Julius Caesar essays

Julius Caesar essays Julius Caesar was a strong leader for the Romans who changed the course of the history of the Greco - Roman world decisively and irreversibly. With his courage and strength he created a strong empire. What happened during his early political career? How did he become such a strong dictator of the Roman Empire? What events led up to the making of the first triumvirate? How did he rise over the other two in the triumvirate and why did he choose to take over? What happened during his reign as dictator of Rome? What events led up to the assassination of Caesar? What happened after he was killed? Caesar was a major part of the Roman Empire because of his strength and his strong war strategies. Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman whose dictatorship was pivotal in Romes transition from republic to empire. When he was young Caesar lived through one of the most horrifying decades in the history of the city of Rome. The city was assaulted twice and captured by Ro man armies, first in 87 BC by the leaders of the populares, his uncle Marius and Cinna. Cinna was killed the year that Caesar had married Cinnas daughter Cornelia. The second attack upon the city was carried our by Marius enemy Sulla, leader of the optimates, in 82 BC on the latters return from the East. On each occasion the massacre of political opponents was followed by the confiscation of their property. The proscriptions of Sulla, which preceded the reactionary political legislation enacted during his dictatorship left a particularly bitter memory that long survived. Caesar left Rome for the province of Asia on the condition that he divorce his wife because Sulla would only allow him to leave on that condition. When he heard the news that Sulla had been killed he returned to Rome. He studied rhetoric under the distinguished teacher Molon. In the winter of 75-74 BC Caesar was captured by pirated an...

Career Interest Profiler Essays - Human Resource Management

Career Interest Profiler Essays - Human Resource Management Career Interest Profiler Career Interest Profiler BCOM/275 February 2, 2015 Career Interest Profile After completing my career interest profile, it appears I am suited towards conventional, enterprising, and social occupations (University of Phoenix, 2014). These features indicate that I would be best in a career where I can collaborate with others utilizing data to mitigate risks and complete projects. Fitting Career Path My career path is in agreement with the career interest profile findings. My competencies of researching, strategizing, coping with pressure, applying expertise, logical thinking, and leading are consistent with my profile. The researching means I have the ability to get up to speed quickly when presented with new information and tasks. It allows me to support my opinions with evidence. My ability to produce focused and detailed plans while ensuring I see the big picture are in agreement with strategizing. I am very comfortable with data, identifying patterns, and getting to the root cause of problems by asking the right questions that support my logical thinking. Applying expertise is my understanding of how things work and the capability to effectively implement the use of every tool at my disposal in order to get things done more efficiently. Coping with pressure simply means I can stay on task and be positive through any situation. Together, all the competencies I have described support my capacity of leading. I enjoy coaching, mentoring, and developing individuals by providing clear direction, purpose, and motivation. My work culture preferences are high powered, teamwork centered, and ethical. These correlate to my career interests and competencies in many ways. The teamwork centered culture requires working in a close knit team which is interconnected with enterprising and social individuals with most if not all my competencies. In addition, the ethical preference relates to leading by setting the appropriate standards of behaviors. Demanding jobs are part of the high-powered work culture and my enterprising career interest and is sustained by my coping with pressure competency. Conclusion The results of the career interest profile further support what I already believed. The path I have chosen to ensure I do something I am truly interested in will allow me to succeed and more importantly, enjoy the ride. References UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX. (2014). Career interest profiler. Retrieved from UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX, GEN200 website.

QUALITY MANAGMENT OF A HISTOGRAM AND A PARETO CHART Essay

QUALITY MANAGMENT OF A HISTOGRAM AND A PARETO CHART - Essay Example The most useful chart for the data is the Pareto chart because it shows the prioritization of the corrective actions. The shown data could also be communicated using a frequency polygon. A frequency polygon is a graphical representation that is used in understanding the distribution shapes of data (Atchison and Ross 57). They have a similar role as the histogram but useful in making the comparison of a data set. From the two graphs, it is evident that the Competitive priority of Golden Yalley bank is reducing with time. This is evidenced by the reduction of the frequency with the increase in the decision process time. This shows that the department was not doing so well if compared to other competitors with an increasing trend of their frequency. The frequency reaches its maximum at around 13 to 15 hours implying that the manager should consider this decision process time as the optimum time for maximum loan

Strategic Management College Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Management College - Case Study Example Ryanair uses online booking and ticketing system to lower brokerage fees and ticketing costs, thereby redefining its relationship to its customer markets. They follow differential pricing depending upon availability and demand, they operate on short-haul routes or airports which have competitive cost terms, but these cost-saving techniques do not really add value to the service to the customer. They have reduced services like not allotting seats and provide no frills to the services. They concentrate on outbound logistics, attempting to reduce the turnaround times by opting for secondary airports. This results in fewer terminal delays and more competitive airport access and handling costs. Faster turnaround results in maximizing aircraft utilization but ultimately these are merely cost reduction techniques. They have outsourced the non-core areas like partial maintenance and ground handling activities. Ryanair has been concentrating on process and service but not on its people and ma ximizing utility of technology. Ryanai faces several challenges in its strategy to push down costs. They have not been concentrating on enhancing business communications which reflects in their poor employee and volatile customer relations.

