of irrigation of fields is based on infiltration tests and data; in surface irrigation, infiltration changes dramatically throughout the irrigation season. The water movements alter the surface structure and geometry which in turn affect infiltration rates; therefore accurate determination of infiltration rates is essential for reliable prediction of surface runoff. As environmental impact assessments are concerned with long-term effects, it is essential that the 13 infiltration data on which they are based should be reasonably stable. For planning purposes it is essential to know the stability of infiltration data. 4 5. 0 REFERENCES American Society for Testing and Materials, 1994, Standard test method for infiltration rate of soils in field using double-ring infiltrometer: ASTM Publication D-3385-94, 7 p. Bouyoucos, G. J. 1962. Hydrometer method improved for making particle size analysis of soils. Agron. J. 54:464-465. Ecology (2005) Stormwater Management Manual for Weste rn Washington; Olympia, WA. Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality Program. Publication Numbers 05-10-029 through 05-10-033. ecy. wa. gov/pubs/0510029. pdf Gregory, J. H. , Dukes, M. D. , Miller, G. L. , and Jones P. H. (2005) Analysis of double-ring infiltration techniques and development of a simple automatic water delivery system. Applied Turfgrass Science. Haghighi. F. , Gorjiz, M. Shorafa M. (2010). Effects of Land Use Change on Important Soil Properties. Land Degrad. Develop. 21, 496–502. Horton, R. E. , 1940, An approach towards a physical interpretation of infiltration capacity: Soils Science Society of America Proceedings, v. 5, p. 399-417. Osuji, G. E,Okon M. A; Chukwuma and Nwaire (2010): Infiltration characteristics of soils under selected landuse practices in Oweri, Southern Nigeria. World journal of Agricultural Sciences 6(3): 322 326 Pitt, R. ; J. Lantrip; R. Harrison; C. Henry, and D. Hue (1999b) Infiltration through Disturbed Urban Soils and Compost-Amended Soil Effects on Runoff Quality and Quantity; EPA 600-R-00-016. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. National Risk Management Research Laboratory. Office of Research and Development. Cincinnati, OH: 231 pp. Pitt, R; Chen, S. -E; Clark, S. E (2002) Compacted Urban Soils Effects on Infiltration and Bioretention Stormwater Control Designs; Proc. , 9th Int. Conf. on Urban Drainage (9ICUD). Portland, Oregon. Pitt, R; Chen, S-E; Clark, S; Swenson, J. , and Ong, C. K (2008) Compaction’s Impacts on Urban Storm-Water Infiltration; J. Irrig. and Drain. Engrg. , 134(5), 652-658. Rubin, J. , and Steinhardt, R. , 1963, Soils water relations during rain infiltration; Part ITheory: Soils Science Society of America Proceedings, v. 27, p. 246-251 Saxton, K. E. , W. L. Rawls, J. S. Rosenberger and R. I Papendick, 1986. Estimating generalized soil water characteristics from texture. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. , 50: 1031-1036 15 Schwartz, R. C. , Unger, P. W. Evett S. R. , 2000. Land use effects on soil hydraulicproperties. Suresh, D. (2008). Land and Water Management Principles: New Delhi, Shansi Publishers Taylor, M. , M. Mulholland and D. Thornburrow,2009. Infiltration Characteristics of Soils Under forestry and Agriculture in the Upper Waikato Catchment. Report: TR/18 http:// www. ew. govt. nz/publications/ Technical-Reports/ TR-200918/ Zhou, X. , Lin, H. S. , White, E. A. , 2008. Surface soil hydraulic properties in four soil series under different land uses and their temporal changes. Catena. 73, 180-188. 16 APPENDIX Appendix 1: Data sheet for Infiltration for Banana and Maize Fields Banana Field Time Reading clock on difference, Cumulative min time, min Infiltration Water Level, Infiltration, Infiltratio rate cm cm n, mm mm/min Infiltration rate mm/hr Cumulative infiltration, mm 12:32 12:33 12:34 12:35 12:36 12:37 12:42 12:47 12:52 12:57 13:02 13:07 1 1 1 1 1 5 5 5 5 5 10 1 2 3 4 5 10 15 20 25 30 40 12. 0 13. 5 13. 8 14. 0 14. 3 9. 4 12. 8 11. 0 12. 0 12. 7 9. 8 15. 0 15. 0 15. 0 15. 0 15. 0 15. 0 15. 0 15. 0 17. 0 17. 3 17. 3 17. 5 3. 0 1. 5 1. 2 1. 0 0. 7 5. 6 2. 2 4. 0 5. 0 4. 6 7. 5 17 30 15 12 10 7 56 22 40 50 46 75

