Islamic Unit Study Guide Essay

In Arabic, the word â€Å"Islam† means submission or surrender, it is derived from the root word â€Å"salam† in which you can also derive the root words peace and safety. 2. What is Zamzam? The name of the holy well located in Mecca believed to be revealed when Abraham’s infant son Ishmael kicked the ground desperate for water. Millions of Muslims today drink from the well while performing their pilgrimage to Mecca 3. What is the Ka’bah? One of the most sacred sites in Islam, it is a large marble structure located in the middle of al Masjid al Haram (Sacred Mosque). It’s said to be built by Abraham and his son Ishmael to dedicate to Allah, and also houses the sacred Black Stone. No matter where you are, Muslims supposed to be facing the direction of Kaaba when in prayer. 4. Fully describe the role Abraham played in Islam. Ibrahim is considered to be the father of both Arabs and of Jews according to Muslims. It’s also believed that he is neither a Jew nor a Muslim, but somebody who is a hernif – somebody who essentially and intrinsically knows that there is really only one God. Much of what Islamic tradition is about, along with rituals such as the Hajj – stem from the pre-Islamic era and are translated into Islamic rituals through Ibrahim. The Kaaba was built because God spoke to Ibrahim about constructing a sacred house for God. 5. When was Muhammad born? 570 AD, Mecca 6. What did Muhammad dislike about his birthplace, Mecca? It was filled with idol worship and when he was assigned by God to call people to Islam per God revelation of Quran to him, the disbelievers disliked his views against discrimination. The people of Mecca were steeped in their ways and opposed Muhammad and his small group of followers in every way. 7. Describe the â€Å"Night of Power† and how Muhammad became the Messenger of God. The Lailat ul-Qadr or â€Å"Night of Power† is the night in which the Holy Quran is revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. At the age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad received his first revelation from God through the Archangel Gabriel. Muhammad began to recite the words he heard from Gabriel and to preach the truth which God had revealed to him. . What is the â€Å"Night Journey? † Be sure to include in your answer a discussion of Isra and Miraj. The Night Journey starts out with the Isra, where Gabriel presents to Muhammad the heavenly winged steed called the Buraq. With the Buraq, he then journeys to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem where he met and prayed with Prophets Moses, Abraham, Jesus, and John. Gabriel then gives Muhammad the decision to dri nk the wine or milk, Muhammad chooses the milk which fulfills the prophecy. After this, is the Miraj, where Muhammad is ascended into heaven and passes the seven heavenly realms, where he meets God. 9. What is the significance of Medina? It’s considered the first Islamic Republic and is the location of the first Mosque built 10. Describe in detail the Five Pillars of Islam:  · Shahada : It is the declaration of belief in the oneness of God and acceptance of Muhammad as God’s prophet.  · Salat : The practice of formal worship to Allah  · Zawat :  · Sawm : Arabic word for fasting regulated by Islamic jurisprudence. In the terminology of Islamic law, the observance of sawm during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.  · Hajj : the pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslim is required to make at least once in his life, provided he has enough money and the health to do so 11. Briefly describe the conflict between the Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims. The schism occurred when the Islamic prophet Muhammad died in the year 632, leading to a dispute over succession to Muhammad as a caliph of the Islamic community spread across various parts of the world which led to the Battle of Siffin. Sectarian violence persists to this day from Pakistan to Yemen and is a major element of friction throughout the Middle East. 12. What does â€Å"caliph† mean? The chief Muslim civil and religious ruler, regarded as the successor of Muhammad. 13. What is an â€Å"Imam? † The title of a Muslim leader or chief 14. Describe in detail the holy writings of Islam:  · Qur’an : the sacred text of Islam, divided into 114 chapters, or suras: revered as the word of God, dictated to Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel, and accepted as the foundation of Islamic law, religion, culture, and politics. Hadith : Hadith is the collection of the Prophet Muhammad’s statements and actions coupled with the statements and actions of his companions believed to have been collected 150 years after Muhammad’s death, and it is the basis of jurisprudence for Islamic or Sharia law. Muslims classify hadith in four different categories. The first three categories refer specifically to Muhammad. Awl are the transmissions of Muhammad’s statements, fi’liare the transmission of Muhammad’s deeds or actions, and taqrir are the actions or deeds of the Prophet’s companions or others that Muhammad has approved of. The fourth category of classification is qudsi, which are the Prophet’s words, inspired by Allah, that are not recorded in the Qur’an.  · Sharia : the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia deals with many topics addressed by secular law, including crime, politics, and economics, as well as personal matters such as sexual intercourse, hygiene, diet, prayer, and fasting. Though interpretations of sharia vary between cultures, in its strictest definition it is considered the infallible law of God—as opposed to the human interpretation of the laws 15. Describe in detail the Aqida. Be sure to include the six articles of the faith. 16. Explain the concept of Jihad. Be sure to include the meaning of the word â€Å"Jihad,† and the distinction between â€Å"Lesser Jihad† and â€Å"Greater Jihad. † 17. What is the meaning of the Star and Crescent Moon, the symbol of Islam? The crescent moon and star symbol pre-dates Islam by several thousand years when polytheism was the majority in the Middle East. The crescent and star are often said to be Islamic symbols, but historians say that they were the insignia of the Ottoman Empire, not of Islam as a whole. 8. What is the Aqiqa? Islamic practice of shaving the head of the newborn male and contributing the weight in silver for charity as well as 2 lambs. One lamb is slaughtered for a baby girl. 19. Briefly define the following groups:  · Nation of Islam : an organization composed chiefly of American blacks, advocating the teachings of Islam and originally favoring the se paration of races: members are known as Black Muslims.  · Wahabi : a follower of ? Abd al-Wahhab (1703–1792), who stringently opposed all practices not sanctioned by the Koran. The Wahhabis, founded in the 18th century, are the most conservative Muslim group and are today found mainly in Saudi Arabia.   The Twelvers : the largest branch of Shi’ite Islam. Adherents of Twelver Shi’ism are commonly referred to as Twelvers, which is derived from their belief in twelve divinely ordained leaders, known as the Twelve Imams, and their belief that the Mahdi will be none other than the returned Twelfth Imam who disappeared and is believed by Twelvers to be in occultation. 20. Define the following terms:  · Arabia Peninsula of southwest Asia between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. Politically, it includes Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Arabia has an estimated one third of the world’s oil reserves.  · Allah Islamic word for God  · Ishmael Son of Abraham  · Muslim A believer and follower of the teachings by the Prophet Muhammad  · Mecca City is Saudi Arabia, the religious centre for one of the five pillars of pilgrimage (hajj)  · Abu Bakr One of the close companions of Prophet Muhammad and the first caliph  · Khailifahs Muslim religion leaders or chiefs Mosque Muslim house of worship  · Ramadan The ninth month of the year in the Islamic calendar, a time of fasting.  · Hajj The religious pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the five pillars of Islam  · Sufism Islamic mysticism  · Ali Cousin and son in law of Prophet Muhammad, a caliph  ·  · Hidden Imam Twelver Shii doctrine holds that the twelfth imam did not die but went into a spiritual form of existence known as occultation, and will retur n at the end of time as a messianic Mahdi to restore justice and equity on earth. The sacred dress of Muslim pilgrims, consisting of two lengths of white cotton, one wrapped around the loins, the other thrown over the left shoulder.  · Kafir Infidel or pagan  · Id Al-Fitr A festival that ends the fast of Ramadan  · Id Al-Adha Commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael  · Sunnah The way of life prescribed by the normative of Islam  · Tawhid Asserting and maintaining the divine unity, Islam’s central doctrine.  · Ummah Means â€Å"the people† in Arabic, it refers to collective community of Islam peoples

