Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Broadway Theatre – a History

Broadway Theater Broadway is the longest street in New York, starting in downtown Manhattan, and running through town, crossing the Broadway Bridge, and continues to Bronx (Greiner, visit- new-york-city. com) Then why when people hear this street name, do they think of theater? That’s because this street, commonly referred to as the â€Å"Great White Way†, has 36 theaters. These 36 theaters, along with 4 other, make up what is called the Theatre District. Broadway history dates back to the late 1600's, when a coffee house called ‘The King's Arms' opened in 1696 on Broadway.Some scholars think this may have held Manhattan's earliest theatrical performances (Kenrick, J, musicals101. com). However, it isn't until December 6, 1732, when the first professional performance of a specific play is recorded in New York City. The play was â€Å"The Recruiting Officer†, and was performed by a group of actors from London, in an empty building near Maiden Lane and Pearl Street. Performances continued in this unnamed place through the end of the decade. For it wasn't until 1750, when New York had around ten thousand citizens, that it received its first formal theater (Kenrick, J, musicals101. om). However, the theater was still not on Broadway, but slightly east on Nassau Street, which gave it the name â€Å"Theatre on Nassau Street. † This theater was a wooden, two story structure that could only hold about 280 people. Walter Murray and Thomas Kean presented Shakespeare’s â€Å"Richard III† on March 5, 1750. They also presented the first documented musical in New York, which was John Gay's â€Å"The Beggars Opera†, on December 3, 1750. Historians don't know much about the Theater on Nassau Street, which results in mostly guesswork. In her book â€Å"Theater In American†, Mary C.Henderson said, â€Å"May have been either a warehouse or a brewery (or both). . . probably fitted up with a stage at one end, benches in front of it, and a raised gallery at the rear for common folk. Murray and Kean made a significant addition to their New York playhouse – they added boxes along the side walls, not only to increase the seating (a sign that they attained a moderate success) but also to provide a special place for the elite of the city. † (Henderson, 237). Unfortunately, the theater was later sold and turned into storage space, and then was eventually torn down in 1754 to make way for a church (Kenrick, musicals101. om). In 1798 the city's first world-class theater was built (Kenrick, musicals101. com). The â€Å"Park Theatre† could hold 2,000 people, had a spacious bench-filled pit, four tiers of private boxes, and a top gallery. Lewis A Erenber talks about the Park theatre in his book â€Å"Steppin' Out† saying, â€Å"All kinds of performances were housed under one roof, so that audiences in the 1830s might see drama, circus, opera and dance on the same bill. New York's P ark Theater, despite a reputation as an elite house, had a relatively large room that permitted the masses to govern the stage.Each class had its own part of the theatre, but all attended – mechanics in the pit, upper classes and women in the boxes, and prostitutes, lower class men, and blacks in the balcony. The rowdy audiences often yelled, stamped, drank and smoked during the performance. † (Erenberg, 15). Admission for the theater was 50 cents for the pit, 25 cents for the gallery, and a full dollar for the boxes (Kenrick, musicals101. com). The behavior of the rowdy audience was often drowned out by the action on stage, though showers of nuts and fruits from the balcony were common.Prostitutes often conducted business in the balcony, which led to much belief by the church that theatres were â€Å"foyers of hell†. One of the next theaters to open, was the ‘Bowery Theatre' in 1826 (Kenrick, musicals101. com). It aimed at the upper class at first, but whe n new management took over, decided to cater to the working class, by more action packed plays. According the Broadway League, it â€Å"Presented varied popular fare through the years, including spectacle, variety, melodrama, Italian vaudeville (c. 1915), and Chinese theatre (1920s).Burned down (and rebuilt) five times: 1828, 1836, 1838, 1845, and 1923–until a June 5, 1929 fire closed the theatre for good. † (Broadway League, ibdb. com) On the other side of the spectrum, for the upper class, The ‘Astor Place Opera House' was built in 1847, by wealthy New Yorkers, with the sole purpose of bringing Italian opera to the city (Broadway League, ibdb. com). These two theaters are commonly remembered for the Astor Place Riot, when in the spring of 1849, they were both performing the production of Macbeth.American ‘Edwin Forest' was directing the play along the middle and lower classes at the Bowery, while British ‘William Macready' appealed to the upper clas s at the Astor Place Opera House. As one source states, â€Å"A volatile combination of press ballyhoo and widespread anti- British sentiment incited a claque of Forrest's fans to disrupt a few of Macready's performances. † (Kenrick, musicals101. com). On the night of May 10, 1849 while the mainly upper class audience was enjoying their performance of Macbeth at the Astor Place Opera House, a mob of twenty thousand lower and working class men broke into a full-scale riot.When the violence got out of control, the police fired their guns directly into the crowd, killing at least twenty-two, while wounding more than 150 (Kenrick, musicals101. com). Robert W. Snyder says in the Encyclopedia of New York City that, â€Å"After the Astor Place Riot of 1849 entertainment in New York City was divided along class lines: opera was chiefly for the upper middle and upper classes, minstrel shows and melodramas for the middle class, variety shows in concert saloons for men of the working c lass and the slumming middle class. (Jackson, 1226).While there will always be fighting between the classes, it never again was centered around a theatrical event. As New York City grew in population, more ways of entertainment were on the rise. Laura Keene became one of the first nationally recognized actress managers of the American Stage (Kenrick, Musicals101. com). She produced and starred in many comedies and musicals at 622 Broadway. She set Broadways first â€Å"long-run† record with a 50 performance hit called ‘The Elves' in 1857, and continued to astound everyone with her musical ‘Seven Sisters' in 1860, which had 253 performances.With the Civil War going on during this time (1861-1865), this vastly expanded and upgraded railroads, which made it much more easier and affordable for the theatrical productions to tour. It was during one of these tours, when Laura Keene's troupe came to Ford's Theater in Washington, DC for the Spring of 1865, that President A braham Lincoln was assassinated while attending the performance of â€Å"Our American Cousin† on April 14. Even though Keene had no control over Lincoln's assignation, her name because so linked to the tragedy, that it soon forced her into retirement.Charles Hoyt's â€Å"A Trip to Chinatown (1891) became Broadway's long-run champion, with 657 performances (Kenrick, Musicals101. com). A â€Å"Trip to Coontown† was performed in 1898, and was the first musical comedy entirely produced and performed by African Americans in a Broadway theatre. In 1894, â€Å"The Passing Show† was the first Broadway revue. However, it received little attention, and revues would not really catch in popularity until Floren Ziegfeld introduced his Follies in 1907. (Zenrick, musicals101. om) Hundreds of musical comedies were staged on Broadway in the 1890s and early 1900s, but New York Runs continued to be relatively short, in comparison to London runs. In 1910, smaller off-Broadway thea tre groups really took up. They would setup shop in smaller downtown venues, with the purpose of promoting experiments works, with people who may not make it to the city to see them. Some of the first groups were â€Å"The Washington   Square Players (later renamed the Theatre Guild), The Provincetown Players, and The Neighborhood Playhouse† (Zenrick, Musicals101. om). Most of the first off-Broadway performances were â€Å"Socially challenging dramas (Zenrick, musicals101. com)†, for it wasn't until later when musicals became a part of the off-Broadway scene. Since gaslight was not strong enough to be used with colored filters, theatre district advertising was dull through the 1890's. The first animated electric billboard appeared in Times Square in 1903, with Victor Herbert's musical â€Å"The Red Mill†, installing a sign with carbon lights that imitated the revolving arms of a windmill.This sign used electric light, which was far brighter, and made advertisi ng much easier. Soon, every Broadway show had some sort of electric sign, but since colored bulbs burned out too quickly, at first white lights were standard. This is where Broadway gets it's name â€Å"The Great White Way†, because the largest of these eletric billboards, oftenly called spectaculars, were actually stopping traffic with the night glow that they gave off. (Zenrick, musicals101. com) In 1927, neon lighting was introduced, which helped elongate shapes and bright colors.Broadway's business peaked in the 1927-1928 season, as more ten 70 legitimate theatres housed over 250 shows, but then later dropped tremendously in the 1930's in the depression, some Broadway productions even had to file for bankruptcy, such as Lee Shuberts productions (Zenrick, musicals101. com). Though eventually, World War II booseted the American economy, and many great musicals appeared in the 1940's, such as â€Å"Oklahoma†. Off-Broadway also increased, in small downtown theatres in Greenwich Village, and the Lower East Side that had been home to experimental theatre since the 1920's.Such shows such as â€Å"The Fantasticks† opened in 1960, â€Å"Godspell† (1971), â€Å"Little Shop of Horrors† (1982) â€Å"Nunsense† (1985) were born off-Broadway, and were very successful (Zenrick, musicals101. com)   During this time, marked the beginning of the â€Å"Theatre Wing’s Tony Award†. This award is theatre’s most prestigious and coveted prize, designed to celebrate excellence in theatre (Tony Awards, tonyawards. com) The 1980's Broadway was took over by imported â€Å"Mega-Musicals† (Cats, Les Miserables), and the 1990's saw the rise of big corporations   such as Disney (Beauty and the Beast, Lion King).These hits brought more people to Times Square, showing that the district had fresh commercial potential. Big, new, hotels were built, and a series of corporations (MTV, ABC, etc) were now present in the neig hborhood. (Zenrick, musicals101. com). For the book, â€Å"New York, An Illustrated History† states, â€Å"By the late 1990s, a new Times Square had emerged – cleaner, better lit, and more wholesome than it had been in half a century, and busier and more profitable than it had been in decades. Each night as the sun went down, the district was transformed into a glowing, shimmering diaphanous dish of light. (Burns, Sanders, & Ades, 554). Unfortunately, As theatrical productions got more technologically advanced, and theatrical production costs continued to rise, so did the price of tickets. Orchestra seats that once went for $8 in 1965, were $45 in 1985, and up to $100 in 2001, which is a much higher rise than the overall price of living (Zenrick, musicals101. com) Modern day Broadway shows that can very expensive. The production of the play â€Å"Wicked†, which is currently in its seventh year on Broadway, has grossed nearly $1. billion dollars, and has been se en by nearly 23 million people worldwide (Wicked Facts, newsobserver. com). â€Å"The Phantom of the Opera† is another Broadway play that has seen phenomenal success in its run. The show has received 7 Tony Awards, and been see by more then 10 million people. It has been on Broadway for over 17 years, making it the most successful production in the history of Broadway. In conclusion, New York's theatre district is once again a prime tourist attraction, and the theatrical productions remain a huge factor in the city's financial well-being.According to the League of Theatre Owners and Producers, Broadway shows currently sell one and a half billion dollars worth of tickets annually (Zenrick, musicals101. com). Broadway Theater is a staple in live entertainment, and something that is amazing to be able to see. Works Cited Kenrick, John. â€Å"Theatre in New York: A Brief History. † Musicals101. com – The Cyber Encyclopedia of Musicals. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 June 201 0. . Henderson, Mary C.. Theater in America: 200 Years of Plays, Players, and Productions. First Edition ed.New York: Harry N Abrams, 1991. Print. Erenberg, Lewis A.. Steppin' Out: New York Nightlife and the Transformation of American Culture. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 1984. Print. â€Å"IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information. † IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 June 2010. . Jackson, Kenneth T. (Edited). The Encyclopedia of New York City. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1955. Print. Ades, Lisa, Ric Burns, and James Sanders. New York: An Illustrated History. Exp Sub ed. New York: Knopf, 2003. Print.Greiner, Julie. â€Å"A Brief Early History of Broadway Plays. † A Brief Early History of Broadway Plays. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 June 2010.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Synopsis of Killer of Sheep

