The Complete Persepolis and The Sand Child Essay

The Complete Persepolis and The Sand Child - Essay Example In comparison to the first book of Tahar Ben Jelloun’s trilogy, The Sand Child, it talks about the story of a young girl, Zahra, who is raised as a man, Ahmed. As her father’s eagerness to have a son as his heir arises, it has been decided that the 8th kid will be a son. Zahra’s identity crisis emerges since her early years when the natural emotions of a girl come into surface. As she conceals her true identity in accordance to her father’s image, a tyrant figure, she becomes distorted as she realizes and enjoys the advantages of being a man but at the same time empathizes with the society’s cruelty to women – her true identity. This paper compares and contrasts the most important theme in the two novels – identity. In Search of Identity Marjane, being a daughter to liberal parents, grows up as someone who thinks outside the box. In the early part of the first book, The Story of a Childhood, she has conversations with an imaginary frie nd that looks like God and tells him that she would be the ‘last prophet.† She announces one day in school that she would be it but all laugh at her and her parents have been Last Name 3 summoned to discuss the incident. Her parents instantly defend her to her teachers. In this scene, it will be noticed that Marjane’s parents do not succumb to the Islamic doctrine, which gives a good background on Marjane’s character and defines their family as modern. ... As a result, she rebels on the deeply-rooted Islamic society and professes herself of being different. It is explained that she wears her veil sideways with her sneakers on, giving a punk image, which makes the Guardians of the Revolution question her. â€Å"The reason for my shame and for the Revolution is the same: the difference between social classes. (Persepolis, 33) In this quote, Marjane rebels on the idealism of her parent’s political stance and the reality of their social class. She realizes the class divisions at a very early age when she discovers that Mehri, her maid, cannot be with the man she in in love with due to their class difference. She feels a great deal of disagreement in herself from this fact, which affects makes her identity revolt from the class conflicts. Marjane’s life is a study of inconsistencies and contradictions. She is torn between her â€Å"avant garde† lifestyle and her family’s loyalty to their motherland and everythin g it entails. Her parents have been fighting for the poor for the longest time and yet they also have been holding on to their class distinction. She strongly defines herself as someone born in a religious heritage yet her family is secular. These contradictions during her coming of age make her feel a sense of disenfranchisement from the only land she knows. As the story progresses, Marjane finds her identity in the midst of all political chaos. As she continuously enjoys the privileges of her Last Name 4 family’s she finds herself in rebellion towards those fanatics of the current Shah regime. She hits her principal for trying to take her jewelry from her and proclaims the truth behind the lies her professor is professing to her

Men and Women in Business Society Essay Example for Free

Men and Women in Business Society Essay It is said that in nowadays we live in a modern and developing world where people have unlimited opportunities for development.Widely supported statement is the one which says that the individual success fully depends on the individual abilities and skills.Although it is true,still there are some prejudices which reflect on us and our choice.In our more tolerant community(compared to the past) discrimination is unacceptable but unfortunatelly it still exists. More particularly we will pay attention to one popular belief in the sphere of business according to which men are better leaders than women. Where does this statement come from?What are the differences between businessmen and businesswomen?We will compare men and women in the business society and we will try to find out the truth. It is not a secret that men and women have some significant misunderstandings in their way of thinking and character. As it is said-Men are from Mars and Women from Venus. But lets take a closer look at what exactly show the surveys and statistics.According to them in tensed situations men are more cold-blooded while women are subordinated to emotions.Women are more insecure and prefer to do the things on their own,while men would rather give the task to someone else.That is why because unlike women,men feel comfortable giving orders to other people.Men prefer using competition to cooperation,in the contrary women prefer cooperation to competition because women really appreciate their social contacts on their working place.In difficult moment men accept that obstacle as ‘’problem-solution’’while women-‘’situation-reaction’’.For men taking risks is a question of profits. They ask themselves-‘’What will I win taking this risk?’’For women taking risks is a question of sacrifice or ‘’What is the price of this risk?’’, ‘’What will I have to sacrifice taking it?’’Women accept success as happy concurrence of circumstances while men in case of success take merit to themselves. From all mentioned above we come to a conclusion that women are more emotional and they pay more attention to their feelings-Business as a game of interests does not tolerate such behavior. That is why the sensibility of women and their subordination to criticism are perceived as disadvantage. In spite of all statistics and statements of psychologists my personal opinion is that we do not have to make a difference between a man and a woman. In spite of all supporting the thesis that men are better business leaders we-women know that the best way, in which men can obey to the women, is to remain them to belive that they are the leaders.So weather men are better business leaders or we women let them(in purpose) believe so is still a question with no answer.

The Hilton Hotel, Heathrow

The Hilton Hotel, Heathrow the objective of this assignment to shows the how the organisations in hospitality use the marketing strategies. This assignment presenting evaluation of the marketing introduction about Hilton Heathrow hotel, their loyalty programme, their public relations, e-marketing, viral and guerrilla marketing, segmentation marketing, network and customer relationship marketing strategies porters five forces. Definition of marketing as following: According to Philip Kotler:- marketing strategies are the combinations of all important marketing goals into a comprehensive plans, it should be from marketing research and its centre of attention should be right marketing mix to achieve maximum profit and sustainability for the organisation. Hilton Hotel and resorts is a Hospitality industry founded by Conrad Hilton in 1919 in Cisco, Texas (U.S) and has 540 hotels in 78 countries. Its first brand was opened in Business travel and leisure travel are the two marketing emphasis the company is focusing on. Hilton Hotel and Resorts are mostly located in city centres, near airports etc for the easy access for the customers. This assignment is on Hilton Hotel (HHonours) near Heathrow Airport; within Heathrow area they have three branches. Easy access from all terminals Heathrow central and terminal 5. It has partnership with different airlines and car rental companies. It just 6 minutes walk away from T4 and 10 minutes away by courtesy shuttle bus from T5. Hilton London Heathrow Airport hotel Exterior (http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/united-kingdom/hilton-london-heathrow-airport-LHRAPTW/index.html) Marketing: marketing strategy plays a vital role to success for business. Marketing in Hospitality industry is one of the main elements to increase profits and success of the business and it is playing very important role in hospitality. It helps the organisation to get success through understand their customers, what they want, their needs; priorities and demand from the organisation and what are their expectation level from customer service point of view, leisure and infrastructure etc. It is really easy these days through internet. The organisation can also put surveys on internet, blogs, websites, social media, etc. For example Hilton hotel is available on face book where anyone can like, comment and post their views and also customers can check their updates, offers etc. http://xzamcorp.com/quality-blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Facebook-Hilton-Hotels-Resorts.jpg (https://www.facebook.com/hilton) Marketing Mix Marketing mix is a mixture of four fundamentals product, price, place and promotion. That actions used to satisfy the wants of an organisations target market and at the same time achieve its marketing objectives. (Stanton) 1994. http://www.marketingteacher.com/image/content/mmix.gif Product- this feature of marketing mix is including planning, developing and producing the right category of products and services in the market by an organisation. In short words what is the quality of the product, size of the product? How is it looks like, design of the product, value of the product, about packaging, testing and range etc? At Hilton Heathrow hotel they have swimming pool, twenty four hour fitness centre then for relaxation they have sauna bath and steam room and beauty salon as well. They have artificial beach terrace. They have contemporary spacious room, executive lounge, executive rooms and suites. Hilton is the foremost globally friendliness company spanning the housing sector from luxurious full services to extended stay suites hotel. They mostly attract to business people as a luxurious hotel in the market. Price- To fix a right price of product is a most difficult task. Price of the product should be reasonable and affordable so organisation can sell their product easily and successfully in the market. There are lots of steps between set the right price for example: determination of unit price of the product, pricing policies and strategies, discounts, credits, cost, terms of delivery, payment, competitive price credit policy etc. Hilton hotel is quite expensive and luxurious hotel, their prices are high but still flexible according to the seasons. They give some discounts on special occasions. Place- It is called distribution channels, storage and warehousing, coverage channel, inventory management, selection channel, distribution logistics etc. Management of organisation is responsible to choose and deal with distribution channels so customers can get the product at right place at right time. They should develop physical distribution. Wholesalers and retailers are most important channels which are used for physical distribution of goods. Hilton hotel is near London Heathrow airport which is only give direct acees to the terminal 4 airport by walk and shuttle bus to terminal 5. This hotel offers fully equipped business centre of 2,590 square metre banquet hall for special events. Business conference for up to 300 guests of 30 meetings rooms. Promotion- the fourth p is promotion it does include determination about direct marketing, sales promotion, advertisements, publicity, exhibitions, public relations activity etc. Most important tools are advertisements and sales promotion which are used to promote the sale of products of organisations. The best way for advertising strategy, organisation should recognise the competitors what are they providing additional to customers. This will help to an organisation to do improvements into their values and to set marketing strategy. Promotional activities are free distribution of sample of product, contests etc. These types of tools are expressive which does help to beat the competition in the market to organisation. Advertisements are used to communicate and pass the information to customers and consumers about the features of product through television, internet, newspapers and magazines, radio, billboards, banners and posters etc. Limitations Doing advertisements or promotion is expensive tool but there is lots of advertisements on the television and internet so people can get fed up thats why mostly people ignore the advertisements on television they just skip the channels when the advertisements comes in front of them. Some people do not read the advertisements on newspapers and magazines. Now a days Hilton Heathrow hotel doing promotion by giving offer to customers because Christmas coming they are giving offer to celebrate Christmas at Heathrow with their attractive cuisine and enjoyment traditional or bollywood themed parties. Their coordinator will do the help to customer to organise party for superb occasion. At Hilton hotel in terms of the marketing mix model definitely the people, process and physical evidence are very important components of the marketing mix for service providers such as hotels. Marketing strategy to use by Hilton hotels as following: They give 20% off on advance booking on their best available rate. They do offer bed and breakfast on the weekend package. They give 1000 reasons to customers to love Hilton and earn thousands points on every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday night stay. They are offering for Christmas party at Heathrow They are providing exclusive airport parking packages for up to 8 to 15 days. So customer can enjoy hassle free on their door step parking at London Heathrow airport Branding- branding is a unique name and identity of the company. It is a procedure of mark and stamp to the product with identify look, design and logo etc. So customers and consumers can get idea about the features of product from the name, look, logo, mark and design. Brand name or design should be attractive, which can attract to the customers. From brand name customers can recognise the product. When they give a symbol or name to the product organisation should always keep in mind there is lots of competitor in the market. Brand should be like that which is no one can copy it easily. Hilton hotel have very unique name. Hilton Hhonors have ten different brand which are as following: Waldorf Astoria hotels and resorts, Conrad hotels and resorts, Double tree inn, Embassy suites, Hilton garden inn, Hampton, Homewood suites, Hilton grand vacation and home 2 suites by Hilton. They have every type of hotel for example budget hotel luxurious hotel, business hotel etc. Customers can get know from the name about hotel for example Hilton hotels and resorts are quite luxurious and business class hotel. It is expensive. Customer loyalty- it is about to encourage the customer, attract towards brand, buy the product often and in extra amount. It is about satisfaction level of customers, confidence, and their needs and wants. Organisation should build relationship with customers using e-market via email, messaging on mobile phones, so customers can stay keep in touch with them. Organisation should give points to the customers on loyalty cards. They should show to customers to care for them what are their choices and what they do not want. Hilton hotel they have point system to attract the customers and encourage to stay with them. They have guest loyalty programme and they have membership level as following blue, silver, gold and diamond. First of all blue, which is just for enrolling. Second one is silver which is for four stays at hotel and 10 nights and then they have gold 36 nights or 16 stays and 60000 base points and the last one they have gold for 60 nights, 28 stays and 100000 base points. Customers can earn points on all their different brands in 91 countries and at nearly 3900 hotels. They can earn bonus points at airline for the same hotel stay. Customers can use their points on hotel stays, buying and receiving, on travel and transport, exchange with family and friends at dining. Customers can donate their points to supporting charities for non profit. Network and customer relationships marketing strategies- networking is an important factor for an organisation. Stakeholders and employees with employers and staff of an organisation should inter connect with each other. Marketing take place in public relationship. For an organisation should have good and strong relation with society to fight the competition in the market. They should build strong network into the market with stakeholders. Now a days every organisation have customer care department to sort out the problems of customers and they have call centres as well as they have online customer care facility via internet so customers can call them or email them regarding their problems. In an organisation network and customer relationship is how does effective staff deals with customers and employers with employees. Hilton hotels have network and customer relationship strategy to using point system and social media. Customers can earn points with them and they can use their points on lots of things with them on travel transports etc. They are using digital technology for example electronic media Customers can stay keep in touch with them using social media. Hilton Hotel Company appreciates the value of its staff and uses internal marketing to retain them and make them feel valued. At the Hilton organisation management realises that the companys team member added value and quality to the business. In fact it is the people working for the organisation that makes the Hilton hotels corporation such an international success. A hotel is an actual physical product, but a lot of the experience of visiting a hotel relates to the service offered by its staff to the customers. At Hilton hotel organisation management realises that staff treat customers with about same degree of respect as they themselves are treated by their employers. If staff are not treated and valued well they in turn will not respect or treat customers very well. Obviously this is very bad for an organisation. The Hilton hotel corporation invests a lot of time and money in its staff. It takes training and staff development very seriously. It involves staff in all aspects of it s marketing plans and strategy so that everyone knows what is going on and how they make contribution. Organisation gives rewards to its staff for effort with awards and promotion. It includes its staff by allowing them access to extranet which is also share with its business partners. Management offers a comprehensive befits packages to its staff, including: medical, dental and vision care coverage, life accident and disability insurance, the Hilton stock purchase plan, the flexible work arrangement. Other benefits including vacation and holiday pay plus and special privileges when staff stays at Hilton hotels. At the Hilton group management really try to retain good staff and do everything possible to make working for the Hilton hotel organisation rewarding and satisfying experience. Marketing communication activities and strategies-marketing communication is a way which is used by an organisation to change the behaviour of stakeholders towards product. They present to product into the market in such way, people can get information about the product from designing, promotion, exhibitions, advertisements, newspapers, magazines, mobile phone marketing etc. Marketing communication can be develop by direct marketing and indirect marketing. Personal selling, sales promotion, advertising, public relations these are all marketing communication. Those all tools are used for communication about product, which tells to public about the features of product. Organisation use marketing communication to achieve the market objectives and target sales. Communication is messages between one person to other person and in marketing it is between seller and buyer. With Hilton hotel customers can stay keep in touch with them using social media. E-marketing- e-marketing is an internet marketing, which is also called as an online marketing, web-marketing. Now a days every organisation use electronic technology for advertisements to gain the objectives. Technology plays a vital role for an organisation such computer based technology. Organisation create their websites, they send information about products online. Internet offers unique opportunities for organisation and customers to communicate with each others. It is a good way to build relationship with each other. Companies do promotion by direct email, advertisements on internet, by text messaging on mobile phones as well. People can know about the organisations and their manufactured goods to visit on their websites through internet. Organisation can do advertisements through social media for example: face book, twitter etc. On other hand some people do not trust on online information. These types of people prefer to go to the organisation personally so they can get information about the product from someone face to face. Hilton hotels and resorts have their own website so people can get easy access with them using internet. They have join in option on their webpage so people can create their account over there. Hilton hotels have account on face book as well so people can follow them using social media. They do their updates on their website and on social media regarding their discounts, offers, whats new at hotel etc. Thus people can get information through online using internet. Guerrilla marketing activities and strategies- this type of strategy is a weapon for marketers and it is not very expensive it is low cost strategy. Guerrilla marketing is a unusual methods of promotion. This type of marketing does not focus on sales just focus profits, on primary success. It does expect highest results from minimum resources. But sometimes these methods of marketing represent the false image of brand, which is not good to get success for an organisation and survive for long time in the future. Viral marketing- it is blog marketing, forum marketing, email marketing and article marketing. This type of marketing is passed from one person to another person for example messengers are used for viral marketing. Social media is the best way for viral marketing. People can join to Hilton hotel to create an account on their website so Hilton organisation can send them direct email regarding their products, promotions, discounts, new packages etc and they can follow them using facebook and tweeter as well. Public relationship strategies:-Public relation strategies are one of the promotional Mix (advertisement, personal selling, sales promotion, corporate image and Exhibition). According to Bill bernbach:- People cant believe you if they dont know what you are saying and they cant know what you are saying if they dont listen to you, and they wont listen to you if youre not interesting. Any news, planning, presentation, job advertisement etc organisation wants to give to public and any feedback organisation want from public different media such as speaker opportunities (conferences, seminars, public forums), trade show support (press appointments, private demos), public launch, magazines, newspaper, (articles, report), TV, internet, PR blogs (such as face book, twitter, online Pr) etc. Public relationship is a relationship of sharing information relation to organisation not only between organisation and customers; it is also with employees, staff, consumers, general public, competitors etc. Public relation plays a very important role and its essential to make public aware and up-to-date about new policies, procedures, jobs, vacancies etc. Hilton hotels to create public relation they promote their organisation through media news on the news papers, television, internet, magazines, articles etc. They share their information there. So people can know about them. Hilton global media centre users stand for 85 languages English, French, Spanish, Turkish, Chinese, and Japanese etc. Segmentation marketing: segmentation of marketing is a procedure which is focus on a group people whose have common expectations, needs and wants. Market segmentation is first action to apply the strategy of marketing. When segmentation applied, then organisation recognized the groups of customers with appropriate marketing mix so as to arrangement the product , brand, place, promotion, physical evidence and environment etc. Market segmentation aims at one or more homogeneous groups of customers and the marketers try to develop different marketing mix for each segment. The purpose of this segment is to satisfy them all. There may be different demands in different market segments. Marketers may produce higher sales in markets where they have monopolistic conditions by segmentation. The step towards developing a segmentation is to locate base for segmenting the market. There are different variables which are used for this purpose. The variables relates to consumer demographics, geographical, psychographic and behaviour. Bases of market segmentation as following: Geographic segmentation Demographic segmentation Psychographic segmentation Behavioural segmentation Value based segmentation Geographic segmentation- this segmentation focus on the area, the capital size, its majority whether town, city, or country and the (type of weather warm, cold, muggy, dry, windy) because it does matter a lot in segmenting the market on the basis of geographic segmentation. The most important benefit of this segmentation basis that is reflects physical location of the market. Demographic segmentation- it divides the marketplace on the base of period of time, era, gender, marital status, earnings, education, culture, family unit, family life cycle, profession, religious conviction and ethnic group. Demographics as a base for segmentation is working as a proxy for finding similarity in behavioural patterns. Psychographic segmentation- this base of segmentation is widely used by marketers. A persons life style, social class, cultural and personality rest at his mind. But this basic instinct can be tapped by marketers when they appeal for their products. However the geographical or psychographic segmentation is mind level. It might not click for marketers. Behavioural segmentation- here the geographical, demographical or psycho graphical boundaries do not approach jointly but become more relevant for marketing. The clients and customers are segmented on the base of their behaviour in the course of require inspiration, awareness, knowledge participation, attitudes, events, profit, user position, usage charge, loyalty rank and consumer willingness period. Behaviour segmentation is based on the consumer response to his requirements. Value based segmentation- the promotion idea prescribes that segmentation have to the result of competition connecting the goods quality and the needs or wants of the customers or clients. The marketers have to in actuality segmenting their clients so as to separate persons who give the for the most part to their profits. The marketers are required to compute total lifetime value of their customers and discount it to arrive at the net present value. Michael porters five forces: with porters five forces marketers can do strategic analysis of an organisation. They can find out the way how organisation attracts to different industries. Porters five forces does work as a guide to an organisation before enter to market. Michaels five forces are as following: Industry rivalry Power of buyer Power of supplier Threats of substitute Threats of new entry Industry rivalry- if enter into the market is very easy it means there is very high competition. Then customers can change their mind easily to go one from another. When competition is high in the market then there is not much difference into the products which are customers getting from the companies. All competitors using same strategies, and they have same sizes of product. If situations are like this as mentioned above then it is very hard to leave the industry for an organisation because they have been already spent lots of money. Hilton hotel has number of competitor near Heathrow which are as following Marriott hotel, Renaissance hotel, Ramada hotel, etc. They are also big organisations, but Hilton hotel has his own unique identity and popularity in the market as a luxurious hotel. Power of supplier- to get success for an organisation bargaining power of suppliers is a most important side. Supplier provides raw material to an organisation. If they are the only supplier for firm and there is no power of substitute of that raw material and there is no alternative option, they can refuse to provide raw material to an organisation. In that case supplier has much power. Power of buyers- customers can change their mind easily if they have another offer in same price and they go from one to another to get the product. Customers have the power to give pressure to the firm to change the price of product. Power of buyers come when there is not much difference between the product and they can get same product with low price. When customers buy the product they are very possessive about price of the product and they do comparison as well. Mostly business people, couples, and families are customers of Hilton hotel. Threats of substitute- if organisation provides such products which is already have in the market so there is threat of substitute is high. Because customers have another option. They can get another product. Threats of new entry- for an organisation to enter into new market are a bit risky because there are some barriers for entrance but for big organisation it is not much risky. When an organisation enters into the market looks at following points: do they earn profit or how fast, will government give them approval to do business, do they have enough supplier for outputs of their products. Recommendation As we know around Heathrow airport there lives mostly Asian community Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis etc. it is suggested to Hilton Heathrow hotel they should give them some discounts and offers on their special festivals and occasions. For example to Muslims on their special festival Eid they should offer them discounts on their parties. To Indians they should also give offers and discounts on their special occasion diwali like Christmas they offer special packages and discount for special event. Conclusion As everyone knows hospitality is a huge industry in the market and Hilton hotels have their own unique name and identity in the market. According to the above mentioned strategies in the assignment marketing mix, branding, loyalty programmes, network and customer relationship marketing strategy, marketing communication activities and strategy, e-marketing, public relations, guerrilla and viral marketing, marketing segmentation and Micheal porters five forces, which were applying to the Hilton hotel they are doing best things to beat the competitors and they are doing their promotion in best ways such as their loyalty programmes. Hilton hotel is a luxurious and expensive and they mostly attract to business people and families so mostly customers of Hilton hotels are business people, families, couples and this hotel doing everything to do their best in the market. They are using digital technologies for example electronic media according to the demand of modern era.

