History of Football Essay

The history of football is interesting as well as exciting, from the first forms of the game ever played, to the multi million dollar organizations of today. The game continues to evolve and change with the times. Football is a sport that evolved from many different games. Football is mainly known as a different form of rugby or soccer, but there is more to the origin of the game than just those two sports. Football games were played around the world before the game was actually called football. † Football is believed to have descended from a Greek game called Harpaston † (Source C). The rules in Harpaston were not very strict. Running, kicking, or passing the ball across the goal line could earn points. † It is believed that the Chinese played some form of soccer around 500 A. D† (Source M). The earliest soccer games in England consisted of people running around on a field kicking a skull. This skull kicking game continued until someone had the idea to use an inflated cow bladder, which allowed for the ball to be kicked greater distances and was much easier on the foot of the participants. In the twelfth century, the king of England outlawed the game of â€Å"futeball† because it took away from the English tradition of archery. The game was considered illegal for four hundred years. Once it was allowed to resume, it was called soccer. Another ancestor of football is the Irish game of Gaelic rugby. This game basically consisted of teams trying to advance the ball across the goal line, much like Greek Harpaston. Once the game made it across the Atlantic to America it started to take on characteristics of the game we now call football today. When football crossed the Atlantic Ocean and came to America it would undergo a major change. There were many different forms of the game in America, Princeton University students played a game called ? Ballown’ in the 1920s, which was the earliest attempt at modern football. Harvard University students would always play a football-like game on the first Monday of the new school year, it became known as ? Bloody Monday’. â€Å"But, the first official game took place on November 9th 1869 between Princeton University and Rutgers University. Both teams had twenty-five players, which led to mass confusion and chaos, also the goal posts were only twenty-five yards  apart, causing a very small field† (Source J). It was obvious that the sport needed some new rules and Mr. Walter Camp was the man to develop them. Walter Camp was a star player and later a coach at his alma mater, Yale University. Walter Camp contributed to the definition of modern-day football more than anyone; he helped change the game from its form of rugby style to the modern game it is today. † Walter Camp is known as the father of American football† (Source J). As the game grew in popularity more people began playing it, but the game was considered too brutal. † Before 1905 many injuries and eighteen deaths had been reported from the brutal mass plays, President Roosevelt asked the schools to set rules to save the game from extinction† (Source C). In response to the Presidents plea, representatives from several different schools got together to set some rules, which would forever change the game. â€Å"The schools decided that a touchdown should be worth more, so in 1898 it was changed from four to five points, and eventually changed from five to six. While on the other hand the field goal was dropped from five points to four, and then down to three† (Source I). Another problem with the game is that it was very boring. To help end this boredom Walter Camp came up with the idea of first downs. With this rule, teams must gain ten yards in four attempts or the ball is turned over. To help protect players’ safety, formations like the flying V and wedge were made illegal. Probably the most important rule change was the legalization of the forward pass. To accommodate for this new rule, colleges also created an end zone ten yards deep to allow the ball to be caught in safely. The first professional games took place between athletic clubs. The first player to play for money was William W. â€Å"Pudge† Heffelinger. â€Å"Heffelinger played at Yale University where he made the Walter Camp All American team for three straight years. Heffelinger was paid five hundred dollars to play a game for the Allegheny Athletic Association of Pittsburgh. Heffelinger is known as the first professional football player† (Source H). The first professional to sign a contract was Grant Dilbert who signed with the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. Soon after this, many teams started paying money for the best players. â€Å"On September 17 1920 representatives met to form the American Professional Football Association (APFA)† (Source H). In 1922 the APFA was renamed the National Football League (NFL). During this time, any town that could fund the money was forming a football team, even two Philadelphia baseball teams established professional football teams. During this time, professional football was not as popular as college football. Due to betting and recruiting scandals, Americans were not as interested in the NFL as they were in the collegiate games. The league reached an all time low in 1932 when it had a membership of eight teams. However, over time the formation of legendary teams like the Decatur Staleys, later renamed the Chicago Bears, and the small town Green Bay Packers, and also due to the emergence of heroic players, this new league would win over the hearts of American football fans. One of the first famous football players was Jim Thorpe. Thorpe, an Indian born in Oklahoma, would become a great college player, as well as a great professional player. â€Å"Jim Thorpe signed his first professional contract with the Canton Bulldogs at a price of two hundred fifty a game† (Source H). Although he is considered one of the great players it is believed that Jim did not play his hardest all the time, he played hard only when he wanted to. He also used shoulder pads with a layer of sheet metal under them, so he could hit opposing players even harder. Jim was not just a great football player he was an Olympian as well, winning several medals in the Olympics. Harold â€Å"Red† Grange was a legendary college player nicknamed, ? The Galloping Ghost’. Red helped college fans appreciate the professional game, he signed his first professional contract ten days after his college career had ended. â€Å"Red Grange made his professional debut on Thanksgiving day before a crowd of over 10,000 fans, before his arrival in professional football the crowds were usually measured in the hundreds†(Source H). Sammy Baugh and Otto Graham reinvented the passing game of football. They were considered the first gunslingers of football. All of these players helped revolutionize the game. Growing in popularity, the game of football was about to take some huge  steps. â€Å"In 1932 the first indoor game was played due to weather, the game was played on an eighty yard field† (Source J). During the Great Depression the NFL thrived, giving Americans something to take their minds off of the hard times. During World War II younger players enlisted so older players were drafted into the league. After the war, the popularity of the NFL grew. â€Å"In 1939 the National Broadcasting Corporation was the first station to televise an NFL game between the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the Philadelphia Eagles† (Source F). In 1951 a game between the St. Louis Rams and the Cleveland Browns was the first to be broadcast from coast to coast. As the professional game grew in popularity it expanded as well. More teams were added while others were dropped. In 1946 when football was very popular in the United States, the American Football League (AFL) was formed. The AFL and NFL would later combine to form what is now known as today’s National Football League. Many people argued about which league was stronger, the American League or the National Football League. Many people believed the NFL was stronger, and others thought the AFL was more powerful. To find out which conference was stronger the first Super Bowl was staged. â€Å"In 1967 the first Super Bowl featured the NFL’s Green Bay Packers playing against the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs† (Source F). The game was dominated by the Green Bay Packers, making them the first Super Bowl champions. The start of the Super Bowls would later lead to the merger of the NFL and the AFL to form the current consolidated National Football League. Since the first collegiate game between Princeton and Rutgers, football has changed in very many different ways. â€Å"Of the thirteen teams in the league in 1920 only the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Cardinals, now the Arizona Cardinals, remain. There have been many classic and memorable moments in professional football history, like Chuck Bednarik’s ferocious hit on Frank Gifford, as seen on the cover of this report, John Elway’s leadership of the Denver Broncos on â€Å"The Drive†, the 1972 Miami Dolphins undefeated season, and Joe Montana’s victory-clinching pass to Dwight Clark, which is simply known as â€Å"The Catch†. The game of football has a rich history. It has evolved in many different ways but continues to hold onto the tradition and basic format it was built upon. The game will continue to grow and change with the times but will always be known as America’s greatest game. Source A: â€Å"A Brief History of The Game† www. hornetfootball. org/documents/football-history. htm Source B: â€Å"American Football History† wiwi. essortment. com/americanfootball_rwff. htm 2002 Pagewire Source C: Buckley James. America’s Greatest Game. New York. Hyperian Books For Children. 1998. Source D: â€Å"Football History-Just What Sport are We Talking About Anyway? † www. sportsknowhow. com/football/history/football-history. shtml. 2004 A Website of Internet Marketing Unlimited Source E: â€Å"History of Football† http://inventors/about/com/ad/fstartinventions/a/historyfootball/htm. 2007 New York Times Company Source F: â€Å"History of The Sport† www. usafootball. com/about-us/history-of-the-sport/. 2006 USA Football Source G: â€Å"History† www. profootballhoffestival. com/festival/history/asp 2005 Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival Source H: LaBlanc, L. Michael. Professional Sports Teams Histories. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Inc. 1994 Source I: â€Å"NFL History† www. NFL. com/history. 2007 NFL Enterprises LLC Source J: Riffenburgh, Beau. The Official History of Pro Football. New York: Crescent Books, 1990 Source K: â€Å"Rules And Information†. www. football. com/rulesabc/origins. shtml#begin. 2003 Football. com Source L: The First Fifty Years: New York: Simon & Schuster Inc. 1969. Source M: Tuttle, Dennis. The Composite Guide to Football. Philadelphia. Chelsea House Publishers Source N: Wallace, Bill. Nelson’s Encyclopedia of Pro Football. New York: William N. Wallace 1969.

