Caribean Ensemble Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Caribean Ensemble - Essay Example Choosing only one student performance within the group, it is possible to show bright interactions between this popular/classical theme and the history of music, cultural backgrounds, instrumental history, where all factors help to get a deeper understanding of --- at first sight --- famous and well-known composition. These interactions will find out the deeper layer of these compositions' reasoning, definitely. Additionally, except the aforesaid ones, there also were such as: 'Take 5: Dave Brubeck;' 'Tomorrow: Annie (The Musical);' 'Oye Como Va: Tito Puente;' 'Footsteps: Machel Montano;' 'Rolling the Deep: Adele and Paul Epworth;' 'I'll be There: Berry Gordy, Bob West, Hal Davis, and Willie Hutch;' 'Under the Sea: The Little Mermaid;' 'Oh, What a Night: The Four Seasons;' 'Hungarian Dance: Johannes Brahms;' 'No One: Alicia Keys;' 'Habanera from 'Carmen:' George Bizet;' 'One Note Samba: Antonio Carlos Jobim.' As we could see, the program of the World Festival, 2013, was so ambitious that every single should be regarded as a 'special event' in it. G1/4. I Shot the Sheriff: Bob Marley 'I Shot the Sheriff: Bob Marley' belonged to the first group of the Carribean Ensemble at York University. ... Having had many subgenres --- early reggae, roots reggae, dub, etcetera, --- this genre exploited drums (for example, snare drum and tom-tom drum), bass, guitars, keyboards, horns, and vocals. (We will evaluate all these items within Marley and The Wailers' song and its student interpretation.) From the perspective of music theory, reggae had 'lower tempo' than ska and rocksteady. (Bradley, 2000, p. 41) Accordingly, it could be characterized by the 'offbeat rhythms', (Barrow, 2004, p. 21) and by a prominent fact that reggae was played in '4/4 time.' (Manuel, 2006, 11) Harmonically, it used 'simple chord progressions;' (Barrow, 2004, p. 23) furthermore, its 'rhythmic pattern accents the second and fourth beats in each bar,' with the drumer's 'emphasis on beat three.' (Manuel, 2006, p. 12) First of all, 'I shot the Sheriff' was a social-oriended song about sheriff's (not deputy's) murder, which was made from the narrator's face. In the composition it could be heard synthesizer, The Wai lers' horus, bass, drums, guitar, and leading vocal. It used offbeat rhythms, 4/4, lower tempo, and simple chord progressions; second and fourth beats have been emphasized in each bar, with the drumer's accent on beat three. These means of musical expression, along with the offset and syncopated rhythm-section, producted relaxive, but ideologically very intensive, reggae hit. Moreover, aforesaid suggestions on reggae music and particularly on current musical form should be applied to the student performance. Therefore, it could be stated that the very motif was maintained successfully, overall tempo was lower, than in ska and rocksteady; there was constant reggae offbeat, 4/4. From the other point, students were not always in the right time-space presence of the current

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Essay Example for Free

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Essay One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest published in 1962 is a fiction novel by Ken Kesey. The novel is set in an Oregon asylum and serves as a study of the institutional practice and the human mind. Its curious approach lays the foundation for a discussion concerning truth, as not each event described by the narrator is possible truth in the book’s reality, such an evaluation is made by the reader. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is the creation of both the personal experiences of the author, Ken Kesey, and the particular culture in which it was written. Kesey developed the novel as he attended Stanford University as a graduate student in their Creative Writing program as the winner of a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship. The novel was partly inspired by Kesey’s part-time job as an orderly in a Palo Alto veterans’ hospital. It was moreover as a student at Stanford where Kesey started participating in experiments for the psychology department that involved the exercise of LSD. This use of LSD had driven Kesey to have hallucinations while working as an orderly. Kesey imagine seeing a large Indian mopping the flooring of the hospital; this hallucination prompted Kesey to include the character Chief Bromden as the novel’s narrator. â€Å"What is the character of Bromden? How he regain his sanity? † A tall, half-Indian patient in the ward, Chief Bromden is the patient who has been considered the longest in the institution. Even though others believe that he is deaf and mute, Chief Bromden instead prefer not to speak, originally for the reason that others ignored him and then out of fear of Nurse Ratched. Chief Bromden is said to be the narrator of the novel. With the aid of McMurphy, he started to speak once more and reassert himself against Nurse Ratched and her workers. Chief Bromden speaks to McMurphy and sooner overcomes his schizophrenia throughout his influence, distinguishing himself for the physical giant and mistreated man he has always been. Chief Bromden’s background has had an intense impact on his character. Society never treated him with the respect every person deserved, and not being competent to face up to it, he was forced into hiding out in a mental institution. The abandon from society all through his life turned the Chief into a paranoid, unconfident and reserved man. The reader gets a quick look of Chief Bromden’s paranoia in the start of the novel. General Discussion The One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest novel in some sense structures a bridge between the bohemian beatnik movements of the 1950s and the 1960s counterculture movement. Kesey was significantly motivated by the beatnik culture around Stanford, and in the novel Kesey deals with a number of themes that would be important in the counterculture movement, as well as notions of freedom from repressive authority and a more liberated observation of sexuality. Kesey himself became an extremely influential counterculture figure as piece of the Merry Pranksters. Chief Bromden is a half American Indian. His father was a chief named Tee Ah Millatoona, which referred as The-pine-that-stands-tallest-on-the-mountain. That is why he is capable of using the title chief. He took on his mother’s last name of Bromden. He spent his growing up stage in the Columbian gorge. The chief is massive and tall and would appear very unapproachable and threatening to those who meet him. He was committed to the hospital institution and has been there for longer than anybody else, for over 15 years. Chief Bromden was put in there after World War two. The chief was an electricians assistant in a training camp prior to the army shipped him off to Germany. It is possibly due to working with electronics and the added tension of going to war that has led the chief to have such a harmful preoccupation with electronics. The chief has led everybody in the hospital, both staff and patients to think he is deaf and dumb. As a young child he was for all time ignored, by fellow students and adults, this could have been for the reason that he was so strange looking, being half American Indian and appearing so big and threatening yet being quite shy. I had to keep acting deaf if I wanted to hear at all Chief Bromden said. He felt abandoned by his peers all through life and so as an adult decided that as people acted like he was invisible he might as well vanish, It wasnt me that started acting deaf, it was people that first started acting like I was too dumb to hear or see or say anything at all Chief Bromden said. So acting to be deaf and dumb was most likely a defense mechanism. For him, his silence is also exceptionally potent. As he is capable to hear all that went on in the meetings where the doctors and nurses talk about the future of the patients. The doctors and nurses dont hesitate to declare anything in front of him for the reason that they assume he cant hear. Chief Bromden said They dont bother not talking out loud about their hate secrets when Im nearby because they think Im deaf and dumb. The process and experiences that Chief Bromden has to go through in order to regain his sanity is discussed below. In the first chapter, Kesey sets up the formation of the mental institution where the novel takes place. The authority figure is obviously Nurse Ratched, as yet known merely as Big Nurse, a woman whose character seems hardly human. Kesey makes the whole thing about Nurse Ratched mechanical and automated, such as her robotic movements and accurate speech. She is a representation of bureaucracy and authority in general. Conversely, even within this first chapter there are signs that behind this apparently inhuman facade there is some great instability. Chief Bromden appears to believe that Nurse Ratched is ready to snap at the black boys at any minute, and her big breasts, the one absurd part of her appearance, illustrate that she is unable of fully separating herself from typical human characteristics. The black boys, the workers at the institution, serve Nurse Ratched out of terror; on the other hand, their most well-known characteristic is an absolute hatred for all around them. Unlike Nurse Ratched, they are cruel, if only for the reason Nurse Ratched is incapable of feeling any satisfaction from the pain she inflicts. This makes them a more immediate threat to patients such as Chief Bromden, but also more at risk. They go through from the same human failings that Nurse Ratched has concealed. Even though Chief Bromden is the narrator of the tale, his descriptions cannot be entirely trusted. He is clearly unreliable, as shown when he hallucinates the Air Raid and the fog machine. The fog symbolizes Bromden’s own mental clarity; it will reappear whenever Chief Bromden turn into less stable and recede every time he becomes more coherent. It is significant that Chief Bromden is silent, for he stands for the more passive elements of society that submit to authority which is Nurse Ratched. In chapter three having illustrates the support staff of the hospital, Chief Bromden turns to the patients who occupy the institution. The majority of the patients are Acutes, meaning that they have the likelihood for rehabilitation and release, but Bromden makes the significant point that they also have the risk of becoming worse for the reason of their stay at the hospital, as established by Ruckly and Ellis. Kesey makes obvious the lines of disagreement between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched. Nurse Ratched signifies rules and order, while McMurphy symbolizes anarchy and disobedience. Yet a more significant characteristic that McMurphy displays is showmanship. In this chapter he grasps for attention, acting like a politician on a campaign stop. This trait will cause McMurphy to be an easy target for those in the institution, mainly Nurse Ratched. Chief Bromden releases the critique of the mental institution in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to a bigger societal critique. The social criticism of the events in the novel generally entails the idea that the institution is a microcosm for the entire society, but Kesey moreover makes the precise connection between the institution and other societal organizations. The mental institution is intended to repair damage done by schools, churches and families, however operates under the similar conditions as these organizations and hence suffers the same problems. In chapter six Chief Bromden’s suggestion that Nurse Ratched can direct the clocks at the ward show that Chief Bromden is frequently unreliable as a narrator, but nonetheless remains constant with Ratched’s domineering and controlling personality. Harding, the president of the patients’ council and a college graduate, continues to serve as an expository device; it is he who gives details to McMurphy the causes for various events at the institution, such as the music. Kesey establishes another contrast between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched in this chapter. His confrontation with Nurse Pilbow, one of Ratched’s nurses, underscores that Ratched signifies sexuality, as compared to the passionless and reserved Nurse Ratched. In chapter seven, this chapter once again serves to demonstrate that Chief Bromden is an unreliable narrator. Even though several of the details of his observation are true, others are mainly fantasy; Bromden worries that the workers are using the Vegetables for terrible experiments and will do the same to him. On the other hand, Kesey makes it unquestionably clear that Bromden is having a hallucination in this chapter when Mr. Turkle, the night watchman, wakes him. In chapter twelve Kesey demonstrates these chapters in short succession. Two of these include little more than a paragraph. This serves to show the disjointed nature of Chief Bromden’s observations. He presents only short glimpses of events that transpire in the institution, none of which include any great importance. The most significant point that Chief Bromden makes is that the ‘insanity’ as illustrated by the fog is a comfort for the patients. It permits them to recede from the complexities of reality that McMurphy wants them to face. In chapter fifteen Kesey uses Chief Bromden mainly as a narrator who illustrates external conditions, and hardly gives insight into Chief Bromden’s own psychology. On the other hand, in this chapter Kesey gives several indication of the origin of Chief Bromden’s psychological problems. Bromden relates the imaginary ‘fog machine’ of the mental institution to the fog that surrounded him throughout wartime. This point out that Chief Bromden probably suffers from shell-shock caused by his war experience, and it is this shell-shock which driven him to lose his grip on sanity. Kesey in addition gives a similar psychological deconstruction of Billy Bibbit. The beginning of Billy Bibbit’s problems leads to a strict Freudian interpretation. He is the creation of a domineering mother who controls his all action, as well as deciding which woman is suitable for him to marry. That the first word Billy Bibbit stuttered was ‘mama’ is an obvious indication that she is the cause of his problems. His mother’s obvious collaboration with Nurse Ratched is additional evidence that Billy’s mother is the cause of most of his troubles. McMurphy assumes the part of a revolutionary in this chapter. When he rebels against Nurse Ratched by breaking from the recognized schedule to watch the World Series, McMurphy at last abandons the rules and regulations of the ward. This rebellion take place, though, only after it is obvious that McMurphy cannot take part in the apparently democratic system that Nurse Ratched controls. This is a significant point, for it reveals that McMurphy is not a casual anarchist bent on breaking down any system of governance, but rather a man driven to rebellion by an unjust system around him. Even though Nurse Ratched’s claim that the vote is democratic, her vote consists the Chronics, who have no capability to make a rational choice required of voting. This guarantees that Nurse Ratched can keep the status quo, despite the clear support for McMurphy. When McMurphy shatters from his schedule to watch the World Series, he makes an ultimate break from the ‘government’ of Nurse Ratched. It is a revolutionary measure on the level of the institution. The vote for the World Series is a defining moment for Chief Bromden, for it is the first point through which he reasserts himself as a functioning person. He does this in the course of his vote for McMurphy, the first ultimate, responsive action that Chief Bromden takes throughout the novel, and continues this pattern when he unites with McMurphy and the other Acutes in the protest against Nurse Ratched. This underscores a foremost theme of the novel, the importance of rational choice. It is the capability to choose that determines one’s status as a rational human being. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in a very important sense centers on the conflict between McMurphy, who characterizes this capability for choice, and Nurse Ratched, who does not permit persons to determine decisions for themselves. In chapter sixteen the fog that Chief Bromden declares to see is a symbol of his incoherence and incapacity to assert himself, therefore when Bromden makes the decision to join the other men in dispute of Nurse Ratched, the fog vanish. This decision comes at a cost, on the other hand; by making choices Chief Bromden becomes susceptible, as he realizes. He loses the protection of the fog for the privileges of human choice. Chief Bromden’s choice to present himself once again as deaf and dumb is a strategic move that serves both himself and, for the narrative intentions of the story, Kesey. Bromden uses the perception that he is deaf and dumb as a scheme to deflect harassment by the black boys, but this perception also permits Chief Bromden access to circumstances such as the staff meeting that would usually remain secretive. Kesey grants Bromden access to the staff meeting to gives better insight into both Nurse Ratched and the perceptions of McMurphy. In chapter seventeen Kesey demonstrates the change in Chief Bromden in this chapter, when the character awakes and watches the dog outside the window. This shows that Chief Bromden is now more aware of the outside world. He can conceive of existence outside of the institution, as he could not before. McMurphy is the primary cause of this change. In chapter twenty four Chief Bromden’s stories about his childhood reveal that he, like Harding and Billy Bibbit, undergoes to some degree from a domineering female figure. Like Billy Bibbit, Chief Bromden is frightened by his mother, whom he describes as â€Å"twice as tall† as his father, who was himself a big man. Chief Bromden point out that his mother dominated both him and his father, causal to the problems that both faced. It is from his father that Chief Bromden developed the thought of the Combine. The story that Chief Bromden tells McMurphy supplies a huge deal to a psychological analysis of the character. He appears to be deaf and dumb mainly for the reason that he has been frightened by others around him, whether heartless inspectors or his domineering mother. However Chief Bromden reasserts himself once McMurphy proves him some degree of kindness and respect. Chief Bromden is possibly the best example that Kesey provides of the beneficial effect that McMurphy has on the patients in the institution. Kesey indicates later even when McMurphy discusses the control panel in the tub room. He gives Chief Bromden the thought that he might be able to raise the control panel and throw it all the way through the window, permitting an escape. The one question that remains is what will induce Chief Bromden to carry out this action. In chapter twenty seven Nurse Ratched does achieve a victory over McMurphy in this chapter, but whatsoever victory she has will be short-term. The shock treatment does not radically affect Chief Bromden; he rapidly regains a sense of lucidity subsequently and returns to rationality. More significantly, the nurse who treats McMurphy’s wounds makes the significant point that other nurses are contradicted to Nurse Ratched’s behavior. Even though Nurse Ratched keeps a tight grip on her specific ward, she is susceptible within the very institutional structure she uses against her patients. In chapter Twenty-Nine the final chapter of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest culminates in a pyrrhic triumph for Nurse Ratched but a final triumph for the martyred McMurphy. The argument between the two characters aligns on sexual lines, as set up by the disagreement between Nurse Ratched and Billy Bibbit that instantaneously precedes it. McMurphy’s attack on Nurse Ratched results an exact exposing of the Big Nurse. Once again the sexual connotations are tough, for when he attacks her he reveals her breasts, the one sign of her femininity. This also relates back to Harding’s previous suggestion that sex is the cure for Nurse Ratched; this chapter demonstrates that, if it is not the cure, it is surely a potent weapon against her. The outcome of this fight, nevertheless, is the final dehumanization of Nurse Ratched. When she proceeds to the ward, she is incapable of speaking and hence has lost a foremost sign of humanity. This neatly parallels Chief Bromden, who in the path of the novel recovers his voice and his humanity. McMurphy apparently loses his battle against Nurse Ratched when she commands a lobotomy for him, but the victory is hollow; she loses power over the ward as the other patients free themselves of her grip and willingly leave the hospital. This moreover fits in well with the Christian symbolism of the novel; even though McMurphy dies for his reason, his disciples leave the hospital to live in accordance to his teachings. They achieve the strength and the liberty to make independent choices that McMurphy proposed. Chief Bromden best exemplifies this. Throughout the course of the novel he has regained his voice, and he makes the ultimate step in the direction of self-realization at the novel’s end. By moving the control panel, Chief Bromden fulfills McMurphy’s desires and reasserts himself as a member of society.

