The Ukrainian Higher Education System Today

A lot of us soon or late being either thinking students or worrying parents face with such problems â€Å"Which school is the best to study? Higher or Secondary Education† All this questions do not have clear and right answer but even though education is still one of the main and the most important problems of our society. So, how does the classical education system present itself? During the period of Renaissances- lyceums, colleges and gymnasiums were the main elements of High Education. And the basic subjects were Latin and Greek language, history and literature.Its aim was acquire of self-education skills, which in further life would help in studying out other subjects. In addition, this system of education was paid, that is why it was available to not all population. Classical education was substituted be real education, the foundations of which were exact science. Real education system has given the ability for developing of technical specialization. New, at that time kn owledge of math, physics and chemistry have brought into life electricity, steam machinery and electronic. In the beginning of the 20th century the education was still paid.But with the advent to power Communists Party, the education has become free. Free education became available for every person, even from villages, small towns and poverty from cities. The young state developed industry enterprises, built railways, were mastering virgin soil and Sibir. All this activities needed the specialists in exact science. In Soviet Union the school was chosen due to place of living. All school were the similar: the same program, same books, same education. Such position made senseless searching for another school.However, there was small number of special schools with deeper studying of foreign languages as German, French, Spanish and of course English. For the liquidation of illiteracy on one level with daily there also were evening schools, where adult people could receive basic knowledg e. Huge number of soviet people even having families wanted to be educated. Therefore Soviet Republics spaced a lot of means and attention to Higher and Secondary Education. The peculiarity of secondary Technical Education was receiving school education simultaneous with receiving specialization.Higher education stipulated for going out to better position in society. The quality of real education, on sample of Soviet Union, had given huge number of experts who later were demanded all over the world. In the end of 20th century great country died, as died its education system. New government decided to return some points of classical education. As you can see, among us someone graduated from simple school, someone from lyceum, someone from gymnasium. However, the attempts to resume the classical education were done partially.That means that the refuse of real education did not bring the increasing of education level. The fact is that all knowledge received must be used in labor activi ty. If it is not so- such knowledge does not make sense. The problem of our country today is small demand of technical knowledge. We really have specialists but they are old and they even do not have ability to share their skills with. We do not have enough factories to work, we do not have appropriate substitution for this, that is why we just simply cannot gave good specialist.We have bad statistic, there is small number of people who really wants to study and does it but then when they finally received their knowledge in our corrupt country, they prefer to use it abroad. The position of our villages is so frightening that young, just graduated students, do not want to work there. That is why now in 21st century every person have to clarify what to do and how, because who else will teach, treat and rule is now you choose irresponsibility, laziness and indifference†¦

How Do We Cultivate Interest in Reading Essay

How often have we heard other people saying that they have no time for reading? This is a mere excuse. In actual words, they are implying that they have lost the urge to educate themselves by keeping abreast with the current trends of thought like science and technology. This trend can be seen in many young people today and not only do they come up with excuses that they have no time for reading, quite a handful of them have absolutely no interest in reading. One must know that education does not end upon leaving school or university. Knowledge is infinite and to acquire knowledge is a never-ending process. What can be done to cultivate young people’s interest in reading? Firstly, parents can play their part in encouraging their children to read by setting an example. As most of the young people today are easily influenced by their environment, they will be influenced by their parents’ interest in reading and will pick up reading, helping nurture their interest in reading as a result. Parents can also bring their children to browse in the library or bookstore and allow them to browse on their own and select the books which genres are to their preference. By giving them the opportunity to choose their own books, they will be able to discover their area of interest in the different types of genres and will be keen to read more of the books of the specific genres they are interested in. This will enable them to develop an interest in reading. Secondly, schools can play their part in cultivating their students’ interest in reading by inviting a famous author to share her experiences of reading and writing to the students. Through sharing her experiences of reading and writing to the students, they will be more motivated to read and find out more about the author’s books. This will help them discover the joy and fun of reading and thus enabling them to develop an interest in reading. Schools should also organize special activities for the students to promote a reading culture. For example, the students can be asked to read any book of their choice and then a day should be decided where they will discuss about the books they have read recently. This will not only grow reading interest among the young generation but also help them to improve their vocabulary and language. Lastly, the young people should be responsible in cultivating their interest in reading. If they have no idea on the specific books that they want to read or a specific genre that they are interested in, they should ask their friends or teachers for recommendations or consult a list of books other young people have enjoyed reading and try reading them. They should also make an effort to read during their leisure time and pick up reading as a hobby. This will not only enable them to develop an interest in reading but acquire valuable knowledge from the books they read. Reading links us from the past to the present. Different facets of our personality are linked together by books. Books serve as both milestones and sign-posts in our journey through life. They are the wardrobes of our thoughts and imagination, the talisman against boredom, pain, tragedies and frustration which assail us. In reading books, we are able to share the author’s secrets and thoughts, his joy and happiness, his sorrow and distress. We form a bond of friendship more lasting than any other human relationship. Therefore, it is important that young people develop an interest in reading as reading is the greatest of all educators.

Advantage of Non-Financial Measures

advantages Non-financial measures offer four clear advantages over measurement systems based on financial data. First of these is a closer link to long-term organizational strategies. Financial evaluation systems generally focus on annual or short-term performance against accounting yardsticks. They do not deal with progress relative to customer requirements or competitors, nor other non-financial objectives that may be important in achieving profitability, competitive strength and longer-term strategic goals. For example, new product development or expanding organizational capabilities may be important strategic goals, but may hinder short-term accounting performance. By supplementing accounting measures with non-financial data about strategic performance and implementation of strategic plans, companies can communicate objectives and provide incentives for managers to address long-term strategy. Second, critics of traditional measures argue that drivers of success in many industries are â€Å"intangible assets† such as intellectual capital and customer loyalty, rather than the â€Å"hard assets† allowed on to balance sheets. Although it is difficult to quantify intangible assets in financial terms, non-financial data can provide indirect, quantitative indicators of a firm's intangible assets. One study examined the ability of non-financial indicators of â€Å"intangible assets† to explain differences in US companies' stock market values. It found that measures related to innovation, management capability, employee relations, quality and brand value explained a significant proportion of a company's value, even allowing for accounting assets and liabilities. By excluding these intangible assets, financially oriented measurement can encourage managers to make poor, even harmful, decisions. We Suggest†¦ Jeremy Siegel on the Market: Rough Going for Now, but Stocks Still a Good Bet Re-examining Stock Options as a Way to Compensate Executives Measures That Matter: Aligning Performance Measures With Corporate Strategy Building Companies That Leave the World a Better Place The Art and Science of Measuring CEO Performance Third, non-financial measures can be better indicators of future financial performance. Even when the ultimate goal is maximizing financial performance, current financial measures may not capture long-term benefits from decisions made now. Consider, for example, investments in research and development or customer satisfaction programs. Under U. S. accounting rules, research and development expenditures and marketing costs must be charged for in the period they are incurred, so reducing profits. But successful research improves future profits if it can be brought to market. Similarly, investments in customer satisfaction can improve subsequent economic performance by increasing revenues and loyalty of existing customers, attracting new customers and reducing transaction costs. Non-financial data can provide the missing link between these beneficial activities and financial results by providing forward-looking information on accounting or stock performance. For example, interim research results or customer indices may offer an indication of future cash flows that would not be captured otherwise. Finally, the choice of measures should be based on providing information about managerial actions and the level of â€Å"noise† in the measures. Noise refers to changes in the performance measure that are beyond the control of the manager or organization, ranging from changes in the economy to luck (good or bad). Managers must be aware of how much success is due to their actions or they will not have the signals they need to maximize their effect on performance. Because many non-financial measures are less susceptible to external noise than accounting measures, their use may improve managers' performance by providing more precise evaluation of their actions. This also lowers the risk imposed on managers when determining pay.

Ecommerce law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ecommerce law - Essay Example Suppliers, on the other hand, are limited to bring a dispute only in the MS of the consumer's domicile (Art. 162). These rules are not limited by the 'means' that the contract was concluded (Art 151c), such that it covers contracts concluded electronically, extending the protection to e-consumers. English Common Law, on the other hand holds that the choice of law will be that chosen by the parties6 unless it is not bona fide or illegal7 and can only be overridden by the mandatory rules under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 272. The absence of a choice of law, in this sense renders the country with the closest connection applicable.8 Under the Rome Convention (Convention), since it can apply to disputes regardless if the parties are members of a contracting state to the convention (Art 2); "a contract shall be governed by the law chosen by the parties" (Art 31). ... In the United Kingdom, these are set by the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977, as well as precedents in Common Law. In all three laws, the applicable law will be that chosen by the parties. However, under the three laws, for the rules regarding the absence of a choice of law to be enforced, it is required that 'steps necessary for the conclusion of the contract,' as well as 'specific invitation' or 'previous advertising' are conducted in a country for that country's rules to be applicable (Convention, Art 52; Regulation, Art 133a; Unfair Contract Terms Act 272).9 These provisions, however, entail certain problems. First, the lack of clear definitions regarding fundamental concepts, such the word 'professionals' for both the Regulation and the Convention; and the definition of 'goods and services' under Art 5 1 of the Convention, which does not cover the sale of software as well as content downloads, are bound to create jurisdictional problems for consumers. Second, with regard to the Convention, the rules are not flexible enough to cover changes in the geographic location of the consumer (Art 5 4), which are common in online transactions. This is in contrast to Art 15 1c of the Regulation, where the directed activity concept caters to changes in the consumer's geographic location, provided that they are within the target audience of the professional; which unfortunately is rendered problematic due to lack of legal definition of 'professional', as mentioned above. Third, the consumer is also in danger of losing the protection of his domicile' s 'mandatory rules' as stated in Art 72 due to the requirement in Art 52 that the supplier must first indicate intent to reach a certain market to be applicable, illustrating inflexibility. Last, with