Superstitions speech -- essays research papers

I’m doing my speech on superstitions. Wulp wish me luck, break a leg, knock on wood. Superstitions, what are they and where did they come from? Are they true are they false or is there some sort of reasoning behind them? Or are they simply just a whole lot of mumbo jumbo. I mean †¦.. awww man (meeoow) there goes a black cat man talk about bad luck it just took off with any luck that I had, (gosh darn – click fingers well lets see if its true†¦Mrs Maslen whadda ya reckon am I gonna get an A for this or what? C’mon c’mon you can tell me. Damn you cat (shake fist meeooow). Where did that superstition come from? For heavens sake how pathetic is it! Anyways for most people these are simply old wives tales and silly misconstrued stories, happenings and events. But for others these are real, they believe every word of these. For centuries people have been fascinated by these superstitions. Superstitions have bewitched, bemused and befuddled the minds of millions, billions of innocent people. Because believing superstitions is simply showing ignorance and fear of the unknown. This is why so many people have fallen into the traps and beliefs that are superstitions, taboos. These superstitions have been deeply influential in history. You look back in history and you’ll find them 600, 700 back in time. To me superstitions are simply beliefs or practices with no rational substance to them, for instance, ok a bird, if a bird flies into the house it is a sign of death. Now in all honest...

Neural Tube Defects

Human birth defects, today, continues to be a highly investigated research. There remain many convoluted combination of genetic and environmental factors that can cause birth defects. While some conditions are easily repaired through surgery, neural tube defects (NTDs) present problems even after surgery. Many steps can be taken for the pregnant mother to prevent any chances of birth defects. There are two major ways of preventing NTD. First, a daily dose of folic acid is known to prevent NTD and other birth defects during pregnancy. Second, surgical in utero, or â€Å"in the uterus†, repair of NTD improves the chances of patient mortality (Finnel et. al, 2013). Despite of medical and technological advances, we know very little about how folic acid acts on NTDs. And as previously mentioned, even after surgical repair, the chances of a successful or normal birth are unknown. This research paper investigates the role of folic acid and its role in neural tube defects. We discuss recent research to find our answers. Overview of embryology and NTDs. Neural tube defects are often developed during early embryonic development. During embryogenesis, the defects arise when the flat sheet of cells that rolls up but does not close shut to form a hollow central nervous system. There are two common conditions: NTDs that are restricted to the cranial region are referred to as anencephaly. It is characterized by failure of the rostral (head) portion of the neural tube to close. This result in an absence of thee brain, skull, and scalp. Defects that occur along the audal, or tail end, of the neural tube are called spinal bifida. More commonly occurring than anencephaly, spinal bifida affects structures through which the minenges and the spinal cord protrude. When both the cranial and the caudal portions fail to close, this extremely rare and lethal NTD is called craniorachischisis (Aldoori et. al, 2008; Finnel et. al, 2013). Epidemiology Annually in the United States, there are approximately 3000 pregnancies affected by spinal bifida or anencephaly. This number can easily be reduced by half by a folic acid supplement. The highest rate occurs in Hispanic populations because they have low folic acid levels in their diet. The current prevalence of NTDs as a collective is approximately 1 in every 2000 births. Although the prevalence rates vary from country to country, it is clear that there are three aspects that control the development of such conditions: genetic, environmental, and nutrition. The most common and difficult to account for are the affects of environment and nutrition on the growing embryo, specifically diabetes, obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption (CDC, 2011). The biology of NTDs The complex nature and the process of neural tube closure have temporarily halted our understanding of folic acid and its interactions during NTDs. As a collection of many autonomous and region-specific cells, many researchers suggest that along with the lengthening of the neural tissues, the epidermis also provides a guiding force to help fold and close the neural tube. This fusion links two neural folds into a sheet covering the outer portion hollow neural tube. Furthermore, the closing process of the neural tube occurs at multiple sites along the rostrocaudal axis, or head to tail axis, instead of progressing from one end to the other in a continuous motion (Finnel et. al, 2013). Another complication occurs when the cells that help close the neural tube differ regionally along the neural tube. This causes irreversible and incurable conditions like spinal bifida and anencephaly. What we know now is collectively from amphibians and chick embryos. These studies provide a deeper understanding of how an embryo morphs, the cells involved, and the mechanism through which the regional cells cause NTDs and other conditions (Finnel et. al, 2013). Folic acid and NTDs According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it is recommended that a daily dose of 400 microgram of folic acid be prescribed to females at least one month planning for pregnancy. The question of how folic acid acts on the NTDs is still very unclear. However, the research conducted helps to clarify that some cellular activity may be involved. Research studies using mice suggest that this may start from the biosynthesis of DNA, RNA, and other structural proteins and lipids. â€Å"Therefore, deficits in folic acid metabolism could affect cell proliferation, cell survival, transcriptional regulation, or a host of other cellular reactions; defects in any of these processes could disrupt neural tube closure† (Finnel et. al, 2013). Mutations in mice were studied using genetics and environment. In these experiments, several mutations of mice were compared using various biomarkers. The genetic approach sought for alterations in the pathway of mutations when there was a deficiency of folic acid. The environmental study researched the responsiveness, of genes and its environment and the external environment (predominantly nutrition), to folic acid in hopes of surfacing mechanisms through which folic acid promotes neural tube closure (Finnel et. al, 2013). To summarize, there is a very poor understanding of how folic acid promotes neural tube closure and very little insight into distinctly clarifying the specific pathways that folic acid prevents the aforementioned NTDs, regardless of the three factors. The continuation of research using mice (because they have a very similar neural development as humans) provides hope to find the various â€Å"developmental processes and molecular pathways can be related in terms of folic acid responsiveness and to gain molecular insights into optimal interventions to prevent NTDs† (Finnel et. al, 2013). Nutrition and supplements As mention before, the recommended daily dose of folic acid is 400 micrograms (or 0. 4 milligrams). This can be easily achieved by eating breakfast cereals (serving sizes may vary), flour (breads and pastas), white rice, and cornmeal. It is also strongly recommended that women who are breastfeeding or are on birth control continue to take their daily dose of folic acid unless directed by their physician (Women’s Health, 2010). Many supplements today contain a blend of vitamins and minerals to help sustain the body and many have a 100 percent of the recommended daily dose, including folic acid. As one passes the child-bearing age, the dosage is maintained along with sufficient amount of vitamin B12 for overall good health (Women’s Health, 2010). NTDs are most common in women who don’t have adequate amounts of folic acid, including the Hispanic population and those without adequate medical aid. The mechanism through which folic acid reacts with the embryo is unclear. A deficit of folic acid, initially, results in spinal bifida and anencephaly and could cause other defects, including stillbirths. An excess of folic acid causes nerve damage to the parent, which could potentially translate to the embryo. Although much research has already been done, the animal studies provide a bright outlook to solving this dilemma.

french revoluion essays

french revoluion essays The French Revolution last from 1789 to 1799. This war had many causes that began the revolution. Its causes ranged from the American Revolution, the economic crisis in France, social injustices to the immediate causes like the fall of Bastille, the Convening of he Estate-General, and the Great Fear. As a result of this revolution there many effects , immediate and long term. The immediate effects were the declaration of rights of man, abolishing of olds reign, execution of king and queen, the reign of terror, and war and forming of the citizen-army. The long term effects were the rise of Napoleon, spread of revolutionary ideas, growth of nationalism, and the The contributing factors to the French Revolution was the economic crisis in France. The French government had undergone economic crises, resulting from the long wars waged during the reign of Louis XIV, the losses incurred in the French and Indian War, and increased indebtedness arising from loans to the American colonies during the American Revolution. The American Revolution showed that they got economical and political freedom from Britain. This liberalism sparked many revolutions in Europe ,but in France the ideas of the Enlightenment and liberalism were put to their fullest test. The French people wanted rights and would later get these. Another reason was that the old regime was ineffective and it abused its power. The immediate causes of the French Revolution were that the Estate-General had to convene. Increasing political pressure and being faced with the total collapse of its finances, the Old Regime began to unravel. Almost immediately tempers arose regarding voting procedures in the upcoming Estates-General. In its last meeting, voting had been organized by estate, with each of the three estates meeting separately and each having one vote. In this way the privileged classes had combined to outvote ...