Stan, the family man as the protagonist of the story/film, is decent, hardworking, and enslaved by poverty.   He works in a sheep slaughterhouse.   His is a story of the 70’s that encapsulates what African-American life is all about in the Los Angeles ghetto of Watts.The whole tapestry of the lives of Stan’s family; his neighbors; his friends; his community was so vividly depicted in the film.   Various episodes transpired in his life in the story.   Some of Stan’s friends tempted him to participate in a murder; a white woman flirts with him; Stan and his friend buying a car engine, the consoling moments Stan spend with his wife and child.   The entire story is about perseverance, patience, desperation, abuse, hope, despair, pride in work, joy in austerity, and integrity even in poverty.Synopsis of Days of GloryFour men of Algerian nationality were the focus of the story about recruitment of North Africans to serve in the French Army to wage its campaig n against the Nazi across Europe during World War II.   Each of the four recruited soldiers has different reasons for joining the army.Amidst the war, their experiences became varied as they witnessed the atrocities of war; the discrimination; the savagery; the despair and the intolerances; the indignities.   The war made them confused and seeking justice for their rightful place for the courage, dedication and commitment they gave in service of France.The Comparative AnalysisKiller of Sheep is an American drama film of human element that was shot in black and white in 1977.   It runs for 81 minutes.   It was first presented as a feature film thesis by its Writer Director, Charles Burnett, for his Masters Degree in Fine Arts.   Inspite of the excellent reviews, the film originally shot in 16 mm was not able to be commercially released due to some music infringements that Burnett could not afford to cover.The film was finally restored and re-issued for full 35 mm screen in 2007, with the appropriate compensations for copyrights of the music used.   The film has got a very poetic treatment of the scenes; the drabness was intended to give realism to the feelings evoked by the story.Burnett was masterful with his shots and camera work, â€Å"He operated the 16-millimeter camera himself, edited the black-and-white images into a visual poem and added the ballads, the jazz and the moody blues that seep into your head like smoke. The result is an American masterpiece, independent to the bone.† (Dargis, 2007)Days of Glory is a French drama film, also of human element, shot in color in 2007.   The film runs for 120 minutes.   â€Å"With strong visuals and even stronger emotions, Rachid Bouchareb's â€Å"Days of Glory† makes a powerful war film about a particularly unique subject scenes of combat are well staged and shot†.   (Honeycutt, 2006).   The film was created as straightforwrd as it should be about the tales of the characte rs.   It exuded honest emotions and vivid narration of what the environment of war was.The portrayals adopted in the filmmaking is classical wherein there was no overplaying of the issues of the story.   Insuch manner, the message of the story stay as relevant in times that will come and go. The camera work on comat sequences are precise.   The scenes truly expressed the dramatic impact that the moral lesson of the film intended to portray.   The film was nominated to the Oscar’s Foreign Language Film Category in 2007.References:Dargis, M.   â€Å"Whereabouts in Watts? Where Poetry Meets Chaos†.20 Mar 2007.   The New York Times.http://www.movies.nytimes.com/2007/03/30/movies/30kill.htmlSchwarzbaum, L.   â€Å"Movie Review:   Killer of Sheep†.   Entertainment Weekly.   28 Mar 2007http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20016243,00.htmlhttp://www.killerofsheep.comHoneycutt, K.   â€Å"BottomLine:   A Strong Film for SpecialtyVenues†.The Holl ywood Reporter.   26 May 2006http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film/reviews/article_display.jsp?&rid=295Turan, K. â€Å"Movie Review:   Days of Glory†.   Los Angeles Times.   6 Dec 2006http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/d-et- days6dec06,0,6442085.story?coll=d-mreview)Scott, A.O.   â€Å"Yes, Soldiers of France, In All But Name†.New York Times Review, 6 Dec 2006http://movies.nytimes.com/2006/12/06/movies/06glor.html?ref=movies)   

Monday, July 29, 2019

Anthropology (Cultural Diversity) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Anthropology (Cultural Diversity) - Essay Example This could also be a cultural symbol since "sun" can also signify something different in other cultures. Shamans, in some societies have priest-like roles. They often serve several functions such as healing, fortune-telling, and dealing with souls or serving as the connection between the physical and the spiritual world. However, the difference between a shaman and a priest is that the priest's role focuses more on conveying the teachings of God. The priest does not engage in fortune-telling, but instead, sets out to instill in people's minds how they should live their lives, according to the written commandments. Witches, on the other hand, are considered as the priests' female counterpart. However, their religious obligations are more on the care for nature and the maintenance of peace. A Monomyth is basically divided into three stages- the Departure or Separation, the Initiation and the Return. Below is an example of a heroic story, which is derived from one of the most well-known movies and Monomyth, The Lord of the Rings. The story begins with the hero living peacefully and quietly in a cottage, just beside a stream. Everything starts to shaken up when he meets his uncle who leaves a letter at his doorstep.

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Public Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Public Relations - Essay Example ORGANIZATIONAL FUNCTIONS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS The focus of organizational functions of public relations is in protecting the company’s reputation and making sure that it maintains a cordial relation with its stakeholders. Following are some of the functions of Public Relations department in an organization: INTERNAL RELATIONS This is one of the most important and crucial aspects of public relations. Establishing a bond of trust between the employees and the employers can be a difficult job; however, it is very important. This directly affects the productivity of the organization while at the same creating valuable and irreplaceable assets for the employers (Lordan, 2003). Analysis has indicated that internal relations managers are responsible for internal communication in an organization that particularly focuses on avoidance of any conflicts, as well as resolution as well to ensure good reputation of the organization. Secondly, another imperative function of the internal relat ions managers is to ensure distribution of information to all members of the organization through company’s newsletter and e-platforms. It has been an observation that such managers also are responsible to arrange and organize different events and activities that work as motivation for the employees. RELATIONS WITH STAKEHOLDERS/INVESTORS It is the prime responsibility of a public relations manager to maintain a healthy relationship between organization and its investors. They make sure that all the relevant data required in maintaining this relationship reaches their investors at time. In addition to that, the manager is also responsible for analysing propositions and decisions for the benefit of the organization as well as stakeholders. The idea of gaining profit maintains stakeholders’ interest in the organization. Other responsibilities of the manager include arranging shareholders meetings, compiling an annual report, making sure that all the deals are legal, and e nsuring financial credibility of investors and stakeholders. COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH Communication research managers are responsible for quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the advertising campaigns. For this purpose, they conduct surveys, content analysis, and interviews with the clients to find out the most efficient means to communicate with the masses. These reports form the basis of the organization’s marketing strategy (Jacquie & Pieczka, 2006). SOCIETAL FUNCTIONS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS Societal functions concentrate on actions that can benefit the society. Every organization has a moral responsiility towards the society; public relation managers are the face of that organization that fulfills these responsibilities on their behalf. There is no denying the fact that the activities of corporate organizations have a signifcant impact on the public as they are the trendsetters and their products inspire people to look up to them (Lamme & Land, 2008). Public relations h ave two basic societal functions: COMMUNITY RELATIONS It involves evaluating the main community of your target market and making assessments on the basis on their lifestyles, identity, and attitude. Based on these assessmenst programs are developed and executed to gain the trust and acceptance of the community. In short, a business or organiztion cannot fully develop unless it is acknowleged by the community. Public relations make sure

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Within strategic management of business, 'gap analysis' is the process Essay

Within strategic management of business, 'gap analysis' is the process of asking where are we now, where do we want to be - Essay Example At the corporate level, there are challenges from the rival companies, unpredictability of the market, dynamic consumer behaviour, etc. Moreover, political situation of the twenty-first century involves the working of complex democracies together with dynamic economic trends. The recent wave of economic slowdown has helped us to discern the importance of strategy setting and analysis in the context of corporate governance. Strategic management is thus increasingly involving an analytical approach to understand what a company actually does in relation to what it can potentially do. Executive Summary Gap analysis is the process of exploring certain questions in relation to the company’s present, potential and future performances. The paper will examine analytical instrument by interrelating it with the concepts of the strategic management of business. Strategic management and gap analysis are explained. Interrelations between the two processes are chalked out. Case examples are discussed to elucidate these interrelations. The Analytical and Strategic Approaches Introduction: The following discussion would explain and analyse gap analysis and strategic management. Discussion: In economics and business, gap analysis is a sort of tool which would help a corporation to compare its real time performance with the performance it is potentially capable of. This analytical approach is rather question answer based and from the perspective of the company, the questions are: 1. Where are we now? 2. Where do we want to be? 3. How can we get there? Gap analysis helps the company to obtain critical information so that the frontiers of production probabilities are not compromised (Cummins, 2008). The sphere of strategic management, on the other hand, deals with the principle emergent and intended initiations taken in the context of corporate governance which would involve resource allocation and utilisation, performance enhancement and adjustment with the external environ ments (Nag, Hambrick and Chen, 2007). Further, strategic management would refine the company affairs at the level of fierce corporate rivalry (Hamel and Prahalad, 1994). Summary: 1. Discussion on gap analysis 2. Discussion on strategic management Relation between Strategic Management and Gap Analysis Introduction: The following section explores that how gap analysis facilitates the implementation of the concepts of strategic management. Discussion: The main points of strategic management are: 1. Process of strategy development 2. Linking strategic capabilities with the external environment 3. Strategically designing the management, production and marketing processes 4. Optimisation of fiscal performance (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, 2008) Gap analysis helps the process of strategy development by finding out the difference between the company’s present and potential performances. Gap analysis thus facilitates strategic improvement of HR, R&D, logistics, etc. Gap analysis also relates to the company’s behaviour with respect to the external environment by monitoring its performance in the contemporary circumstances. Gap analysis considers all the processes and project life cycles involved in the functionary of the organisation, hence it helps to improve the management, production, marketing and fiscal activities. When the crucial question of quality control arises, benchmarking for the quest of optimal performance becomes mandatory and thus gap analysis becomes supplementary to the strategic management of business. (Camp, 1989) Gap analysis provides the company with a graphical aid that is used to communicate areas where the firm does not meet a benchmark. Process optimisation, which is a key

Friday, July 26, 2019

Program management Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Program management - Article Example PMO also aids in the improvement of the project success rates in an organization due to the incorporation of skills and expertise in the management of projects and ensures standardization of projects across the organization. The article goes further to give the two models of PMO; consultative and centralized PMO capacities and gives the other advantage of PMO as augmenting employee productivity through efficient resource allocation in an organization. The type of PMO to be implemented in an organization depends on the culture and the changes and benefits that the organization aims at achieving within a stipulated time leading to the need for customization and patience for a PMO office that result in increased bottom-line results, customer satisfaction, and resource utilization (Santosus, 2013). The article is useful in aiding the development of PMO through giving the benefits of having PMO, the strategies to introduce PMO in an organization, the challenges that are faced by a PMO, and the skills and expertise that the PMO brings to the organization. The article explores varied factors for the choice of PMO model to implement depending on the factors inherent in the organization allowing organizations to have a better understanding when developing PMO. The article also aids in developing the PMO due exposition of results from companies that have implemented the development giving companies a benchmark for their needs and results of a