Postoperative CABG depression Essay

1. Why did Japan Airlines Development Company decide to develop a hotel company in the mid-1980s? It was developed to strengthen the company’s marketing and financial position. JAL is known for its aggressive global marketing and application of new technology in hotel operations, the company is determined to establish a worldwide network of hotels comparable in number to Hilton, Sheraton, and inter-Continental. 2. Why did Nikko Hotels International choose the Essex House in New York City as its first property in the United States? The chose the Essex hotel to be the first hotel Nikko to be a springboard for Nikko’s future growth. Nikko’s executives believed that if they could do well with the Essex house in the competitive NY market, then they would do well in other markets within the United States. 3. Can you describe the cultural diversity of the management team at the Essex House? When Nikko took over the Essex house they invited all of the on site Marriott managers and staff to stay with the new company, since they were being replaced by Nikko to manage the Essex. Six managers decided to stay and they were all a very culturally diverse group. A Austrian, Irish, Lebanese, Japanese, and a manager from North America. This group of executive managers represented a highly diverse cultural group. 4. What was the purpose of the executive retreat? The purpose of the retreat was to create a Nikko mission statement 5. When did Miura join the managers at the executive retreat? The retreat was held in May 1981 in Ithaca in upstate New York. Miura who was the president of the company, showed up at the retreat after the group sessions and attended the presentations and started to comment on them. 6. How did he annoy the non-Japanese managers during their presentations? Miura annoyed the non Japanese executives, because they felt that his comments were not allowing them to contribute to their mission statement. They felt as though he was testing them and already had a mission statement and was wasting their time. 7. Why was Miura shocked to hear complaints from his managers? What did he do after he regained control of himself? Miura was shocked to hear the sharp criticisms because he felt that the executive managers were his subordinates. He didn’t understand why everyone was so upset with his comments. 8. What happened the next day? The next day, Miura tried to start over and began his speech to the executive team in a frank and all humble manner. He spoke about the global strategic development by JAL, and explained why the Nikko company had come to the united states. He shared with this team his 27 years of experience with JAL, and appealed to the group for cooperation. After his speech, he joined the team as a working participant to develop the Nikko mission statement. 9. What is the mission statement for Nikko Hotels? Dedicated employees, attentive service, quality facilities, together in harmony 10. Can you explain what cultural blunder Miura committed during the executive retreat and how he ridged the cultural gap and brought the team together? Miura committed a cultural blunder when first speaking at the retreat. The group had not known much about this man and his culture. He gave critical feedback to his subordinates during the presentation. Instead of talking to the team and sharing his background, he spoke down to them and did not originally share about himself. The best thing that he did was go home and do his â€Å"homework† so that he could better learn how to communicate with this group of culturally diverse people. He came back the next day with a better outlook and attitude and treated the group as a team and worked together instead working away from one another. Comments: If cultural diversity can be managed effectively, there is potential to use diverse workforce if it will benefits the organization. I think that multiculturalism can be directly linked to the success of the organization.It helps to promote minority friendly reputation among potential employeesVarious cultural societies help customers to achieve that with a variety of people.The ability to manage cultural diversity increases adaptability and flexibility of an organization to environmental changes. Whatever the country of origin of the guest at Hotel Nikko, it sounds as though with the diverse group of employees that have kept, that there is a good chance that staff will be able to speak their native language and understand what may cause offense. In my opinion, language capability is a tool that helps attract new business as well as service customers once they have arrived. I found it very interesting the way that Miura was perceived at the retreat. Being a nurse, I see this type of cultural â€Å"blunder†, a lot when working with patients and their families. You really have to be culturally sensitive when working with people of other cultures. Many mannerisms can be taken the wrong way if you are not familiar with other cultures and their personalities. I think that Miura meant well, but of course because of his culture he was unable to communicate effectively to his employees. They didn’t feel that he was on their side working with them at first. I really admire that Miura went back to his hotel and thought about what he would say to the people at the retreat the following day. I  really like that he decided to share his history and where he came from and where his vision is. I think that is so important when first meeting with people, especially a boss. I recently had a manager for our unit that never did share anything about herself. She was bold, aggressive and didn’t always communicate effectively. We grew to dislike her, and knew nothing about her which gave us no appreciation or understanding of where she was coming from sometimes. After working with her for 4 years, she decided to leave and seek another job at a different hospital. It was then, in her goodbye email that she unloaded and shared with us her life. Me and my other coworkers then began to have a little understanding and perspective on why she would do the things that she did and why she had such a un approachable demeanor. If only she had shared with us over the years, our unit may have run a lot more effectively. I like that Nikko hotels are so culturally diverse with their employees. Its multicultural work force is helping achieve great respect and popularity by creating an international environment within the hotel which makes guests from around the world feel at home.

What is the Future of Technology in Education?

As technology advances, so should the world's classrooms. By integrating modern advancements into the education system, opportunities to pursue knowledge are created. Organization becomes easier using cellular devices. Having students carry their own devices into school rather than purchasing new electronics is economical. New ways to make academics easier and more fun have been implemented into new technology. Students that would otherwise remain silent may develop the courage to finally pursue the answers to their questions anonymously. Cell phones should be permitted in classrooms for educational purposes. Having cell phones in an environment that is already geared towards learning opens the opportunity to teach safety and manners for the devices. Teachers can explain in detail to their students how to remain safe on the internet and how to utilize it to its fullest ability. This presents the ideal circumstances for addressing issues such as cyberbullying and online predators as well as how to avoid or properly deal with these topics. The school also can monitor and control what sites students may visit, and it protects them from off-topic or detrimental websites. In addition to safety, instructors may lead lectures on etiquette associated with these devices (http://www.schoolmoney.org). Using technology in the classroom is useful for recording and recalling information. Ken Halla found that his students turned in their homework more often when they were using their devices to remind themselves of their homework. By using the devices as reminders, the students were able to combat their forgetfulness and raise their grades as they had begun to complete their assignments (http://neatoday.org). Another teacher, Sherri Story, uses smart phones to administer group quizzes in which a total of six phones are used, so all the students get a chance to participate and work together. She finds that the students have all the information they need at their fingertips and can find answers that even she does not know almost immediately. The students can share notes and assignments that their classmates may have missed in a previous period, which allows the absent student just as much time to work on a given topic as his peers and no excuse for not completing assignments (https://pilotonline.com). Implementing a ‘Bring Your Own Device,' or ‘BYOD,' policy can be cost-effective for schools that are underfunded. For schools that cannot afford many computers; laptops; or tablets, having students bringing in their own devices, even if they must be shared, saves the school from expending money that it does not have (http://neatoday.org). Additionally, a study, led by Joshua Littenberg-Tobias and Vincent Cho, showed that when students' devices were utilized for learning in Boston College, the teachers saw improvement in the learning abilities of their students (https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org). Because the use of technology has grown exponentially over the years, the quantity of educationally focused applications has grown. Apps, such as Remind101, are used to remind students of upcoming assignments while websites like Poll Everywhere can be used to determine what materials a class needs to review before assessments and what it does not. Other apps, such as dictionary or reference apps are quick and easy to use, cutting down on the time needed to search for information so that more time may be spent on learning (http://www.nea.org). Certain apps such as Kahoot are tailored to make learning in all subjects enjoyable, entertaining, and like a game, which helps some students learn better than simply sitting through a lesson without understanding (https://education.cu-portland.edu). Cellular devices may be used by children that would otherwise not ask for assistance. They may by utilized by disabled children to communicate with everyone else and give them a sense of normality. They may also be used by students who are too shy or nervous to ask for help in front of their entire class. These students may fear that they will be considered stupid if they ask for help, so the anonymity gives them the confidence they need to receive the additional attention they need. Moreover, when students are placed into groups to complete projects, none of them are singled out because they do not own a smartphone. All students in a group work together, using a single device (https://www.edutopia.org). Permitting cell phones in an academic setting would be a wise decision, despite its drawbacks, which are easily remedied. Simply introducing them into an academic area creates a learning opportunity for safety and proper usage. The technology makes a place to store information so that it can be retrieved quickly for convenient use. Having students bring in their own devices reduces the amount of money spent in the tech department and is cost-effective. Because of the frequency smartphones are used, a plethora of applications have been created to enhance an individual's academic standpoint. Students, teachers, and administrators should work together to apply already successful techniques around the globe.

Trade union movement in Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Trade union movement in Britain - Essay Example The power of trade unions in countries around the world is not equal. In certain countries, such as Britain, the role of trade unions in promoting the rights of employees has been critical. Current paper presents the current state of trade union movement in Britain. In addition, the strategies that trade union movement in Britain employs to increase its influence are explained and evaluated. Through the literature published in regard to this subject it has been revealed that the current power of trade unions in Britain is limited, compared to the past. Radical changes in these unions’ policies and practices are required so that the power of trade union movement in Britain to return to high levels. 2. Trade union movement in Britain 2.1 Definitions In order to understand the various aspects of trade union movement in Britain it is necessary to present the definitions of certain terms, as these terms are closely related to the issues under discussion. The trade union has been de scribed as ‘a continuous association of wage-earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their working lives’ (Sinha 2004, p.1). Through a similar point of view, a trade union reflects ‘a combination aiming to regulate the relations between workmen and masters†¦.’ (1913 Trade Union Act, in Jackson, 1982, p.69). Different approaches have been also used for describing trade unions. For instance, reference can be made to the definition of trade union as developed by Flanders in 1975: ‘unions should act in order to challenge capitalism’ (Gardner and Palmer 1997, p.86). The above definition, being influenced by Marx’s views on employment relations, focuses on the relationship between employment and politics and not so much on the rights of employees in the workplace. Reference should be also made to the definition of worker. According to the Employment Rights Act 1996 a worker is an individual that meets the fol lowing three requirements: ‘a) works under a contract, b) to carry out personal services and c) for the other party of the contract’ (Gennard and Judge 2005, p.102). In the context of another definition, an employee is considered to be ‘the person that works for another under the terms of compensation’ (Twomey 2009, p.78). The compensation of employees can be monetary or of other form (Twomey 2009). 2.2 Current state of trade union movement in Britain As in all countries where a trade union movement exists, in Britain also, the trade union movement focuses on ‘the protection of jobs and of wages’ (Padhi 2008, p.543). Moreover, trade unions have the power to check whether working conditions are kept at a specific level, in terms of quality and safety (Padhi 2008). The existence of trade unions is based on the following fact: the position of employees is less advantageous compared to that of their employers (Weiss 2008, p.357). This means that em ployees are not equally powerful with their employers when having to negotiate for their rights (Weiss 2008). This fact has led to the introduction of trade unions, as a means for increasing the power of employees towards their employers (Weiss 2008). The current status of trade union movement in UK can be characterized as rather discouraging. In fact, through the decades the failures of the efforts of union leaders to secure the support of Labour government towards the trade union movement, as analyzed below, have led to the decrease of the unions’

Philosophy and Social Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Philosophy and Social Justice - Essay Example A social system is said to be just if its values are contrary to those systems that foster suffering, abuse, oppression, tyranny, discrimination, and prejudice. A just social system incorporates the government since solely the government does the distribution of services and resources. These services include education and health services. When the government provides a quality education, dependable health services and equitable distribution of resources to the populace without favor then we say we have a socially just society. A society where every citizen, whether rich, poor, powerful, or powerless is given an equal chance to thrive either in social, or economic aspects. In conclusion, a socially just society upholds the rights of its citizens as provided in the constitution. These rights may include right to shelter/housing, freedom of speech, freedom of association, equitable economical empowerment among others (Daniels, 2005). According to the Theory of Justice (Veil of Ignorance), Rawls argument is from a principled reconciliation of fairness and liberty. Ideologies of justice are used to guide the conduct of the parties. These groups face a little shortage, and they are not purely egoistic or naturally altruistic. They have a mission they seek to achieve, but prefer to achieve them through collaboration with others on mutually suitable conditions. Rawls gives a form of fairness in the choice within groups using principles of justice that are mutually acceptable. In such limitations, Rawls believes that the involved groups would find his preferred ideologies to be attractive, winning out over varied alternatives such as right-libertarian and utilitarian accounts. Rawls claims that ignorance to certain issues in the society will create fairness in the society; this he calls the original position. If a person does not know his future in his own imagined society, he is likely not giving

