Income Inequality Between Men and Women - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1864 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/07/01 Category Finance Essay Level High school Topics: Income Inequality Essay Did you like this example? On April 10, 2018, women celebrated Equal Pay Day, which is really nothing to celebrate. Equal Pay Day is the annual day that marks when finally the average womans income has caught up to a mans income. Sadly, it took an additional three months and ten days for women to finally earn what men earned in 2017. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Income Inequality Between Men and Women" essay for you Create order Women have been set aside from men since day one, and are still trying to catch up. It is usually assumed that women are the ones to do more of the household work and child care, which is one reason why women earn less money in the first place. Back in the 1920s when women were just beginning to enter the workforce, they were automatically paid less than men. In the 1930s women were required to be paid 25% less than men. Women were paid less than men because of what they were known for previously, which is to take care of the house and the children. Women continue to be paid less than men in their chosen profession, simply because of their gender, where they live, or because of events such as maternity leave. This leads to detrimental effects on the livelihood of women and shows the need to eliminate the gender wage gap. In almost every occupation, men get paid more than women, which lead many people to believe that the reason men make more than women is only because of their gender. But in nearly all jobs, average earnings for women are lower than that of men (Hegewisch). It does not seem to matter if the occupation is mostly consisted of men, women, or even an equal amount of both men and women; men still make more money. Even in the most common female occupations such as nurses, elementary school teachers, and administrative assistants, mens median earnings are more than $500 per week than womens (Hegewisch). That $500 difference has a huge impact on women, resulting in them losing thousands of dollars every year. These thousands of dollars could be used in other areas of womens lives, but instead, it is just cut off. Across almost all professions, women earn only 78 cents per dollar as compared to men. This translates into a loss of $10,000 per year, which could pay for 14 more months of child care, 74 more weeks of groceries, and an additional 10 months of rent for the average woman (Jones). Stereotypes for specific jobs clearly play a role. A contributing factor to income inequality is the choice that women make regarding the profession they take interest in. By way of example, it is more likely for men to seek out top jobs in business and or government, resulting in men earning more money. Among physicians, for example, women are more likely than men to choose lower-paid specialties (though this does not explain all of the pay gap among doctors) (MAP). Women, starting as early as high school, need to be encouraged to pursue degrees and professions that are stereotypically male professions. Doing this will help close the gender wage gap and eliminate the stereotypical aspect of different professions, because if women start to join more male dominated professions, more and more women will be encouraged to join them, resulting in employers requiring to equal the incomes between men and women. Another obvious example of the gender pay gap is one of the most popular entertainment sources in the world sports. Men significantly get more money and attention than women. In sports, more likely than not, people like to watch men play more than women. This leads to men getting paid much more money. One of the biggest improvements in the sports world was the passing of Title IX. Title IX is a federal law that states: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance'(NCAA). Title IX led to colleges being required to give out scholarships to women athletes, further expanding womens professional sports after college. Before Title IX was passed in 1972, there were no athletic scholarships available to women, and no championship games were held for womens sports. Title IX was intended to enforce equal ac cess to womens athletics. But even with these advancements, there is still a huge difference between men and women athletes salaries. The only way to narrow this gap is for sponsors (such as Nike, Gatorade, etc.) and media networks to promote womens sports the same as men, and for the owners of sports teams to pay female athletes more. This will encourage the decrease of the gender wage gap because if the womens professional sports gets more attention, more people will want to watch it and find it more interesting, resulting in the athletes being paid a significantly larger amount than before. Maternity leave is known to be one of the largest causes of the gender pay gap because women lose a significant amount of money from going on maternity leave and often never catch up. When men and women complete school and start working, they are paid almost the same amount of money. But that is before the gender pay gap appears, which significantly increases over their working years. Maternity leave usually occurs when women are in their late 20s and mid-30s. The main issue is that so many women have children, so it has a large effect on many jobs and incomes as, unlike women who are married and have children, unmarried women without children continue on the path to earn almost as much as men, but still lag behind. A stereotype exists that when women return to work after maternity leave, they will put forth less of an effort and will be less focused on advancing their position in the workplace. The research shows that this stereotype leads the employers to think that they need to pa y them less because they think the women will act exactly like their stereotypes; less dedicated, less competent, and less efficient (Hardwick). Many companies in the United States have paid maternity leaves, but not all. However, when women take maternity leave (if their employer does not offer paid leave), they are not only missing out on their income, but they also can miss out on big opportunities, like a promotion. This puts women at a severe disadvantage because they could have had the opportunity to earn more money through a promotion, but they were not able to because of their absence at work. Maternity leave may not seem like it puts women at a major disadvantage, but it does because it lasts much longer than the typical 12 weeks that companies offer. A further detrimental effect of the gender wage gap is the impact it has on the womans family. When a woman has to leave her job for a reason such as maternity leave, she may not get paid. This could mean that the family does not receive any source of income, and when the woman returns to work, she is behind on being eligible for a raise, bonus or promotion. In some states, the gender pay gap is larger than others. The best place for women to work, where the gender pay gap is the lowest, is in Washington D.C. Female workers earn 89.5 cents per every dollar male workers earn. The state that has the biggest gender pay gap is Louisiana, where women earn only 65.5 cents per every dollar a man makes. Other favorable states are New York (86.6 cents) and Florida (84.9 cents) (MAP). Studies do not provide any clear explanations for why different states have different gender pay gaps; however, one explanation could be that major metropolitan cities such as Los Angeles, New York City, and Miami force employers to pay women closer incomes to men to attract and retain good, diverse talent. The varying salaries between states are troubling to those women who work in the states that have a large gender pay gap because they may not earn enough money to have the option of moving to another state. Gender discrimination also plays a large role in many different areas in the workplace, including income. When women are discriminated against by being paid less, this will negatively impact their motivation, productivity and work ethic. Some other significant results of discrimination in the workplace are being denied a promotion, or even a job itself. These types of discrimination against women constantly deepen the divide between men and women, and women have been trying so hard to eliminate that line for a very long time. About eight in ten women (78%) who say they have encountered gender bias at work say a major reason for the difference in pay is that employers treat women differently than men (Chapter 4). For example, people believe that women are paid less than men is because of the myth that women do not negotiate well. The stereotype for women is to just be polite and agree on everything. This stereotype affects how women negotiate and managers hire (Hardwick), which should never be the case. This puts women at a disadvantage because they are afraid to ask for a larger income. Women feel as if they were to try and argue for a larger income, they would be turned down, which is why most women just accept the offer the employers give, resulting in them receiving a lower income than men. In a very telling experiment, a woman was asked to negotiate a salary for herself, and a friend. When she was negotiating for her friend, she asked for the same pay as men. But when she negotiated for herself, she asked for a significant amount less. (Hardwick) This demonstrates that women need to advocate for themselves as strongly as they do for others. Like the passage of Title IX, another attempt is being made to eliminate the gender pay gap. Although it has not been passed into law, the proposed Paycheck Fairness Act would require employers to offer equal pay for equal work. The bill would further punish employers if they are unable to justify why they pay women less than men. Also, the law would offer programs to train women to improve their negotiation skills. Each of these are important components of the Paycheck Fairness Act, but until it is passed, income inequality between men and women will continue on into the foreseeable future. To have a chance at closing the gender pay gap, significant changes must be made by society as a whole. As to maternity leave, sadly, only women can bear children, so it immediately makes it unfair that women have no choice but to lose income and miss out on potential promotions at work. Employers need to make efforts into not holding maternity leave against women in pay and advancement. And laws such as Title IX and the Paycheck Fairness Act (if enacted) force colleges and employers to treat and pay women equally. Additionally, colleges can encourage women to pursue higher paying professions. Hopefully over time, these efforts will be taken into action and women will finally earn as much as men.