The Russian Ruble crisis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Russian Ruble crisis - Assignment Example One, the economic hardships in Russia at the time had taken a political dimension. This derailed the government’s course to adhere to the targets set by IMF. Two, the tax system in Russia was so complicated to be aligned with the IMF requirements. Three, increasing public debts made it harder for the Russian government to implement IMF’s demands. Finally, the Russian government had other economic hardships that awaited its attention; among them persistent inflation and critically low ruble value. Russia’s tax cuts and increased government revenue had been deemed unachievable for quite some time. The early 2000s move and subsequent results proved otherwise. Reduced tax rates translated to increased government revenue. This was the case because individual and corporate tax payers considered compliance to be cheaper than evading tax payment. This realization did not mean that policy prescriptions by IMF were wrong. Rather, the Russian government took action with regard to its situation subject to having parted ways with the

Compare and contrast standard Expected Utility theory and Prospect Essay

Compare and contrast standard Expected Utility theory and Prospect theory - Essay Example Standard expected utility theory represents preference over risky objects, by weighted average of utility assigned to each possible outcome, where the weights are the probability of each outcome (Expected Utility Theory, 2008). This theory analyses all the risk factors before taking decisions. For example, investments in share markets may yield a good return or a big loss. But investments in term deposits may guarantee a fixed return. Thus many of the investors opt for the investments in term deposits in order to avoid risks in investing in share markets. Prospect theory on the other hand analyses decisions among alternatives which involve risks. â€Å"Under prospect theory, value is assigned to gains and losses rather than to final assets; also probabilities are replaced by decision weights† (Prospect Theory, n. d). For example, investments in share market and mutual funds involve risks. But compared to share market investment, mutual fund investment are safer. Prospect theor y thus helps people to take proper decisions among the risky alternatives available. This paper compares and contrast Standard expected utility theory and prospect theory. Sebora (1995) has mentioned that expected utility theory suggests that choices should be made by weighing the outcomes (gains or losses) of actions by their probabilities and the alternative which has the maximum utility should be selected. Prospect theory, on the other hand, indicates that, decision makers prefer to simplify their choices cognitively whenever possible, satisfying rather than maximizing (Sebora, 1995, p.4). Gain or losses is given more emphasise in expected utility theory. Big gains expected with high risks will be given least preferences compared to small gains with least risks according to the expected utility theory. For example, consider a person with the choices of getting an excellent salaried job with high risk and a moderately salaried job with low

Transition Of Corporate Power And How It Effect Fashion Industry Assignment

Transition Of Corporate Power And How It Effect Fashion Industry - Assignment Example The paper "Transition Of Corporate Power And How It Effect Fashion Industry" discusses Transition Of Corporate Power And How It Effect Fashion Industry. In the fashion sector, the corporate should be focusing on the governance so that they maximize residuals and in thecases of investor-owned firms, theyhave to make a pro datadistribution to theshareholders. The pro-data distribution allows accountability when it comes to government subsidies and the role of labor laws and community interest. An example of a transition of corporate power in thefashionindustry is China. China is one of the largest consumers of textile with its population of 400 million, giving a high demand for textile. In the past, the fashion industry has faced problems starting from insufficient raw materials and inadequate technology. In 1950, the Chinese government started it five-year plan with the construction of cotton mills, printing and dyeing plants. The plan was not only meeting the demands of the growing p opulation but also to provide employment. The government solely embarked on the production, structure and distribution. It however failed to meet the requirements of its population, so the government introduced a modernized method of the open policy. Therefore, allowed foreign direct investors to do businesses in China. It also enabled China to renovate its outdated industry rapidly and also make new economic ties with other countries. The result was a transformation of the intermediate products like thread.

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Report - Essay Example It also plays its fair portion in UK’s violence and crime too. Therefore, understanding football culture in Britain is a sure way to understand the British culture and a fitting approach to recognize the significance of a sport to a country, especially with the 2018 World cup and London Olympic 2012 in site. The purpose of this report is therefore to understand how the football culture has influenced the society of Britain and British people. England is considered as the ‘mother of football’. This is not surprising when considering the fact that the world’s oldest association football club (Sheffield F. C.), the oldest national football governing body (The Football Association), the first National football team and the oldest national football league (The Football League) have all raised in England There are many football clubs in UK at national, regional and local levels and all the home nations (English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish) have separate teams and domestic competitions. Currently, the Premier League, UK’s topmost domestic league, is one of the wealthiest and most popular sports league in the world (Football in England, 2011). British football fans consider playing football as a social event and will travel greater distances to participate in their favored sport, made more enjoyable with an occasional visit to a pub before and after the game and meeting old friends. They may also have a sentimental attachment to the location or the ground where the game is played. The high ticketing costs of the Premier League matches have not discouraged the loyal fans away from their beloved sport and as reported by Guilinotti (2005), ‘some estimates value soccer- related business at over ? 250 billion in 2003’ Rise of the future football talents are encouraged by means of football scholarships given by universities, colleges and charitable trusts (eg. Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, Youth Sport Trust) and children of all ages play football in UK and get trained in football clubs. All these factors points to the fact that football is an important issue in cultural, social and economical aspects of Britain. Why the sport football happen to be a great event in Britain? That is because this game has been able to interwoven into the British culture as no other game could. There are British football magazines and papers, television and radio channels competing with each other to provide the British people with latest football news and events, it is in arts, music, films and books and there are many football souvenirs like shirts and caps and even sticker books for children. Talented football players have become role models, especially to young children. Football has the capacity to change people’s mood, according to the victory or defeat of their supporting team. No other sport has this level of influence upon the British society or the people in UK. The football culture is the cultural aspect s surrounding the game of association football. Thus, it is worthwhile to discuss the manner in which this simple game has diffused into the British culture, its people and their lives. Generally, ‘culture’ is defined as a set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or a group (Culture, 2011) and ‘Culture of UK’ refers to the patterns of human activity and symbolism associated with UK and its people (Culture of the United Kingdom, 2011) ). Presence

School Workload and Sleep Deprivation in Adolescent Tardiness Research Paper

School Workload and Sleep Deprivation in Adolescent Tardiness - Research Paper Example Student’s Study Time and Their Homework Problem (Zuzanek, 2008) explores the students’ workloads, its demographics, trends, and its personal implications for the student’s well-being. The study explores the relationship of the study time the students spend (both at school and at home) and the so-called â€Å"homework problem† raised by North Americans. It is interesting to know from the study the possible reasons behind tardiness related to the time spent by students at school, though no direct analysis was stated in this study between school workload and tardiness. This should provide a vague understanding on what might a student experiencing heavy school workload for them to consider being tardy in classes. Both independent (study time) and dependent (â€Å"homework problem†) variables used in this study are broadly defined, but may provide valuable information for this paper. The participants in this study used time diaries programmed with  "beeper self-reports† wherein they log their activity, its importance and interest, their location, people around them, affect, feelings of time pressure, willingness to do anything else, and will take place when they were signaled by the â€Å"beep†. ... This research measured the student’s study time (also in comparison with other countries) and the determinants of what was called â€Å"homework problem†. However, the article did not further discuss the â€Å"class time problem† even if it mentions its greater urgency than â€Å"homework problem† in when students prefer to do anything else; perhaps it is already beyond the focus of the paper. Psychosocial Aspects of Truancy in Early Adolescence (Nielsen & Gerber, 1979) investigated the aspects of truancy among the selected 33 truants within those individuals, their families, their peers, and their school teachers and administrators. The independent variables are the psychosocial aspects while the dependent variable is truancy. This study presents an interesting concept of truancy, for even if it is a different concept from tardiness, it does have a common similarity: the former speaks of absence from school in terms of school days while the latter deals w ith the absence from school in terms of school minutes or hours. Caution must be exercised not to consider tardiness as a less harmful form of truancy, as these concepts are perceived to be completely different, as truancy is likely intentional while most cases of tardiness is not, though students disliked their habit of being truant. This study used different methods in extracting the psychosocial aspects of truancy, namely interview to the truants and school administrators, analysis of the school data of the incidences of truancy, grades, test scores and attendances of the truants under study. The sample truants were scheduled for interview using a 60-90 minute

Racism against black people Essay Example for Free

Racism against black people Essay Slavery in the United States began after English colonists first settled Virginia and lasted until the Thirteenth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution in 1865. The American colonies were established with the idea of freedom and liberty to all but has change into racism. Now, racism against African Americans in America has been a huge problem in the south. Slavery in the United States began soon after English colonists first settled Virginia and lasted until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1865. The 19th century saw a hardening of institutionalized racism and legal discrimination against citizens of African descent in the United States. Although technically able to vote, poll taxes, acts of terror (often perpetuated by groups like the KKK) and discriminatory laws kept African Americans disenfranchised, particularly in the South. During this time, segregation, racial discrimination and expressions of white supremacy all increased, as did anti-black violence such as lynching and race riots. Racism, which had been viewed primarily as a problem in the Southern states, burst onto the national consciousness following the Great Migration, the relocation of millions of African Americans from their roots in the Southern states to the industrial centers of the North after World War I. This took place particularly in cities such as Boston, Chicago and New York (Harlem). In northern cities, racial tensions exploded most violently in Chicago. The 1950s and 1960s saw the peaking of the American Civil Rights Movement with the desegregation of schools in 1954 and the organizing of widespread protests across the nation under a younger generation of leaders. Martin Luther King was a catalyst for many nonviolent protests in the 1960s, which led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The act prohibited discrimination in public facilities, in government and in employment and invalidating the Jim Crow laws (which mandated segregation in all public facilities, with a separate but equal status for black Americans and other non-white racial groups) in the southern United States. It became illegal to force segregation of the races in schools, housing or  hiring. This signified a change in the social acceptance of racism that had been written into American law and an increase in the number of opportunities available for people of color in the United States. However, African American poverty and education inequalities continue and have deepened in the post-industrial era.