A Brief Analysis on the Film King of Masks

The film King of Masks deals with and challenges the feudal idea that men are superior to women; this ideology, as the film portrays, results in alienation, tragedy and bitterness for girls in Chinese society and particularly the protagonist Doggie. In contrast, out of darkness, corruption, and poverty, the goodness of humanity and the human love sprung up from the master-apprentice relationship between Wang and Doggie will ultimately reign over narrow and backward traditional notions.Evidence that everyone desires a boy can be found throughout the film. In fact, preference for boys over girls is not just a fad but rather deep-rooted in Chinese society. Feudal ideas that men superior to women is embedded and prevails in Chinese culture as early as the end of the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B. C. ) during which Confucian teachings advocates and fosters gender inequality (Jiang 229). Under influence of Confucianism, women are given low status and expected to be obedient to husban d.This produces a sequence of expectations for men and women: men are expected to work outside and support family living while women only stays home and take care of family and household. This is also the reality in King of Masks, in which almost every man has a job: Wang is a street performer; Master Liang is an opera performer; Wang’s friend is a liquor dealer. However, the occupation of women is not clearly revealed. Notable examples are the crowds of women joining the parade and women from TianCi’s family whose main role is taking care of the child.It is worth noting that Master Liang plays as a female impersonator. Despite its name, a female impersonator is played by a male in traditional Chinese opera because women are believed to corrupt men on stage and thus banned from performing (Johnson 380). The storyline of the film is triggered by Wang’s quest for a male heir to pass on his secret ancestral art of BianLian or its literally meaning of changing faces . In Wang’s conversation with Master Liang, he firmly states,† only a son may inherit [the skills]. It is an ancient rule. In fact, only son has the right inherit property including all Chinese secret skills and medical prescription. Also, in Chinese tradition, boys are expected to carry on the family line and occupation whereas girls leave and separate from the family after marriage. It is then not surprising that Wang worries that his secret skill may leak out and insist on passing it to a boy. The gender inequality that feudal and Confucian ideas bring about and gender biased Chinese traditions underlies the cruelty and unfair treatment from which girls and particularly Doggie suffer.In the opening scene, the background music immediately creates a strong sense of melancholy and sadness. As Master Liang boldly admits that â€Å"no one values girls†, the society undeniably treats girls harshly. In the back alley black market, desperate parents beg to sell their daughters for very little value and yet still no one wants them. The fact that Wang paid ten dollars for Doggie is because he craves for a boy. When Doggie confesses that she was abused and sold seven times by different owners because they don’t like girls, audience can feel the bitterness and sympathize with her.Indeed, girls like Doggie experience alienation and estrangement from society and its people, including the protagonist Wang. To further illuminate, we observe a sharp change in Wang’s attitude towards Doggie after he finds out that she doesn’t have â€Å"a little tea spout! † Since their encounter, Wang enjoys being called â€Å"grandpa†; however, he asks Doggie to call him â€Å"Boss† when he feels betrayed by her. The intimacy between them dissolves; instead, emotional alienation and detachment begin to emerge. Doggie’s status changes from a beloved grandson to whom Wang determines to inherit his skill to a servant who onl y does housekeeping.Also, the pitiless gender inequality contrasts strongly with the colorful and joyful settings like opera, firework, festival, and pipe-smoking ceremony. Aside from the pain that Chinese girls bear, King of Masks also reveals poverty, hardship, corruption, and darkness that Wang and Doggie experience in the world that they live in. The mist in opening scene and overall color tone of grey suggests that Wang is paddling into a world of dullness. With his houseboat- his only sanctuary- Wang travels around to make a living by performing Bianlian in return of donation from people who appreciate his art on the street.Desperation and poverty are not only accompanying people in the slave market but also Wang: his wife left him after the death of his son; his only companion is not a human but a monkey. Master Liang’s confession that â€Å" we all have our own sorrows† reflects the folk artists fate of twists and turns and bitterness. During one performance, W ang is intimidated and oppressed by soldiers, but he can only chant woefully â€Å"The dragon in the shallows is toyed with by the shrimp†. Many proverbs like this in the film convey to audiences his hardship and helplessness.Government corruption is also disclosed in the movie when Wang is falsely charged of all kidnap cases and imprisoned. In his quest for an heir, Wang visits Buddhist temple to pray and buys a Buddha to worship in the hope that it may gift him a son. All Wang’s spiritual sustenance is on the Buddha body. This showed Wang’s inner weakness and helplessness towards his own destiny. Nevertheless, out of the darkness in this world, we witness the goodness of human nature. When Master Liang invites Wang into his theater troupe, Wang excuses himself from joining. This shows that Wang is man of independence and principle.Besides, Wang scolds Doggie for stealing a bottle of wine, also showing his integrity. In the film, Master Liang is a popular opera star cherished by his followers; nevertheless, he upholds humbleness, and just like his stage name, Master Liang is indeed a â€Å"Living Buddha† with kindness and sympathy to Wang and Doggie throughout. It is also him who offers help and plays a key role in rescuing Wang out of prison. Even some insignificant character shows the goodness of human nature: the liquor dealer offers alcohol when Wang wounds; the prison guard allows Doggie to visit Wang.King of Mask also portrays the sentimental love between an unrelated grandpa and unwanted child. In their early encounter, Wang treats Doggie as a treasure by buying new clothes, performing BianLian to entertain her, and telling her that â€Å"this is all yours† during a meal. We can also feel the sorrow and anguish in Wang’s heart when he knows that Doggie is abused by her previous owners. Along with the soothing music, when Doggie first attempts to scratch Grandpa’s back, the goodness of relationship immedi ately manifested.At the same time, Wang shows his commitment to love as he throws his scratcher into water. In fact, their relationship develops not without some complications of the storyline. This initial intimacy between grandpa and grandson almost breaks when he feels betrayed by Doggie’s lying as a boy. Despite this, he jumps into the freezing water without hesitation to save Doggie and allows her to stay. While he trains Doggie of aerobics and Doggie does the housekeeping, he gradually learns that Doggie- without â€Å"a teapot spout†- is as competent as boys.However, as one film reviewer describes, â€Å"throughout, sadness permeates [Doggie]'s every move, a reminder that acrobatic flexibility means nothing to a child throughout, sadness permeates. † Indeed, what Doggie longs for is love and recognition. Throughout, Doggie wholeheartedly tries to please Wang. Even though there is some misunderstanding in place, she appreciates Wang’s love and carin g by bringing the boy TianCi for him. As for Wang, he also cannot hide his missing of Doggie. He runs out immediately searching for Doggie.When Wang is put into jail, Doggie is panicked and desperate, she begs for help by kneeling down in front of Master Liang’s house all night long. The film reaches its climax when Doggie ventures to sacrifice herself by performing an acrobatic feat that finally touched the heart of the military official. When Wang is condemned to death, Doggie comes to visit him in prison. In that scene, Wang and Doggie are physically separated by bars between them, but the camera moves closer to doggie as if death cannot separate them now.This is soon followed by a touching moment when Wang and Doggie cries and hugs each other. It is not surprising that King of Masks finish with happy ending in which Wang inherits BianLian to Doggie and they live happily after. Beyond the surface, King of Masks reveals both the dullness and the goodness of human nature. Th rough the interaction between characters, audience can truly appreciate Master Liang’s saying â€Å"the world is a cold place but we can bring warmth to it†. Last but not least, the film praises the sentimental love between Wang and Doggie that touches the heart of every audience.

Research Study Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research Study Analysis - Essay Example The sampling procedure was systematic. Participants were identified based on previous research and reflections. The sources were invited to participate after being informed about the nature of the study. The theme of the research was recognized as multidimensional. This is the reason why different sets of questionnaires were designed - all focusing on relevant and diverse aspects of the teaching experience in order to comprehensively describe and address the research problem. While there were no face-to-face interviews, observations or focus group discussion, a total of five questionnaire models were used to gather and evaluate experiences. These are the Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI), Negative Mood Regulation (NMR), COPE, Maslach Burnout Inventory Educators Survey, and Brief Symptoms Inventory. They were designed to measure variables in areas of stress, burnout, coping, negative mood and distress. While the study involved no open-ended question either, the survey questions provided were all designed to reveal highly detailed personal experiences and quantify them. For instance, respondents were asked to rate their responses to items such as Did you feel lonely?" or "Did you feel ke yed up". These questions were asked after situations were provided, which is consistent with the phenomenological technique of describing experiences, as a crucial element in data gathering and interpretation. The researchers established their research paradigm by introducing epistemological and axiological assumptions. This was achieved when assumptions about stress, burnout and coping strategies were provided. For example, teachers were specifically identified as the subject of the research because they were assumed to have more difficult work tasks and, hence, would be more prone to stress and burnout. This was also highlighted with the fact that the data was gathered from self-report questionnaires. What this

Ethnic Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Ethnic Studies - Essay Example When Belle’s uncle William Murray commissions a painting of her alongside Elizabeth, her cousin, Belle is worried that the painting will depict her as subordinate (Asante). The film shows her viewing portraits in the house that depicted white aristocrats with their subordinate black servants. Most blacks in the portraits appear to strike a subservient pose beside their masters. They were at the mercies of their masters and were to do as told. The most significant painting in the film was that of Belle beside her cousin Elizabeth. The double portrait is significant as it shifts the dimensions of the common standing witnessed in earlier portraits within the film. This painting showcases Belle and Elizabeth as equals yet Belle is black (Asante). The painting helps to bridge the racial injustice that seems to appear in previous paintings that depicted black and white persons within a frame. The painting depicts both Belle and Elizabeth as beautiful and smiling side by side and staring directly at the viewer. They are both dressed in silk gowns and pearls showing how they both appear as equals and break the boundary of racial prejudice in the

Business Strategy Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Strategy Assignment - Essay Example Since then has undertaken a management course at Edinburgh Business School and tried to implement a number of organisational changes which could motivate his employees to perform better and add to the profitability of the agency. Kenneth tried to apply his learning from the MBA course to implement the transformational leadership style in ASL through different means and making radical changes through the introduction of many new policies. However, most of the new policies introduced by Kenneth did not prove to be fruitful for the agency and a number of issues were found to have crept up as a result of such initiatives taken up by Kenneth. This study entails analysing these issues and problems associated with ASL. Different recommendations have also been made in this study, which can help Kenneth in transforming the fortunes of ASL. This study would try to provide various alternative solutions to eradicate the existing problems faced by the organisation, and help it to increase its pro ductivity and perform better in the forthcoming years. Problem Identification and Analysis The analysis of various issues concerning ASL has been discussed in this section. Most of the issues are related to each of the new policies that have been introduced by Kenneth. First of all, he introduced a mission statement for the organisation. It stated that, â€Å"Our aim at Always Spot-Less is to be the preferred supplier to both our existing and future clientele. We will strive to achieve this by providing an exemplary service, attention to detail, competitive pricing and undertake that we can achieve excellent value whilst maintaining the highest standard in this industry. We will value and listen to our customers.† This mission statement was introduced by Kenneth with the objective of driving all the employees of the organisation towards working for a unified goal or objective. The mission statement of a company mainly highlights the purpose and what it intends to accomplish i n the forthcoming future (M3 Planning, 2008, p. 1). Developing a good mission statement and making it work for the company requires a good understanding of the organisational values and identifying concrete objectives for the company (Talbot, 2003). However, this mission statement is too complex and the organisational purpose is not clear. Moreover, the objectives of the company have also not been identified clearly. The Theory Y management style was introduced by Kenneth for his cleaners. The two factor theory was introduced by Douglas McGregor. This theory is on the basis of two views of X assumption and Y assumption. X assumption are conservative and Y assumption are modern in style (Hollyforde and Whiddett, 2002, p. 144). Implementing Theory Y in the organisation meant that the organisational staff in ASL were no longer being supervised by Kenneth. He thought that this might self-motivate the cleaners of ASL. However, it did not work and the workers of ASL were found to be poor decision makers and they were more concerned about earning money for themselves rather than thinking about achieving the organisational goals or objectives. Next, Kenneth also arranged for weekly meetings for all his staff to discuss the finances and latest developments at ASL. This was done with the motive of making the

My personal Activities Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My Activities - Personal Statement Example In this case, I involved myself in cleaning the community waste since this is the recommended way of presenting environmental problems in the media. I also involved myself in conservation of the environment since it is my major area of interest. When a chance is available, I enjoy working in the field. Also, in the same 2007, I joined in the composition contest at the International Alkema Contest (IACC). I succeeded in the first IACC edition. The composers irrespective of the age could subscribe to the contest. The composition contest contained all styles of preferable classical music with popular music like rock, folk, pop, and jazz. I received the guitar and the piano award after being the best pianist. In 2008, I was among the competitors in the National Mathematics competition. I managed to enter the semi-finals that were much tougher that I could expect. The competition consisted of 20 multiple choices with a two division grading criteria. I managed to win the competition and awarded $1000. In 2009, I engaged in robot composition. As a group of five students, we designed a team brand robot which was programmed to perform instructed tasks. We gained popularity from the competition since it was successful. The robot could do minor mathematical calculations within a restricted time limit. In 2010, I saw old men struggling at homes due to their poor health. I took the priority to join in community volunteer activities in order to nurse the old men at home. Most of the men were unresponsive, depressed, and mentally disturbed due to health and family issues. As a group of volunteers, we were able to nurse them through special guidance. In early 2011, I gave not only a motivational talk, but also an educational guidance basing on career choices among the high school students. I was able to visit Thomas Jefferson High School for science and Technology and Oxford Academy in US for the talk and guidance. In 2012, I joined the