7 Patterns of Sentence Structure

7 Patterns of Sentence Structure 7 Patterns of Sentence Structure 7 Patterns of Sentence Structure By Mark Nichol Sentence structure can be categorized into seven patterns: one simple, three compound, two complex, and one compound-complex. Here are examples of each pattern with accompanying formulas, all to help you think of how to craft sentences in a greater variety of syntax: 1. Simple sentence (independent clause): â€Å"I went for a walk.† (An independent clause is set of words that includes a subject and a predicate. It can be a sentence or part of one. A dependent, or subordinate, clause is one that cannot stand on its own but provides additional information to supplement an independent clause.) 2. Compound sentence, IC+CC+IC (independent clause plus coordinating conjunction plus independent clause): â€Å"I went for a walk, and I was soothed by the gentle night air.† (Coordinating conjunctions are words that link one independent clause to another to form a compound sentence. These words can be recalled with the mnemonic FANBOYS and include for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so.) 3. Compound sentence, IC+S+IC (independent clause plus semicolon plus independent clause): â€Å"I went for a walk; I was soothed by the gentle night air.† 4. Compound sentence, IC+AC+IC (independent clause plus adverbial conjunction plus independent clause): â€Å"I went for a walk; consequently, I was soothed by the gentle night air.† (Adverbial conjunctions are adverbs that serve, when following a semicolon, to link independent clauses. They include consequently, however, moreover, nevertheless, therefore, and thus.) 5. Complex sentence, DM+C+IC (dependent marker plus clause plus independent clause): â€Å"Because I hoped to be soothed by the gentle night air, I went for a walk.† (Dependent markers are words that provide a relative context for a subordinate clause. They include after, although, as, â€Å"as if,† because, before, if, since, though, until, when, where, whether, and while.) 6. Complex sentence, RP+C (relative pronoun plus clause): â€Å"Whatever doubts I had about taking a walk dissipated when I was soothed by the gentle night air.† (Relative pronouns are pronouns that relate a subordinate clause to the noun it modifies. They include who, whom, whose, whoever, whosoever, whomever, which, what, whatever, and sometimes that.) 7. Compound-complex sentence, DC+IC+CC+IC (dependent clause plus independent clause plus coordinating conjunction plus independent clause): â€Å"As I headed out for a walk, my doubts about doing so dissipated, and I was soothed by the gentle night air.† There are, of course, many variations to these patterns; even a simple sentence, for instance, can begin with the object in the example converted to the subject of another simple sentence: â€Å"A walk was my next order of business.† 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 Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Signs and Symbols You Should Know40 Synonyms for â€Å"Different†20 Classic Novels You Can Read in One Sitting

Journal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Journal - Assignment Example Nevertheless, some people do not treat Wheatley as an antislavery writer. This is one of the racial prejudices I need to face while marketing her books. Moreover, it is still unknown why a slave writer was silent about her miserable fate. There is a point of view that Phillis just wrote the poems that were popular at her time. In any case, nobody has proved this thought yet. The best variant to learn the truth is to buy and read Wheatley’s poems and try to find out this information between the lines of marvellous rhyming. Phillis Wheatley’s books have several important qualities that contribute to the popularity of these writings and make the works of this author very popular on any book market. One of the most essential ones is that Phillis’s works are a complicated blend of African and Anglo-American literary traditions. This writer inherited the features found in her books from West African past. It is not very difficult to note that this poet’s works i nclude her anticipation of the literary conventions of Romanticism. According to the critics’ point of view, Wheatley applied Coleridge’s theories of the secondary imagination. It is very useful to read Phillis’s works for those, who are interested in the history of literature.

The critical race theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The critical race theory - Essay Example However, white privilege is dissimilar from conditions of extreme vestiges of racism and/ or prejudice, whereupon the predominant race actively finds it rational to oppress other racial tribes for their own gain. Similarly, theories of white privilege stipulate that the whites perceive their social, economic and cultural knowledge as a custom that everyone should experience, as opposed to a merit that should be kept at the expense of others (5-9). This normative discernment unreservedly restrains the discourse of racial dissimilarity within the predominate discussion. Ideally, such interpretations are limited certain particulars which are detailed to downgraded racial groups. These disadvantaged groups are assumed as having failed to realize the norm. Ironically, the resort concentrates on what should be done with a view to helping those racial groups accomplish the normal principles experienced by whites (Stefanic 22-24). Stefani argues that the theories of privilege affirm discussi ons on racial dissimilarity do not genuinely discuss variations between Non-white and whites social status. Come to think of it, these theories only converse about the malfunction of non-white racial groups to accomplish normal white status. This supposition on the hand turns the subject of race into a problem which doesn’t involve white racial groups (12-14). Racialization of individuality and ethnic downgrading of blacks and the colored formed the basis for ideological slavery and subjugation. Whiteness satisfies the expansive ideas of property as illustrated by classical theorists. Granted, whiteness stipulated the legal position of a person as free or a slave. White individuality awarded corporeal and valuable privileges. Ownership of property included the privileges of use and enjoyment. If these privileges were essential characteristics of property, it was the individuality of whiteness that had to enjoy them. Whiteness was perceived as an aspect of individuality and pr operty significance because it is something that can be experienced and dispatched as a resource (Stefanic 133-137). The United States is the patron of race subornation. In this context, the dominion of legal associations, judicial explanation of racial individuality primed on the white supremacy replicate that race underestimation at the institutional level. By metamorphosizing white into whiteness, the law disguises the ideological aspect of racial interpretation. The overall assertion of theories of white privilege is that the lack of racial equality can’t be determined only by looking at the life circumstances of the underprivileged groups. In this context, they thus state that imperative solutions to the viable challenges of lack of racial equality can be accomplished by overtly talking about the inherent merits that whites as a privileged racial group uphold in the community (Stefanic 77-76). According to Stefanic in the period of nineteenth century, the retinues of whi te laborers, while they were reimbursed relatively minimal wages, were remunerated in general through a public and psychological wage. These white laborers were also accorded public distinction and titles of honor since they were simply white. They were acknowledged unquestionably well with all other groups of white people of to best public schools, public places, and or public functions. Some of them were recruited into the American police. Additionally, these groups of people were treated with laxity by the American courts with a view to encouraging lawlessness. Besides, they freely voted for American public officials (185-188). However, this had