Processes Involved In The Production Of Precipitation Biology Essay

Processes Involved In The Production Of Precipitation Biology Essay Precipitation is one of the most important factors in the water cycle, which all life forms on Earth revolve around. However without the essential conditions and processes occurring, precipitation would not be possible. Introduction Precipitation results when cloud particles become too heavy therefore they fall to the Earths surface as water that comes either in solid (Hail, ice-pellets, snow, diamond dust, sleet and snow grains) or liquid form (Rain, freezing rain and drizzle), falling from the atmosphere towards the Earths surface. In order for precipitation to occur, cloud formation is an essential process. Discussion Cloud formation Figure 1 Cloud formation Sourced from: http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/ Clouds form from the process of condensation due to adiabatic processes. Unstable conditions result in an air parcel rising until it cools at dew-point temperature, therefore becoming saturated. A decrease in atmospheric pressure results in the expansion of air molecules in the parcel, therefore this causes a decrease in temperature. This process is known as adiabatic cooling and has a constant lapse rate of 10Co per 1000 metres. However air sinking down the atmosphere increases in temperature due to being compressed by the constant increase in air pressure, which is known as adiabatic heating. Further cooling results from the air parcel being lifted, thus condensation of water vapour occurs. The presence of cloud condensation nuclei is mandatory for water to condense amongst molecules of air. To summarise, cloud formation occurs based on the conditions of saturated air, cooling mechanisms and lastly the presence of cloud condensation nuclei. http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/~wintelsw/MET1010LOL/chapter06/adiabatic01.jpg Precipitation processes The form undertaken by precipitation depends mainly on the formation method and the present temperature during the formation. Two of the main theories accepted as being principally responsible for the formation of the precipitation particles are the Collision-coalescence process and the Bergeron/ ice crystal process. Collision coalescence process: A theory for warmer clouds in low latitudes, it states that as water droplets are cohesive, upon colliding with one another, they merge. Evidence for this theory has been seen in warmer sections of clouds where moisture exist solely in liquid state, with larger droplets overtaking smaller droplets whilst falling due to their less buoyant state, and merging with them to form a larger droplet. (See Figure 1) The increased mass of the droplets defy the updrafts of clouds and begin their descent to Earths surface. http://san.hufs.ac.kr/~gwlee/session8/images/collision.gif Bergeron/Ice crystal process: Figure 2: Collision-coalescence process Sourced from: http:/ san.hufs.ac.krProposed in the 1920s by Swedish meteorologist Tor Bergeron, the theory states that due to the lowered saturated pressure of the ice-crystal, as compared to the water vapour, this results in the ice-crystal growing larger in size as surrounding water vapour evaporates. Once the ice crystals are large enough to fall, they pass through the warm, lower portion of clouds where they absorb more moisture therefore increasing yet again in size. (Figure 2) The ice-crystals will then either melt and precipitate as rain or precipitate from the clouds as snowflakes. Figure 3: The Bergeron Process- Sourced from: http://geography.hunter.cuny.eduhttp://www.geography.hunter.cuny.edu/~tbw/wc.notes/5.cond.precip/precipitation/bergeron.process.jpg The forms of precipitation depend mainly on the air temperature and turbulences. The major forms of precipitation include Rain, Snow, Sleet (Also known as freezing rain) and hail. Rain The most common form of precipitate, it consists of droplets of liquid water. Though their sizes vary, droplets are usually between 2-5mm in diameter. Rain droplets may reduce in size and distance between each other as a result of the temperature of the air mass being slightly less than the dew point. This then is known as Drizzle. Snow The second most common form of precipitate, snow occurs when water vapour freezes directly prior to passing through sublimation, thereby forming tiny crystals around the freezing nuclei as seen in the Bergeron process. http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/primer/winter/images/snow.jpg Figure 4- Snow formation Sourced from: http://nssl.noaa.gov(Figure 4) Sleet Rain falling down to Earth gets passed through a reasonably thick layer of cold air near Earths surface therefore freezing. (Figure 5) Glaze Figure 5- Temperature differences with precipitation forms Sourced from: http://uiuc.edu/ forestry/publications/pdf/ urban_community_forestry/ trees_and_ice_storms_2006.pdfWhile Sleet is formed by raindrops freezing during descent, Glaze is formed the instant raindrops collide with a solid object. Hail A lesser-common precipitate, the formation of hail begins with the lifting of ice-crystals caused by strong updrafts in a cumulonimbus cloud. (Figure 6) Cooled by circulating inside the cloud, the water droplets attach together, forming layers. http://www.jamesspann.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/SevereWx6.jpg Figure 6-Hail formation Sourced from: NC State University (http://hatteras.meas.ncsu.edu/secc_edu/SevereWeather/body) A less common form of precipitate is: Diamond dust/ ice crystal A meteorological phenomenon, diamond dust is also known as a form of clear-sky precipitation as it forms under relatively clear skies. Atmospheric Lifting Atmospheric lifting plays a major role the formation of precipitation as mentioned above. http://geospatial.gsu.edu/geog1112/files/Lab5/Convection.jpg Convective Lifting Figure 7- Convective lifting Sourced from: Pearson prentice hall Inc. 2007/As different surface areas have various temperatures due to unequal heating, conduction causes the air parcel to be warmer than surrounding air (Figure 7). Heated air expands as its density decreases; therefore the air parcel rises towards the lower-density layer. As the air continues to rise, this results in the pressure of the unstable air decreasing. Thus the air cools adiabatically until the dew point temperature has been reached. Precipitation that forms from convective lifting, convective precipitation, is common in warmer regions of the globe and is observed to be light showers with large raindrops. However convective precipitation usually last for short durations at a time. http://media-1.web.britannica.com/eb-media/51/135451-004-A6B6636B.jpg Orographic Lifting Figure 8 Orographic lifting Sourced from: http://britannica.comAscending air is forced upwards a land mass, usually due to a topographic barrier, where it cools adiabatically to dew point temperature and then condenses. When air stars to descend downhill, condensation and precipitation come to a halt as the air starts to warms adiabatically. Windward slope of the barrier is termed the wet side whereas the leeward slope is the dry side. The rain shadow area is considered to be from the dry side to the extent of the drying influence. Orographic precipitation is common in New Zealand due to the presence of many hills and mountain ranges in the landscape. Frontal lifting This type of lifting occurs due to a front, which is defined by Whittow (2000) as being the boundary plane between two air masses with different meteorological characteristics. The warmer air mass is forced to rise over the cold air mass, thereby cooling to dew point temperature. This then allows for the formation of clouds and the resulting frontal precipitation. http://ocw.usu.edu/forest__range__and_wildlife_sciences/wildland_fire_management_and_planning/lifting3.jpg Figure 9- Frontal Lifting Sourced from: Idaho University http://www.sci.uidaho.edu Convergent Lifting Figure 10- Convergent lifting Sourced from: Idaho University http://www.sci.uidaho.eduThe least common type of atmospheric lifting, it occurs with air converging thus, uplift is formed due to crowding. Instability is then increased therefore producing showery-type precipitation. Convergent lifting is linked to cyclonic storms and is far more common in lower latitudes, as well as the intertropical convergence zone, where tropical disturbances such as hurricanes are caused by it. http://www.sci.uidaho.edu/scripter/geog100/lect/05-atmos-water-wx/05-part-7-atmos-lifting-fronts/05-25a-lifting-convergent.jpg Global distribution The amount of precipitation received in any region on Earths surface depends on the characteristics of the air mass involved, such as humidity, temperature and stability which are also dependent on the originating latitudes and the trajectory of the air mass. Figure 11- Total annual rainfall sourced from: climate-charts  © www.climate-charts.comWorldwide annual precipitation http://www.climate-charts.com/images/world-rainfall-map.png Tropical latitudes are considered to contain most of the wettest regions in the globe. This may be due to the large moisture carrying capacity of the warm easterly trade winds, hence why very heavy rainfall is often produced in those areas. Regions near the equator exhibit these circumstances, as warm and unstable air gets lifted by within the intertropical convergence zone, as the warmer ocean waters easily vaporizes. Large amounts of precipitations also form due to topographic obstacles forcing trade winds to rise. The orographic effect is exhibited in the eastern regions of tropical landmasses, such as Madagascar and N.E South America, due to the trade winds coming from the easterly direction. Drier areas are more common on the western side of continents in subtropical latitudes (20o and 30o centred ) High pressure areas, where air sinks which does not promote condensation or precipitation, are common at the latitudes mentioned above which are closer to subtropical high-pressure cells. The contrast between the precipitation received in coastal regions and interior regions of continents are also quite visible. (Figure 8) Coastal regions are able to receive a higher amount of precipitation due to being geographically closer to sources of moisture, such as oceans. Conclusion In order for precipitation to be formed, numerous conditions and processes have to be met. Adiabatic processes are key in cloud formation, which is essential for precipitation. The two main theories currently accepted as principally responsible for producing precipitation particles are the Bergeron/Ice-crystal process and the Collision-coalescence process. Forms of precipitation that arise from the processes above include, Rain, which is the most common form; Snow, Sleet, Glaze and Hail. A lesser common form is Diamond dust/Ice crystals which are known as a meteorological phenomenon. Only through the processes of atmospheric lifting can precipitation occur. The four main principle types of atmospheric lifting include Convective lifting, which is due to unequal heating on the surface; Orographic lifting, which is caused by a topographic barrier; Frontal lifting, due to fronts; and lastly convergent lifting, the least common, occurring when air converges. The distribution of precipitation varies greatly around the globe, depending however, on the characteristics of the air mass involved, such as humidity, temperature and stability which are also dependent on the originating latitudes and the trajectory of the air mass. Tropical latitudes receive the most amounts due to the moisture carrying capacity of the trade winds which also cause an orographic effect observed near the eastern regions of tropical landmasses, due to their easterly direction.