Non-Profit Clubs Essay Example for Free

Non-Profit Clubs Essay Earned conducting business and club income. E. g. Membership fees, sale of refreshments, donations, etc. Not sale of assets. Gain to club. Increase surplus. Answer: -membership fees -entrance fees -sale of refreshments -sale of uniforms Question Two: Definition of Expenditure: Refers to the amounts paid or payable. Normally incurred while running the club. Necessary to generate income. Either used up immediately or have no lasting value. Loss to club. Decrease surplus. Debited to Nominal accounts section in General Ledger. E. g. Rent expense, stationary, electricity, wages, etc. Answer: -uniforms to sell -refreshments to sell -electricity -water -rent expense -salaries/wages -stationary Question Three: Answer: †¢Membership Fees: –also known as subscriptions. -usually most important income (revenue) to a club, major portion. -together with additional income, cover expenses. -fixed amount. -paid by members of club. -usually payable annually, sometimes quarterly or even monthly. income to club. †¢Income Receivable/Accrued income: (same as usual), income still owed to us but not yet received. E. g. members who have not yet paid subscription. †¢Income Received in advance: (same as usual), income received before it was due to be paid. E. g. members that pay their subscription early. †¢Honorarium: -certain people that do a lot of work (bulk of the work) for the club are occasionally voted a sum of money (remunerated) as a token of appreciation at the end of the year. -expense to club. Entrance Fees: -new members may be expected to pay a fee to join the club. -normally a once off fee. -I. e. when the member joins for the first time. -income to club. †¢Affiliation Fees: -if the club wants to enter a team to play other teams in the area then the club needs to pay an ‘affiliation fee’ to the organising body. -paid annually. -expense to club. †¢Accounts using the same principle as â€Å"consumable stores† and â€Å"consumable stores on hand† and also â€Å"expenses prepaid’, etc. do in a trading concern: -e. g. tennis balls’ and ‘tennis balls on hand’ -in clubs these consumable stores are sometimes also sold as â€Å"trading stock† -once the it em is used (not necessarily used up), (by the club), it is immediately considered an expense. †¢ Refreshments: -recorded the same as one would record trading stock. †¢Membership Fees Written Off: -members would get expelled if their membership fees are not paid over a long period of time (and warning) and their bad debts would be written off. -same principal as writing off bad debts in a trading oncern. Question Four: Answer: Membership fees are due on the first day of each year. They are paid annually, directly to the club. The club has a meeting at the end of each year to clarify the membership fees of the next year. An invoice will be sent out to each member indicating the money due to the club on the first day of the year. This fee must be paid by the end of the first month. If it isn’t, the member will be addressed by the club via an email. By the end of the second month, a letter will be sent in the post. This letter will warn them of the repercussions of not paying and advise them on how they can go about paying if they are struggling (a percentage each month). These warnings will continue for the entire year. In the last month of the year they will get the final warning, which will be via email, post and face to face, in which they will be warned that if not paid by the last day of the year, the club will expel the member. If the membership fee is still not paid by the first day of the next year, it will be written off and the member will be expelled.

Sealed Air Company Essay -- Business Marketing essays

Sealed Air Company 2. SUMMARY The protective packaging market is becoming more competitive. Sealed Air company is encountering a growing number of competitors in its field. Similar or alternative systems are now proposed against those of Sealed Air. These new systems are often cheaper but as argued by Sealed Air less effective concerning the protection they offer and therefore less cost-effective. A new company (GAFCEL) has entered the market with an uncoated product and is having success on the New York, California and Ohio market. Sealed Air will face further erosion of its US market share. Based on the analysis of the AirCap ® product as well as on the analysis of the market, we will answer questions regarding Sealed Air's reaction to its new competitor GAFCELL and the opportunity to introduce a new uncoated product in the market. We will make marketing recommendations on how to introduce this new product and in which geographical market to launch it in order to maintain Sealed Air as a leader of the protective packaging market. 3. QUESTIONS 3.1. What should Sealed Air be trying to accomplish in any decision it makes in response to the GAFCEL threat? †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It should be trying to gain back the market share that was taken by GAFCEL and it should ensure it does not loose anymore market share. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It should ensure it keeps its reputation of a company built on ‘technical accomplishments’ and must ensure its image does not suffer from the possible introduction of this new uncoated product. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It should not ‘cannibalise’ itself and therefore it should ensure the products are segmented correctly. 3.2 What has been happening in the market and how is Sealed Air doing? In order to answer this double question, we have completed and focused our analysis mainly on the AirCap product manufactured by Sealed Air. 3.2.1 Strengths and Weaknesses MIX  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  STRENGTHS  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  WEAKNESSES PRODUCT  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  quality & reliability -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  benefit to customers -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  barrier coating with saran -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  8 different grades to fit all applications -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  patent protection -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  registered trade mark  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  only coated products offered in the USA PRICE  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  10[%] margin to distributors for direct sales -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  quantity discount  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  higher than competitors, up to 50[%] (England) COMMUNICATION  Ã‚  Ã‚  ... ...nd this will be effective only with specific selling training sessions with real life scenarios. 5. Conclusion Sealed Air Group will now be able to offer a complete range of products : uncoated and coated. Sealed Air Group will maintain its reputation, its image of quality regarding the coated products. Sealed Air Group with its accurate and well-thought strategy will avoid the cannibalism effect as much as possible. Sealed Air Group will regain market share and sustain its leadership across the US, Europe and in the developing countries (expansion programme). Sealed Air Group will be able to propose and sell the appropriate product to the appropriate customer through the appropriate distributor. Sealed Air Group will set up tailored-made programmes for each country according to the buying mentalities, the purchasing habits and specificities of each country . Sealed Air Group is fully aware that key success factor of its above strategy is the distributor network : Sealed Air Group will build up loyalty with the key distributors through exclusivity, special incentives, special events and higher commissions, in the US and even more across Europe.