Brave New World Essay Example for Free

Brave New World Essay Rhetorical Mode and Purpose It is better that one should suffer than that many should be corrupted.? Existing under a socially oppressive government, Bernard Marx constantly endures mental distress as a consequence of his unorthodox views. In Brave New World by Adolf Huxley, the primary protagonist struggles to voice his bitterness and disgruntled opinions, but the repressive World State tyrannize the society, and he ultimately loses his fight in becoming exiled. Narrated in the third person, Huxley details a technocratic government where signs of emotions are rendered treacherous and extreme consumerism forms the core of society. However, even more revolting is the unconscionable replication of nature through mass cloning, affirming the loss of everything fundamentally human. Through Brave New World, Huxley warned past governments who sought to increase effectiveness and stability, and continues to admonish the modern world, against increasing government intervention. Through narration, Huxley provides a panoramic scope of the horrific details and events residing under the command of a domineering government that asserts its omnipresence in all aspects of life. PASSAGE 1 (114-116) I chose this passage for both analytical purposes and interest value. Its surfeit in syntax variations stood out as a highly appealing passage to be analyzed, and the language effectively aroused suspense out of me. As the world of the savages unravels before Lenina?s eyes, her disgust heightens with each event that takes place, furthering repelling her from the culture. The underlying tone of hypnotic anticipation leads the audience through a series of events that build towards the climatical action of the passage. Through rhythmic syntax that propels the scene forward, dissonant diction and savage details, Huxley provides a lurid atmosphere as the lead-in to the horrifying act of sacrifice. Immediately, cacophonous diction begin to agitate the auditory senses. ?Harsh metallic? male voices answering the ?shrill? cries of the women initiates a perturbed mood and foreshadows deplorable events. As the audience?s sense of hearing wears away, ?a ghastly troop of monsters hideously masked or painted out of all semblance of humanity? enters to disconcert the visual senses. Nothing more than monsters completely devoid of human aspects. Monsters capable of executing actions that would appall Lenina?s society. Anticipation builds as the shrieks become ?louder and louder?; their dances, ?round and round? and ?round and round? again. Their actions echo in successions of hypnotic movements that lull the reader into a trancelike state. ?More and more,? the leader flings black snakes ?brown and mottled.? The periodic sentence emphasis this final action as a symbol of savagery and remnant of a primitive culture that ultimately disgusts Lenina. Dull diction such as ?brown and mottled? assembles a drab layer of atmosphere that looms over the tribal ritual. Adverbs and conjunctions advance toward additional events that further feed anticipation. ?And then the dance began?Then the leader gave a signal?Then the old man lifted his hand.? Syntax and diction continue to build suspense as it mounts toward a most horrific action event. Semicolons and commas function as the dominant driving force behind the passage. Instead of inserting common periods, Huxley surrogates punctuations as a link between closely related details that incrementally build towards the summit. Without paragraph breaks to detract from the anticipation, the events flow in a continuous stream while sentence lengths and punctuations determine the rhythm and pacing. The compound-complex sentences are brought to a sudden halt with the ceasing of the drums. ?The drums stopped beating, life seemed to have come to an end.? The device that signaled life halts suddenly and a series of medium length sentences supercedes the long ones. Just as the storm the eye of the hurricane provides temporary respite, the momentary arrest of the beating only creates further anticipation, leaving the reader waiting for the other half of the hurricane. Rather than satiating expectations, syntax lurches the rhythm suddenly to induce greater anticipation and thirst so th at when it resumes, the resulting effect will be of greater impact. The scene shifts from the panoramic view to focus on the interaction between two specific characters, the old man and the boy. Analogous syntax structure directs attention to the progression of actions. ?The old man clapped his hands?The old man made the sign?The boy moved on Succinct details are unaccompanied by imagery or flowery language that would detract from the crucial suspense-arousing events. ?The coyote-man raised his whip; there was a long moment of expectancy, then a swift movement, the whistle of the last and its loud flat-sounding impact on the flesh.? The actions of the savages tapestry the shroud of luridity that continue to repel Lenina while the clause between the semicolon and comma mirror the silence before the strike of the whip. At last, the ?whistle? signifies the anticipated action that syntax, details and diction have all along foreshadowed. ?Twice, thrice, four times round he went?.Five times round, six times round? Seven times round.? Lone words that constitute sentences and telegraphic phrases cut by commas reflect the sound of the lashes. Enumeration of each lash as if a scene from a movie being played in slow motion, grants equivalent emphasize of the pain from each blow. ?A few drops fell, and suddenly the drums broke out again into a panic of hurrying notes; there was a great shout.? The anticipation is finally satiated confirmed by the abrupt burst of drums. PASSAGE 2 (142 144) The details and diction in this passage was striking in conveying John?s fascination with Lenina. It immediately evoked in my mind a scene from Sleeping Beauty where the Prince stumbles upon the bewitched Princess. Lenina?s introduction to John at this point of the novel likens to a scientific experiment where a new and exotic life form is presented in a previously pedestrian environment. John, engrossed with every aspect about Lenina, adopts a humble position and invests her with rapt wonderment. Upon finding her possessions, he takes immediate fascination to his discovery and indulges himself in her relics. John?s actions reflect that of a worshipper. Thus, Huxley employs a tone of reverent infatuation to manifest John?s idolization of Lenina. Dominated by alluring details, the passage aims to manifest John?s unqualified adoration for Lenina. Without delay, olfactory appeal works to captivate John by providing a sense of familiarity, an indication of Lenina?s presence. In ?breathing Lenina?s perfume? and discovering ?a cloud of scented powder?, he conveys his fanatic infatuation, and then continues to ?fill his lungs with her essential being.? A meager waft proves inadequate to satiate John?s desires. Instead, he relishes in bliss, the effusive outpouring of her presence, breathes in her scents like a drug, and allows it to pervade all of his internal organs. In addition, he imagines the ?touch of [her] smooth skin against his face, while other tactile details confirm his nostalgic longing for her. As if in the presence of a goddess, he executes his actions with the most scrupulous care. Bending over the precious box, he touched, he lifted into the light, he examined. Polysyndetons and parallel structures emphasizes each action as distinct entities with equivalent importance. Commas retard the process so as to display not cursory haste, but fastidious devotion   not coarseness, but refinement and not