Classroom Testing Best Practices and Applications

In its simplest form, classroom assessment is about collecting data, looking for mastery of content, and guiding instruction. These things are more complex than they sound. Teachers will tell you that they are time- consuming, often monotonous, and seemingly neverending. All teachers are required to assess their students, but the good teachers understand that it is more than just assigning grades for a report card. True classroom assessment shapes the ebb and flows within a classroom. It drives daily instruction becoming the engine for not only what is taught, but how it should be taught. All teachers should be data-driven decision makers. Every individual assessment provides critical data that can potentially provide us with another piece of the puzzle to maximize a single student’s learning potential. Any time spent unwrapping this data will be a worthy investment to see a dramatic increase in student learning. Classroom assessment is not one of the glamorous aspects of being a teacher, but it may be the most important. To put it simply, it is hard to know how to get somewhere you have never been if you do not have a map or directions. Authentic classroom assessment can provide that roadmap, allowing every student to be successful. Utilize Standard Based Benchmark Assessments Every teacher is required to teach specific standards or content based on subjects taught and grade level. In the past, these standards have been developed by each state individually. However, with the development of the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards, many states will have shared standards for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. Standards serve as a checklist for what is supposed to be taught throughout the school year. They do not dictate the order in which they are taught or how they are taught. Those are left up to the individual teacher. Utilizing a benchmark assessment based on standards provides teachers with a baseline for where students are individually as well as where the class is as a whole at selected checkpoints throughout the year. These checkpoints are typically at the beginning, middle, and end of the year. The assessments themselves should include at least two questions per standard. Teachers can build a solid benchmark assessment by looking at previously released test items, searching online, or creating aligned items themselves. After the initial assessment is given, teachers can break down the data in a variety of ways. They will get a quick idea of what each individual student knows coming into the year. They can also evaluate whole group data. For example, if 95% of the students get all the questions correct for a particular standard, the teacher should probably teach the concept early on in the year without spending an inordinate amount of time. However, if students perform poorly on a standard, the teacher should plan to devote a greater amount of time later on in the year. The middle of the year and end of the year assessments allow teachers to measure overall student growth and whole class understanding. It would be wise to spend more time re-teaching a standard in which a large portion of the class struggled with on an assessment. Teachers can also reevaluate their approach with individual students who are lagging behind possibly offering tutoring services or increased remediation time. Focus on Diagnostic Data There are lots of diagnostic programs available to assess individual student strengths and weaknesses quickly and accurately. Too often, teachers get caught up in the big picture that these assessments provide. Programs such as S.T.A.R Reading and S.T.A.R. Math provide grade-level equivalency for students. Many times teachers see that a student is at/above grade level or below grade level and stop there. Diagnostic assessments provide so much more data than grade level equivalency. They provide valuable data that allows teachers to quickly decipher individual student strengths and weaknesses. Teachers who only look at grade level miss the fact that two seventh grade students who test at the seventh-grade level may have holes in differing critical areas. The teacher may miss the opportunity to fill these gaps before they become a hindrance down the road. Provide Regular In-depth Feedback to Students Individualized learning starts by providing continuous feedback. This communication should occur daily in both written and verbal form. Students should be helped to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Teachers should utilize small group or individual meetings to work with students who are struggling with specific concepts. Small group instruction should occur every day and individual meetings should occur at least one time per week. Some type of feedback other than just a grade should be provided for every daily assignment, homework, quiz, and test. Simply grading a paper without reinforcing or re-teaching the incorrect concepts is a missed opportunity. Goal setting is another essential part of the teacher-student collaboration. Students should understand how the goals are tied to academic performance. Goals should be high, but attainable. The goals and progress towards them should be discussed regularly, and reevaluated and adjusted if necessary. Understand that Every Assessment is Valuable Every assessment provides a story. Teachers have to interpret that story and decide what they are going to do with the information that it provides. An assessment must drive instruction. Individual problems and/or whole assignments in which a majority of the class scores poorly should be re-taught. It is okay to throw out an assignment, re-teach the concepts, and give the assignment again. Every assignment should be scored because of every assignment matters. If it does not matter, do not waste the time to have your students do it.   Standardized testing is another notable assessment that can provide valuable feedback year over year. This is more beneficial to you as a teacher than it will be to your students because there is a chance you will not have the same group of students two years in a row. Standardized test results are tied to the standards. Evaluating how your students did on each standard allows you to make adjustments in your classroom.   Build On-Going Portfolios Portfolios are tremendous assessment tools. They provide teachers, students, and parents with an in-depth look into student progression over the course of an entire year. Portfolios naturally take time to build but can be relatively easy if a teacher makes it a regular part of the classroom and uses students to help keep up with them. A portfolio should be kept in a three-ring binder. Teachers can create a checklist and place them in front of each portfolio. The first part of each portfolio should include all diagnostic and benchmark assessments taken over the course of the year. The remainder of the portfolio should be made up of standard related assignments, quizzes, and exams. The portfolio should include at least two daily assignments and one exam/quiz for each standard. The portfolio would become an even more valuable assessment tool if students were required to write a quick reflection/summary for each associated standard. Portfolios are the purest form of assessment because they encompass pieces that add up to a whole.

General And Special Education Teachers Face Today

There are many issues that general and special education teachers face today. The goal of both of these types of teachers should be that they try their best to make their students succeed. Teaching can be very difficult and people that are passionate about it should do it. However, many general and special education teachers face many challenges throughout their teaching careers that make teaching difficult for them. One issue that teachers lack today is lack of proper coaching from school staff when they begin teaching. Proper coaching is extremely important for new teachers to obtain during their first year in school. I believe the new teachers need coaching because most teachers learn a variety of teaching methodologies, philosophies†¦show more content†¦Stansbury, Kendall and Zimmerman (2006) discuss that many teachers undergo a tremendous amount of stress during their first year of teaching. This amount of stress is responsible for many new teachers leaving their jobs during their first year in school. This proves that general education teachers and special education teachers need to be properly coached and must be extremely dedicated to survive their first four years employment. Another issue that general and special education teachers face nowadays is the fact that they must know their students well to help them maximize their education. In order to maximize a child’s education, teachers must provide students with rich experience to help them learn and master the subject. Newman (2006) explains that when students are taught by allowing them to experience new things, they can be academically more successful. He also believes that rich experiences will allow the students to build schemas to increase their knowledge. After the teachers get to know their students, they need to teach based on their needs. General and special education teachers need to differentiate their instructions to help their students. This can become stressful because teachers must plan to accommodate all their students’ needs when they are still learning the skills of how to manage a classroom and how to teach based on a specific curriculum. Rock, Gregg Ellis and Gable (2008) enforce that teachers must make