Prompts Sat

SAT Essay Prompt Bank 5th Edition Compiled by [email  protected] March 10, 2008 Table of Contents Essay Scoring Guide†¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 Practice Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 May 2006 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 Oct. 2006 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 Nov. 2006 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8 Dec. 2006 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 9 Jan. 2007 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 Mar. 2007 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦ 12 May 2007 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 13 June. 2007 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 14 Dec. 2007 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 16 Nov. 2007 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 17 Dec. 2007 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 19 Jan. 2008 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦20 Mar. 2008 Essay Prompts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦22 SAT Practice Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Many persons believe that to move up the ladder of success and achievement, they must forget t he past, repress it, and relinquish it. But others have just the opposite view. They see old memories as a chance to reckon with the past and integrate past and present. Adapted from Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, I've Known Rivers: Lives of Loss and Liberation Assignment: Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. When people form opinions about someone or something, what affects them most is not substance but style.In other words, the way something appears or is presented is more important than what it actually is. This principle affects how people look at their leaders and their lives, the books they read, the products they buy, and even th e subjects they take at school. Assignment: Is style more important than substance? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. If we valued honesty, we would be willing to risk our jobs to become whistleblowers and tell truths that our employers did not want revealed. If we valued success, we would give up our free time in order to excel in a subject or sport. In other words, the sacrifices we are willing to make reveal what we care about the most. Assignment: Can what we value be determined only by what we sacrifice? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about t he issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Something flawed is far more interesting than something perfect. Perfection is a trifle dull. It is not the least of life’s ironies that this, which we all aim at, is better not quite achieved. -Adapted from W. Somerset Maugham, The Summing Up Assignment: Is perfection something to be admired or sought after? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 5 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. We need to remember that wisdom is not just about what we think or know, but more importantly, how we act. Simply being smart is not enough. I define wisdom as the application of intelligence and experience toward the attainment of a common good. In other words, the wisest people are those who look out not just for themselves but also for others. -Adapted from Robert J.Sternberg, â€Å"Teaching for Wisdom in Our Schools† Assignment: What makes a person wise? Are the wisest people merely smart or are they also concerned with the well-being of others? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. May 2006 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Some people claim that each individual is solely responsible for what happens to him or her.But the claim that we ought to take absolute responsibility for the kinds of people we are and the kinds of lives we lead suggests that we have complete control over our lives. We do not. The circumstances of our lives can make it more or less impossible to make certain kinds of choices. -Adapted from Gordon D. Marino, â€Å"I Think Y ou Should Be Responsible; Me, I’m Not So Sure† Assignment: Are we free to make our own decisions or are we limited in the choices we can make? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Certainly anyone who insists on condemning all lies should think about what would happen if we could reliably tell when our family, friends, colleagues, and government leaders were deceiving us. It is tempting to think that the world would become a better place without the deceptions that seem to interfere with our attempts are genuine communication.On the other hand, perhaps there is such a thing as too much honesty. Adapted from Allison Kornet, â€Å"The Truth About Lying† Assignment: Would the world be a better place if everyone alw ays told the complete truth? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. It is not that people dislike being part of a community; it is just that they care about their individual freedoms more.People value neighborliness and social interaction until being part of a group requires them to limit their freedom for the larger good of the group. But a community or group cannot function effectively unless people are willing to se aside their personal interests. Adapted from Warren Johnson, The Future Is Not What It Used To Be Assignment: Does the success of a community – whether it is a class, a team, a family, a nation, or any other group – depend upon people’s willingness to limit their personal interests? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. There is an old saying: â€Å"A person with one watch knows what time it is; a person with two watches isn’t so sure. † In other words, a person who looks at an object or event from two different angles sees something different from each position. Moreover, two or more people looking at the same thing may each perceive something different. In other words, truth, like beauty, may lie in the eye of the beholder.Adapted from Gregory D. Foster, â€Å"Ethics: Time to Revisit the Basics† Assignment: Does the truth change depending on how people look at things? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken f rom your reading, studies, experience, or observations. October 2006 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. While some people promote competition as the only way to achieve success, others emphasize the power of cooperation.Intense rivalry at work or play or engaging in competition involving ideas or skills may indeed drive people either to avoid failure or to achieve important victories. In a complex world, however, cooperation is much more likely to produce significant, lasting accomplishments. Assignment: Do people achieve more success by cooperation than by competition? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.Sometimes it is necessary to challenge wha t people in authority claim to be true. Although some respect for authority is, no doubt, necessary in order for any group or organization to function, questioning the people in charge-even if they are experts or leaders in their fields-makes us better thinkers. It forces all concerned to defend old ideas and decisions and to consider new ones. Sometimes it can even correct old errors in thought and put an end to wrong actions. Assignment: Is it important to question the ideas and decisions of people in positions of authority?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. We don't really learn anything properly until there is a problem, until we make a mistake, until something fails to go as we had hoped. When everything is working well, wi th no problems or failures, what incentive do we have to try something new? We are only motivated to learn when we experience difficulties.Adapted from Alain de Botton, How Proust Can Change Your Life: Not a Novel Assignment: Does true learning only occur when we experience difficulties? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. There are two kinds of pretending. There is the bad kind, as when a person falsely promises to be your friend.But there is also a good kind, where the pretense eventually turns into the real thing. For example, when you are not feeling particularly friendly, the best thing you can do, very often, is to act in a friendly manner. In a few minutes, you may really be feeling friendlier. Adapted from a book by C. S. Lewis Assignment: Can deception—pretending that something is true when it is not—sometimes have good results? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.November 2006 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. It is wrong to think of ourselves as indispensable. We would love to think that our contributions are essential, but we are mistaken if we think that any one person has made the world what it is today. The contributions of individual people are seldom as important or as necessary as we think they are. Assignment: Do we put too much value on the ideas or actions of individual people? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Many people deny that stories about characters and events that are not real can teach us about ourselves or about the world around us. They claim that literature does not offer us worthwhile information about the real world. These people argue that the feelings and ideas we gain from books and stories obstruct, rather than contribute to, clear thought. Adapted from Jennifer L. McMahon, â€Å"The Function of Fiction†Assignment: Can books and stories about characters and events that are not real teach us anything useful? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. â€Å"No one is perfect. † There are few among us who would disagree with this familiar statement. Certain that perfection is an impossible goal, many people willingly accept flaws and shortcomings in themselves and others.Yet such behavior leads to failure. People can only succeed if they try to achieve perfection in everything they do. Assignment: Can people achieve success only if they aim to be perfect? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Everybody has some choice. People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are.I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and, if they can't find them, make them. Adapted from George Bernard Shaw, Mrs. Warren's Profess ion Assignment: Do success and happiness depend on the choices people make rather than on factors beyond their control? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. December 2006 SAT Essay PromptsPrompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. In order to be the most productive and successful people that we are capable of being, we must be willing to ignore the opinions of others. It is only when we are completely indifferent to others' opinions of us—when we are not concerned about how others think of us—that we can achieve our most important goals. Assignment: Are people more likely to be productive and successful when they ignore the opinions of others? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning an d examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. In many circumstances, optimism—the expectation that one's ideas and plans will always turn out for the best—is unwarranted. In these situations what is needed is not an upbeat view but a realistic one. There are times when people need to take a tough-minded view of the possibilities of success, give up, and invest their energies elsewhere rather than find reasons to continue to pursue the original project or idea.Adapted from Martin E. P. Seligman, Learned Optimism Assignment: Is it better for people to be realistic or optimistic? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt a nd the assignment below. It is easy to make judgments about people and their actions when we do not know anything about their circumstances or what motivated them to take those actions.But we should look beyond a person's actions. When people do things that we consider outrageous, inconsiderate, or harmful, we should try to understand why they acted as they did. Assignment: Is it important to try to understand people's motivations before judging their actions? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.Abraham Lincoln said, â€Å"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. † In other words, our personal level of satisfaction is entirely within our control. Otherwise, why would the same experience disappoint o ne person but delight another? Happiness is not an accident but a choice. Assignment: Is happiness something over which people have no control, or can people choose to be happy? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.January 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Many people believe that our government should do more to solve our problems. After all, how can one individual create more jobs or make roads safer or improve the schools or help to provide any of the other benefits that we have come to enjoy? And yet expecting that the government—rather than individuals—should always come up with the solutions to society's ills may have made us less self-reliant, undermining our independence and self-sufficiency.Assignment: Should people tak e more responsibility for solving problems that affect their communities or the nation in general? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Most human beings spend their lives doing work they hate and work that the world does not need. It is of prime importance that you learn early what you want to do and whether or not the world needs this service.The return from your work must be the satisfaction that work brings you and the world's need of that work. Income is not money, it is satisfaction; it is creation; it is beauty. Adapted from W. E. B. Du Bois, The Autobiography of W. E. B. Du Bois: A Soliloquy on Viewing My Life from the Last Decade of Its First Century Assignment: Is it more important to do work that one finds fulfilling or work that pays well? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. The education people receive does not occur primarily in school. Young people are formed by their experiences with parents, teachers, peers, and even strangers on the street, and by the sports teams they play for, the shopping malls they frequent, the songs they hear, and the shows they watch. Schools, while certainly important, constitute only a relatively small part of education. Adapted from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, â€Å"Education for the Twenty-First Century† Assignment: Is education primarily the result of influences other than school?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. If we are dissatisfied with our circumstances, we think about changing them. But the most important and effective changes—in our attitude—hardly occur to us. In other words, we should worry not about how to alter the world around us for the better but about how to change ourselves in order to fit into that world.Adapted from Michael Hymers, â€Å"Wittgenstein, Pessimism and Politics† Assignment: Is it better to change one's attitude than to change one's circumstances? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. March 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. From the time people are very young, they are urged to get along with others, to try to â€Å"fit in. † Indeed, people are often rewarded for being agreeable and obedient.But this approach is misguided because it promotes uniformity instead of encouraging people to be unique and different. Differences among people give each of us greater perspective and allow us to make better judgments. Assignment: Is it more valuable for people to fit in than to be unique and different? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.It is easy to imagine that events and experiences in our lives will be perfect, but no matter how good something turns out to be, it can never live up to our expectations. Reality never matches our imaginations. For that reason, we sh ould make sure our plans and goals are modest and attainable. We are much better off when reality surpasses our expectations and something turns out better than we thought it would. Adapted from Baltasar Gracian y Morales, The Art of Worldly Wisdom Assignment: Is it best to have low expectations and to set goals we are sure of achieving?