A personal response Thomas Kinsella Essay Example

An individual reaction Thomas Kinsella Essay Example An individual reaction Thomas Kinsella Paper An individual reaction Thomas Kinsella Paper Thomas Kinsella is a writer that is extremely mindful of transition. He likewise shows me through his verse that the things we recollect as youngsters take on an alternate significance when we are more seasoned and furthermore that when somebody dies, we additionally take a gander at the recollections of that individual in an alternate manner. His verse has a cruel attitude toward maturing, getting old and in any event, picking up information to a certain extent, anyway he isn't all fate and melancholy (as we find in Model school, Inchichore and Dick King), he can likewise take a positive view on things, even demise! My preferred part of his verse is the manner in which he can show you another point of view while as yet utilizing straightforward, ordinary language generally. In some cases, his sonnets can be perused in various manners! Kinsella is one of a kind from different writers in the way that he was impacted by speculations of Carl Jung. No other writer I have concentrated on the leaving cert course that utilizes outside motivation as firmly. He additionally expounds a decent arrangement on individuals throughout his life, or who were a major part of his life, in his verse and I feel that stands to him as an individual. It shows that even in his work, he ponders the individuals who mean a great deal to him. A sonnet that has a solid feeling of short life is Mirror in February. The artist has a revelation while shaving in the mirror one day. He understands that he is a similar age as Jesus when he died,reach the period of Christ, yet the writer has not cultivated his lifes mission. To me, it appears as though the artist fixates on his age and the dread of developing old for they are not made entirety. Kinsella is desirous of the trees since they show signs of improvement bearing and return again throughout the Spring, though Kinsella can't simply be reestablished. When he ages, the years remain with him, by what means should the tissue not quail that length for range is damaged more? . We can tell that Kinsella isn't content with the possibility of himself developing old, while the trees remain apparently imperishable, In moderate aversion. This sonnet gives me a decent understanding of the emotions that Im sure a significant number of the grown-ups in my life have encountered at some phase in their lives, and sentiments that, I am certain, I will look in time. It has additionally given me that albeit maturing is definitely a piece of life, I can go about it in two different ways. I can deny it for as long as Possible before I need to acknowledge the it, or I can do what Kinsella does in this sonnet, which I very much want, and simply acknowledge it as a feature of life. I overlay my towel. not youthful and not inexhaustible, yet man. Kinsella isnt cheerful about the way that hes maturing (and who is? ) yet he can acknowledge it and appreciate the time he has left with satisfaction in being what his identity is, and I like that about him as an individual. The fundamental sonnet from kinsellas works that shows temporariness is His dads Hands. This sonnet is excessively unpredictable and long for my loving however I can positively identify with what he says and this is presumably the sonnet I can identify with generally out of all of Kinsellas sonnets that we have concentrated all through the leaving cert course. Things like how his dad decimates the point by nudging the air, help me to remember my family as my dad does precisely the same his fingers pushed and goaded damaging his point. At the point when my dad does it, I as well, daydream and begin considering different things. Kinsellas granddad additionally helps me to remember my own. My father is a carbon copy of him, so I regularly think about my granddad when I see my father. This is actually what Kinsella does also. I have watched his dads hands before him. My granddad is additionally exceptionally in need of a hearing aide and close to dazzle, as the granddad in His dads hands seems to be. To his hard of hearing, slanted head. This sonnet helps me to remember my granddad and therefore alone, I truly like this sonnet. Anyway not at all like this sonnet, my granddad isn't a separated figure, that is viewed with feel sorry for, my granddad is the life and soul of a gathering now and again thus I can never peruse this sonnet and feel the trouble and depression that others do, yet that is an or more in my eyes. This sonnet really propelled me to think back to my underlying foundations, and find progressively about who my family was before me. What's more, a few years before that the Family originated from some place around Tullow. In spite of the fact that the style of the sonnet isnt the sort I regularly like, this sonnet is truly critical to me and I dont figure I will ever overlook it due with the impact it has had on me.

Project Report free essay sample

The execution of encoder-decoder included change of the Fixed point number to Standard Logic vector. After the encoding and disentangling process the Slandered Logic vector is changed over back to Fixed point number at that point back to Real Number portrayal. Quantization mistake is determined structure the distinction among info and yield genuine numbers. We have used Xilinx ISE test system and IEEE proposed Fixed Point bundle during execution of the ventures. Figure 1 shows the square graph portrayal of the proposed framework. Info (Type: Real) Test Values Real To Fixed Point Conversion Signed Quantization Level (3 downto - 4) Resolution (0. 0625) Fixed Point to IEEE Standard Bit Vector Conversion Hex Encoding Binary to Octal Encoding/Encryption Hex Encoding Octal to Binary Decoding/Decryption Hex Encoding IEEE Standard Bit Vector to Fixed Point Conversion Fixed Point To Conversion Real Type Conversion Error Calculation Figure 1: Block Diagram of Complete Simulation Model 1. 1 Fixed Point Package : Fixed point is a stage between number math and skimming point. We will compose a custom paper test on Undertaking Report or on the other hand any comparative point explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page This has the benefit of being nearly as quick as numeric_std math, however ready to speak to numbers that are under 1. 0. A fixed-point number has an appointed width and an allocated area for the decimal point. For whatever length of time that the number is sufficiently large to give enough accuracy, fixed point is fine for most DSP applications. Since it depends on whole number math, it is incredibly productive, as long as the information doesn't fluctuate a lot in size. This bundle characterizes two new sorts: â€Å"ufixed† is the unsigned fixed point, and â€Å"sfixed† is the marked fixed point. 1. 2 IEEE coasting point portrayals of genuine numbers No human arrangement of numeration can give a one of a kind portrayal to each genuine number; there are simply an excessive number of them. So it is traditional to utilize approximations. For example, the statement that pi is 3. 14159 is, carefully, bogus, since pi is very bigger than 3. 14159; however practically speaking we here and there utilize 3. 14159 in figurings including pi since it is a sufficient estimation of pi. One way to deal with speaking to genuine numbers, at that point, is to determine some resilience epsilon and to state that a genuine number x can be approximated by any number in the range from x epsilon to x + epsilon. At that point, if an arrangement of numeration can speak to chosen numbers that are never more than twice epsilon separated, each genuine number has a representable estimate. For example, in the United States, the costs of stocks are given in dollars and eighths of a dollar, and adjusted to the closest eighth of a dollar; this relates to a resistance of one-sixteenth of a dollar. In retail business, be that as it may, the regular resilience is a large portion of a penny; that is, costs are adjusted to the closest penny. For this situation, we can speak to an aggregate of cash as an entire number of pennies, or equally as various dollars that is indicated to two decimal spots. Researchers and architects quite a while in the past figured out how to adapt to this issue by utilizing logical documentation, in which a number is communicated as the result of a mantissa and some intensity of ten. The mantissa is a marked number with a flat out worth more noteworthy than or equivalent to one and under ten. Along these lines, for example, the speed of light in vacuum is 2. 99792458 x 10^8 meters for each second, and one can determine just the digits about which one is totally sure. Utilizing logical documentation, one can without much of a stretch see both that 1. x 10^-2 is more than twice as extensive as 6 x 10^-3, and that both are near 1 x 10^-2; and one can without much of a stretch recognize 4 x 10^-3 and - 7 x 10^-4 as little quantities of inverse sign. The guidelines for figuring with logical documentation numerals are somewhat more entangled, however the advantages are colossal. The three things that differ in logical documentation are the sign and the outright estimation of the mantissa and the example on the intensity of ten. An arrangement of numeration for genuine numbers that is adjusted to PCs will commonly store a similar three information a sign, a mantissa, and a type into an allotted district of capacity. By appear differently in relation to fixed-point portrayals, these PC analogs of logical documentation are depicted as skimming point portrayals. The type doesn't generally show an intensity of ten; at times powers of sixteen are utilized rather, or, most ordinarily of all, forces of two. The numerals will be fairly unique depending how this decision is made. For example, the genuine number - 0. 125 will be communicated as - 1. 25 x 10^-1 if forces of ten are utilized, or as - 2 x 16^-1 if forces of sixteen are utilized, or as - 1 x 2^-3 if forces of two are utilized. The outright estimation of the mantissa is, be that as it may, constantly more noteworthy than or equivalent to 1 and not exactly the base of numeration. The specific framework utilized on MathLAN PCs was planned and suggested as a standard by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and is the most ordinarily utilized numeration framework for PC portrayal of genuine numbers. All things considered, their standard incorporates a few variations of the framework, contingent upon how much stockpiling is accessible for a genuine number. Well talk about two of these variations, the two of which utilize paired numeration and forces of 2: the IEEE single-exactness portrayal, which fits in thirty-two bits, and the IEEE twofold accuracy portrayal, which possesses sixty-four bits. Well start with single-exactness numbers, since it is this portrayal that is utilized in HP Pascal for estimations of the Real information type. In the IEEE single-exactness portrayal of a genuine number, the slightest bit is held for the sign, and it is set to 0 for a positive number and to 1 for a negative one. A portrayal of the type is put away in the following eight bits, and the staying twenty-three bits are involved by a portrayal of the mantissa of the number. The type, which is a marked whole number in the range from - 126 to 127, is spoken to neither as a marked size nor as a twos-supplement number, however as a one-sided esteem. The thought here is that the whole numbers in the ideal scope of examples are first balanced by adding a fixed inclination to every one. The inclination is picked to be sufficiently enormous to change over each whole number in the range into a positive number, which is then put away as a paired numeral.

Youre Admitted! Congratulations!!

Youre Admitted! Congratulations!! Awww yeah! If you’re reading this, it means you just got some really awesome news. Allow me to be the first to say WELCOME TO THE ILLINI FAMILY! This is you right now: This is the entire admissions office right now: Honestly, we are so proud of you because we had one of the most competitive applicant pools we’ve ever had. So take a moment and really let this sink in, because all of your hard workâ€"not only through application season, but also from the past four yearsâ€"has finally paid off. BUT! Now comes another step in the admissions process: what to do after you’re admitted. Don’t fret, Im here to walk you through the process. In fact, if you log into your myIllini account, you’ll get access to your Admitted Student Checklist, which will outline everything you need to do before school starts in the fall. The very first task on the checklist will be to accept or decline your offer of admission. If you’ve visited campus before and you know Illinois is your top school and you’re gung-ho about becoming an Illini, you can accept your offer on the spot and continue the Admitted Student Checklist. However, a lot of students may not be ready to do that yet. I always encourage students to visit a campus before you accept your offer. You can check out our visit options by clicking here. I know many of you might not be able to attend a campus tour or make the trip to campus, and that’s okay! We have Self-Guided Tours and Campus Photo Tours available on our website, too. Once you accept your offer, the next step is to claim your NetID and password. Your NetID and password is what you’ll use throughout your next four years at the university to get access to various campus resources. To do this, you need your Activation Code and University Identification Number (UIN), both of which are available when you log in to myIllini. After you claim your NetID, you’ll have access to the rest of the Admitted Student Checklist. More information will be shared on the checklist, and there will be more for you to complete as we get closer to fall. Through the checklist, you’ll eventually be able to check on your Financial Aid, setup billing/payment options, submit a housing contract, and register for Summer Registration (where you’ll schedule courses). I’m sure you still have a lot questions, because this is a lot of information to process: being admitted, weighing your options, completing next steps, etc. I want to give you a couple more links so you can find any additional information you need. Check out the  Admitted Student page on our website and Zoe’s blog detailing every aspect of the Admitted Student Checklist. As always, feel free to contact me or the Office of Undergraduate Admissions if you have any questions or concerns, and once again, congratulations, future Illini! Danny Admissions Counselor I am originally from New Jersey, but I grew up and graduated high school in the north suburbs of Chicago. I love being an admissions counselor because I get to meet and interact with remarkable students almost every day!