Team creativity Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Team creativity - Article Example Emotional intelligence of the team members plays a vital role in enhancing cognitive and affective trust. Cognitive trust may build up between the team members based on the reliability and competence of his/her peers. Professional behaviour increases the cognitive trust between the team members. Affective trust is based on emotional bonds resulting from interpersonal care and concern for each other. Self-awareness about own emotions may help the team members to manage other’s emotions. Team members’ trust is based on individuals’ confidence upon the actions of the team members. All team members will assess the actions of other members based on its benefits and consequences. Knowledge and skill about one’s function is critical to creativity. High cognitive trust teams have members with strong functional as well as interpersonal capabilities. These capabilities can create a feeling that the team can jointly make decisions, take risks and share ideas without fear of criticism. In short, collaborative culture is a strong predictor of creativity (Barczak et al, p.332-345) The primary objective of this study was to explore backgrounds of team creativity, namely, team emotional intelligence and team trust. It also investigates the relationships between team emotional intelligence and team trust to increase creativity. Emotional intelligence promotes team trust. Trust, in turn, fosters a collaborative culture which enhances the creativity of the team. Cognitive trust moderates the relationship between collaborative culture and team creativity. This study was conducted using a survey of 82 student teams at a large university in the northeast United States. Some of the variables used for this study were trust, collaborative trust, cognitive trust, affective trust, creativity, control of own emotions, aware of own emotions, aware of others’ emotions, control of others’ emotions etc. The findings of this study are suitable only to

Competition law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Competition law - Essay Example An exclusive distribution system is whereby a company, (manufacturer) grants exclusive rights of its products and/or services, to another company1. The most common form is when a single distributor acquires exclusive rights to market a product in a specific territory. Exclusive distribution limits sales to one dealer or to one distributor in a given market. Take the example of Sealy, a company that manufactures high quality mattresses and beddings products. In 1967 entered into an agreement to have its products distributed under the Sealy name and trademark, however the condition was that the companies to take up the distribution of the products were not to; 1. Be engaged, in contract, to any other company and not to distribute any other products whether beddings or not. 2. Sticking to a precise territory of sale and not to out of their allocated and agreed upon jurisdiction. The courts in the USA agreed to the terms that were being offered to the distributing companies by the manufa cturing company Sealy and termed then ‘horizontally correct’. This is because they looked at the substance rather than the form. This is the same as that of the Lolo Cars PLC and a hypothetical car distribution company called Zeek in Germany’s capital city Berlin2. The two decide to come to an exclusive distribution agreement of the sports cars. Zeek is located in Berlin, and it is limited to the boundaries of the city. The following will be the nature of the agreement; Lolo Cars PLC shall not be involved directly or indirectly in the sale, or even offer to sell its sports cars in Berlin. This is because it is an area exclusively under the authority of Zeek. This is evident in the American-Japan agreement on the sale of laser printers manufactured in Japan and sold in the USA. The Canon LPC laser printer is manufactured by a Japanese company but is distributed by Eastman Kodak Company in USA and is even rebranded as Hewlett-Packard and Corona data Systems. Zeek i s not allowed to sell the sports cars from Lolo Cars to any other part outside Berlin, and this is because it is aregion that has been demarcated for it. Advertisement of the sports cars outside Berlin is also not allowed. Zeek is also not to supply other products within Berlin that are assumed to be competing with the products of Lolo Cars. That means that Zeek cannot sign another agreement contract with another sports cars manufacturing company, especially if it should supply those cars within Berlin.Zeek should place a written order of the number of the cars that they would like (Roger & Culloch 314). This not only brings about transparency in the activities between the two firms but also gets rid of any form of fraud, and hence brings about responsibility. Lolo CarsCompany can change the price list of its sports cars only once in a year, and should give a written notice of sixty days to Zeek. This is because Zeek needs time to be able to inform their already established clientel e about the changes in the prices. Zeek shall use commercially reasonable efforts to promote the sale. Lolo Cars Company should first pass these efforts. If Lolo Cars does not agree with the methods of marketing and advertisement, then Zeek will not use it. These efforts also mean that they will train their own personnel that will be used tomarket and

Organizational Change Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organizational Change Process - Essay Example First, successful companies recognize that it takes a team to product success. They know it is never just one person who is responsible for the success of any business venture and give people the credit they deserve. Secondly, knowing that change is inevitable and being able to adapt to the changes around them is a must. The overall nature of our business expands beyond the confines of our building and our customer's direct needs. Necessary government regulations and guidelines dictate certain decisions and control areas of our production. One such regulation focuses on staff training, maintenance of accurate training records, mandated company training, records of training attendance and records of training attendance. The executive management at LRH Manufacturing feels that our current manual training system is inadequate for current and future requirements of our government guidelines. Therefore, a Web-based system is being implemented to help ensure more exact, more manageable, traceable data. To oversee this responsibility, a new position, the Web-Based Training Project Manager has been created.

Managing Projects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing Projects - Essay Example The Ashleigh Music Festival Company has been tasked with the responsibility of managing this project and ensuring that it is successful. This essay will discuss how the Ashleigh Music Festival as a major project can be executed so as to successfully organize and execute it. This essay will also discuss the key issues of the Ashleigh Music Festival project such as the key tasks to be completed so that the festival can be ready for opening, the importance of using project management skills and techniques and the skills and competencies required of the project team among others. Part B: The importance of Project management tools The Ashleigh Music Festival is an important event the needs to be properly managed so as to ensure that it is successful. Effective project management techniques and processes need to be applied to this project for a number of reasons. These project management techniques and processes may include the creation of a business case, defining the scope of the project , being clear about the goals and objectives that need to be achieved by the project, coming up with a viable project plan and selecting the best project team to execute the project (Archibald 1992). The first reason why it would be important to use these project management techniques and processes in the Ashleigh Music Festival is because the project management team will be provided with the opportunity to take charge of the available resources so as to ensure that the team produces the highest quality deliverables that are on time and within the set budget (Bradford, Duncan & Tarcy 2000). This is much easier when project management techniques and processes are used to plan and execute a project (Cleland 1994). The second reason why it would be important to use project management techniques and processes in the Ashleigh Music Festival is to ensure that all set deadlines for the project are met and that all the necessary actions have a timeline at which they should be executed and a chieved (Burt, Dobler & Starling 2003). When project management techniques and processes are applied, deadlines for each action are given. This means that all the actions will have a timeline during which they should be carried out and completed successfully (Cleland & Gareis 2006). This increases the chances of the entire project succeeding as opposed to when there are no set deadlines. Defining the scope of the project is important because it will help the project to focus on what it is set to achieve, and nothing else. It will enable the project team to remain on course and focus their attention on only what the project is set to achieve. Producing a project plan will outline all the processes that need to be conducted and show how they shall be executed. The plan will act as a guide for all the actions that take place during the project’s life cycle. Getting the right team together is also one of the most important factors that will determine whether the project is succes sful or not. The project team is the heart of the project because it is responsible for planning for it and executing it. Creating a business case is necessary because it will provide a solution to the problems likely to be experienced in the project. Essentially, project management entails a number of processes and standard control systems that will ensure the success of projects like the Ashleigh Music

International Finance - HSBC vs BP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Finance - HSBC vs BP - Essay Example This essay declares that British petroleum shortly known as BP was formed in 1998 from the merger of British Petroleum and Amoco grew by buying Atlantic Richfield Company. BP has proved reserves of 18.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent including large holdings in Alaska. BP is the largest oil producer in the US and also top refiner processing 2.8 billions barrels of crude oil per day. BP operates 28,500 gas stations worldwide, including 15,900 in the US. With the success of its ‘BP solar international subsidiary’ BP has created BP alternative Energy (hydrogen, solar and wind power generation) with an initial investment of $1.8 billion. British Petroleum (BP) is one of six vertically integrated private sector oil, natural gas and gasoline super-majors in the world. In the year 2006 BP was ranked 4th in the world by the Fortune Global 500 list, for turnover with sales at $268 billion. This paper stresses that the main issue faced by multinational corporations in the international financial environment is the valuation of such projects whose cash-flows depend on the exchange rate. Two approaches are used: one based on option-valuation methods and the second based on equilibrium arguments that rely on the international capital asset pricing model. The other factors which need consideration are tax planning and the management of flow of funds within foreign subsidiaries of a given multinational. Two essential and related aspects of this environment are first, the foreign exchange market in which exchange rates are determined and second the international financial system governing exchange rate determination. There is a close connection between interest rates, inflation, and exchange rates.

Troubled masculinity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Troubled masculinity - Essay Example The peculiar aspect of this influence lies in the fact that the old forms of social relationship as well as commonly accepted practices are damaged; that is why, according to Zimmer-Tamakoshi, men feel that their masculinity is at risk. No matter now sorrowful it may seem, but one of the most widely practices ways of reinforcing masculinity in Papua New Guinea is manifested in the form of marital violence. All the researchers point out that this is a tremendous problem which heavily affects women. Indeed, Wardlow argues that men do not allow women to fully embrace the ways of modernity and use violence as a tool to control them (147). What is more important is that people of Papue New Guinea were traditionally known to be quite aggressive and impulsive which means that there is a significant history of violence among the local population. As a result, the contemporary rise in marital violence is not seen as something extraordinary: it is regarded as a valid manifestation of the traditional practices. In spite of the fact that this can be seen from different perspectives, it is beyond any doubt that women suffer from such state of affairs. Finally, the authors agree on the fact that Christianity should also be credited for changing the social environment of the region in question. Indeed, various Christian denominations saw Papua New Guinea as a platform to exercise their influence and were quite delighted to find locals there since with their help the congregation will become bigger.