Medical Apartheid Essay Example

Medical Apartheid Essay Example Medical Apartheid Essay Medical Apartheid Essay The radio show concerning the medical apartheid discussed the history of medical tests conducted on African Americans from colonial times until present. It Is disturbing how much many doctors were able to get away with when Inhumanly testing on black people. Even up until the sasss It was common practice to conduct medical tests specifically on black people. Medical Apartheid was a disturbing practice In America that many doctors Justified by suggesting that these African Americans would not have received any medical care If It were not for their testing. These medical professionals were presented with many ethical questions, however, not ethical dilemmas because the Issues with what they were dealing with had a clear right and wrong. Up until recent times Inhumane medical tests have been conducted on African Americans and were justified through a common belief that the people being tested had no other means to receive medical attention. This common belief is most certainly outrageous and is not based on reality. The reality is that these tests were based on racism. Many of these medical professionals were racist and were exerting heir power over the other race through medical testing. Because these medical professionals could take advantage of uneducated African Americans they were. There were no ethical dilemmas involved with the medical apartheid, however, there were serious ethical questions. There were no ethical dilemmas because to constitute an ethical dilemma one must have to choose between right and right. In the medical apartheid there was a clear choice between right and wrong. One neurosurgeon conducted brain surgeries on African American boys in an attempt to figure out what parts of the brain were causing behavioral problems. The surgeon would remove parts of the brain Just to see if it would cure the problem, not because it was based on medical fact. Many of these medical professionals were able to trick their African American patients into thinking that they were being cured because most of the patients were uneducated and placed too much trust In their unethical physicians. For example, there was much testing on a group of African American men who had syphilis. The men believed their doctors were curing them of their disease when In reality their doctors believed that black people Inherently had syphilis and there was no reason o cure them, even though there was a cure available. In the end, there were no ethical dilemmas Involved with the Issue of medical apartheid because there was no dilemma; It was a clear choice between right and wrong. Although, medical professionals who conducted these Inhumane experiments justified their actions by saying that their patients would not have been treated AT It were not Tort teen, It Is quilt clear Tanat not Dealing treated at all was ten better option. The underlying theme of the medical apartheid in America like the apartheid in South Africa was racism and control over others.

My First 7 Jobs

My First 7 Jobs You may have caught wind of a Twitter topic, â€Å"First 7 Jobs,† where celebrities and entrepreneurs have been sharing the list of †¦ obviously †¦ their first 7 jobs. What struck me about the lists I saw is that people didn’t seem to have as many â€Å"starter† jobs as I did. Buzz Aldrin’s third job was as a fighter pilot, and by his 4th job he was already an astronaut! I wonder if the following list shows a lack of focus on my part? Or perhaps on the bright side, a sense of curiosity? It’s possible that I started with my moment of fame and am only now rising back up to a position that meets my capabilities! Here’s the list: 1. Sesame Street My parents took my sister and me to audition for Sesame Street when I was 6 years old or so, and we both got the job. I learned that Oscar and Big Bird are the same person, and how to say Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers many times fast. I learned how to put my checks in the bank and start saving. I also learned that I was not very good at voice over reports on what animals were doing. It’s harder than it looks! 2. Baby Sitting How a mother would trust the safety of a 2-year-old or 7-year-old to me still baffles me. Thankfully there were no mishaps that I can remember. I learned to keep  emergency numbers on the fridge, and not to argue when someone wanted to give me extra money. I discovered that I like kids and am pretty good with them, in small doses. 3. Helping out at my dad’s real estate management office At my dads office,  I learned how to file, collate, and copy. These paper-focused skills are, well, not as useful as they once werebut sometimes I am still the one to figure out how to clear a paper jam. I’ve always been great in an office environment. 4. Cashier at Carrot Top Bakery I got this job because my dad was friends with the owner, and was introduced to the world of bulk baking. I learned that even though I can do math in my head, I need to punch the actual numbers into the cash register so the business has a record of what was purchased (see my blog, How I Messed Up On My First Job- and What You Can Learn From My Mistakes!). When the phone company across the street went on strike, I learned that when you depend on one client for most of your business, you are at great risk. Perhaps this insight sowed the seeds of my entrepreneurial bent. 5. Counselor, Lifeguard and Swim Instructor at a summer camp To explore my â€Å"crunchy granola† side, I went back to my old, favorite summer camp as a counselor. I learned that the place was just as magical as a counselor as it was as a camper. And how to stay out all night without my 12-year-old bunk of campers finding out. Later in life, I used my lifeguarding skills to get free gym memberships when my salary didn’t support that luxury. Later, I shifted to a preference for monthly payments and more free time. 6. Assistant to a Director at the Yale Alumni Association This was a pretty great part-time job when I was in college. I learned how to suck up, and that when you have a position of power, no one will bat an eyelash when you can ask your student employee to run to get your dry cleaning. I also learned how to pick up dry cleaning. This trick of squeezing personal tasks into the workday has served me well as an entrepreneur. 7. Naturalist at Glacier National Park I volunteered for a summer after my sophomore year of college with the Student Conservation Association. In the remote mountains of Montana, I learned that not everyone appreciates my New York attitude. More practically, I gained skills in how to tie food high up in a tree and   make a lot of noise in the woods to warn the bears; and lets not forget the upside-down map tours of the park from behind the visitor center desk. I learned what crampons are. I also learned how to survive for a summer on the food available in a Montana corner store. I liked this outdoorsy type of job, and it led to my 8th job as an environmental education instructor. After that I went back to office jobs. What do you think my first seven jobs say about me? What do yours say about you? I’m curious to hear!

Answers to questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answers to questions - Essay Example The Sixth Circuit reversed, finding that the impairments substantially limited respondent in the major life activity of performing manual tasks. In order to demonstrate that she was so limited, said the court, Williams had to show that her manual disability involved a "class" of manual activities affecting the ability to perform tasks at work. She satisfied this test, according to the court, because her ailments prevented her from doing the tasks associated with certain types of manual jobs that require repetitive work with hands and arms extended at or above shoulder levels for extended periods of time. In reaching this conclusion, the court found that evidence that she could tend to her personal hygiene and carry out personal or household chores did not affect a determination that her impairments substantially limited her ability to perform the range of manual tasks associated with an assembly line job. The court granted her partial summary judgment on the issue of whether she was disabled under the ADA. The Supreme Court granted certiorari.] The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is grounded in the will to provide equal opportunity in employment, transportation, public accommodations, public services, and telecommunications for individual with disabilities.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Rhetorical Analysis - Essay Example The essay or article of Craig Brown was not intended for the medical community because it did not spoke of any revolutionary research or life changing findings in the medical field but rather the dilemma that confronts the physician when they try to extend the life of a patience using the advances in medical technology. He introduced himself and what he does by using metaphors as he narrates the complexity of his job from being an obstetrician â€Å"where fresh-faced tulips are popping up at all hours† (which is not his specialty) to seeing patients of all ages until he touched on taking care for â€Å"threadworn elderly, those facing an eternal winter with no green in sight, is definitely the most difficult thing I do†. He introduced himself as a medical doctor not by enumerating his credentials but rather by narrating in a literary manner the dilemmas he faced as a physician which gave face and feelings to the profession that the readers can easily relate and sympathi ze. In a way, the article was a human interest essay because it emphasized the humane aspect of taking care the elderly from the point of view of a doctor. Dr. Craig Brown’s human interest approach in the article made him more credible both as a doctor and a writer. This is because he showed that he does not only knows his job very well but also knows the human aspect of it and the dilemmas that accompanies in treating patient who are already in their twilight years. His moral stature and credibility became more pronounced that served as an ethos of the article and elevated his stature as an authority who knows the subject as well as the human aspect of it. Thus, it impresses to the reader that he is not only a competent but compassionate as well which made the article close if not endearing to the readers. During the duration of the article, one can readily observe that the essay is replete with heart wrenching scenario in elderly care that the reader can almost feel the bur den of the doctor as he attends to the patient. This is the use of emotion in the article as rhetorical tool of pathos or emotional appeal. After establishing credibility and getting the interest of the reader in his creative and flowery introduction, the author begun narrating his case by capitalizing on the emotional aspect of his job in dealing with elderly who are in their twilight years as the pathos. It is obviously noticeable that even if the author spoke of diseases and medical condition, he did not dwell deep on medical terms but instead used words that are common to the readers such as arthritis, diabetes to avoid distracting the readers with jargon and lose the emotional appeal of the article which explains why the approach was very powerful. The author did not argue by capitalizing on his credentials but persuaded the reader on his point of view by narrating the emotional dilemma that doctors’ feel when attending to these patients that sometimes, living in agony i s worse than death itself. Perhaps the doctor knows that he may be questioned as a practicing physician if he will argue his main point that prolonging life in pain worse than dying itself. As a physician, he is sworn to Hippocratic Oath or in Dr. Craig’s words, he is in a â€Å"do no harm business† and arguing that old people are better off to accept death as they come than suffer a long agonizing life may not

Religious experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Religious experience - Essay Example The second angel is believed to be a person’s fortune. It is believed that how good the second angel prays for a person at the court of God determines how good his/her fortune will be (Nasr, 2009). When a person has hard luck it simply means that his/her second angel is not doing well at the court of God. But I do not fully believe in this. Islam says that God will give good fortune to those who are righteous or moral and bring bad luck or wickedness to those who are immoral or committing evil deeds. So, if I avoid getting jealous of other people’s good fortune, if I do not invade other people’s privacy, if I avoid hurting other people, if I pray for the good fortune of other people, and if I strive in life, God will certainly give me good fortune. But if I am jealous of other people’s riches, happiness, and good health, God will refuse to bless me with good fortune. All my struggles in life, all my hard work, will be for nothing and all my personal belongings will eventually disappear. I have personally witnessed this in my life. I have a friend who was very wealthy. He had everything. But he got addicted to gambling and women. I advised him to stop doing these immoral things. But he did not listen. Sooner or later he found himself in a lot of trouble. He had a terribly large debt, his personal belongings and riches were taken away from him, and his life became miserable. No blessings came to him. Unlike my friend, I started with almost nothing. Our family was not that well-off. But because of hard work, good reputation, and respect for other people, our family was able to gain some good fortune. We were able to buy a good house and a good car. And our family became stronger as ever. I have even witnessed three siblings fight for inheritance. When their parents died, the two older siblings grabbed the bigger and best portions of the inheritance. But they were not contented with

Is it possible to overcome the Holocaust Discuss with reference to the Essay

Is it possible to overcome the Holocaust Discuss with reference to the respective responses of both Jean Amery and Primo Levi - Essay Example It assesses how holocaust literature was formed and many famous writers of that time involved in spending their time on writing over the event. The essay represents the work of Jean Amery and Primo Levi who were survivors of the holocaust. Their work held much significant value and had some similarities and differences. All in all the literature and historical reviews showed how the Jews got over the trauma and overcame the holocaust with reference to responses made by known writers of that time. Some books are also referred in this regard. The understanding to the holocaust is an important factor. It was recognized as a systematic and state-sponsored murder of six million Jews by the Nazi Germany and their collaborations. Holocaust may have several meanings in different contexts. From one of its origins it means sacrifice by fire and from the other, destruction. The Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, and they believed that the Germans were superior to the Jews, who were inferior and a threat to the racial community of the Germans. The era of holocaust did not only target the Jews, but in fact the Germans also targeted many other groups due to their belief that they are racially inferior. The groups were targeted on political, behavioral, ideological and social grounds (Kremer, 2003, p. 12). The Jewish population of Europe in 1933 stood at over nine million. Most of these European Jews lived in Nazi Germany and tended to occupy and influence the World War II and its proceedings. Eventually by 1945, the German collaborators had killed two out of every three Jews. This was a part of the Final Solution which was a policy of the Nazi Germany to kill the European Jews. These Jews were deemed as a danger to Germany, and even then they were victims of the Nazi racism. Other victims of the killing were Roma (Gypsies), and also included some physically and mentally disabled patients who were Germans but they

Unified Tobacco - Business and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unified Tobacco - Business and Ethics - Essay Example His decisions are based on his definition of right and good. And in Socialism, the ethics of virtue is expressed through the concept that the fulfilment of a human is in helping others (â€Å"Ethics† 2006). As such, both Ethicists’ most probable way to handle this conflict is to find ways to communicate to the protest groups the positive side of the tobacco business, despite its evident disadvantages to the community, but under different premises. Unified Tobacco sells a product that is known to be harmful to everyone’s health. The hazard of smoking is plain and simple: it causes ailments that potentially lead to death, not just to the users themselves but also to those who are considered passive smokers. The issues of the protesters are actually valid. However, to address these concerns, the government has already established various resolutions to regulate the use of cigarettes, particularly in public places. Furthermore, the government and other concerned groups are involved in various massive campaigns to promote information regarding the disadvantages of using this product. Man always has a choice of whether or not to patronize cigarette smoking. Even the manufacturers themselves warn the public of the dangers of smoking through their tagline â€Å"cigarette smoking is dangerous to one’s health†. However, on the other side, the tobacco industry helps bring jobs to the community. It employs hundreds of people and gives them a livelihood. Further, it greatly contributes to the community’s economy. The industry supports the development of the community through its tax returns and through company-initiated activities that aim at promoting social welfare and cater to community needs. In the end, the tobacco industry largely contributes to the community’s economy despite the nature of its product. As it makes one a good person to be of assistance to the community in general and to participate in the pursuit of common good, a Virtue Ethicist’s action plan is to facilitate the increase of the company’s drive to promote awareness on the use of cigarette smoking.