Frederick Douglass An Influential Orator - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1320 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/06/10 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Frederick Douglass Essay Did you like this example? Frederick Douglass is widely known as one of the more influential orators and figures for abolitionists during the times of slavery. While a slave, Douglass tirelessly planned his escape from the appalling conditions he had endured since his early childhood. Whipped, manipulated and deprived of human rights, Douglass had every right to feel that his terrible situation would never improve. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Frederick Douglass: An Influential Orator" essay for you Create order Slowly but surely, Douglass equipped himself with the social skills and economic capital to escape from the South into the freedom of the North. Douglass eas influenced by the significance of the physical beatings he witnessed, including that of Aunt Hester. One of his owners, Mr. Auld, shares his belief that allowing slaves to read would endanger his ability to continue the plantation. The last significant event that Douglass experiences would be his sale to the breaker Mr. Covey. All three events signify a clear and malicious attempt made by white slaveowners to deny African Americans their rights, for their own personal gain. Much of Douglass childhood is detailed in his narrative. As a child, Douglass was separated from his family, his mother had died early on in his life likely from the physical and mental toll of slavery and he also believed his slave owner was his father. One could argue that the separation was deliberate, and meant to cause emotional pain for the child as well as the parent. The mother would have to obey the slaveowner because they could beat the child if the mother or father did not obey. At that point in history, most people knew and realized that slaves had little to no education available. Douglass did not have the social awareness nor the intellectual ability to understand what was going on, or why slavery was out of the ordinary. Thus, one of the first significant events that shaped Douglass occurred when Aunt Hester was brutally whipped in front of him. Even from a neutral point of view, the idea of relentlessly attacking another human being, let alone an innocent woman, is a disgusting idea. White men and women who were on plantations used physical violence to deter slaves from insurrections. One has to ask themselves if you could not prevent someone from doing an action by merely convincing them on your own, was the action itself truly morally justifiable? Douglass was young and still in his formative years, so he was still making his judgments about the relationship between the slave owner and the slave. There are references to how quickly Douglass noticed and learned about the violent dynamic, and how he detested the idea that even when you told the truth as a slave, you were still beaten. White slaveowner thought that by beating their slaves, that they would teach young, formative slaves lik e Douglass to obey. These were the experiences, among others, in which Douglass began to realize that the dynamic made no sense from a logical or moral perspective. The second event that was significant and proves the corruption of the white slaveowner is the conversations between Douglass and Mr. Auld about the power of reading. Douglass engages in an extramarital relationship with Sophia Auld, who is married to Mr. Auld. She provides care and primary education to Douglass, likely out of compassion. Sophia Aulds actions contrast entirely with the actions of her abusive husband, Mr. Auld. Mr. Auld tells Douglass and other slaves that if they learn to read, slaves will become useless because they will be depressed and unmanageable. At this point, Douglass is now old enough to understand and make moral judgments about what his slaveowners say. The first significant event in his childhood was observing beatings like that of Aunt Hester, seeded a natural distrust between Douglass and his slaveowners. Their reasoning is detestable, as they surely know that reading and having an understanding of what is going on outside of the plantation would lead to a loss of control which would be catastrophic for the economy of the south. Douglass understands that the slaveowners preventing slaves from learning to read or learn is part of a deliberate plan to suppress African American freedom, and as a result the relationship between Douglass and the slaveowners becomes fractured. One could argue that Sophia Auld indirectly inspired Douglass to truly see the corruption of the slave-slaveowner relationship. Douglass learns a lot of valuable lessons from this, as he begins to learn how to read despite the physical abuse that he gets as a result. He realizes that to be successful, he will need to learn how to read, obtain informat ion, and plan his escape. Both events fostered and seeded distrust between Douglass and his slaveowners. Their lack of respect, and deliberate mistreatment and mismanagement of the slaves, only exacerbated this. Douglass returns the favor by showing them no respect and regularly planning for how he can escape from the plantation. He eventually becomes educated enough to completely comprehend and loathe his treatment and how he is valued as property, which further causes distrust in his relationship with the Auldrs son and daughter. The final straw for Douglass, and final event to analyze, is Douglass beatings at the hand of the breaker Mr. Covey. Covey is much more outright with his abuse of slaves, including Douglass. He beats Douglass regularly because he feels that Douglass is awkward. If Douglass was a useful slave, and his demeanor simply pissed off the owner, what was the point of beating him? It would do nothing but anger Douglass to a point where he could no longer tolerate the condition. Eventually, the move backfired on Covey, because Douglass fought back and attacked Covey to the point that he had surrendered. There was no punishment because Covey knew his role as an enforcer would be questioned if they knew Douglass had been successful in beating him up. The whole situation and dynamic is proven to be pointless and easily backfires on the slaveowner. Eventually, slaveowners would learn that the only way to stop the abuse is to fight back. When a stronger, more intellectual slave can do it, the other slaves quickly realize that the owner is weak and susceptible. Even if the owner managed to deter or beat the winning slave back into submission, they would lose their credibility and continuously have to wonder whether or not other slaves will attack them at any given time. The irony of the situation is that when Douglass can speak with his slaveowner that he had been loaned from, the slaveowner sends him back to the place that has been abusing him for no reason. One could argue that the actions by Thomas Auld drove Douglass to a fundamental breaking point. Douglass realizes that he can no longer be used as an example to others. He recalls the situation with Aunt Hester and does not want to be the man who is beaten in front of a child. He wants to inspire others, and teach them that what was going on was not acceptable and that they needed to take action to improve their condition. Douglass is imprisoned after his initial attempts to escape, but eventually learns and figures out how to make his way New Bedford in the North. Everyone in contemporary society knows that slavery is wrong. It violated the human rights of the slave and was in no way justifiable for the slaveowner. The idea of beating a slave, let alone in front of a young child, would eventually inspire slaves to realize that what was going on was considered cruel and disgusting. The slaveowners themselves knew that if the slaves were educated, they would begin to revolt because they could understand they too should have the same rights as their slaveowners. Fredrick Douglass paved the way for other slaves to take up arms and fight for what was right, and as a result, he will always be remembered for it.

The Top Secret Truth About Compare and Contrast Essay Samples for College English 28 Clothing Style Revealed

The Top Secret Truth About Compare and Contrast Essay Samples for College English 28 Clothing Style Revealed Compare and Contrast Essay Samples for College English 28 Clothing Style - What Is It? In fact, several of the essay hook examples quoted above can be placed into this category. Various varieties of essay hooks exist. Order a customized essay or research paper having the most helpful hooks you've ever seen! And you must come across perfect hooks for an essay even if you don't understand what things to write about. Although you'll have different conclusions in the conclusion of each paragraph throughout the text, you also must have a conclusion as an individual role in the conclusion of your essay. You must examine all of the counter suggestions and consider them while drafting the paper. The approach depends upon the character of your subject Significance not only must you to clarify the significance of the principal topic, but in addition mention the importance of comparisons or contrasts. No matter the scenario, use these guidelines to strengthen your understanding of this preliminary essay format. Your ability to produce a fantastic paper is dependent on structuring an ideal outline. There's a wide selection and assorted name brands to pick from. Both tablets and textbooks have numerous benefits and a few disadvantages at the exact moment. If you're into technology, then you're able to write a paper at which you'll compare similarities or name differences between the two kinds of smartphones. Compare and Contrast Essay Samples for College English 28 Clothing Style Secrets That No One Else Knows About Taking the opportunity to specify a thorough scene will aid your reader have a crystal clear picture in their minds and make a productive hook. When you begin brainstorming and researching the subject, the odds are high you'll discover a wide collection of differences and similarities. A good example will give a general idea. There's also not anything wrong with mixing styles. The upcoming few steps will permit you college compare and contrast essay to opt for a theme fo r the top and bottom borders of your paper along with choose a custom made image to dress this up. Although you may have started working on the assignment, as soon as you see that you have zero idea how to begin and what's expected of you by your university professor, you start worrying. It is a kind of academic writing assignment made from multiple paragraphs (5 or more) that interpret various ways in which minimum two or three subjects are discussed dependent on their differences and similarities. Do not skip an opportunity to boost your grade! College essay hooks can be challenging to generate, especially when you're still working on clarifying what your essay is likely to say. Lesley is a huge fan of reading, and she's always prepared to assist students produce good suggestions for their papers and reach their academic targets. A college education is a required ingredient for a great job and comfortable way of life. It is not a higher level of education for nothing. After the essay demands a large number of approaches to explore, it's important to understand how to organize it correctly in an attempt to make sure easy reading. Essays on fashion papers also play a vital part on the market for giving information on the newest trends and style. In the event if you're new to write fashion essay papers and don't have any knowledge of it, we will be able to help you. On the 1 hand, such term papers are extremely simple for understanding. As soon as you understand that you require assistance writing an essay, you will acknowledge your time is constrained. I. To acquire college success through personal responsibility an individual must take ownership of their targets and ambitions. In the current time, a number of the very best career choices can be seen within technology. The exact same truth applies to one's career decision because the career you select will live together with you through out your life and education is going to be your most loyal friend which can help you to accomplish your career objectives.