Living on a Lifeboat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Living on a Lifeboat - Essay Example According to Hardin, lifeboat ethics become hugely critical elements of human survival. Lifeboats have lifeboats have limited space and people in it can survive only if they do not exceed the number of persons that it can take up. Thus, people in the lifeboat must desist saving people from overcrowded boat or drowning people if they want to survive. The self-interest must prevail in the lifeboat ethics. The tragedy of the commons is perceived as hugely crucial factor that adversely impacts the interests of the people at large. The metaphor broadly refers to resources that are used by all people and as such, being ‘common’ nobody takes up the responsibility for it. Hardin says that natural resources like air and water are prime example of the metaphor. People use it indiscriminately but are not concerned as to how it should be saved for posterity as legacy for our children. Christian-Marxist moral imperatives cannot be applied across the board because world is crowded wit h imperfect human-beings and selfish people would tend to look for their own interests and which would ultimately lead to mutual ruin of the commons. This he has defined as tragedy of the commons. The system of common that affect everyone must be incorporated within the framework of government agendas and world organizations like United Nations, World Bank etc. The wealth and natural resources of the rich nations are increasingly being used to serve the needs of the poor through various agencies. Thus, they can become vital tools or platforms to promote sustainability of resources, with pre-requisite conditions like population control, plantation drive, reforms in agricultural area etc., while disbursing aids in the poor countries. Human survival is at stake because of extreme burden due to increasing population on the limited resources of earth. The rising population has led to fast urbanization which has caused destruction of natural resources in terms of deforestation, pollution of air and water, indiscriminate use of fossil energy etc. Thus, it is important that system of common must become more responsible towards their consumption of natural resources. Hardin has applied the theory, tragedy of the common, on the immigration policy of the rich nation like America to show how the good intentions of the government could adversely impact the interests and survival of the American citizens in the long run. He says that net inflow of immigrants in America is around 400,000 per year while illegal immigrants is nearly 600,000 which goes undetected because they offer cheap labor who can be easily exploited to make huge profits by the business. Natural annual population growth rate is 1.7%, out of which immigrants make up nearly 37%! He has also put forward very interesting concept of pajoristic system that creates unacknowledged commons that tend to worsen situations. It can be applied on the immigration policy of the government that continuously allows immigrati on. A time will come when the immigrants would be same or more than legitimate American citizens and the wealth from rich American will keep going to the poor immigrants till both become poor! Indeed, Hardin’s concern is genuine because after some time, the immigrant population will not only out number the legitimate American citizens but it would also lead to scarcity of resources, lower quality of life and no significant resources left for our future generation. Hardin’

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Interesting Excellent topic related to Race in Research and Health Essay

Interesting Excellent topic related to Race in Research and Health care as summarized in reading Articles - Essay Example article, ‘The conceptualization and operationalization of race and ethnicity by health services researchers’ by Susan Moscou, the main focus is on the racial and ethnic variables. It is stated by the author that in the health services research industry, these two variables are the most common terms that are used and experienced by individuals (Moscou, 2008). It was revealed that race and ethnicity illustrated different meanings as both the terms were not operationalized. For this reason, the results showed that the subtext was unclear. Since the sample was from different geographical regions, therefore, the meaning of race and ethnicity in healthcare and research was different to the majority of them (Moscou, 2008). It should be noted that despite of the fact that all the participants had different perspectives and understandings of race and ethnicity, however majority of them believed that the race and ethnicity was a major cause of discrimination, marginalization, socio-economic disparity, etc. in healthcare and research. Similarly, race and ethnicity were also considered as genuine elements that have a major contribution regarding racial discrimination in the society, particularly the healthcare industry. Thus, the article concluded that the race and ethnicity do have negative impacts on the research and healthcare industry in a variety of ways. However, the work done by the author require further studies and advanced researches on the same subject so that the topic is analyzed deeply and in a much brief manner (Moscou, 2008). In the article ‘Racism in the Examination Room: Myths, Realities, and Consequences’ author Jeanette E. South-Paul has emphasized on the fact that the element of race does not have a good social history. To support her argument she has also referenced a few other articles that have also discussed the same idea. For example the article ‘Family medicine’ by Anderson, the core idea is similar to that that Jeanette’s

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Answer the specific questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Answer the specific questions - Assignment Example The price revolution served as the basis for the French revolution because people had less to eat and suffered from famine and hunger. In contrast, the Haitian revolution was instigated by massive objection to the slave trade. Haitian people are quite popular for their slave revolt in history. The American revolution was the war for independence basically. This demand for independence was reinforced by the enlightenment political thought which advocated people-driven government. This shows that different reasons laid foundations for three most important historical revolutions despite some similarities in the way these revolutions advanced. The cotton gin was an object of historical importance invented by Eli Whitney in 1793. This machine which made its appearance in 1793 is considered important by gigantic proportions because of the influence it exerted on the internal slave trade. Another factor which contributes to its importance is related to the ease in cleaning cotton. The cotton gin made it easier for slaves to clean cotton in a really short time. This machine is important because cotton rapidly became a cash crop in the south because of it. More land was needed when this business picked momentum in the south and this made the elitist whites take land away from the Native Americans. The south attracted huge popularity because of rapid production of cotton. More slaves were employed as free labor by white farmers to harvest the cotton. This is how an ordinary object like the cotton gin promoted the internal slave trade in the US. With more cotton production, whites’ dependency on slaves also increased in d irect relationship. This led to an increase in the number of uneducated slaves in America. These things happened because of an ordinary machine called the cotton gin. Achievements, in my opinion, constitute greatness in history. It is the glorious achievements of

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Feasibility study for chosen business. Fast food restaurant Research Paper

Feasibility study for chosen business. Fast food restaurant - Research Paper Example Cambridge Fast Food is a small domestic fast food outlet in Cambridge which is intended to transform itself into a fast food restaurant by means of innovative and resourceful strategies towards the entity's impression and in-depth manifestation. The food point is registered with Department of Food and Live Stock. Cambridge Fast-Food (CFF) is furnishing a mixture of wonderful foodstuff and future plan is to offer unparallel food at discount rates with entertaining environment. CFF will address the general public for local recipes, Italian dishes, as well as Chinese and Indian food. The major aim is to offer the customers with highest quality services and products to keep them staying again and again. CFF believe that by getting crucial financial support through its sale within two years, the company will be able to capture 10-20% of the fast food market in Cambridge. The restaurant has estimated that it will enjoy a 37.3% profit for its investment by the end of April, 2013. Fast food is a foodstuff that is readily available and dished up promptly at sites known as fast-food bistros. This is the multi-billion dollar business which inturn keeps on progressing extremely fast around numerous international locations. A fast-food restaurant is somewhat different from fast-food points or outlets as it is recognized from nominal service and by meals simultaneously that may be presented immediately soon after placing the order. The food items around such dining places is usually prepared in volume upfront plus preserved hot for its reuse. A lot of fast-food restaurants are section of reputable restaurants or franchise's, while standard food products are supplied to every eating venue through main sites. As compared to some other food

Monday, July 22, 2019

College Debate Essay Example for Free

College Debate Essay In Katherine Porter’s essay, â€Å"The Value Of a College Degree†, Katherine answers the question to whether continuing education beyond high school is worth it or not. Since college costs are increasing radically every year, many students and parents aren’t considering a two- or four-year college education a necessity. Her essay is reaches out to those parents and students who are in doubt, with the use of cited evidence and her many research studies, she is determined into convincing those who question attending college to pursue further education. Although the question of whether continuing education beyond high school is worth it or not remains unsettled by many, it should definitely be considered. First off, a valuable college education brings out the best in a person; it makes them stronger and builds an immense amount of confidence. Some may consider pursuing a college education as something that’s completely out of reach, but I might just have to say that you’re wrong. A college education not only builds strength and confidence, it also helps you grow. College students are situated in different types of situations, environments and or settings in which they encounter all kinds of people. To explain much further, as said in a source found in Google: â€Å"College education has a profound effect on a person and his or her life. It helps people choose their careers more wisely and the college experience makes people become more confident and can make better and well judged decisions. † (Google. com, Value of College Education) A College education develops growth in terms of adulthood and maturity, built from experience. Many high school students believe that doing well academically would be enough. That is only somewhat true; most colleges consider well-rounded students, like those who participate in extra curricular actives, activities such as being involved in sports, volunteering, and community work. Keeping an open mind when considering college selections is a very important factor when it comes to decision making. Parents and students should not allow money or locations limit their thinking when researching schools. By attending college fairs, and purchasing college guide books they’ll learn about colleges that ‘fit’, in an overall aspect. Scheduling interviews, preferably on-campus interviews, will allow students to demonstrate genuine interest and allows him or her the opportunity to make a valuable link. All in all, the key factor isn’t getting a college degree itself but the degree owner. A college education is now a necessity, and the average American couldn’t possibly make it through these times and those that are to come without one. â€Å"Get in(worry about the money later. †

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Relation Between Language Power And Dehumanization English Literature Essay