How Sensationalism Affects Eve Essays -- essays research papers

How Sensationalism Affects Everyone Involved In today ¡Ã‚ ¦s society journalism is under close scrutiny and is losing its credibility. Sensationalism effects both those who receive it in addition to those who report it. This essay will review the history of sensationalism in the media, clearly demonstrate how sensationalism effects ours views on journalism, and confront the ethical dilemmas that journalists must face between reporting objectively and reporting what sells. This will be accomplished by investigating various sources, including articles published on the Internet as well as those published in newspapers and magazines. Throughout history sensationalism has been represented in all shapes and sizes. Celebrity journalism is amongst the oldest forms of sensationalism. For instance, America ¡Ã‚ ¦s first real newspaper, Publick Occurrences, Both Foreign and Domestic, reported a story on how the King of France was flirting with the prince ¡Ã‚ ¦s wife. Furthermore, in the 1830s, there was the creation of the penny press, which appealed to the then growing population of immigrants in our cities. These papers focused on the reporting of crime and celebrities. Sensationalism returned in the late 19th century in the form of  ¡Ã‚ §Yellow Journalism ¡Ã‚ ¨. Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst competed viciously for readers of their respected newspapers. They both sensationalized stories about alleged atrocities committed by the Spanish, calling for the United States to step in on behalf of the Cubans. Equally important, when the USS Maine mysteriously blew up, both papers immediately blamed the Sp aniards. Today, this incident remains a mystery. In addition many blame the act of  ¡Ã‚ §Yellow Journalism ¡Ã‚ ¨ as the cause for the Spanish/American war. Yet another form of sensationalism popped up in the 1920s, picture tabloids. Sensationalism still remains a strong force in the current media. May it be in the form of picture tabloid magazines, celebrity journalism, or the violence infested media known as television and movies, the fact is that it sells. As long as there is a market for this type of unethical journalism there will a supply. Over the years, the general public has depended on the media for its information on current events. On the other hand, the public is becoming less and less confident in the objectivity of the news that is reported. Just last year a reporter for... ...nalism has become deeply entrenched in the media, leaving the public paying a high price through their loss of credible sources of information. In turn, journalists are also paying a high price by sacrificing their ethical standards and succumbing to the temptations of sensationalism for the sake of profit. The mass media has particularly found an avenue for vivid sensationalism through the phenomenon of television, which allows the public to passively absorb fast-moving images, without receiving comprehensive information. It is unlikely that sensationalism can be eliminated, however, the public would be well advised to actively consider their sources of information, rejecting those that blatantly disregard standards of objectivity and credibility in exchange for shallow glitter. By clearly sending a message of dissatisfaction to the corporations that control the mass media, the public may influence the decisions that are made and work toward improvement. Likewise, despite being constrained by the mandates of their management, journalists must make a concerted effort to resist resorting to sensationalism to sell a story, and rather base their success on solid, objective reporting.