Principles of Management (Wal-Mart) Free Essays

The strengths of Wal-Mart are many. First, it is its sales volume. 200 million people visit 10,800 stores weekly worldwide. We will write a custom essay sample on Principles of Management (Wal-Mart) or any similar topic only for you Order Now Its business model of increasing sales by lowering prices works very well for them. Wal-Mart deals directly with producers from local farmers to major product manufactures. This strategy allows them to secure the lowest prices possible for their customers. Wal-Mart’s supply chain is second to none. They are constantly exploring more efficient ways to transport products to customers in order to lower prices. Wal-Mart defiantly has one of the worlds most advanced global supply networks. Variety is key to Wal-Mart. If there is profit in selling a product, Wal-Mart does it. With four hundred and sixty six billion in sales for 2012, Wal-Mart is the world’s leading retailer and generates a huge cash flow. This allows them to expand internationally as well as geographically. The grocery section has grown to account for 51% of sales. Wal-Mart is now the biggest grocer in the country. The pharmacy has grown as well. With four dollar prescriptions, they have changed the prescription drug industry. Wal-Mart is the largest private employer in the world with 2. 2 million associates worldwide. Wal-Mart tends to promote from within. Not only does this strategy help retain knowledgeable associates and managers who know Wal-Mart from top to bottom. Even with such strong growth, Wal-Mart still delivers to stock holders. First quarter dividends for 2013 were one dollar and nine cents per share, returning more than 200 million dollars to shareholders. Wal-Mart is a key component in most mutual funds. Wal-Mart’s size allows it to buy in volumes that no one else can. In general, the higher the volume the lower the price per Unit. By sticking to Sam Walton’s original business model of lower prices to create higher sales volume, Wal-Mart is a world leader in sustainability and the biggest retailer in the world. W – Weaknesses: The weaknesses of Wal-Mart include negative press coverage, which is always a weakness in retail. With a company the size of Wal-Mart, small miscues are big news. Wal-Mart needs their customers to have a positive opinion of them so they will keep coming back. With overhead the size of Wal-Mart, customers must visit regularly. Wal-Mart operates on a low profit margin. When economic conditions are poor, sales go down and affect Wal-Mart quickly. Wal-Mart buys 40% of the products it sells from foreign sources. Government instability can disrupt, or even dissolve supply to stores. Wal-Mart cannot control how well governments maintain road and ports. Poor infrastructure maintenance slows delivery and can result in lower sales. Instability can also have negative effects on currency exchange rates. These weaknesses may not have slowed Wal-Mart’s growth to date, but they will not be going away. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ O – Opportunities Wal-Mart has many opportunities in the current economy and is in a great position within its industry being very committed to finding opportunities to market new products and finding new ways to market old products in new ways. Wal-Mart online is constantly updated to take advantage of the growing internet market. Wal-Mart has recognized the global growth opportunity and is aggressively expanding globally in twenty eight different countries. Wal-Mart sees opportunity in its employees. Wal-Mart is a leader in internal promotion. This ensures that Wal-Mart managers are stable and knowledgeable of Wal-Mart as a whole. It is not effective in poor economies. The weather is also a constant threat. Inclement weather can close manufacturing plants, roads and stores. Heavy snows in one part of the country can close transportation routes. Destructive storms such as a hurricane can close and even destroy plants and stores. Weather related expenses and sale loss are unpredictable and always a threat. Wal-Mart is the biggest retailer in the world, making it chief target for all competition. Large, existing companies need to cut into Wal-Mart’s customer base in order to grow. Wal-Mart’s customers are also being courted by new companies, especially in the internet market place. Social pressure and negative comments is also emerging as an internet threat, and Wal-Mart will have to combat it. With volume the key to success, Wal-Mart must keep a constant visual on the threats to its customer base. Conclusion The outlook for Wal-Mart, based on an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats is great. With 466 billion dollars in sales for 2012, Wal-Mart’s business model must work for them. How to cite Principles of Management (Wal-Mart), Essays

Into the Wild Essay free essay sample

The Wild Essay Some authors use stories of other to compare them to the main character of the book. In Into The Wild, the author Jon Krakauer includes stories of others for more than a comparison. Many people believed that Chris McCandless was an outrageous rebel. In the story Into the Wild, Krakauer includes stories of others and himself to make Chris McCandless not look crazy, but admirable. Chris McCandless was a bright man. He graduated high school with good grades, he went traveling that summer in his yellow Datsun. He then returned to attend college at Emory University. â€Å"In May 1990, Chris graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, where he’d been a columnist for, and editor of the student newspaper, The Emory Wheel, and had distinguished himself as a history and anthropology major with a 3. 72 grade-point average†(20). After college. Chris decided to start a new life and take on a new name, Alexander Supertramp. We will write a custom essay sample on Into the Wild Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Alexander(Chris) donated all of his money to Oxfam International and set a goal for himself: to travel to Alaska and to love off of the wilderness. Once people read the article about Alexander’s adventure and death many people said choice things regarding him. Many of those people were from Alaska. They said he was unprepared, idiotic, suicidal, and even crazy. But Alexander Supertramp was not suicidal, nor was he crazy. Jon Krakauer stated many stories of guys that left everything they had and went out into the wild to live off of nature. The story of another person that stood out the most was the story about John Mallon Waterman. John Waterman was like Chris McCandless in some ways; they both had an urge to be out in the Alaska wilderness, they both were very critical of themselves, and they both had a troubled relationship with their fathers. John Waterman was a great hiker, when he was sixteen he climbed Denali and was known for it ever since then. John Waterman was going to climb Kahiltna Glacier in the winter of 1979 but decided to stop after a mere fourteen days. Before his second try at the Glacier his belongings were all burnt after a fire that occurred in the cabin he was staying at. Waterman was devastated about what happened and immersed himself into the Anchorage Psychiatric Institute. After leaving the institute he embarked on what was his final hike on Denali. He told his pilot â€Å" ‘ I won’t be seeing you again’ â€Å"(79). Waterman also returned the radio he was given which his only way of getting help and the last note he wrote said â€Å" ‘ My last kiss 1:42 P. M. ’ â€Å"(80). He was never seen again. It is obvious that John Waterman wasn’t in the right state of mind after his cabin burnt down. When Chris McCandless went into the Alaskan wilderness he underestimated what the conditions would be like and how long his food would last. He also didn’t know how to properly hunt. Chris only brought with him some camping supplies, a rifle, several books and a 10-pound bag of rice. When Jim Gallien gave him a ride to the Stampede Trail he offered to buy Chris McCandless supplies but, he refused. Chris didn’t realize what the Alaskan frontier was like and just assumed he would survive with what he brought and off of hunting and eating wild plants. Chris ended up dying from starvation and from eating a poisonous root. Jon Krakauer also compared Chris McCandless to many other people but comparing McCandless and John Waterman proved that Chris wasn’t crazy. â€Å"Like Rosellini and Waterman, McCandless was a seeker and had an impractical fascination with the harsh side of nature. LIke Waterman and McCunn, he displayed a staggering paucity of common sense. But unlike Waterman, McCandless wasn’t mentally ill†(84-85). Many people helped Chris McCandless along his journey to Alaska. Wayne Westerberg helped him the most, he offered him a job and wanted to help Chris make enough money to get to Alaska. â€Å"‘You could tell right away that Alex was intelligent’†(18). Everyone that was involved in Chris McCandless’s life helped him out in some way spoke very highly of him. In the story Into The Wild, Krakauer includes stories of others and his own to make Chris McCandless not look crazy, but admirable. After comparing Chris to Waterman we know that Chris wasnt crazy but simply unprepared.

Autobiography of a 15 Year Old Essay Example

Autobiography of a 15 Year Old Essay Example Autobiography of a 15 Year Old Essay Autobiography of a 15 Year Old Essay Essay Topic: Autobiography of My Mother On 24th April 1998. merely earlier midnight. the female parent of a four twelvemonth old who had been due for the 3rd of May. felt like her 2nd kid was ready to come in the universe. but her father in-law. who had been among the most honorable doctors of the twenty-four hours. declared it to be false hurting. When the state of affairs got serious. she was eventually admitted. and gave birth to a male child. which was much to the captivation of her male parent in-law. who. now holding two grandchildren. could anticipate at least one of them going a physician in the hereafter. The male child was named Siddhant. and was the newest add-on to the Passey household. I must acknowledge that I had a really safe. and unafraid childhood. much like the dream of most. My male parent. Dr Rajiv Passey. who had given his really last test on the 24th. a twenty-four hours before my birth. was on the brink of a successful calling in cardiology. I have learnt a batch from him in the 15 old ages and 2 months of my being. but I shall come to that subsequently. My female parent. Dr Sarita Passey had been learning organic chemical science for the past 4 old ages and has become a good honoured associate professor today. She has been non merely an inspiration. but has inculcated in me assorted things about life on this planet. My brother. Rohan Passey. who is about five old ages senior to me. was in the same school as I between 6th and 12th criterion and is now making electronics and instrumentality technology from Birla Institute of Technology and Science. Pilani. While both my parents state me continuously that I have taken after merely his worst qualities. I believe that is non true. and he has been one of the most illustrative characters of my life. I have ever been told that I am a spot more cognizant for my age. whether in footings of football cognition. or merely cognizing the exact specifications of all the popular smart phones available. and I accredit that to my brother. Interrupting a stereotype I must state. I have really few distinguished memories of my gramps. One of the oldest distinguishable memory that I possess is of my first twenty-four hours at Sardar Patel Vidyalaya. Of class. that was the twenty-four hours when I met some of the people who are my closest friends today. but I besides remember that I became friends with a individual in the coach who was a twelvemonth older to me and over the twelvemonth. we grew highly close. But when the following session of school started I did non see him in the coach. I was told that his male parent had been transferred from Delhi. and therefore he had changed schools. I feel really ashamed at myself today that I can non even retrieve his name. but the lesson I learnt so is that sometimes you have to allow travel of things. whether they be an intangible facet like friendly relationship. or a touchable thing like my first guitar. which I do non possess any longer. more on that later. In 2002. when I was 4 old ages old. we got our first computing machine. and that I started playing the game Fifa 2002. As usual. it was merely an imitation of what my brother used to make. This game holds huge importance in my life as it was merely through this game that I developed a liking/fancy for football. the athletics which has become a really crucial/momentous facet of my life today. While playing Fifa. I used to retrieve the names of all the participants and squads. and at that clip. an Italian squad. AC Milan became my front-runner. and its star striker. Andriy Shevchenko. my favorite participant. This was the first clip when I dreamed about my hereafter. seeing myself as a football star which is in no manner the state of affairs any longer. But I get in front of myself. I supported AC Milan till 28 May 2006. when Shevchenko left Milan for Chelsea. one of the nines I am least fond of even today. and I had to happen a new nine. It was so that I started back uping a Spanish nine. FC Barcelona. While everybody sought out Ronaldinho as their best participant. my favorite participant was a 19 twelvemonth old. Lionel Messi. I even remember holding written an article in originative composing naming him my graven image. and believing that one twenty-four hours he would go the world’s best participant. This portion about football might look irrelevant. but football has become such a important portion of my life that I couldn’t have perchance written an autobiography without including it. Bing a pupil of Sardar Patel Vidyalaya. I did non hold to confront the awfulness of tests till category 6th. I sometimes feel that deficiency of scrutinies may perchance be the ground why I remember so less about my surveies before category 6th. About a twelvemonth ago. while cleaning my room. I found a few books of category 5 every bit good as category 6. While I could retrieve the exact category for most of the scientific discipline chapter of category 6th. I could hardly make the same for the category 5 book. It might look a small uneven. but I think the lone possible account for this occurring is that I did non truly care much about my surveies till I entered category 6th. which I feel is a good thing. because my early childhood was a clip of great merriment! It was merely when I got to category 6th that I truly started to give much attending to my surveies. I must acknowledge it. I was haunted by the thought of scrutinies. I recall holding one time asked my parents how they used to rank in their category during school. merely to hear that they both had ever come in the top three. I knew by looking at his study cards. that the state of affairs of my brother was more or less the same. I do non cognize whether it was merely a instance of utmost captivation coupled with fright of non being able to fit to my parents’ criterions in scrutiny. but I could non halt believing about the thought of tests till I really gave my first test. I got full Markss in Mathematics. and came second in my subdivision ( I got to cognize my rank merely after inquiring most others their per centums ) . I can state for certain that I would hold been really delighted at that point of clip. After giving a twosome more tests. I came to the decision that it would be really hard to retrieve each and every thing that I study so hard on. and since I did non desire all my attempts to travel waste. I decided I would do notes after every test on whatever perchance I could hold done better. And now that I take my ticker to every test and get down fixing early etc. . this thought could reasonably be responsible for the rise in my per centum. I had been introduced to the thought of competitory tests at in-between school degree by my brother. and the idea was reinforced when my best friend Pratyush told me about the assorted tests organised by the Science Olympiad Foundation including the National Science Olympiad ( NSO ) and International Mathematics Olympiad ( IMO ) . Our school did non organize it for categories below 6th so I gave both of them for the first clip that really twelvemonth. I did non fix really hard for the test and hence got a really mean consequence. and that was when I asked my brother every bit good as Pratyush for some tips sing such tests. and when I was selected for the Ramanujan test in category 7th. I prepared hard this clip and ended up procuring a bronze decoration from among all pupils of Delhi /NCR. It was around this clip that I foremost heard about the National Talent Search Exam ( NTSE ) which was held for category 8th and is considered to be the most esteemed test at school degree. I was really aroused to give the test when I heard about the scholarship it offers and idea I would analyze for the following whole twelvemonth. the manner I had studied about a month before the old test I had given in my school. It was as if clip flew when I found myself holding finished the category 8th first semester tests. with about two months to travel for the first ( province ) degree of NTSE. I told my father- who had ever been an of import usher in all types of studies- that I felt it was excessively late and asked him whether it was deserving it for me to get down fixing now. At that clip he told me. and I quote It is neer excessively late’ . That line gave me the inspiration to travel for it and analyze for the following two months with all my might. I gave the first degree of the test and got ranked 42nd among the 50 pupils selected from Delhi. I was told that if I had qualified the first degree from Delhi. it was really improbable for me to non acquire selected in the 2nd degree. Even so. I had some sum of fright in myself. but I gathered all the finding in myself confidently gave the second degree every bit good as I could hold perchance given it. When the consequences came out. all three of the pupils from our school who had qualified in the first degree. including me and Pratyush. got selected. I ranked highest from our school and 95th All India. among the 1000 pupils selected for scholarship. I had neer seen my parents more proud of me than when I gave them this intelligence. I even retrieve seeing a tear in my mothers’ oculus. but I guess I am excessively immature to grok her feelings at that point. Between the first and 2nd degree of NTSE. I besides gave the Aryabhatta test and came foremost from our school and among the top 50 from Delhi. During these long hours of surveies. my concentration was frequently broken by day-to-day bhajans from the mandir right following to our house. Besides. our tip to Vaishno Devi in 2008 was non precisely a good experience. There were about 20 of us. and we had planned on traveling up to the mandir by a chopper and when all of us except for a household friend had reached. it was announced that the following flights had been cancelled due to the development of a storm. and finally he had to come up on horseback. We had to go all the manner up to the mandir and so back in the heaviest storm I have seen in my life. These two incidents along with the general disposition towards the Godhead in the Indian society made me inquire about his being. I had been taught the Hanuman Chalisa by my female parent and late my female parent had taught me to declaim the undermentioned lines whenever I need God to assist me: Nam Myoho Renge Kyo’ She had been taught this by my Maasi. who had late taken to Buddhism as a 2nd faith. These two things have ever helped me in life and I would ever thank God after every test I passed. or after the smallest of things in which I had asked for his aid. So. after traveling through 100s of pictures on Youtube. and holding questioned my maasi a figure of times. I came to the decision that there will neer be a scientific cogent evidence for the presence or absence of God. We can merely organize our ain sentiment about the Almighty. And I personally believe that there is a God out at that place who does everything for a ground. The ground might look to be inauspicious for some people at first. but it ever has a much greater good’ attached with it. A recent lesson larning event in my life was related to football. I have supported Barcelona of all time since. and it was a dream semen true when my male parent told me we are traveling to Spain for our trip this really twelvemonth. Before traveling to the trip. my male parent arranged for the tickets of a lucifer that was traveling to be held in Barcelona. I had neer been so aroused in my life than when I heard my male parent give me this astonishing intelligence. We foremost went to Madrid. and we visited the whole museum nowadays in the bowl of Barcelona’s rival nine. Real Madrid. I was evidently aroused thought that we would see the museum of the nine that I fancy the most every bit good. But when we got to Barcelona. I realised that there was no clip left at all for us to see the museum. The lone twenty-four hours possible was the twenty-four hours of the lucifer. but my male parent rejected my supplications as the household we had come with ( my bua’s household ) had thought of it as a twenty-four hours of remainder. When eventually the twenty-four hours arrived. it rained really to a great extent. and in no manner would it hold been possible for us to see the museum. That twenty-four hours I realised that one can non hold everything. and one needs to remain content with what one has. I went to the lucifer that twenty-four hours and enjoyed it more than anything else in my life. I ab initio thought of this undertaking to be nil but a sheer waste of clip. But now that I’ve finished it. I’ve come to gain that it was an experience through which I could understand my life and the forces that have shaped me. and lay a foundation for a much more hard and ambitious life yet to come. the journey of going a physician. It is merely now that the undermentioned quotation mark by Fernando Pessoa makes sense to me: Direct experience is an equivocation. or a hiding topographic point. for those without any imaginativeness. To narrate is to make. while to populate is simply to be lived.