The White House Anger And Injustice - 898 Words

Chanque Peart Intro to Literature Analysis Poetry Explication Haytock The White House: Anger and Injustice Claude McKay’s â€Å"The White House† is the author’s way of speaking out against the blatant disregard and denial of his rights as an African American during the period of the Harlem renaissance. McKay demonstrates the importance of not letting your decisions be led by irrational anger because of social injustice, only then will those who chose to deny you, be free from their own ignorance. He utilizes the basic form of a sonnet, fourteen lines with his use of impeccable rhyme scheme. Some poets are known to alter the rhyme scheme to help better relay their overall theme, but McKay decides against it. He presents his poem in a perfect rhyme pattern which also relates to his very straight forward use of a normal metrical pattern which happens to be iambic pentameter in this particular poem. His great use of the basics makes his underlying theme extremely clear, making this easily accessible to and wide variety of audiences. The first two lines â€Å"Your door is shut against my tightened face, and I am sharp as steel with discontent;† (line 1-2) depict McKay’s beginning frustration with the way it had become for African American people. â€Å"The door† that is being closed signifies the lack of opportunities that are given to him because of his race and who he represents in predominately white society. He uses simile â€Å"as sharp as steel with discontent† to emphasize how displeased heShow MoreRelatedRichard Nathaniel Wright s Life1520 Words   |  7 Pagesracial discrimination between whites and blacks, as well as segregation amongst him and his own race. Once he grew older he became a man of many talents such as writing poems, novels, and even short stories. Mostly everything he wrote about was based off things he experienced as a child and teen growing up in Mississippi. His publishing’s gave a very pessimistic view towards racial relations. Wright explored ideas of poverty, insatiable hunger, and the injustice surrounding him. Helping setRead MoreRacism And The Effect Of Social Injustice1169 Words   |  5 Pagesracism and the effects of social injustice. To summarize the play it is about a black man whom is accused of forcing himself on a white girl and sexually assaulting her. A white attorney who does not measure people by he color of their skin or social economic status represents him. The characters represent the stereotypes of small town southern inhabitance, with the mind of pre-civil rights culture. My impression is we continue in this time period to have social injustice and racism, not to the degreeRead MoreEssay on Hatred in Notes of a Native Son1156 Words   |  5 Pages Hatred for white society was a common sentiment among the black community during the 1950s. These feelings were expressed through different mediums, ranging from music and art, to the written word. But James Baldwin, a popular black writer during this time period, does not harp on this subject. Instead of preaching about his hatred for white America, Baldwin utilizes his narrative and analysis techniques to illustrate the destructive nature of the black society’s hatred for white society in â€Å"NotesRead MoreHow is racism depicted in Life for a Life by Alan Paton?1065 Words   |  5 Pagesstory written by a famous white South African author who became involved in the fight against apartheid. It is a story about the murder of a rich white farmer and the revenge killing of a black shepherd. The story was written at the height of apartheid in 1962. Most of Alan Paton s work was written to express his views on the injustices in South Africa. His aim was to bring about chang e. Apartheid lasted from 1948 - 1991 and the story illustrates the division between the white and the black people.Read More The Work of Langston Hughes Essay1323 Words   |  6 Pagesestablish his poems. His early work reflects the happy times of the era. However, as time progressed he became increasingly bitter and upset over race relations. Except for a few examples, all his poems from this later period spoke about social injustice in America. The somber tone of his writing often reflected his mood. Race relations was the shadow of his career, following him from his first poem to his last. The tone and subject matter of Hughes ¹s poetry can be linked to certain points in historyRead MoreTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee- an essay on how justice and injustice is represented in the novel.1482 Words   |  6 Pages...in this country our courts are the great levellers, and in our courts all men are created equal. Describe and explain how justice and injustice are represented th rough events and characters in To Kill a Mockingbird. Justice, what is right and fair by all of societys standards and morals, is represented, along with injustice, through events and characters in To Kill a Mockingbird. ...in this country our courts are the great levellers, and in our courts all men are created equal. (AtticusRead MoreSocial Injustice South Africa1311 Words   |  6 PagesThe Social injustice and inequality in South Africa! English Final Essay Charmina Khanam 1128965 May 9th, 2013 603-102-MQ During the time of slavery in South Africa, the South African people were deprived of their homeland because the colonists colonized it. The white colonists snatched their land brutally and took their freedom of rights. In Nadine Gordimer’s, `` Country Lovers`` and Kate Chopin’s`` Desiree’s Baby``, both authors illustrate injustice and inequality within a societyRead MoreAnger And Intolerance Are The Enemies Of Correct Understanding1210 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"Anger and intolerance are the enemies of correct understanding,† said Mahatmas Gandhi, a devoted follower of non-violence. He was someone who always maintained his composure and stay level-headed, which helped him make judicious decisions. Anger has the effect making a person lose their calmness force them to make haste decisions. Add intolerance to the mixture and the result is an immoral decision based upon a judgment clouded by prejudice. Anger, ranging from a strong feeling of annoyance toRead MoreAnalysis Of The Film Amandla Essay1180 Words   |  5 Pagesnatives had to endure. Songs amongst the black South African community had different tones; for example, some songs depicted the injustices of the Apartheid amongst the black natives and others would be sung to uplift the people. Even though songs were sung as either beautiful melodies of hope and prayer or peaceful protests, they would still continue to upset the white community, specifically the government, which ordinarily resulted in violence. Music was applied throughout many aspects of blackRead MoreAn Analysis of Jamacian Fragment Essay1044 Words   |  5 Pagesinferiority. We can assume that the Jamaican Fragment is a real life experience, rather than a piece of fiction due to first person writing style. In the first paragraph the author uses visual imagery by describing the colors of the houses as well as the bungalow style house, which presents as the setting. We can start to conclude that the auth or is ethnic himself or very familiar with differentiating ethnic characteristics. In psychology we learn that the race we are born of, makes us better able to

Mediterranean Diet Other Lifestyle Changes- Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Mediterranean Diet And Other Lifestyle Changes? Answer: Introducation The current study discusses the impact of Mediterranean diet and other lifestyle changes in reducing the risk of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). The Statin drugs have been used in order to control or reduce the levels of cholesterol in the blood of an individual. However as argued by Dalen Devries (2014), debatable results have been obtained regarding the true effects of statin in controlling cholesterol level in the Accounting. Recent studies have also shown that presence of other associated factors such as Atherosclerosis and diabetes is independent of the blood cholesterol level. However, as commented by Salvad Lapetra (2017), the breakings down of red meat in Trimethyl Oxide (TMAO) have been seen to promote the development of defective cardiovascular conditions in humans. However, research and evidences has shown that a practically vegan diet has been seen to promote a positive and healthy functioning of the heart. The mental health practices are based upon risk an assessment and management for the prevention and control of diseases such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder on the life of an individual. In this respect, the methods are simply based upon the analysis and management of the risks, however, they to fail to measure the positive and negative consequences of such diseases. The Australian mental health system on the other hand is focussed upon provision of a holistic care regimen to the patients seeking care. This is done by providing them mental and emotional counselling, which is based upon self determination and self management principles. As argued by Mamelle et al.(2010),there are still a number of loopholes in the Australian care system. This is because diseases with profound effect on the life of an individual such as Schizophrenia and bipolar need constant management and supervision. However, no particular measure has been adopted by far which will be aimed at the improvement of the same. The article points at the use of statin as prescription drugs for the prevention and control of coronary heart disease. The current studies have shown statin to reduce the risk of heart disease by 30%. On the contrary, the Mediterranean diets have been shown to reduce the risk of statin related heart disease by 70%. Therefore, there have been disputes regrading which conventional mode of medication to be followed. As argued by World Health Organisation (2017), the uses of statin as medicinal drugs have often been found to result in a number of side effects. Some of these include increased risk of diabetes and related cognitive impairment. In my opinion, the sale of statin drugs across the globe signifies that there are still loopholes as the introduction of other similar options. However, i think that adapting to a positive lifestyle change can also bring in a positive effect and can act as a control measure. The global uses of statin have pointed out at the affectivity of the drug in lowering the blood cholesterol level along with reducing the cellular concentration of statin in the blood. However, as commented by Hughes et al. (2015), adapting to holistic care regimen and principles such as resorting to a vegan diet can help achieve the same outcomes without causing any adverse side effects. Therefore, in my opinion use of such an alternative option not only helps in increasing the longevity of a persons life. It also helps in reducing the risk of side effects brought about by constant use of statin. As commented by Kidd et al.(2015), Mediterranean diet have been seen to change gene expression and decrease inflammation through the promotion of healthy microbiota. Therefore, there is a need to bring about recommended changes in the suggested medication. This helps in prevention of the cardiovascular diseases as well as promotion of a holistic health care. References Dalen, J. E., Devries, S. (2014). Diets to prevent coronary heart disease 1957-2013: what have we learned?.The American journal of medicine,127(5), 364-369. Gutirrez-Bedmar, M., Martnez-Gonzlez, M. ., Muoz-Bravo, C., Ruiz-Canela, M., Mariscal, A., Salas-Salvad, J., ... Lapetra, J. (2017). Chromium Exposure and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in High Cardiovascular Risk Subjects?Nested Case-Control Study in the Prevention With Mediterranean Diet (PREDIMED) Study?.Circulation Journal,81(8), 1183-1190. Hughes, P., Ahmed, N., Winslow, M., Walters, S. J., Collins, K., Noble, B. (2015). Consumer views on a new holistic screening tool for supportive and palliative?care needs: Sheffield Profile for Assessment and Referral for Care (SPARC): a survey of self?help support groups in health care.Health Expectations,18(4), 562-577. J (2013) Recovery capital: What enables a sustainable recovery from mental health difficulties? European Journal of Social Work 16: 360374 J (2013) Recovery capital: What enables a sustainable recovery from mental health difficulties? European Journal of Social Work 16: 360374 Kidd, S., Kenny, A., McKinstry, C. (2015). The meaning of recovery in a regional mental health service: an action research study.Journal of advanced nursing,71(1), 181-192. Randomised trial of cholesterol lowering in 4444 patients with coronary heart disease: the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S). Lancet 1994; 344: 1383-1389 [PMID: 7968073] 2 de Lorgeril M, Renaud S, Mamelle N, Salen P, Martin JL, Monjaud I, Guidollet J, Touboul P, Delaye J. Mediterranean alpha-linolenic acidrich diet in secondary prevention of coronary heart disease. Lancet 1994; 343: 1454-1459 [PMID: 7911176] 3 de Lorgeril M, Salen P, Martin JL, Monjaud I, Boucher P, Mamelle N. Mediterranean dietary pattern in a randomized trial: prolonged survival and possible reduced cancer rate. Arch Intern Med 1998; 158: 1181-1187 [PMID: 9625397] Valls-Pedret, C., Sala-Vila, A., Serra-Mir, M., Corella, D., de la Torre, R., Martnez-Gonzlez, M. ., ... Estruch, R. (2015). Mediterranean diet and age-related cognitive decline: a randomized clinical trial.JAMA internal medicine,175(7), 1094-1103. World Health Organisation 2017, Seventieth Health Assembly update, 30 May 2017,Viewed 23 July 2017, Retrieved fromwww.who.int.com