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 23 Free Essays

string(147) " want by being bad\? Why can’t we get them by being good\?† â€Å"I’ll ask Carter the next time I see him,† I said dryly\." Dante wasn’t around when I got home, nor was he reachable by phone. That relieved me of any guilt I had about going out with Seth, meaning my only other obstacle was the accusatory look Roman gave me when we parted. I had no idea how he would spend his evening, and honestly, I didn’t really want to know. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Heat CHAPTER 23 or any similar topic only for you Order Now The problem Seth and I had with going out was that we pretty much had to avoid the city. We knew people in the suburbs too, but the odds of running into anyone were a lot smaller. The rainy weather Roman and I had experienced in the afternoon had blown over, and we suddenly found ourselves in semi-warm conditions that made it almost possible to go without a coat. I would have read the fortuitous weather as a divine blessing, if not for the fact that I’d given up on such beliefs long ago. To my astonishment, though, Seth said he wanted to go downtown and felt pretty confident we wouldn’t be spotted. He drove us over to Belltown, parking underneath one of the many high-rise apartment buildings that seemed to be sprouting up there every day. A mysterious key let him inside, and the elevator took us all the way to the top floor. â€Å"What is this?† I asked when we entered a sprawling penthouse suite. It kind of made me wonder if I should have been setting my real estate aspirations in a different direction. I gave him a startled look. â€Å"You don’t own this, do you?† Seth having a secret vacation home wasn’t entirely improbable. â€Å"Belongs to someone I know who’s out of town. I called in a favor.† â€Å"You have friends I don’t know?† He gave me A Look, and I let the matter go. Besides, the place was so beautiful that I had plenty of distraction. The colors were all done in shades of navy and gray, and the furniture was plush and expensive. I especially liked the fact that the walls were decorated with huge reproductions of pre-Raphaelite work. Nowadays, abstract art was the trendy way to go, and it was nice to see something a little different. â€Å"Wait’ll you see the rest,† said Seth, beckoning me out to the balcony. Or, well, â€Å"balcony† was the closest word I could come up with. It was practically half the size of my apartment and faced west, showing part of downtown’s glittering array of lights and all of Puget Sound. I stared in wonder, watching a ferry move across the dark expanse of water. â€Å"Wow.† That about summed it up. We stood there for a few moments, and Seth’s arm slipped around me. This high up, the unseasonable warmth had turned to seasonable gusts and coldness. I shivered, and Seth draped me in a blanket that had been neatly folded on a wrought-iron chair. â€Å"Have a seat,† he said. â€Å"I’ll be back with dinner.† I grinned at the gallantry and sat at an ornate, candlelit glass table that still allowed me to take in the view. Waiting for Seth, I felt all sorts of strange feelings stir to life within me. This was it, I realized. I didn’t know how I knew, but this was the end of whatever it was that we had right now. Maybe something new would take its place. Maybe we’d never have anything again. Regardless, this moment was crystallized in time for me. Nothing like it would ever come again. Dinner turned out to be an array of tapenade and bread, as well as-to my shock-a bottle of wine. â€Å"Is that whole thing for me?† I asked. He shook his head. â€Å"I’ll have a glass.† â€Å"What? Starbucks, now this?† I peered at the bottle to make sure it wasn’t some kind of weird alcohol-free kind. Nope. â€Å"It’s a special occasion,† he said with a smile, and I knew he’d gotten the same vibe that I had, that this was the end of something. â€Å"Besides, how can I live out the Rubaiyat if I don’t have all the accoutrements?† â€Å"Of course. Your uber-romantic date would be based on a poem.† I could already see him getting into quotation mode. He cleared his throat to speak. â€Å"Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse-and Thou Beside me singing in the Wilderness- And Wilderness is paradise enow.† I tsked. â€Å"You’ve got the bread, wine, and me†¦but no bough. And hardly the wilderness.† â€Å"It’s the urban jungle,† he argued. â€Å"And no book of verse,† I continued, liking my contrary role. Then I reconsidered. â€Å"Although, I did finish All Fools Night .† Seth’s expression immediately grew serious. â€Å"And?† â€Å"You already know. It was beautiful.† â€Å"No, I don’t. It’s a mystery every time-no pun intended. The words come out, but in the end†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shrugged. â€Å"You never know how they’ll be received, what people will think. I’m always kind of surprised.† â€Å"What did the opening quote mean? The Kate Bush lyrics about making a deal with God?† â€Å"You should hear the cover of that song that Placebo did. It’ll blow you away.† Seth gave me a knowing look. â€Å"You think there’s some hidden meaning?† â€Å"There’s always a hidden meaning. You added it in after you met me, didn’t you?† â€Å"Yeah†¦I mean, it relates to the book obviously†¦to O’Neill’s revelation at the end. But I guess it relates to us too.† His eyes drifted away, lost in the vista around us. â€Å"I don’t know. We’ve had to deal with so many complications. We’re still dealing with them. And what can we do? Nothing-well, unless we take your side’s point of view and make deals with the devil. But why? Why can’t we make deals with God?† â€Å"People do all the time. ‘God, if you do this for me, I promise to be good.’ Stuff like that.† â€Å"Yeah, but I don’t see any contracts like you guys have. No hard evidence that it works.† If I wasn’t mistaken, there was a little bitterness in his voice. â€Å"How come we can only get the things we want by being bad? Why can’t we get them by being good?† â€Å"I’ll ask Carter the next time I see him,† I said dryly. â€Å"But I have a feeling he’d say goodness is its own reward.† We’d picked over the tapenade by now but hardly touched the wine. His claims aside, I wasn’t sure Seth had even sipped his. He turned back toward me. â€Å"You and I aren’t being very good, are we?† he asked. That was an understatement. â€Å"You and I are the victims of unfortunate timing.† I paused. â€Å"And a lot of other unfortunate things.† â€Å"Would have been a lot simpler if this stasis thing had happened when we were dating. Or if we’d just given in then.† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"No way. I don’t care if this is a mess. It’s worth it that I didn’t end up hurting you.† You spared him physical pain , a nasty voice inside me taunted. But what about Maddie? Pain isn’t always physical, you of all people know that. What about the heartache you’ve caused her? I ignored the voice. â€Å"I don’t care,† said Seth. â€Å"I would have done it. I would have sold my soul for you. You and me†¦I told you. Something’s always going to keep us near each other†¦even if we aren’t together.† I rose from my chair and sat on his lap, wrapping my arms around him and wondering how it was possible that my heart was both swelling and breaking at the same time. I leaned my head against his shoulder. â€Å"I love you,† I said softly. â€Å"And I forgive you.† Something weird about those words made me shiver, as though I’d never said them to anyone. â€Å"And I understand now why you did what you did.† I didn’t elaborate on the â€Å"what.† I didn’t need to. Seth kissed my cheek. â€Å"Do you ever feel like†¦we’re reliving this moment over and over?† I thought about our troubled past. â€Å"If we are, I don’t want to worry about it. Not right now.