Relation Between Language Power And Dehumanization English Literature Essay There are implications of limited health care, as Winstons varicose ulcer on his right ankle remains treated throughout. Meanwhile Winston talks of the cheap quality of the vicory cigarettes, the only cigarettes available. The fact that the only attainable alcohol,is gin, and the inclusion of food rationing, also resembles an air of restriction, through a dehumanizing lack of variety. Language plays a vital part in this process of repression, as it is language, through propaganda that enforces it. For example, the telescreen uses manipulative language, to subliminally brainwash people during the two minutes hate. Though the false representation of Goldstein and his rapid polysyllabic speech, as he delivers his usual venemous attack upon the doctrines of the Party an attack so exaggerated and perverse that a child should have been able to see through it, and yet just plausible enough to fill one with an alarmed feeling. (ch1) The party uses hateful language to manipulate them into a frenzy, to a point where they advocate against Goldsteins promotion of feedom of speech, freedom of the Press, freedom of assembly, freedom of thought. To enforce this manipulative repression, further restriction shows that it is illegal for the telescreen to be switched off, even inner party members are only allowed to switch it off for half an hour at a time. Therefore manipulative l anguage empowers Big Brother, so that he can dehumanize the non-proles of Oceana. The telescreen is also used as a tool for repression through recording peoples spoken language and monitoring their lingual thoughts. Winston notes, It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a telescreen through the fear of commiting face crime, if an unfavourable expression appeared on a persons face, whilst in front of the telescreen. This is an example of how language itself is repressed, for the benefit of the party. With no freedom of expression, and a sense of paranoia surrounding the use of language, Big Brother is not under threat. The giant big brother is watching you, posters, plastered throughout Oceana, enforce this empowerment through paranoia, that the government holds over Oceana. The monitoring of language, propaganda posters, and telescreens prevents revolution, and therefore language becomes repressed as a result. Along with the fear of commiting crimes through spoken language, there is fear surrounding freedom of language in thought. The thought police, remain a terrifying organization for the residents of Oceana, with the danger of torture and imprisonment if their language, through their thoughts, consist of an anti-party stance. The fact that they watched everybody all the time, installs a sense of paranoia, that makes people mentally restrict their freedom of language, and vocabulary, in order to avoid being targeted by the thought police. To help society keep repressed, and to discourage against the free use of language, there is the invention of Newspeak. As the official language of Oceana, it concentrates upon a narrowing vocabulary, eliminating words concerning freedom and rebellion. As Syme muses Dont you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought?, this directly relates to power. The minimising of language vocabulary, maximises power, with the hope that if one cannot describe freedom, and rebelling against the party, then they prevent themselves from wanting it, or thinking about it. As part of Newspeak, we are introduced to the notion of Doublethink, a process of holding two contradictory beliefs in ones mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them. (ch3) This method is a manipulative way of confusing a persons perception of concepts such as freedom. The party uses this to their advantage as part of their slogan, freedom is slavery. This subliminal brainwashing through contradictive similes confuses the inhabitants into thinking that the opposites are true. The method of doublethink, is used not only in the partys slogans but is used as a tool to boost ignorance, and as a result weakens the chance of big brother getting overthrown. For example, through reporting false events such as how Oceana had always been war with Eastasia, boosts patriotism, whilst forcing inhabitants into ignorance. Through the restriction of truth in language, and spreading of false information, Oceanas inhabitants are dehumanized. This solidifies the parties power as noone challenges these false reports, as they believe that ignorance is truth. Although Winston is part of the party himself, he is still repressed by them. The ironic ministry of truth where he works, is representative of a tolertarian power gone mad. Again, language through lies is used to test and push the ignorance of the people. Winston notes how he has to destroy parts of the past, to the point that history is changed in a continuous process of alteration(ch4). Meanwhile the simple fiddling of statistics, such as the covering up of chocolate ration decreasing from 30 grams to 20 grams, shows how powerful the manipulative newspeak and doublethink is. Winston notes there were demonstrations to thank Big Brother for raising the chocolate ration to twenty grams a week. only yesterday, he reflected, it had been announced that the ration was to be reduced to twenty grams a week. Was it possible that they could swallow that, after only twenty-four hours? Yes, they swallowed it. The ministry of plenty, alas, controlled shortages. Even though people are getting less food and supplies than ever, Winston becomes part of the lingual manipulation process which makes them thank big brother for what they have. As general perceptions are warped by the party through language, so is the act of love. Initial paranoia, which evolves into anger and an urge to seek out anyone who is against the party, is inflicted upon the children of Oceana from an early age. Through this they are dehumanized, as they become incapable of loving their parents and are more than willing, to turn against them, as junior spies. An example of this is when we see Parsons turned in to the party by his children. Through the language, of the sternly named anti sex league, the party uses its power to enforce sexual repression and channel it into anger against the parties enemies. Through anti-sex language propaganda, the party gains power, yet dehumanizes humans, preventing them from a natural activity. This repression of sex even warps the resistant mind of Winston, as he says to Julia, the more men she has been with, the more that he loves her. Here, even though rebellion against the party, his idea of love is ruined. Literature itself is restricted, in fear that its language will promote revolutionary thoughts. One man leaves the word God, in a translation of a Rudyard Kipling poem, and is put in prison as a result, which shows the tension of how restriction of language is essential to power. Along with food, sex, alcohol and cigarettes, literature is seen as a threat. The fact that Winston wakes up from a dream with Shakeapeare on his lips, emphasises this restriction, as he expresses his yearning for culture and literature. The restriction of books is noted in 1984, as we see that no one is reading. Syme note that by 2050, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Byron theyll exist only in Newspeak versions, not merely changed into something different, but actually changed into something contradictory of what they used to be, establishing the parties aim to destroy and manipulate language in literature for their own needs. The fact that Winston feels extremely guilty, when he writes in a diary (writing is not permitted), and even worse, writing words against the party, which makes him contemplate suicide, shows the power the party has over him. This shows how the restriction of language, through taking away the freedom to write, is dehumanizing, as it prevents the expression of feeling. Conc The only people free from the party are the proles. They are the only residents who have free expression of words, however, they are also dehumanized themselves, through their lack of civilisation and power. Part 2 Whilst language is changed due to a totalitarian element concerning dehumanization in 1984, the language in Naipuls one out of many, represents the struggle between power and dehumanization, under the context of class and social hierarchy. I am going to explore these links through observing the dialogue and attitude of the characters in the text, alongside the tone of the narrator. There is a notable link that language has with power, when it comes to social hierarchy. Someone could become dehumanized, the further they move down the social ladder. The language exchanged between the narrator, Santosh, and the characters in the extract is indicative of this. Santosh speaks of how he relied on the importance of his employer, Sahib, for his own respect and security, and their relationship begins at a seemingly equal level. Sahib warns Santosh that Washington is not Bombay, and that he should be aware of the exchange rate between rupee and dollar. However as soon as they arrive in Washington, the social gap between both the characters widens. Sahib first speaks down to Santosh, saying he is only a domestic, and in front of the officials, he pretends to be horrified at Santoshs natural behaviour on the plane, I cannot understand why your behaviour has already gone so much out of character. Through talking down to Santosh, Sahib commands social power and begins to deh umanize him in front of other people, in order to command respect. When it comes to money, Sahib manipulates Santosh through choosing his words carefully in offering him a raise. The ignorant Sahib, thinks that the raise, and fortnights pay in advance, is more than generous, and like the inhabitants of Oceana over the chocolate ration, is manipulated into being thankful for this. When santosh realises the money isnt enough to live off, he wants to leave. However Sahib uses strong language to threaten him if I send you back now, you will have to work for six or seven years without salary to pay me back. In this way Sahib gains power. Santosh observes that his freedom has been taken away, I understood. I was a prisoner, as he realises the context of the verbal threat dehumanizes him, and makes him almost a slave to Sahib. Of course, Sahib feels himself, dehumanized in the extract, by the Americans. When Santosh has to sleep in a cupboard, he feels that he shouldnt be treated that way and takes it personally, assuming that the government had assigned Santosh this room, just because they are Indian. A paranoid Sahib claims some enemy in the government has done this to me, they think that we all live in cupboards in Bombay. Sahib also feels dehumanized when one of his guests comments how he brought back an ancient stone head from India, tipping the tour guide to keep quiet. Offensively, the guest says, if I had a bottle of whisky he would have pulled down the whole temple for me. Santosh finds comfort in language through talking as says he told stories and smoked, with his friends in Bombay. The tailor warns Santosh that Americans wont wont sit and talk with you in the evenings, which is true, as he becomes a recluse when he moves to Washington, staying in the apartment and watching t.v. This removal of social interaction through language dehumanizes Santosh as racial and foreign language barriers encourage this. To further this isolation, Santosh is talked down to by a number of people, from the flight attendant who spoke roughly to him, to the woman in the cafà © cant you read? We dont serve hippies or bare feet here. The Hubshi girl teaches Santosh English me black and beautiful then calls policeman a pig, using Santoshs naivity to make an impression on him through power of language. Powering him to have prejudices against the police and dehumanize them. Interestingly we see that the power of language and manipulates Santosh into becoming vain. At the beginning, despite being look own upon by the air hostess, he didnt care what the girl said or did, after a series of incidents where people use language to make him inferior, he begins to dress better and became choked with shame at his old ways. The snobbish language made him now wear shoes. The television, in a vaguely similar fashion to the telescreens in 1984, has used language and imagery to manipulate him into how to behave in society. He notes I became obsessed with my appearance and began comparing himself with actors on t.v. Interestingly, during Santoshs predicament, concerning how to get his green card, he commits the most dehumnizing act in the whole extract. Through the green card he gains power, however to gain this power he has to use language to falsely tell the Hubshi girl that he likes her and wants to marry her. This is not only dehumanizing for him, having to marry and live with a woman he doesnt like, but dehumanizing for her, as he does not love her. But then talks down I dont see how you will manage in Washington foreign exchange santosh! Foreign exchange! Boss again speaks down to him when he says in front of the officials Threat- you dont only represent your country, you represent me Officials-does he always travel with his condiments- not talking to him directly- conveys an air of dehumanization. Santosh looks down on the hubshi at first- language is snobby, and dehumaizes them in our country we frankly do not care for the hubshi but then uses language to feel emphathy for them even in the mornings the men were drunk Santosh they can just look at me and see I am dirt Sahibs guests are offensive if I had a bottle of whisky he would have pulled down the whole temple for me- dehumanizing Indians. they are malicious people. Power of hubshi- burning city down Priyas attitude if you cant beat them, join them. I joined them. They are still beating me When moves in with priya I felt I was earning my freedom Power of green card- immigrants they were always about to get green cards, or they had been cheated out of green cards Priya and santhosh equal the American way, man to man I was good looking; I had lost my looks. I was a free man; I had lost my freedom Power of haggling- language- I couldnt stay on for less than a hundred and twenty five- santosh now has power. I have made some corrections in the second bit, but gave up because there are so many little ones, such as grammar and spelling. Also overuse of the name Santosh, the word dehumanizing and a tendency to repeat. However it really just needs tidying up a bit and making a bit more coherent as in the first half. If you wrote the first half, completely, yourself, I would say it was one of the best pieces you have written. I asked if you had written it, because I was shocked that there were hardly any mistakes in it and it appeared balanced and coherent.