Global Warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Global Warming - Essay Example This would in turn effect the seals that feed off the penguins. When one level of the food chain is disturbed, it in turns affects all the creatures dependent on each other for survival. The oceans of the world are fed by melting glaciers since the start of the world but now the level of water is rising at an alarming pace. That means more flooding in the rivers, more hurricanes and lesser land at a time of a population boom and more and more land is required. This upset in the climate change is not only limited to the water bodies. Land dwellers such as some species of butterflies, foxes and alpine plants have moved farther north to cooler places. Precipitation in the form of rain, hail and snowfall has increased drastically across the globe, winter is bring more snow storms while summers have been wetter than ever again causing flooding on a massive scale. A beetle which feeds on the spruce bark known as a Spruce beetle has chewed off up to four million acres of spruce trees up in Alaska. They were limited to small patches of trees because of the severe cold but now the warmth has brought them back in swarming numbers. By the end of the twenty first century, sea levels are expected to rise between seven to 23 inches in various places, if the carbon emissions are not caped and if the glaciers do not stop melting at the North and the South pole then a further of four to eight inches will be added to the sea level making the hurricanes even more stronger and a greater threat to the millions of people who dwell by the seaside. Many island countries could be completely immersed in the water. Plenty of slum dwellings in the sprawling cities are near the rivers and they are actually set below the water level. If the water level rises, the force of gravity will force the water downhill again, causing deaths and destruction of infrastructure. Species that are dependent on each other for survival will die. Bees have been reported to be dying off, who is a major source of pollination for asexual plants, fish that are cold blood animals and live in cold water bodies are not likely to make the cut and they are a good source of food for people living on islands where agriculture is limited. Water borne diseases such as malaria could go rampant and we could face clean water issues. Already the third world countries lack clean water to drink, with the ecosystems upset to that extend sea water will mix in with the freshwater leaving even lesser water for the crops and drinking purposes. Sea water is not fit for human or animal or even plants unless it is filtered out. One way of preventing all this is to start working on preventing the global warming. The first step would be to reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere and stop using fossil fuels for energy generation. Wind power and solar power would be much more environmentally friendly. The use of CFC’s in cans and bottles could be curtailed as that again is a greenhouse gas. Recycling paper c ould save the trees that help lower the daytime temperatures, so fewer trees are chopped off for making paper. We could take so many simple steps in our homes to prevent global warming, of course we can’t completely stop it but we could probably make a huge difference by even not using the dishwasher. The

Smoking and Risk of Cardiac Disease Research Paper

Smoking and Risk of Cardiac Disease - Research Paper Example There are several risk factors for cardiac disease, some of which are preventable. The most significant preventable factor is smoking. Several studies have associated smoking with risk of cardiac disease. Infact, both passive and active smoking are associated with cardiac disease and hence in several countries in the world, smoking in public places has been banned. The specific cardiac disease that is caused by smoking is ischemic heart disease. While there are several views as to how smoking causes cardiac disease, most experts agree that there are several mechanisms through which smoking leads to the development of cardiac disease. Smoking is associated with many health-related problems and hence is a major health-related issue. It is a leading cause of illness and death all over the world. A smoker is at risk of developing cancers of the throat, mouth, lungs, bladder and esophagus and also heart attack. Research has shown that smoking increases the risk of lung, throat and mouth c ancers by 14 times, cancer of the esophagus by 4 times, chances of death through heart attack by two times and chances of bladder cancer by 2 times (Bernstein, EmedicineHealth). Other health-related problems occurring due to cigarette smoking are emphysema, chronic bronchitis, peptic ulcer disease, pneumonia, cancer of the lip, cancers of the larynx and pharynx, malignancies of the abdomino-pelvic organs like pancreas, bladder and kidneys and also cancer of the cervix. Cigarette smoking can also increase the risk of burns (Bernstein, EmedicineHealth). In this essay, the role of smoking in the development of cardiac disease will be discussed. This will be preceded by an overview of ischemic heart disease. The thesis statement in this essay is â€Å"What is the relationship between smoking and cardiac disease?† Ischemic heart disease or IHD or coronary heart disease is a condition in which there is oxygen deprivation to the muscles of the heart as a result of decreased blood fl ow and perfusion and is accompanied by inadequate removal of the products of metabolism (Zevitz, Emedicine). This is the most common form of heart disease and a leading cause of premature death in the developed countries (Zevitz, Emedicine). The hallmark feature of this condition is imbalance between the supply and demand of oxygen of the myocardium which can occur either due to increased myocardial oxygen demand or decreased myocardial oxygen supply or both. It can manifest as one of these: anginal discomfort, ST-segment deviation on ECG, decreased uptake of technetium 99 or thallium 201 in images of myocardial perfusion and ventricular function impairment (Zevitz, Emedicine). Ischemia to the myocardium results from disease in the coronary arteries. The disease is most often due to formation of atheroma and its consequences like thrombosis. Coronary arteries can be affected in other conditions also like aortitis, polyarteritis, certain connective tissue disorders and in some congen ital anomalies like fistula, malformation of major coronary artery and anomalous origin of coronary artery (Mcpherson, Medscape). Atheroma, also known as atherosclerosis is nothing but patchy focal disease of the intima of the artery. Of all the arteries in the body, coronary arteries are at increased risk of developing atheroma (Ross, p.443). The beginning of these plaques occurs in the second or third decade and gradually progresses. Initially, the circulating monocytes migrate into the intima of the arteries and take up oxidised low density lipoprotein from the plasma. These cells then become lipid-laden foam cells (Mcpherson, Medscape). Once these foam cells die, the contents of the cells are released which are mainly lipids. These form fatty streaks. Smooth muscles cells of the artery migrate in and around the

Of Mice and Men Characters Review Essay Example for Free

Of Mice and Men Characters Review Essay John Stienbeck was born in California in 1902. He went to University but could not afford to stay. After he left University he needed money to live so he done many jobs such as Waiter, Broke horses for the Army and he was also a Ranch Hand. In the end he wanted to be a writer so that he could highlight the conditions of the poor in America. In the 1930s America was suffering from depression. The change of climate in America meant that a lot of farming land was destroyed so farm owners employed migrant workers, which were paid very low wages and kept in very poor conditions. People were only employed when there was work on the farm. Most of the workers were solitary people with no homes or families. Loneliness plays a big part in this story. Stienbeck uses two main words in this story, Soledad and Solitaire. He uses these words because they both have something in common with loneliness. Solitaire is a one-player card game that all the ranch hands played. Soledad is the name of the main town in the story, the name means Lonely in Spanish. Throughout the story George always uses the quote guys like us are the loneliest guys in the world. Candy Candy is one of the lonely people in this story. He is old and disabled because he has only got one hand, this was due to an accident with a machine on the farm. Candys job is a swamper. A swamper is basically a cleaner, he tidies up the ranch. He does this job because no one else was prepared to do it, and because he is old and he needs money and somewhere to live. Candy will be doing this job until he cannot work no more due to his age, which will be very soon. Candy had a dog. The dog was old, smelly and on its way to the grave. The dog had no teeth so it could not eat and was very much like Candy. The dog was shot and Candy feels this will happen to him when he cannot work anymore. George has a travelling companion called Lennie, George and Lennies dream is to own a ranch. George tells Candy about his dream of owning the ranch. This changes Candys life because Candy believes that they will own a ranch of their own and be able to do what they want. He now had hope for the future and that he would live with his friends and have security and would die a happy man. Candy works for Curley who has a wife. Curleys wife is killed by Lennie. When Candy finds Curleys wife laying on the floor, he gets very angry and start swearing at her saying that she had ruined his life forever because Lennie will now be killed by Curley and this will mean that they will not be able to own their own ranch. When all the ranch workers leave Candy feels sorry for Curleys wife because she was lonely and was never able to go out anywhere and needed someone to talk. Candy says poor bastard because he feels sorry for her. Candys future now has been ruined because he is too old to work at the ranch and he will soon be sacked and will probably die a homeless man. Candy was put in the story to add a bit of variety among the characters. Crooks Crooks is another lonely person in the story. He is a coloured man living in a racist society and he is also disabled. His job is a Stable Buck, this is someone who looks after the horses and cleans out the stables. Crooks is treated very badly by the other ranch hands because he is coloured and the ranch hands are white. He is not allowed to go into the bunk house and he is not allowed to join in activities they do. They also make him sleep in the stable with the horses. Crooks has a very bad life in the story because he just stays in the stable and does not get to socialise with the other ranch hands. His room is just a small area in the stables with all his possession over the floor in his room unlike the ranch hands who have small boxes over their beds for their possessions. Crooks has many possessions such as magazines, a hairbrush, a flannel, soap and other small personal items. This shows that he is a very clean man and he taught himself how to read and write. When Lennie enters into Crooks room he acts very violently at first. Crooks says, you got no right to come in my room. This heres my room. Nobody got any right in here but me, later in the conversation Crooks starts confusing Lennie by saying things like spose George dont come back no more. Spose he took a powder and just aint coming back. Whatll you do then. This starts to upset Lennie. Crooks tells Lennie about his childhood. His childhood was remembered as him playing with white children when there was no racism in America, but his dad hated him playing with white children because in the end the white children would grow up hating black people. Crooks only has one dream in life and this is to live in a non-racist society, like when he was a child playing with the white children. When Lennie tells Crooks about his dream about the ranch, Crooks says your nuts. I see hundreds of men come by on the road and on the ranch with their bindles on their backs and that same damn thing in their heads. Nobody never gets to heaven and nobody never gets no land, its just in their head. When Curleys wife entered Crooks room he reacted in a very angry way because he did not like her. She always insulted them and Crooks had had enough of this, he says, I had enough. You got no right coming in a coloured mans room. Even after saying this Curleys wife threatened him, then Crooks just backed away and went silent. Now he has no future because he will just be living in a racist society, scared and lonely. I think Crooks was put in this novel to add a glimpse of racism in society. Curleys Wife Curleys wife is one of the loneliest people in this story. She wears long dresses, has long blonde hair, would always have her fingernails painted and would always eye up the ranch hands. This shows us that she is a slut. She does not have a name in this story because she does not have any independence and she is owned by Curley. Curleys wife is lonely because she has no one to talk to because Curley is always too busy, he has no time for her, every week he goes to the whorehouse, she does not love him and he does not love her. Curley treats her very badly; he has no respect for her. Her life on the ranch is very bad because she just stays at the ranch with no one to talk to. Most of the time she goes around the ranch looking for Curley but she is not really looking for him she just wants to chat to people. She had no respect from anyone, just like all women in the 1930s. The only reason she married Curley was to get away from her mum because her mum did not let her do her own thing. Curleys wifes dream was to get away from the ranch and be in the pictures or theatre. She once had the chance to do this but her mum stopped her going. In the end loneliness kills Curleys wife because as she had no one to talk to so she decided to talk to Lennie and this is what caused her death. I think Curleys wife was put in this novel to add a woman in the story as she was the only one in the story. The American Dream The American Dream meant a better life for George, Lennie and Candy because they would live on their own ranch and not have anything to worry about. The dream would also mean companionship for Candy because he would not be lonely anymore because he would have George and Lennie to be with. In the end no ones dreams come true because loneliness ruins their lives. Loneliness kills Curleys wife, it gives Candy no future or security and for Crooks it gives him no hope because he will always be living in a racist society.