† I think he was going to say more, possibly even correct me, but I didn’t give him a chance. I kissed him, and like every other time, it was sweet and powerful and the most right thing in the world. We wrapped ourselves together, and somehow, despite the cold weather, we got enough clothes off and made love with the wind whipping our hair and the stars shining down on us. And like that first time, I still had that sense that we weren’t close enough. Even when our bodies joined and he moved in me, it still felt like I could never, ever be close enough to him. Maybe it was this mystical connection he kept talking about. Or maybe it was just a metaphor for our lot in life. We sat together for a long time afterward, draped in blankets and saying little. I wanted to stay there all night. Forever, even. In this affair, it was the one thing we hadn’t done: spend the night together after sex. We always had to part and go on to the rest of our lives. He finally dropped me off at my car, and we kissed for a long time before I could finally extricate myself. Seth ran his hand along my cheek and hair, reluctant to let me go. I shared the sentiment. â€Å"What will you do now?† he asked. â€Å"I don’t know. One more search tomorrow, I guess. If there’s even time. I expect Ephraim to name somebody any minute now.† Seth nodded, eyes dark and thoughtful. â€Å"Well, if you need company again†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I smiled, unsure if that was a smart idea or not, but it wasn’t a decision I wanted to make tonight. I didn’t know if I wanted the balcony to be our last moment together in this fling or if I wanted to cling to another few precious seconds, even on the beach. â€Å"I’ll let you know,† I promised. I kissed him one last time and then left to find my own car. I had just unlocked it when a voice spoke to me out of the darkness. â€Å"Can you give me a lift?† I sighed. I really didn’t like the way everyone could sneak up on me lately. Of course, with Carter’s sick sense of humor, I wasn’t entirely shocked. He’d lurked while hiding his aura plenty of times in the past because he liked the element of surprise. Still. I didn’t even have a fighting chance now. I opened my door. â€Å"Sorry. I don’t pick up hitchhikers.† Undeterred, he slid into the passenger seat and put on his seat belt. â€Å"Did you have a good evening, madam?† He spoke in an old-fashioned, genteel sort of way. â€Å"Don’t take that tone with me.† â€Å"What tone? I was being polite.† â€Å"You know exactly what I’ve been doing, so don’t act like you’re making pleasant conversation.† â€Å"Why are they mutually exclusive?† I refused to look at him. â€Å"I don’t want to be judged.† â€Å"Am I judging you? Sounds more like you’re judging yourself, which really, is the way it should be. The best jury of your peers that you’ll ever find is†¦well, you. Only you know what you’re capable of and what you want to be.† â€Å"Did you find me just to delve into the philosophy of my morals?† I grumbled. â€Å"Nah,† he said. â€Å"Whenever I find you, I just sort of go with this free-form thing and see where the mood takes me.† â€Å"Maybe the mood could take you to Jerome.† â€Å"That’s your quest, not mine. Any luck?† Again, I faced that dilemma. Who could I tell what? Grace, Roman†¦so many players on the board now and no clear opponent. â€Å"Some,† I said at last. â€Å"Oh-ho,† he laughed. â€Å"You could be an angel with an answer like that.† â€Å"Well, I don’t think it’s going to be enough to find Jerome, not unless a miracle happens.† The drive was short. I pulled up outside my building, getting a lucky front spot. Carter turned and winked at me. â€Å"Well, you know my take on those. Thanks for the lift.† â€Å"Wait,† I said, realizing he was about to teleport away. â€Å"I have a question.† He arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Oh?† â€Å"How come when mortals want things, their only option is to make a deal with Hell and sell their soul? Why can’t they make deals with God in exchange for good behavior?† It was another of those rare moments when I’d surprised Carter. I waited for the glib answer I’d mentioned to Seth, something along the lines of goodness being its own reward. The angel considered for several seconds. â€Å"Humans make those deals all the time,† he said finally. â€Å"They just don’t make them with God.† â€Å"Then who are they making them with?† I exclaimed. â€Å"Themselves.† He vanished. â€Å"Fucking angels,† I muttered. I arrived in my apartment only minutes before Dante showed up. â€Å"Oh, I’m in luck,† he said, seeing me on the couch with Aubrey. â€Å"You seem to always be busy lately.† I felt a small pang of guilt at what I’d done tonight. A lie was still a lie, no matter who you were lying to. â€Å"I’m saving Seattle,† I explained, making room for him beside me. He sat down, clean-shaven for a change and looking good in his usual jeans, thermal shirt, watch, and boots. His insecurity was driving him to buy me gifts lately, but I realized I’d need to step it up and get him some wardrobe variety once all this madness ended. â€Å"And how’s that going exactly?† Everyone kept asking me that. Seth. Carter. Dante. And my answer was lame each time. â€Å"Not so great, actually. I think tomorrow’ll be the day it all resolves, and Jerome’s going to be lost forever. Even if he’s not, it’ll be too late for him to get his old position back. His best-case scenario’ll be someone’s lieutenant in northern Michigan.† Dante put his arm around me and his feet on my coffee table. â€Å"Well, succubus, don’t take this wrong way, but I’ll be glad when this is over, new archdemon or no. I’m tired of you being stressed all the time, and I’m tired of not getting any face time with you.† He toyed with the strands of my hair. â€Å"I’m also kind of tired of how frizzy this is. Isn’t there some product you can use?† â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"Not funny. What happened to internal beauty?† He seemed undaunted. â€Å"You’ve got plenty of that. I just want the whole package. Besides, the look on your face was great when I said that.† His hand slipped from around my waist to trace patterns between my hip and thigh. It wasn’t overtly sexual but I had a feeling that between that and his good mood-which I was happy for, don’t get me wrong-there was an amorous advance in my future. â€Å"Will you read my cards?† I asked abruptly. He gave me a shocked look. â€Å"Tarot cards?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"You know that’s all bullshit.† â€Å"It is when you bend the truth for your clients. Please? Just do a quick one.† â€Å"Fine. I’ll give you a card-of-the-day one. All the mysteries of the universe in one card.† I could hear the eye roll in his voice as he got up to get his cards out of his satchel. He usually kept them on him in the event of an impromptu client opportunity. â€Å"Don’t lie to me,† I warned. â€Å"I know more than your clients.† â€Å"Wouldn’t dream of it,† he said, deftly shuffling the cards. I’d seen him scam clients plenty of times, telling them what they wanted to hear. Seeing as I didn’t know what I wanted, I supposed that excluded me from that category. After the cards were thoroughly randomized, he had me cut them, and then he neatly restacked them. â€Å"Draw.† I took the first card off the top and flipped it over. â€Å"Fuck.† The Five of Cups. Spilled chalices. Lost hopes and dreams. Dante affirmed as much. â€Å"Disappointment’s ahead, the loss of something you had. It can be a failure or inability to resolve a recurring problem. Pretty typical reading for you.† â€Å"What’s that supposed to mean?† â€Å"Doom and gloom always surround you. I didn’t make up that palm reading for you.† That had been even worse than this. â€Å"It’s probably just verifying that Jerome’s gone for good-if you even want to believe in this. And, hey, look.† He tapped the card. â€Å"One cup stayed upright. Not all hope is lost.