Tower of Hanoi Solutions

Tower of Hanoi Solutions Introduction The Tower of Hanoi is a puzzle popularized in 1883 by Edouard Lucas, a French scientist famous for his study of the Fibonacci sequence. However, this puzzles roots are from an ancient legend of a Hindu temple. The legend states that there is a secret room in a hidden temple that contains three large pegs. One of these poles has 64 golden disks stacked upon it, each disk being smaller then the disk underneath it, with the biggest disk at the bottom. Since the beginning of time, monks have been trying to shift the 64 disks onto the third peg. The monks also can only transfer the disks if the following rules are followed. First, the monks can only move one disk at a time, and second, they cannot put larger disks on top of smaller disks. Once all 64 disks are shifted to the third peg, the world will end. After encountering this puzzle (in a simpler form) at a science fair a couple years ago and seeing it occasionally even today in an engineering classroom environment, I decided that this was the perfect opportunity to examine this puzzle at a deeper level. (A basic rendition of a 3 disk tower)   Ã‚   Aim My aim is to explore the different patterns that lead to the answer to the legend: how much time would it take for the world to end? Finding an Optimal Strategy In order to get closer to solving this puzzle, the goal will be to find the most efficient way to get 64 disks onto the third peg. To better grasp the mathematical concepts and patterns when solving the tower, it would be easier to look at a simpler version of the puzzle, such as the following 3 disk example. Binary Code (Standard Gray Code) We can relate the pattern seen above to binary code, specifically Standard Gray Code. Standard Gray Code is a binary numeral system where two successive values differ in only one (binary) digit. Using this method may bring us closer to being able to solve the 64 disk tower. If we relate the example in Figure 1 with Standard Gray Code, using 3 binary digits, we are left with something like this: 000 Step 1 001 Step 2 011 Step 3 010 Step 4 110 Step 5 111 Step 6 101 Step 7 100 Step 8 For example, Step 1 is shown by the three digits 000. The next step is 001, changing the digit that corresponds with the smallest disk, which means disk 1 is the first disk to move in the solution. And to continue, Step 2 is 011, showing that now the middle (second) disk is being moved. This method could lead us to the solution of a 64 disk tower, as it would show which disk to move; however, the flaw in this method is that even though the binary digits can show which disk has moved, it does not show where to move it. There are always two possibilities for each disk, and when we factor in the 64 other disks, the calculations get extremely tedious and suboptimal as a solution. Recursive Pattern The next viable solution is finding a recursive pattern to determine how many moves it would take to solve the puzzle, depending on the number of disks. A recursive pattern uses information from the previous step to find the next. In order to move n amount of disks from peg 1 to peg 3, we can again refer to Figure 1. The first step is transferring n-1 disks from peg 1 to peg 3. We assign a variable to the number of moves this takes, in this case, M. Next, transfer the middle disk to peg 2 (step 3) and finally, transfer the remaining disks from peg 3 to peg 2 (step 4). When you move n amount of disks to any peg, the number of moves will be the same, no matter which direction you choose to go. From this, we can find an equation to finding the moves needed for any number of disks:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2M + 1, where M equals the number of moves needed to transfer n-1 disks from peg 1 to peg 2. This brings up another flaw to the problem. In order to find how many moves needed to transfer 64 disks, we also need to calculate the number of moves for 63, 62, 61, etc amount of disks as well. Because of this, the recursive pattern cannot be used to find the time it takes before the world ends. However, what the recursive pattern can do is generate numbers that lead into a non recursive pattern. # of Disks # of Moves 2M + 1 1 1 2(0) + 1 = 1 2 3 2(1) + 1 = 3 3 7 2(3) + 1 = 7 4 15 2(7) + 1 = 15 5 31 2(15) + 1 = 31 From Table 2, we can see that the third column represents a geometric progression that can help us find a formula for a non-recursive pattern. Non-Recursive Pattern (Explicit Pattern) When looking back at Table 2, there is a direct correlation that can be made from the number of disks and the number of moves. Recognizing that there is a geometric progression, one could infer the pattern that is being used though the power of two. # of Disks # of Moves 1 21 1 = 1 2 22 1 = 3 3 23 1 = 7 4 24 1 =15 5 25 1 =31 Therefore the function to find the number of steps with any number of disks would be 2n 1, with n being the # of disks. Just to further prove that 2n 1 is the correct function, we can graph 2n 1 and compare to the number of disks and moves in Table 2. It completely fits the data points, confirming the relation between the points and the function. Now we can just plug in the function: 264 1 = 590,000,000,000 years Conclusion In order to move 64 disks from the first peg to the third, the monks would need over 590 billion years, assuming that they can move one disk per second. The function 2n 1 was found by recognizing the geometric progressions in the recursive formula and using it in an explicit pattern. This function can be used to find the most optimal number of moves it would take to move any number of disks to the third peg. Bibliography Bogomolny, Alexander. Tower of Hanoi. Tower of Hanoi. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2017. . Johnson, P. Sam, Recurrence Relations And Their Solutions (Problem : Tower Of Hanoi), 2015 December 26, and 1/1. Information on Subsets of a Set. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2017. . Longman, Addison Wesley. Millers Mathematical Ideas, 9th Edition Web Site Chapter 4 Internet Project. Millers Mathematical Ideas, 9th Edition Web Site Chapter 4 Internet Project. Pearson Education, n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2017. Math, Dr. Ask Dr. Math FAQ: Tower of Hanoi. Mathforum.org. Drexel University, n.d.  Ã‚   Web. 3 Mar. 2017.

Walt Disney and Disneyland Essay -- History Historical Cartoons Morals

Walt Disney and Disneyland When the subject of the Disney Enterprises is brought up, one often thinks of cartoons, musicals or other movies, amusement parks, and famous characters such as Mickey Mouse. And now, nearly four decades after his death, the maker of said creations, Walt Disney, is not nearly as recognized as he should be. Not only are his works and other projects intriguing, his morals and techniques personally behind them are as well. And yet they weren’t just his morals, they were shared by the country’s people who so desired an example of good principles. Perhaps the most significant scheme of all was his creation of his very own amusement park in 1955, Disneyland, located in Anaheim, California. Called â€Å"the happiest place on earth,† Disneyland was gorged with Disney’s beliefs, hopes and values (that were in common with the nation) that were apparent not only in the movie-themed areas but in the whole park and the way it was run as well. Disney, a man keen on innocence and being happy, wanted Disneyland to be a representation of just that, as well as conveying a sense of Americana. The creation of Disneyland not only encompassed and showcased the ideals of Walt Disney but also served as a haven in which people with similar beliefs could come and celebrate such principles as the preservation of innocence, appreciation of simple joys, and nationalism in a postwar country. Moreover, Disneyland was and remains an epitome of the American Dream. Walt Disney, the man who was the creator of the Disney Company and products we know and love today, was certainly extraordinary. He is considered to be one of the most successful people in American history, and rightfully so because the magnitude of his accomplishments is astounding. His films (and the films that are produced under his name now after his death), amusement parks and other merchandise are acknowledged and appreciated throughout the entire world. Nearly all the Disney films and merchandise, and all of the amusement parks target an audience of young children, and therefore Disney endorses his creations with stories containing good morals and an emphasis on maintaining innocence. When Disney first started creating his hit animated features, the nation was in a postwar state and was going through some turmoil within itself as well. Times were changing. The pristine lives most o... ... icon, and because the park truly did embody and reinforce such American beliefs, Disneyland turned out to be an American success. Disney, a man for such strong support for what he believed was right and good in life and society, was not afraid to hold back his thoughts. He conveyed them throughout his films and in his own physical creation, Disneyland. Fortunately for both him and the people of the United States, both he and society agreed on what was morally right. The nation supported his ideals and was grateful for the outlet to this wonderland that he provided. As a man full of -not political- but social power, Disney used his influence to his advantage: to advertise these morals to people all over the world. He began with his creation of what some call his alter ego, Mickey Mouse, worked to producing films, and later opened his own amusement park. From there the Disney empire expanded to beyond belief, more amusement parks popped up not only in America, but also all over the world, and films are still being created under his name. And Walt Disney, the man who started it all -and added a flair of his and th e nation’s good morality-, will remain a household name forever.