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Every event has consequences that are potentially beneficial. We may not always be happy about an experience, but we should at least gain in some way from it. For example, the worldwide gasoline shortage in the early 1970's created many hardships but inspired efforts to conserve energy.Whether the gains are large or small, there is something positive or useful f or us in everything that happens to us. Assignment: Do we really benefit from every event or experience in some way? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. May 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Materialism: it's the thing that everybody loves to hate.Few aspects of modern life have been more criticized than materialism. But let's face it: materialism—acquiring possessions and spending money—is a vital source of meaning and happiness in our time. People may criticize modern society for being too materialistic, but the fact remains that most of us spend most of our energy producing and consuming more and more stuff. Adapted from James Twitchell, â€Å"Two Cheers for Materialism† Assignment: Should modern society be criticize d for being materialistic? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Knowledge is power. In agriculture, medicine, and industry, for example, knowledge has liberated us from hunger, disease, and tedious labor. Today, however, our knowledge has become so powerful that it is beyond our control. We know how to do many things, but we do not know where, when, or even whether this know-how should be used. Assignment: Can knowledge be a burden rather than a benefit?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignm ent below. We do not take the time to determine right from wrong. Reflecting on the difference between right and wrong is hard work. It is so much easier to follow the crowd, going along with what is popular rather than risking the disapproval of others by voicing an objection of any kind. Adapted from Stephen J.Carter, Integrity Assignment: Is it always best to determine one's own views of right and wrong, or can we benefit from following the crowd? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. It is often the case that revealing the complete truth may bring trouble—discomfort, embarrassment, sadness, or even harm—to oneself or to another person.In these circumstances, it is better not to express our real thoughts and feelin gs. Whether or not we should tell the truth, therefore, depends on the circumstances. Assignment: Do circumstances determine whether or not we should tell the truth? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. June 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.People are happy only when they have their minds fixed on some goal other than their own happiness. Happiness comes when people focus instead on the happiness of others, on the improvement of humanity, on some course of action that is followed not as a means to anything else but as an end in itself. Aiming at something other than their own happiness, they find happiness along the way. The only way to be happy is to pursue some goal external to your own happiness. Adapted from John Stuart Mill, Autobiograp hy Assignment: Are people more likely to be happy if they focus on goals other than their own happiness?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Heroes may seem old-fashioned today. Many people are cynical and seem to enjoy discrediting role models more than creating new ones or cherishing those they already have. Some people, moreover, object to the very idea of heroes, arguing that we should not exalt individuals who, after all, are only flesh and blood, just like the rest of us.But we desperately need heroes—to teach us, to captivate us through their words and deeds, to inspire us to greatness. Adapted from Psychology Today, â€Å"How To Be Great! What Does It Take To Be A Hero? † Assignment: Is there a value in celeb rating certain individuals as heroes? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.The advancements that have been made over the past hundred years or more are too numerous to count. But has there been progress? Some people would say that the vast number of advancements tells us we have made progress. Others, however, disagree, saying that more is not necessarily better and that real progress—in politics, literature, the arts, science and technology, or any other field—can be achieved only when an advancement truly improves the quality of our lives. Assignment: Have modern advancements truly improved the quality of people's lives? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your posit ion with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 It is not true that prosperity is better for people than adversity. When people are thriving and content, they seldom feel the need to look for ways to improve themselves or their situation. Hardship, on the other hand, forces people to closely examine—and possibly change—their own lives and even the lives of others. Misfortune rather than prosperity helps people to gain a greater understanding of themselves and the world around them. Assignment: Do people truly benefit from hardship and misfortune?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. October 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. A person does not simply â€Å"receive† his or her identity. Identity is much more than the name or features one is born with. True identity is something people must create for themselves by making choices that are significant and that require a courageous commitment in the face of challenges.Identity means having ideas and values that one lives by. Adapted from Thomas Merton, Contemplation in a World of Action Assignment: Is identity something people are born with or given, or is it something people create for themselves? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.We value uniqueness and originality, but it seems that everywhere we turn, we are surrounded by ideas and things that are copies or even copies of copies. Writers, artists, and musicians seek new ideas for paintings, b ooks, songs, and movies, but many sadly realize, â€Å"It's been done. † The same is true for scientists, scholars, and businesspeople. Everyone wants to create something new, but at best we can hope only to repeat or imitate what has already been done. Assignment: Can people ever be truly original? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. All people who have achieved greatness in something knew what they excelled at. These people identified the skills that made them special—good judgment, or courage, or a special artistic or literary talent—and focused on developing these skills. Yet most people achieve superiority in nothing because they fail to identify and develop their greatest attribute.Adapted from Baltasar Gracian y Morales, The Art of Worldly Wisdom Assignment: Do people achieve greatness only by finding out what they are especially good at and developing that attribute above all else? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Having many admirers is one way to become a celebrity, but it is not the way to become a hero. Heroes are self-made.Yet in our daily lives we see no difference between â€Å"celebrities† and â€Å"heroes. † For this reason, we deprive ourselves of real role models. We should admire heroes—people who are famous because they are great—but not celebrities—people who simply seem great because they are famous. Adapted from Daniel Boorstin, The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in Americ a Assignment: Should we admire heroes but not celebrities? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.November 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. People today have so many choices. For instance, thirty years ago most television viewers could choose from only a few channels; today there are more than a hundred channels available. And choices do not just abound when it comes to the media. People have more options in almost every area of life. With so much to choose from, how can we not be happy? Assignment: Does having a large number of options to choose from make people happy?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. We are often urged to solve problems by ignoring traditional approaches and by finding solutions that are innovative or unconventional. We are encouraged to be creative and to trust that a new way of thinking will yield new insights. But innovation may be impractical and unnecessary.The best ways of fixing problems are often the tried–and–true ways. Assignment: Is it always necessary to find new solutions to problems? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Many people consider the arts—literature, music, painting, and other creative activities—unnecessary because they provide us with nothin g more than entertainment.Yet the arts are extremely valuable because they have much to teach us about the world around us and also because they help people find meaning in life. Assignment: Is the main value of the arts to teach us about the world around us? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. All people judge or criticize the ideas and actions of others.At times, these criticisms hurt or embarrass the people receiving them. Other criticisms seem to be intended to make the critics appear superior. And yet criticism is essential to our success as individuals and as a society. Adapted from Ken Petress, â€Å"Constructive Criticism: A Tool for Improvement† Assignment: Is criticism—judging or finding fault with the ide as and actions of others—essential for personal well-being and social progress? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.December 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. The first problem for all of us is not to learn but to unlearn. We hold on to ideas that were accepted in the past, and we are afraid to give them up. Preconceptions about what is right or wrong, true or false, good or bad are embedded so deeply in our thinking that we honestly may not know that they are there. Whether it's women's role in society or the role of our country in the world, the old assumptions just don't work anymore.Adapted from Gloria Steinem, â€Å"A New Egalitarian Lifestyle† Assignment: Do people need to â€Å"unlearn,† or reject, many of their a ssumptions and ideas? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Our determination to pursue truth by setting up a fight between two sides leads us to believe that every issue has two sides—no more, no less.If we know both sides of an issue, all of the relevant information will emerge, and the best case will be made for each side. But this process does not always lead to the truth. Often the truth is somewhere in the complex middle, not the oversimplified extremes. Adapted from Deborah Tannen, The Argument Culture Assignment: Should people choose one of two opposing sides of an issue, or is the truth usually found â€Å"in the middle†? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support y our position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. All around us appearances are mistaken for reality. Clever advertisements create favorable impressions but say little or nothing about the products they promote. In stores, colorful packages are often better than their contents. In the media, how certain entertainers, politicians, and other public figures appear is more important than their abilities. All too often, what we think we see becomes far more important than what really is. Assignment: Do images and impressions have too much of an effect on people?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Until fairly recently, technological innovations and inventions were intended to serve basic human needs or desires. Today, however, the most important and urgent problem confronting us is no longer the satisfaction of basic needs. The primary purpose of modern technology is to solve the unintended problems caused by the technology of years past.Adapted from Dennis Gabor, Innovations: Scientific, Technological, and Social Assignment: Is the most important purpose of technology today different from what it was in the past? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. January 2008 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. It is better to try to be original than to merely imitate others. People should always try to say, write, think, or create something new.There is little value in merely repeating what has been done before. People who merel y copy or use the ideas and inventions of others, no matter how successful they may be, have never achieved anything significant. Assignment: Is it always better to be original than to imitate or use the ideas of others? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.Often we see people who persist in trying to achieve a particular goal, even when all the evidence indicates that they will be unlikely to achieve it. When they succeed, we consider them courageous for having overcome impossible obstacles. But when they fail, we think of them as headstrong, foolhardy, and bent on self-destruction. To many people, great effort is only worthwhile when it results in success. Adapted from Gilbert Brim, â€Å"Ambition† Assignment: Is the effor t involved in pursuing any goal valuable, even if the goal is not reached? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Newness has become our obsession. Novelty is more interesting to us than continuing with whatever is â€Å"tried and true. † We discard the old so we can acquire the most recent model, the latest version, the newest and most improved formula. Often, we replace what is useful just because it is no longer new. Not only with material goods but also with cultural values, we prefer whatever is the latest trend.Assignment: Should people always prefer new things, ideas, or values to those of the past? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and ex amples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Since we live in a global society, surely we should view ourselves as citizens of the whole world. But instead, people choose to identify and associate with smaller and more familiar groups.People think of themselves as belonging to families, nations, cultures, and generations—or as belonging to smaller groups whose members share ideas, views, or common experiences. All of these kinds of groups may offer people a feeling of security but also prevent them from learning or experiencing anything new. Assignment: Is there any value for people to belong only to a group or groups with which they have something in common? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.Marc h 2008 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Organizations or groups that share a common goal often mention teamwork as their secret to success by insisting that people in the group work together for the good of the entire group. However, by requiring each individual to accept the decisions of the others in the group, organizations may discourage the expression of individual talent. Ultimately, a group is most successful when all of its members are encouraged to pursue their own goals and interests.Assignment: Are organizations or groups most successful when their members pursue individual wishes and goals? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Being loyal—faithful or dedicated to someone or something—is not always easy. People often have conflicting loyalties, and there are no guidelines that help them decide to what or whom they should be loyal.Moreover, people are often loyal to something bad. Still, loyalty is one of the essential attributes a person must have and must demand of others. Adapted from James Carville, Stickin': The Case for Loyalty Assignment: Should people always be loyal? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Winning feels forever fabulous.But you can learn more from losing than from winning. Losing prepares you for setback and tragedy more than winning ever can. Moreover, loss invites reflection and a change of strategies. In the process of re covering from your losses, you learn how to avoid them the next time. Adapted from Pat Conroy, My Losing Season Assignment: Do people learn more from losing than from winning? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Compare the creation scene in Boris Karloff’s Essay