brashness, but the delicacy of a worshipper in tending to a higher life form. Abstract diction continue to manifest John?s obsessive attachment to Lenina. Huxley attributes her possessions with desirous diction, labeling her perfume as delicious, her box as precious, her puzzle, a delight. John becomes entranced by her divine possessions, and muses over Lenina reverently. Delving further into the passage, comparative details attributed to Lenina and syntax portraying John as a stalker reveal the extent of his infatuation. Metaphors ascribe enigmatic aspects to Lenina, which intrigues John and plunges him into enchantment. Infatuated, he derives pleasure from unriddling her bewitched apparels. A simple pair of velveteen shorts likens at ?first a [to a] puzzle, then solved, a delight.? Lenina, furnisher of magically exotic appeal, jolts excitement into his previously mundane life of savagery. Huxley portrays her through John?s eyes as analogous to a mystery to be demystified, lock to be unlocked, cipher to be deciphered ? all of which fascinates John and builds on his infatuation. However, his conspicuous adoration becomes suppressed into a concealed form when agitation forms over the possibility of being discovered. Covert syntax and  diction depict John as an infatuated stalker. ?He heard something ? something like a sigh, something like the creak of a board.? Huxley purposefully employs ambiguous diction such as ?something? as opposed to concrete observable details. Disclosing her hiding position, Lenina?s appearance gradually comes into scope. John replies with stealthy obsession and strategically planned actions, reflected by extra inserts of commas that mirror his wary movement. ?He tiptoed to the door and, cautiously opening it, found himself looking on to a broad landing.? With enchanting metaphors and furtive syntax, literary devices continue to manifest John?s infatuation. Upon reaching the climatical action of John finally disclosing Lenina?s position, the tone ultimately assumes one of consummate reverence. Descriptive details of Lenina fast asleep enhances her chaste qualities. ?So beautiful in the midst of her curls, so touchingly childish with her pink toes?so trustful in the helplessness of her limp hands and melted limbs, that the tears came to his eyes.? Excessive use of the adverb ?so? heightens the degree of her qualities, implying an empyrean life-form inspiring awe. The child-like characteristics solicits sacred protection from John. Huxley?s delineation of her as ?limp? and ?melted? with a ?grave? sleeping face suggests death and ascendance into heaven. John, captivated, reveres her as one would of a goddess. Complex-compound sentences embroiders her purity and innocence while allusions to Shakespeare?s Romeo and Juliet continues to attribute divinity. ?On the white wonder of dead Juliet?s hand, may size/ And steal immortal blessing from her lips.? Comparison to Juliet further implies the notion of her resemblance to a goddess possessing immortality and an ethereal aura. In a humble manner, John ?very slowly, with the hesitating gesture? reach out to affirm the heavenly presence. However, his hands ?hung trembling? as he ruminates on the sacrilegious. Dare he ?profane? with his ?unworthiest? hand? Awe-inspiring details and sacredly connotated diction avouch the tone of infatuated reverence. PASSAGE 3 (232 233) The tone of this passage was not presented by the narration or characters in the novel, but rather created by a passage from a book being read by one of  the characters. I thought it was interesting to analyze a tone inside a passage of a passage. The abstract and metaphysical level of Brave New World reaches its apex when Mustapha Mond proceeds to read a passage from Maine de Biran?s book that justifies man?s eventual submission to God. While Biran holds the creed that individuals ultimately lose control of their lives and inevitably capitulate to the overwhelming siren call of God, Mond challenges that with the World State, one never experiences loss and thus will never seek counsel of religion. Huxley employs a tone of forensic instructiveness to allow both sides to present their cases effectively. Persuasive syntax utilized in Biran?s excerpt efficaciously compels the audience to assume his position. Immediately, the passage adopts the structure of a formal argument with Biran?s proposal of his thesis. ?We are not our own any more than what we possess is our own. We did not make ourselves, we cannot be supreme over ourselves. We are not our own masters. We are God?s property.? Simultaneous use of the pronoun ?we?, and three consecutive negatives carves away at the monolith of individual confidence. The anaphora build logical progression toward the thesis, whose brevity and sole affirmative adverb grants emphasis on unity with god. Also, rhetoric use of first person point of view lends itself to the notion that this pertains to all. Biran?s argument develops into a tone of instructiveness so as to provide support, illustrated by the transition, ?take this for example.? Repetitions in diction function to acknowledge the opposition. to have to think of nothing out of sight, to be without the irksomeness of continual acknowledgements, continual prayer, continual reference.? Syntactical analysis of Biran?s introduction reveal a tone of forensic instructiveness. Upon setting up the premise, Biran now proceeds to counter the opposition by providing rational support. The extensive length and complexity of the sentences that follow, broken down logically by semicolons and commas, carries the reader through a step by step process of rationally reaching a valid deduction. Diction, as well as syntax, justify man?s ultimate  submission to religion. With transitions such as ?feeling thus? and ?from which,? the progression towards the conclusions likens to a mathematical proof abundant with derivations. Anaphoric use of ?as the? and ?less? exhibits an inverse relationship between aging and the sentiments that prevented dependence on religion. Thus, with aging, ?God emerges as from behind a cloud? of with omnipotence, indicated by a series of fate-associated diction. ?Naturally,? one turns to God when he loses control of his world, and will ?inevitably? submit under his ?absolute? and ?everlasting? power. With spiritual and abstract diction, Biran?s concepts appeal spiritually and offer cleansing. ?So pure; so delightful to the soul.? The elongated sentence ultimately reaches its objective, its emphasis granted by a single dash. ? ? a reality, an absolute and everlasting truth.? Enhanced by mathematical instructiveness and persuasive diction, Biran effectively presents his case. After introducing Biran?s position, Mond assumes the tone of forensic instructiveness. He promptly proposes a qualified argument: ?You can only be independent of God while you?ve got youth and prosperity.? Mond builds his case upon the assertion that so long as one attains youthful desires and lives without the fear of death from old age, religion holds no significance in their life. Transitions prove to be the driving force of Mond?s counter-argument. ?Well, we?ve now got youth, what follows? Evidently, that we can be independent of God.? His argument, comparable to Biran?s, progresses logically and employs first person pronouns as well. ?And why should we go hunting for a substitute for youthful desires when desires never fail He summarizes his position with comparative rhetorical questions that juxtaposes both sides of the argument. The inquires detract rationale from Biran?s assertions while promoting his alternate solutions. Through forensic instructiveness, Mond?s counter-argum ent proves to be efficacious as well.