Popular Kids vs Unpopular Kids Essay

Everyone wants to be the popular kid in high school right? Not always true because popularity isn’t always as great as it looks. Belonging in the popular social group in high school can be a rough place for some individuals. In other words, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. While unpopular teens wish to join the other side, they should consider a few things before making a rash decision. While pondering through the negative effects of being popular, one that stands out is the type of people one would become involved with. We all desire to have truthful and caring friends. However, not every person in the popular click is truthful and caring. Before choosing a click, one should think about the typical characteristics that are associated with that click. Their intention might not be to bring out the best in a friend but the worst. One moment a teenager will be talking to another as friends, and then the next moment they’ve already started talking behind their backs about one another. Aren’t true friends supposed stand up for each other and stand by their side? Of course they are, however, it seems that the unpopular click gets along better because they treat their friends in the same way that they would want to be treated. Another aspect to be aware of when considering the popular click is peer pressure. Being popular has a tendency to come with standards. When one does not meet up to the expectations of the group, he or she is often subjected to peer pressure or humiliation. Many give into peer pressure to avoid being humiliated. Peer pressure typically results in someone acting irresponsible and foolish to prove some kind of loyalty like a gang. Consequences of such actions can involve disappointment from parents or even the police! Now why would a true friend try to jeopardize his or her friend’s future? In the end, we’re better off with just a couple of best friends rather than a group of two-faced popular friends who only care about themselves. Drama is another reason to consider before joining a popular click. Just imagine the sound of a thousand flies buzzing down the hallway with the latest gossip. In a matter of one day, one comment could be transformed into a rumor and spread through the whole school like wild fire. Drama inevitably corrupts most teens but popular teens thrive on it like an addiction, and sometimes create lies just to ruin one’s reputation. True friends, who might not be the most popular kids in school, but they would also never talk about a friend behind his or her back just to gain a higher reputation with the popular click (Article one). Staying out of drama can help one feel less stressed. Avoiding it can also stop individuals from getting involved in something they might regret. Gossip is difficult to find roaming among the unpopular group because they rarely feel the need to seek attention or hurt someone’s feelings by spreading rumors. They are already content and aware of how to treat individuals as they would like to be treated. When the weekend hits it is common for the popular click to go out and party. Everyone hears the stories of how drunk someone got or how the cops busted a few unfortunate teenagers. Even the best of teens get peer pressured into going to the weekend party and drinking. All of this obnoxious partying is not appropriate for a 15 to 18 year old teenager. Those â€Å"cool parties† consist of high school kids that don’t know other ways to have fun or just get drunk to escape their problems. Teens have to step up and realize that they are capable of having a good time and overcoming problems with better solutions. Overall, it will exponentially impact adulthood by being able to handle problems positively. In conclusion, before making an impulsive decision to conform to the popular click, teens should consider the reasons that were previously illustrated. The treatment of two-faced friends, spreading drama, and obnoxious parties are all valid reasons to just ignore the desire to be on the wrongfully admired click. It’s better to be happy with a few true friends who treat others in the manner of respect. Perhaps, we are also better off living in harmony with our beliefs instead of trying to compromise and conform. Being the same is boring! The popular group thrives on people who will conform. So let’s celebrate our unique skills to experience some variety and express our true individuality.

My Leadership Style Essay

Abstract Leadership is defined as a social influence process in which an individual seeks the participation of subordinates in an effort to research organizational goals. (Kinicki-Kreitner (p.346). My personal leadership style is based on the situational theory of leadership. Based on the type of situation my ability to adapt my leadership style is what makes me an effective manager. My Leadership Style Leadership is defined as a social influence process in which an individual seeks the participation of subordinates in an effort to research organizational goals. (Kinicki-Kreitner p.346) Being a leader in today environment is even challenging than ever. This is due to the pressure for increased transparency due to corporate greed, government pressure and individual corruption. There are great leaders throughout our history such as Martin Luther King, George Washington, and Jack Welsh. However, great leaders don’t have to be good. Barbara Kellerman notes that â€Å"leaders are like the rest of us are: trustworthy and deceitful, cowardly and brave, greedy and generous†. (Kinicki-Kreitner p.346) Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin are examples of great leaders that use their influence for their own personal gain. Kinicki-Kreitner states that â€Å"to assume that all leaders are good is to be willfully blind (p.346). There are many different leadership styles and different leadership theories that individuals and corporations use. My personal leadership style is based on the Situational Theory. It is also transactional and adaptive compassionate and open. The situational theory of leadership is based on the effectiveness of a particular style of leader behavior depends on the situation. As the situation changes, so does the leadership style of the leader. As a retail manger managing 103 employees, my leadership styles changes on a daily basis. Things are always changing in this fast pace environment. Rules,  regulations, personal challenges, customer issues, are some of the many challenges that my managers and I face on a daily basis. I relate very well to Fiedlers’ situational model of leadership. His model is based on two factors. The first factor is that the degree which the situation gives the leaders control and influence is the likelihood the leader can successfully accomplish the job (Kinicki-Kreitner p.352). The second factor is based on how the leader is motivated. Is he or she motivated for accomplishment of the task or for close and personal relations? (Kinicki-Kreitner p.352) Based on these assumptions, my leadership style is based on build relationships. I value building relationships with people. I believe that building structured relationships with my employees will give them confidence in me and my ability to lead them. Making hard decisions such as hours reduction was easier to communicate to my employees because of the relationship that I built with them. They were able to understand and accept that this was necessary for the greater good of keeping the store open and profitable. This leads me to believe that I have a high amount of situational control within my environment. Situational control refers to the â€Å"amount of control and influence a leader has in his or her environment† (Kinicki-Kreitner p.352) There are three dimensions of situational control. They are Leader member relations, task structure and position power. I relate to all three dimensions with leader-member relations being the highest. Due to the relationships that I have built within my organization, I have the support, loyalty and trust of my assistant managers and my hourly employees. Leaders in today’s economic and political conditions must me servants and not dictators. Robert Greenleafs servant-leadership approach emphasizes â€Å"increased service to others† through a holistic approach.(Spears p.1) Larry Spears in â€Å"Practicing Servant-Leadership† states that the â€Å"great leader is first experienced as a servant to others work, promoting a sense of community, and a the sharing of power in decision making† (p.1) Being a servant-leader is a approach that I use within my organization. By holding daily huddles and having my employees state their opinion on any issues allows them to feel involved in the daily operation of running the store. Having an open heart is also an important aspect to my leadership ability. Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky in â€Å"Leading with an Open Heart†, states that  if we â€Å"lose our capacity for innocence, curiosity, and compassion. Our innocence turns to cynicism, our curiosity turns into arrogance and our compassion turns into callousness†. (p.2) Being a leader in my organization is very challenging. However, the situation theory allows me to adapt to each and every challenging situation on a daily basis. Managing with an open heart and being a servant leader will allow me to take on any challenges without becoming a dictator or being resentful in the decisions that I make. The ultimate key to my leadership style is building relationships. Building structured relationships allows loyalty, respect and confidence that I get from my employees knowing that I will lead them in any situation. References Kinicki, A., & Kreitner, R. (2009). Organizational Key concepts, Skills, & Best Practices. (4th ed.). Ashford University Heifetz, R. & Linsky, M (2002) Leading with an Open Heart. In the Leader to Leader Journal Retrieved February 10, 2010 from http://www.leadertoleader.org/knowledgecenter/journal.aspx?ArticleID=127 Spears, L. (2004 Practicing Servant-Leadership. In the Leader to Leader Journal Retrieved February 10, 2010 from http://www.leadertoleader.org/knowledgecenter/journal.aspx?ArticleID=51.