Black Rook in Rainy Weather Essay Example for Free

Black Rook in Rainy Weather Essay I an infrequently lost for words. I like to think of myself as quite an eloquent and articulate speaker and writer, but there are times when I feel neither. It is ironic that the very subject of this poem, a lack of words, or rather a lack of inspiration, is exactly what is holding me back from writing the things I would like to write. Although I know how this poem makes me feel and I know the emotions it conveys, I cannot bring myself to write about them or to speak about them, I simply cannot find the words. Each time I read the poem a rush of thoughts dash through my mind, so quickly that I cannot recollect them in time to consider them in the detail they deserve. This poem deserves consideration, thought, analysis, it deserves appreciation and admiration, because it describes exactly how even the most expressive and eloquent writers are sometimes at a loss for words. Although the poem is a metaphor and is about many things that lie deep beneath the surface of the words, it is beautifully written even in the most literal terms. Plath uses adjectives to describe every object, every movement of the poem, ‘stiff twig’, ‘spotted leaves’. She uses many other poetic devices, such as alliteration in the lines ‘rare, random’, ‘walk wary’, ‘so shine as to seize my senses’ and personification in the lines ‘mute sky’ , ‘minor light may still lean incandescent’. The poet also uses short phrases broken by commas to increase the tempo of the poem and to give it a rushed feeling. However, these poetic devices are not simply used to embellish a purely literal piece of writing. They are used to demonstrate the beauty of the mundane, the magnificence of the ordinary. The poet says ‘I do not expect a miracle or an accident’ which suggests that she is content with the mundane and can see it’s splendour. But as the poem progresses we see that she could not survive on the ordinary, but needed to express herself in her poetry and needed inspiration to do so. Though Plath tries to persuade herself she survive on the ordinary and the imple, it is obvious that desire for inspiration, ‘the angel’, are the only things that can make these mundane situations bearable. She contradicts herself when she states that ‘miracles occur. ’ She contradicts her previous idea that there is beauty in the ordinary and instead describes moments without inspiration being similar to ‘trekking stubborn through this season of fatigue’ . This suggests that during these periods of time she is not living, but barely surviving. Her entire life depends on the moments of inspiration, ‘for that rare, random descent. ’ She is a poet, and her survival depends on her writing. She can only express herself through her writing, and without it, without her inspiration, she feels nothing. This nothingness, this lack of inspiration is to her far worse than the feelings of depression she felt constantly throughout her life. Her ‘fear of total neutrality’ consumes her and scares her. This ‘fear of neutrality’ refers not only to writing, but also to life in general. If one feels nothing, if life is constantly similar to ‘trekking stubborn through this season of fatigue’ then there is no reason to live in the first place. Life is a constant wait for inspiration, for meaning, for purpose, and often this purpose does not appear. Plath realises, unlike many others, that without purpose, without inspiration, there is no beauty in the mundane. Without ‘that rare, random descent’ of an ‘angel’ there is little reason for life at all.

Economic Growth In Malaysia

Economic Growth In Malaysia Abstract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) supports the national economic when it facing the lack of internal investment resources and it can cover the gap of investment resources and national investment. In this way, Foreign Direct Investment can affect the economic development and increase the speed of economic development. In this regards, among other countries, especially developing countries, that coped with the lack of internal financial resources have more interest to use Foreign Direct Investment. Since 1970 until now, the Foreign Direct Investment has been strongly growth and it outstrips from the trade growth and its causes to double exports of goods and services. In other words, the Foreign investment in the developed worlds economy is development of transnational companies for improving competitiveness, higher profit, accessing to cheaper labor market and reaching a broader consumer market. Providing sufficient capital to finance investment is as one of the important factors in economic growth. In this regards, developing countries have tried to accumulation of capital through internal resources or by foreign direct investment to complete the deal. Also, foreign direct investment has a significant role in developing process in many countries. Gross domestic product in Malaysia has the maximum growth rate comparing the other Association of Southeast Asian Nations and one of the remarkable strategies of the administration to encourage its growth is by create a center of attention to foreign direct investment. Malaysia is one of those developing countries that promote Foreign Direct Investment in order to increase speed growth and development. Foreign Direct Investment has cooperated a significant role in capital formation in Malaysia and the developing economy that has enhanced quickly. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Introduction Malaysia is one of the fastest country in growing economy in the Asia area with GNP growth of around eight plus percent per year. The Malaysian economy has shifted from agriculturally to further differentiate and also export oriented one after its independence in 1957. It is identified the Malaysian market is openly oriented with almost non existent non tariff blockade and averaging just about 50 percent and foreign exchange organize. Malaysian open trade is sustained by the two way trade approximately to 120 percent of Gross National Product (GNP). It has been demonstrated that from the established political environment, enhancing capita revenue, and the prospective for local integration all over the ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH EAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN), Malaysia is a gorgeous view for FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT (FDI) (see Graph 1.1). Foreign direct investment in Malaysia is a significant catalytic parameter, enhancing exports, awareness and offers an economic tool in the direction of the Malaysia 2020 vision. Some empirical researches show that the economic growth has been established in the past 6 years at the above seven percent per year. In this regards the inflation rate has been remained below four percent, decreasing the unemployment rate, balancing the payments. Echange rate is as a significant factor in the Malaysian Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the general economy. Malaysian Bank Negara does not formally peg the Ringit (RM) to definite currencies and currency floats. In fact, Malaysian Bank Negara has been charged of depreciating the cost of the Ringit (RM) in order to encourage exports. On the other hand, Malaysias focus on Foreign direct investment, increasing exports, has provided it well and supplied to its 8 years of over 8 percent growth. Foreign Direct investment (FDI) Several definitions have been proposed for Foreign direct investment. The international monetary fund defines Foreign direct investment following: Foreign direct investment is a type of investment that to achieve sustainable benefits in the country except for the home country of investor and the investors objective is as an important role in the management of the organization (Bengoa and Blanca 2003). Foreign direct investment is considered dependable for enhanced well-being in the host country due to the benefits related to introduction of new innovations and technologies, improvement of extra abilities, enhances capital, improving work stations in host countries (Fizari, Asari et al. 2011). A study by Bengoa and Sanchez-Robles (2003), it is defined that Foreign direct investment is the most important contributor to the economic growth in the country. Foreign direct investment is considered as a significant resource of inflows in numerous countries, especially in emerging developing economies. In fact, Foreign direct investment is evidenced in the capital account of balance of payment (Chaudhary, Shah et al. 2012). Foreign direct investment or FDI is the net inflows of venture to acquire a lasting management interest in an activity operating in an economy other than that of the investor. It is the sum of equity resources, other long term resources, short term resources and reinvestment of earning as illustrated in the balance of payments. Foreign direct investment in Malaysia is put on following the investment of at least 10 percent of the whole equity in a resident firm by a non-resident investor (Greenway 2004). Economic Growth Economic growth is the enhance in the quantity of the services and goods manufactured by an economy over time. It is calculated as the percent rate of enhance in actual GDP (gross domestic product). Foreign direct investment has been a significant resource of economic growth in Malaysia, transporting in capital investment, management and technology knowledge necessitated for economic growth (Mun, Lin et al. 2008). In developing countries such as Malaysia, Foreign direct investment has a positive effect on economic growth and it also depend on some the other key factors, like: human capital base in host countries, the degree of openness in the economy (Lean 2008). Carkovic and Levine (2002) found the positive effect of foreign direct investment in economic growth. Their finding showed that a countrys power to take benefit of Foreign direct asset externalities may be limited by local situation, like: the level of education in the country, the improvement of the local financial markets. Studies by (Durham 2004); (Hermes and Lensink 2003); (Alfaro, Chanda et al. 2004) presented support that just countries with well developed financial markets grow importantly from foreign direct investment in conditions of their growth rate. Wan (2010) argued that foreign direct investment can play a significant role in modernizing a national economy and encouraging economic growth. On the other hand, the association among the exchange rate and economic growth is a significant issue, from the both a positive such as: descriptive and normative such as: policy prescription view (Ito, Isard et al. 1999). There are some countries that include explicitly or implicitly fixed their exchange rate to the currency of the other country such as: U.S. dollar and whose inflation rate are upper than that of the foreign country (U. S.) frequently practices persistent recent account deficits and eventual depressions of their currencies (Ito, Isard et al. 1999). 1.3. The role of Foreign direct investment and economic growth Malaysia is one of the mainly open in the emerging world to foreign investment and it also distinguish the significant role that FDI can play in well placed for attracting investment in Malaysia (Kogid, Lily et al. 2010). Foreign direct investment is as a significant driver fundamental in the Malaysian powerful performance and also economic growth. There are numerous research that investigate the relationship between foreign direct investment and economic growth (Kogid, Lily et al. 2010). There is an extensive view that the role of foreign direct investment (FDI) on economic growth is unclear (Greenway 2004; Azman-Saini, Law et al. 2010). One possible reason for this finding is picked up from the failure of model contingency achieves in the relationship between foreign direct investment and Growth. From the traditionally studies, the exchange rate had not composed a significant factor in the analysis of economic growth (Omankhanlen 2011). Alfaro, Chanda et al. (2003) explored that countries with enhanced financial schemes can utilize foreign direct investment more efficiently and also foreign direct investment alone have an ambiguous role in causal to economic growth. Carkovic and Levine (2002) presented the positive role of foreign direct investment in generating economic growth, mainly in exacting environments. For instance, Borensztein, Gregorio et al. (1998) show that foreign direct investment has a positive growth outcome when the country has s extremely educated workforce that permits it to utilize foreign direct investment spillovers. Exchange rate and inflation rate There are various studies have seemed to the effect of exchange rate or inflation on direct investment (AHN, ADJI et al. 1998). Naturally, it identifies the negative effect of inflation by itself on direct investment. Exchange rate movements can affect foreign direct investment by affecting the current cost of gaining overseas (Froot and Stein 1991). For instance, a reduction in domestic currency value against foreign currency value of the domestic exchange rate will create it fewer expensive for foreign investor. In this regards, depreciation of the exchange rate will create inflows of foreign direct investment in that country rise (Erdal and Tatoglu 2002; Tsen 2006). There are some ways for controlling exchange rate, but it is so expensive. When the rate of interest is high, it avoids capital outflows obstruct growth of the economy and so it will hurt the countrys economy (Solnik 2000). According to Khalwaty (2000) There are some parameters that cause the exchange rate changes. Tho se parameters embrace: payments balance problems, changes in foreign exchange demand and supply, public revenue, changes the expectation, et al. Therefore, this study will explore the impact of inflation and exchange rate on foreign direct investment and economic growth. Problem statement Malaysia has a growing open economy. Malaysia had 29th level as the largest economy with GDP $357.9 billion in 2007 (Bank 2007). It is identified that foreign direct investment has been observed as a major driver underlying the strong growth performance occurrence by the Malaysian economy. Malaysia has got a substantial quantity of foreign direct investment in its industry over the past decades. Despite the significance of foreign direct investment (FDI) to the Malasia, there has been a little study the determinants of the foreign direct investment such as inflation and exchange rate. Most of the earlier researches use cross-sectional or panel data to find the determinants of foreign direct investment. This study will examine two macroeconomic parameters, explicitly exchange rate and inflation, that effect on foreign direct investment and economic growth in Malaysia over a period from 1995 to 2009. Since the economic growth is one of the key determinants accountable for advanced foreign direct investment inflow (Fedderke and Romm 2006; Kiat 2008), this study want to examine foreign direct investment and its relation to economic growth. The aim of this study is to test whether any relationship between foreign direct investment and economic growth regarding its inflation and exchange rate. The relationship between foreign direct investment and economic growth is not clear in Malaysia. So, there is a need to carry out extra research on this relationship. 1.6. Research questions On the basis of the above mentioned problem statement, the following research questions are suggested: RQ1: what is the effect of inflation on FDI and economic growth? RQ2: what is the effect of exchange rate on FDI and economic growth? RQ3: what is the effect of FDI on economic growth? 1.7. Research objectives The objective of this thesis is to study the effect of inflation and exchange rate on FDI and its relation to economic growth in Malaysia from 1995 to 2009. The objectives of this study are: RO1: To evaluate the effect of inflation on FDI and economic growth. RO2: To evaluate the effect of exchange rate on FDI and economic growth. RO3: To evaluate the effect of foreign direct investment on economic growth. 1.8. Theoretical framework On the basis of the above mentioned literature, a research model is developed to examine the effect of the effect of inflation and exchange rate on FDI and its relation to economic growth in Malaysia (see Figure 1.1). 1.9. Scope of study The study will focus on the influence of inflation and exchange rate on FDI in Malaysia. Malaysia is one of those developing countries that promote Foreign Direct Investment in order to increase speed growth and development. On the other hand, since, Foreign direct investment in Malaysia is a significant catalytic parameter, enhancing exports, awareness, thus it has a significant role in the economic growth of the country. And Malaysia has been encouraging FDI in its economic contribution. 1.10. Significant of study Foreign direct investment has played a significant role in the capital formation and the economic development that has enhanced rapidly. Foreign direct investment offers a significant view in the course of which organizations can keep away from high production costs at home and discover gorgeous marketplace abroad (Demekas, Horvath et al. 2005; Utami and Inanga 2009; Yol and Teng 2009). On the other hand Malaysia has been one of the majority successful Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries in being a focus for FDI. In this regards, it is important to find a relationship between inflation, exchange rate and Foreign direct investment in Malaysia.