SAT and TOEFL What You Need to Know About Each Test

SAT and TOEFL What You Need to Know About Each Test SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Is English your second (or third or fourth) language? If it’s anything but your first, then you may have to take the TOEFL to get into universityin the United States. The TOEFL is an English language test that shows you have the language skills to succeed in college. As another admissions test, the TOEFLshares some similarities with the more ubiqutous SAT. This guide will compare the two tests, as well as give you some tips for preparing for both. If you’re a non-native English speaker planning to apply to a U.S. college, then read on to learn the ins and outs of your testing requirements. What Tests Do Colleges Require? Most four-year colleges require that all applicants, domestic and international alike, take the SAT or ACT. Forthis article, we’ll focus on the SAT as your admissions test of choice. You should note, though, that either test is fine, and colleges consider both equally. You should choose the one on which you can gain higher scores for your college applications. If English isn’t your first language, then you’ll likelyalso have to take the TOEFL to apply to college. Colleges want youto show that you have the English language skills to succeed at the college level. By the way, you also have some choice when it comes to the TOEFL. Most colleges will equally accept the IELTS or PTE too. The TOEFL is the most popular option, though, so we’ll focus on that for now. Good to know you always have options! So who should take the TOEFL? Pretty much any student for whom English isn’t his/herfirst language. For students who are fluent, this TOEFL requirement can get a little murky. Usually, if you’ve taken at least one ESL class in high school, then colleges want you to take the TOEFL. A few colleges, however, won’t require this test if you’ve been in English classes for the past two or three years. There’s one other circumstance when a college would waive its TOEFL requirement. If you score highly enough on the verbal section of the SAT or ACT, then you might not have to take the TOEFL. Since colleges vary in their policies, how can you find out more about your testing requirements? Get out your trenchcoat, magnifying glass, and deerstalkercap. It's time to do some detective work. How Can You Find Your Colleges' Testing Requirements? While many colleges share the same requirements, some have their own additional policies, especially when it comes to the SAT and TOEFL for international students. To ensure that you understand exactly what you need, I highly recommend researching the stances of eachcollege that you’re interested in. You should be able to find this information on each college’s admission website, specifically in a section for international applicants. Even if you’re a U.S.citizen, this section is usually the one that contains instructions for ESL speakers. For instance, Tufts has a page called The Admissions Process for International Students with the following information: â€Å"Students for whom English is not the primary language, or not the language of instruction in their secondary school, should take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in addition to the options listed above. A minimum TOEFL score of 100 on the Internet-based test is recommended.† As you research your colleges’ requirements, remember that each college is unique, so each college’s admissions website is too. Some are easier to navigate than others, so if you can’t find the information you’re looking for, you shouldn’t hesitate to contact the admissions office. Since prepping for and taking the SAT and TOEFL takes several months, if not years, you’d be best served to start this research early. Once you find the international applicants section of your prospective college’s admissions site, what specifically should you look for? Bring it in, team. What score do we need to win this college admission game? What You Need to Know About TOEFL and SAT Requirements There are three main pieces of information that you should seek as you research your school’s testing requirements. 1. What Tests Are Required? Of course, the first piece of information you’ll look for is what tests you need in order to apply. Most websites will have step-by-step application instructions and/or a checklist of application requirements. They'll also tell you the school code to use in order to add it as a score recipient through your College Board (administers the SAT) or ETS (administers the TOEFL) account. Check to see whether your school requires applicants to send SAT scores, TOEFL scores, or both. 2. Does Your School Have a TOEFL Cutoff? If your school requires the TOEFL, check to see if it posts a cutoff score, like Tufts did above. Most schools don’t publicize a minimum SAT score, but they do have a minimum for TOEFL. Northeastern, for example, requires a score on the TOEFL iBT of 79-80, while more selective schools like NYU, American University, and Harvard require a minimum of 100. Once you know the cutoff, you can set your target score about tenpointshigher to be a competitive candidate. 3. Will High SAT Scores Get You Out Ofthe TOEFL? Finally, the third question you should ask during your research is whether your school waives the TOEFL if you achieve a certain score on the SAT verbal. In previous years, students wouldn’t have to take the TOEFL if they achieved a certain score on the Critical Reading section. Since the Critical Reading required such a strong understanding of vocabulary and reading comprehension, it could replace the TOEFL as a demonstration of English language skills. For example,Columbia and Brown didn'trequire the students to take the SAT if they achieved a 650 or higher on SAT Critical Reading. Johns Hopkins set the bar even higher, requiring a minimum of 670. There werea few schoolswith lower requirements, like the University of Massachusetts system with a 450 and American University with a 530. With the redesigned SAT, the Reading and Writing sections are now combined into one Evidence-based Reading and Writing score. While colleges haven’t updated their policies yet, you can estimate that the minimum EBRW score needed to waive the TOEFL will be similar to the one for Critical Reading in past years. Just as you should feel free to contact admissions offices for more information, you might ask them over the next few months whether they’ve reframedthis minimum score in terms of the new SAT scoring system. Some schools link your performance on SAT verbal with TOEFL because it shows your English language skills, but the two tests still have a lot of differences. Let’s take a closer look at these two exams, along with what skills they test and how. You’ll notice that they’re distinct enough to require their own unique prep methods and materials. First, let’s examine the TOEFL. How's your vocabulary? The TOEFL is all about your English language skills. The TOEFL: Structure, Content, and Prep The TOEFL is a test of your English language skills. In most countries, it’s given on the computer. There’s also a paper-based test, but it’s being phased out and is only offered in countries where testing online isn’t available. Unless you’re taking the TOEFL by paper, you’ll want to look for your college’s TOEFL iBT (Internet-based test) cutoff. Let’s take a closer look at how the TOEFLtests your English level, starting with its overall format. TOEFL Structure: What the Test Looks Like The TOEFL has four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing, in that order. The Reading and Listening sections can actually vary in length, depending on whether or not you get an exam that features extra questions. Not to worry - these extra questions will be unscored. Unfortunately, they will also be unidentified. In other words, if you get experimental questions, you won’t know which ones they are. This chart shows the length of and number of questions ineach TOEFL section, along with a brief description of tasks. Experimental questions, you’ll notice, can make the Reading and Listening sections significantly longer than normal. Order Section Time Limit Questions Tasks 1 Reading 60–80 minutes 36–56 questions Read 3 or 4 passages from academic texts and answer questions. 2 Listening 60–90 minutes 34–51 questions Listen to lectures, classroom discussions and conversations, then answer questions. Break 10 minutes - - 3 Speaking 20 minutes 6 tasks Express an opinion on a familiar topic; speak based on reading and listening tasks. 4 Writing 50 minutes 2 tasks Write essay responses based on reading and listening tasks; support an opinion in writing. Total: 3 hours, 20 min - 4 hours, 10 min (break included) Source: ETS Each of the four sections on the TOEFL is scored between 0 and 30 points. Your overall scores reflect the sum of your section scores and will fall at or between 0 and 120 points. Now that you have a sense of the test’s overall format, let’s take a closer look at exactly how it tests your Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing skills. Bookworms rejoice! The first section on the TOEFL's all about reading. TOEFL Content: Questions and Skills As you see in the chart above, the TOEFL tests your English language level across all important skill areas: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Read on for a closer look at what you’ll be expected to demonstrate in each section, starting with Reading. You can find the examples in their entirety on the TOEFL iBT practice questions provided by ETS. TOEFL Reading The Reading section contains 3 or 4 passages, usually selected from college-level textbooks. The passages may be expository, argument-based, or historical. Each is followed by multiple choice questions that ask you about elements like themain point, important details, relationships between ideas, and vocabulary. The following examples, which are based on a passage, ask about a supporting detail and a vocabulary word in context: According to paragraph 3, how did scientists determine that a large meteorite had impacted Earth? A. They discovered a large crater in the Yucatn region of Mexico.B. They found a unique layer of sediment worldwide.C. They were alerted by archaeologists who had been excavating in the Yucatn region.D. They located a meteorite with a mass of over a trillion tons. The word â€Å"excavating† on line 25 is closest in meaning to A. digging outB. extendingC. destroyingD. covering up In addition to these multiple choice, there are a few "sentence insertion" questions that ask you to add a sentence into the text where it would fit best. The following is an example of a sentence insertion question. Look at the four letters (A, B, C, and D) that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage in paragraph 6. This is the criterion emphasized by Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. Where would the above sentence best fit? Impacts by meteorites represent one mechanism that could cause global catastrophes and seriously influence the evolution of life all over the planet.(A) According to some estimates, the majority of all extinctions of species may be due to such impacts. (B) Such a perspective fundamentally changes our view of biological evolution. (C) The standard criterion for the survival of a species is its success in competing with other species and adapting to slowly changing environments. (D) Yet an equally important criterion is the ability of a species to survive random global ecological catastrophes due to impacts. Choose the place where the sentence fits best. Option A Option B Option C Option D There are also a few â€Å"Reading to Learn† questions that contain several correct answers. To answer these, you must sort the information into a chart, often placing each piece of information into a category or chronological order. Since these questions are more involved than other types, they’re often worth several points andhave the potential for partial credit. The following is an example of a Reading to Learn question on the Reading section of the TOEFL. An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points. Write your answer choices in the spaces where they belong. You can write in the number of the answer choice or the whole sentence. Scientists have linked the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous with a meteorite impact on Earth. Scientists had believed for centuries that meteorite activity influenced evolution on Earth. The site of the large meteorite impact at the end of the Cretaceous period was identified in 1990. There have also been large meteorite impacts on the surface of the Moon, leaving craters like Tycho. An iridium-enriched sediment layer and a large impact crater in the Yucatn provide evidence that a large meteorite struck Earth about 65 million years ago. Large meteorite impacts, such as one at the end of the Cretaceous period, can seriously affect climate, ecological niches, plants, and animals. Meteorite impacts can be advantageous for some species, which thrive, and disastrous for other species, which become extinct. As you’ll see below, the multiple choice questions that ask you to interpret the main point, details, and vocab words in a passage resemble the Reading questions on the SAT. The sentence insertion questions share some similarity with certain SAT Writing questions. Reading to Learn questions, though, are unique to the TOEFL. Now that you have a sense of how the TOEFL tests your reading skills, let’s take a closer look at how it tests your English listening comprehension. TOEFL Listening The Listening section asks you to listen to academic lectures and/or conversations between students or a professionaland a student. You can take notes as you listen to prepare for the questions that follow. Some of these questions will be straightforward multiple choice, on which you’ll choose one answer that best describes the main point or important details of the listening. For instance, this is a straightforward listening question about the main point of a conversation between a student and her basketball coach: What are the speakers mainly discussing? A. How the woman should prepare for the next gameB. The woman’s responsibilities as team captainC. Things that happened while the woman was awayD. The style of the new team uniforms Other multiple choice questions ask you to choose two correct answersout of four choices. Like in the Reading section, there are a few questions that ask you to list events in a process or place answers into certain categories. These various question types test your basic comprehension of the listening. They also want to make sure you understand the speaker’s purpose, sometimes even asking how certain he/she is about what he/she’s saying. Questions may ask about cause and effect or the organization of ideas in a lecture. All of these questions are meant to ensure that you’d be able to comprehend a lecture or class discussion in a university setting. After Listening, you’ll get a ten-minute break to stretch and regroup. Then it’s on to Speaking. For the third section, beprepared to speak. You'll actually be speaking into a computer, as your graders willprobably be somewhere in New Jersey. TOEFL Speaking The Speaking section is much shorter than the previous two at only 20 minutes. You’ll get two â€Å"independent speaking† tasks and four â€Å"integrated speaking† tasks. Questions 1 and 2 are independent speakingtasks. They'llask you to speak for 45 seconds on familiar topics. You can talk about your own ideas, opinions, observations, or experiences. You’ll have 15 seconds to prepare your answer. Here’s an example of an independent speaking question: Question: Some people enjoy taking risks and trying new things. Others are not adventurous; they are cautious and prefer to avoid danger. Which behavior do you think is better? Explain why. Questions 3 and 4 are integrated speaking tasks. They'll ask you both to read a short passage and listen to a related lecture or conversation. Then you’ll speak for 45 seconds using information from both sources. You’ll have 30 seconds to prepare. Questions 5 and 6 are similar, but they only involve a listening, no reading. You’ll prepare your response for 20 seconds and speak for 60 seconds. This example is based on a conversation between two students about their calculus class. Question: Briefly summarize the problem the speakers are discussing. Then state which solution you would recommend. Explain the reasons for your recommendation. As you can see, the Speaking section tests your ability to speak on your own opinions and experiences, as well as your ability to summarize information and main ideas from readings and listenings. These Speaking tasks are unique to the TOEFL; you won’t find them on the SAT. Finally, you’ll round out your demonstration of English language skills on the TOEFL Writing section. Unlike the handwritten SAT essay, you'll type your responses on the Writing section of the TOEFL iBT. TOEFL Writing You’ve read, listened, and spoken your way through this challenging exam. Now it’s time to write! You’ll get two prompts, one that’s calledan integrated writing task and the other labeled as an independent writing task. Like with the integrated speaking task, the integrated writing task asks you to read a short passage and listen to a lecture or conversation. Then you’ll get a question that asks you to summarize the main points of what you read and heard and perhaps compare or contrast the two. You’ll get 20 minutes, and your response should be 150 to 225 words. The integrated writing task often looks like this: Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they oppose specific points made in the reading passage. The independent writing taskresembles the independent speaking task in that it asks you to express your personal opinion and support it with examples. Your essay should be at least 300 words, and you’ll have 30 minutes to write it. Here’s one example of an independent writing task: Question: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A teacher’s ability to relate well with students is more important than excellent knowledge of the subject being taught. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Since you’re typing on the computer, there will be a counter below the text box for both tasks that tells you your total word count. Both essays are initiallygraded between 0 and 5, and you can consult the rubric to see what you need to accomplish to score at each level. A strong grasp of grammar, word choice, and organization is important for doing well on the Writing section. Once you’ve finished the Writing section, you’re all done with the TOEFL. You’ll get your scores online about ten days after you take the test. Before moving onto the SAT so you can compare the two tests, let’s briefly discuss the importance of test prep for succeeding on this challenging exam. You'll need to practice saying your responses, not just writing them. Sadly, there are no bonus points for singing them. Prepping for the TOEFL Even if you have an advanced level of English, you’ll need to prep to do well on the TOEFL. It’s a unique test with strict time limits, and anyone who’s taken it will tell you that you should show up equipped with knowledge of the question types and strategies for time management. The Speakingsection is especially atypical with its oral essays. While 45 to 60 seconds may not sound like a lot, it’s actually a big challenge for most students. Learning to structure your oral responses with an introduction, supporting details, and a conclusion just like you would a written essay is an unusual task that requires serious preparation. It’s a good idea to give yourself several months to prep for the TOEFL. You might start with a timed practice test to diagnose your starting level. Then you can analyze your results, find your weaknesses, and figure out what you most need to study from there. The test-makers recommend that you’ve studied English for at least two years before taking the test. Since the readings are taken from university textbooks, most students need to be at a high intermediate or advanced level to do well on this test. You can find several TOEFL preparation books online, but make sure to incorporate official questions from the testmakers into your prep, as these will be the best representation of the actual test. You can find sample questions on the TOEFL website, as well as official ETS TOEFL books and an online prep program. Just like with the SAT, you should start several months before your test date. If possible, you might also leave two or more available test dates after your first one in case you want to retake the TOEFL to improve your scores. Now that you have some insight into the TOEFL, let’s take a closer look at the SAT. Beyond this overview, you can learn more about the SAT by exploring our articles on test content, strategies, and preparation, including a full overview of its 2016 redesign. As you read about each section, pay attention to the ways in which it’s similar to the TOEFL and the ways in which it's different. While the TOEFL's all about your English language level, the SAT is more concerned with your reasoning and problem-solving skills. SAT: Structure, Skills, and Prep While the TOEFL tests your English language skills, the SAT is concerned with testing your reasoning and problem-solving skills. It’s scored based on two main areas: Evidence-based Reading and Writing and Math. You also have the option of taking an essay section, which is scored separately. Students should take the essay section if their prospective colleges want to see it. Read on to learn more about the overall structure of the SAT. SAT Structure: What the Test Looks Like The SAT, which is scored on a scale from 400 to 1600, has four sections, Reading, Writing and Language, Math No Calculator, and Math with Calculator, in that order. If you choose to take the SAT with Essay, then the essay will be your fifth section. This chart gives an overview of the test’s structure: Order Section Time in Minutes # of Questions 1 Reading 65 52 2 Writing and Language 35 44 3 Math No Calculator 25 20 4 Math Calculator 55 38 5 Essay (optional) 50 1 Total: 3 hours, 50 minutes (3 hours without essay) 154 (+ 1 essay prompt) You’ll get a five-minute break after about every hour of testing. That means you’ll have a short break after Reading, after Math No Calculator, and, if you choose to take it, before the Essay. We have several comprehensive guides that dig deeply into the content and question types of each section. For the purposes of this article, let’s briefly review the content and skills of each section. The SAT doesn't just ask about reading and writing. It tests you on a lot of math, too. SAT Content: Questions and Skills The SAT is half verbal and half math. The verbal sections include a Reading and a Writing and Language section, and the math is split into a calculator prohibited and a calculator permitted section. Below, you can read more about what skills each section tests and the question types it uses to do so. You can also find the sample questions in College Board's official SAT practice tests. SAT Reading SAT Reading shares some similarities with TOEFL Reading. You’ll also have to read passages and answer multiple choice questions about their main idea, supporting details, and vocabulary. On the SAT, you’ll get five passages, one from literature, two based on history/social studies, and two from science. While you won’t get any prose selections on the TOEFL, you will get one on the SAT Reading. The questions will test your comprehension, and because it’s strictly timed, you’ll mostly need to skim the passages for important details. Some of the questions will be evidence-based, meaning they’ll ask you to locate evidence in the text that serves as the reason for your answer to a previous question. For instance, here’s a detail-oriented comprehension question followed by an evidence-based question: 1. The passage indicates that, after a long day of work, the narrator sometimes found his living quarters to be A) treacherous. B) dreary. C) predictable. D) intolerable. 2. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question? A) Lines 17-21 (â€Å"I should... scenes†) B) Lines 21-23 (â€Å"I should... lodgings†) C) Lines 64-67 (â€Å"Thoughts... phrases†) D) Lines 68-74 (â€Å"I walked... gleam†) All of the questions will be multiple choice with four answer choices. A few of the questions will ask you to interpret a graphic, like a chart or table, often asking how it relates to the text in the passage. Your Reading performance will be combined with your Writing and Language performance to give you one Evidence-based Reading and Writing score between 200 and 800. Read on to learn how the Writing and Language section, which will be your second section on the SAT, differs from Reading. SAT Writing and Language The SAT Writing and Language, often referred to as just SAT Writing, tests your knowledge of English grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. It also asks about theorganization of ideas and paragraph structure. The entire section is multiple choice, and every question is passage-based. Writing questions ask you to be an editor. They’ll ask whether or not a word, detail, or organization scheme is correct, and, if not, it asks you to choose a better option. You’ll basically work to improve the grammar, punctuation, style, and structure of a paragraph. These next few questions, for example,ask about grammar (subject-verb agreement) and inserting a sentence to clarify meaning: There are a few questions in the TOEFL Reading section that ask you to insert a sentence in a passage to improve its meaning. As you see in the example above, SAT Writing asks similar questions. It also goes one step further by asking you why you would insert a sentence into a passage. For students whose native language is not English, the Writing section, along with the Reading section, can be especially challenging. Once you finish up this section, you’ll move immediately onto a math section. For this 25-minute section, you’re not allowed to use a calculator. For one of the two SAT math sections, you'll have to keep your calculator packed away in your bag. SAT Math No Calculator The math sections are where the SAT completely diverges from the TOEFL. These sections are meant to ensure that students have the conceptual and problem solving skills to do well in college. Most of the questions are based on algebra, but there are a few that incorporate geometry, trigonometry, and complex numbers. International students often have an easier time on the math sections since they don’t have as much emphasis on advanced English language skills. The redesigned SAT, however, incorporates several word problems. Some reading comprehension, therefore, is still important on the math section, as you can see in this sample SAT word problem: A musician has a new song available for downloading or streaming. The musician earns $0.09 each time the song is downloaded and $0.002 each time the song is streamed. Which of the following expressions represents the amount, in dollars, that the musician earns if the song is downloaded d times and streamed s times. 0.002d + 0.09s 0.002d - 0.09s 0.09d + 0.002s 0.09d - 0.002s On this shorter math section, you can’t use a calculator. Most questions won’t require complex calculations. Rather, they’ll test your conceptual understanding. You’ll find more questions that call for calculations on the next math section. SAT Math with Calculator You’re allowed to use a calculator on the longer of the two SAT math sections. Not all problems, however, will necessarily require one. It’s your job to figure out when a calculator’s useful and when it would just slow you down. Like the other math section, the Math with Calculator asks a lot of algebra questions, along with a few geometry and trigonometry. It also has a strong emphasis on Problem Solving and Data Analysis questions, which ask you to work with rates, ratios, percentages, and data from graphs and tables. Here’s one example of a Problem Solving and Data Analysis question on the SAT Math with Calculator: Number of hours Tony plans to read the novel per day 3 Number of parts in the novel 8 Number of chapters in the novel 239 Number of words Tony reads per minute 250 Number of pages in the novel 1,078 Number of words in the novel 349,168 Tony is planning to read a novel. The table above shows information about the novel, Tony’s reading speed, and the amount of time he plans to spend reading the novel each day. If Tony reads at the rates given in the table, which of the following is closest to the number of days it would take Tony to read the entire novel? 6 8 23 324 Unlike the TOEFL, math is an important part of prepping for and taking the SAT. In fact, your performance on math will make up half of your total SAT score. As mentioned above, the Essay section is optional, and as such, it won't count toward your total score. Let's briefly review the SAT Essay section. Make sure to notice how much it differs from TOEFL Writing. The (optional) SAT essay asks you to unfold an author's argument and analyzeexactly how she puts it together. SAT Essay The SAT essay is 50 minutes and asks you to analyze an argument presented in a passage. While some of the TOEFL promptsallow you to draw on personal experience, the SAT essay does not. It wants you to present a thesis-driven analysis of the techniques and devices an author uses to present his/her argument. The following is an example of an SAT prompt. If you want to check out the passage to which it refers, you can find it at College Board. Write an essay in which you explain how Dana Gioia builds an argument to persuade his audience that the decline of reading in America will have a negative effect on society. In your essay, analyze how Gioia uses one or more of the features in the directions that precede the passage (or features of your own choice) to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of his argument. Be sure that your analysis focuses on the most relevant features of the passage. Your essay should not explain whether you agree with Gioia’s claims, but rather explain how Gioia builds an argument to persuade his audience. The SAT essay prompt resembles the analytical essays that many students write in English class. It differs from the TOEFL essays, which tend to ask more for a summary or opinion. Your writing skills, especially grammar, word choice, and structure, are important for doing well on both tests. As with the TOEFL, the SAT requiressignificant preparation to achieve your target scores. Luckily, there are lots of practice materials that can help you succeed. Prepping for the SAT The SAT is a challenging test for all students, including native English speakers. Developing strong English language skills is an important part of doing well, as is familiarizing yourself with the test content, question types, and strategies for answering questions and managing your time. An important first step is getting to know the structure and format of the test. You should explore the types of question that will pop up in the Reading, Writing, Math, and, if applicable, Essay sections. Using high-quality practice materials is also key. Make sure yours review exactly what will appear on the test and pair content review with realistic practice questions. Just like the TOEFL, you might start your prep with a diagnostic practice test. Root out your weak spots, and target them with your studying. Non-native English speakers might especially focus on strategies for reading the passages in Reading and Writing and studying rules of grammar, usage, punctuation, and structure. ESL students should also practice word problems in math. A third important area to study is the data interpretation questions that will show up on all four sections of the SAT. How long you prep for the SAT depends on your starting level, and you should define your target scores by researching your prospective colleges’ expectations. It’s best to start several months before your first test and to leave yourself additional testing dates in case you want to retake it and improve. Many colleges will take your highest section scores and recombine them into the best possible total score, so taking the SAT more than once, if possible, is usually in your best interest. Now that you have a sense of both tests, let’sreview their similarities and differences. Comparing the SAT and TOEFL reveals some similarities, but in other ways, it's like comparing apples and oranges. SAT vsTOEFL: Similarities and Differences The TOEFL and SAT are largely different tests, but there are a few areas in which they overlap. For one thing, they’re both required for international or (some) ESL students applying to college in the US. As admissions tests, they demand a good deal of preparation and planning. Before even preparing to take the tests, you need to understand their scoring scales and what scores you need to get into college. Since both tests require an advanced level of English, any preparation you do for one will help you to some extent on the other. The Reading sections especially have some overlap, requiring you to read college-level passages and comprehend their main idea and details. Both tests also ask you to edit the structure, flow, and meaning of a passage. As you read above, this commonality means that some colleges will waive the TOEFL requirement if students can demonstrate their English language skills by scoring highly on SAT verbal. The TOEFL is especially unique due to its Listening and Speaking sections. These two sections are specifically geared to measure the English language level of test-takers. While the TOEFL is all about the English language, the SAT is half math. It wants to make sure you meet certain benchmarks as a math student and can demonstrate your problem-solving skills. Both the SAT and TOEFL are fast-paced, timed admissions tests that are essential to realizing your college goals. For the most part, you should treat them as separate exams that call for their own study plan and test-taking strategies. In closing, let’s review the main points that non-native English speakers should remember about these two important exams. The SAT and TOEFL take a lot of prep and planning, but in the end, they're your passport to the college of your choice! What to Remember Aboutthe SAT and TOEFL Most non-native English speakers applying to college in the U.S.will be required to take the TOEFL and the SAT (or ACT, if you prefer). The TOEFL shows that you have the English language skills to succeed at the college level. The SAT is meant to test all students on an equal playing field and evaluate their reasoning and problem-solving skills. Since the SAT requires advanced English language skills, it may be cause to waive the TOEFL requirement. You should check with your prospective colleges early in the college planning process to learn about their policies. Unless you’re scoring very highly on SAT practice tests, I wouldn’t suggest ignoring the TOEFL on the assumption that you won’t have to take it. You wouldn’t want to put it off and then run out of time to prep or test dates to improve your scores. Even though you probably won’t apply to college until senior year, you should start preparing for and taking the SAT and TOEFL much earlier. By readying these components of your application early and achieving your target scores, you’ll have a huge number of options when it comes time to apply to college. What’s Next? Are you an international student applying to college in the US? Checkout our complete guide on how to apply to college as an international student, step by step (coming soon). Are you wondering where to apply? This article will help you research colleges and find the ones that are the best fit for you. Another key factor in planning your tests and other parts of your application are college deadlines. This article discusses the important college deadlines you can’t miss. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Electrical Principles Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Electrical Principles - Assignment Example In this way, each series circuit will have a series protection resistor. We will calculate the amount of current in each parallel circuit by adding the individual currents taken by the each series circuit. Lest suppose we have 2 series circuits in parallel connection then the current will be +. Use a combination of truth tables and Karnaugh maps to design a logic circuit to control the compressor Credit will be given for creating an efficient circuit using the smallest possible number of logic gates. There is no need for the microprocessor in this process, as the microprocessor will have more losses as compared to that of the logic gate ICs. Moreover, if microprocessor is used for the process it will require excessive cooling. Microprocessors are fast and rapid in processing various type of information. It is only the fact and advantage of the microprocessor in this application. Calculate the required rotational speed in Hz for the generator to produce a voltage whose average magnitude is 12V. You may assume that the flux witnessed by the coil drops to zero momentarily each time it leaves the field. Calculate the maximum amount of energy which can be harvested when a vehicle slows from 40km/h to a standstill. Assume the vehicle mass is given by 1XX0 kg where XX are the last two numbers of your student number. A bank of 100 supercapacitors is to be used to store the energy. Each supercapacitor has a capacitance of 1.5F. Assuming 80 percent of the available energy is captured, and assuming that the capacitors have an initial voltage of 12V, determine the voltage to which they must be charged to store the captured energy. You should specify how the capacitors are connected and justify your