Genre benefits the film industry because it classifies/categorises the type of film which the film industry are required to make. It benefits the audience because they are usually expecting the genre of film and this will result in fewer complaints from the audiences, as they are prepared for the viewing. I have seen several films belonging to the Horror genre. E. g. The Haunting, Scream 1, 2 and 3, The Exorcist, The Poltergeist. Horror films deal with our most primal nature and its fears: Nightmares, our Vulnerability, our Alienation and our Terror of the Unknown, Death, and Para normality, Monsters, Blood and Religion are typical elements that make up a horror film. The scene selected is the creation scene. At this point in the narrative, Victor brings the monster to life. The 1931 version of the film is set in a stereotypical â€Å"Mad Scientists† laboratory with all the high-Tec equipment, potions and machinery. It looks like it is set in the cellar of a gothic mansion or castle. The laboratory appears to be tense and top secret. No music is used throughout the scene. Victor Frankenstein wears traditional doctors white robes which is also a stereotypical feature. It links with the surroundings/environment because the doctors’ robes convey a sense of technicality/experimentalism. The spectators in the scene are wearing formal clothing; they would have been â€Å"well off† in those days. The use of dialogue contrasts with most Horror films as quite a lot is said. Most of the dialogue spoken by doctor Frankenstein regards scientific explanation. Thunder, Lightning, and the electric buzzes are the only sound effects used. They can be classed as scientific sounds. The thunder and lightning are to do with nature and also the supernatural as they can be seen as horrific. Thunder and lightning are stereotypical elements of a horror film. Infrequent thunder sounds are heard, this creates tension for the viewer. The lightning usually strikes when movement or raising of voice occurs. The majority of the cuts are very fast apart from when the table with the monster on is being elevated. This shot is one of the main focusing points throughout the scene and Boris Karloff has shown this by making it the longest shot in the scene. It is also one of the few low angle shots throughout the scene making this an outstanding shot. Every shot in the scene is a straight cut. The fast cuts convey a sense of urgency and tension. No special effects are used in the scene. Very few low angle shots are used compared to the amount of high angle shots used. The low angle shots sometimes show power and authority, for example when Victor Frankenstein is talking to the other doctor. He contradicts the other doctor and proves him wrong; this shows his authority over him. This degrades the doctor in front of the on-scene audience. Igor (Frankenstein’s assistant) is a typical aspect of Horror. He is an iconography to â€Å"The Hunchback Of Notredame† which relates to horror. The camera rarely moves. It is usually still. Doctor Frankenstein is shown to look evil and greedy whereas the monster is shown to look helpless and weak as the movement of its hand is very low. The camera never zooms in throughout the scene. The 1993 version of the film by Kenneth Branagh uses lots of loud, tense music with a fast beat at the start of the scene. This creates a sense of urgency at the start of the scene. As Victor Frankenstein is running, this also adds the tension. Victor Frankenstein is wearing very scruffy clothes. The scene is set in a Gothic type castle/mansion and it looks like it is set in the medieval times by the use of props. Lots of candles also add to the medieval setting. However, lots of machinery and electrical devices are seen which contrasts with the medieval setting. In this scene, Dr Frankenstein brings the monster to life and tries helping it to stand up when he kills it unintentionally. Very few words are said throughout the scene which are the typical aspects of a Horror film but, as there is only one human viewed throughout the scene it is quite obvious that not a lot of dialogue is expected. Each shot is very short and has a straight cut. The only special effects are used at the monster’s birth where it squeezes out of its cage. There are lots of close-ups and medium shots on Victor. You are given the impression that the monster is weak and feeble. Frankenstein gives the impression of being a very unlucky and distraught person as the monster dies. Both films fit in the category of Horror, however Kenneth Branagh’s version is much more like a Horror film to me as it includes action and excitement. Kenneth Branagh’s version was a big budget film whereas the 1931 version was not. It also includes music and special effects whereas the 1931 version does not. This is why Kenneth Branagh’s version is my favourite. By Jack Sanders 10F Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our  GCSE Mary Shelley  section.