† I wondered about that as I thought about losing Seth and the man in the dream. I wondered also if Roman was right, if it was true that I wouldn’t know what to do if I ever was actually happy. As I suspected, Dante did make sexual moves on me, but I demurred as I had all week. I knew it didn’t matter at this point. My cups had emptied, and the ride with Seth was over. Yet, our time on the balcony had been so sweet and so powerful that once again, I couldn’t be with someone else after an encounter like that. Soon enough my sex life with Dante would return to normal-but not tonight. He didn’t seem angry at being turned down, so much as hurt. I felt a little bad about that but realized I’d rather feel guilty about betraying him than Seth. Dante was up and gone before me the next morning, but Roman was sitting in my living room eating cereal and generally making himself at home. He had to know I was standing there, but he kept his eyes on the morning news. When he finished the cereal, he clicked for Aubrey and set the bowl down for her. â€Å"Hey,† I said, scooping it up. â€Å"Milk’s bad for cats.† â€Å"You need to let her live a little,† he protested, still watching the news. â€Å"So what’s the plan today?† â€Å"I don’t know. I’m still in stasis, so I guess that gives us time. Want to throw a dart at the map and go somewhere?† I gestured to the atlas of the Pacific Northwest lying on my coffee table. â€Å"Might be the most productive method we’ve tried,† he mused. He had that light tone he often used, but I could hear the disappointment too. It was still a mystery to me as to why he’d be so into helping find Jerome. It was a mystery best solved with coffee, I decided, and while the pot brewed, I rummaged for my own breakfast. I unearthed Pop-Tarts and again wondered about weight gain. â€Å"Um, Georgina†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"If you’re asking if you can feed her anything else, the answer is no.† â€Å"You need to come see this.† His voice was deadly earnest. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I hurried back into the living room. Roman pointed at the TV. â€Å"You have got to be kidding me,† I groaned. The Army of Darkness had struck again. We were watching a Seattle station, but apparently, this north-of-the-border escapade had been deemed newsworthy. The prank had actually taken place over in Victoria, a city on an island just west of Vancouver but still in British Columbia. There were some very famous and very beautiful gardens there, and the Army had apparently broken in at night and done their best to clip a pentagram into a huge expanse of bushes. They’d enhanced it with spray paint. â€Å"Jesus Christ,† I muttered. The pentagram job was bad, but the group had been savvy enough to get out of there without being caught. One shot of a courtyard there showed where they’d spray-painted: ALL HAIL THE ANGEL OF DARKNESS . â€Å"Glad to see they haven’t lost their touch,† Roman said wryly. I sank down onto the couch beside him, my mind spinning. Why? Why now? I’d toyed with the theory that the Army’s activities had been an absurdly elaborate distraction to take everyone’s attention away from Seattle. By that reasoning, their shenanigans should have stopped once Jerome was summoned. Yet here they were again. Had they acted on their own, just for the fun of it? Had Blake discovered a spray-paint sale? Or had Grace directed them again-and if so, why? Most of their other activities had lined up with some other significant part of the seal’s creation or Jerome’s summoning. Without wasting another moment, I picked up my cell and called Cedric. I actually got through to him rather than Kristin. â€Å"What?† he demanded when he answered. â€Å"This is Georgina. I just saw the news.† â€Å"Look, I do not have the time for you. In fact, you’re the last person I want to talk to right now, seeing as how none of this would have happened if you’d done your job in the first place.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah, I know, but listen†¦was anything important going on today?† His voice was incredulous. â€Å"What, you mean aside from those idiots embarrassing me again ?† â€Å"No, I mean†¦any events or, I don’t know†¦just anything important, um, demonically†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Well, if you consider my evaluation with Ephraim important, then yes.† The sarcasm dripped through the phone. I froze. â€Å"Thank you. That’s all I needed to know.† He actually seemed surprised by that. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Yeah, no, wait-when I talked to Kristin the other day, she said that you came to Seattle the day Jerome was summoned, but then Ephraim said when you got here, he was already gone. Is that true?† â€Å"Yes, of course. Do you doubt him?† â€Å"No, no†¦just making sure I heard right. And you were in Seattle for a while?† â€Å"Yeah, was with Grace and Mei dealing with the aftermath. Look, if you want to track my activities, wait until Kristin’s back in the office.† He sighed in frustration. â€Å"Fuck. I wish she was here now.† I hesitated, then figured I couldn’t make things worse. â€Å"Hey, just some friendly advice†¦but the next time you’re looking at Match. com or asking out succubi, why don’t you look a little closer to home?† â€Å"What the hell are you talking about?† â€Å"Kristin. If you’re looking for someone who ‘gets’ you, you’ve already got her. See you later.† I hung up before I could hear his response. Roman gave me a bemused look. â€Å"Are you matchmaking in the middle of this crisis?† â€Å"Just doing a good deed.† I tossed my cell phone from hand to hand, thinking. â€Å"Okay, so. The Army did a prank today-while Ephraim was interviewing Cedric. Not good for Cedric.† â€Å"Which is going to ruin his candidacy for Seattle.† â€Å"Likely, even though he claims he doesn’t want it. Still, it makes sense that Grace would have them do it today†¦ if she had them do it and they didn’t act randomly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shrugged. â€Å"Makes sense, but what’s it matter? You already know she’s got a role in this. All this does is clear him.† I frowned. I had the same sense I had the other day while analyzing the cult’s activities, like I was so close but couldn’t grasp all the threads. Against my better judgment, I dialed Evan. He flipped out when he realized it was me. â€Å"Georgina! We’ve been wondering what happened to you. Man, you will not believe what we did today, it was this-â€Å" â€Å"I already know,† I interrupted. â€Å"It was on the news down here.† â€Å"What? Holy shit. Hey! You guys!† I pulled the phone away as he yelled at whoever was with him. â€Å"We made the Seattle news!† A moment later he returned to me. â€Å"Wow, that’s awesome. International recognition!† â€Å"Look, Evan. I need to know something. Did the Angel actually tell you to do this? And when I say that, I mean, did she actually appear in one of those visions or did you presume she wanted this?† â€Å"She was here. Told us to leave our mark at Butchart Gardens, so the world would know her glory. Cool too, since you know, it’s a powerful place and all. No wonder it’s having such far-reaching effects.† â€Å"Powerful place†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My fist closed around all the threads. â€Å"Evan, listen to me. Are you familiar with other places of power around you?† I’d always dismissed this group’s arcane knowledge, never considering they might know a few things about the unseen world. â€Å"Of course.† Roman’s eyes were fixed on me so hard, I thought they’d shoot lasers right through me. He could tell I was on to something. I took a deep breath. â€Å"Do you know of any place up there that’s by a beach-on the ocean-that has white rocks or gravel or sand or anything like that? That’s infused with power?† â€Å"White rocks?† he asked. There was a few second’s silence. â€Å"Well†¦there’s White Rock.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"It’s this town that has, well, a giant white rock. Some kind of glacial thing, but the Indians thought it came from the gods or something. Always been a holy place.† â€Å"White Rock,† I repeated flatly. â€Å"Yup.† No, no. It could not be that obvious. Balancing the phone with one hand, I opened the atlas with the other and flipped to the section on British Columbia. There it was, on the coast, just barely north of the American border. White Rock. â€Å"Son of a bitch,† I said. How to cite Succubus Heat CHAPTER 23, Essay examples