God Is The Wonderful Creator Theology Religion Essay

God Is The Wonderful Creator Theology Religion Essay God is the wonderful creator of the universe. He is all-knowing and all-seeing. Nothing escapes His notice. God is a special and intimate god who cares for and loves every single speck of creation He has created. God is the ruler of everything. He has complete and total authority over the universe. He has always existed and always will, and is so wonderful that He is best described by the word indescribable. God is good and God is just. He is holy and awe-inspiring. God is unmatched in His glory, supreme above everything. God is infinite, being all places and seeing and knowing all things at once. God is the trinity, existing in wholly and completely in three separate beings (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) while still existing entirely as One. God is perfect. And most importantly, God is loving. He loves us and all of creation more than we can possibly know or even imagine. He loves us so much that He sent His holy and perfect Son to Earth to die on the cross so that our terrible and horrific sins could be forgiven. God is so many wonderful things that it is hard to even begin to scratch the surface of describing who God is. What is nature? Nature is the beautiful creation of God. It was created in the beginning by God out of nothing. Before God created the universe, nothing existed except Him. It was created intentionally, not randomly. God created the universe with a plan and a purpose. God created the world to be good. However, because of the Fall, it is ultimately bad. Although it displays and declares the glory of God, natures ultimate wickedness can also display how evil and corrupt the world is and how much we need His saving grace. God created nature and created man to have power over nature. God gave us this world to take care of and use wisely. God cares about creation and made it beautiful not just for the human inhabitants, but also for Himself. He loves the world He made and hates that it is corrupted by sin. What is man? Man was created in the image and likeness of God as the pinnacle of His creation. In this, each human possesses a distinct disposition, intellect, creativity, and choice and free will in all capacities. We can choose whether we follow God and accept Him as our Lord and Savior. We have the ability to choose in every other aspect of life as well. Ultimately, we can choose to follow Gods will, or ignore it and do our own thing. God leaves the choice up to us. However, we are fallen and sinful. But we are also loved-loved so much that God sent His Son to die for our sins. In this, we have the responsibility to serve God. Being Gods servant means doing good works in His name, preaching the Gospel, and bringing others to Him. And most importantly, we are to love God in return. What happens at death? When we die, we leave this world and go to Heaven, to be in the presence of God forever. Heaven is the most glorious and wonderful place ever. It is so incredible that it is impossible to even begin to imagine how wonderful it is. In Heaven, Jesus has prepared a special place for each and every one of us and is anxiously awaiting the day that we come to be with Him. If we choose not to accept God and live in sin, rejecting all He has done for us, we spend eternity in Hell. Ultimately the choice is simple: choose God, admit that you are sinner and need Him and accept Him as your Lord and Savior and spend eternity with Him in paradise, or reject Him and spend eternity in Hell. What is the basis of human knowledge? Ultimately, God is the basis of human knowledge. God has revealed knowledge to humans since the very beginning, through both general and specific revelation about Himself, and other things as well. Knowledge about God is the most valuable kind of knowledge because human knowledge is ultimately corrupted because of the Fall. God has infinite knowledge, and even when He chooses to reveal something to us it can become corrupted by sin. Human knowledge is also very limited. In reality, we know practically nothing. But what we do know comes from God, who allows us to know and discover things. God is the ultimate source of knowledge, both human and divine, and we should look to him and seek knowledge from Him. What is the basis of ethics? God is also ultimately the basis of ethics. We can learn about what is acceptable through the laws in the Bible that were set by God. In addition to this, every human being has a built-in sort of moral compass that guides us in knowing what is good and what is bad. However, we have to listen to this guide and not ignore it in order to be moral. All of these guides of morality and ethics are found in who God is and in His goodness, holiness, justness, and love. Ultimately, God is the measure of morality. I think the best thing to do when faced with a challenging moral decision, is to ask ourselves, Would what I am doing please God? And if we find ourselves answering no to this, then we should not do it anymore. It is, in some ways, a What would Jesus do? kind of question. In asking this clichà © but still important question, we can analyze if our actions are a reflection of Christ and pleasing to God. And in this, morality and ethics can be found. What is the meaning of human history? Human history is the evidence of Gods role in the world. From the very beginning, God has had plan and this is often evident in the study of human history. Everything is a part of Gods plan, and no matter what happens, God can make good happen from it. God has a specific purpose and goal for us and has things happen to us to get us to the place He wants us to be. Thing happen so that God can teach us a lesson and so that we can learn something about Him. Ultimately, human history shows us how God has taught us things in the past. We have to take what has happened in the past and learn from it, not only from our own past, but from the history of human existence as well. We can always learn something by studying history. History does not happen over and over again in a circle, but rather is unique and has an end and purpose. However, I think that some things in history can repeat if we forget the lessons God has taught us in the past. If we do not study history and learn of past events and what God taught His people through them, then He will have to reteach us the lesson, which can occur in very similar events. Ultimately history is a demonstration of Gods plan being carried out in this world.