Image Super-Resolver using Cascaded Linear Regression

Image Super-Resolver using Cascaded Linear Regression Abstract A number of existing super-resolution algorithms fail in modeling the relationship between high and low resolution image patches and time complexity in training the model. To overcome the above-stated problem, simple, effective, robust and fast image super-resolver (SERF) based on cascaded linear regression has been used for learning the model parameters. The image divided into patches are grouped into clusters using k-means clustering algorithm for learning the model parameter based on series of linear least square function, named cascaded linear regression to identify the missing detail information. This approach has been simulated using MATLAB for various images. The simulation results show that SERF gives better PSNR and less computation cost compared to existing methods. Keywords-Cascaded linear regression, example learning based image super-resolution, K-means. Super-Resolution (SR) is the process of producing a high-resolution (HR) image or video from low-resolution images or frames. In this technology, multiple low-resolution (LR) images are applied to generate the single high-resolution image. The image super-resolution is applied in a wide range, including the areas of military, medicine, public safety and computer vision, all of which will be in great need of this technology. The SR process is an ill-posed inverse problem, even though the estimation of HR image from LR input image has many possible solutions. There are many SR algorithms available to resolve this ill-pose problem. Interpolation Based method is the most intuitive method for the image super-resolution. This kind of algorithm has the low-resolution image registered on the grid of the high-resolution image to be calculated. Reconstruction based method is mainly based on iterative back projection method. This algorithm is very convergent, simple and direct, but the resoluti on is not steady and unique. Because of the limitation of the reconstruction algorithm, the learning-based super-resolution technology emerges as an active research area. Learning based approach synthesize HR image from a training set of HR and LR image pairs. This approach commonly works on the image patches (Equal-sized patches which is divided from the original image with overlaps between neighbouring patches). Since, learning based method achieves good performance result for HR image recovery; most of the recent technologies follow this methodology. Freeman et al [1] describe a learning based method for low-level vision problem-estimating scenes from images and modeling the relation between synthetic world of images and its corresponding images with markov network. This technique use Bayesian belief propagation to find out a local maximum of the posterior probability for the scene of given image. This method shows the benefits of applying machine learning network and large datasets to the problem of visual interpretation. Sun et al [2] use the Bayesian approach to image hallucination where HR images are hallucinated from a generic LR images using a set of training images. For practical applications, the robustness of this Bayesian approach produces an inaccurate PSF. To overcome the estimation of PSF, Wang et al [3] propose a framework. It is based on annealed Gibbs sampling method. This framework utilized both SR reconstruction constraint and a patch based image synthesis constraint in a general probabilistic and also has poten tial to reduce the other low-level vision related problems. A new approach introduced by Yang et al [4] to represent single image super-resolution via sparse representation. With the help of low resolution input image sparse model, output high resolution image can be generated. This method is superior to patch-based super-resolution method [3]. Zedye et al [5] proposed a sparse representation model for single image scale-up problem. This method reduces the computational complexity and algorithmic architecture than Zhan [6] model. Gao et al [7] introduce the sparsity based single image super-resolution by proposing a structure prior based sparse representation. But, this model lags in estimation of model parameter and sparse representation. Freedman et al [8] extend the existing example-based learning framework for up-scaling of single image super-resolution. This extended method follows a local similarity assumption on images and extract localized region from input image. This techn ique retains the quality of image while reducing the nearest-neighbour search time. Some recent techniques for single image SR learn a mapping from LR domain to HR domain through regression operation. Inspired by the concept of regression [9], Kim [10] and Ni Nguyen [11] use the regression model for estimating the missing detail information to resolve SR problem. Yang and Wang [12] presented a self-learning approach for SR, which advance support vector regression (SVR) with image sparse co-efficient to make the model relationship between LR and HR domain. This method follows bayes decision theory for selecting the optimal SVR model which produces the minimum SR reconstruction error Kim and Kwon [13] proposed kernel ridge regression (KRR) to train the model parameter for single image SR. He and siu [14] presented a model which estimates the parameter using Gaussian process regression (GPR).Some efforts have been taken to reduce the time complexity. Timofte et al [15] proposed Anchored neighbourhood regression (ANR) with projection matrices for mapping the LR image patches onto the HR image patches. Yang et al [16] combined two fundamental SR approaches-learning from datasets and l earning from self-examples. The effect of noise and visual artifacts are suppressed by combining the regression on multiple in-place examples for better estimation. Dong et al [17] [18] proposed a deep learning convolutional neural network (CNN) to model the relationship between LR and HR images. This model performs end-to-end mapping which formulates the non-linear mapping and jointly optimize the number of layers. An important issues of the example learning based image SR technique are how to model the mapping relationship between LR and HR image patches; most existing models either hard to diverse natural images or consume a lot of time to train the model parameters. The existing regression functions cannot model the complicated mapping relationship between LR and HR images. Considering this problem, we have developed a new image super-resolver for single image SR which consisting of cascaded linear regression (series of linear regression) function. In this method, first the images are subdivided into equal-sized image patches and these image patches are grouped into clusters during training phase. Then, each clusters learned with model parameter by a series of linear regression, thereby reducing the gap of missing detail information. Linear regression produces a closed-form solution which makes the proposed method simple and efficient. The paper is organized as follows. Section II describes a series of linear regression, results are discussed in section III and section IV concludes the paper. Inspired by the concept of linear regression method for face detection [19], a series of linear regression framework is used for image super-resolution. Here, the framework of cascaded linear regression in and how to use it for image SR were explained. A. Series of Linear Regression Framework The main idea behind cascaded linear regression is to learn a set of linear regression function for each cluster thereby gradually decreasing the gaps of high frequency details between the estimated HR image patches and the ground truth image patches. In order to produce the original HR image from LR input image, first interpolate LR image to obtain the interpolated LR image with same size as HR image. This method works at the patch level, each linear regressor parameter computes an increment from a previous image patch, and the present image patch is then updated in cascaded manner. (1) (2) denotes the estimated image patch after t-stages. denotes the estimated increment. denotes feature extractor by which the f-dimensional feature vector can be obtained. Linear regressor parameters at t-stage T Total number of regression stages. The next step is learning of the linear regression parameters and for T stages. Relying on these linear regression T stages, parameters for regressors are subsequently learnt to reduce the total number of reconstruction errors and to make presently updated image patch more appropriate to generate the HR patch. Using least squares form to optimize and , it can be written as, (3) The regularization term accomplishes a constraint on the linear regression parameters and to avert over-fitting and ÃŽÂ ² be the data fidelity term and the regularization term. At each regression stage, a new dataset values can be created by recurrently applying the update rule in (1) with learnedand. Next, and can be learned subsequently using (2) in cascade manner. Fig. 1. Flow of cascaded linear regression framework B. Pseudo code For Cascaded Linear Regression Algorithm The Pseudo code for cascaded linear regression algorithm for training phase is given below, Input: , image patch size à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡d xà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡d for t=1 to T do { Apply k-means to obtain cluster centres for i = 1 to c do { compute A and b. update the values of A and b in . } end for } end for The output of this training phase is and cluster centroid. C. SERF Image Super-Resolver This section deals with cascaded linear regression based SERF image. The process starts by converting color image from the RGB space into the YCbCr space where the Y channel represents luminance, and the Cb and Cr channels represent the chromaticity. SERF is only applied to the Y channel. The Cb and Cr channels reflect G and B channels of the interpolated LR image. D. SERF Implementation To extract the high frequency details from each patch by subtracting the mean value from each patch as feature patch denoted as . Since the frequency content is missing from the initially estimated image patches, the goal of a series of linear regression is to compensate for high frequency detail (4), (4) To diminish the error between HR feature patch and the estimated feature patch, it is normal that the regression output should be small. Hence, by putting the constraint on regularization term to (4), the output is, (5) Where, ÃŽÂ » is the regularization parameter. t Denotes the number of regression stages. denotes the feature extractor. ÃŽÂ ² and ÃŽÂ » are set to 1 and 0.25. A closed-form solution for equation (5) can be computed by making the partial derivative of equation (5) equal to zero. In testing phase, for a given LR image, bicubic interpolation is applied to up sample it by a factor of r. This interpolated image is divided into M image patches. Feature patches are calculated by subtracting the mean value from each image patch. At the tth stage, each feature patch is assigned to a cluster l according to the Euclidean distance. To obtain the feature subsequently, linear regression parameters are applied to compute the increment. Concurrently, the feature patch is updated using, (6) After passing through T-stages, reconstructed image patches are obtained by adding mean value to the final feature patches. All the reconstructed patches are then combined with the overlapping area and then averaged to generate the original HR image. E. Pseudo code For SERF Image Super-Resolver Algorithm The pseudo code for SERF image super-resolver algorithm is as follows: Inputs: Y, a, r, for t=1 to T do { Adapt each patch clusterto a cluster. Compute. Update the values of A and b in } End for The output will be the High Resolution image (HR). The simulation of the SERF image super-resolver is done by using MATLAB R2013a for various images. The LR image is read from image folder and is processed using the algorithms explained before. The output HR image is taken after regression stages. The implementation is done by considering many reference images. The colour image (RGB) is first converted into YCbCr space, where Y channel represents luminance. Cb and Cr are simply copied from the interpolated LR image. The number of cluster size is 200. Image patch size 5 x 5 and magnification factor is set to 3. a)LR input b)HR input (c)Zooming result Fig.2. SERF Result under Magnification Factor 3 a)LR input b)HR output c)zooming result Fig.3. SERF Result under Magnification Factor 2 a)LR input b)HR output c)zooming result Fig.4. SERF Result under Magnification Factor 1 (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) Fig.5. Comparisons ResultsButterfly (a) ground truth image (original size is 256 ÃÆ'- 256); (a)super-resolution results of (b) SRCNN, (c) ScSR, (d) Zeydes, (e) ANR, (f) BPJDL,(g) SPM, and (h) SERF. Zeydes [5] method gives noiseless image, but texture details are not well reconstructed as shown Figure (d). The BPJDL [14] methods generate sharper edges when compared to other methods as shown Figure (f). Figure (h) shows the zooming results of SERF method that performs well for both reconstruction and visual artifacts suppression. TABLE I:PSNR AND SSIM VALUES UNDER MAGNIFICATION FACTOR OF 1, 2 AND 3. Magnification Factor PSNR SSIM TIME(s) 3 29.0775 0.839 0.4323 2 30.5 0.812 0.4000 1 38.4 0.798 0.3870 TABLE II:PSNR AND SSIM VALUES UNDER MAGNIFICATION FACTOR OF 3 FOR TESTING IMAGES. S.NO IMAGES PSNR SSIM TIME(s) 1 Baboon 23.63 0.532 0.3115 2 Baby 35.29 0.906 0.4148 3 Butterfly 26.87 0.883 0.2018 4 Comic 24.32 0.755 0.2208 5 Man 28.19 0. 778 0.5468 6 zebra 29.09 0.839 0.4324 For magnification factor of 3, SERF outplays ScSR method by an average PSNR gain of 0.43dB, Zeydes [5] method by 0.37dB, ANR [15] by 0.44dB, BPJDL [14] method by 0.23dB and the SPM [7] method by 0.16dB. SERF gives average SSIM value of 0.8352 and it is fastest method compared to existing methods (TABLE III). TABLE III: PSNR AND SSIM VALUE COMPARISON OF SERF METHOD WITH EXISTING METHODS UNDER MAGNIFICATION FACTOR OF 3. EXISTING METHODS PSNR SSIM TIME(s) ScSR [4] 23.69 0.8835 7.27 Zeydes [5] 23.60 0.8765 0.06 ANR [15] 24.32 0.8687 0.02 BPJDL [14] 24.17 0.8890 17.85 SPM [7] 24.63 0.8982 0.74 SERF 29.0775 0.8352 0.23 SERF has few parameters to control the model, and results in easy adaption for training a new model when the experimental settings, zooming factors and databases were changed. The cascaded linear regression algorithm and SERF image super-resolver has been simulated in MATLAB2013a. SERF Image super-resolver achieves better performance with sharper details for magnification factor up to 3. This model reduces the gaps of high-frequency details between the HR image patch and the LR image patch gradually and thus recovers the HR image in a cascaded manner. This cascading process promises the convergence of SERF image super-resolver. This method can also be applied to other heterogeneous image transformation fields such as face sketch photo synthesis. Further this algorithm will be implemented on FPGA by proposing suitable VLSI architectures. REFERENCES [1] W. Freeman, E. Pasztor, and O. Carmichael, Learning low-level vision, International Journal of Computer Vision, vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 25-47,2000. [2] J. Sun, N. Zheng, H. Tao, and H. Shum, Image hallucination with primal sketch priors, in Proceedings of IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, 2003, pp. 729-736. [3] Q. Wang, X. Tang, and H. Shum, Patch based blind image super resolution, in Proceedings of IEEE international Conference on Computer Vision, 2005, pp. 709-716. [4] J. Yang, J. Wright, T. Huang, and Y. Ma, Image super-resolution via sparse representation, IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, vol. 19,no. 11, pp. 2861-2873,2010. [5] R. Zeyde, M. Elad, and M. Protter, On single image scale-up using sparse-representations, in Proceedings of Curves and Surfaces, 2012, pp. 711-730. [6] X. Gao, K. Zhang, D. Tao, and X. Li, Joint learning for single-image super-resolution via a coupled constraint, IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 469-480, 2012. [7] K. Zhang, X. Gao, D. Tao, and X. Li, Single image super-resolution with multiscale similarity learning, IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems, vol. 24, no. 10, pp. 1648-1659, 2013. [8] G. Freedman and G. Fattal, Image and video upscaling from local selfexamples, ACM Transactions on Graphics, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 1-10, 2011. [9] K. Zhang, D. Tao, X. Gao, X. Li, and Z. Xiong, Learning multiple linear mappings for efficient single image super-resolution, IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 846-861, 2015. [10] K. Kim, D. Kim, and J. Kim, Example-based learning for image super resolution, in Proceedings of Tsinghua-KAIST Joint Workshop Pattern Recognition, 2004, pp. 140-148. [11] K. Zhang, D. Tao, X. Gao, X. Li, and Z. Xiong, Learning multiple linear mappings for efficient single image super-resolution, IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 846-861, 2015. [12] M. Yang and Y. Wang, A self-learning approach to single image super resolution, IEEE Transactions on Multimedia, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 498-508, 2013. [13] K. Kim and K. Younghee, Single-image super-resolution using sparse regression and natural image prior, IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, vol. 32, no. 6, pp. 1127-1133, 2010. [14] H. He and W. Siu, Single image super-resolution using gaussian process regression, in Proceedings of IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, 2011, pp. 449-456. [15] R. Timofte, V. Smet, and L. Gool, Anchored neighborhood regression for fast example-based super-resolution, in Proceedings of IEEE Conference on Computer Vision, 2013, pp. 1920-1927. [16] J. Yang, Z. Lin, and S. Cohen, Fast image super-resolution based on in-place example regression, in Proceedings of IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, 2013, pp. 1059-1066. [17] C. Dong, C. Loy, K. He, and X. Tang, Learning a deep convolutional network for image super-resolution, in Proceedings of European Conference on Computer Vision, 2014, pp. 184-199. [18] C. Dong, C. Loy, K. He, and X. Tang, Image super-resolution using deep convolutional networks, IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, DOI:10.1109/TPAMI.2015.2439281, 2015. [19] P. Viola and M. Jones, Robust real-time face detection, International Journal of Computer Vision, vol. 57, no. 2, pp. 137-154, 2004.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Gadgets Of JAmes Bond Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Weapons and Gadgets of James Bond Introduction - Throughout the years, the weapons and gadgets that have come from the hands of the Q Branch, has never turned James Bond down, they are the coolest and are the best in spy paraphernalia. I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bond’s choice of equipment A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Walther PPK B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aston Martin DB5 C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Watches II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Comparison to some spy gadgets of the army A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bond’s popular equipment B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Military’s popular equipment III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As technology continues to grow A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Weapons will get better 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Equipment from newer movies a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Goldeneye b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tomorrow Never Dies B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gadgets of the older movies C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Other items of Q’s Lab IV.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What do we expect of Bond A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  More high tech weapons and gadgets B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A new head for the Q Branch C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A lot more excitement Conclusion - Finally, the weapons and gadgets of James Bond will still continue to astonish the entire world, and it will still do so as many more films are produced in the near future. â€Å"And this I am Especially Proud of† - Q   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I think we’ve met.† These were the words of James Bond as he stepped into his talking BMW 750IL during the movie Tomorrow Never Dies. Throughout the years, the weapons and gadgets that have come from the hands of the Q Branch, has never turned James Bond down, they are the coolest and are the best in spy paraphernalia. If someone would try to compare Bond’s gadgets to gadgets of the military, Bond would win ten to one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Of course, as technology changed and time passed, the Q Branch developed better equipment, but many of the classic gadgets are still obsolete in a technology driven world we live in today. For example, Bond’s old Aston Martin DB5 can out run a Ferrari 355 F1 Spider that was demonstrated in the movie Goldeneye. (Ultimate James Bond Page http:jmsbond.tripod.com) As the James Bond story continues, the better and better the gadg... ...oon be seeing a new Q. The current Q died in a tragic accident in London just a month ago right after the release of â€Å"The World is not enough.† Another thing you will never miss in Bond films is the excitement, and that will always stay true. Finally, the weapons and gadgets of James Bond will still continue to astonish the entire world, and it will still do so as many more films are produced in the near future. Works Cited Blair, Cluade and Tarassuk Leonid. â€Å"The Complete Encyclopedia of Arms and Weapon†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Crown Publisher 1929: 379 The Complete James Bond Interactive Dossier â€Å"Gadgets Section† (CD-Rom) 1996 The Complete James Bond Interactive Dossier â€Å"Vehicles Section† (CD-Rom) 1996 The Ultimate James Bond Site. â€Å"Quotes and Gadgets† Online.Internet. 14 March 2000 available Http://www.007.com BMW USA â€Å"Build Your BMW, Z3† Online.Internet. 1 March 2000   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Available Http://www.bmwusa.com â€Å"Tomorrow Never Dies.† Movie. MGM Studios and United Artists 1997 â€Å"Goldeneye.† Movie. MGM Studios and United Artists 1994 007-The Ultimate James Bond Page. â€Å"Quotes and Q Branch† Online.Internet. 1 March 2000 Available Http://jmsbond.tripod.com