Explore the range of linguistic and stylistic effects Essay Example for Free

Explore the range of linguistic and stylistic effects Essay Remind yourself of Act II Scene I beginning with the first speech by Owen, Now where have we got to? to the end of Hughs speech, Gentlemen. [he leaves]. Explore the range of linguistic and stylistic effects used here by Friel to bring out the central themes and issues of the play. In the play Translations Brian Friel explores many issues, one of which is the process of naming. The play is based on the introduction of the first Ordnance Survey, bringing with it the inevitability of anglicizing place names. In the extract naming is emphasised by constant references to various places in Ireland, and their English equivalents; for example Bun na hAbhann Burnfoot! . The link between a place and historical events is also emphasised; And you place names-what was the one we came across this morning? -Termon, from Terminus, the god of boundaries. The theme of naming is very closely linked to the loss which occurs as a result. As place names are anglicized, something is lost. Communities such as Baile Beag lose their cultural and political identities, and the original meaning is distorted. Friel used the theme of naming to highlight this loss of identity within the Irish community. The importance of names is also stressed in the repetition of place names: Owen: Bun na hAbhann Yolland: Again Owen: Bun na hAbhann Yolland: Bun na hAbhann Friel uses mapping, both literally and metaphorically, in order to convey his ideas. The actual mapping for the Ordnance Survey is maintained by Owens constant gesture of referring to the map which he and Yolland are working from. This is shown in the stage direction Owen returns to the map. Gestures such as this are used to great effect by Friel. Mapping is used metaphorically through Hughs speech, where, using the semantic field of geography, he talks of a linguistic contour and landscape of fact. The metaphor of codes is also used by Friel to express the complexity of language, and to express the idea that although one may learn a language, the true language of a community and the secrets which it holds are often difficult to decode. However, Friel does offer some hope, as Owen, Manus and Hugh have all learnt to decode the English language. Hugh is a character who, although is slightly self-deluded, is also a learned person. He speaks with intelligence, and always in Standard English; I like to think we endure around truths immemorially posited. Hugh often uses linguistic terms, such as a syntax opulent with tomorrows, and makes use of an analogy-you dont dispose of the cow just because it has produced a magnificent calf, do you? -in order to communicate his message to Yolland. Hugh is an educated man, who uses many literary features in his everyday speech, and is one of the few characters who realises Irelands inevitable future. This shows Friels desire to emphasise the importance of education for the new, modern world.

Impact of Inflation on Chinas Economy

Impact of Inflation on Chinas Economy Chinese inflation is rising too fast But its had another major side effect. The Chinese economy is fast overheating. All that extra liquidity is driving up prices and wages, while property values have soared. In October, the official figures showed Chinas cost of living climbing by 4.4% year-on-year. That was the fastest increase in more than two years. And the situation may be rather worse than this. Two weeks ago a pundit at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, one of the governments top think tanks, said that by its own calculations the countrys consumer price index had been understated by more than 7% over the past five years. And last week the original Dr Doom, Marc Faber, said he reckons the real Chinese inflation rate is nearer 10% a year. Whatever the exact figures, theres no doubt inflation is rising far too fast for comfort for the authorities. The Chinese central bank has been trying to cool things down gently. Five times this year its raised bank reserve requirements, which reduces the amount that lenders can lend. Yet the credit brakes are being tapped, not slammed, says the FT. The government could be more aggressive. In other words, so far the tightening hasnt had much of an impact. The workforce is getting far stroppier than it once was. Between 2007 and 2008 the latest available data labour disputes more than doubled. Food prices are already rising at 10% year-on-year. The Xinhua news agency reported last week that a basket of 18 staple vegetables cost 62% more during the first ten days of November than in the same period last year. So higher wage demands are likely to become more frequent as most of the population lives close to the edge, says the FT. In fact, its starting to look like Chinas inflation problem has now got rather out of hand. This article is talking about the inflation occurring in China and the costs that it has brought to China. This inflation has caused severe consequences to China and we will be discussing the possible solutions inflation  is a rise in the general  level of prices  of goods and services in an  economy  over a period of time. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the  purchasing power  of money a loss of real value in the internal medium of exchange and unit of account in the economy. A chief measure of price inflation is the  inflation rate, the annualized percentage change in a general  price index  (normally the  Consumer Price Index) over time. Costs of inflation in China: When inflation rates are high, groups such as pensioners, households, dependent on social security benefits, stand lose to a great deal since they are often on fixed incomes. These Chinese will now be able to purchase less than before (less purchasing power), and will start to demand for higher wages. Only those with strong bargaining positions will be able to bid up for higher wages. In addition, people will be able to buy less food items than before which is a major issue because food is one of the basic necessities in human life, as in the article it has shown the the prices of food increase 10% year-to-year. Inflation causes an increase in interest rates and will therefore have a negative effect on investment and output, both of which will adversely affect employment, as in the article we can see that labour disputes have been doubled Higher inflation means that the businesses in China will have to change their prices to keep up to date on the price level. Inflation affects the foreign trade and the exchange rate. Experiencing high rates of inflation, Chinas domestic products will be less competitive internationally. As the domestic products prices increase the demand for these products will fall and therefore the demand for Chinas currency will also fall, thus affecting the exchange rate. The cause of inflation in China: The cause of inflation in Chinas economy was expansionary monetary policies and rising wages. The inflation in China was caused by cost-push inflation. It means that the cost of firms increase, in this case it is higher wages, and the firms are forced to raise prices inorder to cover the costs. Cost-push inflation If the economy demands higher wages, the higher costs of labour will shift the SRAS curve to the left from SRAS1 to SRAS2. The price level rises from P1 to P2. Higher wages increase consumption and therefore increases aggregate demand from AD0 to AD1. The increased spending (and possible expansionary policies) move the economy towards equilibrium at Yfe but at a higher price level. We have now a round of cost-push inflation. Solution: In the article, it has shown that Chinas government is trying its best to avoid this issue but it has been said that it hasnt had much of an impact. One of the possible ways of reducing inflation is by subsidizing businesses. The government can give out subsidies to business so that the businesses can reduce their costs of production. This will then encourage the businesses to lower their prices and thus avoiding inflation. The problem here is that the government will suffer a huge loss if there are many businesses to subsidize. Another possible solution is by appreciating its currency. This is because if it appreciates its currency then firms will be able to buy cheaper raw materials and therefore will have lower costs of production. Thus reducing prices of goods. It can appreciate its currency by using its foreign currency reserves to buy its own currency and this will increase the demand for its currency. Even though this method will help businesses to reduce their prices, there are also negative consequences.

Youth Violence: The Problem is Not As Big As It Seems :: essays research papers fc

Youth Violence Reality Check: The Problem’s Not as Big as it Seems   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Violence is a never-ending problem that our society has battled with since the beginning of time. To most people, the most ridiculous and most noticeable violence is adolescent crime. While these crimes committed by children and adolescents fascinate the public and generate a great deal of media attention, youth violence is actually less serious than reported.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fifteen people are dead, twenty-three wounded in the worst school massacre in history.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The two gunmen were dead at Columbine High in a small town Littleton,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Denver (Colorado). Suspects were â€Å"fascinated with W.W.II and the Nazis.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  April 20, 1999 Hitler’s Birthday. (qtd. in Devitt)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story flashes across the television screen, floating from state to state, country to country, giving society the accusing, misinterpreted view of today’s â€Å"violent youths.† Media reports debated for days about the problem of increasing teenage violence. Most reports exaggerated that the public was unsafe by youth â€Å"lawlessness† (Schwartz, Wendy). â€Å"Youth violence is not as pervasive as is feared† (Schwartz, Wendy). The media also tends to point out the fact that adolescents have increased the dangerous use of weapons. P.A. Strasburg states realistically, juvenile violence is considerably less serious in the aggregate than violence by adults† (qtd. in Schwartz, Ira 52).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The output of the media goes straight to the public, giving society as a whole the same misperception as the media. â€Å"Parents are a lot more concerned for their kids nowadays even though their kids are in a more stable environment than the parents themselves were as children† (Schwartz, Ira 53). Stability through technology and general better living have given children more security. America’s adolescents are not as violent and unlawful as the public thinks (Devitt).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Researchers have been finding out that both the media and the public have been exaggerating the severity of increasing youth violence (Miller 45). According to P.A. Strasburg, â€Å"juveniles use fewer weapons and less deadly weapons and inflict less injury and financial loss on their victims then they have in the past† (qtd. in Schwartz 52). Researchers also discovered that â€Å"there have never been any self-contained dramatic increases of violent juvenile crime which did not parallel increases in adult crime† (Miller 45). Certainly from time to time, there are strange rises in violent crime (45). But one of the main reasons is because of the number of adolescents in the population (45). The total youth population has increased by almost double the total from 1956 (45).