Ratio Analysis AGL and Genesis Energy Ltd

Question: Discuss about the Ratio Analysis for AGL and Genesis Energy Ltd. Answer: Introduction AGL is one of the leading integrated energy companies in Australia. It is one of the companies which do not simply concentrate on profit making. It has been seen over the years that the company has addressed its responsibility towards the society and the environment. AGL has been in the business since 175 years which makes it one of the most experienced and diversified integrated energy companies in Australia. AGL has got its business spread over eastern part of Australia. (AGL, 2015) Genesis Energy Limited is one of the leading companies in New Zealand. The company has vast customer experience. The interest of the company mainly lies in the Kupe Oil and gas fields. They also generate trade electricity, natural gas through their Energy management company. Now the company is one of the leading electricity and gas retailers providing there two retails product which are Genesis Energy and Energy online to more than 650000 customers. (Genesis Energy Limited, 2015) An initial analysis of trends in the items contained in the profit and loss statements, balance sheets and statements of cash flows and relevant ratios AGL Ltd. On analysing the trends in the items contained in Profit and Loss statement of AGL Ltd. many conclusions can be drawn. Starting with the revenue, it can be seen that the revenue has risen for the current year 2.23% which is good. As the revenue even the expenses has risen by 6.5%. By looking at the depreciation and amortisation cost it can be seen that the cost has risen which is because of companys investment in the fixed assets. However even the finance cost of the company has gone up by $7 million as compared to the last year whereas the finance income has fallen by $4 million. As a result, the companys profit before tax has fallen by $423 million i.e. nearly 56% and the profit after tax has fallen by $352 million i.e. appx. 62% which is not so pleasant result for the company. Even though the revenue rose by 2.23% by the expenses off set the benefit and brought the net profit down. (Accounting for management, n.d.) Further moving to Balance Sheet, Looking at the liquid position of the company it can be concluded that the company is at a fair position. The balance shown as cash and cash equivalent has fallen down by around 43%. At the same time current liabilities have risen because of sharp rise in the borrowings made the company which explains the rise in the finance cost of the company. Fixed assets analysis shows that company has made investment in Oil and gas assets and Property plant and equipment. The company is showing positive cash flow from operating activities, investing activities shows negative cash flow. The cash outflow has risen by almost 182 % because of huge investments made by the company in fixed assets in the current year. Overall the company cash flow statement is not as good as last year since it has fallen by almost 44%. Genesis Energy Ltd. Starting with Profit and Loss statement it can be seen that the companys operating revenue has risen by around 5%. Though the companys operating expense ratio has fallen by 1%. There is fall in the companys depreciation, depletion charges. However there is some favourable change in the fair value in the investment which is why the companys net profit has increased by 113%. Rise in net profit boosts the companys earnings per share which is why the companys earnings per share rose by 113%. In Balance sheet of the company current assets classification includes cash and cash equivalent which has decreased along with debtors and inventory which is why total current assets have fallen down. Fall in fixed assets explains that the company must have sold its property, plant equipment and its oil and gas assets. Consequently total assets of the company have fallen down by $101 million. Analysis of current liabilities shows that the company has made short term borrowing and paid off a part of their long term borrowing which is significant change since last year. Overall even the total liabilities have fallen by $46 million. In cash flow statement, cash flow from operating and investing activities shows positive change. Though finance activities have risen by 24% which have impacted the cash flow statement as a whole. Overall the cash and cash equivalents have lowered by 10% as compared to last year. (Accounting for management, n.d.) Ratio Analysis and Comparisons AGL Ltd. The managements performance can be measured using variety of profitability ratio. If the companys financial position is compared with its past year performance, it can be said that current year company has not fared really well. Net Profit ratio measures the overall performance of the company which has fallen in 2015 as it stands 2% as compared to 5% in 2014. (AGL, 2014) The competency of the company in deploying its assets is evident by Return on assets ratio. Presently the company ratio is 1% which has fallen by 3% as compared to last years ratio which was 4%. The current ratio helps in judging the companys liquidity. Current has changed adversely, being 7% down. Quick ratio is more conservative approach to current ratio. The quick ratio has fallen by 6%. There is a favourable change in debt to equity ratio since the ratio stands at 33% in 2015 which was 46% in 2014. Equity ratio, if higher, is always favourable. The equity ratio has risen since 2014 by 2%. Though EPS has fallen dr astically but company compensated by increasing the dividend by 1 cent per share. (AGL, 2015) Genesis Energy Ltd. Both the profitable ratios shows positive change return on assets rose to 3% as compare to 1% in 2014 whereas Net profit margin rose by approximately 3%. Though the Liquidity of the company has lowered since both current ratio and quick ratio has fallen by 23% and 19% respectively. Capital Structure has almost remained unchanged. While market structure has improved since EPS as well as dividend per share has improved as compared to past year.( Genesis Energy, 2015) Comparison of Ratios of the two Companies Profitability ratio of Genesis Energy definitely stands at better position as compared to AGL since current year the companys profit had risen due to favourable change in the fair value of its financial assets. AGL Ltd is more financially strong, since its liquid ratios are much better than its competitors. The capital structure of AGL ltd is better than its competitor since its debt to equity ratio is lower than Genesis which makes it less risky company. Also strong equity ratio is always preferred by the investors which gives AGL another brownie point. Though AGLs EPS is lower than that of Genesis yet the dividend per share offered is more than that of Genesis. EPS is merely depends on the net profit of the company it can be improved by improving the operations of the company. (My Accounting Course, n.d) Conclusion AGL limited is a well-diversified company as compared to Genesis Ltd. The company also stands financially strong when compared to its competitor. The capital structure of the AGL also indicates that it is less risky than its competitor. Though the company is experiencing lower phase as its net profit have fallen but in future it can be increased keeping in mind the future prospects of the company. Also the company has been generous in declaring the dividend in past years. Recommendation Thus it is preferable to invest in AGL Limited keeping in mind the future strategic plan and past performance and highlights of the company. References: Genesis Energy, 2015, Annual Report, [Online], Available at https://www.genesisenergy.co.nz/documents/10180/2699552/Genesis+Energy+Annual+Report+FY2015.pdf/fa13f57b-fd37-4262-9bb2-5c591a55aab3, [Accessed on 27/08/2016] Genesis Energy, 2014, Annual Report, [Online], Available at https://www.genesisenergy.co.nz/documents/10180/14637/Genesis+Energy+Annual+Report+2014.pdf/edc9c47f-237e-4a10-a6c0-c3cedbb2aea9, [Accessed on 27/08/2016] My Accounting Course, n.d., Equity Ratio, [Online] Available at https://www.myaccountingcourse.com/financial-ratios/equity-ratio, [Accessed on 27/08/2016] Accounting for management, n.d., Horizontal analysis (Trend Analysis) of financial statement, [Online], Available at https://www.accountingformanagement.org/horizontal-analysis-of-financial-statements/, [Accessed on 27/08/2016] AGL, 2015, Annual Report, [Online], Available at https://www.agl.com.au/about-agl/media-centre/article-list/2015/august/agl-annual-report-2015, [Accessed on 27/08/2016] AGL, 2014, Annual Report, Available at https://www.agl.com.au/-/media/AGL/About-AGL/Documents/Media-Center/ASX-and-Media-Releases/2014/140917_annualReport1364569.pdf?la=en, [Accessed on 27/08/2016] D K Singhal, 2015, Financial Management, Available at Offline, [Accessed on 27/08/2016] Business Finance online, n.d., Ratio Analysis, [Online], Available at https://www.zenwealth.com/businessfinanceonline/RA/RatioAnalysis.html, [Accessed on 27/08/2016]

Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency Disease Essay Sample free essay sample