Intellectuar Property Rights in China :: Laws Technology Piracy Essays

Intellectuar Property Rights in China In recent years, the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in China has received enormous international attention. Over the past several decades, China has work slowly but steadily toward better intellectual property rights (IPR) protection. China has strengthened its legal framework and amended its IPR laws numerous times to extend the scope of protection. Currently, China IPR laws are well in line with the global IPR standards. For the rest of this paper, I would give a brief history of IPR laws, Chinafs efforts toward enforcing its IPR laws, the ethical analysis of piracy, and the solution to help reduce piracy. Software Piracy According to Business Software Alliance, about 94% of all the software currently used in China is illegally copy. This represent a three percent increased from 1991.1 Software piracy is flourishing in countries such as China, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. Software piracy rate is escalated; thus robbing the global marketplace of hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions in wages and tax revenue. It is estimated that piracy had caused about $11.8 billion losses worldwide.2 In addition, software piracy may become a barrier to innovation and product development around the world because piracy decreases the incentives and motivations for companies to research and develop new products. History of Chinafs IPR laws Since 1978, China has gradually improved its efforts toward protecting the IPR laws. Part of the improvement in IPR protection is due to the tremendous amount of pressure that the United States and other developing companies put on the Chinese government forcing it to comply with the global IPR standards. China has joined many international IPR conventions/organizations such as World Intellectual Property Organization, Paris Convention for the Protection of Intellectual Property, and Universal Copyright Convention.3 By joining these conventions/organizations, China hopes to learn more about IPR laws, and thus able to incorporate them into its own IPR laws. Between 1980-1995, China has also passed patent, copyright, trademark laws, and computer software regulations, and unfair competition law. Some of these laws have been amended several times to extend the scope of protection. Recently, China successfully entered into the World Trade Organization (WTO). Its entry into the WTO s howed that China is seriously committed to the protection of IPR because now China needs to strengthen its legal framework and amended its IPR laws to comply with the WTO Agreement on Traded-Related Aspect of Intellectual

Capital Punishment Essay - It’s Time to Put Murderers in Their Graves :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Death Penalty Essays – It’s Time to Put Murderers in Their Graves      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   You are running down the street with your best friend not too far behind.   You manage to round the corner, but you hear your friend trip. Suddenly a shot rings out.   Your friend screams. You continue to run, but look back and see the man who was following you pull out a large knife. Shocked in terror you can only blankly stare as the man proceed to cut your friend to pieces.   The blade falls once.   There is an explosion of red. The blade falls twice. Entrails spill onto the floor.   The blade falls three times, four times, five, six.   He then reaches down and dips is hand into the blaring pool of crimson that soaks the ground.   Lifting his hand he begins to write on the wall in front of him with the freshly spilled blood of your now dead friend.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Would a situation like this horrify you? Well you should know that seven murders just like this occurred in two nights.   The man responsible is Charles Manson.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Manson is the leader of a large cult following, and even after being arrested for his truly horrific deeds still influences the cult today.   In 1975 one of Manson's followers, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, made an assassination attempt on then president Gerald Ford, in Manson's name. Even now if you go to New York City you can find shirts with his picture on them, glorifying him.   Songs have been written praising him.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But together these have not yet touched the scariest thing about Charles Manson.   The thing that you should be most frightened of is that Charles Manson, and many like him are alive, with chance of parole.   Yes this murderous madman could yet again run rampant in the world. It is for this reason that the death penalty is necessary.      Ã‚     Ã‚  Capital punishment is the system by which the people who have committed the most heinous crimes are executed either by electric chair, gas chamber, or lethal injection.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite the evil and malice presented by such people there are some who would deem this practice inhumane.   It seems strange to me that the welfare of the community should not come before that of a convicted murderer.   If there is any chance that this person could possibly commit this crime again it should be impossible to come to a decision ,such as putting them in jail with chance of parole, that could conceivable place the lives of law abiding citizens in danger.   Furthermore do they truly expect us to believe that placing them in cells like caged animals is truly