The Effect of Cartelization Has Also Been Stated In This Report

Question: What Effect Of Cartelization Stated In This Report? Answer: Introduction In this report, the amalgamation and the merger of the hotel as stated in the case study will be critically evaluated to understand the risk and benefits of amalgamation. It can be stated here that the decision to amalgamate is to combat market pressure and can be viewed as a decision to form a cartel. This will help the firms in charging prices above the market prevailing rates. This decision by the firms has been taken to combat the increased bargaining power that the users of the services (Walker, 2016). Moreover, in this report the effectiveness of the different customer loyalty scheme that the company has adopted in order to increase market share and revenue have been critically evaluated. In this regard, the effect of the different programs on the market and the customers has also been evaluated. Information system and information technology have been distinguished in the project and its effect on the hotel market and loyalty programs have been discussed in the report. Stay Together Case Analysis The decision by the hotel chains to merge their business to combat pressure from the low priced hotel accommodation can be stated as a policy to form a cartel or create a monopoly kind of situation in the market. This will enable the hoteliers to charge a higher degree of price, this would be possible because, cartelization will allow them with certain degree of monopoly power therefore pricing power (Motta, 2004). Effect on the service providers The effect of this decision by the hotel chains will increase the profit, as they will be able to charge higher price for the same unit. This will also be possible because the other hotels in the group will also charge a similar price and the people will be forced to subscribe the services at the hotel advertised rates. In this case it can also be stated that this will also increase the producer surplus for the entire group reducing the consumer surplus (Waterson, 2004). This will be possible because they will provide the service after the formation of the carte at a rate, which is higher than earlier. In this regard, it can be further stated that if a single hotel chain cheats or violates the price determined by the group. The entire system is expected to fail and will have the potential to ruin the market by driving the organizations into a price war. The price war will be because in order to gain additional market share the organizations in the industry will offer discounts and re duce prices to compete with others. It will happen at one stage that there will be no profits to be drawn from the market and the firms will be forced to withdraw themselves (Abreu, Pearce Stacchett, 1986). Effect on service subscribers The effect of cartel formation on the customers and subscribers of services are always negative and is not desired for. This is because cartel formation prevents them from having any kinds of consumer surplus. This is because the companies and the organization in the cartels are facilitated with pricing power and therefore charge the maximum that the subscribers or the customers are willing to pay and the customers and the service users end up paying the prices that they demand having no other choice. Therefore, from a customer perspective a cartel is never desirable. It also reduces the reduces the consumer surplus which is a disincentive for them (Chamberlin, 2015). Critical analysis of the policies adopted by Stay Together In this regard, it can be stated that the managements decision of implementing the Stay Together Loyalty, rewarding customers with airport transfers, car parking on site and free nights is aimed toward increasing the demand of the services provided by the company. The benefits that the amalgamation of the company is aimed, towards increasing the sales of the company. In this regard, it can be further stated that the benefits that the group is providing is providing them with incentives. This will help in increasing the demand for the services that the company is providing. In this regard, it can be further stated that this will help in retaining the customers and increase the market share (Patino, Pitta Quinones, 2012). The customers of the company are be incentivized in the following way, if they stay for longer period of time, the customers they are provided with reward point which they can use for future stays. In this regard, it can be stated that this will increase the sales of the services for the company, in expectation of earning rewards the customers will further subscribe to the services of the group. The onsite car parking facilities, facilitates the customers by reliving them of the parking charges which otherwise, would had to be paid in excess of the hotel rents. This helps the customers in paying less and increase the value of the service provided by the company among them. More over it can be also stated that the airport transfer facilities also lessens the hassle of the customer travelling to and from the airport. This acts as an incentive, that is provided to the customers and increases the sales of the service. It can be further stated that this decision of the management is based on the principles of increasing the customer satisfaction in order to increase the sales of the services. Here it can be stated that customer satisfaction is either in increased by the quality of the service, or by providing amenities to them. In this regard it has been evident from the decision of the management that it is not only focusing solely on the qualitative factor of service but also b y increasing the amenities in order to promote demand or attract them (Colquitt, Lepine, Wesson, 2011). The management in this regard has decided that, If a kitchen and standard restaurant is on site, buffet breakfast and dinner is included in the hotel room price. This is to add to the dollar value earned per guest. Exclusive restaurants on site will charge extra. Here it can be stated that this will increases the quality of service. The intention of the management is clearly to increase the value of the service. Here it can be further stated this will provide the customers with food facilities. This will help in increasing the market share, as they will have to pay less on their travel expenses if the cost of food is included in the room rent. In addition it can be further stated that the company can advertise this in their tariff so that the customers can have an idea on what the amenities are. This will provide for a unique selling proposition for the company to its service users. The decision of facilitating a onsite exclusive restaurant will provide additional business and revenu e earning opportunity for the organization. It can be expected that there would be some boarders, who will be opting for this despite of the complementary services being provided to them. This is because they will be tempted towards the exclusive range of food that is being offered to them and these people do not mind paying extra for additional services (Xu, li, 2012). In this regard it can be further stated that this will ensure the amalgamation in earning additional revenue. This will also help in fulfilling their business objective and profit maximization. Here in this regard it can be further stated that the amalgamation can make ventures and contracts with the other airline companies. Where both will be benefited, they can make a pact that if a customer travels by a certain airline he or she will be applicable for certain rebate in the hotels. In this regard, it can stated that this will help in increasing the sales for both the companies, the company itself and the airline with which it makes the pact (Lorna Wang Bowie, 2009). The reason behind the increase in sales is because the passengers in hope of getting special discount in the hotel will fly in the stipulated airline. This will increase its sales, in this regard it can be further stated that this customer might not have chosen the particular air line had the discount not been provide, therefore this customer can be treated as addition customers for the company resulting in increasing the revenue of the airline firm from the pact. The same will be true in case of, stay to gather, in this case it can be stated that the flyers that otherwise would have chosen a different place of stay will choose stay together as their preferred staying option. This will be certainly because of the discount that Stay Together will provide. This will also help in increasing the sales of its services in every regard. This would prove to be beneficial for the company. If the company can further facilitate them with options, like providing them with opportunities of choosi ng credits, free nights, or meals. It can be stated that this will help in increasing the sales of the services further (Sanchez, Satir, 2005). It can be further stated here that flexibility in service also helps in increasing the demand. This is because; flexibility helps in catering and addressing the demand of a varied section of people. As it helps in catering to varied section of people, it enables in having a larger customer base for Stay Together. The management has taken a corporate social responsibility of providing 1% of the total billable to charity. This will help the society and the people requiring help and need in a better manner. In this case, it can be stated that this noble cause will also help in addressing customers with similar values. It can be further stated here that social causes and social statements help in increasing the market share of any company. This has been evident from various market researches. It can be stated here that companies apart from addressing social causes and requirement also declare of a corporate social responsibility to create a clear image in the minds of the people. This is an effective marketing policy as well. Customers in order to donate more or contribute to the social cause in an increased manner, purchase or spend more so that the bill increases. In this regard it becomes evident that this provides more revenue to the company as well as, help in addressing the social cause in a better way (Mauri, 2013). Information technology and Information System Information system and information technology help in increasing the market for the companies in the present context. In this regard it can be further stated that the use of information technology and information system will enable the amalgamation in better management of the 1000 hotel all across the globe. This is because information technology facilitates in faster transmission of information. This helps in adopting policies for the international phenomenon in an efficient and faster manner. In this regard it can be stated as well information technology helps in addressing clients from all across the globe (Kim, Cavusgil, Calantone, 2006). The customers can book form a distant place in advance without incurring any additional cost. In this regard, it can be further stated that this helps in further expanding the market (Buhalis, O'Connor, 2005). An effective information system enables the organization in storing the data and other requisite involved in the operation of the organiz ation in a better manner. This helps in analyzing the data in a better manner and user it in future to increase the business. In this regard it has been evident that the amalgamation of the companies needs to have a effective information technology and system in store for better performance (Romney Steinbart, 2012). Recommendation It can be recommended here that the amalgamation needs to formulate a efficient information system in order to organize itself in a better manner. In this regard it can be further stated that incorporation of appropriate information technology will help in addressing more customers and increase the revenue of the firm. It can also be recommended, here that the amalgamation can also make contract with other modes of transport, which will help in further increasing the business. Making contracts with the tourism departments and providing tourist facilities also help in increase the desirability of the chain and increase the revenue fort them which is the sole objective here (Wong Ooi Mei, Dean Whit, 1999). Conclusion In concluding the report, it has been evident that forming a chain and amalgamating with other organization, helps in decreasing the competition in the market and enables the organization in charging a price above the equilibrium rate. This is because the system provides them with a certain degree of pricing power. In this regard, it can be stated that even though it is beneficial for the companies in this regard but it is not desirable from the customer point of view. In this regard, it can be further stated that providing the customers with addition incentives and facilities help in increasing the market share and sales. In this regard, it can be stated that the amalgamation has adopted a similar policy in increasing the demand. It has also been evident from here that making contract with similar services and providing benefits to customers also help in increasing the demand for products of products for both the companies. In this regard, it can be stated that the role of informati on system and information technology is important. It can be further stated that this helps in increasing the efficiency of the entire system. References Motta, M. (2004).Competition policy: theory and practice. Cambridge University Press. Waterson, M. (2004).Economic theory of the industry. CUP Archive. Abreu, D., Pearce, D., Stacchetti, E. (1986). Optimal cartel equilibria with imperfect monitoring.Journal of Economic Theory,39(1), 251-269. Chamberlin, E. H. (Ed.). (2015).International Economic Association Monopoly and Competition Regulation. Springer. Tesfatsion, L., Judd, K. L. (Eds.). (2006).Handbook of computational economics: agent-based computational economics(Vol. 2). Elsevier. Patino, A., Pitta, D. A., Quinones, R. (2012). Social media's emerging importance in market research.Journal of Consumer Marketing,29(3), 233-237. Colquitt, J., Lepine, J. A., Wesson, M. J. (2011).Organizational behavior: Improving performance and commitment in the workplace. McGraw-Hill Irwin. Xu, H., Li, B. (2012, June). Maximizing revenue with dynamic cloud pricing: The infinite horizon case. InCommunications (ICC), 2012 IEEE International Conference on(pp. 2929-2933). IEEE. Lorna Wang, X., Bowie, D. (2009). Revenue management: the impact on business-to-business relationships.Journal of Services Marketing,23(1), 31-41. Sanchez, J. F., Satir, A. (2005). Hotel yield management using different reservation modes.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management,17(2), 136-146. Mauri, A. G. (2013).Hotel revenue management: Principles and practices. Pearson Italia Spa. Tso, A., Law, R. (2005). Analysing the online pricing practices of hotels in Hong Kong.International Journal of Hospitality Management,24(2), 301-307. Kim, D., Cavusgil, S. T., Calantone, R. J. (2006). Information system innovations and supply chain management: channel relationships and firm performance.Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science,34(1), 40-54. Romney, M. B., Steinbart, P. J. (2012).Accounting information systems. Boston: Pearson. Miller, J., Doyle, B. A. (1987). Measuring the effectiveness of computer-based information systems in the financial services sector.MIS quarterly, 107-124. Wong Ooi Mei, A., Dean, A. M., White, C. J. (1999). Analysing service quality in the hospitality industry.Managing Service Quality: An International Journal,9(2), 136-143. Walker, J. R. (2016).Introduction to hospitality. Pearson Higher Ed. Buhalis, D., O'Connor, P. (2005). Information communication technology revolutionizing tourism.Tourism recreation research,30(3), 7-16.