AP English Literature Multiple Choice Complete Expert Guide

AP English Literature Multiple Choice Complete Expert Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Does the thought of spending an hour answering multiple-choice questions on complex prose and poetry passages strike fear into your heart? The challenge of the AP Literature multiple-choice is enough togive even the most adept reader hives, but don't stress! This guide will serve as your complete roadmap to success on the AP English Literature and Composition multiple-choice section. First, we’ll go over what the multiple-choice section looks like- the nuts and bolts. Then, I’ll reveal the eight types of multiple-choice questions you can expect to encounter, and how to succeed on them. Next will come study tips, multiple-choice practice resources, and finally things to remember for test-day success! AP Literature Multiple-Choice Section Overview AP English Literature and Composition section one is the multiple-choice section. You’ll have 60 minutes to answer 55 questions about four-five literary prose and poetry passages. The date of composition of the passages could range from the 16th to the 21th century, however, you generally won’t be provided with the author, date, or title for any passages (poetry being an occasional exception with respect to title). Most passages come from works originally written in English, although there might occasionally be a translated passage from a notable literary work in a foreign language. The multiple-choice section is worth 45% of your total exam score. You receive a point for each correctly answered question. Since there’s no penalty for guessing on this exam, you should answer every multiple-choice question, even if you have to guess. However, you should only guess after you eliminate any answers you know are wrong.That’s the general overview. But what kinds of questions can you expect to see? The 8 Types of Multiple-Choice AP Lit Questions There are eight question types you may encounter on the AP Lit exam. In this section, I’ll go over each question type and how to answer it. All questions are taken from the sample questions in the â€Å"AP Course and Exam Description.† Passages for these questions are available there as well. 1. Reading Comprehension Reading comprehension questions test whether you understood what the passage was saying on a literal, concrete level. You don’t need to flex your interpretation or analysis muscles here- just report what the passage is saying. You can spot these questions because they usually use words and phrases like â€Å"according to,† â€Å"asserting,† and â€Å"mentioned.† The best strategy for these questions is to go back and re-read the portion of the text associated with the question to make absolutely sure that you are reading it correctly. You may need to read a little before and/or after the moment mentioned to orient yourself and find the most correct answer. Example: Explanation: The lines the passage is referring to say, â€Å"Spare us all word of the weapons, their force and range / The long numbers that rocket the mind / Our slow, unreckoning hearts will be left behind, / unable to fear what is too strange.† This question is asking why people won’t listen to the prophet when he talks about the dangers of weapons. Which of the answers makes the most sense? Choice (A), â€Å"human beings are interested in weapons,† might be a tempting choice simply because that’s a common theme and message of many works. But nowhere in the passage does it say that humans are interested in weapons! Eliminate it. Choices (B) and (C) can also both be eliminated because this part of the passage says nothing about nature or love, even indirectly. Choice (D) may also be tempting simply because it’s another common theme in literature- that people don’t listen to repeated warnings. But again, there’s not really anything in the passage to support that. This leaves (E), â€Å"people cannot comprehend abstract decisions of power.† This lines up nicely with the passage, which says that the â€Å"hearts† of the people are â€Å"unable to fear what is too strange.† (E) is the correct answer. The people in this poem have hearts of stone. 2. Inference These questions take you one step beyond simple reading comprehension and ask you to make an inference based on the evidence in the passage- you may be asked about a character or narrator’s implied opinion, the author’s attitude, etc. This will be something that isn’t stated directly in the passage, but that you can assume based on what is actually said in the passage. These questions generally use words like â€Å"infer† and â€Å"imply.† There are two keys to answering these questions: first, as always, go back and read the part of the passage the question is concerned with. Second, don’t be tripped up by the fact that you are making an inference- the best answer will be most supported by what is actually written in the passage. Inference questions are like second-level reading comprehension questions- you need to know not just what a passage says, but what it means. Example: Explanation: The first sentence of the passage reads, â€Å"Certainly the religious and moral ideas of the Dodson and Tullivers were of too specific a kind to be arrived at deductively from the statement that they were part of the Protest population of Great Britain.† Which choice is the most reasonable inference about the Dodson and Tulliver religious ideas based on the first sentence? Choice (A) says â€Å"the narrator is unable to describe them with complete accuracy.† This might be true, but there’s nothing in the first sentence to support this inference- the narrator says that their ideas are â€Å"too specific,† not they the narrator can’t describe them accurately. Eliminate Choice (A). Choice (B), â€Å"they have no real logical foundation† may also be true, but can’t be inferred from the sentence, which gives no indication of whether their beliefs are logical or not. Choice (C) may be tempting- the idea that they cannot be appreciated by anyone who doesn’t share them might seem to dovetail nicely with the fact that they are â€Å"too specific† for the mainstream Protestant population. But is this the best choice that’s most supported by the passage? Let’s keep it in mind but consider the remaining answers. Choice (D) posits that the beliefs of the Dodsons and Tullivers â€Å"spring from a fundamental lack of tolerance.† This is a leap that is not supported by what the first sentence actually says; eliminate it. Choice (E) says that their beliefs â€Å"are not typical of British Protestants in general.† The sentence says that their beliefs are â€Å"too specific† for one to know them simply because the Dodsons and Tullivers identify as British Protestants, which implies that their beliefs in fact do not â€Å"match up† with mainstream British Protestant beliefs. Choice (E) is the inference most supported by the passage, then- even more supported than Choice (C). So, (E) is the answer. Remember, multiple answers may seem like they could be correct, but only the best answer is the correct one. Do you think appropriately ornate churches are also important to the Dodsons and Tullivers? 3. Identifying and Interpreting Figurative Language These questions ask you to either identify figurative language within the passage or to interpret what figurative language means in the context of the passage. These questions are identifiable because they will either outright mention figurative language or a figurative device, or there will be a figurative language phrase in the question itself. Once again, the most important thing you can do to be successful on these questions is to go back and re-read! For figurative language, the meaning is very much dependent on the phrase’s context in the passage. Consider what is said around the figurative phrase and what the phrase is referring to. Example 1: Identifying Figurative Language Explanation: We need to look at each of these phrases in context to tell which is being used figuratively. Choice (A) comes from the sentence, â€Å"It was necessary to be baptized, else on could not be buried in the churchyard, and to take the sacrament before death as a security against more dimly understood perils; but if was of equal necessity to have the proper pall-bearers and well-cured hams at one’s funeral, and to leave an unimpeachable will.† The phrase â€Å"well-cured hams at one’s funeral,† is clearly literally referring to funeral arrangements; (A) can be eliminated. Moving on, choice (B) comes from the sentence, â€Å"A Dodson would not be taxed with the omission of anything that was becoming...such as obedience to parents, faithfulness to kindred, industry, rigid honesty, thrift, the thorough scouring of wooden and copper utensils, the hoarding of coins likely to disappear from the currency, the production of first-rate commodities for the market, and the general preference for whatever was home-made.† In this case â€Å"the hoarding of coins† refers directly to a behavior the Dodsons considered â€Å"becoming,† and is not figurative. (B) can be eliminated. Choice (C) comes from the clause, â€Å"society owes some worthy qualities in many of her members to mothers of the Dodson class, who made their butter and their fromenty well, and would have felt disgraced to make it otherwise.† Again, this refers literally to making butter and fromenty; (C) can be eliminated. Choice (D) is from the sentence, â€Å"To live respected, and have the proper bearers at your funeral, was an achievement of the ends of existence.† Once more, this refers on a concrete level to actual funeral-bearers (echoing the discussion of proper funerals earlier in the passage) and is not figurative. This leaves only (E), from the sentence, â€Å"A conspicuous quality in the Dodson character was its genuineness: its vices and virtues alike were phases of a proud, honest egoism, which had a hearty dislike to whatever made against its own credit and interest, and would be frankly hard of inconvenient ‘kin,’ but would never forsake or ignore them- would not let them want bread, but only require them to eat it with bitter herbs.† It’s pretty easy to identify â€Å"eat it with bitter herbs† as figurative if you are familiar with the allusion to â€Å"bitter herbs† which symbolize the slavery of the Israelites in Egypt in the Jewish tradition. If you don’t know that, you can still identify this as the figurative phrase because it seems more likely that this phrase is referring to feeding your ‘kin’ but shaming them for needing your help as opposed to actually feeding the hungry with bread and â€Å"bitter herbs.† (E) i s the correct answer. Example 2: Interpreting Figurative Language Explanation: This questions asks you to interpret what the figurative phrase â€Å"that live tongue† means. To orient you in the poem, these stanzas are advising the prophet to â€Å"speak of the world’s own change† (13). The poem states, â€Å"What should we be without / The dolphin’s arc, the dove’s return, / these things in which we have seen ourselves and spoken? Ask us, prophet, how we shall call / our natures forth when that live tongue is all / Dispelled, that glass obscured or broken.† In the context of the poem, right the narrator asks what we are without â€Å"that live tongue,† the poem speaks of how we â€Å"see ourselves† in â€Å"the dolphin’s arc† and â€Å"the dove’s return.† These are images of nature. The best interpretation of â€Å"that live tongue,† then, is answer (A), as a metaphor for nature. In essence, the stanza means, â€Å"Ask us, prophet, how we shall know ourselves when nature is destroyed.† The dolphin's arc. 4. Literary Technique These questions ask why the author uses particular words, phrases, or structures. Essentially, what purpose do such choices serve in a literary sense? What effect is created? These questions often include words like â€Å"serves chiefly to,† â€Å"effect,† â€Å"evoke,† and â€Å"in order to.† Of course to approach these questions, re-read the part of the passage referred to. But also ask yourself, why did the author use these particular words or this particular structure? What is being accomplished by this specific literary â€Å"move†? Example: Explanation: This stanza containing the repetition of â€Å"ask us† reads: â€Å"Ask us, ask us whether with the worldless rose / Our hearts shall fail us; come demanding / Whether there shall be lofty or long-standing / When the bronze annals of the oak-tree close.† So what is the effect of repeating â€Å"ask us, ask us†? Choice (A) says it suggests the prophet is causing much of the world’s misery. There’s nothing in the stanza- or even the entire poem- to suggest this, so we can eliminate it. Choice (B) says it represents a sarcastic challenge. This stanza doesn’t read as sarcastic, though, but very serious- eliminate (B). Choice (C) says it suggests the speaker is certain of the answer the prophet will give. This doesn’t really make sense because the speaker isn’t actually asking the prophet questions, but telling the prophet what questions to ask. Eliminate (C). Choice (D) says it makes the line into perfect iambic pentameter. You can eliminate this one without even worrying about what syllables are emphasized because a perfect line of iambic pentameter has 10 syllables and this line has . This leaves (E)- the effect is to provide a â€Å"tone of imploring earnestness.† Given that the speaker seems to be begging the prophet to ask particular questions, this fits. (E) is the correct answer. 5. Character Analysis Character analysis questions will ask you to identify something about a character- their opinions, attitudes, beliefs, relationships with other characters, and so on. In many ways this is a special type of inference questions, because you are inferring broader traits of the character based on the evidence presented in the passage. As you might expect, character questions are asked much more frequently for prose passages than poetry ones. The key here is to pay attention to everything that is directly stated about the character(s) in the relevant parts of the passage. Like in an inference question, there will be an answer that best fits with the evidence in the passage. Example: Explanation: These lines read, â€Å"Their religion was of a simple, semi-pagan kind, but there was no heresy in it- if heresy properly means choice- for they didn’t know there was any other religion except that of chapel-goers, which appeared to run in families, like asthma.† Choice (A) purports that this part of the passage draws attention to the Dodson sisters’ devotion to certain rituals. No rituals are mentioned here; (A) can be eliminated. Choice (B) says these lines point to their â€Å"untroubled complacency.† The passage states that they didn’t know of any other religion. If they don’t know, we can reasonably infer that they are not troubled by their own religion. Keep (B) in the running. Choice (C) purports they have â€Å"deep religious conviction.† This seems like a bit of a leap; all the passage really states is that their religions if â€Å"semi-pagan,† but not heretical because they simply don’t know any other religion other than â€Å"chapel-goers† which seems to be tied to family lineage. We can’t reasonably infer that they have strong religious conviction from this. Eliminate (C). Choice (D) states that they have â€Å"disturbed consciences.† Again, nothing in the passage makes this a reasonable conclusion; if they don’t know there could be other religious traditions, why would they be disturbed by their own? Choice (E) says they have a â€Å"sense of history and tradition.† This might be a tempting choice because they point to the fact that the religion of â€Å"chapel-goers...appeared to run in families.† But that’s not their religion, so this isn’t a well-supported inference. Thus, Choice (B) provides the most reasonable inference about the Dodson sisters and is the correct answer. Quite a character. 6. Overall Passage Questions These questions will require you to take a â€Å"bird’s-eye view† of the passage and identify or describe a characteristic of the passage as a whole: its purpose, tone, genre, and so on. These can be difficult because you can’t simply go back to a specific place in the passage to find the best answer; you need to consider the passage overall. Consider the overall picture created by the tiny details. I strongly recommend marking up texts for main themes, purpose, tone, etc on the first read-through so that you can consult your margin notations for these kinds of questions. Example: Explanation: It is clear through even a quick scan of this passage that the narrator goes on at length about the Dodsons, so we can surmise that the narrator is most concerned with something about the Dodsons. We can eliminate (B) and (C), then, as they don’t say anything about the Dodsons. So what about the Dodsons is the narrator most concerned with? The first sentence mentions their â€Å"religious and moral ideas,† but then describes their â€Å"semi-pagan† but not heretical religion. We then see â€Å"the religion of the Dodsons consisted in revering whatever was customary and respectable† (22-23), followed by a long list of what that is. The rest of the passage similarly describes what the Dodsons believe is important, from being â€Å"richer than was supposed† to doing right thing â€Å"towards kindred.† It is clear, then, that the narrator is most concerned with describing the values of the Dodsons, which aligns with choice (A). 7. Structure These questions ask about specific structural elements of the passage. Often you’ll be asked about shifts in tone, digressions, or the specific form of a poem.Sometimes these questions will point to a specific part of the passage/poem and ask you to identify what that part of the passage is accomplishing within in the larger excerpt. This is another question type where marking the passage on your first read-through will be very helpful- be sure to mark any shifts in structure, tone, genre, etc as you read, and any structural elements that seem unusual or significant. Example: Explanation: Lines 1-34 describe an image of the narrator playing his lute for his love. Lines 34-43 establish that the narrator is about to introduce an idle thought (yes, this is a loquacious poem). Lines 44-48 read: â€Å"And what if all of animated nature / Be but organic Harps diversely fram’d, / That tremble into thought, as o’er them sweeps / Plastic and vast, one intellectual breeze, / At once the Soul of each, and God of all?† So what’s the narrator saying here? He is wondering if â€Å"all of animated nature† (so all living things) are just harps, and thought is the strings being played. This is clearly metaphorical, and the third footnote for the passage tells us that â€Å"lute† is a synonym for â€Å"harp.† So the answer is (D)- this part of the passage functions as a â€Å"metaphorical application of the image of the lute.† It's a harp! No, it's a lute! No, it's both! 8. Grammar/Nuts Bolts Very rarely, you will be asked a question on the grammar of a part of a passage- like identifying what word an adjective is modifying. Very specific questions about the meter of a poem (i.e. iambic pentameter) would also fall into this category. These questions are not so much about literary artistry and more about the dry technique requisite for a fluent command of the English language. Example: Explanation: The section of the poem concerned reads, â€Å"Of yonder hill I stretch my limbs at noon, / Whilst through my half-clos’d eye-lids I behold / The sunbeams dance, like diamond, on the main, / And tranquil muse upon tranquility.† What a mouthful! If we can untangle this sentence, figuring out what â€Å"tranquil† is modifying will be fairly easy. First, though, we can eliminate all answers that call â€Å"tranquil† an adverb, because the adverb form of â€Å"tranquil† is â€Å"tranquilly.† Eliminate (B) and (E). In the sentence, we have that the speaker (â€Å"I†) is beholding the sunbeams dancing. Then we have â€Å"and† followed by another verb in â€Å"muse.† How do we know â€Å"muse† is a verb here? Because otherwise the clause â€Å"and tranquil muse upon tranquility† has no verb and makes no sense. Since â€Å"muse† is a verb, it can’t be modified by an adjective, so eliminate choice (D). This leaves (A) and (C). Does it make sense for â€Å"sunbeams† to muse upon tranquility? Not particularly; it makes much more sense for the speaker (I) to muse upon tranquility. Choice (A) is the correct answer. So are these sunbeams dancing? How to Prepare for AP Literature Multiple Choice I have several tips on how you can best position yourself for success on the AP Lit multiple-choice section. Read a Variety of Literary Works and Poems Because the passages on the AP Literature multiple-choice section come from a variety of eras, genres, authors, and styles, it’s important to familiarize yourself with a wide variety of English literary styles so that you will feel comfortable with the passages and able to parse what they are saying without becoming overwhelmed. So read a lot of everything: prose of course, but poetry in particular, as many students are less familiar with poetry already and poetry can be fairly opaque and hard to analyze. As a starting place for things you could read, see my ARTICLE ON BOOKS. When you start to feel comfortable with the language of many eras and styles, it’s time to work on honing your close-reading skills. Hone Your Close Reading Skills Your ability to read closely- to read passages not just for comprehension but with an eye for how the author uses literary technique- is paramount on the multiple-choice section. You will practice on close-reading prose and poetry in class, but extra practice can only help you. So when you’re doing all of your reading from different eras and genres, think about what the author is doing and why he or she is doing it. What techniques are being deployed? What motifs and themes are there? How are characters portrayed? If you’re stumped as to how to go about this, here are some prose close-reading resources: You can get close-reading guides online from The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s writing center and the Harvard College Writing Center. The Purdue OWL also has an article on steering clear of close-reading â€Å"pitfalls.† Here are some close-reading resources for poetry: Here’s a poetry reading guide from The University of Wisconsin-Madison. You should definitely check out this truly excellent guide to reading poetry from Poets.org, which comes complete with two poetry close-readings. Learn Literary and Poetic Devices You’ll want to be familiar with a literary terms so that any questions that ask about them will make sense to you. Again, you’ll probably learn most of these in class, but it doesn’t hurt to brush up on them. Here are some comprehensive lists of literary terms with definitions: About.com Literary Glossary Literary-Devices.Com list, which even has examples! Complete Practice Questions and Take Practice Multiple-Choice Sections To succeed on the multiple-choice section, practice taking multiple-choice questions! This may seem like a no-brainer but it’s still very important nonetheless. Set aside time to take a sizeable number of practice questions every week. Keep track of what kinds of questions are easy for you- do you identify the theme every time?- and which ones are hard- stumped by similes? This will help you figure out if there are any skills or concepts you need to brush up on. You should also take a complete multiple-choice practice section at least once, twice if you are able. You could do this as part of a complete practice test (which I recommend) or do it separately. But taking a multiple-choice section under AP-like conditions will help you feel prepared, calm and collected on test day. As prepared as a Regency belle who has snagged an officer! AP Literature Multiple-Choice Practice Resources There are a variety of practice resources available that you can use to hone your multiple-choice skills for the AP English Literature and Composition exam. The gold standard for the best multiple-choice practice questions is the College Board. This is because they write the AP exam, so their practice questions are the most like the real AP multiple-choice questions you’ll see on test day. They offer both complete released exams and sample questions. Even once you run out of official College Board practice questions, there are still unofficial resources you can use to hone your multiple-choice skills. In this section I’ll go over both. Official Resources See below for three potential sources of official College Board questions. Released College Board Exams There are two official released College Board Exams. Each have a complete multiple-choice section of 55 questions. Here are the links! 1987 AP English Literature and Composition Exam 1999 AP English Literature and Composition Exam Sample Questions from the Course and Exam Description The AP English Literature Course and Exam Description has 46 practice multiple-choice questions! Your Teacher Your AP teacher may also have copies of old AP exams that you can use for practice. Ask him and see! In my mind, all English teachers look like they came from the 19th century. Unofficial Resources In addition to the multiple-choice practice questions provided by the College Board, there are also several places online where you can get unofficial multiple-choice practice questions. However, they aren’t all worth your time in terms of quality. I’ll go over the best ones here. For an even more robust list, check out our complete list. Barron’s Books Free Practice Test Barron’s offers a complete free practice test with multiple-choice and free response. So, that’s 55 questions at your disposal! There’s a timed mode and an untimed â€Å"practice† mode. The author and name of the work is provided for each passage, but not the date. You won’t have the author/title on the actual exam; I suspect that many free resources give this information to you for copyright reasons.Overall, the questions are high-quality and this is a good option when your well of official multiple-choice practice questions has run dry. McGraw-Hill AP Diagnostic Quiz McGraw-Hill has a 25-question multiple-choice â€Å"diagnostic quiz† for the AP English Literature exam. The questions are difficult and are pretty good imitations of AP questions. You may even be able to get more than 25 questions out of this site because every time you open a new test window, you’ll receive 25 randomly selected questions from their question pool.One slightly annoying thing to note if you use this resource is that the passages open in another window.As with the Barron’s test, you will receive the author and the title for each passage. You will not, however, recieve an atmospheric picture of the setting. Another solid option for getting more practice multiple-choice questions is a good review book. You want to make sure it’s high quality- I recommend Barron’s for the AP Literature exam in particular, as their questions do resemble real AP questions in difficulty and writing style. Test Day Tips for AP Lit Multiple-Choice Success Don’t rely on your memory of the passage when answering questions. Always look back at the passage, even if you think the answer is obvious! Interact with the passages- circle, mark, underline, make notes, whatever floats your boat. This will help you retain information and actively engage with the passage. Especially mark areas where there seems to be some kind of transition or change, as it’s highly likely that you will be asked questions about these transitions! It may also be helpful for you to jot some quick notes on the overall theme or motif of the passage/poem once you reach the end. This will help you on questions about the passage overall. If you’re having trouble making sense of a passage, skip it and move on to the next one. Odds are when you come back to it later, you’ll find it much easier to understand. And if you don’t, at least you didn’t waste too much time puzzling it out before you answered the questions about other, easier passages. Acing the AP Lit Multiple Choice: Key Takeaways The first section of the AP English Literature and Composition Exam is an hour-long, 55-question multiple-choice test about four-five literary and prose passages. This section is worth 45% of your total exam score. There are eight kinds of questions you can expect to see on the multiple-choice section: Reading Comprehension Inference Identifying and Interpreting Figurative Language Literary Technique Character Analysis Overall Passage Questions Structure Grammar/Nuts and Bolts Here’s how to best prepare to crush the multiple-choice sections: Read a variety of literary works and poems, from all of the eras and genres covered by the test! Hone your close-reading skills so you can identify what writers are doing and why they are doing those things. Learn literary techniques and terms and how to identify and apply them! Practice for the exam by taking practice sections and practice questions. There are a variety of official and unofficial resources available to practice. The best are College-Board official, but once you run out of those, there are also high-quality unofficial resources available. Here are some test-day tips to help you hit an English Lit home run: Always look back at the passage when answering questions- don’t rely on memory! Interact with the passages as you read through them, including marking significant moments and structural or tonal shifts in the text. You may also wish to write a couple of quick notes about the overall theme(s) and motifs of the passage at the end, to refer to when answering overall passage questions. If the language of a passage is hard to parse, skip it and come back later. Odds are it will make much more sense the second time around, and if it doesn’t, at least you didn’t waste time that you could have spent answering easier questions. And then you lived happily ever after. What's Next? Need more resources for AP English Literature? See our complete guide to the AP Literature Exam, our complete list of AP English Literature practice tests, and our AP English Literature Reading List. Also taking AP Language and Composition? We have an expert guide to AP Lang and Comp, a comprehensive list of AP Language and Composition practice tests, and a list of 55 AP English Language terms you must know. If you're taking other AP exams, check out our five-step AP study plan, when to start studying for AP exams, and how to find the best AP practice tests. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Free Essays on The Use Of The Supernatural In Macbeth