Day of Compassion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Day of Compassion - Essay Example This made me conclude that although instinct makes us avoid it, "suffering" can be worthwhile if there is a good reason for it, like writing this paper. Why do I have to spend a few minutes writing this essay instead of hanging out with friends Why do I have to spend a day of compassion The answers came quickly: I want to learn more about others and about myself, because this world, although it's beautiful, can get pretty nasty, and if I don't learn about suffering from others, I may not know how to cope with it. I matured a bit that night. I made a simple plan for the next day: look for the homeless guy and give him a gift, spend some time to cheer up Annie whose aunt passed away two weeks ago, listen to Jerry as he usually whines about his problems (I think I have more serious problems, but I resolved to listen and find a way to sympathize with him), and be more sensitive and caring when I meet people having a bad day. I never did this before, so I was partly excited and partly afraid. The next day, I woke up with a terrible headache! I wanted to postpone my plan, but I decided against it, because I realized that if did not tell anyone about how I felt, this could be good for me.

Is it possible to overcome the Holocaust Discuss with reference to the Essay

Is it possible to overcome the Holocaust Discuss with reference to the respective responses of both Jean Amery and Primo Levi - Essay Example It assesses how holocaust literature was formed and many famous writers of that time involved in spending their time on writing over the event. The essay represents the work of Jean Amery and Primo Levi who were survivors of the holocaust. Their work held much significant value and had some similarities and differences. All in all the literature and historical reviews showed how the Jews got over the trauma and overcame the holocaust with reference to responses made by known writers of that time. Some books are also referred in this regard. The understanding to the holocaust is an important factor. It was recognized as a systematic and state-sponsored murder of six million Jews by the Nazi Germany and their collaborations. Holocaust may have several meanings in different contexts. From one of its origins it means sacrifice by fire and from the other, destruction. The Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, and they believed that the Germans were superior to the Jews, who were inferior and a threat to the racial community of the Germans. The era of holocaust did not only target the Jews, but in fact the Germans also targeted many other groups due to their belief that they are racially inferior. The groups were targeted on political, behavioral, ideological and social grounds (Kremer, 2003, p. 12). The Jewish population of Europe in 1933 stood at over nine million. Most of these European Jews lived in Nazi Germany and tended to occupy and influence the World War II and its proceedings. Eventually by 1945, the German collaborators had killed two out of every three Jews. This was a part of the Final Solution which was a policy of the Nazi Germany to kill the European Jews. These Jews were deemed as a danger to Germany, and even then they were victims of the Nazi racism. Other victims of the killing were Roma (Gypsies), and also included some physically and mentally disabled patients who were Germans but they

Day of Compassion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Day of Compassion - Essay Example This made me conclude that although instinct makes us avoid it, "suffering" can be worthwhile if there is a good reason for it, like writing this paper. Why do I have to spend a few minutes writing this essay instead of hanging out with friends Why do I have to spend a day of compassion The answers came quickly: I want to learn more about others and about myself, because this world, although it's beautiful, can get pretty nasty, and if I don't learn about suffering from others, I may not know how to cope with it. I matured a bit that night. I made a simple plan for the next day: look for the homeless guy and give him a gift, spend some time to cheer up Annie whose aunt passed away two weeks ago, listen to Jerry as he usually whines about his problems (I think I have more serious problems, but I resolved to listen and find a way to sympathize with him), and be more sensitive and caring when I meet people having a bad day. I never did this before, so I was partly excited and partly afraid. The next day, I woke up with a terrible headache! I wanted to postpone my plan, but I decided against it, because I realized that if did not tell anyone about how I felt, this could be good for me.

Examinations Essay Essay Example for Free

Examinations Essay Essay Certain forms of rhetoric may seem like they are set in concrete, but this is not true. The 75 Readings essays â€Å"The Plague,† â€Å"Once More to the Lake,† and â€Å"Talk in the Intimate Relationship: His and Hers† are labeled as a narrative, a description and an exposition respectively. The essays are much like human beings in that, labels are no more than mere words that help divide them into certain categories that they only kind of fit into. The lines that divide essays into their categories are fuzzy line a misty morning in that a narrative may also be an exposition. The essays from 75 Readings do not have to be labeled so strictly for they can be viewed as any other form of rhetoric. An example of a narrative that could also be an exposition would be â€Å"The Plague† written by Barbara Tuchman. Expositions contain a process, an example, and compare/contrast. â€Å"The Plague† shows a process with the succession of the black plague. Tuchman charts out how the plague spread across Europe. Examples are common in expositions, such as when Tuchman says, â€Å"In Siena, where more than half the inhabitants died of the plague, work was abandoned on the great cathedral, planned to be the largest in the world, and never resumed, owing to loss of workers and master masons and ‘the melancholy and grief’ of the survivors† (Tuchman 28). There is also a definite compare and contrast, in which Tuchman compares and contrasts the different ways the plague effected different parts of Europe. Like how in Paris, France the nuns of Hotel Dieu tended the sick without fear of dying themselves while in Piazza, Sicily priests did not attend church to hear their flocks confessions because of their fear of death. As with â€Å"The Plague†, the essay â€Å"Once More to the Lake† can be labeled as another form of rhetoric. â€Å"Once More to the Lake† written by E. B. White is labeled as a descriptive; however, it could also be labeled as a narrative. A narrative must have, at least, a point of view, characters and a logical arrangement. The point of view is in the first person, the story is told from the narrators’ point of view, â€Å"On the journey over to the lake I began to wonder what it would be like† (White 42). White also uses characters, mainly the narrator, his son, and the narrators’ father. Another aspect of a narrative is a logical arrangement; White’s logical arrangement follows the narrators thinking process. As the narrator switches between real time nd memories, we the readers follow his thinking process just as we would with the logical arrangement of any other narrative. Sure this form of logical arrangement is slightly confusing and difficult to recognize memory from reality and possibly suggests that the narrator has the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s or perhaps simply a few too many hits to the head. Finally, the essay labeled as an exposition, â€Å"Talk in the Intimate Relationship: His and Hers,† by Deborah Tannen, can also be a seen as a description. A description is known for its logical arrangement, sensory language, and objective or subjective perspective. The logical arrangement in this essay follows the different scenarios with dialogue between two individuals, one male and one female. One example of logical arrangement that Tannen uses would be the scenario where Sylvia and Henry are celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary and there is an issue with the cake. Tannens use of sensory language in the fiftieth anniversary scenario is subtle at best. There is just enough there to provide a scene for each scenario that Tannen uses. The essay has an objective perspective, since Tannen analyzes the conversation from the view of a scientist, to whom nothing is personal. From 75 Reading the essays â€Å"The Plague,† â€Å"Once More to the Lake,† and â€Å"Talk in the Intimate Relationship: His and Hers,† are more commonly labeled as a narrative, a description, and an exposition. These essays must not be labeled as an exposition, a narrative and a descriptive, respectively. This does not have to be so. Much like a castle made of Legos, everything is interchangeable within the forms of rhetoric. Like how â€Å"The Plague† is not only a narrative but also an exposition while, â€Å"Once More to the Lake† is not simply a description but a narrative, and â€Å"Talk in the Intimate Relationship: His and Hers† cannot just be labeled as an exposition but as a description too. Forms of rhetoric are almost always interchangeable, like jewelry to a woman.

Construction Procurement Methods Compared

Construction Procurement Methods Compared Procurement is comes from the word of procure which is means to bring about and to acquire. Method is about organized method, technique, process or procedure (Rosli Abdul Rashid 2006). Procurement method is an overall management structure and specific management practices used in the project such as houses, office buildings, shopping complex, roads, bridges etc. Traditionally, clients who wished to have projects constructed would invariably commission a designer, normal an architect for building projector an engineer for civil engineering projects. The designer would prepare drawings for the proposed scheme and, where the project was a sufficient size, a quantity surveyor would prepare estimates and documentation on which contractors could prepare their prices. Each of the different methods has been used at some time in the industry. New procurement systems will continue to be developed to meet new requirements and demands from clients, contactor and the professions (Allan Ashworth, 2008). There are many more types of procurement systems used in the construction industry nowadays. However, the focus is only on the type of procurement systems that commonly used in Malaysia for example traditional system, design and build, management contracting and construction management. 2.1 Concept of Traditional System Traditional System is also known as Design-Bid-Build (DBB). It is most common use in the construction industry. With this option, the client appoint an architect to prepare a brief, a scheme outline and working drawings, and to invite tenders and administer the project though issuing instructions, inspecting the work under construction and preparing certificates for payment. In another word, architect is to prepare design proposals to meet the client requirements. The architect may also, with the clients approval, appoint other consultant such as quantity surveyor and structural engineers. The contractor, who has no responsibility for the design, will usually be selected by competitive tendering. The design team work independently from the contractor, who is responsible for executing the construction work in accordance with the teams of the contract (Allan Ashworth, 2008). 2.1.1 Contractual relationships of Traditional System The client is in direct contractual relationship with the consultants on the one hand and the contractor on the other. Any contractual links for only where they clients make nominations is it advisable to recommend collateral agreements to protect his interests in respect of any matters which might lie outside the building contract (Stanley Cox and Hugh Clamp, 2003). 2.1.2 Management Relationship of Traditional System The figure 2.3 is the management relationship of the traditional system. Architect is as the lead designer to coordinate with Engineers on the part of M E works. Architects are also to ensure that the design complies with the local authority requirements. Besides that, Architects is to manage the whole project and supervise the works. Contractors to execute and complete the building works based on the design and specifications in the contracts. Contractors are to coordinate with the nominated Sub-contractors (NSC) on specialist works. 2.1.3 Advantages of Traditional System The quality of work is control by Client. Client can achieve the best price through competitive tendering. Clients can easily request any variation of the works. Clients interest is protected by the Consultants who serve as advisors and independent certifies in the building contracts. 2.1.4 Disadvantages of Traditional System From inception to completion of the project need relatively longer period. The communication channel among various consultants may be incompetent. Client maybe too difficult to coordinate with the various consultants. 2.2 Concept of Design Build Design Build (D B) is a procurement system where a single organization undertakes the responsibilities and risks for both the design and construction phased. There may be various levels of employer involvement in the design: in the pure form of D B, the client engages a building contractor at the outset who is then responsible both for the design and the construction of the work. The typical payment method for D B is a lump sum, payable in monthly installments, based on a cost document that forms part of the Contractor s Proposals which is itself a tendered or negotiated response to the Employers Requirements, documents that form the basis of the contract (W.Hughes, 2006). With D B, it is likely that in the absence of in-house professional staff, the client will wish to engage outside consultants to advise on the preparation of requirements and to evaluate and select tenders etc. the main contractual link is between client and the contractor and the clients agent or representative has only a limited role. The contractor might also have a contractual link with his own design consultants, and with sub-contractors and suppliers. As the contractor is wholly responsible for their performance, both in terms of design and construction, there might be less need for collateral agreements between them and the clients (Stanley Cox and Hugh Clamp, 2003). 2.2.1 Contractual relationships of Design Build With a design and build arrangement, instead of using and architect or engineer for a separate design service, the client chooses to employ a contractor directly for an all-in design and construction services. It may also be necessary and desirable to employ independent professional advisers to monitor the progress and quality of the contractors work and to agree the value of interim certificate for payment purposes (Allan Ashworth, 2008). 2.2.2 Management Relationship of Design Build The figure 2.5 is the management relationship of the D B. Clients state his requirements through his consultants who prepares the Employers Requirement or conceptual design. D B Contractor is prepares the details design and prepare the cost proposals to the client. Therefore, successful D B contractors are responsible for designing, planning, organizing, constructing and controlling the whole project. The scope of the design obligation needs to be set out as clearly as possible. 2.2.3 Advantages of Design Build Ease of communication- Client only needs to liaise with one party i.e DB Contractor, it is direct contact with the client. Saving in time and cost of construction. The contractors experience with the project from inception. The option for contractor s to include their constructing capability in the proposed design. No claim for possible delays due to a lack of drawn information. 2.2.4 Disadvantages of Design Build Design possibilities are not explored in full and tend to be restricted by the D B Contractors standard design and construction method. Quality of materials may be compromised in view of the D B Contractors profit. Client is discouraged to order any variations of works. Client must select only D B Contractor with good reputation and track record. 2.3 Concept of Management Contracting The term management contracting is used to describe a method of organizing the project team and operating the construction process. The management contracting acts in a professional capacity, providing the management expertise and buildability requirement to the overheads and profits involved in return for a fee. The contractor does not therefore participate in the profitability of the construction work itself and does not directly employ any of the labour and plant, except possibly for those items involved in setting up of the site and the costs normally associated with preliminary works. Because the contractor is employed on a fee basis, the appointment can take place early during the design stage. The contractor is therefore able to provide a substantial input into the practical aspects of the building technology process. Each trade required for the project is tendered for independently by subcontractor, either upon the basis of the measured work packages or a lump sum. This should therefore result in the lowest cost for each trade and thus for the construction work as a whole. The management contractor assumes full responsibility for the control of the work on site (Allan Ashworth, 2008). 2.3.1 Contractual relationships of Management Contracting The contractual relationship in a management contract is between the client and the management contractor, with all works contactor in direct relationship with the latter. It may also be desirable to establish a contractual relationship between the client and each work contactors by means a collateral agreement. In construction management the contractual relationship is between the client and the construction manager, with all trades contractors in direct relationship with the former (Stanley Cox and Hugh Clamp, 2003). 2.3.2 Management Relationship of Management Contracting The figure 2.7 is the management relationship of the Management Contracting. Management contractor (MC) is to manage construction works for a management fee that comprises a percentage for profit and fixed overheads. Normally MC does not undertake the construction works by himself. Consultants prepare the design; MC determines construction/management method. This method is popular used in UK. 2.3.3 Advantages of Management Contracting Early appointment of contractor as a member of design team to provide management skill. Better coordination control of project through improved management qualities. Shorter project period because increase speed of design and construction 2.3.4 Disadvantages of Management Contracting Pressures on design team in preparation of various tender documentation and tender evaluation. 2.4 Concept of Construction Management The contractual arrangement and services rendered by a construction management firm are not dissimilar from those under management contracting. But relieving such an organization of contractual risk for the performance of sub-contractors is much more effective if they are not contractual intermediaries. Thus, the most significant characteristic of construction management is that there is no general contractor; instead there is a series of direct contractual links between the client and the trade contractors, making the role of the construction management more like a consultant than a contractor. The arrangement is used particularly by experienced clients on projects with short lead-times (W.Hughes, 2006). The construction manager is responsibility for the overall control of the design team and the various trade contractors, throughout both the design phase and the construction phase of the project (Allan Ashworth, 2008). 2.4.1 Contractual Relationship of Construction Management The construction manager is appointed after a careful selection process and is paid a management fee. One basic difference from a management contract is that the trades contracts, although arranged and administered by the construction manager, are direct between the client and the trade contracts. The construction manager is a coordinator, and usually cannot guarantee that the project will be finished to time or cost. The clients direct the project and the client is also likely to carry the greatest burden of the speculative risk (Stanley Cox and Hugh Clamp, 2003). 2.4.2 Management Relationship of Construction Management The figure 2.9 is the management relationship of the Construction Management. Construction Management is separating consultants/designers from management of the project. Construction Manager (CM) replace designer in administration of contract except design/ certification matters. CM concentrates on managing time/ cost using his unique construction expertise. Clients selects all trade contractors and CM managers the project for a fee. 2.4.3 Advantages of Construction Management: Independent management function. Reduction in project durations and costs. Design team able to concentrate on design. No conflict of interest between design and production. 2.4.4 Disadvantages of construction Management: Additional management cost. Erosion of Architects power and responsibilities. 2.5 Summary Traditional Speed: Not the fastest of methods. Complexity: Desirable to have all information at tender stage. Consider two stages or negotiated tendering. Quality: Basically straightforward, but complications can rise if the client requires that certain sub-contractors are used. Clients require certain standards to be shown or described. Contractor is wholly responsible for achieving the stated quality on site. Design and Build Speed:Â  Relatively fast method. Complexity:Â  Pre-tender time largely depends on the amount of the detail in the clients requirements. Construction time reduced because design and building proceed parallel. Quality:Â  A sufficient single contractual arrangement integrating design and construction expertise within one countable organisation. Client has no direct control over the contractors performance. Contractor design expertise may be limited. Client has little say in the choice of specialist sub-contractors. Management Contracting Speed:Â  Early start on site is possible, long before tenders have even been invited for some of the works packages. Complexity:Â  Design and construction skills integrated at an early stage. Complex management operation requiring sophisticated techniques. Quality:Â  Client requires certain standards to be shown or described. Managing contractor responsible for quality of work and materials on site. Construction Management Speed:Â  Relatively fast method. The individual trade contractors are in direct contract with the client. Complexity:Â  Design team able to concentrate on design.Construction Manager concentrates on managing time/ cost using his unique construction expertise. Quality:Â  Construction Manager replace designer in administration of contract except design/ certification matters. 2.5.1 Summary Traditional Flexibility: Clients control design and variations to a large extent. Certainty: Certainty in cost and time before commitment to build. Clear accountability and cost monitoring at all stages. Responsibility: Can be clear-cut division of design and construction. Confusion possible where there is some design input from contractor or specialist sub-contractor and suppliers. Design and Build Flexibility:Â  Virtually none for the client once the contract is signed, without heavy cost penalties. Flexibility in developing details or making substitutions is to the contractors advantage. Certainty:Â  There is a guaranteed cost and completion date. Responsibility:Â  Can be clear division, but confused where the clients requirement are details as this reduces reliance on the contractor or design or performance. Limited role for clients representative during construction. Management Contracting Flexibility:Â  Client can modify or develop design requirements during construction. Managing contactor can adjust programme and costs. Certainty:Â  Client is committed to start building on a cost plan, project drawings and specifications only. Responsibility:Â  Success depends on the management contractors skills. An element of trust is essentials. The professionals team must be well coordinated through all the stages. Construction Management Flexibility:Â  Clients selects all trade contractors and CM managers the project for a fee Certainty:Â  Usually cannot guarantee that the project will be finished to time or cost Responsibility:Â  Success depends on the Construction Manager. 2.5.2 Summary Traditional Advantages: The quality of work is control by Client and Client can achieve the best price through competitive tendering. Disadvantages: From inception to completion of the project need relatively longer period. Summary: Benefits in cost and quality but at the expense of time. Design and Build Advantages:Â  Saving in time and cost of construction. Disadvantages:Â  Quality of materials may be compromised in view of the DB Contractors profit. Summary:Â  Benefits in cost and time but at the expense of quality. Management Contracting Advantages:Â  Increase speed of design and construction, hence shorter project period. Disadvantages:Â  Pressures exerted on design team in preparation of various tender documentation and tender evaluation. Summary:Â  Benefits in time and quality but at the expense of cost. Construction Management Advantages:Â  Reduction in project durations and Design team able to concentrate on design. Disadvantages:Â  Additional management cost and erosion of Architects power and responsibilities. Summary:Â  Benefits in time and quality but at the expense of cost. 2.6 Conclusion As a conclusion, the traditional approach to construction has been to appoint a team of consultants to prepare a design and estimate, and to select an independent constructor. The final would calculate the actual projects costs, develop a programme to fit within the period laid down in the contract, organise the workers and materials deliveries and construct to the standards quality specified in the contact documentations. The client would prefer single point responsibility and a truly fixed price and for projects to be completed as required. Procurement procedures remain is a dynamic activity. They will continue to develop to meet the changing and challenging needs of society and the circumstances under which the industry will find itself working. There are no standard procurement solutions, but each individual projects needs to be considered independently and analysed accordingly. However, is a need to evaluate more carefully the procedures being recommended in order to develop good practice in procurement and to improve the image of the industry.