Ikea Invades America free essay sample

Founded in 1943 by a poor Swedish farmer named Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA is now one of the largest furniture retailers in the world. From its inception, Kamprad wanted to create cheap, quality furniture that everyone could afford. That formula led to IKEA’s early success in Sweden and has carried over until today. To its customers, IKEA is not just a store but a way of life, which may be evident through the cult-like following the company has achieved. When talking about the four P’s of marketing (product, price, place, promotion), there are few companies in the world that have mastered this concept better than IKEA. IKEA has been able to recognize the demands of its shoppers and create compelling products that meet those demands at a reasonable price. Its products are sold at unique stores that serve strategically important, geographic markets. This paper examines the factors that have made IKEA such a big success and offers some recommendations for future growth in the United States. We will write a custom essay sample on Ikea Invades America or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Today, IKEA has over 240 stores in 35 countries and has revenues of over $26 billion. Its revenues double every 5-6 years and the company is now expanding to growing markets like China, Japan, and Brazil. The future of IKEA looks brighter than ever. For a brief snapshot of IKEA’s current sales around the world see Appendix 1. In 1985, IKEA decided to invade America. Faced with this early failure, IKEA retooled its furniture to fit American tastes. IKEA soon became the fastest growing furniture retailer and the 14th largest furniture retailer overall in the United States. IKEA executives needed to find a balance of how to create new furniture offerings without losing its unique design and corporate soul. By examining IKEA’s marketing strategy and answering a series of four questions, we have developed recommendations (see Appendix 2) that we think will lead to IKEA’s continued growth and success. 1) What are some of the ways that furniture retailers have sought to overcome these purchase obstacles? : a) identifying a product that consumers like, b) visualizing the product in the consumer’s home, and c) getting the product in the consumer’s home? In furniture sales, there are two general strategies: the low-end and the high-end. The low-end offers cheap, utilitarian furniture that is dreary looking. Cheap furniture is marketed to people such as college students who have a small budget. The cheap furniture is also displayed in poorly lit showrooms that offer little to no customer service. High-end furniture stores compete on quality and service. The high-end offers a large selection in each style and sub-style of furniture, which results in the showroom having a large inventory. The broad, variety strategy virtually guarantees that a customer’s preferred style will be available. The high-end stores also have high touch sales associates to help customers with product selection and furniture measurement. Sales associates are trained to educate their customers; such as explaining the life spans of different materials. They also reassure customers that their furniture will last a life time. Visualizing a piece of furniture in a person’s home can be very difficult. The high-end furniture stores have beautiful showrooms that are elaborately decorated to help the customer visualize where they can place new furniture or how they can redecorate their home. High-end stores also offer interior design services. Most retailers offer credit to make high-end furniture more affordable. All retailers offer home delivery, sometimes free, to make the transition as painless as possible for the customer. As an added bonus, retailers offer to assemble the furniture in the customer’s home. Sometimes, delivering the furniture also involves rearranging furniture, as well as removing and discarding old furniture. Providing these services makes the purchase of new furniture an easy and worry-free process. 2) Explain IKEA’s reverse positioning strategy. IKEA created a matrix used to prioritize product lineup and price. (See Appendix 3) Primarily the matrix is used to set a target retail price and select a product style. With the matrix system, IKEA is able to identify product line opportunities and gaps; creating a well rounded store. IKEA has avoided the image of the low end furniture store by displaying furniture in brightly lit showrooms. These showrooms help customers envision how the furniture interacts with the allotted space. Plus color coordinated cards provide design tips and information kiosks are on hand to help customers. All of these features reinforce IKEA’s self service ethos without making the customer feel abandoned. In IKEA’s case, the firm rejected the standard business models for both high-end and low-end furniture stores. IKEA’s furniture is composed of cheaper parts that are not visible and are not under high stress through use and a higher quality material is used for the visible parts or parts under high stress. This gives IKEA’s furniture a higher end look while keeping their costs low. IKEA’s reverse positioning kept prices low, while eliminating many services thought essential to a higher-end store. The company replaced them with unique services for its category: a bright, inviting showroom, furniture that was attractively designed, a child care center, a restaurant serving Swedish meatballs, and brightly colored house wares and clever toys. As a result, IKEA successfully avoided the feel of the low-end retailers, and customers â€Å"find the IKEA shopping experience to be immensely appealing (Moon, â€Å"IKEA Invades America,† 5). 3) What are some of the various product/service attributes that IKEA has chosen to withhold from its customers? IKEA seems to incorporate a hybrid strategy focusing on both cost and differentiation. IKEA attempts to price in the low to midrange category. IKEA does not build its furniture to last a lifetime, which in-fact flows well with its ad campaigns focused on letting go of the semimetal value Americans often place on furniture. IKEA products are known for falling apart after a few years; however, its customers are typically satisfied with the look, functionality, and affordability of IKEA products (Moon, 2004, p. 5). Its focus is on cost-efficiency, so the company uses higher-quality materials on visible surfaces and lower-quality materials elsewhere. High-end stores compete on quality and â€Å"high touch† experience and selection. Nearly all types of furniture stores offer delivery services. However, IKEA successfully eliminated many of these attributes. IKEA products are designed to be transported unassembled in flat boxes, which keeps shipping costs low and prevents IKEA from having to deliver/assemble furniture for customers (Moon, 2004, p. ). Customers are responsible for transportation of their furniture and assembly of their furniture. Although this step may seem like its decreasing the consumer experience/perceived product value; it’s actually keeping the customer involvement level high. Moreover, the competitive pricing offered at IKEA is attributed to letting customer build their own furniture, which keeps costs to a minimum. Formerly, IKEA only produced a few different designs; however, this has changed in recent years. In order to be consistent with IKEA’s self-service ethos and to keep costs low, the ratio of sales assistants to customers is kept low. The low number of sales associates can have a negative effect on the consumer experience. To handle furniture questions, customers are provided with product descriptions and measuring tape so they can make their own measurements. 4) What are some of the areas that IKEA has managed to achieve cost efficiency by implementing a number of firm-specific operation processes? A number of cost effective operating processes have been implemented by IKEA. In furniture design, IKEA engineers often select cheaper/low quality materials for less visible areas that experience minimal stress and expensive materials for visible areas that undergo stress. This aids IKEA in producing durable, good-quality products at low costs. IKEA has worked with over 1,800 suppliers in over 50 countries and often uses suppliers from developing countries. To keep costs down, IKEA usually purchases in bulk and often orders various components of a given product from different suppliers. IKEA is strict with employees about waste; it enforces minimal travel budgets and requires them to save electricity. IKEA keeps a small staff in stores and provides self-serve trolleys to aid consumers in loading their vehicles. Typical furniture retailers require a larger staff and/or incur shipping costs for delivery of their bulky, already assembled products. Flat packaging allows IKEA customers to transport their purchases home and eliminates the expense of home delivery. IKEA’s flat packaging strategy is another firm specific operating process. The strategy was inspired by an employee who, in 1955, removed the legs off a table to fit it into a customer’s car. This strategy requires designers to keep in mind the amount of space their products take up in their unassembled form. Flat packaging also helps prevent damage to the products during the shipping process. IKEA will often redesign their products multiple times to achieve space optimization and reduce shipping costs. Space optimization typically lowers prices for consumers; however, it may lengthen the assembly process. IKEA should continue to incorporate cost cutting activities across the board so long as the consumer experience remains positive.