The Horror of Christianity Essay -- essays research papers

"A Pagan Joke" A Pagan died and, much to her surprise, found herself at the Pearly Gates facing St. Peter. He walked up to her and said, "Hello, and welcome." She stared at St. Peter in complete confusion. "Wait a minute," she said. "I was supposed to end up in the Summerlands." He smiled. "Ah, you must be one of our Pagan sisters. Follow me, please." Peter gestured for her to follow him down a small path, which went through the gates and down a bit to the left. They walked for a short while, then he stepped back and gestured her forward. Looking past his hand, she saw the verdant fields and forests of her desired Summerlands. She saw people feasting, dancing, and making merry, exactly as she expected. While shaking her head in wonder, the Pagan happened to glance over to one side and saw a small group of people a short way away from the edge of the Summerlands. The people in the group were watching the revelers, but not joining them. Instead, they were screa ming and weeping piteously. The Pagan looked at St. Peter. "Who are those people?" St. Peter replied, "Them? They're fundamentalists. They're a bit surprised to see you all there, so they stand there and carry on like that all day." â€Å"Why? Don't they have better things to do?" Peter leaned conspiratorially toward her. "They don't really have a choice. They're actually in Hell. God doesn't like being told what He thinks." I start this paper with this joke to prove a point. When read, pagans, athiests, and those that lie outside the mainstream of Christianity will enjoy it, while Christian Fundamentalists and Conservatives will think it is in poor taste. Some might go so far as to say â€Å"My goodness, he is going to step on a lot of toes with that!† The question remains, though, WHOSE toes, and why does it matter? The answer can be found if we examine the psychology of Christianity. Christianity is one of the worlds most widespread and pervasive religions, and has been around a good long while. Wherever it goes, it seems to spread and promulgate and overrun. Evangelistic Christians send out missionaries to fulfill one of the commands given to them in the Bible: â€Å"Go ye forth and preach the Gospel to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.† (Mt. 28:19) Christi... ...rt or be ostracized, join or suffer, love Christ or be of the devil, and accept the Church or be destroyed. Not all Christians do this and not at all times. But some Christians do commit acts of destruction and this fearful violence is occurring everyday and has occurred for most of the last two millennia somewhere on our world. â€Å"The night is black, Without a moon. the air is thick and still. The vigilantes gather on The lonely torchlit hill. Features distorted in the flickering light, The faces are twisted and grotesque. Silent and stern in the sweltering night, The mob moves like demons possesed. Quiet in conscience, calm in their right, Confident their ways are best. The righteous rise With burning eyes Of hatred and ill-will. Madmen fed on fear and lies To beat and burn and kill. They say there are strangers who threaten us, In our immigrants and infidels. They say there is strangeness too dangerous In our theatres and bookstore shelves, That those who know what's best for us Must rise and save us from ourselves. Quick to judge, Quick to anger, Slow to understand Ignorance and prejudice And fear Walk hand in hand....† ~Neil Peart, Witch Hunt

Cross-cultural interaction Essay

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The peripatetic traveler is the quintessential image of a globalised man. Today’s traveler is driven by the commercial forces of globalization and improved communications in the World which has seen travel and tourism grow as an industry. In the ancient and medieval ages however, when traveling was not that simple and safe, a few adventurists quite literally walked across the globe or what ever was known of it then. These were men as Benjamin of Tudela, Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta, who covered vast spaces compared to capacity of transportation in the era in which they lived and have left rich sources of history documented in their travels. There is much debate over the relevance of the jottings made by these travelers to modern day history. Sceptics tend to question the authenticity and objectiveness as well as ability to portray a correct picture of a cross cultural interaction which these travelers tend to pursue from their own perspective. Travel literature has substantial relevance in providing authentic information of cross cultural interaction, the cross cultural trends, a perception of cross cultural association between people and is proving to be a good source of authentic and endearing history today as it provides a perspective in today’s world through an understanding of medieval religion and cultures. Information of cross-cultural interaction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ancient and medieval times were denoted by lack of developed communications and modes of interaction for travel. There were also very limited historical recordings and what ever existed was at the behest of the ruling cliques, thereby making it biased. The historian today is left with primary records which are substantiated by such travelogues for a dispassionate view of cross cultural interaction. Thus travelogues do serve as important benchmark documents for historical purpose. This would be evident from recounting of travels through the Middle East during the medieval period in the writings of Benjamin of Tuleda, which tends to support the various historical happenings during the period by sources from both sides of the Islam and Christian divide.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Travelers as Benjamin who was a Jew could also benefit from interaction with those of his community who were spread across the region. Since the Jews were relatively unbiased during the period of the Crusades, their observations supplanted the travelers own perception providing further substance to the history of the region. While some may consider it as not the purest form of notation, in denoting cross cultural trends it could be considered more than appropriate and accurate. The excessive focus on the state of the Jews in Benjamin’s writing however to some extent indicates that the view of culture is primarily from an overly Semitic perspective of a Rabbi and authenticity is probably sacrificed but then a deeper reading would overcome this perception. Battuta’s writings span a much large cross cultural area extending from Jerusalem, Damascus, Syria, and East Africa while Marco Polo’s travelogues are also very genuine impressions of cross cultural trends. Each of the chapters he writes covers the various aspects of a particularly community that he has observed be it the cropping pattern, food habits and the monarchical way of governance. Marco very assiduously provides an overview of each facet in great detail. Perceptive Observers Providing Authenticity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The intention of the travelers in their journey was multi focal. Thus some such as Benjamin did it for the purpose of seeking opportunities of trade or to find out about the state of personnel of his own community residing in various parts of the Middle East after being persecuted in their native lands. The meticulous recording of ethnographic details in his writing provides very insightful observations on cross cultural trends which highlights the capacity of its originator. Thus we find in Benjamin’s writings the details of how and when the Egyptian monarch travels, what are the proclivities of the people during various periods and the rivalries that existed even in those time between Cairo and Baghdad. It is also relevant to see that a person traveling beyond his immediate geographical and cultural setting would also be keen to obtain fresh insights into the lives of other communities. Thus observations of Marco Polo need to be taken note off with greater acceptance of the fidelity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The meticulous logging of the timings in terms of a virtual daily log provides an excellent record of the period, the state of development, the manner in which communities lived and the state of their culture in vivid details. Ibn Battuta who was overwhelmed by the need to travel and thus sets out from his native place at the tender age of 22 years, is also a very keen observer and thus his recordings attain a high quality of relevance particularly in the cross cultural context. His descriptive writings on Cairo or Alexandria are very perceptive providing an innate understanding of the era. The description of events, the handling of camels, the holding of ceremonies all are very effectively portrayed by the traveler, giving a good understanding of the period. The meticulous recording of customs such as movement of women naked in some societies as in Mali and cannibalism are stark etchings on the history of a cross cultural trend.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marco Polo again has provided   a wealth of material on cross cultural trends which denotes an excellent eye for detail and power of observation across a large expanse of area from Europe to China, Tibet to India and other areas. The burning of, â€Å"black stones†, is perhaps a recorded intervention by Marco, which indicates the level and depth of his observations. Marco’s observation are supplemented by a comparison between various cultures be it Chinese, Middle Eastern or Central Asian traditions of Bokhara. This provides a deep insight into cultural happenings of the era. Perspective of Modern Day Understanding   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Today Islam and the West appear to be undergoing a serious crisis, some view it as a clash of civilization matching. There is very limited understanding of each others religions, traditions, culture and ideological basis. This is truly surprising given the proliferation of modern knowledge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is the writings of travelers as Benjamin of Tudela who traversed the Middle East in the 12th Century which provides us a deeper understanding of the roots of this civilizational divide thereby enhancing our understanding of happenings in today’s World. Being a Rabbi from Spain, Benjamin was relatively detached to enable a more objective assessment of the conflict which was occurring between Islam and Christianity in the medieval ages. His tour of the principal areas of the Middle East as well as Europe and Asia provided a fresh insight not just into the period but also the cross cultural linkages between these areas over the ages. The peace and prosperity in Egypt described so authentically by Benjamin provide an excellent insight in the functioning of well governed medieval states. The clash between Saladin and the Christians and the moves and counter moves of the period have been very vividly portrayed by Benjamin denoting how Islam was revived between the period of the Second and the Third Crusades.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Today when we see a similar up rise in Islam which is spearheaded not by the likes of Saladin, but terrorist leaders as Osama Bin Laden, Benjamin’s travels can provide a better counter cultural perspective. A similar understanding of the culture of the Middle East is provided in the writings of Ibn Battuta which can provide us a perspective from an Islamic traveler’s point of view in a different age over three centuries apart and covering some of the same areas. In each of the places that he visits Battuta makes mention of specifics which indicate a keen eye for detail. It is natural that a person with a good view of the details will remain also particular of the accuracy of his writings. Thus enhancing their historical value. The writings provide a cross cultural dimension of the transformation that has take place in these areas over these years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marco’s writings on Tibet are another issue which enables us to correlate between the state and relations of Tibet between the modern and the medieval periods. The fascination which the Chinese felt for Tibet even then is evident as Marco observes their repeated forays to gain hold of territory which they see as a great expanse with its many provinces, the customs of the people, their mastiffs and bamboo cropping are thus set to be matching. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus it would be seen that the travelogues of Marco Polo, Ibn Batttuta and Benjamin of Tudela are important documents as they provide authentic information of cross cultural interaction, denote cross cultural trends, enhance the perception of cross cultural association between people and prove good sources of authentic and endearing history, thereby providing better modern day understanding and background of medieval religion and cultures as in the Middle East.       References Marco Polo and Rustichello of Pisa. 2004. The Travels of Marco Polo, Volume 1 and 2. E-text prepared by Charles Franks, Robert Connal, John Williams, and Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/10636/10636-8.txt (VOLUME I). http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12410/12410-8.txt (VOLUME II). (20 November 2006) Ibn Battuta: Travels in Asia and Africa 1325-1354. Nd. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1354-ibnbattuta.html (20 November 2006) The itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela. 1907. Philipp Feldheim, inc The house of the Jewish book. New York. gutenberg.org/files/14981/14981-h/14981-h.htm. (20 November 2006).

English and Vietnamese Adjective Phrases.

PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale. Nowadays, English is the most widely used in the world and plays an important role together with the development of society and technologies. English is not only the effective means of communication but also show its progressive effects in many aspects of life. Practically, study on the similarities and differences between the two languages and cultures English and Vietnamese has been one of my concerns. It is clear that there are many differences between the two languages of as those in grammar, lexicology, translation, phonetic and so on.However there still exist plenty of similarities and differences between English and Vietnamese that can be demonstrated contrastive analysis. When choosing the subject for the assignment, I put much attention to adjective phrases because this field may make me confused. I hope that this study help me as well as other learners will understand adjective phrases in English and Vietnamese thoroughly. 2. Aims of the s tudy. My research aims at. : + Giving theoretical background of English and Vietnamese adjective phrases. Analyzing of the word order in English adjective with Vietnamese equivalence + Presenting some difficulties faced by Vietnamese learners of English in adjective phrases and 3. Scope of the study. During the study process, I have been attracted by adjective phrases. Because of time allowance and knowledge, I cannot cover all its constructions, functions, etc. but only focus on orders, and I introduce some similarities and differences of adjective phrases between English and Vietnamese for the research. PART B: DEVELOPMENT I. Literature Review I. 1.Definition of Adjective phrase : I. 1. 1. English Adjective phrase According to Quirk et al. (57) and Greenbaunm (32), an adjective phrase is a phrase with an adjective such as big or happy as its head. Within the adjectives phrase, the adjective may be pre-modified (too careful) or post-modified (afraid of ghost ) or both of premodifed and post modified (too cold to swim, extremely afraid of ghost). The structure of the typical adjective phrase is shown at the following figure. The parenthesis indicate the optional elements. [pic] Eg. I am tired head The room is full of smoke ead postmod. The bus is very slow to set off premod. head postmod. I. 1. 1. Vietnamese Adjective phrase According to Di? p Quang Ban (5) and Nguy? n Tai C? n (10), a Vietnamese adjective phrase is a phrase in which there is an adjective as a head. For example: t? t, v? n r? t t? t, r? t t? t, t? t qua. Like English adjectives, Vietnamese adjectives have the ability to combine with modifiers which are divided into two parts: modifiers preceding the head are called premodifiers, whereas those following the head are called premodifiers.In Vietnamese adjective phrases, some modifiers can appear both before and after the head. eg. xinh qua, qua xinh, c? c k? t? t, t? t c? c k?. Like the structure of noun phrases and verb phrases, the full constru ction of an adjective phrase consists of three components : a head, premodifier, and postmodifer and the short construction may consist of one component (a head) or two components (a head and premodifier or a head and postmodifier). The structure of the typical Vietnamese adjective phrase is in the following figure: premodifier(s) + head + postmodifier(s) I. 2.Adjective phrases and their orders I. 2. 1. Word order through syntactic functions of English adjective phrases According to Greenbaum (32) Adjective functions have two main functions: premodifier of a noun (attributive function) and subject predicative(subject predicative function). Eg. : – premodifier of a noun (attributive function): My cat is a very curious cat. – Subject predicative(subject predicative function). : My sister is very pretty Besides, There are some other functions of adjective phrase: – Object predicative function: They are going to paint their house pink Postmodifier of a pronoun : Sha ll we go to somewhere cool? – Postmodifier of a noun I don’t mean to make my wife sad – Nominal adjective: You should confuse the Chinese and the Japanese – Complement of a preposition he did not come back home till late last night. a. Word order in attribute function: – When they come before nouns, they occur in the following order: a (adjective) + b (noun) Eg. : Barack Obama is a extremely strict president a + b As the example shows, adjective phrases used in premodification are usually either one word phrase. When they come after nouns, they occur in the following order: b (noun) + a (adjective) Eg. : I am thirteen years old b + a Anyone intelligent can apply for the job b + a Barack Obama was the president elect. b + a b. Word order in predicative function In adjective phrase, an adjective not only occurs in attributive position, it can also appear in predicative position as subject complement after linking verbs like be, seem, appear, especial ly the verbs of sense taste, look, smell, etc. There is a copular relationship between subject and subject complement.The word order can be formalized as: a (subject) + b (linking verb) + c (adjective) Eg: The cake tastes sweet a + b + c Your perfume smells musky a + b + c That music sounds beautiful a + b + c She seems innocent a + b + c I. 2. 2. Word order through Syntactic functions of Vietnamese Adjective phrases a. Word order in Attributive function In Vietnamese adjective phrases, adjective in the attributive function often follow the noun they modify according to the order: a (noun) + b (adjective) (noun) + b (modifier) + c (adjective) a (noun) + c (adjective) + b (modifier) Eg. : Lan da nau c? a co ? y v? n cu? n hut toi = Her brown skin still attracts me Do la bu? i sang mai th? t d? p = That is a very nice early morning M? t chi? c vay l? a Ha Dong th? t d? p a + c + b + d M? t chi? c vay c? a Ha Dong b? ng l? a th? t d? p a + b + c + d M? t chi? c vay l? a th? t d? p c? a Ha Dong a + c + d + b M? t chi? c vay th? t d? p b? ng l? a c? Ha Dong a + d + c + b b. Word order in Predicative Function In Vietnamese adjective phrases, adjectives can directly function as predicative like verbs and the order can be formalised as : a (subject) + b (adjective) Eg. : B? phim th? t hay = The film was very interesting a + b When Vietnamese adjectives are in the predicative function, they can combine with the criteria of verbs. These are : + aspect-time maker: da, s? , t? ng, con, chua, etc. a (subject) + b (aspect-time maker) + c (head) Eg. : Co ngu? i toc da b? c pho + b + c II. Contrastive analysis of the word order in English adjective with Vietnamese equivalence It is obvious that both English and Vietnamese are analytical languages but they belong to different linguistic typologies. English is an inflectional and analytical language, whereas Vietnamese is a typical isolating and non-inflectional language. Therefore, apart from the similarities which do not caus e difficulties for learners, there are many differences between English and Vietnamese adjective phrases and their orders which can cause a variety of problems (errors and confusion) for learners.So, I will go deeply into the differences only and I think comparison might be the best way to identify the differences in the word order in English and Vietnamese adjective phrases. The following comparison will focus on the differences in : 1. Word order through syntactic functions of adjective phrases 2. Word order in premodification of adjective phrases 3. Word order through basic degrees of comparison II. 1. Word order through syntactic functions of adjective phrases In terms of main syntactic functions, most English and Vietnamese adjectives can be used both attributively and predicatively.When adjective function attributively, they attribute to a quality or characteristic to what is denoted noun they modify. However, there are differences in the word order in the English and Vietname se adjective phrases through their syntactic functions. II. 1. 1. Word order in Attributive function |he is a very generous man |Anh ? y la m? t ngu? i hao phong | |Premod. + N |N + postmod. | |English is a rather difficult subject |Ti? ng Anh la m? t mon h? c kha kho |Premod. + N |N + postmod | From the above examples, it can be seen that both English and Vietnamese adjective functions as attribute of nouns, i. e. in attributive function, and they do not vary in form to agree with nouns. However, in the attributive function, English adjectives are used as premodifier of the noun, i. e. they come before the noun and appear between the determiner and the head of the noun phrase, whereas Vietnamese adjectives share the same character in that they often function as postmodifier, i. . they come after the noun. This is an important difference between the two languages. II. 1. 2Word order in predicative function The following examples show the difference in the word order of adjective ph rases in predicative function. Eg. : |Lan is very pretty and intelligent |Lan r? t xinh d? p va thong minh | |intensive V. Adj. + Adj. |Adj. + Adj. | |I don’t like living in the house because it is so |Toi khong thich s? ng trong ngoi nha do vi no b? n th? i va t? tam | |dirty and dark |Adj. + Adj. | |intensive V. Adj. + Adj. | | Apart from the attributive function, both English and Vietnamese adjectives can also be used predicatively. However, in English, when adjectives function as predicate they are used after an intensive verb â€Å"be†. Unlike English adjectives, Vietnamese adjectives play the predicative role directly without the linking verb â€Å"be†, i. e. in this function, Vietnamese adjectives are used to complete a sentence without any verbs or verb phrase.On the contrary, English adjectives can never function as verbs. In a sentence, they must follow a verb or a verb phrase. Moreover, when we translate from English into Vietnamese, we often meet a great number of disyllabic adjectives in Vietnamese. For example: xinh – xinh x? n (beautiful) kho – kho khan (difficult) ch? m – ch? m ch? p (slow) g? n – g? n gang (tidy) Generally, these disyllabic adjectives are formed from monosyllabic adjectives. Whether using monosyllabic or disyllabic depends on the habit of the Vietnamese Eg. : It is clear that he is quite slow Ro rang r? ng anh ? y kha ch? ch? p The weather makes me feel tired Th? i ti? t lam cho toi c? m th? y m? t m? i Furthermore, almost all Vietnamese monosyllabic adjectives can be used repeatedly to diminish the characteristics or levels. And these are typical features of Vietnamese adjectives which we do not find in English, for example; I felt cold (Toi c? m th? y lanh l? nh). Unlike English adjectives, in Vietnamese, some adjectives can combine with nouns â€Å" adjective + noun† to form the group of state adjectives to express the state of the characteristics. For example: My mo ther is a very careful and helpful womanM? c? a toi la m? t ngu? i ph? n? c? n th? n va nhi? t tinh These group of words have metaphoric meaning and can function as predicate and attribute. Here are some groups of words which are frequently used: nong tinh(hot-tempered), d? tinh(easy-going), t? t b? ng(knid-hearted), sang d? (clever), dung c? m (brave), etc. However, when the order of the groups of words is inverted, the metaphoric meaning disappears. Besides, in Vietnamese, the structure: â€Å"ma + adjectives† is used to strongly express the objection to an opinion, a remark just made by the speaker.This structure is only applied the peers or inferiors Eg. : Is Nam really friendly? Anh Nam ma than thi? n a? Generally, in languages, the positive sentences have the positive meaning, but in Vietnamese, when â€Å"ma† precedes adjectives in the sentence, the sentence has the negative meaning. The sentence â€Å"Anh Nam ma than thi? n a? † (Is Nam really friendly? ) means â€Å" Nam is not friendly† Another feature of Vietnamese adjectives which does not exist in English. That is, adjectives that precede â€Å"ra, len, di l? i† to form compound words or the group of words turn into verbs or have the character of verbs.In Vietnamese, the pattern: â€Å" adjectives + ra/len/ di/l? i† is used to express the development of character, state of things or people. When these words combine with adjectives, they often imply the presupposition and have the opposite content, for example when we say: â€Å" Lan d? o nay trong xinh ra†. It implies that Lan is more beautiful than before. In Vietnamese, the sense of positive uses the pattern: â€Å" adjective + ra/len†. In English, this structure is expressed by Intensive verb + adjective with the comparative meaning. |The earth is becoming warmer |Trai d? t dang nong d? len | |Vintensive + Adj |Adj + len | II. 1. 