Friday, July 19, 2019

Why does Economic Dependence on Product Exports in Underdeveloped Count

The landlocked country of Burkina Faso ranks 183 out of 187 countries in the 2012 Human Development Index, indicating that the quality of life in the African country is tremendously low (World Bank). Despite the United States having contributed $520 million to the underdeveloped country in recent years in an act of humanitarianism; Burkina Faso is still economically unstable, forcing them to heavily depend on their most profitable industries (Kerry). Gold mining is currently a source of income that the country is greatly relying on. In order to grow financially, gold mine managers have resorted to trafficking children for the worst forms of labor, driving them out of their schools and away from their families. Economic dependence on product exports in the underdeveloped country of Burkina Faso leads to child labor because perilous conditions must be endured, low wages must be paid, and workers must be willing to labor. The revenue made from gold mining in Burkina Faso is mainly produced by Burkinabe children, seeing that mining is a hazardous undertaking that comes with low wages. Burkina Faso is a newcomer in the scene of gold mining, as production has more than doubled, reaching 32 tons of gold in 2012 and increasing by 41% from 2010 to 2011 (DFATD). More than 200 gold mines are spread out all through the country, most of them remote and unknown of (Price). These remote locations are difficult for organizations such as local NGOs, UN Gift, and Interpol to track down, making the chances of arresting a trafficker quite slim. Children are brought to these mining sites, because the conditions there are very difficult to work in. Employers make their workforce work 14 hours a day, 6-7 days a week. Workers only receive room and boar... ...ks/2013/03/206636.htm>. Price, Larry C. "Burkina Faso: Childhoods Lost in the Gold Mines." Pulitzer Center. Pulitzer Center, 28 Apr. 2013. Web. 15 Mar. 2014. . Price, Larry C. "Children in Burkina Faso Take on Dirty, Dangerous Work of Digging Up Gold." PBS. PBS, 10 July 2013. Web. 15 Mar. 2014. . Sollinger, Marc. "Children Mining for Gold in Burkina Faso." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2014. . Van De Glind, Hans. "Migration and Child Labour." UN GIFT HUB. UNODC, Sept. 2010. Web. 15 Mar. 2014. .

Cheap Stunts :: essays papers

Cheap Stunts Topic: Using basic techniques combined with creative thinking to achieve stunts and special FX, in low-budget film making. This paper has been written with the low budget film maker in mind. Seeing as though I am personally used to working with little or no money to produce a film or a video, I have always searched, through nessicity, for new ways to create effective looking stunts, special effects, and in general unique looking shots, devices and ‘looks’ in my movies. Of course stunts and special FX may not be your cup of tea when it comes to making or watching a film, and this is fair enough. If a dialogue laden script and endless two shots and close-ups take your fancy, then I’m sure you don’t need to be told how to achieve this. It is simply a matter of writing the script, then setting up the camera and shooting it, generally speaking. However when it comes to low budget film making these days I feel that the film maker must make a special effort to produce a movie that is unique and interesting for an audience to experience. This does not necessarily mean that the film maker must load the film with cheap stunts, blood and guts to grab an audience’s attention. However they should at least try to create something that is very original and makes the audience question how they achieved the results that they did, even if the movie does consist of only ‘two shots’ and ‘close-ups’. In the case of this type of movie (two shot/close-up style), the obvious place to start with ‘creative thinking’ is when writing the script. However this should be fundamental to any script, story or idea. First of all, whoever you are, you must realise that it isn’t money that makes a good film, it is the idea and how that idea is achieved in creative ways. Of course it’s a great thing if you do have a little bit of money to put towards a film, however, throwing around creativity will always win over throwing around a ton of cash at a film, I believe anyway. You probably already have realised this, but for the uninitiated, this is the core theme of this paper; use your creativity where possible, not your money.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Academic Achievement Essay