Concept and Theories of Sociology as a Social Science

Concept and Theories of Sociology as a Social Science Definition of Sociology Sociology is a social science that studies human beings in their social setting including their descent, institutions, systems, organisations and their influence on societal development.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Concept and Theories of Sociology as a Social Science specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is concerned with understanding the structure and functioning of human society, how it changes over time and the forces that account for the changes. Sociologists thus study human beings in relation to the society and how human conduct, shapes the society and its structures and vice versa. Sociological imagination Sociological imagination is a critical field of criminology concerned with the relationship that exists between the beliefs of the society and the life as experienced in the society. It is the critical examination of issues against the contemporary views of the society. Individual s engaged in sociological imagination, find it pleasant to ask questions in order to get answers to what they observe. They do not rely entirely on what the society holds as true or false rather, they question the basis of its truthfulness or falsehood. Therefore, sociological imagination is concerned with the causes and outcomes of the interaction between various components of the society such as norms, motives and current occurrences in the society. Proponents of sociological thinking do not agree with the facts that are passed on in the society from one generation to another without testing the truth of these facts. Social and personal problems/issues Personal problems concern individuals and most often have no effect on the society as a whole. Social problems on the other hand, are issues affecting several people in a social setting. The difference between the two kinds of problems is that, a personal problem affects an individual’s living style and one is supposed to dea l with it for instance, incidences of obesity and unemployment among others. The social problem is one which cannot be avoided by the larger group since, all or most of the individuals are affected by it.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the two forms of problems originate from the same bases most of the time. Both social and personal issues might originate from both the social setting and individual mistakes. For instance, lack of employment may be caused by lack of supportive institutions such as schools in the society or alternatively, an individual’s failure to capitalize on opportunities in the society. Some of the problems are very difficult to classify such as abortion. Structural Functionalism Theory of sociology Structural functionalism is the sociological theory which holds that the society is a system made up of very many components or parts w hich interact to foster stability. Each of these parts, has its important function that cannot be ignored since, it contributes to the successful operation of the society as a system. The major components of the societal system are; customs, traditions, norms, institutions and belief systems. These are social processes and structures which define the society by giving it form and distinctiveness.