3. Word order in premodification of adjective phrases In th is section, we will discuss and analyse the differences in the word order in premodification of English and Vietnamese adjective phrases in detail through translation Eg. : |I am very glad to meet you |Toi r? t vui m? ng du? c g? p anh | |Intensi. + Adj |Intensi. Adj | |The tigers are very big and savage |Nh? ng con h? ?y to l? n va hung d? l? m | |Intensi. + Adj + adj |Adj + adj+ Intensi. | |She is very nervous before each exam |Co ? y da qua lo l? ng tru? c m? i k? thi | |Intensifier + Adj |Intensi. + Adj | |I am very remorseful and disappointed |Toi th? an h? n va th? t v? ng qua | |Intensifier + Adj + Adj |Adj + adj+ Intensi | Through the above examples, it should be noted both English and Vietnamese adjectives serve as the head of adjective phrases. Adjective phrases may contain only an adjective as the head, or two components; the head and premodifier or the head and postmodifier. Both English and Vietnamese adjectives are premodified chiefly by adverbs. Generally, premodi fiers are intensifiers.In English, they are very, extremely, rather, a bit, quite, etc. and in Vietnamese, they are r? t, r? t la, qua, th? t, c? c k? , hoi, etc. However, there are some differences in the order of the adverbs denoting degrees in the two languages. In English, these adverbs are followed by adjectives while in Vietnamese, they can occur both before and after adjectives. For instance, in Vietnamese, the adverbs : â€Å"r? t, qua, l? m† are used to indicate the highest degree of the personal or non-personal characteristics and they are the same meaning but different in usage.All of them can be translated as â€Å"very† besides, â€Å"qua, l? m† may be translated as â€Å"too† and â€Å"so† in English. These examples also show that the word order of adverbs of degree â€Å"very† in English and â€Å" r? t† â€Å" r? t la† in Vietnamese is the same, i. e. they occur before adjectives. However, â€Å"very† and â€Å"r? t† are often used in written language, whereas â€Å"r? t la† is often used in spoken language. But when â€Å"very† is used as â€Å" l? m’ or â€Å" qua†, the word order us absolutely different. â€Å"L? m† in Vietnamese must be preceded by adjectives and it is often used in spoken language.Contrary to â€Å"l? m†, the word â€Å"qua† may occur before or after adjectivels in spoken language to express an exclamation. Also â€Å"c? c k? , tuy? t, th? t† may occur before or after adjectives. However, the words â€Å" qua, c? c k? , tuy? t, th? t† often appear after adjectives, therefore, when they are used before adjectives, they are often used with the meaning of emphasis or assessment. Unlike English adjectives, Vietnamese adjectives can play the predicative role directly, so they can combine with the aspect-time criteria of the verbs such as da, dang, s? , v? n,c? con and it is a typical feature of V ietnamese. This combination expresses the relation between the characteristics and time. These characteristics are based on the sense of native speakers and they exist like the form of the state. In short, modifiers: da, dang, s? , v? n, c? , con not only express grammatical meaning but also the purpose of the statement and the relation between a speaker and reality. In Vietnamese, in certain situations of the sentence, these meanings will be distinguished. Eg. : |They were very successful |H? a r? t thanh cong | |Vintens. + Intensi. + Adj |time-maker + intens. + adj | |Our country is different now |D? t nu? c c? a chung ta da khac xua | |Vintens.. + Adj |time-maker + adj | |After the wedding, She is very happy |Sau l? cu? i, co ? dang r? t h? nh phuc | |Vintens. + Intensi. + Adj |time-maker + adj | |I hope that you will be comfortable |Toi hy v? ng la b? n s? c? m th? y tho? i mai | |Aux. + Vintens.. + Adj |time-maker + adj | |My wife was still angry |V? toi v? n con gi? | |Vinten s.. + Adv + adj |time-maker + adj | From these, we can see a very remarkable structural difference: In English, aspect-time categories are indicated by the forms of the verbs, whereas do not Vietnamese do not have the category of time and the meaning of the time is indicate by supporting words: da, dang, s? , v? n, c? , v? n con. In Vietnamese, the predicative function is expressed by the structures: â€Å"da/dang/s? /v? n/c? con/v? n c? /con c? + adjective†, but in English this function is expressed by different structures â€Å" intensive verb(past) + adjective† â€Å" intensive verb(present) + adjective†, â€Å"auxiliary + present participle+ adjective† â€Å" auxiliary + be + adjective†, â€Å" intensive verb + still + adjective†. II. 1. 4 Word order through basic degree of comparison Most adjectives in English and Vietnamese can take comparison. These are gradable adjectives and they have three degrees of comparison: – same degre e – higher degree – lower degree a. The â€Å"same degree† comparisonIn both English and Vietnamese, when we say two things or persons are equal, we use the adjective in the same degree. In english, we use the structure : as + adj + as, whereas in Vietnamese, we use some modifiers: â€Å"nhu†, â€Å"b? ng†, â€Å"tuong t? † after adjectives in the structure: adj + nhu/b? ng/tuong t?. For example: |My wife is not as beautiful as yours |V? toi khong xinh b? ng v? anh | |My house is as small as your office |Nha c? a toi ch? b? ng van phong c? anh thoi | |Nobody can understand me as much as my mother |Khong ai co th? hi? u toi nhu m? c? | b. The higher degree comparison In order to indicate the difference in the word order in the degrees of comparison. First I would give here some examples and their translation into Vietnamese. |Hanoi is much more beautiful than Hanoi was |Ha N? i ngay nay d? p hon nhi? u Ha N? i tru? c kia | |Health and happin ess are more important than money |S? c kho? va h? nh phuc quan tr? ng hon ti? n b? | |One of the worst diseases which mankind have is cancer |M? t trong nh? ng can b? nh nguy hi? m nh? t ma loai ngu? i ph? i ch? u la ung | | |thu | These examples show that in the higher degree of comparison, English adjectives change their forms. They are indicated by the inflection â€Å"er† or the premodifier â€Å"more† in the comparitive degrees of comparison. We also add the inflection â€Å"est† or the premodifier â€Å" most† to show the superlative degree.We have some specific rules when using â€Å"er†, â€Å"est†, â€Å"more† and â€Å"most†. In contrast, in Vietnamese, in both comparative and superlative degrees, modifiers always come after the adjective they modify and adjectives do not change their form in both cases c. The lower degree of comparison When we want to say a person or a thing has less of a quality then the other, w e use the comparison of the lower degree. In the lower degree, English adjectives take the modifier â€Å"less†¦.. then? or can be negated from the equality degree and the lowest degree can be denoted by adding the modifier â€Å" the least†.In the lower degree, on the other hand, Vietnamese adjectives take the modifier ‘kem hon† or negative words ‘khong b? ng† â€Å" Khong du? c nhu† and the lowest degree can be expressed by the words â€Å"kem nh? t† â€Å"it nh? t†. For example: |The film was less interesting than I expected |B? phim nay khong hay nhu toi mong d? i | |less + adj + than |khong + adj nhu | |This city is not as dangerous as others |thanh ph? nay khong nguy hi? nhu cac thanh ph? khac | |not + as + adj + as | | In Vietnamese, the relation between these modifiers is very complicated. For instance, we may consider â€Å"b? ng† opposite to â€Å"kem† and ‘ khong b? ng† may replaced by â⠂¬Å"kem†. The word ‘hon† may have the similar meaning as â€Å"b? ng† when it combines with â€Å"khong† (khong hon). For example: Khong co gi quy hon d? c l? p t? do (Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom) Di? m c? a anh ? y khong hon di? m toiDue to the complete semantics of these modifiers we do not have grammatical category relating to the meaning of degrees of comparison of Vietnamese adjectives. In short, in this chapter, we have discussed the major issues relating to the differences in the form, the word order through the syntactic function, the word order in premodification and basic degrees of comparison of English and Vietnamese adjectives. We can say the word order in Vietnamese phrases is much more complicated then that in English adjective phrases because in Vietnamese adjective phrases, more modifiers can occur both before and after the head adjective phrases.The striking difference between the English and Vietnamese adj ective phrases is in the word order through the attributive and predicative functions. Moreover, Vietnamese adjectives may appear with the modifiers showing aspect-time criteria of verbs which we do not find in English. Besides, in English. we clearly distinguish parts of speech: adjectives and adverbs with words denoting manner while in Vietnamese we have only one: adjectives. II. 2. Some students’ common mistakes in using adjective phrases English and Vietnamese are quite different languages, so it is impossible to avoid mistake when learners use adjective phrases.The following mistakes can be the most common ones: + Learners often put adjectives in the wrong order because of the influence of their mother tongue. As you know both English and Vietnamese adjectives are used to modify nouns, but English adjectives often precede the nouns they modify, whereas Vietnamese adjectives often follow the nouns they modify. That is the reason why Vietnamese learners use adjectives inco rrectly. + Vietnamese learners often confuse between adjectives which have the â€Å"-ed† and â€Å"-ing† : worried/worrying, excited/exciting, etc.They do not know when they have to use â€Å"-ed† adjectives, when they must use â€Å"-ing† ones. For example : a boring film† or â€Å"a bored film† PART C: CONCLUSION This study has analysed, compared the word order in English and Vietnamese adjective phrases. It has analysed the similarities and differences in the arrangement of the words in adjective phrases between two languages based on the basic grammatical structures. By examining the description and comparison of the word order in English adjective phrases with Vietnamese equivalents, this study has shown there are both similarities and differences in the two languages.The most typical similarity is in the structure premodifier + Adj + postmodifier shared by the two languages where the head of the adjective phrases is in the centre of th e phrase and around it there may be modifiers: premodifier and postmodifier, but they are optional. The basic differences in the word order in English and Vietnamese adjective phrases are likely to cause many problems in understanding, expressing ideas and translation. So much attention should be paid to the differences in teaching adjective phrases to Vietnamese learners. ——-The end——- REFERENCES 1. Aarts. F. & Aart,J. , (1982) English syntactic structures. Oxford: Pergamon Press 2. Alexander,L. G. (1992). Longman English Grammar. Essex:Longman 3. Ban, Diep Quang (1998) Ng? Phap ti? ng Vi? t. Ha N? i : Nha xu? t b? n Giao d? c 4. Fisiak,J. (1981) Contrastive analysis and language teacher. Oxford: Oxford Pergamon Institute of English 5. M? nh, Tr? n H? u. (2000). A guide to University grammar of English. Ha N? i: D? i h? c M?. 6. Quirk,R et al. (1973). A University Grammar of English. Essex: Longman ——————— – ADJECTIVE PHRA SE Pre-modifier(s) Adjective Postmodifier (s)