College or University Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commence

Hello, good morning and welcome to graduation for the class of 2012. I have waited to hear those words for 5 years - and by the looks on all of my fellow graduates faces, I am not alone. Think with me for a minute about the process we have gone through which has gathered us here today. Our stories of these past years are not much different. Whether you went to a community college, transferred here from another four-year school or started your freshman year in the dorms near the entrance of this campus, we are finally finishing together. My brother asked me how I was able to finish college. I told him it is because I enjoy learning and I always finish. No matter if I unplug my computer and lose all my work, I stay up until I finish. In my opinion the joy of learning and the gift of finishing are not things we learn in college. These are skills we bring with us and apply to our studies. And no matter where or how you learn them, you never forget them. I can credit my mom for giving me the joy of learning. I spent my first five years of life growing up in a small town called Plain. Given the name of Plain I’m sure I don’t have to waste your time explaining the ins and outs of this small community. The one colorful part about Plain was the people who lived there. Being that an elementary school was so far away, the community set up a home school system and my mom was one of the teachers. Having my mom as a teacher in kindergarten was like having recess all day long. However, she could always get me involved using her amazing imagination. When our family had to move to North Fork, Colorado to follow my dad’s job, my mother continued to teach me as well as my brother Andy. Her creativity never stopped... ...sh a job, I am a college graduate and will now work smarter. As a speaker at our graduation I am supposed to represent all of the graduating class from State University but I don’t see the relevancy in that. I am only one story in this diverse group of experiences. However, we were all achievers growing up, we have been a success in college and we will be the difference in the future and that is something I am proud to represent. Allow me to speak for all of us when I say thank you to this school for giving us our college experiences, to the teachers in our departments for opening our minds to the world and to all those who have shaped our lives up until this point giving us the drive to learn and the ability to finish this monumental goal. We will make it up to each and everyone of you in the future with our positive influence on the world. Thank you†¦

Problem Based Learning Essay

Students do not learn much just sitting in classes listening to teachers, memorizing pre-packaged assignments, and spitting out answers. They must talk about what they are learning, write about it, relate it to past experiences, and apply it to their daily lives. They must make what they learn part of themselves. † Explain how you will conceptualise this principle in your classroom? | There is a saying that goes: â€Å"Give a man a fish; you’ll feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish; you’ll feed him for a lifetime. † As an educator, I hold on firmly to saying above. When I first started teaching, I told myself that I can either be a teacher who is only concerned about what need to be taught or I can be a teacher who is concerned about what and how something is supposed to be taught. I chose the latter. Why? Students had spent more than 12 years of learning in schools where most of the time, they sit and listen to what the teacher is teaching. Little or less participation on their behalf is incorporated during those 12 years. The main objective is to pass 3 ‘big and important’ examinations in 12 years. Sad to say, they soon forget a big chunk of what they had been learning for the past 12 years immediately after they finish their last paper for SPM. This is because students are only made to remember what they are taught; not to retain them. You can remember information for a specific length of time before you forget about it; but if you can retain that information, you’ll remember it forever. Let’s take mathematic as an example. We were taught how to do simple calculations such as addition since we were 6 years old. We not only learn how to add numbers in class, we also use it in our daily lives too. In a much simple terms, we practice what we learn in school and incorporate it into our daily lives. We retain the skills to do additions by doing and practicing. What about additional mathematics? Frankly speaking, if I was given a set of additional mathematics questions today, I would not be able to solve even the simplest question. Why? Because I did not use any of the formulas I was taught in school in my daily lives. I did not retain the information. Students are unique. They might not have the same way of learning. Lecturers and educators must be aware of their student’s ability in order to make the teaching and learning process a success. â€Å"Students have different levels of motivation, different attitudes about teaching and learning, and different responses to specific classroom environments and instructional practices. † (Brent and Felder, 2005) That is why, students learn best when they are incorporated and is actively involved during the learning process. The traditional method of teaching is more concerned on what the student should learn rather than how the student should be learning. In my class, I use Problem Based Learning (PBL) method. PBL is a new method of learning where there is a balance between what the students should learn and how they should be learning. â€Å"This new approach to learning is bringing about new ways in which students are involved in the learning process. Teachers know that students do not learn at their highest potential when they are in a classroom where the teacher stands at the front of the room and gives them knowledge. † (Utecht, 2003) During class, I encourage my students to speak and share information that they have on the topic. Before I start my lecture, I would first brainstorm the idea of the topic with my students. Initially, students would be reluctant to participate because they are afraid of saying the wrong answer. I encourage them saying that â€Å"if it is an opinion, there is no right or wrong answer†. Students in universities are andragogy learners; they are adult learners. As an adult, they would like to have more control of their own learning. â€Å"Andragogy reorients adult educators from educating people to helping them learn. The methods used may range from isolated instruction within a curriculum or integrated instruction. It may also encompass intentional and unintentional learning situations. † (Crawford, 2004) This type of students would be more interested to learn if they are given more power and control in the learning process. There are six assumptions on andragogy learners: 1. Adults need to know the reason for learning something (Need to Know) 2. Experience  (including  error) provides the basis for learning activities (Foundation). 3. Adults need to be responsible for their decisions on education; involvement in the  planning  and  evaluation  of their instruction (Self-concept). 4. Adults are most interested in learning subjects having immediate  relevance  to their work and/or personal lives (Readiness). 5. Adult learning is  problem-centred rather than content-oriented (Orientation). 6. Adults respond better to internal versus external motivators (Motivation). (Malcom Knowles, 1977) I planned and carry out my teaching and learning process using the 6 assumptions as my main guidance. Most of the time during class, I allow my students to voice out their opinion and share what they have to say on certain topics. I also let them know the objective of the learning and what they will acquire at the end of the class. If they feel that they did not achieve what they should at the end of the lesson, I encourage them to share their problems with their classmates so that they can come up with the solutions together. During my lecturer, I use simple examples which they can easily connect with in their daily lives. I usually share my experience and ask them to share theirs with the class. It takes the seriousness out of the learning process and students felt more comfortable sharing their problems and experience. For me, a relaxed and simple learning environment will encourage the students to be more active and not be reluctant to join in the discussions. A rigid classroom will make the students as cold as ice. Before I started teaching, I told myself to be the teacher that u have never had; the teacher I want to have but did not. I want my students to them around me and to not be ashamed to tell what they have in mind, because I believe the most valuable knowledge is the knowledge that we shared. References Brent. R, & Felder M. R. (2005). Understanding students’ differences. Journal of Engineering Education, 94(1), 57-72 Crawford S. R (2004). Andragogy – Malcolm Knowles. Retrieved March 21 from http://academic. regis. edu/ed205/Knowles. pdf Knowles, M. S. (1973). The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species. Houston:  Gulf Publishing Company. Utecht R. J. (2003). Problem Based Learning in Student Centred Classroom. Retrieved March 21 from http://www. jeffutecht. com/docs/PBL. pdf

Cda Binders

Competency Goal 1: To establish and maintain a safe, healthy, learning environment Functional Area 1: Safe One of my goals is to promote safety and reduce all injuries in a preschool setting all day and every day. This is an important goal for the age group of children in my care because children aren’t aware of all the various types of things there are that might harm them. So childproofing something I do to promote safety for the children in my center.Another big safety precaution I follow is the never turn my back on children policy because if I am aware of what the children are doing more than likely no one will get hurt. Another safety precaution I take is to remind children to use walking feet, nice hands, listening ears, and indoor voices. These safety precautions will eliminate problems because if the children in a center listen and follow those simple rules things in the center will run smoothly. Separating different age groups will also help prevent safety issues wit hin a center.To secure the safety of the classroom it is locked from the inside . I am OSHA certified CPR and have Pediatric First Aid training to allow me to make good decisions in emergency situations. Our center practices safety drills regularly to familiarize the children with the routine. Functional Area 2: Healthy One of main goals in the functional area healthy is to prevent spread of germs in my child care center. This is an important goal for this age group children in my care because germs may cause serious illness. Hand washing is a practiced in our center.After playing in centers or eating, children and staff has to wash their hands. Staff follows a routine to clean and sanitize all the toys and surfaces in the center. Children in the center are fed nutritious snacks in order to keep them healthy and to keep the child from having too many sugars or fats in their diet. Another health precaution that is be used in my center is using non-latex gloves to change diapers. Empl oyees and babies could be allergic to latex and the gloves protect germs from employee’s hands from getting on child and keep germs from the child from getting on an employee.Gloves are a big health precaution in our center. In our center we have a nurse on staff to help if child isn’t feeling well. This will help other children from getting whatever the other student has. I do know how to complete an accident injury report if there is an incident because I received communicable disease recognition training. I also am aware of reporting that may be necessary to child protective services, because I have child abuse prevention training. Functional Area 3: Learning EnvironmentOne of my goals in the learning environment is to provide the kids with opportunities to play and learn something all at the same time. This is important to me because I remember dreading coming to school when I was younger because I got bored. We can all agree that lectures are boring so I want the kids in my center to have fun while learning. At the star table we have cassettes with fun stories for kids to read and follow along with to begin recognition of words.Play dough at the heart table from time to time to get their fine motor skills developed. At circle time we sing songs to learn patterns. Painting will help the teacher see what child is thinking. Also, coloring can help you see what child is thinking and how they feel. The art centers are to let the mind come alive it also is a great learning experience for children in our center it helps the creativity of a child and helps them learn on their own how to make objects over time. The learning environment is a very important part of a center.I offer plenty of space for large muscle and group activities, as well as, provide semi-secluded spaces for children to have down time. The shelving is low and serves as barriers to prevent toddling babies from interacting with crawling babies. I try to make the room as inviting as possible by using visuals, texture, and music, to create a soothing atmosphere for learning. My daily routine offers reading, movement, observation, sensory stimulation, creativity, and play to help young ones develop.

Economic Features of Beer Industry Essay

The beer industry is incredibly large industry that has an enormous effect on the country, contributing greatly to the society. Two of its main contributions include tax dollars and jobs. The beer industry serves the country through its taxes, jobs, and purchases from other suppliers, its contribution to agriculture and more. The market growth rate of the beer industry is perplexing which is evident through following production statistics of top brewing companies (in millions hectaliters) In 2000In 2005 1. Annheuser-Busch-1211. InBev-233. 5. 2. Heineken-742. Anneheuser-Busch-152 3. Ambev-633. SABMiller-135 4. Miller Brewing 534. Hieinken-107 5. SAB (South Africa Breweries)-435. Carlsberg-78 6. Interbrew-876. Scottish &Newcastle-52 The national market consists of few major competitors as mentioned above. After 1990’s some of the leaders started expanding abroad, using progressive consolidation and leading to a small number of global players in the industry by 2004-2007. Which created high level of competition amongst the leading brands and a fight to gain the most market share. The Scope of competitive rivalry is also one the best way to identify the economic characteristics of any industry; with the beer industry the scope entails the global geographic area over which most of the leading brewing leaders compete. Penetration in the foreign market arena is becoming a key success indicator for most of the competitors in the beer industry. Use of high-speed packaging line helps in processing thousands of cases of beer per day, and with modern computerized control, the inventory can be tracked throughout the distribution network. These inventions are setting a faster pace of technological change in the industry, where by companies are delving into extensive research, and employing highly qualified personnel in order to beat the competition. To comprehensively examine the brewing industry we must also consider the factors of social ramifications to the product, the political climate, and the arena of technological advances within the business environment of the beer industry. Over the years in order to gain economies of scale some leaders have tried to increase the size of their plants, improve packaging and introduce automated breweries, thus reflecting few of the business characteristics dominant in the industry. Grupo Modelo for example tried to expand into the American beer market by the use of competitive distribution channels. Therefore indicating an economical ripple effect experienced through the effective use of technology and distribution channels in hand.