In the play "Macbeth†, there were many interesting sections that could be concentrated on due to the suspense and the involvement of the supernatural. The use of the supernatural in the witches, the visions, the ghost, and the apparitions is a key element in making the concept of the play work and in making the play interesting. Looking through each Act and Scene of the play, it is noticed that the supernatural is definitely a major factor on the play's style. The use of the supernatural occurs at the beginning of the play, with three witches predicting the fate of Macbeth. This gives the audience a clue to what the future holds for Macbeth. "When the battles lost and won" (Act I, Scene I, l.4) was said by the second witch. It says that every battle is lost by one side and won by another. Macbeth's fate is that he will win the battle, but will lose his time of victory for the battle of his soul. After the prophecies of the witches' revealed the fate of Macbeth, the plan in which to gain power of the throne is brought up. The only way to gain power of the throne was for Macbeth to work his way to the throne, or to murder King Duncan. Murdering the king was an easier plan since the motivation in his dreams urged him on. Lady Macbeth also relied on the supernatural by her soliloquy of calling upon the evil spirits to give her the power to plot the murder of Duncan without any remorse or conscience (Act I, Scene V, ll.42-57). The three sisters are capable of leading people into danger resulting in death, such as the sailor who never slept (Act I, Scene III, ll.1-37). Lady Macbeth has convinced her husband Macbeth to murder King Duncan. On the night they planned to kill Duncan, Macbeth is waiting for Lady Macbeth to ring the signal bell to go up the stairs to Duncan's chamber. He sees the vision of the floating dagger. The interest of the dagger is that it... Free Essays on The Use Of The Supernatural In Macbeth Free Essays on The Use Of The Supernatural In Macbeth In the play "Macbeth†, there were many interesting sections that could be concentrated on due to the suspense and the involvement of the supernatural. The use of the supernatural in the witches, the visions, the ghost, and the apparitions is a key element in making the concept of the play work and in making the play interesting. Looking through each Act and Scene of the play, it is noticed that the supernatural is definitely a major factor on the play's style. The use of the supernatural occurs at the beginning of the play, with three witches predicting the fate of Macbeth. This gives the audience a clue to what the future holds for Macbeth. "When the battles lost and won" (Act I, Scene I, l.4) was said by the second witch. It says that every battle is lost by one side and won by another. Macbeth's fate is that he will win the battle, but will lose his time of victory for the battle of his soul. After the prophecies of the witches' revealed the fate of Macbeth, the plan in which to gain power of the throne is brought up. The only way to gain power of the throne was for Macbeth to work his way to the throne, or to murder King Duncan. Murdering the king was an easier plan since the motivation in his dreams urged him on. Lady Macbeth also relied on the supernatural by her soliloquy of calling upon the evil spirits to give her the power to plot the murder of Duncan without any remorse or conscience (Act I, Scene V, ll.42-57). The three sisters are capable of leading people into danger resulting in death, such as the sailor who never slept (Act I, Scene III, ll.1-37). Lady Macbeth has convinced her husband Macbeth to murder King Duncan. On the night they planned to kill Duncan, Macbeth is waiting for Lady Macbeth to ring the signal bell to go up the stairs to Duncan's chamber. He sees the vision of the floating dagger. The interest of the dagger is that it...