Quiroga

rOscar Castorena Linda Saborio FLSP 322 15 de Noviembre de 2010 Horacio Quiroga y su vida en sus cuentos. Horacio Quiroga nacio en Salto, Uruguay en 1878 pero vivio gran parte de su vida en Argentina. Durante su vida fue cuentista, poeta, periodista, dramaturgo y novelista. Murio de cancer en una region tropical cerca de Buenos Aires, Argentina en 1937. Este lugar lo atraia por la vida primitiva que llevaba. Durante su vida sufrio enormemente por una serie de tragedias que se reflejan demasiado en sus obras literarias.La temprana muerte de su padre, el suicidio de su padrastro, mato accidentalmente a un amigo y el suicidio de su primera esposa. Estos acontecimientos reflejan en demasia la relacion de la muerte en sus cuentos, refleja el lenguaje cruel que utiliza en algunos de sus cuentos y probablemente asistieron de manera directa en su suicidio. Las obras de Quiroga llevan en si muchos temas repetitivos como la muerte, la locura la alucinacion, la tragedia y la naturaleza. Su leng uaje es muy directo y a veces muy ofensivo al referirse de sus personajes.En el cuento â€Å"El Hijo† Quiroga sigue su estilo al escribir acerca de la muerte, locura y la alucinacion. Quiroga menciona en varios de sus cuentos a grandes escritores como Edgar Allan Poe y Rudyard Kipling. En varios cuentos tomo varias caracteristicas de estos escritores como relatar terror con algunos motivos recurrentes como el amor, la muerte, lo anormal y hasta lo morbido. Incorpora tambien la admiracion de la selva, temas y personajes animales relacionados con la naturaleza. Durante su vida tambien destaco como periodista, poeta, escritor de teatro y novela, pero su fama literaria es como cuentista.Quiroga tiene varios temas recurrentes en sus obras literarias. La locura y la muerte son dos temas presentes en â€Å"El Hijo†. En este cuento se destaca el lenguaje seco y cruel de Quiroga al narrar los cuentos. El hijo es un cuento donde el tema principal es la muerte y la alucinacion. E n este cuento, como casi en todos los de Quiroga, los personajes estan marcados por la tragedia y la muerte violenta. En el cuento se caracterizan algunos temas recurrentes en los cuentos de Quiroga asi como la relacion que tiene entre la similitud con otros grandes escritores.El centro de la historia es el hombre y la naturaleza donde se realiza la tragedia, la muerte y la soledad. El cuento se basa en el padre y el hijo que estan en un monte y el hijo sale de caceria con una escopeta y varios cartuchos pensando que volvera a tiempo para el almuerzo. El padre esta confiado en que su hijo regresa a tiempo pero se percata que el hijo ya tiene tiempo fuera y no regresa. Tiempo despues el padre escucha un disparo pero no piensa nada al respecto. Transcurre mas tiempo cuando el padre decide ir en busca de su hijo.Al llegar al lugar donde esta su hijo se percata que su hijo estaba ahi, solo. Despues el padre habla con su hijo y deciden volver de regreso para almorzar. Lo que el padre no se percata es de que el hijo estaba muerto ya hace varias horas y el padre solo estaba alucinando con su hijo. El cuento nos muestra la relacion que hay entre el padre y el hijo donde claramente se ve carino y afecto entre ambos. La preocupacion del padre cuando el hijo sale de caceria nos da a entender que el amor del padre hacia el hijo era mas que una relacion familiar.Nos indica que la relacion era profunda y nos da a entender que el viaje al monte no era el primero. El relato del padre hacia el sentimiento que tiene hacia el hijo es unico porque un padre soltero tiene como a su unico hijo como guia y motivacion en la vida. Quiroga hace referencia al padre soltero dando relacion a sus fracasos matrimoniales tanto por divorcio o por el suicidio de su primera esposa. Quiroga relata que el hijo sabia el camino muy bien. Tambien relata que el hijo no era impuntual y siempre llegaba a tiempo para el almuerzo.El hijo nos da referencia del afecto que le tiene a su padre al decirle que no se preocupe por el y le da signos de confianza al tomar este riesgo de ir de caceria a pesar de su corta edad. En la historia hay varios simbolos que reflejan la vida tragica de Quiroga. El hijo lleva un arma y para acabar con la vida de un animal para que el y su padre pudieran alimentarse. Ironicamente el arma es la que acaba con su vida tras un descuido al tropezar con un alambre que estaba escondido entre la hierba del monte. Segun la critica de Acedera, la naturaleza selvatica casi siempre sale vendedora siguiendo la tragedia (p. ). El hijo, al cargar los cartuchos en su bolsillo, esta inconscientemente preparandose para la lucha con la muerte. La preocupacion por esta lucha no se manifiesta en el hijo si no en el padre. La soledad que entorna a los dos personajes despues de la partida del hijo es tambien una caracteristica del autor. El padre queda solo a la partida del hijo y se dispone de hacer cosas cotidianas y preparar lo necesario para el almuerzo. Esto refleja la sol edad que entorna a Quiroga a lo largo de su vida con las tragedias vividas.El padre tiene plena confianza en su hijo que cuando escucha el disparo piensa en nada mas que en lo normal. Su oido reconoce el arma que sigue con sus tareas. La soledad que entorna al hijo refleja la vida de Quiroga en una forma muy sutil. El hijo se encuentra solo en el monte, un lugar muy parecido al que Quiroga muere, y esta solo contra la naturaleza. El hijo es muy joven y esta separado de su padre. Quiroga tambien estaba separado de su padre a muy temprana edad, pero no por el hecho de ir de caceria sino por la muerte de su padre.El joven lleva un arma de fuego en sus manos y sufre un fatal accidente al tropezar con un alambre de puas. Segun Espinosa; â€Å"el alambre de puas es muy recurrente en sus cuentos† (p. 3). Tambien se puede tomar en cuenta que el arma de fuego se relaciona con la muerte de su padre y la muerte de su amigo que Quiroga causo tras un accidente. Quiroga relaciona estos dos tragicos momentos en su vida con la travesia del hijo y su viaje al monte. Aunque el padre e hijo son dos personajes con destinos muy distintos, las similitudes que los relacionan son muchas.Los dos personajes sufren mucho con la soledad. El padre sufre aun mas porque el ya ha sufrido la soledad con la muerte de su esposa. El padre ahora va a tener que sufrir con la soledad aun mas porque la muerte de su hijo lo toma de sorpresa y expresa su dolor con alucinaciones. Parece que el padre no toma la situacion muy bien e inconscientemente lo toma como un sueno y se hace de la idea que su hijo vive y juntos regresan a casa. El padre tiene que luchar contra estos obstaculos que la vida le da.Tal vez por su debilidad o por no querer aceptar sus problemas, la salida de los problemas del padre esta en su mente y sus alucinaciones. Por otro lado, el hijo tambien tiene que combatir con la soledad. El a temprana edad tiene que confrontar la soledad en medio de la naturaleza. Tambien sufre de l a soledad por no tener una madre que lo apoye y le de el amor materno que cualquier joven de su edad necesita. El hijo tambien tiene que luchar contra la vida de otra forma porque el se encuentra solo en medio del monte y tiene que luchar con la vida natural y los peligros que esta ofrece.El hijo tambien tiene una lucha personal consigo mismo al enfrentarse con su falta de experiencia al ir de caceria. Aunque parece que los dos estan muy unidos por el carino y afecto que se muestran en sus palabras, los dos estan muy distanciados a la hora de enfrentarse a la vida porque los dos tienen diferentes obstaculos que enfrentar, pero las situaciones o la idea de los obstaculos son muy similares. La alucinacion es lo que entorna el climax del cuento en una direccion opuesta a lo que el lector tenia en mente.El padre ya preocupado por su hijo sale a buscarlo y despues de un rato de buscarlo y ya muerto de cansancio y empapado de sudor encuentra a su hijo. El padre le empieza a hablar con pal abras en diminutivo, enfatizando una vez mas el carino y amor que tiene por su hijo. Cuando encuentra a su hijo el padre habla con el hijo y le reclama acerca de la hora. El hijo responde que se fijo en la hora pero fue en busca de unas garzas y las siguio pero no las mato. El padre, aunque muy cansado, sonrie de felicidad por haber encontrado a su hijo.Lo controversial es que el hijo esta muerto ya hace varias horas y el padre piensa que lo lleva en su hombro de regreso a casa. Lo que Quiroga quiere reflejar en esto es que la muerte ya no es una noticia tragica para el. Quiroga ve la muerte como un evento natural que no se puede controlar. Tal vez, la alucinacion del padre al ver a su hijo lleno de vida refleja la debilidad de Quiroga al enfrentar hechos muy tragicos alrededor de su vida y la a alucinacion es una forma muy inmadura y danina para lidiar con los problemas. El ambiente en el que â€Å"El Hijo† toma lugar es el ambiente preferido de Quiroga.En muchas de sus obra s usa la naturaleza y animales para reflejar el tipo de vida que a Quiroga le gustaba, una vida primitiva. El cuento es narrado por una voz neutral que simplifica la historia en demasia porque tiene un tono pasivo hacia los hechos. Tambien la voz del narrador nos da una pista que la muerte del hijo no le fue de mucho impacto emocional, como si supiera la historia y no fuese la primera vez que haya contado la historia. Los personajes son muy similares y tienen muchas cosas en comun. Tanto el padre como el hijo son muy descuidados y no ponen atencion al detalle.Los dos se quieren mutuamente como familia y llevan una buena relacion familiar, pero al transcurso del cuento, ironicamente no se pueden ayudar uno al otro porque uno esta muerto y el otro esta alucinando. Los dos quedan solos al transcurso del cuento sin saber la reaccion del otro al saber que los dos necesitan ayuda. Una ironia del cuento es que el padre se preocupa mucho por el bienestar del hijo y no se da cuenta del pelig ro que es mandar a un nino de trece anos de edad de caceria. Quiroga menciona que el hijo, aunque es muy alto para su edad, aun parece de menor edad por la pureza de sus ojos; frescos de sorpresa infantil.Quiroga relata que la mayor angustia de un padre viudo, una vez mas refleja su vida personal, es el cuidado y proteccion del hijo porque el hijo carece de fuerzas propias y hay inmensidad de ciertos peligros. Al no darse cuenta de sus propias palabras, el padre manda al hijo a cazar y despues viene la alucinacion al encontrar vivo a su hijo. Segun Victoria Eugenia Angel, Quiroga maneja sus cuentos en una forma lineal haciendolos caracteristicos de los cuentos cortos. Tambien emplea a sus personajes para dar muestra de un heroe de carne y hueso que enfrenta su destino y a las inclemencias que no puede controlar por sus propios medios.Lamentablemente, todos los heroes terminan con una muerte tragica por culpa de las adversidades que tiene, pero lo indudablemente los personajes luchan hasta el final. En el cuento â€Å"El hijo† el heroe que asumimos es el hijo, no lucha hasta el final contra la adversidad que encuentra. No se sabe si se desangra lentamente pasando por una larga y angustiosa muerte o muere en el instante al recibir el disparo. Angel hace buena referencia que los personajes llegan a su fin de una manera tragica luchando contra adversidades. Tanto el padre como el hijo tuvieron que luchar contra la naturaleza para poder sobrevivir.El padre tuvo que luchar contra el monte y a machetazos llegar hasta su hijo. El hijo por su parte lucho con un simple alambre de puas que estaba escondido entre la hierba. Angel tambien hace referencia que los cuentos de Quiroga tienen una clara conclusion y tienden a tener un final cerrado. Quiroga no da oportunidad al lector de interpretar e imaginar lo que pasa despues del cuento porque cierra el fin con una conclusion muy clara de los hechos. Segun Salvador Bueno, el final de â€Å"El hijo† le quita la explicacion final al cuento mismo.Las historias de Quiroga tienen un final cerrado para el lector dando poca o nada de imaginacion para el lector, pero una caracteristica mas de Quiroga es el elemento de sorpresa que se desarrolla al final de los cuentos en todos sus cuentos. Durante el cuento nos damos cuenta que la alucinacion del padre al encontrar a su hijo es muy caracteristica de Quiroga. Tambien podemos esperar la muerte tragica de uno de los personajes. Las alucinaciones del padre que se relatan durante el cuento nos da una idea y hace que el lector se incline por la muerte del adre porque el es el que parece enfermo o con un desequilibrio mental. El hijo es descrito como un muchacho que le falta edad para poder ser mejor aceptado como un buen cazador porque sus rastros fisicos le dilatan su corta edad y le dan una apariencia de un nino. El hijo tambien es descrito con buena apariencia fisica, una gran madurez y gran conocimiento en la caceria. Al analizar estas caracteristi cas el lector piensa que la logica de la muerte tragica sea para el padre dejando al hijo en una situacion tragica.El elemento de sorpresa aparece en el cuento y nos brinda una muerte tragica pero poco comun. El hijo se tropieza con un alambre en una zona donde conocia muy bien y la escopeta le dispara matandolo. El elemento de sorpresa crea una reaccion al lector causandole angustia y preguntandose por que el hijo tuvo que morir. Muchos criticos llaman a Horacio Quiroga como el perfecto cuentista. Los acontecimientos tragicos en su vida personal llevan a este escritor a crear obras de temas muy recurrentes, pero cada uno de sus cuentos son muy distintos que hace que el lector se encierre en sus cuentos.Quiroga usa la muerte y la lucha del ser humano contra la naturaleza como tema principal en muchas de sus obras. Tambien se caracteriza por usar la tragedia, la soledad y el sufrimiento en los personajes. Quiroga refleja sus tragedias, su sufrimiento y su tristeza en los personajes d e sus obras. Mucho cuentos reflejan en una forma u otra la vida muy tragica que este cuentista tuvo. Si tan solo Quiroga hubiera tenido una vida mas alegre y sin tragedias, el estilo de Quiroga hubiera sido muy diferente y los cuentos hubieran sido muy interesantes. El hijo† refleja muchas caracteristicas de las obras de Quiroga asi como tambien un poco de su vida personal.Bibliografia Acereda, Alberto. â€Å"Del criollismo a la urgencia existencial. Fatalidad y angustia en tres cuentos de Horacio Quiroga. † Castilla: Estudios de Literatura 26. (2001): 7-17. MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. Angel, Victoria Eugenia. â€Å"La muerte alucinada como mito personal en la cuentistica de Horacio Quiroga. † Especulo: Revista de Estudios Literarios 40. (2008): MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. Espinosa Consejo, Elena. ‘El hijo' de Horacio Quiroga. † Especulo: Revista de Estudios Literarios 44. (2010): MLA Interna tional Bibliography. EBSCO. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. Paoli, Roberto. â€Å"El perfecto cuentista: Comentario a tres textos de Horacio Quiroga. † Revista Iberoamericana 58. 160-161 (1992): 953-974. MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. Salgado, Maria A. â€Å"Quiroga's ‘El Hijo': Prototype of His Art. † South Atlantic Bulletin: A Quarterly Journal Devoted to Research and Teaching in the Modern Languages and Literatures 36. 2 (1971): 24-31. MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Web. 25 Oct. 2010.