Enforceable Contracts

Six Essential Elements of an Enforceable Contract In normal everyday life contracts are utilized for various situations and reasons. Some contracts are more binding as compared to others based on the six elements of offer, acceptance, consideration, the parties’ capacity to contract, the parties’ intent to contract and the object of the contract. This paper examines the above mentioned elements using a contract existing between a customer and a phone dealer.The phone dealer dealt with used but clean phones and because the customer could not afford a new phone, he approached the phone dealer who promised to deliver a functional and clean used smart phone at the price of $74 after two days. The payment was to be made after the delivery of the phone but on the condition that the phone would be fully functional and the customer could return the phone within the following week if it developed any problem.On the appointed day, the phone dealer delivered the phone as promised and the customer made the payment as he had promised too. After two days of using the phone the customer started to experience so many complications with the phone and it finally went off completely. When he returned the phone to the phone dealer, the dealer told him that once the phone was sold the customer could not return it. When the customer threatened to sue him for breach of contract, the dealer affirmed that there were no grounds because there was no written contract.The customer however went on with the suit because though the verbal contract between them was initially fulfilled through the delivery of the phone within the appointed time, it was breached when the dealer refused to accept back the phone within the agreed grace period. A breach of contract is defined as any form of violation that occurs on conditions contained in an enforceable contract. To ascertain the breach of contract the first step is affirming that a contract existed between the customer and the phone dealer. This can be done using the six elements of a contract.The phone can be identified as the object of the contract because it is legal ascertaining the enforceable nature of the contract. As per the first element the verbal offer of providing the phone within two days at $74 can be recognized as part of the binding contract between the two regardless of the fact that it was written. Under acceptance or genuine assent, the customer engaged in expressed acceptance of the offer within the stipulated conditions set by the dealer. The mutual promise between the customer and the phone dealer to eet their sides of the contract can be equated to consideration. Both the customer and the dealer had the capacity to contract because none was coerced into the agreement. The fact that both agreed to enter into the contract considering all the stipulated conditions, shows their intent to enter into the contract. The above clearly indicates that though no written contract existed between the d ealer and the customer, a verbal contract existed between the two of them and the dealer breached the contract by refusing to honor one of the stipulated conditions in the contract.The major two remedies that could be utilized to counter the breach of contract could be the dealer accepting back the phone and issuing the customer with another phone or refunding back his money as an out of court settlement because a court settlement can prove to be very expensive both on the dealer and the customer or the customer can go ahead and sue with the aim of acquiring a court settlement of the issue now that the dealer was unwilling to accept the first remedy.Though this would be costly on both of them, though the customer has better chances of winning the case because he can easily prove that though a verbal contract existed between them, it could be identified as an enforceable contract using the six essential elements of an enforceable contract. Based on this evidence the court will defini tely find the phone dealer guilty of breach of contract because he did not meet one of the major conditions of the contract between him and the customer.This will culminate into a stiffer punishment for the dealer which would have been avoided if he met all the conditions of the contract initially. In conclusion, though a verbal contract existed between the dealer and the customer, it can still be identified as an enforceable contract using the six essential elements of an enforceable contract and hence the phone dealer is liable for the breach of contract. References: Adamson, J. E. (2012). Law for business and personal use. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Pinyin Exercise