Michael Sattler and the Anabaptist Movement Essay -- Anabaptist Movemen

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps the most misunderstood, least recognized, and largely undervalued of all the great reformers of the sixteenth century is Michael Sattler, the Anabaptist. The little that is actually known about Michael Sattler is often times assumed or misinterpreted. However, the definite information available regarding this â€Å"radical† suggest that his brief yet significant role as a Reformation leader was truly invaluable for the unification and survival of the Anabaptist movement and its teachings. In addition, the radical ideas of Sattler and other Anabaptists have helped shape Western culture as we know it today. The contributions of Sattler to the greater Christian world are undeniable. This essay will engage the life, teaching, writings, and influence of the martyr Michael Sattler. A Summary of the Life of Michael Sattler   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Very little is known about the childhood and early adult life of Michael Sattler. In fact, there is almost no record of his existence prior to the time he converted to Anabaptist beliefs from Catholic doctrine. What is known is as follows: Sattler was born in Staufen, Germany somewhere between 1490 and 1495. While information regarding his childhood remains in obscurity, it is apparent that he joined the Benedictine Monastery of St. Peter’s of the Black Forest sometime before 1520. It is unlikely that Sattler received a significant education since St. Peter’s did not send its monks to study at universities until 1551. However, evidence shows that Sattler was in fact learned in Latin, Hebrew, and possibly Greek. Numerous sources identify the converted Sattler as an ex-prior. Therefore, it is assumed that Sattler became the prior of St. Peter’s sometime between 1518 (the year Prior Ambrosius Holdermann died) and 1525, when Sattler is identified in Zurich. Monastic records are unavailable for this time period, so it is uncertain how long Sattler held this post. (1) On May 12, 1525, peasant troops took over St. Peter’s as part of the Peasant’s Revolt. Although there is vast disagreement, the most reliable sources estimate that Michael Sattler left the monastery shortly after its capture. Sattler is next found in Zurich (Zwinglian territory) in November, where he attended a discussion regarding the heated issue of adult baptism. The disputation took place November 6-8. There is ... ... credited with Anabaptist theology, he was an unmistakably valuable element to both the sixteenth century’s Reformation and the Christian community in the years which followed. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Because of the lack of information about his life, historians often ponder and debate over who exactly Michael Sattler was as a person. On the other hand, Sattler’s importance cannot be overlooked. I would like to conclude with four points to illustrate the value of Sattler’s life. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Schleitheim Confession, authored by Michael Sattler, served as a point of unification for the Anabaptist community during the sixteenth century 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The seven articles of the Schleitheim Confession have had massive influence on the evangelical realm ever since their authorship. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Michael Sattler operated as the major stabilizing power for the Swiss Brethren community during a very crucial period in the development of Anabaptism. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Michael Sattler’s steadfastness, even to death, signifies him as a man full of conviction and faithfulness to Christ Jesus.

Henri Cartier-Bresson :: essays research papers

Henri Cartier-Bresson   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Henri Cartier-Bresson is one of the world’s most influential photography Masters. With his small hand camera he unobtrusively photographed people’s lives around the world. He was solely responsible for bridging the gap between photojournalism and art. He has published more than a dozen books of his work. The greatest museums in the world have shown his work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From my start as a photographer, I was always drawn to taking photographs of people. I feel it was only instinct that made me interested in this type of photography. Other people pushing their ideas on me would come much later. For a few years I made photographs on my own, exploring a whole range of imagery from sports to still life, but I always felt images of people were my strongest. Then I went to college at a very intensive school for photography. From the start I was pushed into the world on Cartier-Bresson and his style. I started concentrating on this documentary style of photography and began to pull away from experimenting in other genres. This was fine with me because I was fairly successful with documentary photography and was being praised be my professors. After a while I became stuck in my ways and found it very hard to shoot in any other manner. At the present my portfolio is based solely on black and white documentary photography. I still am very proud of working in this manner, but I am quite frustrated with finding work as a documentary photographer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My ties to Cartier-Bresson and his work start from the beginning of my career as a photographer. He was totally responsible for bringing photojournalism into the mainstream art world. Just for this accomplishment alone Cartier-Bresson has made it possible for many documentary photographers to work today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cartier-Bresson along with David Seymour and Robert Capa started the cooperative photo agency known as Magnum. Magnum was born because of a struggle between photojournalists and magazines. Magazines were constantly taking advantage of photographers. Magnum was established to end this by having its members band together as a group and establish strict guidelines for magazine payment and usage rights. Magnum represents only its members and its members stand behind one another. Over the years Magnum has evolved into kind of an elite club. I believe it only allows one new member per year; this is done by votes cast by all Magnum members.