How to Conjugate Raser (to Shave)

How to Conjugate Raser (to Shave) The French verb raser means to shave, but it specifically refers to shaving someone else. To say youre shaving yourself, youd use the reflexive se raser. How to Conjugate Raser Raser is a regular -er verb, which makes learning to conjugate it very simple. Remove the infinitive ending from the verb to determine the stem, which in this case is ras-. You complete the conjugation by adding the ending appropriate of the subject pronoun and the tense in use. See the tables below for simple conjugations of raser. Present Future Imperfect Present participle je rase raserai rasais rasant tu rases raseras rasais il rase rasera rasait nous rasons raserons rasions vous rasez raserez rasiez ils rasent raseront rasaient Subjunctive Conditional Pass simple Imperfect subjunctive je rase raserais rasai rasasse tu rases raserais rasas rasasses il rase raserait rasa rast nous rasions raserions rasmes rasassions vous rasiez raseriez rastes rasassiez ils rasent raseraient rasrent rasassent Imperative (tu) rase (nous) rasons (vous) rasez How to Use Raser in the Past Tense The most common way to use a verb in the past tense is to use the passà © composà ©. This compound tense requires an auxiliary verb and a past participle to form the conjugation. Raser requires the auxiliary verb avoir and the past participle rasà ©. However, when using the reflexive se raser, the auxiliary verb is à ªtre (all reflexive verbs use à ªtre when forming the passà © composà ©). For example: Linfirmià ¨re lui a rasà ©.The nurse shaved him. Il sest rasà © avant le diner.He shaved before dinner.

Charlotte Beers at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide - the Evaluation of Thei Essay

Charlotte Beers at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide - the Evaluation of Their Organizational Structure - Essay Example However, in case of firms that already have a history within the market, like Ogilvy & Mather, the evaluation of their organizational structure should be based on a series of additional criteria, like the response of the firm to any turbulence occurred in the local and the international market, its readiness to confront any challenge related to the customer needs and preferences and its profitability since its establishment (at an average level). In the above context, the evaluation of Ogilvy & Mather organizational structure should be based on the views of the literature (primarily); additional criteria (like the firm’s decisions on specific issues related with the daily corporate activities could be also taken into consideration). It would be very important – in any case – to highlight the particular aspects of the organizational culture that acted as potential barriers to the implementation of strategies and plans that could help towards the improvement of the corporate performance (referring mostly to the Worldwide Client Service and the Brand Stewardship vision). In modern firms, the evaluation and analysis of organizational structure usually begin from the workplace, in terms of the distribution of roles and the performance of employees taking into account the market conditions, the needs of the customers and the level of support offered by the local government. On the other hand, it is clear that organizational structure (in all its aspects) had to be differentiated compared to the past in order to meet the needs of a modern market. towards this direction, it is suggested by Burke (1976) that within modern firms the following sectors have presented significant differentiation: ‘value shifts, expanded technology and theory, modifications in OD (organizational development) strategy, and a growing legitimization of OD (organizational development) as a field; it is argued that the development of OD has been adaptive rather than deliberate and planned’ (Burke, 1976, 22).  Ã‚  

Aiming Toward A Hydrogen Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Aiming Toward A Hydrogen Economy - Essay Example Thus, when discussing the strength, weakness, opportunities and threats of the hydrogen fuel technology enthusiastically researched and developed in Iceland, the inevitability of the political, economical, social and technological implications continue to remain unabated at each step and level although their form may differ from country to country and region to region, depending on each country's political, economical, social and technological status, political system and relationship with the world community. (China Energy Industry - PEST Framework Analysis) The main advantages of using Iceland as base for Hydrogen Fuel Technology are her abundant natural resources, her desire to appropriate technology to tap her resources through research and development without upsetting her ecological and environmental balance, and her potential to return to her pristine, original and idyllic landscapes through sustained innovation and tie up with major energy corporations such as Shell, DaimlerChrysler, etc. Till the 1970s, Iceland was dependent on whatever energy she could muster from fossil fuel her lackluster economy could afford. The shift to Hydrogen fuel energy brought about a sea change economically, socially and corporately. It not only catapulted Iceland as a case study of immense potential and promise for other nations to emulate but also rejuvenated the nation's economy and social scenario. (Ken Mark and Jordon Mitchell, p12) Iceland's proximity to affluent Western European nations, as also its own skilled and dedicated human resource provides it the potential to harness the latest and the best in terms of human skills and technological resources. With this proven record of pollution-free energy use Iceland's credentials as trend-setter in the important energy sector can only grow from strength to strength in the international arena. Weakness Despite Iceland's success with Hydrogen fuel technology, a universal change over to this form of energy is not viable as of now. Globally, hydrogen fuel technology is in its infancy and the world has a long way to go before its usage could be made safe and cost-effective enough for the end-user to switch over to the same extent as in the case of Iceland. It is difficult and unsafe to store hydrogen in gaseous form. In its independent state, hydrogen burns out. In its liquefied form it is necessary to keep it at -217C. It is not possible to store and distribute hydrogen fuel in the existing infrastructure. A new infrastructure has to be created for its storage and distribution. Geothermal production of hydrogen is not possible

The Global Service Sector Enterprises Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Global Service Sector Enterprises - Essay Example There was rapid agricultural and industrial development which was facilitated by the rich reserve of natural resources in the country. In the past few decades, Australia has established itself as an advanced economy and a strong competitor in the international market for goods and services. In the last century, Australia has been named one of the fastest developing economies among the OECD countries. The economic reforms made in the country during the 1980s are a major reason behind such brilliant performance by the economy. It ranks high in the international standards in the indices measuring human development, life expectancy, public literacy level and preservation of fundamental rights of the people. Australia has a non-permanent membership in the United Nations for the year 2013-2014 and is a member of the World Trade Organization since 1995 (Security Council Report, 2012). PESTLE Analysis Several factors originate and exist in the macro scenario of an economy that affects the op erations of the business organizations of the economy. Changes in tax structures, trade barriers, change in government policy, demographic changes and a multitude of new laws implemented as a result of all these changes form parts of the macro-environmental change (Morrison, 2011). We shall use the PESTEL model to analyse these changes in the context of Australia and determine the factors that act as drivers of small and medium enterprises within the country. POLITICAL FACTORS Political factors relates to the extent to which the government interferes into the matters of the economy. The government of Australia is also known as â€Å"the Commonwealth Government† or â€Å"the federal government† (Australia, n.d.). The government body has three divisions; the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. The constitution makes no reference to any political party so as to allow the legislature to operate smoothly. Although government policies are a very practical method of affecting business practices directly, they are not always appropriate or effective (The Allen Consulting Group, 2008). Government intervention The Australian Government launches programs from time to time which are aimed at improving the environment for SMEs, promoting their growth and increasing employment levels (The Allen Consulting Group, 2008). It provides grants to the enterprises for developing employee skill and provides support in project planning. It provides advisory support to entrepreneurs for the starting of home-based business and expanding them. However, there are several government policies and regulations which are acting as barriers to business development of the SMEs. The government is taking steps to reduce such regulations and encouraging local governments to help small firms in reducing compliance costs (The Allen Consulting Group, 2008). Consumer protection Rights of the consumers in Australia are protected with utmost sincerity. There is a single consumer law applicable for the entire nation. â€Å"The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission† (Australian government, n.d.) formed in 1995 has the responsibility to look after trade practices, prices and overall consumer benefit. The provision of consumer security makes Australia a safe ground for business activities

Critical Reflection Journal. Teachers and activism Essay

Critical Reflection Journal. Teachers and activism - Essay Example The second question illustrates the types of changes realized due to activism; for example, social equality in education process. 1) What is the impact of activism in education sector? 2) What are the categories of changes realized by education activism? Indeed, this article is quite informative. It has equipped me with lots of information about the development and roles of activism in the education sector. Besides, it has enabled me to know much about the reforms that still need to be introduced in education so as to make it accomplish its role of bringing social order in the society. As explained by the author, such transformations are necessary because of â€Å"our changing notions of freedom and the changing relationship between individuals and society and between individuals and government† (p65). During most of the twentieth century â€Å"social democratic liberalism became increasingly dominant as workers, women, and people of color pushed for and were able to extend their personal and political† interest (p 63). Activism has two major applications in the education sector. The first application involves enhancing equality in the education sector. All students must be treated equally, in terms of resource allocation, and instructional processes. Secondly, activism improves the relevance of education objectives and activities in the society. The education curriculum must aim at ensuring the people become self reliant. This is through acquisition of appropriate skills, knowledge and experience. The three critical questions for understanding education activism involve: What is the effectiveness of the education reforms? What is the opinion of the teachers and related education stakeholders on the illustrated education concept? What is the opinion of the parents on the new education concept? The research of the study

Japans Cultural Analysis through Hofstedes Dimensions Term Paper

Japans Cultural Analysis through Hofstedes Dimensions - Term Paper Example However, Japanese are still less hierarchical than their Asian counterparts and believe in joint decision making to some extent (Geert Hofstede n.d). Individualism/collectivism: this dimension measures the extent of â€Å"I† or â€Å"We† prevailing in the society. In Japan, collectivism is at a high which characterizes harmony, coordination, group efforts, consensus and mutual sharing. Japanese are, however, less collectivist than Chinese. Masculinity/femininity: this dimension tells about quality vs. quantity of life preferred by people in a society. Japan depicts a very high score of 95 which means Japanese are highly masculine- they prefer success, ambitions, competition, and excellence over coordination, consensus, care and overall quality of life (Geert Hofstede n.d). Uncertainty avoidance: future is unknown. Uncertainty avoidance measures whether people in a society try to bind it or let it happen the way it is supposed to. Japan is one of the nations having the highest score of uncertainty avoidance. Japanese tend to control the future through planning, precautions, and regulations and are always wary of the unknown. They study and analyze risk factors in great detail before commencing upon anything. Long-term/short-term orientation: it is a time-based point-of-view towards the achievement of goals and results. Japanese score 80 here which means they are long-term oriented and invest heavily in real-estate and properties to secure their future. They believe in virtues, steadiness of results over time and generations serving the society at large. Canada, unlike Japan, is a country with lower PDI score which means inequalities in power distribution are perceived lesser than that of Japan’s. People respect the status and authority and accept the distribution (Geert Hofstede n.d). Canadians are relaxed when ambiguities and uncertainties are talked of. They suit their laws and regulations with the situations and do not panic; unlike Japanese who always carry a detailed list of rules and risks before doing anything.

Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Project - Research Paper Example Technology is the main tool used in this trend and this makes it possible for a multinational company carry out its activities with ease (Steers et al, 2010). ADNOC since it is an international company needs to install and run with the latest technological infrastructures in order to embrace the technological supply chain. The other trend that is noticeable in EAU’s oil industry is the use of technology to come up with innovations. Companies that have used technology as a tool for innovation have gained a competitive edge over the others in the industry. A notable innovation in the oil industry is the wrapping together of cloud computing, data management and mobility, which is useful for the easy running and closing deals by companies (Steers et al, 2010). ADNOC should recruit a team purposely meant to come up with innovations that would give the company some advantage over its rivals. Another trend that is in the EAU’s oil industry is the challenges posed by lack of experienced and talented workforce. The main course for this loss is the retirement of the old workers who had the expertise of how things operated in the industry. The research conducted on the industry revealed that close to 90% of the officials running the different companies are senior workers. ADNOC needs to appoint a few young people in the senior positions to help them acquire the experience needed to run the company (Steers, et al, 2010).. APCO consultancy is one of the newly operating companies in Middle East having been established in the area in 2007. The company has however become a success with its services of advising the international and local clients on several issues that are critical to the growth and success of their successes (Carland & Faber, 2008). Some of its diverse services include crisis management, government

Japans Cultural Analysis through Hofstedes Dimensions Term Paper

Japans Cultural Analysis through Hofstedes Dimensions - Term Paper Example However, Japanese are still less hierarchical than their Asian counterparts and believe in joint decision making to some extent (Geert Hofstede n.d). Individualism/collectivism: this dimension measures the extent of â€Å"I† or â€Å"We† prevailing in the society. In Japan, collectivism is at a high which characterizes harmony, coordination, group efforts, consensus and mutual sharing. Japanese are, however, less collectivist than Chinese. Masculinity/femininity: this dimension tells about quality vs. quantity of life preferred by people in a society. Japan depicts a very high score of 95 which means Japanese are highly masculine- they prefer success, ambitions, competition, and excellence over coordination, consensus, care and overall quality of life (Geert Hofstede n.d). Uncertainty avoidance: future is unknown. Uncertainty avoidance measures whether people in a society try to bind it or let it happen the way it is supposed to. Japan is one of the nations having the highest score of uncertainty avoidance. Japanese tend to control the future through planning, precautions, and regulations and are always wary of the unknown. They study and analyze risk factors in great detail before commencing upon anything. Long-term/short-term orientation: it is a time-based point-of-view towards the achievement of goals and results. Japanese score 80 here which means they are long-term oriented and invest heavily in real-estate and properties to secure their future. They believe in virtues, steadiness of results over time and generations serving the society at large. Canada, unlike Japan, is a country with lower PDI score which means inequalities in power distribution are perceived lesser than that of Japan’s. People respect the status and authority and accept the distribution (Geert Hofstede n.d). Canadians are relaxed when ambiguities and uncertainties are talked of. They suit their laws and regulations with the situations and do not panic; unlike Japanese who always carry a detailed list of rules and risks before doing anything.

The Top Ten Major Trading Partners of the United States Assignment

The Top Ten Major Trading Partners of the United States - Assignment Example Ford Motor Company greatly value international business. The company is present on five continents; North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Europe. Therefore, it is a multinational company with global interests. The foreign operations of the company are increasing. The percentage of sales export has increased from 45% in 2013 to 50% in 2014. Despite the international economic recession, the sales of products from Ford Motor Company have increased. Walt Disney Company values global business. The entertainment services and related products provided by the company are utilized globally, in almost all countries. Entertainment services offered by the company are commonplace in households across the globe. The increase in foreign operations of the Walt Disney Company is attributed to the increased foreign investments, especially in the areas of amusement and recreational parks. The sales of entertainment products have also improved globally, with the 2014 value being the highest at 54.16B. The foreign operations of General Electric Company have improved as illustrated through the foreign sales operations from 46% to 53% in 2014. The diversified product portfolio of the company has improved presence in almost all developed economies. Unilever Company is a multinational with a presence in over 190 countries. This is because their consumable products are utilized by the citizens of all countries. The export sales have increased by 57% in 2014. The increase in foreign operations is illustrated through the net income earned from foreign operations, which grew to 63% of the total net income in 2014.

Fourty famous studies that influeneced psychology Essay Example for Free

Fourty famous studies that influeneced psychology Essay Born First, Born Smarter This study involves a persons intellectual development in correlation to the order in which they were born in relation to their siblings. Two research psychologists, Robert B. Zajonc and Gregory B. Markus, developed a theory in an attempt to explain the relationship between birth order and intelligence. They conducted this study by gathering information from previous research and applied it to the data they collected themselves. A research project was conducted n the late 1960s that involved testing the intellectual abilities of children born at the end of WWII. They found a strong relationship between the birth order and the Raven test scores. The ones born first scored higher, and the score decreased with the declining birth order. However, the average Raven score for the first born in a two family is only about 5 points higher then that for a last born in a family with nine children. So the more children you have, and the smaller the gap between each child is, the more intelligent each child in succession will be. In Control and Glad of It Researchers Ellen J. Langer and Judith Rodin conducted a field experiment using elderly people in an elderly home to test the outcome of when people are given control as opposed to when people have everything done for them. Langer and Rodins prediction was that if the loss of personal responsibility for ones life causes a person to be less happy and healthy, then increasing control and power should have the opposite effect. Two floors of the elderly home were randomly selected to be observed. One floor was given options for certain things such as there furniture arrangement and which movie they would like to attend. The other floor, was given no such options and had everything arranged and done for them by the staff. The staff was asked to fill out questionnaires about the patients on their floor (the staff new nothing of the experiment). The questionnaires had questions on it to comment about things such as if the patents were sociable, happy, alert, and even how much they visited other patients. The differences between the two groups were incredible. They determined that overall, the increased responsibility groups condition improved over the three weeks of  the study, while the no-control group was doing progressively poorer. They concluded that when people who have been forced to give up their control and decision-making power are given a greater sense of personal responsibility, their lives and attitudes improve, as is true with the opposing side. More Experience = Bigger Brain Mark R. Rosenzweig and Edward L. Bennett wanted to find out if the brain changes in response to experience. Because this experiment involved long periods of observation and even autopsies to observe the changes in the brain, the two researchers couldnt use human subjects, so they used rats for the experiment. Three male rats where chosen to participate and assigned to one of three conditions. One rat remained in the colony cage with the rest of the colony. One rat was placed in an enriched environment and one was placed in an impoverished environment. There were 12 rats in each of these conditions for each of the 16 experiments. The standard cage had many rats and had adequate space with food and water always available. The improvised environment was a slightly smaller cage, isolated in a separate room, where the rat was alone with adequate food and water. Finally, the enriched environment was a large cage filled with many toys and furnished with every luxury a rat could want. The results indicated that the brains of the enriched rats were highly different from those of the impoverished rats. The cerebral cortex of the enriched rats was significantly heavier and thicker then those of the impoverished rats. Also, the study found a significantly greater number of glial cells in the enriched rats brains compared with the rats raised in the dull environment. After 10 years of experiment and research the researchers could clearly and confidently state that there is no doubt that many aspects of brain anatomy and brain chemistry are changed by experience. However, many scientists were skeptical of there findings because there were factors that Rosenzweig and Bennett didnt take into consideration. The enriched rats were handled more which could have been a brain stimulus and the impoverished rats could have been stressed from having no contact with anyone or anything at all. See AggressionDo Aggression One of he most famous and influential experiment ever conducted in psychology history demonstrated how children learn to be aggressive. This study by Albert Bandura and his associates Dorothea Ross and Shelia Ross was carried out in 1961 at Stanford University. The researchers asked for the help of the Stanford University nursery in obtaining thirty-six boys and thirty-six girls raging from ages 3-6. The average age for he children was 4 years and 4 months. Twenty four of the children were assigned to the control group which was the group that wasnt exposed to any model. The rest of the children were divided into two groups: one exposed to aggressive models and one exposed to non-aggressive models, they were also divided by sex. They eventually had 8 experimental groups divided by gender and level of aggression. First, the experimenter brought a child from one of the groups to a playroom with an adult model. The adult model beat a Bobo doll with a fake mallet while the child played with other toys. Another child was brought in after and the adult model ignored the Bobo doll. This went on for all the groups. 1) The children who were exposed to the violent models tended to imitate the exact violent behaviors they observed when left alone with the Bobo doll. 2) Overall, girls were more likely to imitate the verbal aggression toward the Bobo doll, while the boys showed more physical violence. 3) Boys were significantly more physically aggressive then girls in nearly all the conditions. 4) The boys used the mallet significantly more then girls in almost all of the conditions. 5) The control group was generally less violent then the experimental group.6) in cases with a non-aggressive female, the children used hardly any aggressive language. What You Expect Is What You Get This study involves teachers expectancies of pupils and how that affects the students I.Q. gains. Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson conducted a study where they theorized that when an elementary school teacher is provided with information (such as I.Q. scores) that creates certain expectancies about a students potential, either strong or weak, the teacher might unknowingly behave in ways that subtly encourage or facilitate the performance of the students seen as more likely to succeed. An elementary school was chosen and  all the children grades 1-6 were given an I.Q. test near the beginning of the year. The teachers were told that there students were taking the Harvard Test of Inflected Acquisition. This was told to them because this test was supposed to be a predictor for a childs academic blooming. Teachers believed that students that scored higher would enter a period of increased learning abilities. This was also not true. Children were chosen at random to be within the top 20 percentile of this test and the teachers were informed of this. All other children were the control group of this experiment. At the end of the year the children were tested again using the I.Q. test and the children originally chosen for the top 20% showed a significantly increased score then those of the control group in grades one and two. In grades 3-6 the difference was not so great. The reason for the 1st and 2nd grade development was thought to be because of how younger minds were more malleable then older children and how younger children dont have a reputation from previous school years. I Can See It All Over Your Face Researchers Paul Ekman and Wallace V. Freisen conducted a study about how facial expressions and emotions are a universal language. The first problem with this experiment was that the researchers had to find subjects that had never been exposed to media or magazines because this would enable the subjects to not truthfully identify a certain emotional expression. Ekman and Freisen found a group of people like this in the Southeast Highlands of New Guinea called the Fore people. They were an isolated Stone Age society with not much contact of any other people outside there environment, let alone any media. They had not been exposed to emotional facial expressions other then those of there own people. The two researchers showed there experimental groups of adults and children pictures of different facial expressions of people from the United States and told them a sentence. They asked them to identify by pointing, to the correct matching facial expression. The adults were given three pictures to choose from and the children were given two. There was not much difference between male and female recognition of expressions, however the children did fair a little better in the experiment. This could have been attributed to the fact that  the children only had to choose between two pictures instead of three. The results for both adults and children clearly support the researchers theory that particular facial behaviors are universally associated with particular emotions. The only trouble that the Fore people had was distinguishing between fear and surprise, and this was because these people closely associated fear and surprise as one emotion. Racing Against Your Heart Using their earlier research and clinical observations, two cardiologists, Meyer Friedman and Ray H. Rosenman, developed a model of traits for a specific type of persons behavioral pattern that they believed was related to growing levels of cholesterol and to heart disease. The first pattern, pattern A, had characteristics such as a drive to achieve your goals, a competing personality, multi-tasking that involves meeting deadlines, and extreme alertness. Following this is another type of people, called pattern B. Pattern B is the exact opposite of pattern A. They lacked drive, ambition, desire to compete, and involvement in deadlines. A third set of behaviors developed was called pattern C. This was very much like pattern B but involved anxiety and insecurity. Friedman and Rosenman interviewed about 166 men for there experiment. They first questions they asked them were about there familys medical history, so they could see if they had CHD. While in this interview the researchers cat egorized each man into a pattern A or B category by the way he answered questions, or his tone, or body language. Each subject was asked to keep a log of there diet over the course of a week and blood tests were taken from each of the men to measure cholesterol levels. Friedman and Rosenman matched each man into pattern A and pattern B easily. Each man fit into one of the developed patterns. The researchers found that the men in Pattern A group had significantly higher chances of heart disease and that type A behavior was a major cause of blood abnormalities. However there could be other reasons why Type A had higher chances of heart disease such as, there familys history. More men in the pattern A group had parents with heart disease. Another difference was that pattern A men smoked more cigarettes a day then did the subjects in group B. This study was very important in the history of psychology for a few  reasons. One way was that it proved certain behavioral patterns can cause major heart related illness. Another is that this study began a new line of research and questioning into the relat ionship between behavior and CHD. The largest long-range outcome from this study that has played an important role in creating a new branch of psychology called health psychology. Not Practicing What You Preach This study involves attitudes and actions toward different racial groups. It was determine if what people say is actually what they will do if they come face to face with the problem. Richard T. LaPiere traveled extensively with a young Chinese couple in 1930 and 1931. The couple was very nice and personable and he was glad to be traveling with them. During this time there was a lot of prejudice in the U.S. against Asians. So, LaPiere was very surprised when the Asian couple was graciously accommodated at a very fine hotel that had a reputation for greatly disliking Orientals. Two months later he called the same hotel and asked if they would accommodate a very important Chinese man and they said defiantly not. LaPiere then developed a theory that stated What people say is often not what they do. The study was conducted in two separate parts. First, LaPiere went with his Chinese friends to many hotels and restaurant throughout the U.S. over the course of two years. He took record of how the couple was treated and made sure to first stay out of site of the managers of the establishments to ensure that the couple wouldnt be treated differently in his presence. The second part of the experiment was for LaPiere to wait 6 months after there trip (to make sure the effect of the Chinese couples visit had faded), and then call each establishment that they went to or stayed at, and asked them if they would accommodate a Chinese person. After almost three years, LaPiere had enough information to make a comparison of social attitudes social behavior. Out of the 251 hotels and restaurants they attended, only one refused the couple and LaPiere service because of the couples race. Aside from that instance, all other places accommodated them with average or above average service. When he received most of the letters back with an answer from the hotels and restaurants over 90% of them said they would absolutely not accommodate anyone of the Chinese race. This confirmed LaPieres theory that what people  say, is not always how they will act. The Power of Conformity Research psychologist Solomon E. Asch conducted a study to see if people will give into peer pressure and conform to there friends ideas. A person was let into a room (Subject A) with seven other subjects. These seven people, without subject A knowing, were not participants in the experiment, they were helping the experimenter. Each person was asked which line was longer on a card that was shown to them. Subject A went first and then followed was the seven other subjects and then subject A was asked again. They did this several times until one time, all the other subjects disagreed with subject A and all picked the same one, different form his choice. When the card came back to subject A he picked the one everyone else picked. Seventy-Five percent of the time the first subject will conform to the groups consensus at least once. The powerful effects of group pressures to conform were clearly demonstrated in Aschs study. There are four factors that could have an effect on the reduction of conformity. These factors are social support, attraction and commitment to the group, size of the group, and gender of the group. If you have people on your side you are more likely to stay with your answer rather then conform. Crowding Into The Behavioral Sink The effects of crowding on our behavior are something that has interested psychologists for decades. One man in particular, John B. Calhoun was especially interested in it when he conducted this study on crowding and social pathology. It may be hard to believe but rats do have a social side. The reason Calhoun used rats were because he needed many subjects for long periods of time that were willing to crowd together for a while. Humans wouldnt be very good at this. He used a 1014 foot room and divided it into 4 sections. Section one was connected to section 2 by a ramp, section 2 was connected to section 3 by a ramp, and section 3 was connected to section 4 by a ramp. The walls were electrified so in order to get from section 1 to section 4 you needed to go through all the rooms. The rooms were also filled  with shreds of paper, in order for the rats to make nests. The experimenter filled the rooms with rats. They started with about 4 rats and waited or the rats to multiply until they reached 80. When over 80 were reached some rats were removed so they always had a constant number. When the rats got older, they started to fight with each other for space even though it wasnt necessarily too crowded. The two end rooms were soon fought for because they got the most space and privacy so the rat that won the fight always stayed on guard at the end of the ramp for security. Some rats became submissive and others always fought. Some of the rats were very sexually active and some wanted nothing to do with it. Some of the mothers in the two middle pens became inadequate. They often left their children and lost all maternal abilities. One environment where the same thing that happened to the rats might happen to humans is in an overcrowded prison. It was found in a very crowded prison where each inmate has approximately 50 square feet, as opposed to one with more room, there were more cases of homicides, suicide, illness, and disciplinary problems. Crowding also has negative effects on problem-solving abilities. When in a small room thats crowded subjects had a more difficult time listening to a story and putting tighter a puzzle, then did another group with more space and the same tasks. Relaxing Your Fears Away Researcher Joseph Wolpe was a research psychologist specializing in the systematic desensitization treatment of neuroses. The word phobia comes from Phobos, the name of the Greek god of fear. Phobias are divided into three main categories. Simple phobias are phobias that involve irrational fears of animals or specific situations such as small spaces or heights. Social phobias are irrational fears about interaction with others. Agoraphobia is the irrational fear of being in an unfamiliar, open, or crowded space. These are all irrational and all can be treated in similar ways. Systematic desensitization is a behavioral technique that was credited to Wolpe as perfecting and applying it to the treatment of anxiety disorders. Systematic desensitization is the way of unlearning a learned behavior. Reciprocal inhibition is when two responses inhibit each other, and only one may exist at a given moment. There are three steps that a patient must follow in order  to rid themselves of a phobi a. Wolpe says that you cannot be in a complete relaxed state and have an irrational fear at the same time, so the first step is relaxation. He taught the patient to go into a deep state of relaxation whenever they wanted or needed too. The process involves tensing and relaxing your muscles until you have reached a state of complete relaxation. Wolpe also incorporated hypnosis to ensure full relaxation. The next step in the process is for the therapist and patient to develop a list of high anxiety-producing situations involving your phobia. Starting with the least stressful and ending with the most stressful. The final stage is called the unlearning stage. The patient has to go into a deep state of relaxation and the therapist will read off to you your fears of the list. If at any point you feel anxiety the therapist stops you return to your relaxation mode and the therapist will continue. This process continues until the therapist can go through the entire list with you feeling the least bit anxious. The success of their therapy was judged by the patients own reports and by the occasional direct observation. He had a success rate of 91% with the 39 cases he had. The average number of treatment sessions needed was 12.3. Wolpe said that he hasnt had any patient relapse after a complete desensitization recovery. Whos Crazy Here, Anyway? David L. Rosenhan conducted an experiment with sane people going into mental facilities claiming to hear voices, to see if the patients would be immediately released if acting completely sane. Rosenhan questioned whether the characteristics that lead to psychological diagnoses reside in the patients themselves or in the situations in which the observers find the patients. Eight subjects including Rosenhan committed themselves to eight different mental hospitals. Each subject was completely sane and in perfect mental health. When committing themselves to the hospital they complained of hearing voices and all but one where admitted and on record as having schizophrenia. Each patient once admitted, acted perfectly sane and showed no signs of schizophrenia yet were treated as though they did have a mental illness throughout their entire stay. They were given medication which they disposed of and were not treated as normal people. It was as if because they  were in the mental hospital, they were automatically considered to not be a real human being. Rosenhans study demonstrated rather strongly that normal patients cannot be distinguished from the mentally ill in a hospital setting. According to Rosenhan, this is because of the strength of the mental setting has over the patients actual behavior. Once patients are admitted to such a place, there is a strong inclination for them to be viewed in ways that strip them of all individuality. This study surprises me. Im taken aback that these professionals that have worked with mentally ill patients cannot decipher between a truly mental patient and a completely mentally-healthy patient. It is extremely unprofessional that the staff member/nurse did at one of the facilities by adjusting her bra in front of patients as if they werent real people. Thanks For The Memories One of the leading researchers in the area of memory is Elizabeth Loftus at the University of Washington. She has found that when an event is recalled it is not accurately recreated. Instead its whats called reconstructive memory. Loftus defines a presupposition as a condition that must be true in order for the question to make sense. For example, suppose that you have witnessed an automobile accident and I ask you, How many people were in the car that was speeding? The question presupposes that the car was speeding. One experiment done by Loftus was having students in small groups watch a car accident video that was about 1 minute long. After the film ended the students had to answer questions. For half the students the first question was How fast was car A going when it ran the stop sign? The other students had a question that read How fast was car A going when I turned right? The last question for both groups was Did you see the stop sign? In the group that had been asked about the stop sign 53% of the subjects said they saw a stop sign for car A, while only 35% in the turned right group claimed to have seen it. Based on these and other studies, Loftus argues that an accurate theory of memory and recall must include a process of reconstruction that occurs when new information is integrated into the original memory of an event. There is little doubt that in the course of criminal prosecutions, eye witness reports are subject to many sources of  error such as post event information integration.