Strengths Weaknesses And Changes Required At Ucell Essay

Strengths Weaknesses And Changes Required At Ucell - Essay Example One of the things that need to be done is affecting of changes in Ucell’s organizational structure in a manner that best serves the organization. Organization structure is the manner in which an organization arranges jobs and people in order for its work to be performed, as well as for its goals to be accomplished (Stonehouse & Houston, 2012: p34). In cases where the working group is small with frequent face-to-face communication that is frequent and where the formal structure is not necessary. However, in cases where the organization is larger, such as in Ucell’s case, decisions in the organization will have to be made concerning the delegation of tasks. Therefore, procedures are established to assign responsibility for the organization’s functions (Stonehouse & Houston, 2012: p35). These decisions are the ones that will determine the changes in the organizations’ structure.  One way to change the organizational structure would be through departmentaliz ation. Functional departmentalization involves the grouping of services that use similar resources, skills, and knowledge. The organization is based in most parts of the country and geographical departmentalization would aid in the restructuring of the company (Stonehouse & Houston, 2012: p37). In this case, would reap advantages by organizing their operations along geographic lines such that all activities that are performed in one region can be managed together. It would also be advantageous to carry out service departmentalization where activities, which are necessary for the production and marketing of similar services or single services, are grouped together. This would allow for considerable autonomy over the company’s operations, as CEO. In this case, the employees in the group are able to focus on needs of their line of services and become experts in distribution, development, and production. Departmentalization would also be done according to clients and markets.