The Survey of Adult Education

kiransielts. blogspot. com 1 IELTS GRAPHS Cambridge 1 test 1 The charts below show the results of a survey of adult education. The first chart shows the reasons why adults decide to study. The pie chart shows how people think the cost of adult education should be shared. Write a report for a university lecturer, describing the information shown below. How the cost of each course should be shared I am going to describe two graphs. The bar graph shows the reasons why adults choose to study and the pie charts show how the adults think the cost of each course should be shared.From the bar graph it is clear that the main reasons why adults opted for higher study were because of interest in subject and to gain qualifications. Nearly 40% gave this reason in the survey. Approximately 20% studied further because it was helpful for their present job and to improve their prospects of promotion. The same percentage also studied because they enjoyed studying. Around 12 % chose to study to be able to change jobs and the least 9% studied just to meet new people. From the pie chart we can infer that the individuals themselves wanted to spend only 40% of their fees for higher education.They wanted the employer to spend 35% and the taxpayer to spend 25% of their course fees. This ends my report. 9 12 20 20 22 38 40 0 10 20 30 40 To meet people To able to change jobs Enjoy learning / studying To improve prospects of promotion Helpful for current job To gain qualifications Interest in subject % Individual, 40% Taxpayer, 25% Employer, 35% kiransielts. blogspot. com 2 Cambridge 1 test 2 The diagram shows how the Australian Bureau of Meteorology collects up-to-the-minute information on the weather in order to produce reliable forecasts. Write a report for a university lecturer, describing the information shown below.The given picture graph illustrates the process of latest information on the weather so as to produce dependable forecasts. It is clear from the graph that mainly four st eps are involved in the process. The first stage in the process is the collection of the incoming information. This can be done through the satellite, radar and the drifting buoy. The data is collected on the satellite photo, radar screen and the synoptic chart. All this is then analysed for forecasting and fed into the computer. Finally it is broadcast on radio, telecast on TV and communicated as a recorded announcement through the phone.So, it can be seen that to produce authentic forecasts the data is collected through various sources, analysed and finally broadcast so that we can know beforehand what sort of weather we have to face in the coming time. kiransielts. blogspot. com 3 Cambridge 1 test 3 The chart below shows the amount of money per week spent on fast foods in Britain. The graph shows the trends in consumption of fast foods. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below. Expenditure on fast foods by income groups Consumption of fast foods 1 970-1990Two graphs are given. The column graph depicts the expenditure on fast foods by different income groups in Britain and the line graph shows the trends in consumption of fast foods from 1970 to 1990. The chart shows that high income earners consumed considerably more fast foods than the other income groups. They spent more than twice as much on hamburgers (43 pence per person per week) as on fish and chips or pizza (both under 20 pence). Average income earners spent 33 pence per person per week on hamburgers, which was the maximum they spent on any given fast food.This was followed by fish and chips at 24 pence, then pizza at 11 pence per person per week. Low income earners spent less than other income groups on fast foods, though fish and chips remains their most popular fast food, followed by hamburgers and then pizza. From the line graph we can see that in 1970, fish and chips were the most popular fast food where as burgers and pizza were the least popular fast food at th at time. The consumption of hamburgers and pizza rose steadily over the 20 year period to 1990 while the consumption of fish and chips declined over that same period.There was a slight increase in popularity from 1985 to 1990. This ends my report. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 High Income Average Income Low Income Pence per person per week Hamburgers Fish and Chips Pizza kiransielts. blogspot. com 4 Cambridge 1 test 4 Chorleywood is a village near London whose population has increased steadily since the middle of the nineteenth century. The map below shows the development of the village. The map shows the development of Chorleywood village in between 1868 and 1994. Chorleywood park and golf coast lies in the centre of layout.To the south of this is the Chorleywood station. To the south of the Chorleywood Park, the darkly shaded area is developed in between 1922 and 1970. The horizontally shaded area around the station is developed in between 1883 and 1922. It can be seen from the grap h that the area north of Chorleywood station and the west of Chorleywood park and the golf course developed in between 1868 and 1883. The north, south and east of the Chorleywood Park, which is the diagonally shaded area, developed in between 1970 and 1994. We can assume from the map that on the west and north of Chorleywood Park and olf course, the dark line represents the main roads which run from north to south and west to east. On the east of Chorleywood Park and the golf course runs the motor way, which was built in 1970. The railway line south of Chorleywood Park and the golf course was built in 1909. It can be seen there has been development around Chorleywood station and along the motorway which runs from south to north. We can arrive at inference that there has been a considerable development in the village Chorleywood during the period of 1970 to 1994. kiransielts. blogspot. com 5 Cambridge 2 test 1The table below shows the consumer durables (telephone, refrigerator, etc) owned in Britain from 1972 to 1983. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information given below Consumer durables 1972 1974 1976 1978 1979 1981 1982 1983 Percentages of households with Central heating 38 43 48 52 55 59 60 64 Television 93 95 96 96 97 97 97 98 Video 18 Vacuum cleaner 87 89 92 92 93 94 95 Refrigerator 73 81 88 91 92 93 93 94 Washing machine 66 68 71 75 74 78 79 80 Dishwasher 3 3 4 4 5 Telephone 42 50 54 60 67 75 76 77The given table illustrates the percentage of British households who owned a range of consumer durables between 1972 and 1983. It is clear from the graph that this percentage increased over the years. The greatest increase was in telephone ownership, rising from 42% in 1972 to 77% in 1983. Next was the central heating ownership, rising from 37% of households in 1972 to 64% in 1983. The percentage of households with a refrigerator rose by 21% over the same period and of those with a washing machine by 14%. Households with vacuum-cleaner s, televisions and dishwashers increased by 8%, 5% and 2% respectively.In 1983, the year of their introduction, 18% of households had a video recorder. Over the period the proportion of British houses with central heating doubled and of those with a phone increased from under a half to over three-quarters. There were also big increases in the ownership of washing machines and refrigerators, which suggests rising living standards of the British people over the period. kiransielts. blogspot. com 6 Cambridge 2 Test 2 The chart below shows the amount of leisure time enjoyed by men and women of different employment status.Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below. Leisure time in a typical week : by sex and employment status, 1989-99 The given column graph illustrates the hours of leisure time enjoyed by men and women in a typical week in 1998-99, according to gender and employment status. Among those employed full-time, men on average had a little l ess than fifty hours of leisure, whereas women had approximately thirty-eight hours. There were no figures given for male part-time workers, but female part-timers had forty hours of leisure time.This number was slightly more than women in full-time employment. In the unemployed and retired categories, leisure time showed an increase for both sexes. Here too, men enjoyed more leisure time – approximately eighty hours, compared with seventy two hours for women. Housewives enjoyed approximately fifty-two hours of leisure, on average. There were no figures given for men (househusbands). Overall, the chart demonstrates that in the categories for which statistics on male leisure time were available, men enjoyed at least ten hours of extra leisure time. 47 0 81 80 0 38 40 72 72 52 0. 00 0. 00 40. 00 60. 00 80. 00 100. 00 Hours of leisure time Males Females kiransielts. blogspot. com 7 Cambridge 2 test 3 The first chart below shows the results of a survey which sampled a cross-secti on of 100,000 people asking if they travelled abroad and why they travelled for the period 1994-98. The second chart shows their destinations over the same period. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below. VISITS ABROAD BY UK RESIDENTS BY PURPOSE OF VISIT (1994-98) 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 Holiday 15,246 14,898 17,896 19,703 20,700 Business ,155 3,188 3,249 3,639 3,957 Visits to friends and relatives 2,689 2,628 2,774 3,051 3,181 Other reasons 982 896 1,030 1,054 990 TOTAL 22,072 21,610 24,949 27,447 28,828 DESTINATIONS OF VISITS ABROAD BY UK RESIDENTS BY MAIN REGION (1994-98) Western Europe North America Other areas TOTAL 1994 19,371 919 1,782 22,072 1995 18,944 914 1,752 21,610 1996 21,877 1,167 1,905 24,949 1997 23,661 1,559 2,227 27,447 1998 24,519 1,823 2,486 28,828 The given tables illustrate the reasons why U. K. residents visited abroad and the countries they visited between 1994 and 1998.The data is based on a survey conducted on 100,0 00 people. According to statistical Information, the main reason for traveling abroad was holidays, business, and visits to friends and relatives. Indeed, there was a steady increase in the number of holiday makers. While in 1996 there were about 17,896 who travelled abroad, in 1998 there were 20,700 of them. Travelling for business also increased from 3155 travellers in 1994 to 3957 travellers in 1994. Traveling abroad for visiting friends and relatives showed a steady Increase over the period.While there were about 2,628 travellers in 1995, the number increased to 3,181 in 1998. The number of people who travelled for other reasons not mentioned in the graph showed fluctuations. There was also a change in the destinations which people preferred for travelling. Western Europe was the most popular destination. In 1994, only 19,371 of the sample preferred to spend their holiday in that main region. There was an increase to 24,519 in 1998. North America and other areas also appeared fa vourable. In 1996, there were 1,167 going to North America and 1,905 to other areas.These numbers increased to 1,823 and 2,486 respectively. This ends my report. kiransielts. blogspot. com 8 Cambridge 2 test 4 The table below shows the figures for imprisonment in five countries between 1930 and 1980. Write a report for a university, lecturer describing the information shown below. The given column graph illustrates the figures for imprisonment in Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, United States and Canada from 1930 to 1980. It is clear from the graph that there is considerable fluctuation in the figures for imprisonment from country to country.In Great Britain the numbers in prison have increased steadily from 30 000 in 1930 to 80,000 in 1980. On the other hand, in Australia, and particularly in New Zealand the numbers fell markedly from 1930 to 1940. Since then they increased gradually and reached 50,000 and approximately 85,000 for Australia and New Zealand respectively. Canad a is the only country in which the numbers in prison decreased over the fifty year period, although there were fluctuations in this trend. The figures for the United States indicate the greatest number of prisoners compared to the other four countries.The prison population in the United States increased very rapidly from 1970 to 1980. This ends my report. 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 in thousands Great Britain Australia New Zealand United States Canada kiransielts. blogspot. com 9 Cambridge 3 task 1 ( Same in Official materials ) The charts below show the number of Japanese tourists travelling abroad between 1985 and 1995 and Australia’s share of the Japanese tourist market. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below. In this report I am going to describe a column graph and a line graph.The column graph shows the number, in millions, of Japanese tourists visiting other countries from 1985 to 1995 and the line graph shows the percentage of those Japanese tourists visiting Australia over the same period. The column graph clearly shows an upward trend in the number of Japanese tourists. This number was approximately 5 million in the year 1985 and reached 15 million by the year 1995. This number trebled over the decade. There were, however, minor fluctuations over the period. It is clear from the line graph that Australia got 2% share of Japan’s tourist market. This umber also grew three times and by 1995, reached 6% with some minor ups and downs in between. It can be concluded that Australia’s share of Japan’s tourist market grew comparably over the period. kiransielts. blogspot. com 10 Cambridge 3 Test 2 The chart below shows the amount spent on six consumer goods in four European countries. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below. The given bar graph shows the amount of money the Germans, Italians, French and the British spend on consumer goods such as personal stereos, tennis racquets, perfumes, CDs, toys and photographic films.It is clear from the graph that Britain spends most heavily on the range of consumer goods included. In every case, British spend more than other countries. However, in the case of tennis racquets another country, Italy, spends almost the same. In contrast, Germany is generally the lowest spender. This is most evident in photographic film, where Germany spends much less than Britain. However, in tennis racquets and perfumes, Germany spends more than France. Meanwhile, France and Italy generally maintain middle positions. France spends more on CDs and photographic film but less on tennis racquets than Italy does.Italy’s spending on personal stereos is only marginally greater than that of France, while spending on toys is equal between the two. It is clear from the data given that there are some significant differences in spending habits within Europe. 100 120 140 160 180 Pho tographic film Toys CDs Perfume Tennis racquets Personal stereos Thousand pounds sterling Germany Italy France Britain kiransielts. blogspot. com 11 Cambridge 3 test 3 The charts below show the levels of participation in education and science in developing and industrialised countries in 1980 and 1990.Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below. Average years of schooling Scientists and technicians per thousand people Spending on research and development The three column graphs illustrate the average years of schooling, numbers of scientists and technicians, and the spending on research and development in developing and developed countries. Figures are given for 1980 and 1990. It is clear from the charts that the figures for developed countries are much higher than those for developing nations. Also, the charts show an overall increase in participation in education and science from 1980 to 1990.People in developing nations attended school for an a verage of around 3 years, with only a slight increase in years of schooling from 1980 to 1990. On the other hand, the figure for industrialised countries rose from nearly 9 years of schooling in 1980 to nearly 11 years in 1990. From 1980 to 1990, the number of scientists and technicians in industrialised countries almost doubled from a little over 40 to about 70 per 1000 people. Spending on research and development also saw rapid growth in these countries, reaching $350 billion in 1990. By contrast, the number of science workers in eveloping countries remained below 20 per 1000 people, and research spending fell from about $50 billion to only $25 billion. This ends my report. 0 2 4 6 8 10 1980 1990 Years of schooling Developing countries Industrialised countries 0 20 40 60 80 1980 1990 Per thousand people Developing countries Industrialised countries 0 100 200 300 400 1980 1990 US $ billions Developing countries Industrialised countries kiransielts. blogspot. com 12 Cambridge 3 Test 4 The graph below shows the unemployment rates in the US and Japan between March 1993 and March 1999.Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below The given line graph compares the unemployment rates between U. S. and Japan from March 93 to March 99. It can be seen from the graph that the unemployment rates in Japan increased over the period whereas that of America decreased over the period. In March, 1993, United States had seven percent of unemployed workforce which was three times more than that of Japan, where 2. 5% were unemployed. However, the unemployment rate in United States began declining slowly since March 1993, and reached 5% mark in the middle of 1996.Japan’s unemployment rate, however, doubled in three years. From then on, the percentage of unemployed workforce in United States remained roughly the same at about 5% until March 99, although there were minor fluctuations in the unemployment rate. As for Japan, the percentage of unemployed grew steadily but with fluctuations to reach 5. 0% in March 1999. The major conclusion that can be drawn using the graph, is that number of unemployed in USA decreased by about 2. 0% in the course of six years, while in Japan it actually increased by 2. 5% percent. As a result, in March 99, both Japan and U. S. ad about 5% of their work force unemployed. This ends my report. kiransielts. blogspot. com 13 Cambridge 4 AC Task 1 The graph below shows the demand for electricity in England during typical days in winter and summer. The pie chart shows how electricity is used in an average English home. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. The given line graph illustrates the daily demand for electricity in England during typical days in winter and summer while the pie chart outlines how electricity is taken into use in an average English household.From the graph, it is evident that the daily demand for elec tricity is generally more in winter than in summer. The consumption of electricity fluctuates at an average level of 40,000 units in winter. The least demand for electricity is at about 7 am and after that, it increases steadily and peaks at nearly 10 pm after which it again falls at midnight. As for summer, the demand for electricity is just under 20,000 units throughout the day. It gets to its peak at 2 pm 10 pm and bottoms at 9 am. The pie chart illustrates that 52. % of electricity is used for heating rooms and water. Around 17. 5% of electricity is provided for ovens, kettles, washing machines. 15% each is used for lighting, TV, radio and for vacuum cleaners, food mixers and electric tools. This ends my report. kiransielts. blogspot. com 14 Cambridge 4 AC task 2 The table below shows the proportion of different categories of families living in poverty in Australia in 1999. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevan t. Write at least 150 words.Family type Proportion of people from each household type living in poverty single aged person 6% (54,000) aged couple 4% (48,000) single, no children 19% (359,000) couple, no children 7% (211,000) sole parent 21% (232,000) couple with children 12% (933,000) all households 11% (1,837,000) The given table illustrates the breakdown of the different type of families who were living in poverty in Australia in 1999. On average, 11% of all households, comprising almost two million people, were in this position.However, those consisting of only one parent or a single adult had almost double this proportion of poor people, with 21% and 19% respectively. Couples without children generally tended to be better off with only 7% in poverty whereas those with children were 12% . It is noticeable that for both types of household with children, a higher than average proportion were living in poverty at this time. Older people were generally less likely to be poor, though once again the trend favoured elderly couples (only 4%) rather than single elderly people (6%).Overall the table suggests that households of single adults and those with children were more likely to be living in poverty than those consisting of couples. kiransielts. blogspot. com 15 Cambridge 4 AC task 3 The chart below shows the different levels of post-school qualifications in Australia and the proportion of men and women who held them in 1999. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Post-school qualifications in Australia according to gender 1999 The given bar graph gives information about the percentage of men and women ho held different levels of post-school qualifications in Australia in 1999. It is clear that gender differences were more pronounced in some fields than others. We can see immediately that there were substantial differences in the proportion of men and women at different levels. The biggest di fference was at the lowest post-school level, where 90% men held a skilled vocational diploma compared with only 10% women. By contrast, more women held undergraduate diplomas (70%) and marginally more women reached degree level (55%).At the higher levels of education, men with postgraduate diplomas clearly outnumbered their female counterparts (70% and 30%, respectively), and also constituted 60% of Master's graduates. Thus we can see that more men than women hold qualifications at the lower and higher levels of education, while more women reach undergraduate diploma level than men. The gender difference is smallest at the level of Bachelor's degree, however. This ends my report. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Masters degree Postgraduate diploma Bachelor's degree Undergraduate diploma Skilled vocational diploma % Females Males iransielts. blogspot. com 16 Cambridge 4 test 4 The charts below give information about travel to and from the UK, and about the most popular countries for UK residents to visit. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Visits to and from the UK Most popular countries visited by UK residents 1999 Two graphs are given. The line graph shows data on the number of visits abroad by British people and visits from overseas residents to the UK, while the bar chart provides the figures of the popular countries chosen by UK residents to travel to.It is clear from the graph that the visits made by UK residents are more than the visits made to the UK by overseas residents. The trend for overseas visitors climbed steadily over the period of 20 years, from 10 million visits in 1979 to over 25 million in 1999. On the other hand, the visits made by the British had a significant increase of 41 million trips in the same period, from 11 million to 52 million. In 1999, over 12 million UK residents visited France, which was the most popular country of all, while a lesser number (9 million ) of travellers went to Spain.Visitors from other countries such as the USA, Greece, and Turkey had approximately 9 million visitors altogether. 0 5 10 15 Franc e Spain USA Greec e Turke y Millions of UK visitors kiransielts. blogspot. com 17 Cambridge 5 Test 1 The map below is of the town of Garlsdon. A new supermarket (S) is planned for the town. The map shows two possible sites for the supermarket. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. The given picture graph shows two potential sites for a supermarket that is planned there.Both sites have their pros and cons. The first potential location (S1) is outside the town itself, and is sited just off the main road to the town of Hindon which is 12 kms to the north-west. This site is in the countryside and so would be able to accommodate a lot of car parking. This would make it accessible to shoppers from both Hindon and Garlsdon who could travel by car. As it is also close to the railway line linking the two towns to Cransdon (25 km to the south-east), a potentially large number of shoppers would also be able to travel by train.In contrast, the suggested location, S2, is right in the town centre, which would be good for local residents. Theoretically the store could be accessed by road or rail from the surrounding towns, including Bransdon, but as the central area is a no-traffic zone, cars would be unable to park and access would be difficult. Overall, neither site is appropriate for all the towns, but for customers in Cransdon, Hindon and Garlsdon, the out-of town site (S1) would probably offer more advantages. This ends my report. kiransielts. blogspot. com 18 Cambridge 5 test 2The table below gives information about the underground railway systems in six cities. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Underground Railway systems City Date opened Kilometres of route Passenge rs per year (in millions) London 1863 394 775 Paris 1900 199 1191 Tokyo 1927 155 1927 Washington DC 1976 126 144 Kyoto 1981 11 45 Los Angeles 2001 28 50 The given table illustrates data about the underground railway systems in six cities which are London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto and Los Angeles.London has the oldest underground railway systems among the six cities. It was opened in the year 1863, and it is already 147 years old. Paris is the second oldest, which was opened in the year 1900. This was then followed by the opening of the railway systems in Tokyo, Washington DC and Kyoto. Los Angeles has the newest underground railway system, and was only opened in the year 2001. In terms of the size, London has the largest underground railway systems. It has 394 kilometres of route in total, which is nearly twice as large as the system in Paris. Kyoto, in contrast, has the smallest system.It only has 11 kilometres of route, which is more than 30 times less than that of Londo n. Interestingly, Tokyo, which only has 155 kilometres of route, serves the greatest number of passengers per year, at 1927 million passengers. The system in Paris has the second greatest number of passengers, at 1191 million passengers per year. The smallest underground railway system, Kyoto, serves the smallest number of passengers per year. Overall it can be seen that, the underground railway systems in different cities vary a lot in the site of the system, the number of passengers served per year and in the age of the system. iransielts. blogspot. com 19 Cambridge 5 test 3 The graph below shows the proportion of population aged 65 and over between 1940 1nd 2040 in three different countries. Summarise the information †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. The given line graph illustrates the proportion of 65+ year olds in Japan, Sweden and U. S. A. from 1940 to the present time with a prediction till 2040. Overall, it can be seen from the graph that in all three countries, the percentage of elderly pe ople is expected to increase by the year 2040. In 1940, the proportion of people aged 65 or more stood at only 5% in Japan, approximately 7% in Sweden and 9% in the U.S. However, while the figures for U. S. A. and Sweden grew to about 15% in 1990, the figure for Japan dipped to only 2. 5% for much of this period before rising to almost 5% again at the present time. It is expected that, the proportion of the elderly will continue to increase in the next two decades in the three countries. A most dramatic increase is predicted between 2030 and 2040 in Japan, by which time it is projected that the proportion of the elderly will be similar to all the three countries. This ends my report. kiransielts. blogspot. com 20 Cambridge 5 test 4The charts below show the main reasons for study among students of different age groups and the amount of support they received from their employers. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant . Two column graphs are given. The first column graph shows the proportion of people of different age groups who studied for career or for interest. The second graph shows the amount of support they got from their employers in terms of time off or fees. From the first graph it is clear that there is a gradual decrease in study for career reasons with age.Nearly 80% of students under 26 years, study for their career. This percentage gradually declines by 10-20% every decade. Only 40% of 40-49yr olds and 18% of over 49yr olds study for career reasons. In contrast, the study because of interest increases with age. There are only 10% of under 26yr olds studying out of interest. The percentage increases slowly till the beginning of the fourth decade, and increases dramatically in late adulthood. Nearly same number of 40-49yr olds study for career and interest. However 70% of over 49yr olds study for interest in comparison to 18% studying for career reasons in that age group.The second gr aph shows that employer support is maximum (approximately 60%) for the under 26yr students. It drops rapidly to 32% up to the third decade of life, and then increases in late adulthood up to about 44%. It is unclear whether employer support is only for career-focused study, but the highest level is for those students who mainly study for career purposes. This ends my report. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 under 26 26-29 30-39 40-49 over 49 % Age Reasons for study according to age of student For career For interest 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 under 26 26-29 30-39 40-49 over 49 % AgeEmployer support, by age group (Time off and help with fees) kiransielts. blogspot. com 21 Cambridge 6 Test 1 The graph and table below give information about water use worldwide and water consumption in two different countries. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Water consumption in Brazil and Congo in 2000 Country Population Irrigated land W ater consumption per person Brazil 176 million 26,500 km 2 359 m 3 Democratic Republic of Congo 5. 2 million 100 km 2 8 m 3 A line graph and a table are given.The line graph shows the water used worldwide in industries, agriculture and in households from 1900 to 2000. The table shows the water consumption in Brazil and Congo in 2000. It is clear from the line graph that throughout the century, the largest quantity of water was used for agricultural Purposes, and this increased dramatically from about 500 km? to around 3,000 km? in the year 2000. Water used in the industrial and domestic sectors also increased, but consumption was minimal until mid-century. From 1950 onwards, industrial use grew steadily to just over 1,000 km? , while domestic use rose more slowly to only 300 km? both far below the levels of consumption by agriculture. The table illustrates the differences in agriculture consumption in Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2000. The amount of irrigated land in Brazil was 26,500 km? whereas that in the D. R. C. was only 100 km?. This means that a huge amount of water was used in agriculture in Brazil, and this is reflected in the figures for water consumption per person: 359 m? compared with only 8 m? in the Congo. With a population of 176 million, the figures for Brazil indicate how high agriculture water consumption can be in some countries.This ends my report. kiransielts. blogspot. com 22 Cambridge 6 test 2 The table below gives information about changes in modes of travel in England between 1985 and 2000. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Average distance in miles travelled per person per year by mode of travel 1985 2000 Walking 255 237 Bicycle 51 41 Car 3,199 4,806 Local bus 429 274 Long distance bus 54 124 Train 289 366 Taxi 13 42 Other 450 585 All modes 4,740 6,475The given table demonstrates the different modes of travel in England in 15 years from 1985 to 2000. In general, some modes gained popularity while the others became less popular. The travel modes which gained popularity in the period included cars, long distance buses, trains, taxis and others. Cars remained top among the modes in the 15 years, with their average miles increasing considerably from 3,199 in 1985 to 4,806 in 2000. The average miles covered by distance buses and taxis trebled over the period. Travelling on foot, by bicycles and by local buses lost popularity in the one and a half decade.Average travelling distance by local buses suffered the biggest decrease, dropping from 429 to 274, whilst the number of miles covered on foot and bikes fell mildly from 255 to 237 and from 51 to 41 respectively. Despite the decreases, however, the total miles travelled grew from 4,740 to 6,475. Overall, the total travelling distance in the country grew in 15 years. Cars, long distance buses, trains, taxis and other modes of travel were more popular and walking, bicycling and local transportation less popular. kiransielts. blogspot. com 23 Cambridge 6 test 3The diagrams below show the life cycle of the silkworm and the stages in the production of silk cloth. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Two processes are given. The cyclical process shows the lifecycle of the silkworm. The linear process shows the production of silk cloth. It can be seen from the first diagram that there are four main stages in the life of the silkworm. First of all, eggs are produced by the moth and it takes ten days for each egg to become a silkworm larva that feeds on mulberry leaves.This stage lasts for up to six weeks until the larva produces a cocoon of silk thread around itself. After a period of about three weeks, the adult moths eventually emerge from these cocoons and the life cycle begins again. The cocoons are used for the production of silk cloth. First of all, they are boiled in water and the th reads can be separated by unwinding them. Each thread is between 300 and 900 metres long. The threads are then twisted together, dyed and finally used to produce cloth in the weaving stage.Overall, the diagrams show that the cocoon stage of the silkworm can be used to produce silk cloth through a very simple process. kiransielts. blogspot. com 24 CAMBRIDGE 6 TEST 4 The charts below give information about USA marriage and divorce rates between 1970 and 2000, and the marital status of adult Americans in two of the years. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Number of marriages and divorces in the U. S. A. 1970-2000 Marital status of adult Americans, 1970 and 2000The two bar charts compare the number of married and divorced people in USA over a span of 30 years from 1970 to 2000 and the overall marital status of US adults in 1970 and 2000. As can be seen from the first chart, over the period of 30 years, the number of marriages experienced a steady fall while the number of divorces fluctuated. To begin with, in 1970 and 1980, the number of marriages in USA stood at 2. 5 million. However, divorces were 1 million in 1970 and increased to 1. 4 million in 1980. There was a steady fall in the numbers of marriages after 1980 and the number reached 2 million by 2000. Divorces decreased slightly from 1. million in 1990 to 1 million in 2000. The year 1980 witnessed the greatest number of divorces and meanwhile, the number of divorces in 2000 drew even with that in 1970. As we look at the other chart, we see that the percentages of those who were never married increased from 14% to 20% and those who chose to end their marriages by divorce increased from 1% to 9% by 2000. In terms of the other two categories, namely, married and widowed, the figures for 1970 were higher than those for 2000. The percentage of married decreased from 70% to 60% and those widowed decreased from 6% to 5% over the years. This ends my report. 0. 5 1 1. 5 2 2. 5 3 1970 1980 1990 2000 millions Marriages Divorces 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Never married MarriedWidowedDivorced Percentage of adults 1970 2000 kiransielts. blogspot. com 25 Cambridge 7 test 1 The table below gives information on consumer spending on different items in five different countries in 2002. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Percentage of national consumer expenditure by category – 2002 Country Food/Drinks/tobacco Clothing/Footwear Leisure/Education Ireland 28. 91% 6. 43% 2. 21% Italy 16. 6% 9. 00% 3. 20% Spain 18. 80% 6. 51% 1. 98% Sweden 15. 77% 5. 40% 3. 22% Turkey 32. 14% 6. 63% 4. 35% The given table illustrates the amount of money spent by the Irish, Italians, Spanish, Swedes and Turks on different items in 2002. Overall, it can be seen that people of all countries spent the maximum on food/drinks and tobacco and the minimum on leisure and education. The people of Turkey spent approximately a third of their income (32. 14%) on food, drink and tobacco which was closely followed by the people of Ireland at 28. 91%. The Italians, Spanish and Swedes spent 15-20 % on these items.The Italians outstripped all others in spending on clothing and footwear. They spent 9% on these items whereas all others spent between 5% and 7% on these items. All the countries spent the least amount on leisure and education (less than 5%). However the Spanish spent below 2% on these which was the lowest among all. It can be said that in 2002, the consumer expenditure on various items had some similarities and some differences. kiransielts. blogspot. com 26 Cambridge 7 test 2 The graph below shows the consumption of fish and some different kinds of meat in a European country between 1979 and 2004.Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. The given line graph illustrates the changes in the amounts of beef, lamb, chicken and fish consumed in a particular European country between 1979 and 2004. In 1979 beef was by far the most popular of these foods, with about 225 grams consumed per person per week. Lamb and chicken were eaten in similar quantities (around 150 grams), while much less fish was consumed (just over 50 grams). However, during this 25-year period the consumption of beef and lamb fell dramatically to approximately 100 grams and 55 grams respectively.The consumption of fish also declined, but much less significantly to just below 50 grams. Therefore, although it remained the least popular food, consumption levels were the most stable. The consumption of chicken, on the other hand, showed an upward trend, overtaking that of lamb in 1980 and that of beef in 1989. By 2004 it had soared to almost 250 grams per person per week. Overall, the graph shows how the consumption of chicken increased dramatically while the popularity of these other foods decreased over th e period. kiransielts. blogspot. com 27 Cambridge 7 test 3The chart below shows information about changes in average house prices in five different cities between 1990 and 2002 compared with the average house prices in 1989. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Percentage change in average house prices in five cities 1990-2002 compared with 1989 The given column graph illustrates the changes in average house prices in five different cities located in five different countries from 1990 to 2002 as compared to the prices in 1989. There were considerable variations in the average house prices over the period.During the period from 1990 to 1995, the average house prices fell significantly by 5% in New York(U. S. A. ), 7. 5% each in Tokyo(Japan) and London(U. K. ) whereas the average house prices increased slightly by 2% and 2. 