Comparing O. Henrys A Municipal Report and Susan Glaspells A Jury of

Comparing O. Henry's A Municipal Report and Susan Glaspell's A Jury of Her Peers In ?A Municipal Report? by O. Henry and ?A Jury of Her Peers? by Susan Glaspell, the authors provide a disappearance of evidence about a retaliatory murder, but only one is true to human life and shows characteristics about human life while the other falsifies it. In this case ?A Municipal Report? is most definitely the one that fixes the story to merely entertain the reader, and ?A Jury of Her peers? lets go the true character of mankind. In ?A Municipal Report? O. Henry tells the story in a first person perspective through a man who thinks he is detached from the world. In O. Henry?s story we see that certain characters stand out among the rest by the details that he gives us. The author?s tone in, ?I stepped off the train at 8 P.M.,? is meant to appear nonchalant to give a feel that the narrator is merely an observer in the story. The characterization in the story is also unrealistically portrayed. Azalea Adair is a poor woman who, despite how needy she is, tells the narrator, ?You must have a cup of tea.? She is depicted as a good character without a single bad bone in her body. That would only be meant for the story since O. Henry could have set her up more realistically than a helpless princess needing to be rescued. Another character that defies human reality is Ceasar. He is shown to be a good character as well, giving Azalea his money and helping her out when she needs him. There is nothing bad about Ceasar th at would make the reader dislike him. He is the classic knight in shining armor that could only be set up in a fantasy world. Next is the evil man Caswell. The narrator, who says, ?I have seen few men whom I have so instantaneous... ...he people had practical characteristics that did not make the story any less realistic. The styles of ?A Municipal Report? and ?A Jury of Her Peers? differed greatly in the sense of realism. While O. Henry?s story obviously served the entertaining purpose with the unpractical sense of characters and development, Glaspell?s story had a meaningful interpretation of life with pragmatic characters that could reflect human life. Works Cited Glaspell, Susan. ?A Jury of Her Peers.? Literature: Structures, Sound, and Sense. Eds Laurence Perrine and Thomas R. Arp. San Diego: HBJ, 1991. 324-41 O. Henry. ?A Municipal Report.? Perrine and Arp 312-24. Perrine, Laurence. Analysis of ?A Jury of Her Peers?. Instructors Manual to accompany Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense. San Diego: HBJ, 1991. 41-43 ---. Analysis of ?A Municipal Report.? Instructors Manual 40-41.

AP Biology: The Properties of Water Essay

Water has many unique properties that make life possible on Earth. One property is cohesion. The cohesion property is properly defined as the binding of water molecules by hydrogen bonds. Water has this property as a result of the chemical bonding between water. Cohesion of the strong hydrogen bonds allows the water molecules to stick together, almost as a unit of one. A force exerted on one of the molecules will be exerted on all of the adjacent molecules as a result of cohesion. Cohesion, often with the cooperation of adhesion, the clinging of one substance to another, adds to the function and ability of water to overcome strong natural forces, such as gravity. When water is in its liquid state of matter, the hydrogen bonds are very frail and weak, about one-twentieth as strong as covalent bonds. The bonds are made, broken, and remade very quickly. Each hydrogen bond lasts only a few trillionths of a second, but the constant synthesis of new bonds with a succession of partners acquires equilibrium. Therefore, a significant percentage of all the water molecules are bonded to their neighbors, making water a more orderly structured liquid than most other known liquids. A property related to cohesion is surface tension, a measure of how difficult it is to stretch or break the surface of a liquid. Water is known to have a greater surface tension than most other liquids. An ordered arrangement of hydrogen-bonded water molecules is present at the boundary between water and air. As a result water behaves as though it is coated with an invisible film along the surface. An example how the cohesion of water affects the functioning of living organisms is present in plants. Evaporation from the leaves in plants pulls water up from the roots. Cohesion due to hydrogen bonding helps hold the column of water molecules together within the xylem vessels located in the stem or trunk of a plant. Adhesion helps the process by resisting the pull of gravity against the upward motion of the molecules. Another property of water is its solubility. Water is known as the universal solvent of life. Many substances can be combined with water to form a solution, a homogeneous mixture between two substances. Water, in solutions, is known as the solvent. The substance or substances being dissolved is known as the solute. An aqueous solution is when a homogenous mixture where water is the solvent is present. As found by the medieval alchemists, water is the most soluble liquid. Although water is technically not universal, it  is very versatile solvent. Water’s solubility is a result of its polarity. Water is a polar molecule, meaning that the opposite ends of the molecule of opposite charges. In a water molecule, the polar covalent bonds allow the oxygen region of the molecule to have a partial negative charge and the hydrogen regions to have a partial positive charge. When ionic crystals are placed in water, they are ionized. The partially negative ion from the crystal bond to the hydrogen ions in water. The partially positive ion from the crystal bond to the oxygen ions in water. The sphere of water molecules around each dissolved ion is called a hydration shell. Water eventually dissolves all the ions. As a result, there is a solution containing two solutes from the salt homogeneously mixed with water, the versatile solvent. Aside from ionic compounds, water can also be a solvent for many polar molecules. An effect of the versatile solubility can be demonstrated in the functioning of many liquid substances of living organisms, such as blood, the sap of plants, and the liquid contained in cells. Water’s solubility allows for these liquids to have a universal concentration throughout the entire liquid, making the distribution of the ions or molecules in the solution equal. Another property of water is its high specific heat. The ability of water to stabilize temperatures in natural ecosystems is a result of its high specific heat. Specific heat is defined as the amount of heat that must be absorbed or lost for one gram of a substance to change its temperature by one degree Celsius. Water’s specific heat is defined as one calorie per gram per degree Celsius. This information comes from the definition of a calorie, the amount of heat that causes one gram of water to change its temperature by one degree Celsius. Because of water’s high specific heat, water’s temperature will change less when it absorbs or loses a certain amount of heat. Water resists changing its temperature, and when it happens to change it, it absorbs or loses a large quantity of heat for each change in temperature. Water’s specific heat is a direct result of hydrogen bonding. Large amounts of heat must be absorbed in order to break the hydrogen bonds, and la rge amounts of heat are released when hydrogen bonds form. One calorie doesn’t cause a large change in the temperature primarily because most of the heat energy is used to disrupt the hydrogen bonds before the water  molecules can start moving faster. When the temperature drops slightly, many hydrogen bonds form, releasing a large amount of heat energy. Water’s high specific heat is directly related to life on Earth through climate. Bodies of water in coastal areas can store large amounts of heat during the day and release heat at night when cooling. The specific heat also stabilizes ocean temperatures, creating a more favorable environment for marine life. Therefore, as a result of water’s high specific heat, the water on Earth keeps temperature changes on land and in water within life-permitting limits. Animals are also mostly made of water, allowing them to resist changes in their own temperatures. Water is so abundant and present in everyday life that it’s easy to neglect the fact that it is an exceptional s ubstance with many extraordinary qualities. Following the theme of emergent properties, water’s unique behavior can be traced to the structure and interactions of its molecules.