Reaction Paper Essay Example

Reaction Paper Essay Example Reaction Paper Essay Reaction Paper Essay The speech of the Commander of the Naval Education and Training Command (CENT) discuss the seriousness of the conduct of Naval Command and Staff Course Class (NCSC) due to his active involvement in the class activities. He also underscores Mind Power Precedes Sea Power. Our Navy is lagging behind but with our strategy, tactics and utilizing what we have we can win battles wherein, he looks at the Vietnamese as the model of true fighting force. That is what he wants to develop to the officers, to carry on the mission of the Philippine Navy. He also emphasizes on the modernization of our navy which is very important and with that, we have a lot of work to do. Taking NCSC is not just for promotion but to be able to handle what is demanded from us, the students of NCSC. He wants us to have a positive outlook on the challenges that we face, to develop a system and a good scheduling of our activities. He also stress that we have a lot of resources and sometimes we do not need to go far to look for what we need. Also, he wants us to generate new ideas, new ideas from old once and fresh view of things, views that can move us, the Navy, forward very fast. If the countries that cause threat to us are moving leap and bounce we cannot afford or merely crawl or walk we have to be running very fast. He also said that we will be future staff officers and commanders and a lot is expected from us in a way. We are the hope of our navy we have to stand up on your own. Moreover, he said what we need are people like you who will be able help us be a navy that will be able to defend our country without aid hopefully. It is for us a matter of pride that we can defend what we have. He also underscore also that dying is not good if you have not done your mission. Mission accomplishment precedes dying a heroic death. And lastly, he bid good luck, challenge us to find the value in the challenge and hope that e will be more useful in our respective units after the course. Body: As I understand from the opening statement of the Commander of Naval Education and Training Command (CENT) the conduct of Naval Command and Staff Course (NCSC) will be taken seriously since it was made serious by the commander himself. He underscores Mind Power Precedes Sea Power. He is correct in saying that We must be first of all sharp of mind so that we must be able to predict or even prevent superior opponents. Since with the present force capability of our Navy we are inferior compared to the overpowers and the only thing we can do is utilized effectively and efficiently what we have with Our God given talent and skills and our unmatched strategy and tactics, we can win battles. Agree with CENT that it is no secret that the Philippine Navy is lagging behind in force capabilities compared to our neighboring countries more particularly those executing or posting threat to our sovereignty and our interest, it is in this light that we should take extra effort in building ourselves up. First of all thru personal positive building, our strength will depend on the viability of our men, women particularly Officers, to develop strategy and tactics. To win battles you will need use what you have. Yes, with what we have in our Navy force capability it is true that we are lagging behind the navy of countries that are executing or posting threat to our sovereignty and our interest but what can we do it is utilize all what we have, we should just make the most out of it. Truly, what we can do is to educate and train our officers, men and women to develop strategy and tactics with the resources that we have. He looks at the Vietnamese as the model of a true fighting Orca, because the Vietnamese can easily overcome and determinable overcome every obstacle. They have beaten the superpowers, they have done their history, beaten the Chinese, Japanese, and the French then before they beaten the United States of America. It is no secret that they were on their pajamas, slippers and straw hats when they were battling the bombers, fighter jets, aircraft carriers, tanks, helicopters and other weapons of the superpowers and in the end they prevail. Not so much with their material resources but more with their spirit and ingenuity of their people. And that is hat he wants for the Naval Command and Staff Course. He wants to develop staff officers that can carry the load the navy requires. Yes the Vietnamese triumph in their battles against the superpowers during that time and they are so proud of that. They have successfully utilized all their resources and they successfully taken all advantage on their side thats why they succeeded. Live that the superpowers during that time have all the resources, that is why they are called superpowers, however they lacks the strategy and tactics that they need to win their battles. And this is also what I expect to attain or enhanced during the course. But it does not stop there, we should also continue our modernization program since Rear Admiral Shares said The Navy now is in the verge of modernizing or actually modernizing and a lot is a matter. We cannot go on thinking that we have no wo rk to do, we have to do a lot of work. While we are modernizing our equipment or upgrading our force capability, building up our personnel capability should also go hand and hand. This is to make sure that we have the right person for the right job and also to utilize our modern equipment properly, effectively and efficiently. Moreover, it is true that taking NCSC is not just for promotion but to be equipped to handle what is demanded from us by the Navy with our modernization programs at hand. Further, modernizing our navy will give a strong posture of our military might to uphold our sovereignty and national interest. Rear Admiral Square wants us to have positive outlook on the challenges that we will be facing. We have to develop a system and a good scheduling of your activities. We have a lot of resources, sometimes we do not need to go far. In life challenges are everywhere, challenges are difficult if it is not it is not a challenge anymore. They are difficult but there is always a way to solve it. It is only up to us to figure out. For me, taking up NCSC is a challenge since some officers do prefer to take their advance courses outside the Navy, for them NCSC is difficult while for those who already finished, it is worth the effort. I believe that I will just do what is required and make extra effort to learn and manage my time so I can cope up with the standards of .NET as what we can see printed on the buildings, Raise the Standards. Also, he wants us to generate new ideas, new ideas from old once and fresh view of things, views that can move us forward very fast. If the countries that cause threat to us are moving leap and bounce we cannot afford or merely crawl or walk we have to be running very fast. For me this means that we should be creative, we should not keep on using those obsolete ideas by our forebears. Their time is already expired and it is already our time now. Remember the saying nothing is constant except changeewe change for the betterment of our Navy, but then again, we should not forget their ideas, thinking and knowledge. We can still improve those ideas to create suitable once during our present time. According to the Rear Admiral, we will be the future staff officers and meanders, and a lot is expected from us in a way. We are the hope of our navy we have to stand up on your own. What we need are people like you who will be able help us be a navy that will be able to defend our country without aid hopefully. It is for us a matter of pride that we can defend what we have. Hopefully when our time comes to be the staff officers and commanders that he is talking about, we were able to fulfill what are the expectations from us. Truly it is a pride and honor to be able to defend our country and people without the aid of other countries. With this I can say that our Navy is Strong and Credible. He also underscore also that dying is not good if you have not done your mission. Mission accomplishment precedes dying a heroic death. It is so easy to die heroically but if you have not done your mission that is useless death. So I want you to look at this mind set because it is so easy for us to abandon things telling that we are brave, we can just face the bullets coming at us but We still have people to protect, We have territories to defend and We have sovereignty to uphold and that requires us to triumph to win. For the Rear Admiral, what understand is that, if you die and failed to accomplish the session it is failure, if you die but accomplished your mission it is good while if you survive and accomplish the mission its better. Same is true with my beliefs, except that it is right to recognize in natty even if you die but failed to accomplish your mission specifically when I knew that at least you die trying. Lastly, Rear Admiral Square bid us the students good luck, challenge us to find the value in the challenge and hope that we will be more useful in our respective units after the course. For me, it will be a rewarding opportunity to be included in this NCSC Class 78 after my almost 3 years stint s a brigade staff in the area Central Mindanao, expecting that will learn a lot from this schooling and plus the eligibility of being promoted as a bonus. Conclusion: In conclusion, truly there are lots of things to be done taking into account our Navy Vision by Year 2020. I will always remember Rear Admiral Square when he said Mind Power Precedes Sea Power. Our Navy is lagging behind our neighboring countries in terms of force capability but with our strategy and tactics we will win battles against the superpowers. So much for the inferiority of the Philippine Navy in terms of force capability we have our Modernization Program for that, for now my task is to be educated and trained in this prestigious institution. With this schooling Im taking, Im looking forward to Raising My Standards for the Philippine Navy. I do believe that everyone can have their fair share in contributing to the Philippine Navy to move forward and I do believe will be exerting a lot of effort to learn much in this Naval Command and Staff Course to help the Philippine Navy attain its mission By 2020: We shall be Strong and Credible Navy that our Maritime Nation can be Proud of. And I hope that our Navy Organization and the Marine Corps will be proud of me in the near future.