5% in Madrid (Spain) and Frankfurt(Germany) respectively. In the next seven year period, th e average house prices fell only in Tokyo by 5% whereas the prices increased in all other four cities. The increase was most pronounced in London, where it was 12%. In all other cities it was below 5%, the least (2%) being in Frankfurt.It is clear that the average house prices picked up most in the latter seven years of this 12 year period. kiransielts. blogspot. com 28 Cambridge 7 test 4 The pie charts below show units of electricity production by fuel source in Australia and France in 1980 and 2000. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. The given pie charts compare the sources of electricity in Australia and France in the years 1980 and 2000. Between these years electricity production almost doubled, rising from 100 units to 170 in Australia, and from 90 to 180 units in France.In 1980 in Australia, a total of 100 units of electricity were produced out of which half the amount of electricity was produced from co al and the rest was produced from natural gas, hydro power (each producing 20 units) and oil (which produced only 10 units). By 2000, coal was used to produce more than 75% of electricity and only hydro continued to be another significant source supplying approximately 20%. A negligible amount (2 units each) was produced from oil and natural gas. In contrast, France used coal as a source for only 25 units of electricity in 1980, which was matched by natural gas.The remaining 40 units were produced largely from oil and nuclear power, with hydro contributing only 5 units. But by 2000, nuclear power, which was not used at all in Australia, had developed into the main source, producing almost 75% of electricity, at 126 units, while coal and oil together produced only 50 units. Other sources were no longer significant. Overall, it is clear that by 2000 these two countries relied on different principal fuel sources: Australia relied on coal and France on nuclear power. kiransielts. blogsp ot. com 29 GRAPHS FROM IELTS BOOKS Step up to IELTSThe pictures below show how someone can be tracked using an electronic tracking device. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown. The diagram illustrates how an electronic tracking device can be fitted to someone's clothing or hidden in a bag, in order to allow that person to be tracked and located. There are three basic stages to the process. The first stage in the tracking process is to hide the device (the tracker) in an appropriate place such as a bag or the person’s clothing. The location of the device is monitored by satellite. A message is transmitted from the device to a transmission tower.It is received and then re-transmitted as a text message to a mobile phone indicating exactly where the person is. His or her location can also be picked up on a computer / internet website. The device is able to provide details such as the name of the street or pinpoint a specific place on a map/scr een. A device of this nature could be very effective as a means of tracking and locating someone such as a school child. kiransielts. blogspot. com 30 Step up to IELTS The diagram below contains information about distribution of water usage in Australia and the average household water usage in Australia.Write a report for a university lecturer†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. A. Distribution of water usage in Australia B. Average household water usage in Australia The given column graph and pie chart relate to different aspects of water consumption in Australia. The column graph provides an overview of how water is used generally, whereas the pie chart gives a breakdown of household water usage. From the column graph we can see that a slightly higher percentage of water goes on irrigation than on urban usage, 45 per cent in fact, while the proportion of water used in industry is approximately 10 per cent, is far smaller than in either of these other areas.From the chart we can see that by far the largest proportion of domestic water, well over 50% in fact, goes into gardens and swimming pools. Drinking and cooking account for a smaller volume of water consumption than personal hygiene and clothes washing, which together make up about 25%. A very small percentage of water is used for other purposes which are not identified in the chart. When read together, the two charts provide a useful overview of water use in Australia. 0 10 20 30 40 50 Urban usage Irrigation Industry Other Purposes for which water is used ( is shown as percentage of total) Gardens / wimming pools personal hygeine washing clothes drinking / cooking Other Gardens / swimming pools personal hygeine washing clothes drinking / cooking Other kiransielts. blogspot. com 31 Step up to IELTS The diagrams below contain information about land and light penetration under the ocean. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below. The two diagrams illustrate the shape and formation o f the land under the sea. The first profile provides a cross section of the coast of a continent beneath the surface of the sea, and illustrates that the continental shelf oes to a depth of approximately 200 metres below sea level. The land then drops abruptly to the bottom of the ocean, which is known as the sea floor. The second diagram focuses on the depth of the ocean and the amount of light that penetrates to the bottom. Sea level is shown as 0 m and the first 200 m below the surface is referred to as the sunlight zone. This is where the continental shelf ends. Below this is the twilight zone, which descends for 800 m. The water temperature shown is approximately 5 °C in this zone. The area between 1000 m and 4000 m is known as the dark zone, with a water temperature of I-2 °C.Almost no light can penetrate this far down. Profile across the sea coast of a continent (not to scale) Depth zones of the ocean kiransielts. blogspot. com 32 Step up to IELTS The chart and graph belo w give information about sales and share prices for Coca-Cola. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below. Two graphs are given. The pie chart shows the worldwide distribution of sales of Coca-Cola in the year 2000 and the line graph shows the change in share prices between 1996 and 2001. In the year 2000, Coca-Cola sold a total of 17. 1 billion cases of their fizzy drink product worldwide.The largest consumer was North America, where 30. 4 per cent of the total volume was purchased. The second largest consumer was Latin America. Europe and Asia purchased 20. 5 and 16. 4 per cent of the total volume respectively, while Africa and the Middle East remained fairly small consumers at 7 per cent of the total volume of sales. Form the line graph it is clear that since 1996, share prices for Coca-Cola have fluctuated. In that year, shares were valued at approximately $35. Between 1996 and 1997, however, prices rose significantly to $70 per share. They d ipped a little in mid-1997 and then peaked at $80 per share in mid-98.From then until 2000 their value fell consistently but there was a slight rise in mid-2000. This ends my report. North America , 30. 4 Latin America, 25. 7 Europe, 20. 5 Asia, 16. 4 Africa and Middle East, 7 A lot of bottles -Coca-Cola's unit case volume by region, 2000, % of total ( Total -17. 1 bn) kiransielts. blogspot. com 33 Step up to IELTS The chart below gives information about global sales of games software, CDs and DVD or video. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information. ? You should write at least 150 words. ? You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.The given column graph shows the sales of video material / DVDs, games software and CDs around the world in billions of dollars from 2000 to 2003. It can be seen that the sales of videos / DVDs and games software increasedconsiderably, while the sales of CDs went down slightly over the three year period. Between 2000 and 2003 , the sale of videos and DVDs rose by approximately 13 billion dollars. In 2000, just under 20 billion dollars worth of these items were sold, but in 2003, this figure had risen to a little over 30 billion dollars. The sales of games software also rose during this period, but less sharply.Sales increased from about 13 billion dollars in 2000 to just under 20 billion dollars three years later. By contrast, during the same time period, the sale of CDs fell from 35 billion dollars in 2000 to about 32. 5 billion dollars in 2003. kiransielts. blogspot. com 34 Step up to IELTS The tables below show average yearly temperatures and rainfall for two cities in Australia. Describe the charts and make comparisons where relevant. Average yearly temperatures and rainfall for Brisbane and Melbourne in Australia Brisbane climate Jan. Apr. July Oct. Max ° C 29 27 21 26 Min ° C 21 17 11 16Rainfall mm 169 86 66 102 Rainy days 14 11 7 10 Melbourne climate Jan. Apr. July Oct. Max ° C 26 20 13 20 M in ° C 14 11 4 9 Rainfall mm 48 57 49 67 Rainy days 8 12 15 14 The given tables compare the average annual temperatures and rainfall for two cities Brisbane and Melbourne in Australia. It can be seen from the tables that there are some similarities and some differences in the climates. Brisbane and Melbourne have similar climates. However, we can see from the information provided that Brisbane is warmer than Melbourne although the differences in temperature are not huge.One interesting point is that the temperature in Brisbane never falls below 11 ° C, even in winter in July. Melbourne on the other hand experiences colder winters with average minimum temperatures as low as 4 °. Both Melbourne and Brisbane have good annual rainfall. Brisbane, however, receives almost twice as much rain as Melbourne, while it has fewer wetter days. The wettest months in both cities are January and October, although neither city has a totally dry season, according to the data. So we can see that the climates of both cities have some similarities and some variations. iransielts. blogspot. com 35 Step up to IELTS The graph below shows the world oil production since 1980 with a forecast till 2020. Write a report †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. The graph gives the past, present and future data concerning the production of the world’s oil in OPEC and non-OPEC countries. The figures show that while the production of oil in Middle Eastern OPEC countries is predicted to increase considerably, oil production elsewhere is likely to fall. Between 1980 and 2000, most of the world’s oil came from non-OPEC countries; only two million barrels were produced by OPEC countries.Since then these figures have changed considerably. Between 2000 and 2010, it is shown that approximately 10 million has come from Middle Eastern OPEC countries, while a further 10 million barrels has been provided by other OPEC or non-OPEC countries. It is predicted that oil production is likely to stabilise between 201 0 and 2020. However, a lot more of this oil is expected to come from the Middle Eastern OPEC countries, and under 5 million barrels per day from other areas. 0 5 10 15 20 1980-2000 2000-2010 2010-2020 Forecast in the world oil production -million barrels / dayNon OPEC Other OPEC OPEC Middle east kiransielts. blogspot. com 36 Prepare for IELTS – AC The following diagram shows nitrogen sources and concentration levels in the groundwater of a coastal city. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features. This diagram shows the sources and concentration levels of nitrogen in the groundwater of a coastal city. It can be seen from the diagram that nitrogen is oxidised by lightning or fixed by vegetation. Domestic wastes and fertilizers used in gardens also add to the nitrogen in the water table.Industries add nitrogen through leaks from storage tanks and wastewater ponds, and the disposal of waste in landfills may lead to more nitrogen entering the water tabl e. The heaviest concentration of nitrogen comes from industry, from household liquid waste, and from landfill. The groundwater flows toward the sea and discharges into the ocean in the groundwater discharge zone. From the water table, some nitrogen is taken up by soil particles. Nitrogen is also added back to the soil by de-nitrification and degassing of ammonia.Therefore the concentration tends to decrease near the saltwater interface and between the areas of high concentration of nitrogen which descend from industry and waste disposal. In this way the nitrogen cycle goes on. kiransielts. blogspot. com 37 Prepare for IELTS – AC – Insearch The table below shows consumer preferences for the features of automatic washing machines in different countries. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. EXHIBIT ONE: CONSUMER PREFERENCES AS TO AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINE FEATURES, BY COUNTRY FEATURES UNITEDKINGDOM GE RMANY FRANCE SWEDEN Shell dimensions [height and width] 34†³ & narrow 34†³ & wide 34†³ & narrow 34†³ & wide Drum material Enamel Stainless steel Enamel Stainless steel Loading Top Front Front Front Capacity 5 kilos 6 kilos 5 kilos 6 kilos Spin speed 700 rpm 850 rpm 600 rpm 800 rpm Water heating system Yes No No Yes Styling features Inconspicuous appearance Indestructible appearance Elegant appearance Strong appearance Washing action Agitator Tumble Agitator Tumble The table shows consumer preferences for washing machines in four different European countries.In the United Kingdom [UK) and France consumers prefer 34†³ and narrow shells whereas in Germany and Sweden they prefer 34†³ and wide shells. The load capacity varies slightly between 5 and 6 kilos. The preferred spin speed ranges from 850 rpm [Germany], 800 rpm [Sweden], 700 rpm [UK], to 600 rpm [France]. The preferred drum material is enamel in the UK and France whereas it is stainless steel in the other countries. Consumers in every country except the UK prefer front loading to top loading machines. The British and the Swedes opt for a water heating system, but this is not so elsewhere.Each country has a different preference for styling features, the British favouring an inconspicuous appearance, the Germans requiring a machine which looks indestructible, the French an elegant machine and the Swedes a strong-looking machine. The final feature, the washing action, sees a division between the UK and France where consumers prefer an agitator, and the other countries where a tumble action is preferred. This ends my report. kiransielts. blogspot. com 38 Prepare for IELTS – AC – Insearch The following graphs give information about the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employment sectors of a developing country.Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Sectoral distribution of employment and GDP,1992 Em ployment GDP Natural Resources 77. 4% 19. 2% Industry 3. 6% 15. 4% Services Trade, restaurants, hotels 4. 9% 37. 1% Transport. communication 1. 6% 8. 4% Government 8. 7% 12. 5% Other 3. 8% 7. 4% TOTAL 100% 100% The table shows the percentage of people employed in different sectors of the economy in 1992, and the percentage of GDP which they produced. The main economic sectors are natural resources, industry and services.The line graph shows the trends in the percentage of GDP between 1986 and 1995. The first graph reveals that although 77. 4% of the population worked in natural resources in 1992, they produced only 19. 2% of GDP. However, the 3. 6% of the population who worked in industry produced 15. 4% of GDP, and the 15. 2% who worked in the service sector produced 58% of GDP. The second graph shows that the percentage of GDP in the services sector fell steadily from approximately 65% to 53%. In 1986 natural resources provided more than 25% of GDP, but this declined to less than 20% in 1992, recovered in 1993 but fell below 20% in 1995.Industry earned less than 10% of GDP in 1986, but rose to almost 20% in 1995. The two graphs reveal that GDP was earned primarily by the service sector. kiransielts. blogspot. com 39 Prepare for IELTS – AC – Insearch The graphs below show the enrolment of overseas students and local students in Australian universities over a ten year period. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Enrolments 1989-1999 The two graphs show student enrolment trends over a ten-year period, from 1989-1999, in Australian universities.The first graph illustrates overseas student enrolments and the second local student enrolments. The first graph clearly shows that new overseas students continue to enrol in Australian universities. In 1999 there were approximately 80,000 overseas students [around half of whom were new students). The rate of increase in the number of ov erseas students has been dramatic, doubling every five years, from just under 9,000 in 1989, to 20,000 in 1994 and then over 40,000 in 1999. The local student population was around 600,000 in 1999 with just 200,000 of these being new students.This was just 33% of the local total. It was a significant decline from 50% ten years before, when the total local student population was 400,000 out of which approximately 200,000 were new students. The trends clearly demonstrate that growth can be expected to continue from overseas students but not for local students. The two graphs clearly demonstrate increasing demand for Australian university education by overseas students [increasing 400%] with a significantly smaller increase by local students [just 50%J for this period. kiransielts. blogspot. com 40 Prepare for IELTS – AC – InsearchThe graphs below show the post-school qualifications held by Australians in the age groups 25 to 34 and 55 to 69. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting main features, and make comparisons where relevant. POST SCHOOL QUALIFICATIONS 357,500 Australians aged between 25 and 34 hold a degree. Their main fields of study were: 104,800 Australians aged between 55 and 69 hold a degree. Their main fields of study were: These two pie charts show the differences between two groups of Australians [25 to 34 and 55 to 69 year olds] in terms of their post-school qualifications.The most striking feature of the pie charts is the huge number of people with qualifications. The younger group is more than three times bigger than the older group [347,500 compared to 104,800). Comparing the two groups, architecture and medicine were less popular with younger graduates; medicine was lower in popularity by almost 4%. However, the biggest loss was to engineering, which was preferred by 19. 27% of the older age group as compared to 9. 35% of the younger age group. Some subjects were more popular with the younger age group.The biggest g ains in graduate numbers were made by Science, Maths and Computers which, as a group, were held by 18. 19%. Administration was 4. 1% more popular in the 25 to 34 year olds. To sum up, the graphs show that the number of young graduates were threefold more than the number of older graduates. Social Sciences, Arts, 19. 48% other, 2. 24% law, 5. 54% medicine, 7. 40% Architecture, 1. 85% Engineering, 9. 36% Veterinary, Agriculture, 2. 10% Science, Mths, Computers, 18. 19 % Education, 14. 76% Administration, 19. 08% Social Sciences, Arts, 20. 42% other, 2. 48% law, 3. 34% medicine, 11. 31% Architecture, 2. 92% Engineering, 19. 7% Veterinary, Agriculture, 2. 00% Science, Mths, Computers, 10. 11 % Education, 13. 17% Administration, 14. 98% kiransielts. blogspot. com 41 Ac task 1 High Impact The graph shows typical levels in enthusiasm, confidence and ability of students attending a ten week IELTS class. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information given below. The giv en line graph shows the changes in three factors affecting students over a ten week period in an IELTS class. Overall it can be seen that ability increases a lot over the ten week period and confidence also increases but enthusiasm drops over the time.The most striking point is that at the beginning of the course, students' enthusiasm is almost 100 per cent whereas confidence and ability are only slightly above 20 per cent. Over the first four weeks, both confidence and ability increase, while enthusiasm declines steadily until the sixth week. Confidence takes a sharp fall but then rises