Chinese Pronunciation Pronunciation Chinese is not a phonetic language, as a result its pronunciation is not related to the written Chinese words (characters). In order for non-Chinese speakers to learn the correct pronounciation, a system called â€Å"Pinyin† was developed to transcribe the sounds of Standard Chinese. Pinyin uses the letters of the familiar English alphabet to help the student determine the pronounciation of the unfamiliar Chiense words. Most Mandarin sounds are easy for English speakers to pronounce although some require more practice than others.Pinyin is also a useful tool for learning new vocabulary and for looking things up in a dictionary as well as for typing Chinese. Other than this, however, it has no practical usage since Chinese people do not read or write in pinyin. Actually, many Chinese people do not know pinyin at all. Therefore, you should learn to read and write in characters as soon as possible. I. The four tones: Chinese is known as a tonal language. Tones are the results of the variation of pitch levels in the pronunciation of a syllable.Each syllable is composed of three components: (a) Initials; (b) Finals; (c) tones. Except for nasal sound like â€Å"n† and â€Å"m†, all Chinese syllables ends with vowels. So we call them â€Å"Final Sounds†. The consonants at the beginning of a syllable are called â€Å"Initial Sounds†. There are altogether 21 initials as shown in Table 2. Initials only refer to the consonants that appear in the initial position of a syllable. Although it is acceptable to have a syllable without an initial, there must always be a final. A final may have one or more vowel sounds and sometimes a consonant ending like -g and -ng .In fact, other than -g and -ng other consonants can’t appear in a final at all. Altogether, there are thirty seven finals as listed in Table 3. There are 4 tones in Mandarin Chinese as illustrated in Table 1. Each Chinese word (character) carries a tone. Perhaps the most important thing to remember at this stage is the fact that different tones of a certain syllable indicate completely different meanings. The features of the four tones are clearly illustrated in the following diagram: Figure 1: Figure 1: a. The four tonesThe representation of tonal pitch contours as numbers in Figure1 is attributed to Yuen Ren Chao, who devised this scale to cover the tonal aspects of the Chinese language as well as other tonal languages. Unlike the music score, it consists of five arbitrary levels and each is labeled from the bottom upwards, 1 through to 5. As with the music score, the lowest line represents the lowest pitch, and the highest line, the highest pitch. The variance of the pitch could be captured using the reference pitch numbers by observing the starting, middle and end-points of the tone.The numbers were then enclosed in two forward slash marks. For example, /55/ would be a high level tone, whilst /11/ is a low level one. /53/ is a high falling tone, /35/ is a mid rising tone, whilst /31/ is a mid falling tone. /214/ is a tone which starts low, falls and then rises again. Short tones can also be represented as a single number for instance a short mid level is /3/. By using the numbers, Tone one is /55/; Tone two is /35/; Tone Three is /21/4 and Tone Four has the pitch level of /51/. The lines in the above table indicate the pitch contours of the four tones.And the four tones are represented with the following symbols (Table 1): Tones First Second Third Fourth Symbols Examples di di di di Table 1: Symbols of tonal accent If we use the musical notes to illustrate on the five scale, the four tones have the following patterns: Figure 2: b. The Four Tones Tone One: Tone One has the highest pitch level for it starts at five and ends up at five. It is near the top of your comfortable range. As a result, you should be able to sound the first tone syllable continuously without effort. ma: maaaaaa†¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Tone Two: Tone Two starts in the middle of your voice range and rises straight toward the level of the first tone. It is similar to the English tone when you are questioning: What?! ma: ma? Tone Three: Tone Three is the lowest tone of all. It starts low and then rises towards the middle high pitch level and has longer duration. Your pitch level should drop until you feel out of breath and then release it. ma Tone Four: Tone Four begins at the top of your comfortable range and proceeds quickly to the bottom. It is short and sounds as if you are being stern. ma Tonal exercise exercise: 1. Listen to the recording and read alound: a-ma ma-ma ma-ma mi-mi mi-mi mi-mi li-li la-ma fa-fa fa-fa fa-fa ni-ni ni-ni bi-di ni-li la-ma ta-ta ta-ta ta-ta ti-ti ti-ti ti-di li-ni ma-la da-da da-da da-da di-di di-di li-ni ni-li la-ma pa-pa pa-pa pa-pa pi-pi pi-pi ni-mi li-ni pa-ma 2. Listen and indicate the tonal accent for the following syllables: ta ting da ding ni ning mi fa ma ping pu hao tu lao hen dong bo nin ming lin II. The initials: As was introduced earlier, there are 21 initials altogether. Initials are similar to the English consonants. However, they differ in that initials only refer to the consonants that appear in the initial position of a syllable.The 21 initials are listed below according to the positioning of one’s mouth in producing the right sounds in Table 2. Table 2 Table of initials Unaspirated Aspirated Labial Dental Guttural Palatal Retroflex Dental Sibilant b(o) d(e) g(e) j(i) zh(i) z(i) p(o) t(e) k(e) q(i) ch(i) c(i) Nasals m(o) n(e) Fricatives fo l(e) h(e x(i) sh(i) s(i) Voiced Continuants r(i) Please note that the initials can not be pronounced without adding certain finals. Please practice with your teacher in class and listen to the audio sounds after class. The initials listed in Row 1 are called labials because the lips must be used to pronounce them.The sounds in Row 2 are dentals because the teeth are employed to produce these sound s. The initials listed in Row 3 are called ‘gutturals†, which means their pronunciation, is controlled by the muscles in the back of the mouth. Actually, since the initials listed in Rows1-3 are very similar to the English consonants, you can achieve their sound very easily. The â€Å"Palatals† in Row 4 needs more practice. When pronouncing j and q, you must first raise the front of the tongue to the hard palate and press the tip of the tongue against the back of the lower teeth, and then loosen the tongue and let the air squeeze out through the channel thus made.The two sounds only differ in that the q is an aspirated sound. To pronounce x, you should raise the front of the tongue towards (almost touching) the hard palate and then let the air squeeze out. In short, j(i) is like j in jeep. q(i) is like ch in cheap and cheese. x(i) like sh in banshee, between the s in see and the sh in she. Refer to Figure 2 for a better understanding. Figure 2: Palatals The initia ls in Row 5 are â€Å"retroflexes†. To pronounce this sound, the tongue is curled back (retroflexed) until the tip touches the front part of the roof of the mouth.The tongue is only a little farther toward the back of the mouth than when pronouncing the initials r in ‘run’. To pronounce zh, ch, the tip of the tongue begins by touching the roof of the mouth, then quickly moving away. The two sounds differ only in that a strong puff of air accompanies with ch sound. zh is kind of like dg in fudge, and ch is like ch in church, but curl the tongue up toward the zh(i) ch(i) roof of the mouth while pronouncing the â€Å"ch† sound. But when produce the sound of sh, r, the tip of the tongue does not ever touch the roof of the mouth but simply rests in a close-by position as illustrated in Figure 3 below. h sounds like sh in English, but you should curl the tongue up sh(i) toward the roof of the mouth while pronouncing the â€Å"sh† sound. r(i) sounds zhr as in pleasure. Please note that r is the only initial that is voiced. zh-ch Figure 3: Retroflexes shi ri Dental sibilants (buzzing or hissing sounds) are listed in the last row. They are called â€Å"Dental sibilants† because the pronunciation of which involves the tip of the tongue placed behind the top of front teeth. The tongue must be farther towards the front than when pronouncing an English s. z, is not too far from ds in â€Å"reads†. , is near the ts in â€Å"carts† though more air should be blown out. Exercises on Initials: 1. Listen and repeat: b: babi baibei p: pipei f: fafang h: hehao d: dadao t: titan l: linli r: ruran j: jiaji q: qiqi x: xiaxiang zh zh:zhizhong ch ch:chuchu sh sh:shisheng z: zizu c: s: cengci sisuo paipao fanfa heihai dedao tiaoting lunluo rengran jinji qinqing xixin zhaizhu chengche shushi zuzong cancun susong baobi papo fafu hehu didian tantu lailin renren jingjia qingqi xixia zhangzhou chachao shensheng zaizao caice sansi benbo p opi fangfa huihuang daidong tingtang lingli rongru jingjie qingqing xinxi zhazhen chachang shanshui zizun cuncao sisui ubi pianpang fenfu huahui dongdan tongtian lanling runri jiajin qinqing xianxiang zhuzhai chuanchu shangshu zangzu cuicu susuan 2. Listen and pronounce the following syllables. Please pay attention to the unaspirated initials and aspirated initials: b-p: piaobo paiban bianpai banping pingpao paobing pingbi pengbi pibao peibei panbi pianpi d-t: tongdeng ditou z-c: zaici caozuo g-k: gekai gongkai kaiguo konggang keku guku kangu kuaigan guke guoku kaigong kuguan cizu zanci zice canzan caizi zaice zacao cezi cazao zican deti daiti tidu tida dianti diaotou tidan dantian ditu ditang 3.Please pronounce the following retroflexes: zhuchu shizhang shishi zhizhu chushi reshui ruoshi chicheng shichang shusheng shaoshu zhashe rizhao ruizhi chishui changchu chuanchang zhenzhong chushu shiren renzhi chushou zhenzheng shenzhi chishui zhengshi zhiran renzhi zhichi caishui chuangshan g chouchu changcheng shice chuzhong rushi zhiru chuanchang shashi shangren rengran ruchang 4. Please practice the following palatals with the recording: pijing qijian qicai qixian jingqi xiaqi xiqi jijin qixiang chuqu chaijian jiuji jiaqi pingxi jianqi pingjing jiaoqi xingjin xiqin qijia qinqie jiqi qixi jiaxiao xianxiang qinjian inxing xiaojing xiangxin xiaji xingqi qingjin jingji jingxi qinxin qingjing qiangquan xiangjin jianqi jiqiao jiajie qingxing 5. Read aloud and compare: b—f:bafang p—f:pifu d—l:daili t—l:tuliao f—h:fahui r—l:luru zh—z:zhizao zh— ch—c:canchuan ch— sh—s:shisi sh— zh—j:zhijing zh— ch—q:chaqi ch— sh—x:xishou sh— jizhe qiche shanxi fabiao fupin lidai liti huifa rangli zizhu chuci sishi zhijin chaiqian xiaoshi binfen pifa dalian tilian fanhuan rili zhuzu changci shensi jiazhi qincha shixi fangbian fangping lada lantian hefa ranliao zengzhan g checi shanse zhiji changqing xishu bufu pingfan danliang tianliang fanhua liren zhize chicu shisanIII. The finals: : The basic vowels: There are altogether six basic vowels in Chinese as shown in Figure 4. Figure 4 Basic vowels a is a central vowel. To pronounce it, the tongue remains in a natural, relaxed position, as a in father. o is a rounded semi-high back vowel. It sounds like o as in or, like the wa in wall. You should have the lips rounded to pronounce it. e is an unrounded semi-high back vowel. To produce this vowel, first pronounce o, then change the shape of the mouth from rounded to unrounded. At the same time open the mouth wider.This vowel is different from â€Å"e† in English, which is pronounced with the tongue raised slightly forward. It needs special practice. i is an unrounded high front vowel. The tongue is raised higher than it would be to ea. pronounce its counterpart in English as in tea. u is a rounded high back vowel. The tongue is raised higher tha n it would be to pronounce its counterpart in English. It slightly resembles the o as in English oo To pronounce it: (1) The tongue must be pulled toward the back of the mouth while the lips make a very small opening in front. 2) Imagining that you holds as much water as possible without either swallowing it or spilling any of it out of the lips. (3) Try to whistle the lowest note possible, then vocalize instead of actually whistling. u is a rounded high front vowel. It is a combination of i and u. To produce this vowel, (1) first pronounce i, then modify the shape of the mouth from unrounded to rounded; (2) try to whistle the highest note, but vocalize instead of actually whistling. i also represents two additional special vowels: -i one is an alveolar front vowel, it goes with z, c, s; the other is an alveolar ack vowel, it goes with zh, ch, sh, r. The finals: A final may have one or more vowel sounds and sometimes a consonant ending like -g and ng . In fact, other than -g and -ng other consonants can’t appear in a final at all. Putting altogether, there are thirty six finals as listed in Table 3. Table 3: The finals: Row -a -i -u -i i a ia e ie -i ai Ending -o/-u ei ao ou iao iu ui -n an en -ng -r ang eng ong er iang ing iong uang ueng ian in uan un u ua uo uai -u u ue uan un ei sounds like eigh in sleigh and eight. ao reads as ow like the au in sauerkraut. u sounds like oh, as in soul. an has the sound of ahn, between the an in can and the on in con. en sounds like un as in run, as en in chicken. ang sounds like ahng, a as in father and ng as in sing. eng has the sound of ung as in hung and lung. ong ong(ueng) is like the ung in German jung or, u as in put plus ng as in sing. er crosses between ar and er. ia sounds like ee-ah (quickly, as one syllable), like the ya in yacht. ie reads as ee-eh (quickly), like the ye in yet. iao starts with ee in see and end with ow in now. u iu(iou) sounds like yo as in you or eo as in Leo, close to u in union. ian r eads as ee-en (quickly)( an after i sounds between man and men in English) in in(ien) sounds like een as in seen, like the ine in machine. iang sounds like ee-ahng (quickly) . ing ing(ieng) is similar to ing as in ring. iong goes like ee-ong (quickly), almost like German jung. ua sounds like wa as in wash and the wa in wander. uo sounds like the wo as in wore and the wa in waltz. uai sounds like why or like the wi in wide. ui( ui(uei) goes like way, between we and weigh. uan is similar to wahn, as in wander . n un(uen) is similar to when or the wen in Owen. uang sounds like wahng. ueng starts with u as in put then quickly goes to eng. ue goes like the German umlaut u in uber plus e in ie. uan starts with u and then wan as in wander. un starts with u and then goes on to en quickly. Please note that the vowel quality of some finals varies with different tones. For example, the final iu (you) with the first and the third tone will sound different. Therefore, our focus should be on the accuracy of the tones instead of on the distinctions. Exercises on Finals: 1.Please read the following syllables aloud: o: pomo bopo fotuo e: u: u: er er: ei