The Complete Guide on How to Write a Winning Ecology Term Paper

The Complete Guide on How to Write a Winning Ecology Term Paper Before delving into the structure and elements that characterize an ecology term paper, it is important to define what an ecology term paper is, and explore the objectives of writing a term paper on ecology. A term paper in ecology is a research paper that students are required to submit at the end of a semester to evaluate and track acquired knowledge about ecology courses. As opposed to essays on ecology, term papers require significant research and use of technical writing skills. The term paper may focus on a multitude of topics in ecology and must be well-written, organized, logical, and well-researched to reflect the learner’s knowledge of the topic, the area of study, and the term paper requirements, as provided by the professor. The lecturers provide students with term paper topics. On different occasions, it is common for instructors to present students with an opportunity to explore different topics in ecology, depending on the area of ecology studied in the course a nd the course requirements. The Peculiarities of Selecting an Ecology Term Paper Topic When choosing a topic, you should always consider the following: The length of the paper. Term papers in ecology have the varied scope of content implying that some topics may either be narrow or broad. Always consider the required length of the term paper as provided by the professors. You should ask yourself the questions, such as â€Å"Will the paper be long, at least 10 pages, or short, up to 5 pages? or How many words are required for the term paper?. The point is that when you are able to ascertain the required length of paper, it will be easy to choose topics that match the required number of words or pages. In this case, if the required length of the term paper exceeds 10 pages, choose a broad ecology topic. Conversely, select topics that are narrow if the term paper should be less than five pages. The resource availability. Check available resources, such as ecology books, articles, and online sources to not only gather ideas on topics but also ensure that a chosen topic has readily available and sufficient material for reference when writing the term paper. Magazines and news articles are also essential sources that provide different angles concerning factors affecting the ecosystems. The complexity of the topic. Some ecology topics are complex. Notably, the complexity varies depending on the level of study. Ensure that you choose topics that you can handle with ease. When it is impossible to focus on simpler topics, ensure you are able to explain the chosen topic regardless of its complexity. If stuck, seek advice from your lecturer or other experts within the learning institution. In this case, let your instructor explain certain areas of the topic that you find complex. Pre-Writing Stage to Generate and Clarify Ideas Starting the process of writing a term paper can be challenging even when one has clear prompts, materials, and ideas on what should be written. All term paper writers face the dilemma of translating their thoughts into a coherent and carefully articulated paper. Before beginning the writing process, seek clarifications where needed and go through the provided instructions where provided. Planning, brainstorming, and outlining ideas are among the essential pre-writing tips that enable one to write a coherent term paper in ecology. Planning. An ecology term paper requires appropriate articulation of facts without speculating concepts or including unfounded information. Therefore, planning is paramount because it entails determining the paper timeline, allocating time to different parts of the paper writing process, and crafting a resource outline to ensure the availability of enough reference materials. Brainstorming. As soon as you settle on a topic, start taking inventory of the topic ideas as they come to your mind and write them down in no particular order. Brainstorming helps with keeping track of all thoughts and ideas related to the topic and presents the writer with new avenues to explore concerning the term paper topic. Freewriting. Free writing is similar to the brainstorming as it helps you transfer your thoughts onto paper. However, free writing should entail writing ideas about the ecology topic in more formal sentences that only need editing and referencing. As opposed to listing ideas, ensure to transform the standalone concepts into a free flow of coherent information. Outlining. With the ecology topic at hand and ideas on the paper, make an outline of the concepts that should constitute the term paper. List ideas that should be discussed in the introduction section and those that should constitute the body of the paper and the conclusion segment. Below are examples you can choose for your ecology term paper topics: Explain the Importance of Herbivores in Preventing Competitive Exclusion; Describe the Influence of Diversity on the Function of Ecosystems; State the Past and Expected Effects of Climate Change on Vegetation; Carbon Dioxide Has Significant Effects on Plants and Humans. Explore the Direct Effect of Elevated Carbon Dioxide on Vegetation; Explain the Impacts of Ecosystems on The Quality of Water. Concise and Well-Written Thesis Statement Is a Must Our Writers Claim Setting for a topic and crafting a creative and compelling title for the term paper is only a single aspect in writing an ecology term paper. Before learning how and why to draft the thesis statement, let us analyze what a thesis statement is. What Constitutes a Thesis Statement? A thesis statement summarizes the claim or main point of the term paper. It should inform the reader of the significance of the ecology subject matter under discussion and provide a roadmap for the entire paper. If the term paper is about global warming, the thesis statement should provide a claim for or against global warming and offer a way to understand the concept. A thesis statement should: make a disputable claim or interpretation; be written as a single sentence at the end of the instruction segment of the introduction to present the writer’s argument; serve as the organizing principle of the term paper. The body of the term paper should organize information and evidence that convince the reader of the logic of your claim in the thesis statement. If the term paper topic asks you to develop a claim about protecting endangered species, you should convey that claim into the thesis statement. Term papers can require you to compare and contrast, interpret, analyze, or take a position on issues affecting the ecosystem and other elements of ecology. Thus, it is essential to develop a thesis statement and provide persuasive support using appropriate sources. Crafting an appropriate thesis statement is challenging, but it is important to know how to draft one because it is an essential component of every term paper regardless of its length. How Do I Develop a Thesis Statement? Formulating a thesis statement is a lengthy process that occurs after developing a topic for the term paper. The following steps help to develop an appropriate thesis statement. Read, analyze, and compare sources. Collect and organize information found in books, journals, articles, and online sources on the chosen ecology topic. Look for relationships between the ideas and concepts that constitute the topic and analyze the significance of the established relationships. Draft the thesis. Draft a statement that presents the basic argument of ideas that result from the analyzed sources, and which you are sure to support with scholarly evidence. The drafted statement is likely to be adjusted when writing other parts of the term paper; thus, do not be too rigid. Consider the counter-arguments. Since you will take a stand on one side of the chosen argument and ideas, consider the other side of the argument. Notably, considering the counterclaims helps in refining the thesis statement. How Do I Know If My Thesis Is Strong? Where possible, ask your friends or your instructor for feedback on the strength and viability of your thesis statement. If there are no people to provide you with feedback within the appropriate time, evaluate the thesis in person. During the evaluation, ask yourself the following questions: Does my thesis statement answer the term paper question? If the term paper is based on a question prompt, re-read the question and crosscheck it with the developed thesis statement to ensure you do not miss the focus of the question. Does my thesis pose a claim or observation that others might oppose? If the developed thesis statement does not provide room for people to oppose or challenge, then it provides a summary of information on the study topic instead of making a claim or an argument. Is the drafted thesis statement specific? Specific thesis statements present a strong argument while those that are too vague have arguments that may be difficult to challenge, which implies that they are weak. For instance, if your thesis statement reads, ‘protecting endangered species is good,’ try to be more specific by explaining why exactly it is good. Does my thesis pass the ‘so what?’ and ‘why and how’ test? If you read the thesis statement and respond with ‘so what? how? or why?’ then the thesis statement is not clear or is too open-ended. In this case, add appropriate content to satisfy the reader. Ecology Term Paper Outline as a Structure and Guidance for Writers An ecology term paper may focus on different and diverse topics. It may also be persuasive, informative, or argumentative. Regardless of its type and purpose, the structure should be well-organized, logical, and clear. The outline comprises: Cover page. The cover page text contains the name, the course, the date, and the instructor’s name. Abstract. The abstract is usually half a page long or approximately 150 words, and it describes the term paper, its content, and its significance. Introduction. The introduction is the first main part of the term paper and should begin with a hook and a statement about the term paper’s topic. Elements that characterize the introduction include: a short statement of the paper’s objective, thesis, and questions that the term paper will answer; placing the specific ecology topics in a broader context but in a way that represents the paper’s arguments; a description of relevant and current literature on the ecology subject of discussion or analysis; if necessary, a clarification of terms specific to the ecology discourse. Body. The body of your term paper should document a synthesis of the paper’s research and provide information about the paper’s topic to broaden the reader’s understanding of the ecology issue under discussion. The structure of the body segment depends on the goal of your term paper. Notably, no permanent conventions dictate aspects that need to be discussed or the manner in which they should be analyzed. Important Elements of the Body Section: Divide the body text into segments and subsections that represent the main ideas and supporting evidence. Each unique idea or argument should be in its own paragraph. Take note that a single sentence does not constitute a paragraph. Use the paragraphs and topic sentences to develop your paper argument comprehensively and without repetitions. Provide evidence for your arguments by quoting existing literature on selected ecology topics pertinent to the term paper. If the paper is argumentative, quote certain claims and contrast them with your opinion or disapprove the claims. Do not forget to provide reasons for disapproving a claim. Reference all the analogous and literal text and idea quotations. In cases where further clarification and comments are needed, but their inclusion in the text would disrupt the paper’s fluidity, insert the content as footnotes. However, the presence of the footnotes will depend on the term paper’s specified writing convention. The composition of your text should be clear and logically comprehensible, and the structure will depend on aspects unique to the chosen ecology topic. Provide reasons for your idea and criticisms rather than summarizing existing literature and gathering quotations. Moreover, you have to provide only information that is relevant to the understanding of your term paper issue. Post Writing Ecology Term Paper Tips to Get It Finally Done Proofread The term paper is not complete until you have proofread it to correct grammar, sentence structure, and content errors. While all the errors can be corrected at once during the first proofreading attempt, it is important to read through the paper twice or thrice to check for specific issues at each period. For instance, go through the paper to check grammatical errors and sentence structure mistakes. On the second reading attempt, read the paper aloud to identify incoherent content and sentence structures. Finally, assess the term paper for content meaning, coherence, and logical flow of ideas and supporting evidence. Finally, ensure the paper is free of nested sentences, passive constructions, and unreferenced content.

Alzheimers Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alzheimers Disease - Essay Example Alzheimer’s disease is defined as a progressive, degenerative brain disorder manifested by memory loss, impaired thinking, difficulty in finding the right word when speaking, and personality changes and which eventually lead to cases of dementia (Harvard Health Publications, 2009, p. 2). Continual loss of nerve cells and synapses and decreasing levels of neurotransmitters which are crucial to memory, mental functions, and relaying of complex messages to the nerve cells in the body affects not only the cognitive aspect but also the activities of daily living and one’s personality. The prevalence rate of diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease is approximately more than five million and by 2050, 11 to 16 million of the American population will be probably diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease; that is, one in eight people ages 65 and above is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease cause financial and emotional strain to families and is estimated to have caused the nation a $148 billion health costs annually (Lu & Bludau, 2011, 3). When a person was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, it usually takes 8-10 years to death. Because there is no cure or prevention for the disease, it is essential that different warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease are noted in order to prompt early diagnosis and care and to temporarily stabilize or delay worsening of symptoms through drug interventions. In line with this, the Harvard Health Publications (2009) identified seven warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease, which includes: trouble remembering things starting from short-term memory such as a new acquaintance then progressing to loss of long-term memory such as recognition of family members; mood or personality changes (very angry to sad, socially-outgoing to withdrawn, and signs of depression); trouble completing ordinary tasks such as simple tooth brushing; difficulty expressing thoughts particularly in language (e.g. ringer for telephone); impaired judgments such as inability to balance a checkbook; di sorientation manifested by losing track of date and time; and unusual behavior like wandering in the community (p. 3).

The School of the Americas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The School of the Americas - Essay Example The schools presence in the region represented the United States growing role in Latin America. With the signing of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (Rio Treaty) in 1947 (Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Washington, DC) the United States involvement in the region grew even more. Yet another name change came in 1949. The U.S. Army Caribbean School continued to train both U.S. and Latin American soldiers. In 1963 the school got its most notable name: The School of the Americas (SOA). The SOA began training using Spanish only and controversy surrounding the school began. With the handing over of the Panama Canal to the government of Panama the school needed a new home. After much politicking, the Spanish speaking school was moved to Fort Benning, Georgia rather than Texas that had a Spanish speaking population (where the school thought was the most logical choice). In an August 1996 report sent to the Honorable Ronald V. ... The School of Americas thus played a part in this transition by providing Spanish language military training to Latin American countries that chose to send soldier-students. The School of the Americas closed in December of 2000 after much controversy and reopened in January 2001 as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation as a result of the National Defense Authorization Act. 2. Training Provided. As stated earlier, The School of the Americas functioned as a Spanish language military school and continues as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. It is interesting to note that the new school offers instruction (again in Spanish) in many of the same courses that the SOA did at the same location. The current school offers training to Latin American military personnel in courses such as2: Civil-Military Operations Course Information Operations Course Departmental Resource Management Human Rights Instructor Course Peace Operations Course The schools website claims that all courses listed are accredited at at least the baccalaureate level, students can receive credit for courses taken,3 and that all students receive at least eight hours of human rights training. As the SOA the school offered courses using manuals with such titles as4: Human Resource Exploitation Training Manual-1983 KUBARK Counterintelligence Interrogation-July 1963 3. The Controversy. As the SOA, the school came under scrutiny by various human rights groups because of the type of training provided to the Latin American students and the resulting human rights violations by SOA graduates. The United States was accused of training these soldiers to protect its economic interests in the region. CIA manuals used by

Pharmacy application - Letter of Recommendation Essay

Pharmacy application - Letter of Recommendation - Essay Example Toan-Thang works well independently and always takes the initiative to research information on his patients disease processes. In the clinic, his presentations are organized, clear and concise. He shows great confidence and poise. His technical skills are complete and accurate, including all the necessary information for the task. Toan-Thang also exhibits an outstanding patient care manner. He is courteous and empathetic as he gives patients’ need priority. He quickly gains the trust of his patients and gives them the best care possible. In summary, Toan-Thangs work ethics are outstanding and he is a true leader amongst his peers. He has an extensive and well applied knowledge of disease pathphysiology and therapy management. He is well disciplined, punctual, efficient, professional and courteous. His clinical skills and analytical skills are outstanding, plus he shows great clinical judgment on every level of care. With these attribute characteristics, I strongly believe he would be a great pharmacist. I hope your program would give him a chance to reach his goal. I highly recommend Toan-Thang Vo without reservation to your pharmacy