Abstraction:Glucose-6-phospate dehydrogenase lack ( G6PD ) . an X-linked familial disease. is due to the deficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. This enzyme is present in ruddy blood cells and its lack can take to haemolytic anaemia. Red blood cells carry O and G6PD protects these cells from natural O chemicals that may construct up when you have a febrility or take certain medicines. If there are excessively many of these oxidative chemicals. they can destruct the ruddy blood cells. doing haemolytic anaemia. The G6PD enzyme catalyzes the oxidization of glucose-6-phosphate to 6-phosphogluconate piece besides cut downing NADP+ to NADPH. which is a needed cofactor in many biosynthetic reactions. NADPH maintains glutathione in its decreased signifier that serves as a forager for risky oxidative metabolites in cells. With the aid of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase. reduced glutathione besides converts unsafe H peroxide to H20. Red blood cells depend on G6PD activity since it i s their lone beginning of NADPH. We will write a custom essay sample on Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency Disease Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Consequently. people missing G6PD can non take oxidative drugs or usage certain chemicals because their ruddy blood cells undergo rapid haemolysis under this emphasis ( Carter ) . Introduction:Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase ( G6PD ) is an enzyme in the pentose phosphate tract. a metabolic tract that supplies cut downing energy to cells. chiefly RBCs. It does this by keeping the degree of the co-enzyme nicotinamide A dinucleotide phosphate ( NADPH ) . NADPH in bend maintains the degree of glutathione in these cells that helps protect the ruddy blood cells against oxidative harm. Glucose-6-phosphatase dehydrogenase ( G-6-PD ) lack is the most common disease-producing enzymopathy in worlds. which affects 400 million people worldwide with more than 300 reported discrepancies ( Carter ) . It besides presents with protection against malaria. which most likely histories for its high cistron frequence. Some research has even shown that G6PD seems to diminish the susceptibleness to malignant neoplastic disease. cardiovascular disease. and stroke. G6PD lack is an X-linked recessive inherited disease that preponderantly affects work forces. While it affects all races. there appears to be a higher incidence in people of African. Asiatic. or Mediterranean heritage. The high frequence of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure in Afro/Caribbeans in the West can besides be straight related to a G6PD lack ( Gaskin ) . The lack is a mutant in the G6PD cistron venue at Xq28. The cistron is 18 kilobases long with 13 coding DNAs. which makes up an enzyme of 515 aminic acids. Most of the mutants are single-base alterations that result in an amino acid permutation. Female bearers can hold a mild signifier of G6PD. which is dependent on the grade of inactivation of the unaffected X chromosome. In the rare instance of homozygous females. there is co-incidence of a rare immune upset called chronic granulomatous disease. G6PD deficient RBCs have a instead reduced life span and at hazard to lyse when faced with oxidative emphasis. Patients with G6PD lack are at hazard of haemolytic anaemia in provinces of oxidative emphasis. This can be in terrible infection. medicine and certain nutrients. Some drugs that can convey on symptoms include: antimalarial agents. acetylsalicylic acid. Macrodantin. quinine. Quinidex. sulfa drugs. and many others. Broad beans contain high degrees of vicine. divicine. convicine and isouramil — all are oxidizers. Recent research has besides shown chemicals like henna. used in dyes for hair and tegument. has besides shown to convey on strong reactions. In provinces of oxidative emphasis. all staying glutathione is consumed. Enzymes and other proteins are later damaged by the oxidizers. taking to electrolyte instability. membrane cross-bonding and phagocytosis and splenetic segregation of ruddy blood cells. The haemoglobin is metabolized to bilirubin. increasing the hazard of icterus. or excreted straight by the kidney. which is known to do acute nephritic failure. Nerve pathway: Discussion:Preservation of the unity of the RBC’s membrane relies chiefly on its ability to bring forth ATP and NADH from glycolysis. NADPH is produced by the pentose phosphate tract and utilised for the decrease of oxidised glutathione to cut down glutathione. Glutathione is indispensable for the remotion of H2O2 and lipid peroxides generated by reactive O species. In normal ruddy blood cells. the uninterrupted coevals of superoxide ion from the nonenzymatic oxidization of haemoglobin provides a beginning of reactive O species. Under normal fortunes. the RBC removes superoxide with superoxide dismutase. which converts superoxide to hydrogen peroxide. Glutathione peroxidase reduces the H peroxide to H2O which oxidizes glutathione to the disulfide signifier. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase converts glucose-6-phosphate into 6-phosphoglucono-?-lactone and is the rate-limiting enzyme of the pentose phosphate tract. In a individual with lacking G6PD. oxidizers react with glutathione doing the cellular degrees of reduced glutathione to fall to such an extent that critical sulfhydryl groups in some cardinal proteins can non be maintained in decreased signifier. In bend. a sufficient sum of NADPH. which is besides required for formation of azotic oxide. is non produced. As a consequence. the tract promotes Heinz organic structure formation. and haemolysis can happen. Heinz organic structures are fundamentally denaturized haemoglobin formed by harm to the haemoglobin constituent molecules and go cross-linked by disulfide bonds. Lack of G6PD in the alternate tract causes the buildup of glucose and therefore there is an addition of advanced glycation terminal merchandises. In decision it is clear to see patients with glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase lack must be highly careful in their usage of merchandises that could perchance do oxidative emphasis. However. it seems that is an highly difficult undertaking since there are so many merchandises on the market and unless more research is done it would be impossible to cognize what is safe and what is non. Another hazard lies non merely on the custodies of the patients. but besides on the doctor. Recent research in Iran. where G6PD lack is highly common. was done to prove blood bags used for transfusions or exchange. Samples were taken from 261 blood bags and examined by topographic point fluorescence for G6PD lack. In add-on. patients having blood were examined for haemoglobin. haematocrit. and hematoidin before and after transfusion. They were besides examined for haemoglobinuria. factors involved in haemolysis due to G6PD lack. and oxidizers. The consequences were amazing and showed that 37 of the bloo d bags had the G6PD lack and about 81 % of the transfusion receivers had at least one hazard factor for haemolysis. This merely goes to demo the earnestness involved in monitoring such a status. Plants Cited: Carter SM. Gross SJ. Glucose-6-Phospate Dehydrogenase Deficiency.hypertext transfer protocol: //www. emedicine. com/med/topic900. htm ; 29 Aug 2005.Gaskin RS. Estwick D. Peddi R. G6PD lack: its function in the high prevalence of high blood pressureand diabetes mellitus. Ethn Dis 2001 ; 11:749-54. PMID 11763298. Nabavizadeh SH. Anushiravani A. The prevalence of G6PD lack in blood transfusionreceivers. Hematology 2007 ; Vol. 12 Issue 1. p85-88.

2016 Presidential Debates - Schedule and Rules

2016 Presidential Debates - Schedule and Rules The 2016 presidential debate schedule had the White House hopefuls sparring more than a year before the election for Presidential Barack Obamas successor. The first of more than a dozen debates in the 2016 presidential election cycle was held in August 2015 among the large field of Republican candidates seeking the partys nomination. There were at least 23 presidential debates scheduled across the primary and general-election seasons, including 12 sponsored by the Republican National Committee and 11 by the Democratic National Committee. The Commission on Presidential Debates also schedule three presidential debates and one vice-presidential debate in the run-up to the November 2016 general election, as it has done in years past. General Election Debates After voters of both parties chose  their nominees - Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton - the nonprofit and nonpartisan  Commission on Presidential Debates scheduled three presidential debates before the 2016 election. Heres the presidential debate schedule in the general-election: Monday, Sept. 26, 2016:  The first presidential debate of the fall campaign will be held at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016:  The first and only debate among the vice presidential nominees will be held at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016: The second presidential debate of the fall campaign will be held at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.   Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016:  The third presidential debate of the fall campaign will be held at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Republican Presidential Debate Schedule The Republican Party drastically cut its presidential debate schedule following the recommendations of a 2013 critique of its 2012 election losses; the report noted that the number of primary debates had grown from six in 1980 to 20 in 2012. Wrote Republican National Committee spokesman Sean Spicer: â€Å"Most observers concluded after the 2012 election that the packed debate schedule was a disservice to the candidates - and, more important, to the voters. The schedule kept candidates off the campaign trail, robbing them of time that otherwise could have been spent meeting with voters, listening to their concerns and trying to earn their support. The Republican National Committee sanctioned a dozen presidential debates in the 2016 primary cycle. Heres when the GOP presidential candidates debated: Aug.  6, 2015:  Cleveland, Ohio Sept.  16, 2015:  Simi Valley, California Oct. 28, 2015:  Boulder, Colorado Nov. 10, 2015: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dec.  15, 2015:  Las Vegas, Nevada Jan. 14, 2016: North Charleston, South Carolina Jan. 28, 2016: Des Moines, Iowa Feb.  6, 2016:  Manchester, New Hampshire   Feb.  13, 2016: Greenville, South Carolina   Feb. 25, 2016: Houston, Texas March 3, 2016: Detroit, Michigan March 10, 2016: Miama, Florida Democratic Presidential Debate Schedule The Democratic National Committee held  11 debates between the two candidates seeking the partys presidential nomination in 2016, former U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Heres when the Democratic candidates debated: Oct. 13, 2015: Las Vegas, Nevada Nov. 14, 2015: Des Moines, Iowa Dec. 19, 2015: Manchester, New Hampshire Jan. 17, 2016: Charleston, South Carolina Jan. 25, 2016: Des Moines, Iowa Feb. 4, 2016: Durham, New Hampshire Feb. 11, 2016: Milwaukee, Wisconsin March 6, 2016: Flint, Michigan March 9, 2016: Miama, FloridaApril, 2016May, 2016