Doris Lessing’s Book Character Essay

We are first introduced to Mary as being an independent young woman. However Lessing’s character soon shows signs of being an insecure woman, who cares deeply what other people think about her. The reader is forced to sympathise with this self-destructing character. Throughout the novel Mary is described as being in a state of tension and under strain. Mary is unable to adapt to her new life on the farm with Dick, she is constantly longing for the town she left behind. The linear plot is about Mary Turner’s life, going back to her childhood and progressing to her characters fatal ending. The narrator tells of Mary being raised by â€Å"frustrated parents† and the hatred she felt towards her father. Her body is treated with discust,†She smelt the thick stuff of his trousers†, a possibility that some sort of child abuse occurred, which would account for her arrested sexuality, the fear and repulsion of sex. Mary becomes a friendless character who receiv es no help from her Husband and no loyalty from the servant. However violent Mary becomes with her servant she never actually commits a crime. Mary is driven to marry Dick after she over hears people mocking her and she feels she is being ostracized. The reader views Mary as a heroine who has lost her struggle. We are told by the narrator that evil was not contained within this woman but that evil was all around her. Throughout the novel the author’s disapproval of sexual and political prejudice and the colonialism in South Africa is constantly reinforced. This in turn influences the reader not to adapt to the main characters viewing of the world. Lessing’s novel can be seen as Mary’s constant struggle to preserve her authenticity and sense of self but she fails to overcome her struggle due to the forces and conditions that surround her. Mary’s failures are rooted in her family and culture that in turn dooms her to her death. Although at the beginning of Mary and Moses’s relationship, Mary exerts all her power and authority, we soon see a role reversal and a curious relationship develop when Moses insists on being treated like a human. From the beginning of the novel we become aware of Mary’s family struggles of poverty. Lessing intentionally tried to make the reader constantly switch from sympathising with Mary to despising her. Both Mary and Dick are identified as being tragic figures because of their failure to communicate and to address the practical and emotional difficulties in their lives. Mary  believed that she was as a white person is superior to the black natives in every way. The relationship that Mary develops with her black servant Moses shatters the complacency of the whites in Africa. Moses’ power in the relationship is unquestionable and real. His action in murdering Mary is simply a demonstration of the control which he exerts over her and in general which the blacks have in their own country still. The whites only retain a hold based on lies and corruption The land is what kills Mary. Mary’s efforts to assert her white authority over a black man continually backfire and leave her with less control. â€Å"While it is never explicitly stated, the novel suggests that Mary succumbs to him sexually just as her mental faculties begin to disintegrate†(40) Mary’s cognizance of the murder as one compounded  by her own guilt and by vengeance, rather than unwarranted aggression, shows a strange ability to forgive her own murderer even as he performs the act that she knows he is compelled to do.(42) Theshadow of regret, followed by the desire to explain and to be absolved of guilt, marks the first and only moment in the novel in which Mary is conceived as a self-possessed agent of her own destiny(43) The reader never consent to Mary’s view of the world but they can relate to the traditions and cultures that she was raised in that influenced her behaviour. Mary had been brought up to be afraid of black men: â€Å"She was afraid of them [the natives], of course. Every woman in South Africa is brought up to be. In her childhood she had been forbidden to walk out alone, and when she asked why, she had been told in the furtive, lowered, but matter-of-fact voice she associated with her mother, that they were nasty and might do horrible things to her†(chapt4) â€Å"She hated their half-naked, thick-muscled black bodies stooping in the  mindless rhythm of their work. She hated their sullenness, their averted eyes when they spoke to her, their veiled insolence; and she hated more than anything, with a violent physical repulsion, the heavy smell that came from the, a hot, sour animal smell.†(chap.7) The reader identifies with Mary’s Emotional failure as a white woman, a wife that rendered from her childhood upbringing and formed her into this insecure woman.