Analysis of the Housing Market in the UK

Analysis of the Housing Market in the UK Introduction For most people in the UK, as in other countries, the purchase of a house is the single largest expenditure they ever make. In contrast with other purchases, a house is not only something that provides highly desirable services – convenient and independent housing – but it is also the single largest element of household wealth. For homeowners, this asset motive for buying a house is becoming increasingly important. As a store of value, houses are increasingly becoming both a critical component in households’ long term financial planning as well as a basis for raising consumption. Just like possessing a portfolio of valuable stocks and bonds, owning a house whose market price amounts to greater wealth. It follows, then, that a change in the market value of a house will change the owner’s wealth, and, consequently, the owner’s consumption expenditure. While the housing market in the U.K. has experienced several dramatic phases in the past three decades[1], its behavior in the last decade or so is not only without precedence but it is also a reflection of a fundamental transformation in the economy’s financial system. Whether being labeled as the product of ‘irrational exuberance’[2] or being described as a ‘bubble’, housing market developments have spawned a wide body of thinking that is increasingly taking on a nervous tone – especially among economists. A quick survey of the macroeconomic literature related to the housing market reveals that the period from the late 1990’s to around 2004 saw a confluence of several phenomena that seem to be related via a series of strong theoretical linkages. Key among these are historically high levels of home-ownership and housing wealth, an extreme housing-price boom, a generously liberal credit regime, unanticipated levels of borrowing, the lowest interest rates in generations, massive consumption expenditures/dangerously low savings rates, general economic prosperity, and, a rising trend in bankruptcies and house possessions. The objective of this project is to highlight the linkage between housing wealth and consumption expenditures with special focus on the events of the last decade. Given the nature of macroeconomic linkages, it turns out that in order to study this relationship in the context of UK, it is necessary to tell an economic tale that incorporates all of the phenomena mentioned above. While there are rather straightforward theoretical reasons as to how and why the national housing wealth affects aggregate consumption, the historical and institutional realities of the financial industry, the changing consumer behavior with respect to credit, the evolving demography etc. have played an important role in shaping this relationship in the UK. Over two-thirds of UK households owned their home and it is typcially their biggest investment they make. At the aggregate level, housing wealth is now greater than the size of their financial holdings[3]) and it is distributed in a considerably more equitable manner across socioeconomic and demographic segments as compared to the latter. Such investments bring reasonable returns over the long term, and in the last five years house price appreciation has more than doubled the value of the stock. It follows, then, that changes in housing wealth have the potential, in theory, to have sizeable effects on consumption, GDP, unemployment etc. The theoretical mechanism by which changes in housing wealth are transmitted into consumer demand, called the ‘wealth effect’ (discussed in detail later in the paper), is of critical importance to the economy because its impulses also affect an array of other macroeconomic variables and processes. Clearly, the ability to draw on this major store of purchasing power has serious implications for the financial health and prosperity of homeowners and, hence, the economy. With respect to access to the ‘frozen’ housing equity, the UK experience has been uniquely successful as compared to those of almost all other OECD countries. A series of policy moves to deregulate and ‘liberalize’ lending practices resulted in democratizing the credit market such that loan products once provided to the privileged, became common-place. Households that had faced credit barriers could now affordably borrow large amounts thus unleashing the power of the wealth effect. Therefore, the ways in which UK households obtain and dispose off the equity is of particular interest to this study.[4] This paper is organized as follows: the next section lays out the key issues involved in this study; the third section discusses the theoretical and analytical matters concerning the wealth effect in the context of the recent UK housing boom; the fourth section surveys the empirical research in this area; the fifth section presents the empirical work done for the study, including a description of the findings from regression analysis using Microfit; and the last section offers some conclusions from the work. (There are graphs and figures associated with the text and they are appended at the end.) A Review of the Peculiar Issues and Macroeconomics of the UK Housing Market Nature of the boom With focus on the 1995-2004 period, this section lays out the key issues involved in understanding of the structure and strength of the relationship between housing wealth and consumption. At the outset it is necessary to have an overview of developments in UK’s housing market during the pertinent period to highlight the generation of housing wealth, the manner in which it is accessed in the form of equity, and channels of disbursement of the equity. The UK housing market became truly energized in the mid-to-late 1990’s, beginning with a property boom in the London area and then gradually spreading to virtually every region. Homeownership levels reached historic levels and so did the share of ‘buy-to-let’ residential investments in the country’s portfolio. Using data published by Halifax-Bank of Scotland, Graph 1 provides the salient market metrics: the price boom accelerated to push the price of the typical house from around  £61,000 in 1995 to over  £161,000 by 2004 – an increase of over 160%; not only was the speed and tenacity of housing prices unprecedented, the annualized percentage growth rate seem to rise with the level of prices. Far from being a localized phenomenon, this housing boom covered the entire UK, as Graph 2 demonstrates. While, the origin of the boom was in Greater London and the Southeast in the mid 1990’s, it quickly enveloped East Anglia and the Southwest. However, by 2001 the boom entered its most vigorous phase as it spread to the peripheral regions with prices almost doubling in a five-year period. Since most of the home purchases are financed through mortgages, the two variables that shape housing demand decisions are the interest rate and property prices. As it turned out, with historically low nominal lending rates (see discussion later), the home prices was the chief determinant behind purchases. The feeding frenzy that was the housing market pumped prices to such a level that placed typical accommodations out of reach of most would-be buyers. The Affordability Index, calculated as the ratio of housing prices to household disposable income, rose from 3.09 in 1995 to 5.45 in 2004. It is useful to note that higher aggregate housing wealth can be a product of a rise in housing prices and/or a growth in the stock of housing. As is displayed in Graph 3, the early 1980’s saw housing wealth grow due to a steady rise in prices while in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s we see stability in it despite declining prices. There was rising home ownership during all three intervals; in the early 1980’s it was engendered by the privatization of some public housing [5, p. 12] while the late 1980’s and early 1990’s it was due to stimulated demand spurred by declining prices and interest rates. With housing prices rising at around 20% per annum, vast slices of society saw the value of their homes reach unseen levels as the market injected equity. This store of equity was virtually a battery filled with purchasing power that was steadily getting charged by the market and that could be tapped into, if needed, to finance purchases. Halifax (2005) reports on it website that at the end of 2005, UK’s housing wealth reached a historic peak at  £3,408 billion which amounts to triple the figure in 1995 with the last five years seeing a 60% increase. As Graph 3 illustrates, since the mid-1990’s the unprecedented spurt in housing wealth can be attributed mainly to rising prices. Clearly, an index of housing prices is an excellent proxy for housing wealth. [5] What generated the price boom? As compared to the preceding 15 years, the last decade saw the housing market subjected to a variety of macroeconomic and financial forces. Following Her Majesty’s Treasury (2003) and Farlow (2004), one can identify demand- and supply-side factors responsible for shaping the current housing market. On the demand side, the key market forces were: According to Her Majesty’s Treasury (2003) the early 1980’s saw a sustained campaign of liberalization of the credit market that led to increased competition among banks and non-traditional lenders, rampant development of new credit products, and enhanced capacity of banks to create liquidity; all of which made obtaining housing loans easier and a more egalitarian process by lowering transaction costs. [6] Low and declining interest rates pushed down the cost of mortgage credit thereby stimulating housing demand; Macroeconomic prosperity with higher disposable income and lowered unemployment rates allowed for more purchasing power; Expectations of continuous expansion and future employment created an optimism among households Despite an ageing population, members of typical home-buying age-cohort (especially baby-boomers) saw their households grow, thus creating a greater demand for family housing; And lastly, the explosion in ‘buy-to-let’ purchases led to a massive speculative demand fueled by expectations of sustained housing price increases. On the supply side, the major market forces according to Farlow (2004) and Her Majesty’s Treasury (2003)were: a low price-elasticity of supply due to a combination of policy regulations, regional scarcity of land, and lags in obtaining licence/local approval; Scarcity of existing housing available for purchase i.e. low vacancy rate; Rising costs of construction, especially due to labour shortage and rising prices of materials. When a strong level of demand and a limited and inelastic housing supply are combined, one can see why prices have risen so quickly. Housing wealth vs. Financial Wealth To understand the rising significance of the recently acquired housing wealth, it is interesting to compare it with the ownership of financial assets in UK. Housing remains UK’s greatest asset with the total of shares, bonds, and cash amounting to  £1.6 trillion. In the past, financial assets pensions and holdings of shares, bonds, and bank accounts accounted for bulk of the nation’s wealth. However, recent history has created housing as the asset that is held more widely and equitably – across geographic regions, age cohorts, and income groups – than financial wealth. Pensions were clearly concentrated among the older age groups and the bulk of other financial assets were held largely by a small opulent minority. Data provided by National Statistics (www.statistics.gov.uk) and Her Majesty’s Treasury (2004) describe UK’s home ownership as widespread across all income and age categories with older segments having a larger rate. Whereas shares and bonds are owned largely by people in higher income groups – for obvious reasons – the housing boom has proved to be a moderating or equalizing force as all homeowners have benefited from rising property values.[7] The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2002) provides some supporting evidence in this respect. The study finds that because of the relatively even distribution of recent gains, housing wealth has become more important than non-pension financial wealth, especially in the 50+ age group. The following table shows that not only is the typical size of housing wealth ownership greater than net financial wealth (non-pension), but that it is far less concentrated across society as reflected by the lower inter-quartile ratio and lower Gini coefficient. Table 1. Net Housing Wealth approx. Net Financial Wealth – approx. Mean  £73,000  £44,000 Median  £52,000  £12,000 Inter-quartile ratio 5.14 69.3 Gini Coefficient 0.575 0.761 Source: English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2002), IFS. The data shown in Graph 4 reveals though financial wealth had dominated all through the 1990’s, the rapid growth of housing wealth since the mid 1990’s coupled with the stock market bust has again placed the two neck and neck. Even with parity in value, the prominence that housing wealth commands in the national balance sheet is the consequence of its relatively equitable distribution and the fact that in spite of recent volatility in housing prices, it is historically far more reliable as an investment than the market value of corporate shares – the dominant component of financial assets. With growth in house prices outstripping the growth in mortgage debt, mortgage equity has increased from  £700 billion in 1995 to  £2.4 trillion at the end of 2005 – a 250% increase. In real terms, the last five years have seen the value of housing stock rise by over 60%. Thanks to housing values rising faster than mortgage debt in each of the last ten years, UK homeowners now have a greater financial buffer for leaner times. Ten years ago, the typical home was worth 2.8 times as much as the typical mortgage; at the end of 2005, this ratio had increased to 3.5, underlining the fact that the country has more equity than a decade ago. Tapping into housing wealth A survey of related literature from Bridges et al (2004), Davey (2001), Farlow (2004), Nickell (2004), and Salt and Macdonald (2004) reveals a variety of ways in households can access the equity stored in the residences. The manner in which a particular household harvests equity depends on the circumstances under which the action is taken. Table 2 below has categorized the possible scenarios. The table explains that households that continue to occupy their home can draw equity by re-mortgaging, i.e. borrow by treating their property as collateral. Households who move could access equity either by over-mortgaging the new home, or by buying a cheaper house in the new location, or by selling their house move to a rental unit (thereby liquidating their asset and obtaining the entire stock of equity). The last possibility covers cases where the owner id deceased or leaves the country, leading to the final sale of the house and the release of 100% of