A&P Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A&P Discussion - Essay Example The five-liter per minute blood flow indicates how the fatty materials have built up along the arterial walls that the volumetric blood rate becomes this low. (2) Immunosuppressive Disorder, otherwise known as immunodeficiency disorder, pertains to any condition that impairs the ability of a human body to combat infections as such disorder suppresses a natural response of the immune system to an antigen. Besides being genetically transferred, it may be acquired in the form as AIDS and one may obtain the virus responsible for it through sexual intercourse or transfusion with a contaminated blood or needles. This sensitive condition would normally require isolation of an immunosuppressive person for becoming increasing prone to infections. Health care environment may put the person to a higher risk of exposure to factors that worsen his situation since there are several other ill patients who possess contagious disease that may readily spread in the open and bring about different types of infections at varying degree. (3) G.I.

Consumer Buyer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Consumer Buyer Behaviour - Essay Example (2011). FORBES NAMES NIKE MOST VALUABLE BRAND IN SPORTS. Available at http://business.transworld.net/74449/news/forbes-names-nike-most-valuable-brand-in-sports/ [Accessed on Dec 17th 2012] The global pc market share has observed some extraordinary changes observed by different brands in terms of their market share and revenue. Lenovo has emerged as a global leader in market share in third quarter of 2012 (Gartner, 2012). On the other hand, US PC Vendor market has seen no significant difference in 2012. HP holds the number one spot with 25% of market share followed by Dell and Apple with 21.7% and 12.0% market share. Apple is still the most desired brand of computers in the world but the price of their products restricts major population from acquiring it. Global television market is a very competitive market with so many brands fighting to gain the maximum share in the market. Korea-based companies are still the number in the world television manufacturer with overall 20% market share going to Samsung and 9% to Sony (Displaybank, 2012). In this section, we are going to discuss the current television market trends in global market and the market share of different companies in 2011. Data Source: Displaybank (2012). Result of Flat-panel TV Shipment in 2011 - Korea Leads, China Rapidly Progresses, Japan Slows. Available at http://www.displaybank.com/_eng/share/press_view.html?id=225804 [Accessed on Dec 17th 2012]. With the financial crisis throughout Europe, British Banking sector has become more focused towards its core features (Pettinger T., 2011). Banking sector has a great value in the overall GDP and national output of the nation as mentioned by Pettinger T. (2011). Banking sector alone contributes as much as  £70 billion to the overall output of the country. In terms of tax, the percentage goes to 25% corporation tax which is estimated around  £8 billion. This analysis has a huge impact over the customer trust on different banks and

Applied Economics-Using SAS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Applied Economics-Using SAS - Assignment Example The theory of price mechanism is of significant role in the capital market as it determines the demand and supply in of various commodities. In this theory there are variables which help determine its applications. These variables are both independent and dependent. Just as the theory of supply there is a determinant of the supply which ranges depending on the demand. In planning for business based on this theory there is always seasons in which some products are in high demand than others. For example if we check the school products like books are in great demand during the time when students go to school, when we are planning for this case one needs to have these goods on store to prepare for the demand anticipated. The variables such as number of students in need of books and the quantity of books available, with this the books demand is dependent on the population of