Academic Achievement This unit will help you: use your prior knowledge to help you understand what you are reading; practice reading for a specific purpose; make decisions about the relevance of a text in terms of reading purpose; read selectively in order to use appropriate information from the text. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The topic of this unit concerns factors that may lead to improvement in academic performance among students. It is based on three major research projects carried out in the United States. The influence of class size on academic achievement (157–159). Task 1: Predicting text content Think about what factors can have an influence on the academic achievement of the students in a school, college, or university. Look at the following list of possible influences and rate the ideas on a scale of 1–5 (1 = very little influence, 5 = very strong influence). Influence on academic performance Resources available (e. g. , computers, laboratories, textbooks) Teacher level (qualifications, experience, etc. ) Student motivation Rating 1. 3 Add and rate some of your own ideas. Then compare your list and ratings with a partner. Focus task. Your reason for reading Text 1-1 is to get some background information to help you write the following essay. English for academic study 18 Academic Achievement 1 Task 2: Reading for a purpose 2. 1 Look carefully at the title of Text 1-1. Do you think that the text will be useful for writing an assignment about academic achievement? Share your conclusions with another student. Read the introduction to Text 1-1 (lines 1–66). As you read, try to make up your mind about how useful this text might be for your purpose. When you have finished reading, circle and complete the following sentence. 2. 2 Task 3: Reading selectively 3. 1 Read the subheading (lines 67–68) and think about your own opinion on the issue. Do you think that smaller class sizes help to improve academic performance? Circle your answer then write one reason for your choice below. 3. 2 Below are some notes that have been made by another student on Text 1-1. Read lines 67–117 and check the points mentioned in the text. a) b) c) d) e) f) g) Reading & Writing 3. 3 Read lines 69–72. What does anecdotal mean? Try to guess the meaning of this word by looking carefully at the whole sentence. If the ideas in this paragraph are anecdotal, think about how seriously you should take them into account when writing your assignment. 19 3. 4 Read lines 97–117 and underline specific information from this paragraph that you might use to help in the completion of the Focus task. Think about: †¢ †¢ 3. 5 how useful you think this paragraph might be in relation to the Focus task; whether you think the sources are reliable. With a partner, compare and justify your choice of information for all four questions. Task 4: Identifying the writer’s purpose 4. 1 Read lines 118–192 and decide on the main functions of this section of text from the choices given below. For each choice, rate the function from 0–5 depending on how sure you are (5 = very sure). Study tip It can be very helpful to recognize why the writer has written a text, or a section of a text, i. e. , what the function of the text is. Function a) To persuade the readers to accept a certain point of view. b) To explain the importance of using research data instead of anecdotal explanations. c) To evaluate the importance of the research carried out into the effect of classroom size on academic achievement. d) To describe the research method used in various parts of the US into the effect of classroom size on academic achievement. 4. 2 What is the function (or functions) of Figure 1: Milestone studies in class size (page 159)? a) to summarize the content of the text b) to outline the content of certain relevant research c) to explain the importance of the STAR project d) to compare the data from research about class size Rating Task 5: Understanding referencing in texts Referencing in a text is a way of linking words and ideas together, thus  making the text more cohesive and easier to understand. The following activity will provide practice in this important skill. 5. 1 Look at line 119 of Text 1-1. What information or idea in the text do the words these findings refer to? a) The US Department of Education b) The National Assessment of Educational Progress c) Project STAR Study tip An effective reader makes use of referencing in a text to gain a clear understanding of what the author wishes to convey. 20 English for academic study Academic Achievement 5. 2 What other words or phrases (lines 119–148) refer to the same data? a) b) 5. 3 (line number (line number ) ) 1 What reasons do the writers give for ignoring the data? Complete the list below, using a similar note form. a) b) c) d) e) 5. 4 What factors, according to the writers, made Project STAR better than other poorly designed studies? Complete the list below, using a similar note form. a) b) c) d) e) Text 1-2 A case study: Shining star (p. 160) Task 6: Reading a text for closer understanding (1) 6. 1 What general point is made in the first paragraph of Text 1-2 (lines 1–11)? Find a short phrase that best summarizes this conclusion. Reading & Writing 21 21 6. 2 In the second paragraph, which of the following benefits of smaller classes do Finn and Achilles (1990) identify in their review of the project? Answer true or false and add the line number from where you found the answer. a) Better academic performance in small-sized classes. b) Students benefit at an early stage in small classes. (line number (line number ) (line number ) ) ) c) Students later continue to perform well in normal-sized classes. ) d) Average students make the most progress. e) Minority groups gained the most significant benefits. (line number (line number f) On average, ethnic minority students improved by one-fifth of standard deviation. (line number ) 6. 3 In the final paragraph, which of the findings of Finn and Achilles (ibid. ) in Ex 6. 2 does Hanushek comment on? Put a check ( ) when Hanushek agrees and a cross ( ) when he disagrees. Write N/A if Hanushek does not mention these findings. a) b) c) d) e) f) 6. 4 To what extent do you feel that the analyses of Project STAR will help you with the Focus task? Rate your opinion 0–5 (0 = not at all). Discuss your answer with a partner. Text 1-3 The Asian paradox: Huge classes, high scores (p. 161) Task 7: Reading a text for closer understanding (2) 7. 1 Discuss with a partner or in groups what you know about academic performance in developed Asian countries, and how academic success is achieved. Read lines 1–65 of Text 1-3. As you read, remember to highlight ideas that might be useful for the Focus task. What is your understanding of the â€Å"Asian paradox†? What one word in the text (lines 17–35) gives a reason for this Asian paradox? 7. 2 English for academic study 7. 3 22 Academic Achievement 7. 4 Find other short phrases in the rest of the paragraph (lines 35–48) that might provide further reasons for the apparent academic success of Japanese students. 1 7. 5 Having read the text, have you found any information that might be useful for the Focus task? Task 8: Thinking critically about the text 8. 1 Look at the list of possible influences on academic performance in Task 1 (page 18). Are there any new influences you want to add to the table, and any you want to delete? Influence on academic performance Rating 8. 2 If you added any influences to your table, what rating would you give them, on a scale of 1–5? Task 9: Making use of the text You now have some information that may help with the Focus task that you will be given in order to complete Unit 1 of English for academic study: Writing, if you are studying that course. Reading & Writing Decide now if, and how, you can use the information in Texts 1-1, 1-2 and 1-3. 23 Unit summary In this unit you have thought about using your prior knowledge to help you understand what you are reading and made decisions about the relevance of a text in terms of reading purpose. You have learned to identify the writer’s purpose and to read selectively in order to use appropriate information from the text. 1 Complete this summary about the reading skills you practiced in the first unit with some of the words from the box. understanding meaning expertly prior title critically predictions subheadings selectively purpose It is easier to read a text if you have some knowledge of the topic that the text is about. This will help you to make and will give you a , which you always need when you read. Knowing why you are reading and what you are looking for will help you to both enjoy a text and focus on it better. Reading the and any there might be will help you to quickly know if you want to read a text and how useful it will be to you. It is important to read , especially if you are short of time. Some parts of a text will provide the information you need while other parts will be less important. You will usually read a text quickly first to get a general idea of what it is about and then read more carefully for closer and to be able to think about the content. 2 Look at these possible topics of a reading passage. How much prior knowledge do you have of each topic? Mark each topic as follows: L – I know a lot about this topic, so I could make plenty of predictions. S – I know something about this topic, and so I could make a few predictions. N – I know very little or nothing about this topic, so I wouldn’t be able to make any predictions. a) increasing traffic congestion in major cities b) special education for children with learning difficulties c) the growth in the popularity of baseball in Asian countries d) the intelligence of dolphins e) the origins of development of paper making English for academic study For web resources relevant to this unit, see: www. englishforacademicstudy. com/us/student/reading/links 24 1 1. 1 Academic Achievement. This unit will help you: think about the aims of academic study, and how to achieve them; learn about the different stages of the writing process; identify and learn how to cope with difficulties in academic writing; learn how to consider the knowledge and expectations of your reader; think about different approaches to the organization of your ideas. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Task 1: Thinking about academic success The following questionnaire, Ex 1. 1–1. 14, will help you think about your views on the meaning of academic success and aspects of academic writing. You will then be able to discuss your views with the rest of the class. What is the aim of academic study? (Please check ( ) one or more. ) to meet intelligent people to ensure having a career or future job to discover more about theories and certain known facts to discuss philosophy to enjoy learning to enable members of society to exchange ideas that are intellectually stimulating* to develop personal growth to contribute to the social and economic development of society to pass examinations to gain a higher-level degree to improve cooperation between different members of world society * intellectually stimulating: encouraging the mind to develop further 1. 2 How important is it for you as a student to develop the following characteristics while studying at university? (Check ( ) H for High importance, M for Medium importance, L for Low importance. ) H M L knowing your strengths and weaknesses thinking about how to further develop your abilities thinking about how to approach a particular task using a logical, reasoned approach to study approaching your subject in depth being interested in finding things out learning how to study communicating results successfully Study tip Working with information is a good way of helping you develop ideas. Doing a questionnaire is one example of this, but you can do this yourself by setting clear goals for reading text, e. g. , having several clear questions you would like to answer. Reading & Writing 83 1. 3 What is academic writing? (Please check ( ) one or more. ) a mechanical exercise groups of grammatically correct sentences the clear expression of ideas, knowledge and information a form of self-expression a way of exploring, addressing and expressing academic issues a way of communicating results or information. 1. 4 To write well academically, how important are the following? (Check ( ) H for High importance, M for Medium importance, L for Low importance. ) H M L reading a lot studying grammar studying vocabulary imitating other writers writing a lot inviting others to comment on your writing going back and thinking again about what you have written rewriting repeatedly until you are satisfied understanding the process of writing meeting the needs of your reader 1. 5. How important do you think the following are when writing academic texts? (Check ( ) H for High importance, M for Medium importance, L for Low importance. ) H M L grammatical correctness spelling and punctuation (using periods, commas, etc. ) an appropriate style overall organization vocabulary good ideas good use of sources (appropriate citation, bibliography) relevance of subject content English for academic study response to the task 1. 6 In which of the following ways can you support your ideas when writing academic texts?  using personal anecdotes* using facts using statistics 84. Academic Achievement using examples using the news using information from books, articles, reports, the Internet using analogies** using the views and attitudes of others using research data * anecdote: a short, often amusing account of something that has happened ** analogy: to make or draw an analogy between two things is to show they are alike in some way 1. 7 Which of the following contribute to successful academic writing? Presenting information clearly and precisely analyzing questions and issues clearly and precisely distinguishing between relevant and irrelevant material recognizing key assumptions* identifying competing points of view demonstrating excellent reasoning and problem-solving abilities adopting a critical stance** understanding the context for which you are writing * assumption: if you make an assumption that something is true, you accept it is true without any real proof or evidence ** critical stance: to take a critical stance is to have a strong viewpoint on something after examining and judging it carefully 1. 8 When persuading your professor or other members of your academic community that your argument is valid, how important are the following? (Check ( ) H for High importance, M for Medium importance, L for Low importance. ) H M L analyzing questions stating facts reasoning your argument logically from facts explaining key terms using language appropriate to a particular subject area using other points of view to  strengthen your argument or research demonstrating the weaknesses of other people’s arguments acknowledging the limitations of your own argument or research supporting your argument with examples frequently summarizing your argument referring to well-argued conclusions 1. Reading & Writing 85 1. 9 Should you always think of academic writing as communicating with another person? Why/Why not? 1. 10 What do you do, or what do you concentrate on, when you are given a writing task: a) while you are still writing your first draft? b) when you have finished your first draft? c) before you hand in your final draft? 1. 11. What type of academic writing have you done in the past? 1. 12 What difficulties do you have with writing in English or in your own language? 86 English for academic study Academic Achievement 1. 13 What do you do when you have difficulties? 1 1. 14 Do you enjoy academic writing? Why/Why not? When you have finished the questionnaire, compare your answers with those of other people in your group. Discuss your answers, and keep notes of the discussion. Do you find that you all have very similar views and experiences? Or are your views and experiences very different? Are there any general trends among students in the group? Material adapted from White, R. V. (1994). Writing English for academic study series and Richards, R. (2001). Presenting critical thinking as a study strategy for UK higher education. Text 1 Academic achievement (pp. 157–161) You will have an opportunity to read these extracts from articles in the Scientific American during this stage. This will help you identify information that is relevant to the title of your essay. Task 2: Microskills: Planning The essay that you will prepare in this unit is on the following topic: Before you begin writing, you should spend some time: †¢ †¢ †¢thinking about exactly what the question is asking you to write about; generating ideas about the topic; this is called brainstorming; organizing your ideas into a plan. Reading & Writing As part of this preparation, you should read Texts 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 to identify relevant information. You might also find that some of the ideas generated by the questionnaire and discussion in Task 1 will help you. 87 2. 