English Word: Stress Or Accent Affected

English Word: Stress Or Accent Affected The segments of spoken language are the vowels and consonants. The speech segments are called segmental phonemes or primary phonemes. They combine to produce syllables, words, phrases and sentences. As we utter them, we make use of wide range of tones of voice. This speech features, which are higher than sound segments are called suprasegmentals. The speech features that are higher than the sound segments are length, stress, pitch, intonation, rhythm and juncture. Here I am describing about stress. Stress is a suprasegmantal feature. Stress refers to the prominence given to a syllable. In English all the syllable in a word are not uttered with equal force. One or more than one syllable is articulated with greater force than the rest. The degree of force with which a syllable is uttered is known as stress. A syllable gains prominence as a result of the stress it receives. However, factors such as the lengthening of the vowel in the syllable and change in pitch also work in conjunction with the breath force (stress) to make a syllable prominent. The syllable uttered with the greatest degree of force is called stressed or accented syllable. In the word table, /teibl/ the first syllable /tei/ is more prominently articulated than the second syllable /-bl/. In the word committee/ / the second syllable is more prominently uttered the others. In the word recommend / / the accent or stress is on the third syllable. The stressed syllable in the word is said to carry primary (tonic) stres s. The syllable next to that in degree of force of articulation in the word is said to carry secondary stress. The primary stress is usually marked with a vertical stroke high up just before the particular syllable. The secondary stress is marked with a vertical stroke below just before the particular syllable. e.g. emigration / /. If prominence is given to syllables in isolated words it is called word stress. In English, the stress is both free and fixed.it is free in the sense the main stress can full on any syllable in a word and fixed in the sense that each word has its own fixed stress patterns. For example while the disyllabic teacher / / has stress on the first syllable, the disyllabic word canteen / / has stress on the second syllable. The stress patterns of a word is an important feature of the words spoken identity. Thus we find nation / /, and not nation / /, nationality / / and not nationality / /. Any change in the stress patterns nay deform the phonetic shape of the word beyond recognition. Stress is relevant to grammar as well as to phonetics. Thus it contributes much to the form and function of the word. The stress patterns in some words may be affected by their grammatical word class. For example, some disyllabic verbs are distinguished from corresponding nouns or adjectives on the basis of the stress they receive, the verbs take primary stress on the second syllable whereas the nouns and adjectives take it on the first syllable. E.g. Digest / / (noun); digest / / (verb). Frequent / / (adjective); frequent/ / (verb). STRESS IN SIMPLE WORDS. Stress appears in all polysyllabic words. It is rather difficult to predict where the is to be placed. if we examine the stress patterns in simple words, the following general tendencies may be observed. 1. Words with the suffix -ee, -eer, -aire take the stress on the syllable containing the suffix. e.g. trust / / trustee / /. auction / / auctioneer / /. 2. Words with the suffix -ion, -ity, -ic, -ial, -ially, -ian take stress on the syllable preceding the suffix. e.g. regulate / / regulation / /. economy / / economic / /. 3. The suffixes -ness, -less, -ly, -al, -full, -hood do not change stress. e.g. supple / / suppleness / /. critic / / critical / /. 4. The inflectional suffixes -ed, -es and -ing do not cause any stress change. e.g. relate / / related / /. mango / / mangoes / /. progress / / progressing / / . ACCENT IN COMPOUND WORDS By compound words we mean a word composed of two separate words. If we examine the stress patterns in compound words, the following general tendencies may be observed. 1. In most compound words in English, the primary accent falls usually on the first element. e.g. pen-friend, hand-bag. 2. When a compound noun denotes a single idea rather than a combination of two ideas suggested by the original words, the first element is stressed. e.g. honey-moon, goldsmith. 3. When the meaning of a compound noun is the meaning of the second element stress is on the first element. e.g. dinner-table, sheep-dog. 4. Words compounded of a verb and an adverb are generally pronounced with stress on the first element. e.g. make-up, set-back. 5. In compound words that end in -ever or -self the primary stress falls on the second element. e.g. himself, whenever. 6. Double stress is used in compound adjectives of which the first element is an adjective. e.g. red-hot, good-looking. It may be seen that the stress of words normally pronounced with double stress is often modified in sentences. The first of the stressed syllables is likely to loss its stress, when closely preceded by another stressed syllable. Similarly, the second of the stressed syllable is likely to lose its stress, when closely followed by another stressed syllable. For example, fourteen / / is normally double stressed. When it is preceded by words like just / / , The first stress is lost, / /. FEATURES OF CONNECTED SPEECH. Sentence stress. An utterance consisting of more than one word is called connected speech. When words are used in connected speech, some words are uttered more prominently than others are. prominence given to syllables in sentences is called sentence stress. As a general rule, the words, which carry the main information, stand out from the rest. generally the content words are while the function class words are unstressed. For example, in the sentence the tall boy is a brilliant student, the words tall, boy, brilliant and student are stressed and the rest, unstressed. The stress falls on the same syllable irrespective of whether it forms part of a polysyllabic word uttered in isolation, or of connected speech. If there are several prominent syllables in connected speech only one will receive the primary accent. this is usually the last prominent syllable. But the choice of the syllable carrying the primary accent depends on the meaning the speaker wants to convey. The tonic is marked with []. For example, he must write, may be spoken in the following three ways to effect changes in meaning, by changing stress positions. He must write. He must write. He must write. One prominent feature of English is that stress occur at regular intervals of time. Accent at the level of sentence is much freer than that in the word. WEAK FORMS AND STRONG FORMS. One of the striking features of English connected speech is the occurrence of strong and weak forms nearly fifty words in English which, perform a grammatical function appearing these two forms. The can be pronounced in two or more distinct ways. 1. The weak forms are unstressed. 2. They exhibit a reduction in the length of sounds. 3. The weak forms of certain words are distinguished from their strong forms by the omission of vowels and consonants. Only strong forms are acceptable in the following situations. 1. When weak form words occur finally in a sentence, e.g. Who are you waiting for? 2. When a weak form word is accented for the purpose of emphasis, e.g. The journey to Kochi and not from Kochi. 1.What is the relevance of the points you have submitted? 2.Convert the topic into a teaching unit. 3.Critically evaluate the points you have submitted? ANSWERS Learning word stress is very important in linguistics studies. A language learner needs to engage with a word many times, preferably in different ways , in order to really learn it. Mistakes in word stress sometimes create misunderstandings in English. There are some words which have same spelling , different pronunciation and different meaning.(homography) .In such cases if we make mistakes in pronunciation then it will change the meaning. For example: Lead in I lead the group and The plate is made of lead Even if the speaker can be understood, mistakes with word stress can make the listener feel irritated or perhaps even amused and could prevent good communication from taking place. Stressing the wrong syllable in a word can make the word very difficult to understand. For example: I carried a basket to the market. If a person stress the first syllable rather than second syllable, then it will become difficult to the listener to understand. 2. Each word is formed by one or more than one syllable. In English all the syllables in a word are not uttered with equal force. The syllable uttered with the greatest degree of force is called stressed or accented syllable. For example: In the word table the first syllable is more prominently articulated than the second syllable. The most stressed words are called as primary stress and the secondly stressed syllable is known as secondary syllable. The primary stress is usually marked with a vertical stroke high up just before the particular syllable. The secondary stress is marked with a vertical stroke below just before the particular syllable. For example: ,emi`gration The stress patterns in some words may be affected by their grammatical word class. Words with the suffix -eer, -ee, -aire, take the stress on the syllable containing the suffix. In most compound words in English, the primary accent falls usually on the first element. Generally the content words are stressed while the function class words are unstressed. For example, in the sentence, the tall boy is a brilliant student, the words tall, boy, brilliant and student are stressed and the rest, unstressed. The weak forms are unstressed. 3. The information given in this assignment is very relevant and acceptable. It helps the people who are learning linguistics to acquire basic information about word stress. This is an attempt to study word stress in general and the English language in particular. It describes stress as a suprasegmental feature. It also speaks about primary stress, secondary stress, accent in simple words, accent in compound words, sentence stress and the rules in using stress. This assignment also gives lots of examples regarding the topic. In short it is a sincere effort on the topic word stress.

My Summer Vacation :: Summer Vacation Essays

One of my favorite family traditions is summer vacation. Every summer without fail we go on vacation. For the past ten years we have been going to Disney World with our family friends the Battaglia's, so it has turned into a tradition up until last summer when we broke our florida adventure to go to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We have been going on vacation with the Battaglia's for so long for a very good reason. It is because everyone gets along. My mom, Mr. Battaglia and Mrs. Battaglia are very good friends. Ronnie Battaglia, who is 19, is my best friend and we get along great. My sister Katie, 16, and Beth Battaglia, 18, also get along very well. This works out great because we are all old enough to go out and do our own thing without getting the parents too much involved. Since most of the fun things to do are located right near the hotels we stay at we rarely need to ask them for a ride anywhere, so everyone gets there way and it turns into a great vacation for all of us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We have been going to Disney World together for as long as I can remember. We know the place inside and out. Where all the best rides are, which park is the best, it even got so bad that we knew what time the lines for each ride was shortest. Disney World always comes out with some kind of new ride or show each year so that is what mostly kept us continuing to come back year after year. On day though while we were planning our next trip we decided it was time for a change of pace.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We thought that Myrtle Beach, South Carolina would be a nice place to visit. My mom had already ventured down there with a friend and new that everyone would enjoy it. So we went down there last summer and it was a big transition for all of us. it was more of an adult vacation which was good because we were getting a little too old for Disney World.