the equity. Table 2. Category of Homeowners Method of Extracting Equity Houseowners retaining possession Re-mortgaging: by taking out additional mortgage(s), borrowers could access equity up to a maximum percentage of value Houseowners that move Down-grading: these households move to a cheaper home, thereby harvesting the equity that equals the difference between the value of sale and the portion of mortgage that was owed Over-mortgaging: these households move to a new residence but manage to obtain a mortgage loan that exceeds the value of the new purchase. This typically occurs in regional markets where there is strong expectations of continuous property-value appreciation Final sale with return to rental: some households sell their houses in order to move to a rental property ostensibly due to either lack of affordability (those with diminished earnings) or convenience (mostly the elderly and the infirm) Households in which the owner(s) are deceased Final sale: when the owners dies, the property is sold with the receipts being used for purposes other than purchase of a house Having harvested the equity, how a given household’s chooses to allocate it across possible uses depends on a range of socio-economic and demographic factors like income level, family size, amount and composition of wealth, age(s) of the members, their geographical location, and even their ethnicity. The following section provides a detailed discussion of the conversion of equity into a specific one use – consumption. Housing wealth and the consumption function: Theory, Analysis, and UK Evidence In this section we begin with outlining the macroeconomic theory behind the consumption function with special reference to the wealth effect. The aim is to both explain the causal relationships behind the various ways in changes in the housing market can impact consumption as well as to identify the factors and circumstances under which the wealth effect might be weakened. The issues in this discussion are with explicit reference to the specific case of the UK. The original Keynesian consumption function was presented as: C = a + bYd(1) Where C denotes real consumption, ‘a’ is the autonomous consumption expenditures, ‘b’ is the parameter symbolizing the marginal propensity to consume (hereafter, mpc) that was postulated as being a constant fraction, and Yd the real disposable income. Shifts in the consumption function are considered as being caused by ‘shocks’ or changes in variables other than Yd. Given the historical period when Keynes first conceived this relationship, it is not surprising that income was the chief driver of consumer spending. Presumably, because wealth was highly concentrated within the aristocracy and credit was a privilege for the few, Keynes decided to lump all non-income influences on consumption into the autonomous term. Over time, with growing sophistication of macroeconomic theory and of market-based economies in general, the consumption function came to be recognized as the following general formulation: C = Æ’(Yd, Real Interest Rate, Price Level, Wealth, Expectations)(2) This explicitly recognized the influence of, among other variables, wealth on consumption decisions, i.e. the wealth effect. However, the formulation stuck with the original assumption of the mpc being constant. That, after all, was acceptable because Keynes’s thinking was anchored in short run considerations and the assumption of unchanging consumers’ sensitivity to income changes was consistent with the model. However, empirical testing of the formulation revealed that not only did the mpc vary with the length of time over which the estimation was conducted (it increased with time), but that its value tended to approach one. This certainly cast a cloud over the consumption function’s relevance and reliability in terms of explaining behaviour.[8] With new thinking about consumption expenditures and about the time-horizon over which a household’s economic decisions were made, two new theories emerged. The Life Cycle Hypothesis (LCH)[9] and the Permanent Income Hypothesis (PIH)[10] both began from the fundamentally un-Keynesian assumption that households make decisions based on their assessment of not only the present but also the anticipated or likely future circumstances. In addition, both also held that rational spending and hence saving decisions necessarily involved long term planning – plausibly for rainy days, growth in family size, and old age. According to Miller (1996) and Gordon (2003), the LCH assumes that permanent incomes are determined over the entire lifetime of the consumer, with allowance for a transitory element that depends on the consumer’s professional status. While the lifetime-oriented income could rise or fall in response to changes in productivity and unexpected events, consumption is smoothed and maintained at an even keel with dissaving (or borrowing) making up any shortfall in spending power. Similarly, in boom periods households save and accumulate purchasing power as wealth for future use. The long term level of income is assumed to follow a smooth path. Clearly, wealth plays a critical part in this model as the household accumulates savings in periods when smoothed consumption is below income. Similarly, as needed, wealth is accessed or made liquid for spending when planned consumption exceeds earnings.[11] The theoretical significance of the LCH – which forms the basis of much of the empirical research reviewed – is easy to see because the way it explicitly incorporates the wealth effect into the household’s lifetime decision horizon with respect consumption, it makes it convenient to model housing wealth. Like the stylized household in the model that begins income-earning phase of her life with modest income and some debt (incurred because of current consumption expenditures exceeding lifetime income), the typical new homeowner is relatively young with a mortgage debt that is several times her annual income and little in terms of savings. Over time, in the absence of tumultuous booms, population and income growth in the economy lead to a steady rise in property values and mortgage equity accumulates. With growing needs for durables, the homeowner then has the possibility of ‘cashing in’ some of the stored housing wealth when current income and savings prove inadequate, much in the same way as the theoretical consumer enters a life-phase during which dissaving takes place. The key idea here is that just like the accumulated housing equity is part of purchasing power for the lifetime, the consumption decision also cannot be inconsistent with a long term budgetary process. This model also suggests that there are periods (or life phases) in the household’s lifetime when wealth is accumulated and when it is used up in the form of consumption. This clearly defines when and under what circumstances mortgage equity is spent. For a young family that continues to occupy a house, the prime motivation is to accumulate equity and harvest it for emergencies or for planned increases in spending that are in balance with expected lifetime earnings which presumably are adjusted for the debt service associated with the additional mortgage. This scenario is consistent with, say, a home improvement project that allows for a larger or growing family or with purchase of durables for a similar purpose. For older homeowners who are approaching retirement or are actually retired, withdrawing equity is consistent with their position in the ‘life-cycle’. Since the income stream is either expected to end or has ended, spending decisions warrant the use of sa vings and/or mortgage equity withdrawals (MEW). Critical to this model is how it treats the rapidly accumulated wealth gains due to a market-driven housing price boom like UK just experienced. Analyzing the housing wealth effect in the context of the LCH, Bridges et al (2004) liken the rise in housing wealth to raising the household’s lifetime budget constraint. Assuming easy access to credit, they identify two pertinent theoretical relationships: one between housing price increases and the lifetime incomes of the wealthier households and the other between housing wealth and the newly acquired debt obligations of the re-mortgaging households. In theory, then, higher housing prices generate wealth effects depending on whether or not the price change is interpreted as permanent or temporary. If households perceive the gains to be permanent or unlikely to be reversed by a sudden housing bust (like what the UK witnessed in the 1980’s and early 1990’s), then it amounts a rise in lifetime income and higher consumpti on expenditures induced by it are ‘allowed.’ On the other hand if the price (and wealth) increases are due to random market activity and will most likely be followed by a decline, then the realized buildup of mortgage equity ought to be regarded as a temporary development and no serious consumption outlays need be planned to spend it. LCH holds that households that are pleasantly surprised by equity gains and choose to borrow against it for extravagance or pleasure spending are fully aware of the future debt-service implications and have made the necessary budgetary calculations that reveal that these actions related to the wealth-effect are compatible with their lifetime income. Curiously, O’Sullivan and Hogan (2003) report that Ireland also experienced a housing boom (though not as extreme as the one in UK), but that there were no signs of a wealth effect. This was presumably because Irish consumers did not put much faith in the housing market’s longevit y and construing the recent price gains as transitory, let the accumulated equity stay ‘frozen.’ However, it is possible that there were indeed impulses related to a housing wealth effect but simultaneously counteracting forces offset it, resulting in generally unchanged aggregate consumption.[12] The above discussion opens up three related and important issues: (i) the process by which accumulated housing wealth translates into consumption expenditure, i.e. the anatomy of the wealth effect in the housing context, (ii) the implications of multiple possible uses of MEW for the strength of the wealth effect, and (iii) other macroeconomic factors that can offset the wealth effect or perhaps prevent it from materializing. Anatomy of the Housing Wealth Effect There are two channels through which homeowners are able to raise their consumption via the wealth effect. As explained above, one way for homeowners to convert their housing wealth is by harvesting mortgage equity MEW. Table 2 outlined the variety of ways in which households obtain equity. Benito and Power (2004), Bridges et al (2004), and Davey (2001) provide insight into how MEW has become a major source of consumer financing in the UK. Graph 5 clearly shows the close relationship between housing prices and MEW[13]. Throughout the last three decades, except for the 2003-2004 interval, UK’s homeowners have reacted to the housing market’s wealth rewards. As Davey (2001) explains, MEW was relatively unimportant in the 1970’s but rose sharply in the following decade. In the early 1980’s despite a recession, MEW climbed because the period coincided with the privatization of public housing. The first half of 1990’s, however, saw a steep decline in hou seholds use of withdrawn equity.In fact there was a brief period when there was a net injection of equity into the housing stock. It could be argued that this was a reflection of a rational economic behaviour on the part of homeowners’ as they assessed a downward trend in housing prices as being detrimental to their long term finances. With a declining value of their housing wealth, UK’s homeowners cut back on withdrawals. Since the mid-1990’s price boom, that downward trend in MEW was quickly reversed. This period saw MEW grow faster than housing prices hinting at the possibility of a overly optimistic body of borrowers who expected housing prices and equity accumulation to continue rising at an ever increasing rate. Since at least part of the MEW is withdrawn by homeowners re-mortgaging their houses (see Table 2), this translates into loans secured by their properties. Halifax – BOS (2005) offer compelling evidence in this respect. They report that in 2 004, total gross lending secured by dwellings was an astronomical  £291 billion – 4% more than the previous year. The figure that was a mere  £57 billion in 1995, doubled by 1999 and with growth rates sometimes exceeding 35% had risen to five times that level in 2004. This monumental withdrawal can be interpreted as a major windfall for the homeowners who suddenly found themselves swimming in an ocean of purchasing power made available by the housing market. The other channel through which housing wealth engenders greater purchasing power in the hands of homeowners is comparatively subtle mechanism. Bridges et al (2004) discuss in great detail, how even without using their property s collateral, homeowners have gained access to ever rising amounts of unsecured credit. The rising value of housing wealth was interpreted by banks and other lenders as indicative of greater borrowing ability, i.e. greater creditworthiness. Naturally, this perception of the lenders was shaped, in part, by expectations of continuous a housing boom. A side implication of this phenomenon is that homeownership in the UK had become a screening device or filter for lenders’ decisions about whom to consider for loans. It follows that this would place renters at a disadvantage with respect to access to credit. Several studies, including Bridges at al (2004) have cited evidence of homeowners being supplied credit on terms far more favorable than those offered to non-owners. It can be reasonably expected that a large portion of the unsecured borrowing was directed toward consumption. Critical to both these channels is the issue of the ease with homeowners are able to obtain credit in lieu of their housing wealth. The mere existence of mortgage equity must be complemented with an efficient system to gain access to it for the wealth effect to take place. Benito (2004), Bridges et al (2004), and Her Majesty’s Treasury (2003) all stress that the liberalization of UK’s financial system that began in 1979 (see footnote 6 in Sec. 2) has been instrumental in creating a credit market that has facilitated the historic levels of MEW. With rising competition among banks and building societies and tremendous product innovation, the lending industry has created a series of affordable and accessible ways in which homeowners can obtain credit. All three studies portray the boom in housing prices and MEW in the UK as unique as compared to all other OECD economies. The coincidence of rising housing prices created huge reserves of withdrawable mortgage equity and supply-side changes in the form of lower restrictions on lending practices and other financial reform is responsible for the explosion in MEW sin