Free Essays on Toni Morrison

From her chldhood days in Lorain, Ohio, Toni Morrison learned from her parents, Ramah Willis Wofford and George Wofford, the importance of racial pride but also the tragedy that can result when a black person internalizes alien, often white, values. These lessons surface repeatedly in Morrison's first novel The Blues Eye and in many of her other works. Morrison was born Chole Anthony Wofford on February 18, 1931, to parents who were very confident in themselves and their race. They stressed the importance of an education, which is reflected in the fact that Morrison was the only child entering her first grade class who could read. Her love of books continued as she devoured the works of European writers, including Jane Austen, Gustav Flaubert and Leo Tolstoy, as an adolescent. After graduating from high school in Lorain with honors, Morrison earned a B.A. In English from Howard University. Two pivotal events for Morrison occurred at Howard: she changed her name to Toni because many people could not pronounce Chloe, and she became acquainted with black life in the South while touring with the Howard University Player. In 1955, Morrison earned an M.A. In English. Again, events at Howard were pivotal as she met her husband, Howard Morrison, a Jamaican architect, ther. Morrison rarely discusses her marriage, which ended in divorce after the births of two sons, Harold Ford and Slade Kevin. Raising two sons alone, Morrison moved to Syracuse to take an editing job iwth a textbook subsidiary of Random House, and to combat isolation, she wrote. She first worked on a story she had begun in her writers group at Howard. This story about a little black girl who longs for blue eyes was the genesis of her first novel, The Bluest Eye, published in 1970. Since the appearance of The Bluest Eye, Morrison's successes have multiplied. In 1970, she took an editorial position with Ramdon House in New York and began writing regularly for the New York... Free Essays on Toni Morrison Free Essays on Toni Morrison In Toni Morrison’s novels, she describes the racial tension, the heritage of Blacks, and the struggles Blacks have to overcome in a world that doesn’t accept them. While exploring these various emotions, Toni Morrison also changes the styles in each novel. In The Bluest Eye, the main character, Pecola Breedlove, feels as though she is not beautiful as society says she should be. â€Å"The American culture of the early 1940’s defines beauty in terms of such actors as Greta Garbo, Ginger Rogers, and Shirley Temple† (Magill 243). Morrison â€Å"uses the contrast between Shirley Temple and Pecola†¦ to underscore the irony of black experience† states Phyllis R. Klotman (Metzger 413). Racism is an everyday issue for Pecola. She faces the problem from whites, and blacks as well. Pecola assumes that by having blue eyes she will be accepted in society. â€Å"She wants the bluest of the blue, the bluest eyes† (McEwen 1). The Bluest Eye consist of four section that make up the novel. These sections are: â€Å"â€Å"Autumn,† â€Å"Winter,† â€Å"Spring,† and â€Å"Summer†Ã¢â‚¬  (Magill 243). Claudia MacTeer, the nine year old narrator, starts the story off by taking a chilly look at her lifestyle and begins to concentrate on Pecola’s stay with her. Pecola is staying with Claudia because her father dishonors the Breedlove name. â€Å"Autumn ends with a sketch of three misanthropic â€Å"whores† who, unsentimentally, provide Pecola with the little warmth that she experiences† (Magill 243). Describing the face and nakedness of Claudia and Frieda’s father is how the second section of the novel, â€Å"Winter,† starts. Seeing his nakedness, only by accident, the girls are not threatened. â€Å"It leaves Claudia and Frieda more astonished than offended† (Magill 244). This section comes to a close while Pecola is at the home of two arrogant African Americans, Louis and Geraldine. They think people like Pecola are trash. Junior, Louis and... Free Essays on Toni Morrison TONI MORRISON Toni Morrison was the first black woman to receive a Novel Prize award. In 1970 Toni Morrison wrote her first book called â€Å"The Bluest Eye† which soon after gaining the attention of both critics and a wider audience for epic power, unerring ear for dialogue and her poetically expressive depictions of Black America (www.nobel†¦). Toni was born on February 18, 1931 in Lorain, Ohio, a steel town twenty-five miles west of Cleveland, where she grew up most of her early life (Colby). She was born Chloe Anthony Wofford. Her parents Ramah and George Wofford were not poor, but were a black working class family. She was the second of four children. Her father was a shipyard welder. Her parents moved to Ohio hoping to find better opportunities and to escape the racist attitudes. She was brought up to be proud of her heritage. This is where she heard many songs and tales of Southern black folklore. She displayed an early interest in literature. When she went to a school in first grade she was the only black student and she was the only one that could read. She was friends with many of the white students and it was when she got older that she was discriminated against (www.cob†¦). She loved the arts and she wanted to become a dancer and she loved to read. She was an excellent student and she graduated with honors from Lorain High School in 1949. Rotolo 2 She majored in English at Howard University where she got her B.A. in English. She then went to Cornell University where she received a master’s degree in1955. Cornell University is where she wrote her master’s thesis on the works of Virginia Woolf and William Faulkner. Since people couldn’t pronounce her name correctly she changed it to Toni a shortened version of her middle name. Her real name was Chloe. In 1955 she went to Texas Southern University to teach introductory English. In 1957 she returned to Howard University as ... Free Essays on Toni Morrison From her chldhood days in Lorain, Ohio, Toni Morrison learned from her parents, Ramah Willis Wofford and George Wofford, the importance of racial pride but also the tragedy that can result when a black person internalizes alien, often white, values. These lessons surface repeatedly in Morrison's first novel The Blues Eye and in many of her other works. Morrison was born Chole Anthony Wofford on February 18, 1931, to parents who were very confident in themselves and their race. They stressed the importance of an education, which is reflected in the fact that Morrison was the only child entering her first grade class who could read. Her love of books continued as she devoured the works of European writers, including Jane Austen, Gustav Flaubert and Leo Tolstoy, as an adolescent. After graduating from high school in Lorain with honors, Morrison earned a B.A. In English from Howard University. Two pivotal events for Morrison occurred at Howard: she changed her name to Toni because many people could not pronounce Chloe, and she became acquainted with black life in the South while touring with the Howard University Player. In 1955, Morrison earned an M.A. In English. Again, events at Howard were pivotal as she met her husband, Howard Morrison, a Jamaican architect, ther. Morrison rarely discusses her marriage, which ended in divorce after the births of two sons, Harold Ford and Slade Kevin. Raising two sons alone, Morrison moved to Syracuse to take an editing job iwth a textbook subsidiary of Random House, and to combat isolation, she wrote. She first worked on a story she had begun in her writers group at Howard. This story about a little black girl who longs for blue eyes was the genesis of her first novel, The Bluest Eye, published in 1970. Since the appearance of The Bluest Eye, Morrison's successes have multiplied. In 1970, she took an editorial position with Ramdon House in New York and began writing regularly for the New York...