Listening Skill

Listening skills are very important in everyday life. One must understand what people are saying and what is happening around them. In order for this to be done effectively, one must be an active listener. This is achieved when the listener is listening for meaning; when the listener checks if the statement has been heard and understood correctly. The goal of this is to improve mutual understanding. Many people believe that listening skills are taught when in elementary school or during childhood.Truthfully, one can never really learn all the skills and apply them all the time. Many times people will be â€Å"listening† to someone talk but in their head will be thinking about something else, or even be distracted by something that is going on around them. Therefore, to become a better listener, one must make eye contact with the speaker, observe the speakers behaviour and body language and also paraphrase the speaker’s words and write them down as notes. Having good lis tening skills may come in helpful in a variety of situations.For example, during class, while taking notes, during a job interview, while interviewing a person, during counselling, while having a serious conversation with a friend or loved one, or while on the job, especially in a journalistic setting. In groups, listening skills may help attain better information and research or even assist in reaching a compromise or conclusion. Being a good listener has its benefits. By having good listening skills one can avoid having misunderstanding, resolve conflicts, get people to open up, and build trust.In order to develop pupils’ listening skill, teachers should make pupils listen to songs, rhymes and stories. To show their understanding of what they have heard, pupils can be asked to answer questions that require them to recall ideas, give details and even talk about the ideas heard. 1 Here, I will state the objectives, rationale and steps of the listening skill activity. a)Object ives of the activity By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to a)Listen to simple short stories and recall the names of people, animals and thing. b)Listen to simple short stories and recall the story-line by answering simpleWh-questions. c)Listen to simple short stories and shared feelings about the story. b)Rationale of the activity This activity all students to become active participants in the listening process rather than passive listeners. It encourages interaction by â€Å"live† listening and expose students to a variety of voices beside the teacher’s voice. It also develops their ability to listen well and become more independent learners. Pupils are able to reproduce their accuracy and refine their understanding of grammar and also develop their own vocabulary. c)Steps of the activity )Teacher asks pupils to listen to the short story in the CD player. b)Pupils listen to the story and teacher asks pupils on the character mentioned in the story. c)Pupil s listen to the short story for the second time. d) Teacher distributes the worksheets for the pupils to answer. 2 e)Pupils listen to the story again for the third time and answer the questions given in the worksheet. f)Teacher discusses answers with pupils and talks about the story. d)Sample of worksheet for listening activity Instruction : Listen to the short story and answer the questions. 1.How many large pots does the water bearer have? AHe has one large pot. BHe has two large pots. CHe has three large pots. 2. Where is the water bearer going? AHe is going to his friend’s house. BHe is going to the master’s house. CHe is going to the mistress’s house. 3. How many pots of water does he deliver? AHe delivers one and a half pails of water. BHe delivers two and a half pails of water. CHe delivers three and a half pails of water. 4. Who talked to the water bearer? AThe sun talked to the water bearer. BThe flowers talked to the water bearer.CThe cracked pot talke d to the water bearer. 5. Why did the cracked pot feel ashamed? AHis pot was empty. BHis pot was full of water. CHis pot was only half full of water. 6. What did the cracked pot do along the way? AHe looked at the green grass. BHe looked some small stones. CHe looked at the wild flowers. 7. Who planted the seed? AThe water bearer. BThe cracked pot. C The water bearer’s master 8. Who watered the wild flowers? AThe master watered the wild flowers. BThe water bearer watered the wild flowers. CThe cracked pot watered the wild flowers. 9. What did the cracked pot see along the path? AHe saw the sun and grass.BHe saw the sun and wild flowers. CHe saw the wild flowers and the master. 4 10. What did the water bearer do with the wild flowers? AHe decorated the master’s room. BHe decorated the master’s table. CHe decorated the master’s kitchen. e)Examples of responses, the evaluation criteria and marks allocation for assessing students’ responses During the activity, the student listens to a passage instead of reading it. Since listening performance is strongly influenced by motivation and memory, the passages are carefully chosen so that it is short and interesting.While listening the student have to answer 10 multiple-choice questions that address various levels of literal and inferential comprehension. The multiple-choice questions are focus on the passage listened by the students from the CD player. After the activity, the answers for the multiple-choice questions are given to the students. For each correct answer, the students will be given 2 marks so if the students get all questions correct, he or she will get 20 marks. 5 f)Assessment criteria and distribution of marks related to the specific objective of activity Rubrics of listening activityBANDS| EXCELLENT| SATISFACTORY| WEAK| VERY WEAK| SCORES| 16 – 20| 11 – 15| 6 – 10| 0 – 5| This worksheet contains 10 multiple-choice questions. Each correct item is awarded 2 marks. The maximum raw score a student can achieve on the worksheet is 20 marks. There are four criteria of band for the listening activity. The band starts from very weak, weak, satisfactory and excellent. Each band represents a score of 5 marks. 6 SPEAKING SKILL According to the Oxford Dictionary of Current English (2009), speaking is the action of conveying information or expressing ones thoughts and feelings in spoken languages.Chaney (1998), however, considered speaking a process of building and sharing meaning through the use of verbal or non-verbal symbols in variety of contexts. Sharing the same viewpoint, Flores (1999) added that speaking is an interactive process, which consists of three main stages which are producing, receiving and processing information. In language teaching and learning, speaking is considered a skill to practise and master. In the light, Nunan (2003) put it that speaking is the productive oral skill.It consists of producing systematic ve rbal utterance to convey meaning. Bygate (1987) investigated the distinction between knowledge and skill in speaking lesson, which he considered as crucial in the teaching of speaking. Indeed, to be a good learner of speaking, studying knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, intonation, etc, is not enough but the skill to use this knowledge to communicate successfully is indispensable. In the classroom, pupils should be given lots of opportunities to talk in class so that they gain confidence to speak in the language.Opportunities should be given to pupils to role-play, participate in drama activities that make them use the language suitable for the role or situation. In this respect, pair or group work activities allow for all pupils to engage in speaking activities at the same time. Pupils should also be encouraged to talk in English to other pupils and teachers in school. Here, I will state the objectives, rationale and steps of the speaking skill activity. a)Objectives of the activity By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to a)Retell stories heard before with expression. )Talk about the actions of people, animals or things in the story heard or read. c)Give reasons why one likes or dislike the story.7 b)Rationale of the activity This activity helps student to increase their academic knowledge and encourages their intellectual curiosity. Speaking activity also strengthens the ability to analyse and evaluate topics of interest and fosters independent learning. It also promotes awareness of the need for opinions coupled with knowledge and it involves the process of careful thought prior to reaching a conclusion or making a decision to dopt a belief or course of action. Not forgetting where it also promotes critical thinking of the students. c)Steps of the activity a)Teacher asks pupils to read the short story, The Cracked Pot. b)Pupils read and understand the story. c)Teacher asks pupil to summarize the story in their own word. d) Teacher a sks a few wh-questions to the pupils based on the story. e)Pupils give reason why the like or dislike the characters or story.d)Sample of worksheet for speaking activity Instruction :Retold the story read. :Answer a few questions based on the story. Tell ones’ like or dislikes. Example of questions : 1. How many large pots does the water bearer have? 2. Where is the water bearer going? 3. How many pots of water does he deliver? 8 4. Who talked to the water bearer? 5. Why did the cracked pot feel ashamed? 6. What did the cracked pot do along the way? 7. Who planted the seed? e)Examples of responses, the evaluation criteria and marks allocation for assessing students’ responses During the activity, the pupils read the short story, The Cracked Pot given by teacher.Then, the teacher asks pupils to retell the story using their own word. Teacher allocates marks when pupils retold the story. After that, teacher asks a few questions based on the story. Finally, teacher asks th e pupils whether they like or dislike the story. For each activity, marks are awarded based on their fluency, grammar and pronunciation. The marks given are according to the marks given. f)Assessment criteria and distribution of marks related to the specific objective of activity Rubrics of listening activity ACHIEVEMET| SCORE| CONSTRUCT| BAND DESCRIPTORS|EXCELLENT| 12 – 15| Grammar & Vocabulary| – Excellent use of sentence structures to convey intended meaning effectively- Correct and accurate use of grammatical structures- Interesting expression used Appropriately| | | Pronunciation& Intonation| – Excellent pronunciation and intonation to convey intended meaning correctly- Very clear articulation, enunciation and word stress| | | Fluency & Rhythm| – Very fluent speech- Very smooth flow of coherent ideas presented through the effective use of discourse markers| | | Ethics & Mannerism| – Respond with excellent mannerism using polite expressions and utterances- Show interest and enthusiasm| GOOD| 8 – 11 | Grammar & Vocabulary| – Correct use of sentence structures to convey intended meaning effectively – Correct use of grammatical structures- Good control of language in terms of the range of vocabulary and expressions used with minor slips that do not disrupt meaning| | |Pronunciation& Intonation| – Correct pronunciation and intonation most of the time with occasional slips- Very clear articulation, enunciation and word stress| | | Fluency & Rhythm| – Fluent speech with occasional pauses- Smooth flow of coherent ideas presented through the effective use of discourse markers| | | Ethics & Mannerism| – Respond with good and appropriate mannerism using polite expressions and utterances- Show some interest and nthusiasm| SATISFACTORY| 4 – 7| Grammar & Vocabulary| – Satisfactory use of sentence structures with some errors but meaning is generally clear- Adequate use of language with some grammatical errors but meaning is mostly clear- Fair control of language in terms of vocabulary and expressions, meaning is generally understood although there are some mistakes| | | Pronunciation& Intonation| – Satisfactory pronunciation and intonation with some words wrongly pronounced but meaning is not distorted- Satisfactory articulation, enunciation and word stress| | | Fluency & Rhythm| – Very fluent speech- Very smooth flow of coherent ideas presented through the effective use of discourse markers| | |Ethics & Mannerism| – Respond with satisfactory Mannerism using a few polite expressions and utterances- Show a little interest and enthusiasm| WEAK| 1 – 3| Grammar & Vocabulary| – Minimal use of sentence structures with consistent errors which distort meaning- Excessive grammatical errors which distort meaning| | | Pronunciation& Intonation| – Poor pronunciation and intonation but meaning may or may not be distorted- Attempt to articulate but flawed by poor pronunciation and word stress| | |Fluency & Rhythm| – Lack fluency with minimal or no utterance- Minimal or no flow of ideas| | | Ethics & Mannerism| – Respond impolitely and in an inappropriate manner- Show no interest and enthusiasm| In this activity, students are awarded marks based in the speaking skills. The maximum raw score a student can achieve is 15 marks. There are four main criteria in speaking rubrics. They are weak, satisfactory, good and excellent. APPENDIX The Cracked Pot – A Short Story A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole, which he carried across his neck.One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years, this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to see as a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. â€Å"I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you. â€Å"â€Å"Why? † asked the bearer. What are you ashamed of? † â€Å"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts,† the pot said. The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, â€Å"As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beauti ful flowers along the path. † Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, â€Å"Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house. 14