Improving organisational performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Improving organisational performance - Essay Example 451) Although there is no universal definition of performance management, but still conceptually performance management can be defined as the process which is used by the supervisors or organizational managers to gain a fair understanding of the goals, work expectations and feedbacks. This also helps the mangers to recognize the training and development opportunities and evaluate performance results. In simple terms performance management is all about improving the individual and organizational performance. It is a process that links people and jobs; provides fair understanding of what is to achieved by one and how and performance management is also a process to ensure that people are doing the required things in the most effective way possible as per the individual ability. Performance management process is a medium through which the managers and the employees join forces to improve the level of work satisfaction and results. However, the performance management system is likely to b e most effective when the managers and the employees work a cohesive unit and both play an active role. Today in the middle of a highly competitive business environment one of the most critical success factors for some of the major global firms happen to be the high performance management system. Today most of the organizations are looking to make a shift from the traditional to effective high performance business models. High performance work systems or HPWS happen to be companies that tend to opt for a different approach in case of organizational management rather than going for the traditional hierarchical approach. Some prominent industrial psychologists and organizational behaviour experts suggest that the High performance work systems have the ability to provide long term sustained competitive advantages. Later in the paper through a multiple case study approach, it would discuss how two of the major multinational companies implemented the High performance work system to great effect. The organizations in focus would be GE and Toyota Motors (Armstrong and Baron, 2005, p. 301) Conceptual Frameworks Performance management is actually a process as well as a framework that companies use to communicate some important messages to the employees. The performance management process framework includes four different stages (Beardwell and Holden, 2010, p. 291) The performance planning includes the plan for the upcoming years in areas such as the standards and expectations for the job; performance and development goals. During the next step i.e. the day to day coaching and feedback the managers and employees discuss about performance on regular basis. Here it needs to say that the regular discussions go beyond the formal reviews and meetings. They share feedbacks about the success of the employees as well as the areas where the employees may need certain improvement. During the process the mangers also seek the inputs of the employees regarding results and the work process. The reviewing and the review and appraisal phase usually happen on a quarterly basis. (Holbeche, 2005, p. 299). This should ideally occur at least once in every quarter. The main focus of

Critically evaluate the sustainability of the supply of phosphorus to Essay

Critically evaluate the sustainability of the supply of phosphorus to UK agriculture - Essay Example Inorganic phosphorus is available in the soil in form of insoluble mineral complexes (Schmidt & Schaechter, 2012, pp. 514). The insoluble form cannot be absorbed by plants. The organic matter accounts for 20-80% of phosphorus in the soil. Only 0.1% of the soluble phosphorus is available for uptake by plants. The current situation that involves loses at every step of phosphorus life cycle contributes to concerns about future supplies and water and soil pollution, both in the UK and worldwide. Efficiency in its production, use, recycling and minimization of waste could lead to major strides being made towards a sustainable phosphorus use. This would set the world on the path towards resource efficiency and ensure that phosphorus reserves are available for future generations. Globally, phosphorus resources are abundant and reserves are significant. However, there are a number of factors implying that the security of phosphorus should be monitored in the UK. UK has few phosphate bearing rocks reserves. In 2008, there was price volatility in which the cost of phosphorus rock rose by 700%, contributing to an increase in the price of fertilizers. Improving the use of recycled phosphorus in the UK and the world, as a whole, would help in safeguarding the supply and distribution of phosphorus both at regional and global level. Economically, diversifying phosphorus supply to the UK businesses, which rely on it, would improve their resilience faced by any future price instability and other trends that might aggravate their important dependency. Farming practices that help in feeding billions of people in the UK involve the use of phosphate fertilizers, manufactured from the phosphate rock. The rock is a non-renewable resource, and it is being used widely since the end of the 19th century. The dependence on the phosphate rock for food production calls for sustainable management practices to ensure that it is economically available to UK farmers. The use of phosphorus in th e UK agriculture is associated with several types of potential environmental impacts. Little amounts of phosphorus restrict plants growth, resulting in soil erosion. The use of too much phosphorus leads to losses of the nutrient to surface water, leading to eutrophication. More sustainable practices, for instance better management of field applications and enhanced phosphorus recycling, can contribute to improvements in productivity and reduced environmental impacts. UK scientists are starting to qualify in phosphorus production through food production and consumption systems. By estimation, only one-fifth of the mined phosphorus in UK is consumed as food by humans. The remaining portion is used in agriculture, retained in soil, released in the aquatic environment or lost in food waste. High crop yields in UK, fundamentally, depend on mined phosphate rock. In a small population, famers could adequately obtain agricultural yields by fertilizing the soil with phosphorus derived from h uman and other animals’ excreta. Population growth in the UK in the 18th and 19th centauries stimulated the production of food, resulting in rapid depletion of soil nutrients. Farmers, therefore, started using large amounts of off-farm sources of phosphorus, including guano, phosphate rock and bone meal. Phosphate rock, which was cheap and plentiful, became the widely preferred source. Consequently, UK farmers adopted new farming methods like planting high