EFL Classroom

CALL Use in the ESL/EFL Classroom There has been much debate over the use of computer assisted language learning (CALL) in the ESL/EFL classroom over the past decade. As you are reading this feature via the Internet (and I am writing this using a computer), I will assume that you feel that CALL is useful to your teaching and/or learning experience. There are many uses of the computer in the classroom. As a teacher, I find that CALL can be successfully employed not only for grammar practice and correction, but also for communicative activities. As most of you are familiar with the programs that offer help with grammar, I would like to focus on the use of CALL for communicative activities. Successful communication learning is dependent on the students desire to participate. Im sure most teachers are familiar with students who complain about poor speaking and communication skills, who, however, when asked to communicate, are often reluctant to do so. In my opinion, this lack of participation is often caused by the artificial nature of the classroom. When asked to communicate about various situations, students should also be involved in the actual situation. Decision making, asking for advice, agreeing and disagreeing, and compromising with fellow students are all tasks that cry out for authentic settings. It is in these settings that I feel CALL can be used to great advantage. By using the computer as a tool to create student projects, research information and provide context, teachers can employ the computer to help students become more involved in the task at hand, thereby facilitating the necessity of effective communication within a group setting. Exercise 1: Focus on Passive Voice Generally, students coming from around the world are more than happy to speak about their native country. Obviously, when speaking about a country (city, state etc.) the passive voice is required. I have found the following activity using the computer to be of great assistance in helping students focus on the correct use of the passive voice for communication and reading and writing skills. Inductively review the passive structures in class (or introduce the passive structures)Provide a text example, focusing on a specific location, that includes many passive voice structuresHave students read through the textAs a follow-up, have students separate passive voice and active voice examplesUsing a program such as Microsoft Encarta or any other multimedia encyclopedia, (or the Internet) have students working in small groups find information about their own nation (or any city, state etc.)Based on the information they have found, students then write a short report together at the computer (using a spell check, communicating about formatting etc.)Students then report back to the class presenting their report created at the computer This exercise is a perfect example of involving students in an authentic activity that focuses on communication skills while at the same time including a grammar focus, and uses the computer as a tool. Students have fun together, communicate in English and are proud of the results they achieve - all ingredients for successful inductive learning of the passive voice in a communicative manner. Exercise 2: Strategy Games For younger learners of English, strategy games can be one of the most effective ways to get students to communicate, agree and disagree, ask for opinions and generally use their English in an authentic setting. Students are asked to focus on the successful completion of a task such as solving riddles (Myst, Riven) and developing strategies (SIM City). Choose a strategy game such as a SIM or mysteryHave students divide into teamsCreate a specific task in the game itself, such as the completion of a certain level, the creation of a certain type of environment, the solving of a specific riddle. This is important for providing a framework and specific language needs/goals for a common ground in the classroom.Have students complete the task.Have students come together in the classroom and compare strategies. Once again, students who find it difficult to participate in a classroom setting (Describe your favorite holiday? Where did you go? What did you do? etc.) generally become involved. The focus is not on their completing a task which can be judged as correct or incorrect, but rather on the enjoyable atmosphere of teamwork which a computer strategy game provides.

The Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

The Business Environment - Essay Example Business also stabilizes the country’s currency through exports which counters the imports brought in the country. Governments also levy goods that are exported out of the country making it possible for it to invest in projects that will spearhead growth of the economy (Begg, 2001). One of the roles of businesses in the economy is the circulation of currency in the economy. The movement of money is what is called the velocity of money in the economy. This helps in reducing the rate of inflation rate in the country which has adverse effect on the growth of the economy (Begg, 2001). When the velocity of money in the economy is high, the rate of growth in the economy is also is high. Therefore, businesses play an important role in sustaining the economy of the country. Business also offers commodities and services to the public by making them to be easily accessible to them. It ensures that goods and services are available to consumers in the right time, at the right place and at the right quantity (Denby, 2010). This ensures that there is coordination on every part of the economy regardless of its position. The ease with, which products can reach the market and be consumed, can always bring economic prosperity, which is the dream of most governments. Business therefore, plays a crucial role in sustaining the population of the country therefore creating a serene environment for the public to venture in other economic growing activities. The urge of the profit organization to make maximize profits sustains the level of supply and demand. These forces enable the economy to remain stable as high demand results from deficit while low demand is as a result of low surplus. Increased profits by the organizations especially from exports play a crucial role in increasing savings by the banks which are later used to lend to banks customers. This capital is used in