Beauty of Mateship

Poetry is one of the most ancient media in which people express their emotions and perhaps one of the most beautiful; as Howard Monomer gracefully puts It, â€Å"It may be said that poems are In one way Like Icebergs: only about a third of their bulk appears above the surface of the page† (1920 1 991 Australian poetry is no exception to this tradition of versified thoughts and feelings, and many a poet have demonstrated an intense focus on both the artistry and harshness of the environment that harbors this nation.Through the creativity and emotions of the poets, Australians are arrayed In a contrasting light as both likeable and dissociable. This Is particularly apparent in the poems being analyses in this essay – A. B. ‘Banjo' Patterson We're all Australians now and Kimonos Servos' nobody calls me a hog anymore. While both Banjo Patterson and Kimonos Servos infuse their poetry with the spirit of metathesis and acceptance In Australia, Patterson focuses on the ci rcumstances of war which ‘instantly mend' the countries' interstate differences while Servos concentrates on the struggle to achieve tolerance as an international migrant.These two poems share a umber of similarities. The first of these is the focus on equality between all, which creates a sense of unity within the participants In the narrative told by each poem. In We're all Australians now, Patterson makes powerful allusions to the nation as a whole using cities as synecdoche for integration such as â€Å"From Brome to Hobnobs Bay†. Brome is a city on the North-Western coast of Australia, while Hobnobs Bay is an electorate of Melbourne, In the south east of the country; hence, this metaphor Implies the Inclusion of the inure country.The third stanza of the poem Incorporates people of opposing ethnicities, using a true blue' metaphor, â€Å"the man who used to hump his drum†, to introduce the indigenous people to the picture through their musical customs, referr ing to their drum playing as an Identifying feature (Aboriginal Arts and Cultures Centre). They are compared as â€Å"fighting side-by-side† with Tasmania farmers; one cannot escape the carefully constructed and implicit incorporation of two distinct ethnic groups as Tasmania people are likely the whitest Australians there are, given the cool climate of their state.This creates a contrast between pollarded races while portraying them all as equal. The title of the poem suggests the idea of unity and togetherness, and everyone being the same – the phrase â€Å"We're all Australians now† appears as an anaphora throughout the poem to reinforce the importance of Australian identity. Within this phrase, the persona Includes himself, which he doesn't do at any other point throughout the poem; this could suggest that he uses himself as a replacement for everyone through use of the word ‘we're'.In a similar fashion, the use of the word ‘now implies reminisce nce of previous times, such that the conflict between states is gone but will never be resorting. Servos also focuses on equality between people. The title of the poem, which Is also Its first line and Its dominant Ideology, states this concept of personal acceptance and equality quite frankly: â€Å"nobody calls me a hog anymore†. The poet†, set the hopeful yet sarcastic tone: despite all the hardship, the persona is accepted as an Australian.The end of the poem shows the use of schism's in the line Mimi need me, and I need you†, which gives the effect that the sharing and the acquisition of Australian citizenship is a mutually beneficent deal, thus creating equal opportunity for both participants. This type of relationship generally results in a unified environment: Australia is enriched and the protagonist is embraced. Both writers have used Australian symbols, icons and stereotypes in order to relate to the concept of acceptance into Australian society and to relate to a typical Australian audience.We're all Australians now refers to perhaps the biggest icon the nation has, its national flag: â€Å"Our six starred flag that used to fly/Half-shyly in the breeze. † This can create a sense of patriotism in the reader, making them feel proud of their entry and thus allowing them to visualize and work towards achieving an atmosphere of acceptance and metathesis. Patterson also refers to the more traditional, enumerating, well-known occupations of the country, especially as they were at the time of the war.These include the men who worked in the shearing shed, or the shearers, those who worked on the cattle runs, the fishermen, the farmers and the miners, scattered throughout the verses. All of these are attempts to relate with the audience, particularly that of the sass, allowing them to feel as though they too re involved in the metathesis, camaraderie and acceptance that the nation is so well known for. The final important reference to Australian identity in this poem is found in the last stanza: â€Å"And with Australia's flag shall fly/A spray of wattle bough†.The poem states the purpose of this explicitly – it is â€Å"to symbolism our unity. † Perhaps the main drive behind the choice of â€Å"wattle† is something as simple as the fact that all men in Australia can grow the wattle, the national flower, no matter where they come from or what they look like; thus, it creates a bond between the people. The wattle therefore becomes a metaphor for togetherness. Kimonos Servos is a little less ‘romantic' and idealistic in describing Australia's struggle to achieve this same goal.His heavy use of colloquial language and intentional lack of spelling, grammar and punctuation conventions imply that he is not trying to please and appease a demanding, skeptical Australian society but rather use his resume as a good reason for benefiting from the tolerance and equality that is so loved a bout Australia. He tries to replicate the way Australians speak in particular as Servos tends to more often than not perform his poetry, making it more a spoken then a written piece (De Wright).Examples of this sort of language include â€Å"I'm an cozies too†, a tirade of interesting, accusatory Australian slang such as â€Å"Fair dinked ridge dodge a dinky die true blue† and â€Å"Me hog mate Kevin†, where the word â€Å"me†, replaces the grammatically correct term â€Å"my', as this is how it is often pronounced. He deals with parts of life that are vital to common Australian people, detailing that they apply to him also: â€Å"A poet with a mortgage/And a wife, and kids/And gas bills, and a tax file number/Just like you.These depictions of real life Susie living create a common ground for both poet and reader, allowing for the ultimate message to be shared: we all deserve – for various, complex reasons – to be called Australians! The p oems also have a number of differences, segregating their ideologies and themes accordingly. The first of these differences is Patterson softened poetic mood as compared to the experiences which engendered them. The most obvious part of the poems that is different and which connects to this idea is the prosody. We're all Australians now has consistent end rhyme and rhythm and flows really well.This is in complete juxtaposition to Server's choice of prosodic elements, which has no consistency and appears as rebellious, unconventional and abrupt as the message itself. They are representative of what the poets are trying to portray – while Patterson is depicting a perfect, naturally occurring team environment, where everyone gets along instantly and operations and relationships flow smoothly, Servos is displaying a struggle to obtain this acceptance, a struggle which is filled with bumps, lumps and plenty of twists, similar to the mood created by the irregular number of syllable s and incidental rhyme.This may be owing to the experiences of each respective poet. Patterson writes about the Battle of Galileo, in a highly dampened manner, as indicated by the reference to Gab Tepee hill, which is a hill Just south of Anza Cove. While he served in the First World War, it was not at Galileo, but rather on the Western Front, meaning essentially that he never actually witnessed exactly what it was he was writing about (University of Sydney).On the other hand, Server's poems often, among other things, contain confronting, realistic autobiographical content. An example of another of these poems is childhood in Richmond, where in fact he is describing his own childhood as a fight for recognition â€Å"and a bag/ full of dreams†; nobody calls me a hog anymore appears to be based on a similar concept (De Wright). The term Hog' is used in Australian English to describe foreigners, particularly Mediterranean Europeans. The poet is a Greek Australian, born in Melbou rne to Greek parents.It is likely then that this poem describes his own experience, an idea strongly reinforced by his referral to himself and the use first- person point of view, both of which are lacking in the other poem: â€Å"And I said, Australia, hey! ‘/You can call me Kimonos! â€Å". All these factors allow him to not only better describe the situation, but to relate to the audience better. The oscillation between first and second person connotes the author's deep desire for dialogue, conversation achieved through the use of pharmacopoeia.Also emphasizing this idea are the forms of figures of speech present in each poem. We're all Australians now has a lot of tropes such as metaphors, personification and metonymy to embellish and moderate intentions; for example, the lines â€Å"the mettle that a race can show/is roved with shot and steel† display metonymy, replacing guns or weapons with the phrase â€Å"shot and steel†, which essentially means the bul lets and the blades; it is a way of euphemistic the otherwise painful message and making the scene a little bit milder than it actually is.On the contrary, nobody calls me a hog anymore is blunter and to the point, instead using figures of sound such as schism's, napoleon and gausses in order to persuade the reader of the point. Patterson and Servos are describing two different scenarios in their poems – while Patterson is discussing the resistances provided by war which instantly heal any interstate dissentions, Servos is essentially portraying the personal fight and victory that he had against racism.Throughout We're all Australians now, the quelling of competition between states when faced with war is a common theme, shown particularly well in the line â€Å"We're not state children anymore†. This line personifies â€Å"the state† as motherly and then quickly brushes over the simplicity of detachment from one's state to instead form a nation. Another part of the poem recites â€Å"For English, Scotch and Irish-bred/ They're all Australians now! At the time in which this poem was set, Australia was a young nation of Just 14 years, so the English, Scotch and Irish are not necessarily literally those nationalities (though for many people of the time, it would have been), but more likely their heritage, including the quintessentially Aboriginal one. On the other hand, Servos, as stated earlier, is depicting a constant struggle, a fight for his own personal acceptance. He attempts to connect with the audience and Australians in order to achieve this.He also describes parts of his struggles in the first half of the memo. For example, gausses is used in the lines â€Å"Point the finger accusingly/Thump my fist demandingly', in order to describe the escalation of moods. He Jumps from peaceful accusations to semi-violent measures within the space of two lines as the anger boils up. Overall, the poets have each drawn upon their own personal exp eriences in order to spin the webs of aesthetic features that readers still enjoy today.Be it Patterson third-hand experience, comparing the Western Front of the Great War to the Battle of Galileo, or the personal story told by Kimonos Servos of he struggle against racist attitudes, the poems leave a lasting message that shall be forever remembered; Australian metathesis is real, a sense of acceptance seen nowhere else in the world does exist, forming indestructible bonds of helpfulness and tolerance.

Hercules essays

Hercules essays Some time after he completing the 12 labors, Hercules married the princess deianira. The centaur nessus tried to rape deinarina, and Hercules shot him with a poisoned arrow. The dying centaur told deinarina to smear some of his blood on Hercules robe if she ever needed to win back his blood. After Hercules fell in love with another princess, Iole, Deianira follow Nessus advice. But the centaurs blood had been poisoned by Hercules arrow. When Hercules put on the robe, it burned him so terrible he pleaded to be placed on a funeral pyre. Flames consumed his body, and he was taken to mount Olympus, home of the gods. There, he became a god. The most popular of all Greeks heroes, famous for extra ordinary strength and courage. Alcmene, wife of amphitrion, made love to bouth Zeus and her husband on the same night and born two sons, Hercules son of Zeus and Iphicles son of amphitrion. Hercules incurred the everlasting wrath of Hera because he was the child of her unfaithful husband. A few months after his birth Hera set two serpents in his cradle, but the podrigious infant promptly strangled them. Wen he was a young man, Hercules defended thebes from the armies of a neighboring city, Orchomenus, and was rewarded with Megara, daughter of King Creon. But Hera drove Hercules insane, and his madness he killed his wife and children after he had recovered his sanity, he sought purification at the court of the king Eurystheus of tiryns for 12 years. During those years Hercules performed 12 arduous labors. He killed the demean lion and the Hydra caught the Erymanthian boar and the Cerynean hind drove off the stymphalian birds c lean the stables of augeas captured the cretan bull and the horses of diomed made off with the girdle of the amazon queen hippolyte killed geryon captured cerberus and finally took the golden apples of Hesperides. After his labors were completed, Hercules was involved in many other adventures and combats, to perform...