1 Discuss what you think the key words are in the essay question: a) with a partner; b) with the whole group and your instructor. 2. 2 Spend five minutes writing down all the ideas you can think of that are relevant to the essay topic. Write notes, not complete sentences, so that your ideas flow. The order of your ideas is not important at this stage. Study tip Discuss the ideas you have written in Ex 2. 2: a) with a partner; b) with the whole group and your instructor. 2. 3 2. 4 Decide which of your ideas you are going to use in your essay. Writing down ideas quickly in note form is a very good way of unlocking your understanding. As long as you let your ideas flow and don’t try too hard, you will be surprised by what you already know. a) To help you, ask yourself these questions about your readers: †¢ What knowledge about academic study do they already have? †¢ What do you think they are interested in reading about in your essay? b) When you have decided which ideas you are going to include, organize them into a logical order in a plan. You may want to develop some of the ideas further and you may want to add a new idea. †¢ Group together ideas that seem to belong to the same paragraph. †¢ Think carefully about the order in which you will arrange the paragraphs. 2. 5 Discuss your plan with your partner. When you look at your partner’s plan, ask yourself: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ What is the overall idea in the essay? Does the plan follow a logical sequence of ideas? Are the ideas grouped effectively into paragraphs? Is the main idea clear in each paragraph? How many paragraphs will the essay contain? If the answers to these questions are not clear from looking at your partner’s plan, ask her/him to explain. Perhaps the plan needs to be changed or developed more. Note: Remember your plan is your guide; when you think more and start writing, you may need to change it, so keep evaluating it. 2. 6 Think about your partner’s comments on your plan and try to improve it. Write the first draft of your essay. At this stage, you should try to write between 400 and 600 words. Study tip  It is always helpful to get another opinion. This will not only help you improve your essay writing, but also get you used to the idea of modifying and redrafting that is so important in university study. 2. 7 English for academic study 88 Academic Achievement 2. 8 When you have finished your first draft, find another student who has also finished and exchange drafts. a) Read your partner’s draft carefully. Respond to the questions on the Peer Evaluation Sheet for Unit 1 on page 141 of this book. b) When commenting on your partner’s draft, remember that constructive criticism is more helpful when giving advice. The phrases below for making polite suggestions should help you to express your comments in a constructive manner. 1 Giving Peer Feedback PHRASES FOR MAKING POLITE SUGGESTIONS †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ It might be a good idea if you †¦ It might be a good idea to †¦ I agree with you, but you could †¦ Right, but you could †¦ This is/That’s good, but you could †¦ My advice would be to †¦ Do you think a better approach might be to †¦? Why don’t you †¦? How about this? Perhaps you could †¦ Maybe it would be better to †¦ I think it would be better if you †¦ Can I/May I make another suggestion? I would recommend that you †¦ Have you thought about (verb + ing) †¦? What about †¦? Remember: Peer feedback should be supportive and helpful—provide constructive criticism. Task 3: Microskills: Introductions 3. 1 Quickly write down what you think are the important points to include in an introduction to an academic essay. Reading & Writing 89 3. 2 Discuss your ideas and explain why you have chosen these points: a) with a partner; b) with the rest of the class. Study tip EAS Writing contains suggestions for individual work as well as pair, group, and class discussion. Make full use of this varied interaction to develop your ideas. 3. 3 Answer the following questions: a) What function or purpose does the introduction of an essay have? b) What should an introduction contain? 90 English for academic study Academic Achievement 3. 4 Look at the following sentences from an introduction to an essay on The problems of population growth. a) Decide which would be the most logical order of these sentences: 1 This growth has created many problems, especially in the capital cities. This essay will discuss the situation that has led to the development of these problems and describe some of them. The population of the world has been growing rapidly over the last thirty years. It will then suggest some possible solutions to the problems and evaluate their viability. The problems include housing, pollution, unemployment, and food and water shortages. b) Compare what you think with another student and also say why you decided on the order you chose. c) Together with your partner, try to identify an obvious pattern to the introduction and decide what the function of each sentence is. 3. 5 Read carefully the following five introductions for an essay entitled Academic success in one’s own culture and try to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. % % â€Å"(! ‘%, & ! % ! ‘ (! ) %& ‘, &( % ! ‘ #%† % & â€Å"% ( ‘ â€Å"! ! % ! ‘ â€Å"(!’% & ) %, &# ( ‘ â€Å"! &,&’ ‘ ‘ & #’ ‘† â€Å"(! ‘%, ( ‘ â€Å"! &,&’ & â€Å"% ! %† #% %, & â€Å"† ‘† & && , & â€Å"(‘ ‘ &( && ! % ! && & â€Å"! † ‘ â€Å"&’ #†%’ ! ‘ † & † ! , &'( ! ‘& ! % % &† % ) ! ‘ ‘†%& ‘† † ‘ ! ‘ & † ! ! ,†( ! !’ % † ‘ ! & ‘ ‘ ,†( &( ! ,†(% ) %, , % â€Å"&’ ! , % &'( ! ‘& ‘%, ‘† ! ‘ % † â€Å"* ) % &† &'( ! ‘& #% % ‘† &'( , ! & † & & && , * & % &† ‘†%& ‘ ‘ % â€Å"& , % ‘ ‘† &( && ! ! ! ) %, † , * & & ‘† ) &( && ! &† ‘, / ( &&0 ! ! & &† ‘, & ! â€Å"‘ â€Å"! , â€Å"% â€Å"! 1& â€Å"*! â€Å"! â€Å"% (‘ &† ‘ * † ,1& (%’ % â€Å"% â€Å"% â€Å"&’ ! & &'( ! ‘& ! ‘ %&’ &’ â€Å"(% &( && ‘ ‘ ‘ % $( % ‘† ! â€Å"† & â€Å"% ! !’ % % & â€Å"† ‘† &'( , ! ‘ & â€Å"! &’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘! â€Å"% &'( ! ‘ ‘† ! â€Å"† † â€Å"% â€Å"! ‘% (‘ ‘† &# & ‘ â€Å"( / &( && 0 !’ â€Å"! â€Å"(% ( ‘ â€Å"! &,&’ ! â€Å"! #’ † ‘% ‘ â€Å"! ( ‘(% * ,& ‘& â€Å"(% &'( ! ‘&1 &( && % â€Å"% ‘ & && , * & % &( && ! * ! ! ! ‘ ‘ % ‘ ‘†%& Reading & Writing 91 ( ‘ â€Å"! & â€Å"! † ‘ & ‘†%& â€Å"! ‘% (‘ ! ‘† ‘ ) â€Å"# ! ‘ † &† ‘, ( ‘ â€Å"% ‘ % ‘ # â€Å"# â€Å"( % – ‘ % #†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ ! ‘ ) â€Å"† , +’ ! ! ( ‘ â€Å"! ! % ‘ # â€Å"# , #%†) ‘ % ( ‘(% † ‘( & & && , * & % ‘ ( ‘ â€Å"! &,&’ ! % ‘ & &( && ! â€Å"(% â€Å"(! ‘%, ! , ‘†%& ‘† & % ‘ ! â€Å"(! & ‘ & ‘†# ! ‘ â€Å"! ‘& #†%’ ! # ! & â€Å"! ‘ † â€Å"* ! !’ ! ‘ ! ‘ † & ‘ #† , † ‘ â€Å") %! !’ ‘ &,&’ † ( ‘ â€Å"! &(##à ¢â‚¬ %’ &,&’ ! ‘ & ‘ %&’ *†( ‘† ! ‘ !! â€Å"% ! &* % ! ‘ & $( &’ â€Å"! !’ & $( &’ â€Å"!. * ‘ ! † ‘ &% % & &( && ! # !. & & â€Å"&’ # ! & * ! &* % ‘ ‘ ‘ & ‘† % ( ‘ %† % (! ) %& ‘, % & â€Å"† % &†! ‘† & , &† ! # ! & &† ‘, ‘ % &’ † ‘ ! % % & &'( ! ‘&1 (‘(% ‘ ,† ‘ ! % ! ‘ % & â€Å"† % % #%† , ‘* ! &( && ! ‘ % (‘(% ‘ % % ( ‘! â€Å"&’ † ‘ * ‘† ! ‘ % #% &’ â€Å"(& † # ! , ! % , ‘ & & (& ( † (# ‘ â€Å"! ! ‘& â€Å"! ‘ â€Å"! & % â€Å"† % â€Å"% ! , # â€Å"# ‘ ( ‘ ‘† #% # % â€Å"% # && ! & â€Å"† + & † % ! ) ‘† &'( , % â€Å"% ‘ , † ! ‘ & â€Å"† ! %’ & % ( &’ ! & ‘ & & ‘ ‘ ‘ , â€Å"% ‘ ‘ ! ! † &'( , ! &( ‘& & && , ! ‘ â€Å"! & â€Å"‘ ) ‘ â€Å"! ‘† &'( , ! ‘% & ‘† % (# ‘ !! † &( && ! â€Å"(% ( ‘(% Edited extracts from authentic student mater ial 3. 6 Imagine you are writing an essay on the following three topics. Write a suitable introduction for each one of them. (Note that you are not going to  write the whole essay. ) a) The education system in one’s own country. b) Traveling broadens the mind. Discuss. c) The rapid development of electronic communications may mean that people will have fewer social skills. Discuss. 3. 7 When you write the second draft of your essay What are the aims of academic study and how can they be achieved? make appropriate changes to the introduction, and other parts, according to your peer feedback session. Study tip Spend time on your introduction as it plays a crucial role in the essay. It should provide the reader with a clear indication of the main areas you are going to discuss. 92 English for academic study Academic Achievement 1 Unit summary In this unit you have reflected on your attitudes and approach to academic writing skills. You have thought about the different stages of the writing process and practiced planning, writing a first draft, and giving peer feedback. You have also looked at how to write effective introductions to your essays. 1 Match the words and phrases in the box to their definitions below. They are all procedures and techniques that form part of the writing process. drafting brainstorming peer feedback organizing ideas adopting a critical stance a) Generating and noting down initial ideas about a topic without ordering them b) Putting ideas together in a logical sequence c) Deciding on and expressing your viewpoint after examining and judging possible opinions d) The process of writing and putting your essay together. Most essays will have two or more drafts and will be revised and edited after each draft. e) Comments on your essay from other students 2 Complete the sentences below on writing an academic text using some of the words from Ex 1. a) When you are given a writing task, it is important to start by b) When you write the first draft you should. c) Before you hand in your final draft 3 After working on this unit, write down ways in your notebook of how you improved your knowledge of academic writing. Reading & Writing For web resources relevant to this unit, see: www. englishforacademicstudy. com/us/student/writing/links 93 Academic Achievement Text 1-1: The influence of class size on academic achievement 1 THE INFLUENCE OF CLASS SIZE ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT Education is a pillar of modern society and the subject of endless, often passionate arguments about how it can best be improved. In the U. S. , there is heated 5 debate following revelations that the country’s secondary school  students perform poorly relative to many Asian and European students. The news coincided with increasing concern over the nation’s urban and 10 lower-income suburban schools, too many of which are languishing at achievement levels far below those of middle-class and upper middle-class suburban schools. Of all the ideas for improving education, 15 few are as simple or attractive as reducing the number of pupils per teacher. With its uncomplicated appeal and lack of a big, powerful group of opponents, class-size reduction has lately developed from a sub20 ject of primarily academic interest to a key political issue. In the United States, more than 20 states and the federal government have adopted policies aimed at decreasing class sizes, and billions of dollars have been 25 spent or committed in the past few years. The demand for smaller classes is also growing in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and even Japan, whose record of secondary school performance is the envy of 30 most other developed countries. The most obvious drawback to class-size reduction is the huge cost. It requires more teachers, more classrooms, and more classroom equipment and resources. These 35 expenses can dwarf the price of alternative schemes, such as testing teachers or increasing their pay as a means of attracting better candidates. The state of California, for example, has been spending more than 40 $1. 5 billion annually over the past several years to reduce class size to 20 or fewer for children in the four- to seven-year-old bracket. On the other hand, if smaller classes really do work, the economic benefits could be huge. 157 Reading & Writing Text 1-1: The influence of class size on academic achievement cont. 158 English for academic study smaller classes. Finally, some analysts believe that the very youngest age group in smaller classes are more likely to develop good study habits, higher self-esteem and possibly other beneficial cognitive traits— which may very well persist for years, even 95 after the students have gone back to more normal-sized classes. One way investigators have attempted to analyze the effects of class size is by reviewing existing data, such as records kept by the 100 U. S. Department of Education. These show that between 1969 and 1997, the average number of pupils per teacher in American public and private elementary schools fell from 25. 1 to 18. 3, a decline of greater than 105 27%. In secondary schools, the number also fell, from 19. 7 to 14. 0. Of concern, however, is the fact that despite these steep drops in pupil-teacher ratios, the improvement in academic performance was negligible. Data 110 from the National Assessment of Educational Progress—a series of tests that is the only United States-wide indicator of student knowledge in reading, mathematics, science WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS and other subjects—show no significant OF SMALLER CLASS SIZES? 115 gains. In some specific age and subject categories, such as 17-year-olds and science, Educators have a multitude of explanations performance actually decreased slightly. for why smaller class sizes might be expect70 ed to improve academic performance, although frequently the ideas are anecdotal. WHAT THE RECORD SHOWS Fewer students in the classroom seem to translate into less noise and disruptive However, these findings do not necessarily 75 behavior from students, which not only gives the teacher more time for class work but 120 mean that class size makes no difference. For a variety of reasons, most researchers, also more freedom to engage students creincluding the writers, pay little attention to atively—by, for example, dividing them into these figures (Figure 1). For instance, groups for specific projects. In addition, schools strive for more than just high test 80 smaller classes make it more likely that the teacher can give greater individual attention 125 scores; they also usually try to keep their dropout rate low. In fact, the dropout rate to struggling students. Smaller classes also for students aged 16–24 fell from 15 to 11 allow teachers to encourage more discuspercent over the period. Because dropouts sion, assign more writing, and closely examgenerally come from the low end of the 85 ine their students’ written work. In other words, much of the benefit of reduced class 130 achievement distribution, a reduction in dropout rate could be expected to pull down size may depend on whether the teachers average test scores in the upper grades. adapt their methods to take advantage of They would accrue not just from the benefits of a better-educated workforce but also from other sources, such as the avoided medical costs and sick days of a healthier, more informed populace. The surge of interest in smaller classes 50 has spurred fresh analyzes of the largest, most conclusive study to date, which took place in Tennessee in the late 1980s. At the same time, new data are flowing from 55 various initiatives, including the California program and a smaller one in Wisconsin. These results and analyzes are finally offering some tentative responses to the questions that researchers must answer before 60 legislators can come up with policies that make educational and economic sense: Do small classes in fact improve school achievement? If they do, at what age level do they accomplish the greatest good? What kind of 65 students gain the greatest benefit, and most importantly, how great is the benefit? 45 90 Academic Achievement Text 1-1: The influence of class size on academic achievement cont. 1 FIGURE 1: MILESTONE STUDIES IN CLASS SIZE PROJECT STATE STUDENTS PARTICIPATING APPROX. COST SMALL CLASS SIZE KEY FINDINGS STAR 1985–89 Tennessee 10,000 $12m 13–17 Significant performance benefit of 0. 2 standard deviation; larger gains for minority pupils Small performance gain of about 0. 05 to 0. 1 standard deviation; no greater gains for minorities Significant performance advantage of 0. 2 standard deviation; larger gain.