The Use Of Borrowings In Political Articles English Language Essay

The Use Of Borrowings In Political Articles English Language Essay The purpose of this research is to investigate what the notion borrowing means, how words can be borrowed, what types of borrowing are. To accomplish this goal theoretical research and analysis of political articles were done. The result of the research showed that words are frequently borrowed indirectly, they have Latin or French origin and there are many phonetic and morphemic types of borrowing in political articles. Key words: borrowing, language, word. INTRODUCTION Language is an important tool of communication. A man cannot develop without it properly. It is a main mean due to what a man can express his feelings, emotions and attitude towards reality. Language is the most powerful armor what a man can posses. A man can praise with a word, admire, or even kill with it help. An ability to use words correctly, to be eloquent was highly appreciated since the ancient times. This ability helped to cope with problems, decide and convince. Especially, eloquence was very useful in political discourse. Politicians used all their knowledge and rhetoric in order to achieve their goal. They very carefully chose words when they performed with their speech on stage. Every word carried a definite meaning and served for a particular purpose. Politics, economy, science, education are spheres which demand a specific language. Such language helps to separate one sphere from another. A good example is a political language. The vocabulary of political language is very rich and expressive not only due to the primordial words of a language, but also to words borrowed from other languages. The goal of the research is to investigate the use of borrowings in political articles. The enabling objectives were set up to achieve the researchs goal: to analyse theory on borrowings; to find out the types of borrowings; to analyse political articles; to find out how words are mostly borrowed; to summarize and interpret findings. The research is based on a hypothesis: words, used in political articles, are borrowed frequently in the indirect way and most of them have Latin or French origin. The methods of the research: Theoretical (the analysis of the information and theory on borrowings, their types, ways of borrowing); Practical (the analysis of political articles, the analysis of the examples). Short outline of chapters: The first chapter gives the analysis of the theory on borrowings. The second chapter provides the findings of the research and presents the summary of the research. THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF BORROWING This chapter deals with theoretical material on what borrowing is, what ways of borrowing exist, and what types of borrowing present. Definition of Borrowing As postulated in Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics, a borrowing is a word or phrase which has been taken from one language and used in another language (1992: 42). According to Reformatorskiy, There is no language on earth which lexicon would consist only of its own primordial words (1997: 139). Every language uses borrowings, which help enrich its vocabulary. He states that Borrowings are consequence of interaction of different people and nations on the bases of political, trading and economical relations (1997:473). The English language has been open and not been afraid of borrowing words from other languages during the whole history of Britain. It came in a very close contact with different people and languages thereby enriching and widening its lexicon and expressiveness. As stated in Online 7, there many various borrowings in English from such languages as: Scandinavian, e.g. they, there, them, skin, sky, skirt. Celtic, e.g. clan, flannel, slogan, London, Thames, Dover. Dutch, e.g. yacht, buoy, leak. There are words borrowed from Dutch, which are related to shipping. German, e.g. bear, kindergarten. Italian, e.g. piano, solo, pizza, balcony, opera. Spanish, e.g. guitar, barbeque, ranch. Arabic, e.g. alcohol, zero, tariff. French, e.g. government, parliament, court, nation, property, royal, money. There are enormous amount of words from French in English language. Latin, e.g. bonus, area, collapse. Greek, e.g. comedy, tragedy, physics, zoology. A great quantity of words were borrowed from both, Latin and Greek, especially during Renaissance Period, when was renewed the interest in classical languages. Ways of Borrowing There are two ways of borrowing: Directly Directly means that borrowing happens spontaneously, directly from other language (Reformatorskiy, 1997: 475). e.g. Developers analysing the data warned that in some cases it could be incomplete. (Online 12) Data: L. Eng. (Online 16) Indirectly Indirectly means that borrowing happens through mediators. Mediators usually are other languages (Reformatorskiy, 1997: 475). e.g. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ follows a long-running campaign by the Guardian and campaigners for open government.'(Online 12) Campaign: L. L.L. O.Fr. Fr.- Eng. (Online 16) Types of Borrowing There are four main types of borrowing: Phonetic borrowings As stated in Online 17, phonetic borrowings, called also loan words proper. Words are borrowed with their meaning, spelling and pronunciation. Translation loan or calque Translation loan or calque is word- for word (morpheme for morpheme) translation of some foreign word or expression. On such cases the notion is borrowed from a foreign language but it is expressed by native lexical units (Online 7). As indicated by Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics, another explanation of translation loan or calque is a type of borrowing, in which each morpheme or word is translated into the equivalent morpheme or word in another language (1992: 78) Semantic borrowings According to Online 6, semantic borrowings are such units when a new meaning of unit existing in the language is borrowed. Morphemic borrowings Morphemic borrowings are borrowings of affixes. (Online 17) To sum up, words can be borrowed from different languages as Latin, Greek, Spanish, Arabic, Celtic, Scandinavian, etc. There are two ways of borrowing: direct and indirect. Moreover, one can see that there are four main types of borrowings: phonetic, translation loan or calque, semantic and morphemic borrowings. PRACTICAL ANALYSIS OF BORROWING This chapter deals with a practical analysis of articles and provides examples of this analysis. Phonetic borrowings e.g. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦publishing council tax collection rates and data about the performance of services such as rubbish collection and recycling (Online 13) Rate: M.L. rata M.Fr. rate Eng. (Online 16) e.g. Mr Blair moved from a twice weekly 15 minute session to a once- a week 30 minute showdown. (Online 14) Session: L. sessionem O.Fr. session Eng. (Online 16) e.g. The fact that most cash from President Obamas $787 billion stimulus package (Online 18) Stimulus: Mod.L. stimulus Eng. (Online 16) e.g. The two sides and would shape their policy agenda. (Online 10) Agenda: L. agendum Eng. (Online 16) Translation loan or calque e.g. Since his announcement Saturday that he would be the crucial 60th vote necessary (Online 11) Saturday: English Saturday partially calques Latin DiÄâ€Å"s SaturnÄ « day of Saturn.(Online 9) e.g. The opportunity to acquire a potential masterpiece. (The Economist, p.7) Masterpiece from Gr. or Du. (Probably translation of Dutch meesterstuk or German Meisterstà ¼ck: Dutch meester and German Meister, master + Dutch stuk and German Stà ¼ck, piece of work.) (Online 15 ) Semantic borrowings e.g. The bail-out of the banks coincided with the loss of jobs. (The Economist, p.3) The German semantic word die Bà ¤nke originally meant a bench. The English noun a bank has more than one meaning: it means a place where people and organization can invest and borrow money; a sloping raised land along the sides of a river; a pile or mass of earth, clouds; a row of similar things, a bench. However, German later borrowed the other meaning of a bank from English, and today also means a place where people and organization can invest and borrow money; a sloping raised land along the sides of a river; a pile or mass of earth, clouds; a row of similar things.'(Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary 2008: 104) Morphemic borrowings e.g. Critics say the job was always earmarked for a Liberal Democrat, irrespective of their qualifications. (Online 10) Irrespective = ir + respective from L._ ir (not). (Online 16) e.g. A cut in the basic rate of tax, a hugely unpopular move he later admitted was a mistake. (Online 8) Unpopular = un + popular from O.E. _un (not) (Online 16) Overall, political articles are full of different types of borrowings. Almost every second word may be considered to be as a borrowing. There are great quantities of phonetic and morphemic borrowings in political articles. Translation loan or calque may appear in colloquial language or literal language rather than in political one. CONCLUSION In conclusion, all words, which are used in a definite language, form its lexicon. Besides it own words, every language has borrowings in its vocabulary. The main purpose of borrowings is to enrich vocabulary of particular language and to make notion more precise. Drawing conclusion is completely based on the results of the analysis of theory on borrowings and the analysis of political articles. On the basis of data collected from political articles, most of words are borrowed indirectly. When analysing the results of the theory and political discourse, the research proved that, the types of borrowing which are mostly presented in political articles are phonetic and morphemic borrowings. The results point to an interesting trend that most of borrowings come from Latin and French languages. The hypothesis of the research has been proved, because in political discourse most of words are borrowed in indirect way and most of them has Latin or French origin. THESES Most of words are borrowed indirectly. There are four main types of borrowings: phonetic, translation loan or calque, semantic and morphemic borrowings. The types of borrowing which are mostly presented in political articles are phonetic and morphemic borrowings. Most of borrowings come from Latin and French languages. Translation loan or calque may appear in colloquial language or literal language rather than in political one. The main purpose of borrowings is to enrich vocabulary of particular language and to make notion more precise.

Marco Polo :: Biographies Biographical Essays

Marco Polo is one of the most well-known heroic travelers and traders around the world. In my paper I will discuss with you Marco Polo's life, his travels, and his visit to China to see the great Khan. Marco Polo was born in c.1254 in Venice. He was a Venetian explorer and merchant whose account of his travels in Asia was the primary source for the European image of the Far East until the late 19th century. Marco's father, Niccolà ¹, and his uncle Maffeo had traveled to China (1260-69) as merchants. When they left (1271) Venice to return to China, they were accompanied by 17-year-old Marco and two priests. Early Life Despite his enduring fame, very little was known about the personal life of Marco Polo. It is known that he was born into a leading Venetian family of merchants. He also lived during a propitious time in world history, when the height of Venice's influence as a city-state coincided with the greatest extent of Mongol conquest of Asia(Li Man Kin 9). Ruled by Kublai Khan, the Mongol Empire stretched all the way from China to Russia and the Levant. The Mongol hordes also threatened other parts of Europe, particularly Poland and Hungary, inspiring fear everywhere by their bloodthirsty advances. Yet the ruthless methods brought a measure of stability to the lands they controlled, opening up trade routes such as the famous Silk Road. Eventually,the Mongols discovered that it was more profitable to collect tribute from people than to kill them outright, and this policy too stimulated trade(Hull 23). Into this favorable atmosphere a number of European traders ventured, including the family of Marco Polo. The Polos had long- established ties in the Levant and around the Black Sea: for example, they owned property in onstantinople, and Marco's uncle, for whom he was named, had a home in Sudak in the Crimea(Rugoff 8). From Sudak, around 1260, another uncle, Maffeo, and Marco's father, Niccolà ¹, made a trading visit into Mongol territory, the land of the Golden Horde(Russia), ruled by Berke Khan. While they were there, a war broke out between Berke and the Cowan of Levant, blocking their return home. Thus Niccolà ¹ and Maffeo traveled deeper into mongol territory, moving southeast to Bukhara, which was ruled by a third Cowan. While waiting there, they met an emissary traveling farther eastward who invited them to accompany him to the court of the great Cowan, Kublai, in Cathay(modern China). In Cathay, Kublai Khan gave the Polos a friendly reception, appointed them his emissaries to the pope, and ensured their safe travel back to Europe(Steffof 10).