ei: ao ao: lehe bufu yuju erjiu feiche paomao keke pubu xuqu erhu xuefei gaozhao ou ’zhou nuoruo tongxue zhuisui tanpan renzhen qinxin hundun tese zhuchu quju erxi beihou baodao dou ’ou guocuo hulue huigui ganhan genben pinyin kunlun moluo hege tushu quyu ji ’er leihen laobao shougou tuoluo yuanyue cuihui canzan menzhen xinxin shuncong mopo ji ’e fuwu yunu ersai weisuo baochao goushou cuoluo yuenan hesui shanshi shenchen xinyin zungui ou ou: shouhou uo uo: zuocuo ue: ui ui: xuexiao huicui n an: canlan en en: in in: zhenren binlin un un: chunsun 2. Contrasts: ou—(u)o ou—(u)o:doushuo u—u —u: ei—ui ei—ui: lushu duilei gouduo luxu cuifei shoucuo juzu beiwei tuolou lutu leitui rouguo quchu leizhui ao—ou ao— ou: baochou an—ang an—ang:dan gran en—eng en— eng:zhenzheng in—ing xinxing in—ing: ong—-iong ong—-iong:longxiong uan—un:yuanjuan an— uan—un: luanlun uan— ie— ue: ie— u—iu u—iu iu: jieyue jiuju laorou nanfang zhencheng xinqing yonggong qunxuan chuannuan xuejie qujiu chanshen jiaohao chaoshou bangwan chengren jinling qionglong yuanjun tuandun quexie luxiu shancen qiaogao houtao hangang zhengshen pinqing xiongyong xuanyun shunshuan xieyue jiuqu zhenchan liaokao roudao kangzhan lengshen yingxin jiongpo quanjun chunguan juelie xuliu nanfen daoqiao en—an en— an: sanzhen ao—iao ao— iao:xiaoyao III. Pinyin Romanization-spelling rules: rules: Pinyin Romanization has been the official romanization system in the People's Republic of China since 1958. Some of the finals (in boldface) listed in Table 3 are spelled differently as shown below in Table 4. Row -a -i -u -u -i a e -i ai Ending -o/-u ei ao o u yao you -n an en -ng -r ang eng ong er yang ying yong wang weng i ya ye wu wa wo yu yue wai wei yan yin wan wen yuan yun Table 4: Finals in Pinyin Romanization The spelling rules are summarized as below: Tone marks: We know that the four tones are indicated by the diacritical marks: -, /, /, that appear above the vowels of spelled syllables. There are rules to follow about where to put the diacritical marks. First, if there is a single vowel in the syllable, put it over the vowel. Second, if there is more than one vowel, put it over the vowel in this order: a, o, e, i, or u. When two vowels i and u are together, you put it over the last vowel.Third, if the diacritical mark is over an i, omit the dot. xin –new (adj. ) re –hot (s. v. ) ren – person (n. ) dui – correct (adj. ) leng – cold (s. v. ) liu – to stay (v) Spelling rules: u 1. When the uo final combines with the labial initials b, p, m, f, the â€Å"u† drops out. bo – wave (n. ) po – broken or worn out (adj. ) mo – to rub (v. ) fo – Buddha (n. ) u But the â€Å"u† stays when any other initial is used. duo – much or many (adj. ) cuo -wrong (adj. ) 2. When the u final combines with the palatal initials j, q, or x, the umlaut drops out. This is u because only the u final can go with j, q, or x, but not the u final.Therefore, any time a â€Å"u† comes after j, q, or x, one knows it has to be the u final even though the umlaut is not there. ju (ju) – office or bureau (n. ) qu (qu) – to go (v. ) xu (xu) – to permit (v. ) The only other initials that u combines with are l and n. In these cases, the umlaut stays: nu – female (adj. ) lu – green(adj. ) i i y 3. When the finals beginning with â€Å"i† occur without an initial, the â€Å"i† changes to â€Å"y†. ie > ye – also (adv. ) iao > yao – want (v. ) The three finals i, in and ing are excepti ons to rule three, in which case a â€Å"y† is in, i added while the â€Å"i† remains: i> yi one (num. in > yin to print (v. ) ing > ying hard (s. v. ) i y When the final iu (iou) goes without an initial, the â€Å"i† changes to a â€Å"y† by rule four o and an â€Å"o† is added: iu > you to have (v. ) u u w 4. When the finals beginning with â€Å"u† occur without an initial, the â€Å"u† changes to â€Å"w†. uo > wo – I or me uan >wan – bowl w The u final is an exception to rule five. When it occurs without an initial, the ‘w’ is added: u>wu five (number) u When the ui (uei) and un (uen) finals occur without an initial, the â€Å"u† changes to a w e â€Å"w† by rule five and an â€Å"e† is added: ui > wei – stomach (n. un >wen – to ask (v. ) 5. When the finals beginning with u occur without an initial, the umlaut drops out and a y â€Å"y is added in front. u> yu f ish (n. ) uan > yuan distant (adj. ) 6. If the noun is a place name, then capitalize the first letter. If it is a Chinese name, capitalize the first letter of the surname and given name. beijing> Beijing (Peking) wang xiaoxiao> Wang Xiaoxiao niuyuu> Niuyue (New York) zhang zhong > Zhang Zhong (a name) Spelling exercises: 1. Please correct the spellings for the following syllables: uan> uan> diu> buo> ian> wun > zo> ie> uen> wuei > iu> jan> qong> chuen> wui> yuan > 2. Spell the dictated syllables and add the diacritical marks. ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ IV. Tone sandhi Tone sandhi refers to the sound change in tones when different sounds come together. Sandhi in Sankrit means â€Å"putting together†. Third tone Sandhi: In Mandarin Chinese, the most common tone sandhi rule is that the leading syllable in a set of two third-tone syllables is raised to the second t one. For example, nihao ( , the most common Mandarin greeting, is pronounced nihao. If there are more than two third tones, the same rule applies although other rules may apply. Exercise: Please read the following syllables. hen hao mai jiu shuijiao qi zao caozi yunxu chao mi mijiu jiugui suoyi zao zou liaojie yufa Lao Li yuanzu xiang zou yaogou xizao shuiguo ni hao laohu da gu bie zou xiao jiao Half third tone: If a third tone is followed by the first, second or the fourth tone, the third tone will only keep the falling pitch and remains there instead of rising. Since it is half realized, it is called a half third tone.Actually, a full third tone is only possible when it is phrase final or when it is by itself. The following figure (Figure 5) will indicate the change. Figure 5: Half third tone Exercises Please read the following syllables. Exercises: Niuyue (New York) Beijing (Beijing) laoshi (teacher) caihong (rainbow) wo lai (I will do it. ) wangqiu (tennis) zoulu (to walk) keshi (but ) qing wen (May I ask? ) Faguo nuhai ni shuo (France) (girl) (You speak) Meiguo (America) haokan (good-looking) falu (law) qing zuo (Please sit. ) qing shuo (Please speak. ) hao shu (good book) daqiu (to play a game) ni kan (You look. luyou (to travel) Fourth-tone Sandhi: When a fourth tone is followed by another fourth tone, the first one becomes a variant of the regular fourth tone as illustrated below in Figure 6. Figure 6: Fourth Tone Sandhi As indicated in Figure 6, the modified fourth tone starts as a regular fourth tone does. But its pitch level only drops to Scale 3, half as far as a full fourth. Exercise: Please read the following syllables. duihua (dialogue) guixing (honorable surname) Yidali (Italy) zaijian (goodbye) dianshi (T. V. ) sushe (dormitory) shuijiao (to sleep) shang ke (to go to class) zhaogu (to take care of) ieshao (to introduce) kanbao (to read newspaper) jiaoshi (classroom) Tone Sandhi for yi and bu: Yi (one; once) and bu (no, not) will also undergo t one sandhi under certain conditions. Preceding a syllable with the first, second or third tone, yi becomes yi. Bu keeps the fourth tone without any change. yiqi (together) bu hao (not good) yi jia (a family) butong (not same) yinian (one year) buting (not listen) When preceding a syllable with a fourth tone, both yi and bu become a second tone. yigong (altogether) buhui (can not) yixia (a little bit) buguo (but) yiyang (same) bukan (not to look)When yi and bu are phrase final or used alone, they keep their original tones: yi and bu. Please note that the tone of yi and bu will change only when they mean yi (one; once) bu (no; not). Exercise: Please read the following syllables syllables. yitian (a day) bu leng (not cold) yiding (definitely) yihuir (a moment) bu zhidao (I don’t know. ) yizu (a group) bu zao (not early) yi. ge (one + measure word) bu re (not hot) bu dui (not correct) buqu (not to go) di yi (the first) bu shi (not to be) bu mai (not to sell) bu xing (not okay) bu tai hao(not that good) buda (not big) u lai (not to come) Neutral tone tone: In actual speech, all unstressed syllables are pronounced with a â€Å"neutral tone†, which is sometimes considered as a lack of tone. In most varieties of Mandarin, the second syllable in two-syllable compounds is weaker in tonal prominence than the first one. A neutralized tone takes very little time to pronounce and does not hold or stick to its original tone. When actually pronouncing a neutral tone, one should not consider how a neutral tone sounds but focus on the tonal feature of the syllable that goes before it.Generally speaking, the pitch level of a neutral tone differs when following different tones as indicated in Figure 7. Figure7: Pitch level of neutral tones From Figure 6, we know that when following the first tone, the pitch level of a neutralized syllable is around the middle low pitch, i. e. at Scale 2. When it is after a second tone, the pitch level settles around middle pitch, i. e. Scale 3. When it goes after a third tone (half third tone actually), the pitch level is around middle high pitch, i. e. Scale 4. Its pitch level is the lowest, when a neutral tone is right after the fourth tone, i. . Scale 1. Whether a syllable is neutralized or not, one can’t tell from the Pinyin. In this book, we will either put a dot before a neutralized syllable or simply indicate it without a tone mark. Exercises: Please read the following syllables. xue. sheng (student) xi. huan (to like) di. fang (place) he. qi (gentle) tian. qi (weather) shu. fu (comfortable) ren. shi (to know sb. ) ta. men (they/them) women (we/ us) peng. you (friend) shen. me (what) jue. de ming. zi ge. ge fu. qin ma. ma ye. ye sun. zi (to feel) (name) (elder brother) (father) (mom) (grandfather) (grandson) yin. ei (because) di. di (younger brother) xie. xie (Thank you. ) jie. jie (elder sister) cong. ming (smart) er. zi (son) mu. qin (mother) ba. ba (dad) nai. nai (grandmother) ming. bai (clear ) xing. fu (happy) shi. qing (things) ke. yi (may) suoyi (therefore) ai. hao (hobby) gezi (height) dui. fu (to deal with) gongfu (Konfu) shuo. chu. lai (to speak out) er. duo (ear) guaibude (no wonder) kan. qi. lai (it seems that) xi. huan. shang(to begin to like) shuo. bude (can’t be blamed) The fickle ‘r’ sound: sound: Northerners, especially Beijingese tend to add the fickle ‘r’ to a word. uar (flower) menr(door) baimianr (drug, cocain) nar (where) qiur (ball) dianyingr (movie) dahuor (everybody) xiangweir (fragnant) hua huar (to draw) ge menr (buddy) miantiao (noodles) yucir (fish bone) yi kuair (together) xiao niaor (little bird) xiaohair ( little kid) yi dianr ( a bit) liaotianr (to chat) fan guanr (restaurant) mei zhunr (not sure) mei shir (nothing) xiao huar (joke) changger (to sing) guai wanr ( to make a turn) More Pinyin exercises: 1. Please read the following syllables: tongxue (classmate) waiguo (foreign country) xiao. iao (a Chinese name ) Shanghai (Shanghai) Jiazhou (California) gaoxing (happy) Zhongguo (China) Meiguo (America) peng. you (friend) liuxuesheng (international student) Yingguo (Britain) Lundun (London) xi. huan (to like) zhi. dao (to know) 2. Please read the following sentences: Jintian tian. qi hen hao. (The weather is good today. ) Bu leng bu re. (It is neither cold nor hot. ) Xin tongxue dou hen gao. xing. (New students are very happy. ) Robert shi Meiguo xue. sheng (Robert is an American student. ) Robert , ta you hen duo tongxue. you Meiguo tongxue, ye you waiguo tongxue (He has many classmates. (There are American students. ) (and there are also foreign students. ) , , Ta you yi ge Zhongguo pengyou, (He has a Chinese friend,) xing Wang jiao Wang Xiaoxiao. (whose surname is Wang and is called Xiaoxiao. ) Zhang Yizhong ye. shi Robert de xin peng. you. Robert (Zhang Yizhong is also Robert’s new friend. ) Ta bu . shi Meiguo xue. sheng. (He is not an American student. ) Ta shi Zhong guo liuxuesheng. (He is an international student from China. ) Wang Xiaoxiao shi Beijingren. (Wang Xiaoxiao is from Beijing. Zhang Yizhong bu. shi Beijingren, shi Shanghairen. , (ZhangYizhong is not from Beijing. He is from Shanghai. ) Robert hai you yi. ge Yingguo tongxue jiao Alex. Robert ,? Alex. (Robert also has a classmate from Britain, whose name is Alex. ) Ta ye shi liuxuesheng. (He is also an international student. ) Robert gen Alex dou hen xi. huan Zhongguo. (They both like China. ) Robertand Alex ye dou hen xi. huan Zhongwen. (Also they both like Chinese. ) Ni. shi Meiguo shenme di. fang ren? (Where are you from in the U. S.? ) ren. hi nimen hen gao. xing. (It is my pleasure to know you. ) 3. Please read the following poems: Jing ye si (Li Bai) Chuang qian ming yue guang, Yi shi di shang shuang. ju tou wang ming yue, di tou si gu xiang. (In the quiet night So bright a gleam on the foot of my bed – Could there have been a frost already? Lifting myself to look, I found that it was moonlight. Sinking back again, I thought suddenly of home. ) Chun xiao (Meng Haoran) Chun mian bu jue xiao, Chu chu wen ti niao. Ye lai feng yu sheng, hua luo zhi duo shao. A Spring morning Awake light-hearted this morning of spring, Everywhere round me the singing of birds – But now I remember the night, the storm, And I wonder how many blossoms were broken. Yong e (Luo Bin Wang) e e e, Qu xiang xiang tian ge, Baimao fu lu shui, Hong zhang bo qing bo. (Twisting its neck, , , , the goose is singing to the sky. With its white feather on the green water, the red palms are striking on the clear water. ) Hui xiang ou shu (He Zhizhang) Shao xiao li jia lao da gui, Xiang yin wei gai bin mao cui. er tong xiang jian bu xiang shi, Xiao wen ke cong he chu lai. (Coming home I left home young. I return old; Speaking as then, but with hair grown thin; And the children, meeting me, do not know me. They smile and say: â€Å"Stranger, where do you come from? â€Å") 4. Tongue twisters: Si shi si. Shi shi shi. Shi si shi shi si. Si shi shi si shi. Si shi si shi si shi si. Four is four. Ten is ten. Fourteen is fourteen. Forty is forty. Forty four is forty four. Che shang you ge pen, Pen li you ge ping, ping ping ping, pang pang pang, bu zhi shi pen peng ping hai shi ping peng pen. , , , , , There is a basin in the car, and a bottle in the basin. Bin bin bin, bang bang bang, Not knowing which is hitting which. Shu. shang you zhi xiao taozi, Shu xia you zhi xiao houzi. Feng chui tao shu hua hua xiang, Shu. shang diao xia xiao taozi. Taozi da zhao xiao houzi, Houzi chi diao xiao taozi. (There is a peach on the tree, There is a monkey under the tree. The wind blows and the tree talks, With the wind, the peach falls, Right onto the monkey. And the monkey eats the peach. ) , , ,