The Day I Will Never Forget

Cassandra SmithOctober 13, 2011 EnglishFormal 2 The Day I Will Never Forget The hardest thing I had to face in my life when I was younger was when I was thirteen. That day would be July 14, 2005 and it is the day my grandmother passed away. My family and I went through so much about seven months prior to her passing. We got through the tragedy. She was eighty-two years old at the time. I will never forget her telling me the night before that she had to go to the doctors for a check-up meanwhile I was in school but when I got home, I would go right up to my grandmas. We lived on the same property. That day I went up there I remember her telling me that she had cancer and the doctors gave her six months to live, maximum. I was devastated and I didn’t know what to think. I was so close with her so it was hard for me to handle. We moved into her house three months before she went and we took care of her while no one else. That summer morning on July 14, 2005, I remember my parents, my brother and I sitting on the porch. My cousin came over to see her around 8:30 and then she left because she had to head to work. It was ten minutes to nine and I laid on the couch that was located on the porch. I remember how everything was set up. I remember the living room, the porch, just everything in that house. The couch was a sand tan color with a floral design and a table diagonal from where it sat. Nine o’clock rolled around, my father walked in to see if she was alright but when he came back to the porch he said, â€Å"She’s gone†. Those words hit me like a meteorite falling out of the sky hitting Earth. I immediately started crying because it just didn’t seem real to me. The crazy thing is a few days before she passed I made a picture of a cross with the date and year of when she was going to die and my picture was right. It was just scary. That day and the next few weeks were chaos. My father had to call all the family, set up the obituary and the funeral services. The next few days I would cry myself to sleep, cry all day. I didn’t know how to cope with what was going on around me, I was only thirteen. My parents called the funeral home and told them what happened; the directors came and took her. The family didn’t want my brother or I in the house so they sent us back to my house. Of course, I put up a fight because I didn’t want to leave, I didn’t want her dead. I wanted her here. The following week was hectic with the funeral arrangements, sitting down and talking about everything so it could go in the paper. I stayed in my room on the computer while the family gathered in my living room to talk about what they wanted to write for the piece. My cousin took my brother and I shopping in Kingston to get an outfit for the funeral; I didn’t know what to pick out but my brother found his right away. The following year was the hardest because I knew she was gone. I knew I couldn’t just walk across the drive way to visit her like I normally would have, I can’t sit with her and watch television, I can’t sit and help her with her word search books. All I thought was why did she have to go so soon? I didn’t want to accept it but it was life and I had to accept it; it was reality that I had to face. I talked to my dad about how I felt and what was going on and both my parents supported me through the whole thing. My mom and my dad knew how close I was with her. Two years later, my house burnt down while I was at school and when I arrived home I was just worried about my dad and the rest of my family. The one thing that was crazy in the house was there was one picture of my dad’s family on the wall and the fire never touched it; all my family had the instinct that my grandmother was in the house as the guardian angel. I know that she is looking down on me and my family because of the events that have taken place from when she passed up until now but I know she will be looking down on me all the way up until I die.

Earthquake Preparedness Press Release Essay

How can my family be prepared for an earthquake? This question haunts countless residents in the Los Angeles area every day. Hopefully we here at the Earthquake Preparedness Center can shed some light on how you can protect your family. My name is Darin Fort and I am the Director of Earthquake Preparedness for Los Angeles. As with any danger, knowledge of the event is of upmost importance. Some questions that should be asked by anyone who wants to defend their home against earthquakes are: What are the origins and causes of earthquakes and what is the relation of earthquakes to plate tectonics and faults in Los Angeles? What are some historical disasters associated with earthquakes? What are the hazards associated with earthquakes? What is the potential for future earthquakes in the Los Angeles area? Earthquakes are started at the Earth’s crust. Our planet is made up of different plates which float on a layer of molten material or magma much like potato chips would float on top of a bowl of water. Scientists believe there could be as many as 12 plates that make up Earth’s crust. These plates move freely like bumper cars: pulling away from each other, moving side to side or laterally, and even smashing into each other. The proof behind plate tectonics lies in mountain ranges and island chains like the Hawaiian Islands, both are products of plate tectonics. Earthquakes originate from plate boundaries called faults. The tension and movement between the conflicting faults is what causes the shock waves referred to as an earthquake. When the pressure between two conflicting plates is too much for the rock material to support, they can shift or break dramatically. The exact underground point where this occurs is the focus. Many people are familiar with the above ground ve rsion of the focus called the epicenter. When the plates crack or shift, shock waves are sent out from the focus. These waves come in three forms: Primary, Secondary, and Surface. The surface wave is the one which causes damage to our cities and homes. Unfortunately, Los Angeles is located over an earthquake hot bed. There are two different kinds of plate boundaries located under the Los Angeles area. The first is called a transform plate boundary. In a transform boundary, such as the San Andres Fault, plates move in a lateral motion. Imagine taking two pieces of rough cut wood and sliding them against one another. When the force applied exceeds the ability of the splinters holding them together, they slip and then catch again when it meets new, stronger material. This is called strike-slip affect which is produced by transform plate boundaries. The other type of boundary located in the Los Angeles area is called a convergent boundary. Convergent boundaries are located where two plates are colliding into each other. The grinding and crushing action of the two converging plates send shock waves out just as the transform boundary does. Los Angeles has been battling the effects of plate tectonics for centuries. The Los Angeles area has suffered several major events in recent history. The Fort Tejon Earthquake took place in 1857 and tremors from this quake were felt over 350,000 square kilometers (USGS, 2012). The Fort Tejon Earthquake was one of the largest in California history and originated at a strike-slip boundary. The Parkfield Earthquake of 1901 was an event we all hope never happens again. Over 700 people lost their lives that day due to the tremors which originated from the San Andres Fault (USGS, 2012). In 1994 a major event struck which killed many, injured thousands, and destroyed billions of dollars’ worth of property. There were also major events which took place in 1881, 1922, 1934, 1966, and most recently 2004 where property was damaged and even worse lives were lost. The hazards involved in an earthquake are countless. As stated earlier, the major damage causing force of an earthquake is the surface wave. The surface wave causes ground tremors that can knock building off their foundations and bring bridges crumbling down. If you are inside, either find the strongest area of the room or get under a table or desk and stay there. If you are caught outdoors get into the open, as far away from buildings, power lines, or any other type of tall or overhead structures. Another major hazard brought about by an earthquake is fire. Many times tremors from earthquakes can bring down power lines and rupture gas mains. In an event where you witness fallen power lines or leaking gas main, please move as far away from them as possible and contact rescue personnel as soon as possible. Crumbling dams and levees can also lead to flooding in some areas. Stresses in certain structures like dams and levees tend to not present themselves until it is too late to escape the rising water. You should evacuate the area until safety and rescue personnel have had time to clear the area and inspect the affected structure. We can say, without hesitation, the earthquake activity in the Los Angeles is here to stay. Since we are located directly over plate boundaries, we will continue to see seismic events. Plate tectonics, the driving force of earthquakes, is a natural process which has formed the ever-changing world we live in today. Science Daily, a leading publisher of science news, recently published an article titled â€Å"California Has More Than 99% Chance of a Big Earthquake within 30 Years, Report Shows† (Science Daily, 2008). While the actual statistic is a 49% chance of a 7.5 or greater earthquake striking in the next 30 years, we are certain that seismic events will continue to plaque the city (Science Daily, 2008). Unfortunately, many of the lives lost in earthquake events could be prevented by taking precautionary steps in our everyday lives. However, due to an increased population and congested city centers it is possible there could be more lives lost today if a major event were to strike. Please take all precautionary measures to keep you and your family safe during an earthquake. For a full list of ways to keep safe before, during, and after an earthquake, please visit www.consrv.ca.gov , click on â€Å"Earthquakes† and follow the link to â€Å"What to do if an earthquake strikes†. Remember, being prepared may save your life. Reference Page California Department of Conservation. (2007). What to do in an Earthquake. Retrieved from http://www.consrv.ca.gov/index/Earthquakes/Pages/qh_earthquakes_what.aspx ScienceDaily. (Apr. 15, 2008). California Has More Than 99% Chance Of A Big Earthquake Within 30 Years, Report Shows. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414203459.htm USGS. (2012). California Earthquake History. Retrieved from http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/california/history.php USGS. (2012). 1857 Fort Tejon Earthquake. Retrieved from http://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/parkfield/1857.php USGS. (2012). 1901 Parkfield Earthquake. Retrieved from http://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/parkfield/1901.php