Complete List of FREE ACT Math Practice Questions

Complete List of FREE ACT Math Practice Questions SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Whether you're on a budget or just want to see what kinds of ACT Math study materials you can access for free, you've come to the right place. Though the internet is chock-full of ACT resources of dubious quality, we've collected and put together only the highest quality free ACT Math study materialavailable. So let's jump right in! Note: For guides and reviews of the best for-pay ACT study, check out our list of ACT study links, which includes all official practice tests, and our top picks for ACT prep books. Why You Must Use High-Quality ACT Math Materials Because the ACT is a very specific type of standardized test, it's crucial that you study using the right sources. Studying with the wrong materials is about as bad as not studying at all,and there are, unfortunately, a lot of poorly designed ACT prep materials floating around. So don’t be tempted by the many websites and programs, both free and paid, that provide ACT prep materials of poor quality. If you spend your time studying from inferior materials, you will not have a clear sense of how you’ll perform on the ACT.Proper test prep is about assessing your current level and improving upon it, but you won’t be able to do this if you get a false sense of your skill level (either higher or lower) based on low-quality study materials. In short, any practice problems that don't properly reflect the types of questions you’ll see on the ACT aren't worth your time! Knowing this, the absolute best study strategy is to use official ACT materials.The test is designed by ACT, Inc., and their free materials are far and away the best place to start. From here, you can then branch off to programs and resources that utilize (or closely resemble) this official material. Because you should only be studying from websites and programs that are as close to the source (i.e., the official ACT) as possible, there sadly aren't a whole lot of free materials available. That said, we've found a couple of solid free ACT Math resources you can use in your prep. Read on to see what these are! The 4 Best Resources for Free ACT Math Practice Here are four super helpful websites you can use to help you make the most of your ACT Math studies- and you don't have to pay a cent for any of them! #1: ACT, Inc. The creator of the test itself, ACT, Inc., should always be your first go-to website for any and all ACT matters. Luckily, they also have a good deal of free study resources, offeringboth complete ACT practice tests and individual Math practice materials. Free Official Full-Length ACT Practice Tests The five tests linked below are the only free tests available from the past 10+ years.Each ACT test includes an optional Writing section and answer key: ACT Practice Test 2015-16 ACT Practice Test 2014-15 ACT Practice Test 20-12 ACT Practice Test 2008-09 ACT Practice Test 2005-06 You might notice that there are missing years here (2006-07, 2007-08, etc.). This is because the ACT repeats tests for different years, meaningthatthe tests for missing years are actually duplicates of the ones above. Note: If you buy the third edition of theACT Red Book, you'll have access to five more official ACT practice tests, but this is obviously not free (around $30 on Amazon).You can also buy the more recent 2017-18 edition of the ACT Red Book, but this oneonlyincludes three practice tests whose questions often overlap with those in the practice tests above. Free Official ACT Math Practice In addition to complete practice tests, the official ACT website providessample math questions with answer choice feedback. These are a full 60 questions in ascending order of difficulty, just like a real ACT Math section. It's essentially another free complete ACT Math test with which you can study! We recommend solving all your questions on paper and then checking your work at the end, rather than checking your accuracy after each question. This method will give you a better sense of how you’ll do on the ACT (remember, you won’t get immediate feedback while you’re taking the actual test!). No need to worry about bills here- most of your ACT studying can be done for free. #2: PrepScholar ACT Blog At PrepScholar, we've compiled tons offree resources for all your ACT Math needs, including detailed guides on every ACT math topic. Our articles give definitions and explanations for major math concepts, offer examples of how you’ll see each topic on the test, and provide ACT practice questions with detailed answer explanations. Below are some of our most helpful content-related resources for the ACT Math section: Numbers Integers (Basic) Integers (Advanced) Fractions, Ratios, Rational Numbers, and Proportions Statistics (Mean, Median, Mode) Probability Sequences Algebra Single Variable Equations Systems of Equations Operations Functions Coordinate Geometry Lines and Slopes Reflections, Translations, and Rotations Plane and Solid Geometry Lines and Angles Circles Triangles Polygons Solid Geometry Trigonometry Trigonometry Formulas The 31 Critical ACT Math Formulas You MUST Know In addition, we have strategy guides to help you solve numerous ACT Math problems across the board: Plugging in Answers Plugging in Numbers You can also sign up for a free five-day trialforour online ACT prep program. This customizable program assesses your current strengths and weaknesses and adapts to your needs based on your progress. It also gives you practice questions tailored to your areas that need improvement and provides expert answer explanations for all questions. The questions we use in our program are all based on real ACT test questions,and, though the full program is not free, we guarantee you your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points. #3: Ivy Global ACT Practice Test This company offers afree unofficial ACT practice test. Although the math content overall is solid, some questions are slightly easier than those on the actual ACT. In addition, there are no answer explanations, making it hard to determine how to effectively solve questions you got wrong. Otherwise, this PDF offers helpful practice and is a great option if you've already used up all official resources. I recommend using itmainly to digintoextra math questions (instead of taking it as a full-length test). This will help you develop a clearer picture of what math concepts and question types are especially difficult for you. It should also be noted that unlike other ACT websites, Ivy Global does not require you to make an account in order to access its ACT practice material. #4: Khan Academy A partner of the College Board (the creators of the SAT- not ACT), Khan Academy is a great website to use forACT Math practice and review, as long as you know how to use it effectively. I say that because this free prep website only offers a program for the SAT, so you won't find any official ACT practice questions here. That said, you can still use Khan Academy to drill relevant ACT Math concepts and practice those you've learned. Since the ACT, like the SAT, has a big emphasis on algebra, you can use the SAT's Heart of Algebra and Passport to Advanced Math sections for relevant practice. For geometry (which makes up 35-45% of ACT Math), use the High School Geometry page to choose specific concepts and watch videos on them. Finally, for trigonometry, go with the trigonometry and SAT Additional Topics sections. OK, so you've got your study material. Now how do you best use it? How to Use ACT Math Resources Effectively: 6 Key Tips In addition to knowing what material to actually use (and what to avoid) for your ACT Math prep, it's important to know how to best utilize the resources you find. The following six tips will help you achieve your highest ACT Math score using the free prep materials available. #1: Take a Complete Practice Test in One Sitting Though you're probably mostly concerned about your ACT Math score, you still need to know how you'll fare over the course of the full ACT. Answering one or two ACT questions might not be overly challenging, but the test is a marathon: if you aren't prepared, you'll likely find yourself exhausted by the end of it. And exhaustion can cause anyone to make mistakes! So before you dedicate your focus to ACT Math alone, see how your Math score fits into the larger test-taking picture. Plus, a bonus: by taking a full ACT practice test, you'll also be able to see how your Math score does over the course of the entire Math section (remember, questions get harder and harder over the course of the Math test!). #2: Use Proper Timing As you take your complete practice test and any math-specific sections, be sure to follow the proper timing used on the real ACT. Here's a brief overview of how much time you'll get on each ACT section as well as how much (estimated) time you should spend per question: ACT Section Total Time # of Questions Time per Question English 45 minutes 75 36 seconds Math 60 minutes 60 60 seconds Reading 35 minutes 40 53 seconds Science 35 minutes 40 53 seconds Writing (Optional) 40 minutes 1 40 minutes As you can see, you'll have an average of one minute to answer each Math question,and you'll need to know how well you fit into these parameters before test day. It's not worth much if you can answer every question correctly but can't complete the test in time! Don’t worry if you run out of time while taking your first practice test- this is completely normal and gives you a place from which to begin and improve. If the trend continues, however, consider checking out our guide on how to stop running out of time on ACT Math. #3: Review Your Mistakes Taking a practice test is merely the first step. Once you're done with this, focus on identifying any patterns in your correct and incorrect answers so that you can see what and how you need to improve. For example, do you tend to get the last few questions wrong on Math? Dofunction questions always throw you for a loop? Whatever your case, dig deep to examine your errors, andtailor your study plan to drill your most challenging areas. #4: Target Your Areas of Weakness Your goal is to answer as many questions as accurately as possible, so dedicate the majority of your time to improving your areas of weakness. For example, if you're struggling to understand a certain concept, such as systems of equations or coordinate geometry, take time to review it and then use practice questions and tests to ensure you're getting it down. In addition, make an effort to prioritize the first 40 questions or so on ACT Math.Though each question is worth the same number of points, they get more and more difficult as you go through the test. Therefore, it's more efficient in terms of your time and energy to solve two questions in the 20-range than it is to spend twice as much time solving question 60. #5: Pace Your Studying Don’t cram all your studying into one day before the test. With a busy schedule, cramming might seem like your only option, but real improvement happens over time. And yet don't despair, either! No matter how much time you have left before the test, you can make a balanced study program. Start by looking at the time you have before test day. We generally recommend giving yourself at leastthree to six months to study for the ACT; this should be enough time for you to identify your weaknesses, take several practice tests, and review key content. Next, assign yourself at least three full practice tests in addition to your normal studying time, spaced out over the course of your time until the test. This probably won’t be possible if you only have a week or two before the ACT, but it’s still important to fit in at least one practice test or twowherever you can. If you're on an accelerated or last-minute schedule, check out our guides to studying for the ACT in a month andimproving your ACT score in 10 days. #6: No Improvement? Consider Using a Tutor or Prep Program Some students want to do all their studying alone, but for others this method is impractical. If the material doesn't make sense to you and you need extra guidance (or something to get you to make time to study), a tutor or prep program (or both!) can give you the final push you need to do well on the ACT and maximize your score.At PrepScholar, we offer both expert tutoring and a fully customizable online ACT prep program. As you weigh your options, remember to consider how much you should pay for an ACT tutor and when your ACT test date isso you can come up with a surefire plan that works well for you! There are many different study paths, and you'll find the right one for your needs!(maramao/DeviantArt) What’s Next? Want to best make use of your ACT study materials? Now that you've gathered some ACT Math resources, check out how to get the most realistic ACT experience in your practice. Bitten by the procrastination bug? Time running out until test day? Check out how to beat the urge to procrastinate and learn how to balance your time for your ACT prep. Looking to get a perfect ACT score? Take a look at our guides to how many questions you can get wrong and still get a perfect scoreandhow to get a full 36 on ACT Math(written by a perfect scorer!). Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial: