AP Chemistry Syllabus What Does It Cover

AP Chemistry Syllabus What Does It Cover SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips What does an AP Chemistry syllabus look like? How many labs do you have to do? And what skills are you expected to learn before the test? In this article, I'll take an in-depth look at the components of a successful AP Chemistry syllabus, including content coverage, lab work, and overall curriculum requirements. I'll also give an example of a full syllabus (based on a sample from the College Board) and provide some helpful tips for both students and teachers! What Does the AP Chemistry Course Cover? AP Chemistry is a wide-ranging course. The curriculum is divided into six "Big Ideas," or major themes, that encompass long lists of smaller topics. I'll list the Big Ideas along with the smaller themes within them that the College Board calls "Enduring Understandings." These are actually broken down further into pieces of "Essential Knowledge," which (for the sake of keeping this article to a reasonable length) are not included here. There are also seven Scientific Practices that students are expected to master in the course, which I'll list after the Big Ideas. This is a part of the new inquiry-based model of AP science courses that encourages independent thinking. Finally, there are some overarching Curricular Requirements that every AP Chemistry class must fulfill, which I'll go over after the Scientific Practices. For the full course description with even more details, consult this link! The 6 Big Ideas of AP Chemistry The Big Ideas are the fundamental concepts every AP Chemistry syllabus must cover. Big Idea 1: The chemical elements are fundamental building materials of matter, and all matter can be understood in terms of arrangement of atoms. These atoms retain their identities in chemical reactions. Enduring Understanding 1.A: All matter is made of atoms. There are a limited number of types of atoms; these are the elements. EU 1.B: The atoms of each element have unique structures arising from interactions between electrons and nuclei. EU 1.C: Elements display periodicity in their properties when the elements are organized according to increasing atomic number. Periodicity is a useful principle for understanding properties and predicting trends in properties. EU 1.D: Atoms are so small that they are difficult to study directly; atomic models are constructed to explain experimental data on collections of atoms. EU 1.E: Atoms are conserved in physical and chemical processes. Big Idea 2: Chemical and physical properties of materials can be explained by the structure and arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules and the forces between them. EU 2.A: Matter can be described by its physical properties. The physical properties of a substance generally depend on the spacing between the particles (atoms, molecules, ions) that make up the substance and the forces of attraction among them. EU 2.B: Forces of attraction between particles (including the noble gases and also different parts of some large molecules) are important in determining many macroscopic properties of a substance, including how the observable physical state changes with temperature. EU 2.C: The strong electrostatic forces of attraction holding atoms together in a unit are called chemical bonds. EU 2.D: The type of bonding in the solid state can be deduced from the properties of the solid state. Big Idea 3: Changes in matter involve the rearrangement and/or reorganization of atoms and/or the transfer of electrons. EU 3.A: Chemical changes are represented by a balanced chemical equation that identifies the ratios with which reactants react and products form. EU 3.B: Chemical reactions can be classified by considering what the reactants are, what the products are, or how they change from one into the other. Classes of chemical reactions include synthesis, decomposition, acid-base, and oxidation-reduction reactions. EU 3.C: Chemical and physical transformations may be observed in several ways and typically involve a change in energy. Big Idea 4: Rates of chemical reactions are determined by details of the molecular collisions. EU 4.A: Reaction rates that depend on temperature and other environmental factors are determined by measuring changes in concentrations of reactants or products over time. EU 4.B: Elementary reactions are mediated by collisions between molecules. Only collisions having sufficient energy and proper relative orientation of reactants lead to products. EU 4.C: Many reactions proceed via a series of elementary reactions. EU 4.D: Reaction rates may be increased by the presence of a catalyst. Big Idea 5: The laws of thermodynamics describe the essential role of energy and explain and predict the direction of changes in matter. EU 5.A: Two systems with different temperatures that are in thermal contact will exchange energy. The quantity of thermal energy transferred from one system to another. EU 5.B: Energy is neither created nor destroyed, but only transformed from one form to another. EU 5.C: Breaking bonds requires energy, and making bonds releases energy. EU 5.D: Electrostatic forces exist between molecules as well as between atoms or ions, and breaking the resultant intermolecular attractions requires energy. EU 5.E: Chemical or physical processes are driven by a decrease in enthalpy or an increase in entropy, or both. Big Idea 6: Any bond or intermolecular attraction that can be formed can be broken. These two processes are in a dynamic competition, sensitive to initial conditions and external perturbations. EU 6.A: Chemical equilibrium is a dynamic, reversible state in which rates of opposing processes are equal. EU 6.B: Systems at equilibrium are responsive to external perturbations, with the response leading to a change in the composition of the system. EU 6.C: Chemical equilibrium plays an important role in acid-base chemistry and in solubility. EU 6.D: The equilibrium constant is related to temperature and the difference in Gibbs free energy between reactants and products. This idea is huge by itself, and now you're telling me there are five more Sigh. Another day another dollar. The 7 Scientific Practices of AP Chemistry These seven "scientific practices" represent skills that students are expected to learn in AP Chemistry. Many of these relate to correct implementation of the scientific method in a lab context. They're especially tied to the "Guided Inquiry" labs, where students work independently to plan and conduct experiments. #1: The student can use representations and models to communicate scientific phenomena and solve scientific problems. #2: The student can use mathematics appropriately. #3: The student can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations within the context of the AP course. #4: The student can plan and implement data collection strategies in relation to a particular scientific question. [Note: Data can be collected from many different sources, e.g., investigations, scientific observations, the findings of others, historic reconstruction, and/or archived data.] #5: The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence. #6: The student can work with scientific explanations and theories. #7: The student is able to connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts, and representations in and across domains. AP Chemistry Curricular Requirements The curricular requirements are concrete statements of expectations for the AP Chemistry course. These include requirements for the types of materials teachers must use in class, the structural framework of the course, the opportunities students should receive, and the percentage of class time devoted to labs. The course must use a recently published (within the past ten years) college-level chemistry textbook. The course must be structured around the Enduring Understandings within the Big Ideas as described in the AP Chemistry curriculum framework. Students should have opportunities outside of laboratory investigations to meet the learning objectives within each of the big ideas in the AP Chemistry curriculum. Students have the opportunity to connect their knowledge of chemistry and science to major societal or technological components to help them become scientifically literate citizens. Labs make up 25 percent of the instructional time at minimum and include at least 16 hands-on experiments. Lab investigations allow students to apply the seven science practices, and at least 6 of the 16 labs are conducted in a guided-inquiry format. "Guided inquiry" labs put students at the center of the learning process, encouraging them to pose, develop, and experimentally investigate questions (self-generated or supplied). Other more traditional labs are teacher-directed, which means that teachers provide not only the questions for investigation, but also set procedures and data collection strategies for student use. The course provides opportunities for students to develop, record, and maintain evidence of their verbal, written, and graphic communication skills through lab reports, summaries of literature or scientific investigations, and oral, written, and graphic presentations. Keep in mind that it takes a while for most students to learn how to hold presentation materials in ways that don't completely obscure their faces. Work on it. You'll get there, buddy. What Does an AP Chemistry Syllabus Look Like? The following is a summary of a sample syllabus supplied by the College Board that goes through all the units that would be taught in a standard AP Chemistry course. It also provides the number of class periods allotted for each unit. In this example, the class periods are 52 minutes long. You can read the full syllabus here, and there are also a few more sample syllabi on this page! Course Materials Primary Textbook Zumdahl, Steven and Susan Zumdahl. Chemistry, Eighth Edition. Belmont CA: Cengage Learning, 2012. Other Resources Used The College Board. AP Chemistry Guided Inquiry Experiments: Applying the Science Practices. 2013. Demmin, Peter. AP Chemistry, Fifth Edition. New York: DS Marketing Systems Inc., 2005. Vonderbrink, Sally. Laboratory Experiments for AP Chemistry. Batavia: Flinn Scientific, 2001. Randall, Jack. Advanced Chemistry with Vernier. Oregon: Vernier Software and Technology, 2004. Holmquist, Dan and Donald Volz. Chemistry with Calculators. Oregon: Vernier Software and Technology, 2003. Beran, Jo Allan. Laboratory Principles of General Chemistry, Seventh Edition. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2004. Unit 1: Chemistry Fundamentals 12 Class Periods 10 Problem sets 2 Quizzes 1 Exam Topics Scientific method Classification of matter Nomenclature and formulas of binary compounds Polyatomic ions and other compounds Determination of atomic masses Mole concept Percent composition Empirical and molecular formula Writing chemical equations and drawn representations Balancing chemical equations Applying mole concept to chemical equations (stoichiometry) Determining limiting reactants, theoretical and percent yield of reactions Labs Math and Measurement in ScienceStudents learn how to measure mass and volume with varied pieces of equipment and focus on the accuracy of those pieces of equipment in their calculation and determination of significant figures. Students also determine the identity of an unknown organic liquid using density determination. Guided Inquiry Lab: Physical and Chemical PropertiesStudents are given the materials to conduct various procedures. They construct a procedure for each of the eight changes to be observed, have their procedures approved by the instructor, and then carry out the procedures. The data collected is used to develop a set of criteria for determining whether a given change is chemical or physical. Stoichiometry LabStudents determine the correct mole ratio of reactants in an exothermic reaction by mixing different amounts of reactants and graphing temperature changes. Unit 2: Types of Chemical Equations 8 Class Periods 4 Problem Sets 3 Quizzes 1 Exam Topics Electrolytes and properties of water Molarity and preparation of solutions Precipitation reactions and solubility rules Acid-Base reactions and formation of a salt by titration Balancing redox reactions Simple redox titrations Gravimetric calculations Labs pH Titration LabStudents perform a titration and then determine the concentration of an HCl solution by using a potentiometric titration curve and finding the equivalence point. Data is graphed in a graphing program. Bleach LabStudents perform redox titrations to determine the concentration of hypochlorite in household bleach. Online Redox Titration ActivityOnline lab simulation where students can manipulate various factors to influence a redox titration. Unit 3: AP Style Net Ionic Equations 8 Class Periods 6 Problem Sets 4 Quizzes 1 Exam Topics Redox and single replacement reactions Double replacement reactions Combustion reactions Addition reactions Decomposition reactions Labs Copper Reaction LabStudents perform a series of reactions, starting with copper and ending with copper. Students then calculate percent recovered. Unit 4: Gas Laws 8 Class Periods 5 Problem Sets 3 Quizzes 1 Exam Topics Measurement of gases General gas laws - Boyle, Charles, Combined, and Ideal Dalton's Law of partial pressure Molar volume of gases and stoichiometry Graham's Law Kinetic Molecular Theory Real gases and deviation from ideal gas law Graham's law demonstration Labs Molecular Mass of a Volatile LiquidStudents use the Dumas method for determination of the molar mass of an unknown volatile liquid. Unit 5: Thermochemistry 8 Class Periods 5 Problem Sets 3 Quizzes 1 Exam Topics Law of conservation of energy, work, and internal energy Endothermic and exothermic reactions Potential energy diagrams Calorimetry, heat capacity, and specific heat Hess's Law Heat of formation/combustion Bond energies Labs Guided Inquiry Lab: Hess's LawStudents perform a series of reactions and calculate enthalpy, proving Hess's law. Activity: Online Heating and Cooling Curve Simulations Unit 6: Atomic Structure and Periodicity 12 Class periods 9 Problem sets 4 Quizzes 1 Exam Topics Electron configuration and the Aufbau principle Valence electrons and Lewis dot structures Periodic trends Table arrangement based on electronic properties Properties of light and study of waves Atomic spectra of hydrogen and energy levels Quantum mechanical model Quantum theory and electron orbitals Orbital shape and energies Spectroscopy Labs Spectroscopy LabStudents look at a series of emission spectra and determine the identity of an unknown. They will also receive and analyze IR and mass spectroscopy data. Activity: Periodic Table Dry LabStudents graph values for atomic radius, electronegativity, and ionization energy to predict trends and explain the organization of the periodic table. Unit 7: Chemical Bonding Class Periods 8 Problem Sets 4 Quizzes 1 Exam Topics Lewis Dot structures Resonance structures and formal charge Bond polarity and dipole moments VSEPR models and molecular shape Polarity of molecules Lattice energies Hybridization Molecular orbitals and diagrams Labs Guided Inquiry: Bonding LabStudents experimentally investigate ionic and molecular substances deducing properties of their bonds in the process. Guided Inquiry: Investigation of SolidsStudents investigate types of solids using various experimental techniques. Activity: Atomic Theory Dry Lab (Students make drawings of a series of molecules and, from those drawings, predict geometry, hybridization, and polarity) Unit 8: Liquids, Solids, and Solutions 6 Class Periods 4 Problem Sets 2 Quizzes 1 Exam Topics Structure and bonding Metals, network, and molecular Ionic, hydrogen, London, van der Waals Vapor pressure and changes in state Heating and cooling curves Composition of solutions Colloids and suspensions Separation techniques Effect on biological systems Labs Solution Preparation LabStudents make solutions of specified concentrations gravimetrically and by dilution. Solution concentrations will be checked for accuracy using a spectrophotometer. Vapor Pressure of Liquids LabStudents measure the vapor pressure of ethanol at different temperatures to determine ∆H. Activity: Effect on Biological SystemsStudents examine a demonstration size model of DNA or an alpha helix, and use their fingers to identify which atoms / base pairs are particularly involved in hydrogen bonding within the molecule, causing the helical structure. Students then discuss how the increased UV light because of ozone depletion can cause chemical reactions and thus mutations and disruption of hydrogen bonding. Unit 9: Kinetics 9 Class Periods 3 Problem Sets 3 Quizzes 1 Exam Topics Rates of reactions Factors that affect rates of reactions/ collision theory Reaction Pathways Rate equation determination Rate constants Mechanisms Method of initial rates Integrated rate laws Activation energy and Boltzmann distribution Labs Guided Inquiry: Determining Order of a (Crystal Violet) ReactionUsing colorimetry and Beer's law, students determine the order of a reaction and its rate law. Determining the Activation Energy of a ReactionStudents use the same set-up as in the crystal violet lab, but, this time, varying temperature to calculate the activation energy with the use of the Arrhenius equation. Activity: Online Kinetics ActivityUsing a web-based simulation, students will study the elementary steps of a mechanism and how it relates to reaction rate and collision theory. Unit 10: General Equilibrium 6 Class Periods 4 Problem Sets 3 Quizzes 1 Exam Topics Characteristics and conditions of chemical equilibrium Equilibrium expression derived from rates Factors that affect equilibrium Le Chatelier's principle The equilibrium constant Solving equilibrium problems Labs Determination of a Kc with Varied Initial ConcentrationsStudents use a spectrophotometer to determine the Kc of a series of reactions. Activity: Online Gas Phase Equilibrium ActivityIn the online inquiry activity, students are able to manipulate the environment and produce stresses that verify the tendency of Le Chatelier's principle. Unit : Acids and Bases 8 Class Periods 4 Problem sets 3 Quizzes 1 Exam Topics Definition and nature of acids and bases Kw and the pH scale pH of strong and weak acids and bases Polyprotic acids pH of salts Structure of Acids and Bases Labs Determination of a Ka by Half TitrationStudents do a titration in which  ½ of the weak acid titrated is neutralized (aka midpoint), and then the Ka is determined. Unit 12: Buffers, Ksp, and Titrations Class Periods 6 Problem Sets 4 Quizzes 1 Exam Topics Characteristics and capacity of buffers Titrations and pH curves Choosing Acid-Base Indicators pH and solubility Ksp Calculations and Solubility Product Labs Guided Inquiry: Types of TitrationsStudents investigate titration curves by doing titrations of different combinations of weak and strong acids and bases. Guided Inquiry: Preparation of a BufferGiven a selection of chemicals, students prepare a buffer of a given pH. Molar Solubility and Determination of KspStudents find the Ksp of calcium hydroxide doing a potentiometric titration with the addition of methyl orange indicator for verification. Unit 13: Thermodynamics 10 Class Periods 5 Problem Sets 3 Quizzes 1 Exam Topics Laws of thermodynamics Spontaneous process and entropy Spontaneity, enthalpy, and free energy Free energy Free energy and equilibrium Rate and Spontaneity Labs Solubility and Determination of ΔH °, ΔS °, ΔG ° of Calcium HydroxideStudents collect and analyze data to determine ΔH °, ΔS °, and ΔG ° of calcium hydroxide. Unit 14: Electrochemistry 8 Class Periods 5 Problem Sets 4 Quizzes 1 Exam Topics Balancing redox equations Electrochemical cells and voltage The Nernst equation Spontaneous and non-spontaneous equations Chemical applications Labs Voltaic Cell LabStudents find the reduction potentials of a series of reactions using voltaic cells/multi-meters and build their own reduction potential table. Dilutions will be made, and the Nernst equation will also be tested. Final AP Review 16 Class Periods 4 Quizzes 4 Exams Topics Review of ALL topics 4 AP-Style Review Exams Mock AP Test Labs The Green Crystal LabA series of labs completed over a 4-week period. Students work at their own pace in pairs. The goal of this lab is to determine the empirical formula of a ferrioxalate crystal. It includes the following experiments: Experiment 1: Synthesis of the crystal Experiment 2: Standardization of KMnO4 by redox titration Experiment 3: Determination of % oxalate in crystal by redox titration Experiment 4: Standardization of NaOH by acid/base titration Experiment 5: Determination of % K+ and Fe3+ by ion exchange chromatography and a double equivalence point titration Experiment 6: Determination of the % water in the hydrated crystal Green crystals!!! Actually, the green crystals for the lab look even cooler than that. Teaching Tips for AP Chemistry These are some tips I came up with for AP Chemistry teachers based on my experiences as a student in the course. I struggled a lot with chemistry in high school (partially because my teacher wasn't very good), so here are a few things that I think would have helped me out at the time. Tip #1: Do Plenty of Sample Problems in Class (and Go Over Homework Thoroughly) When I was in AP Chemistry, I had a hard time understanding how to solve complex multi-step problems. I often couldn't figure them out on my own, even when I had read examples in the textbook and seen my teacher go through similar examples. I'd advise teachers to do as many sample problems as possible in class. It's important to give students background information, but walking through sample problems step-by-step is the most valuable practical instruction you can provide. You should also go through homework problem sets in class so that students can see exactly where they made mistakes and why. Encourage students to try redoing the problems with the new information they've learned to reinforce the correct methods. Tip #2: Offer Extra Help Sessions Because AP Chemistry is such a challenging class, it's likely that many students will be interested in extra help outside of the designated class period. Although students should be encouraged to take the initiative in asking for help, I think it's also a good idea to set up a designated time when you'll be available after school. Block out a couple of after-school hours one or two days a week, and encourage students to come to you with any questions or concerns they have about the class. You can also set aside times for review sessions before each exam that all students are encouraged to attend. These could even include chemistry-themed review games and competitions (if your students are true nerds they will love this). Tip #3: Give Students Real AP Practice Tests To prepare effectively for the AP test, students need to get used to the format and timing. As you get closer to the exam, administer a few mock AP tests. Translate grades to where they would fall on the AP scale so that students have a better idea of where they're scoring and how much they need to study to reach their goals. This will help give them more motivation to study and force any stragglers to get serious about improving their scores. Grades on real AP practice tests will help light a fire under students who have a tendency to procrastinate and cram. Tips for AP Chemistry Students If, on the other hand you're an AP Chemistry student, you may find these tips for doing well in this challenging class helpful. Tip #1: Pay Attention in Class Obviously, right? Well, not necessarily; zoning out during lectures is something that we're all guilty of doing because we're human beings. However, this is a class where you really, really need to pay attention to your teacher's explanations. It's hard to self-teach chemistry because you're not just memorizing facts, you're learning how to do different types of calculations and navigate a bunch of new terminologies. If you can only pay attention to one thing, make it the example problems that your teacher does in class. Take notes on the solution steps so you can refer to them in the future and refresh your memory. Tip #2: Ask Lots of Questions (and Get Help If You Need It!) If you don't understand something, get clarification as soon as possible. AP Chemistry isn't a class where you can let a few things fall by the wayside and still get by. The information builds on itself, so it's critical that you have a strong understanding of every concept. Gaps in knowledge will come back to bite you in the end! If you don't feel like you're getting enough of an explanation in class, don't be afraid to ask your teacher for extra help. Tip #3: Don't Fall Behind It will be tempting to say "oh, I don't actually need to do this problem set" or "eh, I'll read this chapter later." But if you do that too many times, before you know it you'll have no idea what's happening in class. This course moves very quickly from one complex concept to the next, so you can't afford to fall behind. As I mentioned, concepts build on one another. If you find yourself slipping and losing touch with what's going on in the course, ask your teacher for extra help as soon as possible to resolve the issue. Tip #4: Get a Review Book, and Review Concepts Throughout the Year Review books can be very helpful for AP Chemistry because they're well-organized catalogs of all the different concepts you will learn in the course. There's so much packed into the curriculum that I'd recommend buying a book so you have something to ground yourself as you're looking back through the material. You can use the review book for practice problems and AP review sessions throughout the year. Every couple of months, do a review of everything you've learned so far to keep the information at the front of your mind. Here's my list of the best review books for AP Chemistry to give you a lil head start. Review books will lay out the structure of the course more clearly for you so that you don't get lost in your notes! Conclusion To recap, the AP Chemistry syllabus revolves around six "Big Ideas," which are main themes that cover more specific concepts called "Enduring Understandings." Each AP Chemistry course is expected to give students the skills they need to understand these larger themes and connect them to a basic factual knowledge of the ins and outs of chemistry. Additionally, an effective course syllabus provides assignments that enable students to master the seven "Scientific Practices" established by the course guidelines. It will also adhere to the rules established by the Curriculum Requirements. A few tips I would recommend for teaching this course are: #1: Do Lots of Sample Problems in Class#2: Offer Built-In Extra Help Sessions#3: Administer Official Practice AP Tests Some tips I would recommend for students who want to do well in AP Chemistry are: #1: Pay Attention in Class#2: Ask Questions, and Get Help if You Need It#3: Avoid Slacking Off and Falling Behind#4: Use a Review Book to Supplement Class Materials AP Chemistry is a fast-paced class that covers complex concepts, but with a logically formatted syllabus and a concerted effort from both students and teachers, the course can be an enlightening introduction to a fundamental aspect of how the world works! What's Next? Is AP Chemistry really as challenging as some people think? Read this article for a detailed examination of the difficulty level of the course (and exam). Need help preparing for the final exam? Check out my ultimate study guide for AP Chemistry! If you're taking AP Chemistry, chances are that you're applying to colleges that require or recommend submission of SAT Subject Test scores. Learn more about the differences between AP Tests and SAT Subject Tests and whether one is more important than the other. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Careful Writers Make Good Bedfellows (or at Least Good Housemates)

Careful Writers Make Good Bedfellows (or at Least Good Housemates) Careful Writers Make Good Bedfellows (or at Least Good Housemates) Careful Writers Make Good Bedfellows (or at Least Good Housemates) By Mark Nichol I was interested to read about a recent University of Michigan study that concluded that people who are highly judgmental about writing errors tend to be more introverted and have less pleasant personalities than those who are more forgiving about people’s flawed writing skills. The tools of the study were a questionnaire that, when answered by research subjects, enabled researchers to identify the people as introverted or extroverted and to rate them as having easygoing or difficult personalities, along with a set of fake responses to housemate ads. The study concluded that introverts and difficult people were less likely to respond to people who had sent error-ridden replies than extroverts and people with more appealing personalities. Overall, both introverts and difficult people were more likely than extroverts and people who rated higher on healthy personality qualities to be judgmental about errors. However, the study made a distinction between two types of writing errors: typos, or typographical errors (such as typing mkae instead of make), and grammos, or grammatical errors (such as confusing your and you’re). The study did not pertain to more substantial errors of grammar and syntax such as dangling or misplaced modifiers (or to usage or style errors), but it found that typos were more likely to irk those whose questionnaire responses identified them as introverts, while people determined to have negative personality traits tended to be bothered more by grammos. Would you be less likely to respond to an email by a prospective housemate whose message was full of errors? I certainly would, which apparently identifies me as an introverted jerk- or as an editor, which is perhaps the same thing. Why? Because typographical errors indicate carelessness (I make them, too, but I generally identify and correct them before I publish), and I don’t want a careless housemate. I am more forgiving of grammatical errors, because I know that writing skill does not necessarily correlate with intelligence, though I would be concerned about a lack of compatibility with someone who does not know the difference between your and you’re. Careful writing is important in business communication, and a response to a housemate ad is, in one respect, a business communication, because it involves financial transactions (sharing the costs of rent, utilities, and at least some household supplies). A potential housemate who does not bother to run spell-check before sending me an email is failing to demonstrate diligence. And though I strive not to let grammatical errors annoy me (otherwise, I would have to forgo reading for leisure), I can’t help judging those who do not exercise care in writing. If you bother to write a job application carefully or to proofread an email before you send it to a colleague, you are likely careful about your correspondence when you seek to be chosen as a housemate (which is, in a sense, like being hired). Whether you choose to be diligent when sending a text message or an email to a friend or posting to social media is up to you (though I assume subscribers to these posts are more likely than the general population to do so). My role as an editor is to help a writer communicate. Communication is, of course, also the writer’s key objective, whether one is writing a book or an email message. The same degree of diligence is not required for one as for another, but demonstrating some level of effort to clearly convey one’s message, regardless of the message, is one’s primary duty as a writer. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:60 Synonyms for â€Å"Walk†7 Patterns of Sentence Structure

Analyze Friendships Mysteries, to my Dearest LucasiaandOn Being Essay

Analyze Friendships Mysteries, to my Dearest LucasiaandOn Being Brought .. To S. M., A Young - Essay Example y—an ode to a loved one—and manipulating and taking a huge innovative step forward by switching the identity of the speaker, by making it a poem about two women loving one another. She is also taking a rebellious stand against male hierarchy and saying lesbians are as good as anyone else. Wheatley too was a rebel: the first published African American poet. Indeed, few people at the time could believe that a black woman could write so well: she was even challenged in court on the subject. She too brings religion into the picture writing in her poems, trying to show that all people are equal and worthy of respect. For example, she writes: â€Å"Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain,/May be refind, and join th angelic train† She also worked hard to promote the works of other African Americans as in her poem â€Å"To S. M., a Young African Painter, on Seeing His Works.† Her criticism and poetry helped definitively shape African American literature, much the way that Philips’ poetry shaped lesbian literature. They are both

Contemporary issues in business (Primark) Essay

Contemporary issues in business (Primark) - Essay Example Based on the success rate of the company, it has become apparent that more stores are needed to be added to the chain for improving its value. The company caters to the customers belonging from diverse age groups (Primark Stores Limited, 2013). It targets those consumers who are fashion conscious and want proper value in return for their money. The company caters to the market by way of fulfilment of needs of the people by supplying both menswear and ladies-wear. In addition, it also aims to meet the requirement of the market by way of supplying other products that range from accessories & hosiery, children’s wear and footwear among others. The company is said to attain a sales target of ?3.5billion in the year 2012 which is quite impressive (Northern and Shell Media Publications, 2013). The company has a very effective supply chain that brings together different manufacturing units in India, Turkey, and Bangladesh, China and other countries, having a number of retail outlets in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and in other parts of Europe (The Times Newspaper Limited and  ©MBA Publishing Ltd, 2010; Dobson, 2004). In relation to the ethical and corporate social responsibility, the company acts in a much diversified manner. It focuses upon delivering quality products at cheap prices and at the same time retaining the customers by way of creating value for the goods which are manufactured. Identification of the CSR responsibilities of Primark is considered to be the main theme of the paper. Additionally, the paper also aims to highlight various reasons for which the company focuses upon developing and third world countries in relation to sourcing of its products. A Snapshot of Primark Store Source: (The Times Newspaper Limited and  ©MBA Publishing Ltd, 2010) 2.0 Reasons for Sourcing From Developing Countries The primary reason for sourcing from developing countries is to source the products in an efficient manner. Moreover, the company in order to improve the manufacturing process the company opted for developing countries. Another reason was to utilise the local fabrics for producing the products. The other reason for sourcing was to create a strong focus on the current product trends (Choi, 2012). 2.1 Growth Rate It would enable to provide high opportunity of growth to the developing nations. It would allow the company to achieve the high rates of growth because it will get to expand its business channels. Primark’s business expansion comes from fulfilling the needs of the customers along with continuing to expand its markets in the selected regions. The company is able to implement very effective marketing strategies as it is primarily laying its focus upon the developing countries. These factors can prove to be concurrent in relation to the aspects related to growth (Grose, 2011).Therefore, the company planned to source its products from developing countries to attain high rate of growth through sourcing the products from developing nations (Grose, 2011). 2.2 Competitive Advantage This would lead to growth of an ideal company

The Application of Study Loans Essay Example for Free

The Application of Study Loans Essay The chart shown that as increasing for study loan among students. The years of applications for study loans is from 2004 until 2008. This chart is too closely related between the applications for study loans and the reason for applying for study loans. The applications for study loans are including male and female students. There are many reasons for students who wants to applying for study loans. Firstly, the comparison year from 2007 till 2008. It is show that were increase. This is because students wants to be independent if they get the loans. They think that they will not pester parents for wanting to be independent in the pursuit of our own future without make life difficult for anyone. The same time, the money they get, can be used with thrifty. Secondly, the year difference between 2004 to 2005. It is show that the number of students were increase. This in turn is caused by students unwilling to work and study. Additionally, reduced application rates because students are not willing to work and study. Such a case because the students do not want to work and at the same time want to learn. For them, its hard to juggle work and study. That is why students need applying for study loans to continue their education. Thirdly, the year 2006, it is show the number of students is remain constant. This caused economic downturn. Parents retrenched and need money for other purposes. Thing like that, too, who had to apply for a loan cause students to continue studying. Such a case, can help students who need the money to continue his studies and purchase the study. In a nutshell, based on the chart show that many reason in application for study loans. Beside that, parents do not have the means and other factors also the reasons for applying for study loans for students who require.

Death of a Salesman is a Tragedy as Defined in Millers Tragedy and the

Death of a Salesman is a Tragedy as Defined in Miller's Tragedy and the Common Man In Tragedy and the Common Man, Arthur Miller discusses his definition and criteria for tragedy as they apply to the common man. The criteria and standards proposed by Miller may be used to evaluate his timeless work, Death of A Salesman. The first major standard of tragedy set forth is:   â€Å"...if the exaltation of tragic action were truly a property of the high-bred character alone, it is inconceivable that the mass of mankind should cherish tragedy above all other forms.† All persons regardless of background, nobility stature, rank, or pretended or actual social division can innately empathize with the tragic hero. In the case of Willy Loman there is a certain familiarity. He is the proverbial man down the block; indeed we may say in viewing the play   common man is empathizing with common man. Willy Loman is real. Where as some may remark, â€Å"I know someone like him,† perhaps they may even see themselves in him. Miller’s subtle wordplay of â€Å"Loman† and â€Å"layman† is interesting in this regard. It is our familiarity with Willy Loman that is the endearing quality which draws us closer to him. Through, identification with his struggles and pains we achieve an apprec iation of his plight. This identification is universal. The universality of identification is, among   those reading or viewing the play, a bonding force for persons of every station. Miller’s success in this point is bred from our own pathos for Willie Loman.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Another point by Miller is that, â€Å"the tragic feeling is invoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is willing to lay down his life... to secure one thing- his sense of personal dignity.† Willie Loman is tha... ...mething greater than himself, his image, or his success. He is motivated by his love for his son.   Therefore, since his primary focus is beyond himself, it consequently elevates him. He taps into and is accordingly clothed with   the grandeur tragedy.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Considering the points discussed here in this paper, which is by no means a comprehensive analysis of Miller’s essay, several questions are raised in my mind. Did Arthur Miller provide us with this essay as a response or defense of Death of a Salesman? Is he trying to justify his work by remolding the definition of tragedy to justify and elevate this play? Whatever the case it is clear that Death of a Salesman fits the model set forth by Miller in Tragedy and the Common Man. Miller, Arthur. "Tragedy and the Common Man." Weales, Gerald, ed. Death of a Salesman: Text and Criticism. New York: Penguin Books 1996.

Cash for Organs

Sheila Rivers ENG 101/MWF Oct. 29, 2012 Mr. Viquesney Cash for Organs Charity should be the only basis for organ donation. On the other hand, cash compensation for donating organs should be an option and legalized. With the overwhelming need for organs and not enough donors in the United States, an open, regulated, and legal cash-for-organs market is needed to balance the need and shortage of organs. There will always be a need for organ donations.According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), as of October 2012 there are 116,421 men, women, and children on the organ transplant waitlist to receive hearts, livers, kidneys, and other human organs. With a total of only 8,280 donors alive and deceased so far this year, the need for donated organs far exceeds the donation of organs. This need for donated organs leaves a large gap in transplants and consequently patients wait months, even years on the waiting list for donated organs. Every ten minutes another name is added to th e national organ transplant waiting list.By the time patients get on the waiting list they have been evaluated by a transplant doctor and is in end stage organ failure. According to (organdonor. gov) right now, there are more than enough people waiting for an organ to fill a football stadium twice over. On average, 18 people die every day waiting for a transplant that never happens as a direct result of the lack of organ donations. Patients that can afford it will travel to other countries to purchase organs on the black market to save their life. The National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA) passed in 1984, made the buying and selling of human organs in the United States illegal.Over all too many people die each year waiting for a donated organ that is not available to save their life. The option to sell an organ should be solely left up to the individual who wants to do so, as long as the procedure and all the risks that are involved are fully understood. If someone decides to sell and organ to who ever they want, for a momentary compensation they should have the right to do so. It will not only save the life of the recipient, but also financially compensate the donor in return. After all it is their body and the government should not have the right to tell people that selling an organ for compensation is illegal.With so many people dying and waiting for a life saving organ transplant, this would decrease the deaths and wait time for an organ. In 1988 Iran became one of the first Nations to permit and regulate payment and other incentives for living donor transplants. As a result, the number of renal transplants performed substantially increased such that in 1999, the renal transplant waitlist was completely eliminated. Currently, Iran has no renal transplant waiting list. With results such as this, proves that cash for human organs can potentially eliminate the transplant waitlist in the United States.A number of transplant experts have been convinced tat provid ing financial incentives to organ sources, as an alternative to altruistic organ donation needs careful reconsideration. By permitting an open, regulated, and legal cash-for-organs market this could save the lives of the people who suffer and die daily because of kidney failure while waiting for a donated kidney. The director of Kidney Health Australia said â€Å"if it was carefully regulated in a way that avoided any potential abuse and was organized by the government or some other process that was meaningful, a pilot would be worthwhile doing† [Mathew].If there were some kind of compensation for organ donations, more people would be interested and willing to become organ donors. The kidney is the only organ a person can sell or donate and safely continue to live without. Even though we are born with two kidneys a person can live a full and normal life with just one, in addition to living just as long as a person with two. In the case of a kidney, a love donor is capable of living successfully after a transplant surgery, because over the years surgeries have become safer and less invasive for the donor with less down time.According to the registry data from UNOS, research has shown that a kidney from a live donor is the best option for long-term transplantation. Over the years the number of living donors have steadily decreased while the deceased donors have increased, although the increase in not enough to offset the decrease. NOTA was also created to address the critical organ donation shortage and improve the organ matching and placement process. As said, â€Å"Due to the high success rate of organ transplants over the years it has made getting an organ more difficult.Improved survival rates and the expectation that organ replacement will enhance quality of life have encouraged more doctors and their patients with organ failure to opt for transplantation† [Klein]. The early organ transplants performed routinely had a high mortality rate; the major issue was the patients’ immune system rejected the foreign organ. Throughout the years with the introduction of medicine has helped lower the mortality rate due to the rejection of the foreign organ and organ transplants have become more routine and less experimental.To their surprise, donors do not understand or know how many lives are saved or can be saved simply by donating organs. There are no age requirements to being an organ donor. The fact is everyone can be an organ donor; anybody under the age of eighteen has to have a parental consent. The process of convincing individuals to be an organ donor is challenging, and some of these challenges are a lack of knowledge, fear of premature death, and the lack of trust of the medical profession. Most people do not know what the process of organ donation is and how it works to save lives.People feel that if the doctor knew they where an organ donor he/she would not put as much effort into saving their life because of thi s. If people had a better understanding and more knowledge about the process of organ donation more people would be willing to donate organs to help save lives. Charity should not be the only option for organ donation. When charity is the only option the donor do not have the right to give their organ to who they wish. With so many people on the waitlist for an organ transplant and way to few donors there needs to be another way to attract donors.The cash for organ program that has shown a success in other countries should be looked at on a more serious note. Due to the shortage sever shortage of donated organs that has led to needless death of so many people, the cash for organs seems to be a very legitimate way to save lives. Until modern medicine can completely grow fully develop human organs there will always be a need for human organs and the fastest way to obtain organs for transplant is to offer monetaury compensation.The compensation for human organs will open up a market fo r willing donors. Bibliography optn. transplant. hrsa. gov unos. org Klein, Andrew S. , MD, director of Cedar’s-Sinai Medical Center Declining Organ Donations, Causes Widening Need Gap, Life Science, 22 March 2010 Ahad, Ghods J. , Dr. ‘Iranian Model of Paid and Regulated Living-Unrelated Kidney Donation. † Cjasn. asnjournals. org N. p. , n. d. Web Page 1 www. unos. org Page 2 www. optn. transplant. hrsa. gov Page 2 Andrew S. Klein, MD, director of Cedar’s-Sinai Medical Center

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 60-62

CHAPTER 60 Sangreal†¦ Sang Real†¦ San Greal†¦ Royal Blood†¦ Holy Grail. It was all intertwined. The Holy Grail is Mary Magdalene†¦the mother of the royal bloodline of Jesus Christ.Sophie felt a new wave of disorientation as she stood in the silence of the ballroom and stared at Robert Langdon. The more pieces Langdon and Teabing laid on the table tonight, the more unpredictable this puzzle became. â€Å"As you can see, my dear,† Teabing said, hobbling toward a bookshelf,† Leonardo is not the only one who has been trying to tell the world the truth about the Holy Grail. The royal bloodline of Jesus Christ has been chronicled in exhaustive detail by scores of historians.† He ran a finger down a row of several dozen books. Sophie tilted her head and scanned the list of titles: THE TEMPLAR REVELATION:Secret Guardians of the True Identity of Christ THE WOMAN WITH THE ALABASTER JAR: Mary Magdalene and the Holy Grail THE GODDESS IN THE GOSPELS Reclaiming the Sacred Feminine â€Å"Here is perhaps the best-known tome,† Teabing said, pulling a tattered hardcover from the stack and handing it to her. The cover read: HOLY BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL The Acclaimed International Bestseller Sophie glanced up. â€Å"An international bestseller? I've never heard of it.† â€Å"You were young. This caused quite a stir back in the nineteen eighties. To my taste, the authors made some dubious leaps of faith in their analysis, but their fundamental premise is sound, and to their credit, they finally brought the idea of Christ's bloodline into the mainstream.† â€Å"What was the Church's reaction to the book?† â€Å"Outrage, of course. But that was to be expected. After all, this was a secret the Vatican had tried to bury in the fourth century. That's part of what the Crusades were about. Gathering and destroying information. The threat Mary Magdalene posed to the men of the early Church was potentially ruinous. Not only was she the woman to whom Jesus had assigned the task of founding the Church, but she also had physical proof that the Church's newly proclaimed deity had spawned a mortal bloodline. The Church, in order to defend itself against the Magdalene's power, perpetuated her image as a whore and buried evidence of Christ's marriage to her, thereby defusing any potential claims that Christ had a surviving bloodline and was a mortal prophet.† Sophie glanced at Langdon, who nodded. â€Å"Sophie, the historical evidence supporting this is substantial.† â€Å"I admit,† Teabing said,† the assertions are dire, but you must understand the Church's powerful motivations to conduct such a cover-up. They could never have survived public knowledge of a bloodline. A child of Jesus would undermine the critical notion of Christ's divinity and therefore the Christian Church, which declared itself the sole vessel through which humanity could access the divine and gain entrance to the kingdom of heaven.† â€Å"The five-petal rose,† Sophie said, pointing suddenly to the spine of one of Teabing's books. The same exact design inlaid on the rosewood box. Teabing glanced at Langdon and grinned. â€Å"She has a good eye.† He turned back to Sophie. â€Å"That is the Priory symbol for the Grail. Mary Magdalene. Because her name was forbidden by the Church, Mary Magdalene became secretly known by many pseudonyms – the Chalice, the Holy Grail, and the Rose.† He paused. â€Å"The Rose has ties to the five-pointed pentacle of Venus and the guiding Compass Rose. By the way, the word rose is identical in English, French, German, and many other languages.† â€Å"Rose,† Langdon added,† is also an anagram of Eros, the Greek god of sexual love.† Sophie gave him a surprised look as Teabing plowed on.† The Rose has always been the premiere symbol of female sexuality. In primitive goddess cults, the five petals represented the five stations of female life – birth, menstruation, motherhood, menopause, and death. And in modern times, the flowering rose's ties to womanhood are considered more visual.† He glanced at Robert. â€Å"Perhaps the symbologist could explain?† Robert hesitated. A moment too long. â€Å"Oh, heavens!† Teabing huffed. â€Å"You Americans are such prudes.† He looked back at Sophie. â€Å"What Robert is fumbling with is the fact that the blossoming flower resembles the female genitalia, the sublime blossom from which all mankind enters the world. And if you've ever seen any paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe, you'll know exactly what I mean.† â€Å"The point here,† Langdon said, motioning back to the bookshelf,† is that all of these books substantiate the same historical claim.† â€Å"That Jesus was a father.† Sophie was still uncertain. â€Å"Yes,† Teabing said. â€Å"And that Mary Magdalene was the womb that carried His royal lineage. The Priory of Sion, to this day, still worships Mary Magdalene as the Goddess, the Holy Grail, the Rose, and the Divine Mother.† Sophie again flashed on the ritual in the basement. â€Å"According to the Priory,† Teabing continued,† Mary Magdalene was pregnant at the time of the crucifixion. For the safety of Christ's unborn child, she had no choice but to flee the Holy Land. With the help of Jesus' trusted uncle, Joseph of Arimathea, Mary Magdalene secretly traveled to France, then known as Gaul. There she found safe refuge in the Jewish community. It was here in France that she gave birth to a daughter. Her name was Sarah.† Sophie glanced up. â€Å"They actually know the child's name?† â€Å"Far more than that. Magdalene's and Sarah's lives were scrutinously chronicled by their Jewish protectors. Remember that Magdalene's child belonged to the lineage of Jewish kings – David and Solomon. For this reason, the Jews in France considered Magdalene sacred royalty and revered her as the progenitor of the royal line of kings. Countless scholars of that era chronicled Mary Magdalene's days in France, including the birth of Sarah and the subsequent family tree.† Sophie was startled. â€Å"There exists a family tree of Jesus Christ?† â€Å"Indeed. And it is purportedly one of the cornerstones of the Sangreal documents. A complete genealogy of the early descendants of Christ.† â€Å"But what good is a documented genealogy of Christ's bloodline?† Sophie asked. â€Å"It's not proof. Historians could not possibly confirm its authenticity.† Teabing chuckled. â€Å"No more so than they can confirm the authenticity of the Bible.† â€Å"Meaning?† â€Å"Meaning that history is always written by the winners. When two cultures clash, the loser is obliterated, and the winner writes the history books – books which glorify their own cause and disparage the conquered foe. As Napoleon once said, ‘What is history, but a fable agreed upon?'†He smiled. â€Å"By its very nature, history is always a one-sided account.† Sophie had never thought of it that way.† The Sangreal documents simply tell the other side of the Christ story. In the end, which side of the story you believe becomes a matter of faith and personal exploration, but at least the information has survived. The Sangreal documents include tens of thousands of pages of information. Eyewitness accounts of the Sangreal treasure describe it as being carried in four enormous trunks. In those trunks are reputed to be the Purist Docum ents – thousands of pages of unaltered, pre- Constantine documents, written by the early followers of Jesus, revering Him as a wholly human teacher and prophet. Also rumored to be part of the treasure is the legendary† Q† Document – a manuscript that even the Vatican admits they believe exists. Allegedly, it is a book of Jesus' teachings, possibly written in His own hand.† â€Å"Writings by Christ Himself?† â€Å"Of course,† Teabing said. â€Å"Why wouldn't Jesus have kept a chronicle of His ministry? Most people did in those days. Another explosive document believed to be in the treasure is a manuscript called The Magdalene Diaries – Mary Magdalene's personal account of her relationship with Christ, His crucifixion, and her time in France.† Sophie was silent for a long moment. â€Å"And these four chests of documents were the treasure that the Knights Templar found under Solomon's Temple?† â€Å"Exactly. The documents that made the Knights so powerful. The documents that have been the object of countless Grail quests throughout history.† â€Å"But you said the Holy Grail was Mary Magdalene.If people are searching for documents, why would you call it a search for the Holy Grail?† Teabing eyed her, his expression softening. â€Å"Because the hiding place of the Holy Grail includes a sarcophagus.† Outside, the wind howled in the trees. Teabing spoke more quietly now. â€Å"The quest for the Holy Grail is literally the quest to kneel before the bones of Mary Magdalene. A journey to pray at the feet of the outcast one, the lost sacred feminine.† Sophie felt an unexpected wonder. â€Å"The hiding place of the Holy Grail is actually†¦ a tomb?† Teabing's hazel eyes got misty. â€Å"It is. A tomb containing the body of Mary Magdalene and the documents that tell the true story of her life. At its heart, the quest for the Holy Grail has always been a quest for the Magdalene – the wronged Queen, entombed with proof of her family's rightful claim to power.† Sophie waited a moment as Teabing gathered himself. So much about her grandfather was still not making sense. â€Å"Members of the Priory,† she finally said,† all these years have answered the charge of protecting the Sangreal documents and the tomb of Mary Magdalene?† â€Å"Yes, but the brotherhood had another, more important duty as well – to protect the bloodline itself. Christ's lineage was in perpetual danger. The early Church feared that if the lineage were permitted to grow, the secret of Jesus and Magdalene would eventually surface and challenge the fundamental Catholic doctrine – that of a divine Messiah who did not consort with women or engage in sexual union.† He paused. â€Å"Nonetheless, Christ's line grew quietly under cover in France until making a bold move in the fifth century, when it intermarried with French royal blood and created a lineage known as the Merovingian bloodline.† This news surprised Sophie. Merovingian was a term learned by every student in France. â€Å"The Merovingians founded Paris.† â€Å"Yes. That's one of the reasons the Grail legend is so rich in France. Many of the Vatican's Grail quests here were in fact stealth missions to erase members of the royal bloodline. Have you heard of King Dagobert?† Sophie vaguely recalled the name from a grisly tale in history class. â€Å"Dagobert was a Merovingian king, wasn't he? Stabbed in the eye while sleeping?† â€Å"Exactly. Assassinated by the Vatican in collusion with Pepin d'Heristal. Late seventh century. With Dagobert's murder, the Merovingian bloodline was almost exterminated. Fortunately, Dagobert's son, Sigisbert, secretly escaped the attack and carried on the lineage, which later included Godefroi de Bouillon – founder of the Priory of Sion.† â€Å"The same man,† Langdon said,† who ordered the Knights Templar to recover the Sangreal documents from beneath Solomon's Temple and thus provide the Merovingians proof of their hereditary ties to Jesus Christ.† Teabing nodded, heaving a ponderous sigh. â€Å"The modern Priory of Sion has a momentous duty. Theirs is a threefold charge. The brotherhood must protect the Sangreal documents. They must protect the tomb of Mary Magdalene. And, of course, they must nurture and protect the bloodline of Christ – those few members of the royal Merovingian bloodline who have survived into modern times.† The words hung in the huge space, and Sophie felt an odd vibration, as if her bones were reverberating with some new kind of truth. Descendants of Jesus who survived into modern times. Her grandfather's voice again was whispering in her ear. Princess, I must tell you the truth about your family. A chill raked her flesh. Royal blood. She could not imagine. Princess Sophie. â€Å"Sir Leigh?† The manservant's words crackled through the intercom on the wall, and Sophie jumped. â€Å"If you could join me in the kitchen a moment?† Teabing scowled at the ill-timed intrusion. He went over to the intercom and pressed the button. â€Å"Remy, as you know, I am busy with my guests. If we need anything else from the kitchen tonight, we will help ourselves. Thank you and good night.† â€Å"A word with you before I retire, sir. If you would.† Teabing grunted and pressed the button. â€Å"Make it quick, Remy.† â€Å"It is a household matter, sir, hardly fare for guests to endure.† Teabing looked incredulous. â€Å"And it cannot wait until morning?† â€Å"No, sir. My question won't take a minute.† Teabing rolled his eyes and looked at Langdon and Sophie. â€Å"Sometimes I wonder who is serving whom?† He pressed the button again. â€Å"I'll be right there, Remy. Can I bring you anything when I come?† â€Å"Only freedom from oppression, sir.† â€Å"Remy, you realize your steak au poivre is the only reason you still work for me.† â€Å"So you tell me, sir. So you tell me.† CHAPTER 61 Princess Sophie. Sophie felt hollow as she listened to the clicking of Teabing's crutches fade down the hallway. Numb, she turned and faced Langdon in the deserted ballroom. He was already shaking his head as if reading her mind. â€Å"No, Sophie,† he whispered, his eyes reassuring. â€Å"The same thought crossed my mind when I realized your grandfather was in the Priory, and you said he wanted to tell you a secret about your family. But it's impossible.† Langdon paused. â€Å"Sauniere is not a Merovingian name.† Sophie wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed. Earlier, Langdon had asked an unusual passing question about Sophie's mother's maiden name. Chauvel. The question now made sense.† And Chauvel?† she asked, anxious. Again he shook his head. â€Å"I'm sorry. I know that would have answered some questions for you. Only two direct lines of Merovingians remain. Their family names are Plantard and Saint-Clair. Both families live in hiding, probably protected by the Priory.† Sophie repeated the names silently in her mind and then shook her head. There was no one in her family named Plantard or Saint-Clair. A weary undertow was pulling at her now. She realized she was no closer than she had been at the Louvre to understanding what truth her grandfather had wanted to reveal to her. Sophie wished her grandfather had never mentioned her family this afternoon. He had torn open old wounds that felt as painful now as ever. They are dead, Sophie.They are not coming back.She thought of her mother singing her to sleep at night, of her father giving her rides on his shoulders, and of her grandmother and younger brother smiling at her with their fervent green eyes. All that was stolen. And all she had left was her grandfather. And now he is gone too. I am alone. Sophie turned quietly back to The Last Supper and gazed at Mary Magdalene's long red hair and quiet eyes. There was something in the woman's expression that echoed the loss of a loved one. Sophie could feel it too. â€Å"Robert?† she said softly. He stepped closer.† I know Leigh said the Grail story is all around us, but tonight is the first time I've ever heard any of this.† Langdon looked as if he wanted to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but he refrained.† You've heard her story before, Sophie. Everyone has. We just don't realize it when we hear it.† â€Å"I don't understand.† â€Å"The Grail story is everywhere, but it is hidden. When the Church outlawed speaking of the shunned Mary Magdalene, her story and importance had to be passed on through more discreet channels†¦ channels that supported metaphor and symbolism.† â€Å"Of course. The arts.† Langdon motioned to The Last Supper. â€Å"A perfect example. Some of today's most enduring art, literature, and music secretly tell the history of Mary Magdalene and Jesus.† Langdon quickly told her about works by Da Vinci, Botticelli, Poussin, Bernini, Mozart, and Victor Hugo that all whispered of the quest to restore the banished sacred feminine. Enduring legends like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, King Arthur, and Sleeping Beauty were Grail allegories. Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre Dame and Mozart's Magic Flute were filled with Masonic symbolism and Grail secrets. â€Å"Once you open your eyes to the Holy Grail,† Langdon said,† you see her everywhere. Paintings. Music. Books. Even in cartoons, theme parks, and popular movies.† Langdon held up his Mickey Mouse watch and told her that Walt Disney had made it his quiet life's work to pass on the Grail story to future generations. Throughout his entire life, Disney had been hailed as† the Modern-Day Leonardo Da Vinci.† Both men were generations ahead of their times, uniquely gifted artists, members of secret societies, and, most notably, avid pranksters. Like Leonardo, Walt Disney loved infusing hidden messages and symbolism in his art. For the trained symbologist, watching an early Disney movie was like being barraged by an avalanche of allusion and metaphor. Most of Disney's hidden messages dealt with religion, pagan myth, and stories of the subjugated goddess. It was no mistake that Disney retold tales like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White – all of which dealt with the incarceration of the sacred feminine. Nor did one need a background in symbolism to understand that Snow White – a princess who fell from grace after partaking of a poisoned apple – was a clear allusion to the downfall of Eve in the Garden of Eden. Or that Sleeping Beauty's Princess Aurora – code-named† Rose† and hidden deep in the forest to protect her from the clutches of the evil witch – was the Grail story for children. Despite its corporate image, Disney still had a savvy, playful element among its employees, and their artists still amused themselves by inserting hidden symbolism in Disney products. Langdon would never forget one of his students bringing in a DVD of The Lion King and pausing the film to reveal a freeze-frame in which the word SEX was clearly visible, spelled out by floating dust particles over Simba's head. Although Langdon suspected this was more of a cartoonist's sophomoric prank than any kind of enlightened allusion to pagan human sexuality, he had learned not to underestimate Disney's grasp of symbolism. The Little Mermaid was a spellbinding tapestry of spiritual symbols so specifically goddess-related that they could not be coincidence. When Langdon had first seen The Little Mermaid, he had actually gasped aloud when he noticed that the painting in Ariel's underwater home was none other than seventeenth-century artist Georges de la Tour's The Penitent Magdalene – a famous homage to the banished Mary Magdalene – fitting decor considering the movie turned out to be a ninety-minute collage of blatant symbolic references to the lost sanctity of Isis, Eve, Pisces the fish goddess, and, repeatedly, Mary Magdalene. The Little Mermaid's name, Ariel, possessed powerful ties to the sacred feminine and, in the Book of Isaiah, was synonymous with† the Holy City besieged.† Of course, the Little Mermaid's flowing red hair was certainly no coincidence either. The clicking of Teabing's crutches approached in the hallway, his pace unusually brisk. When their host entered the study, his expression was stern. â€Å"You'd better explain yourself, Robert,† he said coldly. â€Å"You have not been honest with me.† CHAPTER 62 â€Å"I'm being framed, Leigh,† Langdon said, trying to stay calm. You know me.I wouldn't kill anyone. Teabing's tone did not soften. â€Å"Robert, you're on television, for Christ's sake. Did you know you were wanted by the authorities?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Then you abused my trust. I'm astonished you would put me at risk by coming here and asking me to ramble on about the Grail so you could hide out in my home.† â€Å"I didn't kill anyone.† â€Å"Jacques Sauniere is dead, and the police say you did it.† Teabing looked saddened. â€Å"Such a contributor to the arts†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Sir?† The manservant had appeared now, standing behind Teabing in the study doorway, his arms crossed. â€Å"Shall I show them out?† â€Å"Allow me.† Teabing hobbled across the study, unlocked a set of wide glass doors, and swung them open onto a side lawn. â€Å"Please find your car, and leave.† Sophie did not move. â€Å"We have information about the clef de voute.The Priory keystone.† Teabing stared at her for several seconds and scoffed derisively. â€Å"A desperate ploy. Robert knows how I've sought it.† â€Å"She's telling the truth,† Langdon said. â€Å"That's why we came to you tonight. To talk to you about the keystone.† The manservant intervened now. â€Å"Leave, or I shall call the authorities.† â€Å"Leigh,† Langdon whispered,† we know where it is.† Teabing's balance seemed to falter a bit. Remy now marched stiffly across the room. â€Å"Leave at once! Or I will forcibly – â€Å"Remy!† Teabing spun, snapping at his servant. â€Å"Excuse us for a moment.† The servant's jaw dropped. â€Å"Sir? I must protest. These people are – â€Å"I'll handle this.† Teabing pointed to the hallway. After a moment of stunned silence, Remy skulked out like a banished dog. In the cool night breeze coming through the open doors, Teabing turned back to Sophie and Langdon, his expression still wary. â€Å"This better be good. What do you know of the keystone?† In the thick brush outside Teabing's study, Silas clutched his pistol and gazed through the glass doors. Only moments ago, he had circled the house and seen Langdon and the woman talking in the large study. Before he could move in, a man on crutches entered, yelled at Langdon, threw open the doors, and demanded his guests leave. Then the woman mentioned the keystone, and everything changed.Shouts turned to whispers. Moods softened. And the glass doors were quickly closed. Now, as he huddled in the shadows, Silas peered through the glass. The keystone is somewhere inside the house.Silas could feel it. Staying in the shadows, he inched closer to the glass, eager to hear what was being said. He would give them five minutes. If they did not reveal where they had placed the keystone, Silas would have to enter and persuade them with force. Inside the study, Langdon could sense their host's bewilderment. â€Å"Grand Master?† Teabing choked, eyeing Sophie. â€Å"Jacques Sauniere?† Sophie nodded, seeing the shock in his eyes.† But you could not possibly know that!† â€Å"Jacques Sauniere was my grandfather.† Teabing staggered back on his crutches, shooting a glance at Langdon, who nodded. Teabing turned back to Sophie. â€Å"Miss Neveu, I am speechless. If this is true, then I am truly sorry for your loss. I should admit, for my research, I have kept lists of men in Paris whom I thought might be good candidates for involvement in the Priory. Jacques Sauniere was on that list along with many others. But Grand Master, you say? It's hard to fathom.† Teabing was silent a moment and then shook his head. â€Å"But it still makes no sense. Even if your grandfather were the Priory Grand Master and created the keystone himself, he would never tell you how to find it. The keystone reveals the pathway to the brotherhood's ultimate treasure. Granddaughter o r not, you are not eligible to receive such knowledge.† â€Å"Mr. Sauniere was dying when he passed on the information,† Langdon said. â€Å"He had limited options.† â€Å"He didn't need options,† Teabing argued. â€Å"There exist three senechaux who also know the secret. That is the beauty of their system. One will rise to Grand Master and they will induct a new senechal and share the secret of the keystone.† â€Å"I guess you didn't see the entire news broadcast,† Sophie said. â€Å"In addition to my grandfather, three other prominent Parisians were murdered today. All in similar ways. All looked like they had been interrogated.† Teabing's jaw fell. â€Å"And you think they were†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"The senechaux,†Langdon said.† But how? A murderer could not possibly learn the identities of all four top members of the Priory of Sion! Look at me, I have been researching them for decades, and I can't even name one Priory member. It seems inconceivable that all three senechaux and the Grand Master could be discovered and killed in one day.† â€Å"I doubt the information was gathered in a single day,† Sophie said. â€Å"It sounds like a well-planned decapiter.It's a technique we use to fight organized crime syndicates. If DCPJ wants to move on a certain group, they will silently listen and watch for months, identify all the main players, and then move in and take them all at the same moment. Decapitation. With no leadership, the group falls into chaos and divulges other information. It's possible someone patiently watched the Priory and then attacked, hoping the top people would reveal the location of the keystone.† Teabing looked unconvinced. â€Å"But the brothers would never talk. They are sworn to secrecy. Even in the face of death.† â€Å"Exactly,† Langdon said. â€Å"Meaning, if they never divulged the secret, and they were killed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Teabing gasped. â€Å"Then the location of the keystone would be lost forever!† â€Å"And with it,† Langdon said,† the location of the Holy Grail.† Teabing's body seemed to sway with the weight of Langdon's words. Then, as if too tired to stand another moment, he flopped in a chair and stared out the window. Sophie walked over, her voice soft. â€Å"Considering my grandfather's predicament, it seems possible that in total desperation he tried to pass the secret on to someone outside the brotherhood. Someone he thought he could trust. Someone in his family.† Teabing was pale. â€Å"But someone capable of such an attack†¦ of discovering so much about the brotherhood†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused, radiating a new fear. â€Å"It could only be one force. This kind of infiltration could only have come from the Priory's oldest enemy.† Langdon glanced up. â€Å"The Church.† â€Å"Who else? Rome has been seeking the Grail for centuries.† Sophie was skeptical. â€Å"You think the Church killed my grandfather?† Teabing replied,† It would not be the first time in history the Church has killed to protect itself. The documents that accompany the Holy Grail are explosive, and the Church has wanted to destroy them for years.† Langdon was having trouble buying Teabing's premise that the Church would blatantly murder people to obtain these documents. Having met the new Pope and many of the cardinals, Langdon knew they were deeply spiritual men who would never condone assassination. Regardless of the stakes. Sophie seemed to be having similar thoughts. â€Å"Isn't it possible that these Priory members were murdered by someone outside the Church? Someone who didn't understand what the Grail really is? The Cup of Christ, after all, would be quite an enticing treasure. Certainly treasure hunters have killed for less.† â€Å"In my experience,† Teabing said,† men go to far greater lengths to avoid what they fear than to obtain what they desire. I sense a desperation in this assault on the Priory.† â€Å"Leigh,† Langdon said,† the argument is paradoxical. Why would members of the Catholic clergy murder Priory members in an effort to find and destroy documents they believe are false testimony anyway?† Teabing chuckled. â€Å"The ivory towers of Harvard have made you soft, Robert. Yes, the clergy in Rome are blessed with potent faith, and because of this, their beliefs can weather any storm, including documents that contradict everything they hold dear. But what about the rest of the world? What about those who are not blessed with absolute certainty? What about those who look at the cruelty in the world and say, where is God today? Those who look at Church scandals and ask, who are these men who claim to speak the truth about Christ and yet lie to cover up the sexual abuse of children by their own priests?† Teabing paused. â€Å"What happens to those people, Robert, if persuasive scientific evidence comes out that the Church's version of the Christ story is inaccurate, and that the greatest story ever told is, in fact, the greatest story ever sold† Langdon did not respond. â€Å"I'll tell you what happens if the documents get out,† Teabing said. â€Å"The Vatican faces a crisis of faith unprecedented in its two-millennia history.† After a long silence, Sophie said,† But if it is the Church who is responsible for this attack, why would they act now? After all these years? The Priory keeps the Sangreal documents hidden. They pose no immediate threat to the Church.† Teabing heaved an ominous sigh and glanced at Langdon. â€Å"Robert, I assume you are familiar with the Priory's final charge?† Langdon felt his breath catch at the thought. â€Å"I am.† â€Å"Miss Neveu,† Teabing said,† the Church and the Priory have had a tacit understanding for years. That is, the Church does not attack the Priory, and the Priory keeps the Sangreal documents hidden.† He paused. â€Å"However, part of the Priory history has always included a plan to unveil the secret. With the arrival of a specific date in history, the brotherhood plans to break the silence and carry out its ultimate triumph by unveiling the Sangreal documents to the world and shouting the true story of Jesus Christ from the mountaintops.† Sophie stared at Teabing in silence. Finally, she too sat down. â€Å"And you think that date is approaching? And the Church knows it?† â€Å"A speculation,† Teabing said,† but it would certainly provide the Church motivation for an all-out attack to find the documents before it was too late.† Langdon had the uneasy feeling that Teabing was making good sense. â€Å"Do you think the Church would actually be capable of uncovering hard evidence of the Priory's date?† â€Å"Why not – if we're assuming the Church was able to uncover the identities of the Priory members, then certainly they could have learned of their plans. And even if they don't have the exact date, their superstitions may be getting the best of them.† â€Å"Superstitions?† Sophie asked.† In terms of prophecy,† Teabing said,† we are currently in an epoch of enormous change. The millennium has recently passed, and with it has ended the two-thousand-year-long astrological Age of Pisces – the fish, which is also the sign of Jesus. As any astrological symbologist will tell you, the Piscean ideal believes that man must be told what to do by higher powers because man is incapable of thinking for himself. Hence it has been a time of fervent religion. Now, however, we are entering the Age of Aquarius – the water bearer – whose ideals claim that man will learn the truth and be able to think for himself. The ideological shift is en ormous, and it is occurring right now.† Langdon felt a shiver. Astrological prophecy never held much interest or credibility for him, but he knew there were those in the Church who followed it very closely. â€Å"The Church calls this transitional period the End of Days.† Sophie looked skeptical. â€Å"As in the end of the world? The Apocalypse?† â€Å"No.† Langdon replied. â€Å"That's a common misconception. Many religions speak of the End of Days. It refers not to the end of the world, but rather the end of our current age – Pisces, which began at the time of Christ's birth, spanned two thousand years, and waned with the passing of the millennium. Now that we've passed into the Age of Aquarius, the End of Days has arrived.† â€Å"Many Grail historians,† Teabing added,† believe that if the Priory is indeed planning to release this truth, this point in history would be a symbolically apt time. Most Priory academics, myself included, anticipated the brotherhood's release would coincide precisely with the millennium. Obviously, it did not. Admittedly, the Roman calendar does not mesh perfectly with astrological markers, so there is some gray area in the prediction. Whether the Church now has inside information that an exact date is looming, or whether they are just getting nervous on account of astrological prophecy, I don't know. Anyway, it's immaterial. Either scenario explains how the Church might be motivated to launch a preemptive attack against the Priory.† Teabing frowned. â€Å"And believe me, if the Church finds the Holy Grail, they will destroy it. The documents and the relics of the blessed Mary Magdalene as well.† His eyes grew heavy. â€Å"Then, my dear, with the Sang real documents gone, all evidence will be lost. The Church will have won their age-old war to rewrite history. The past will be erased forever.† Slowly, Sophie pulled the cruciform key from her sweater pocket and held it out to Teabing. Teabing took the key and studied it. â€Å"My goodness. The Priory seal. Where did you get this?† â€Å"My grandfather gave it to me tonight before he died.† Teabing ran his fingers across the cruciform. â€Å"A key to a church?† She drew a deep breath. â€Å"This key provides access to the keystone.† Teabing's head snapped up, his face wild with disbelief. â€Å"Impossible! What church did I miss? I've searched every church in France!† â€Å"It's not in a church,† Sophie said. â€Å"It's in a Swiss depository bank.† Teabing's look of excitement waned. â€Å"The keystone is in a bank?† â€Å"A vault,† Langdon offered. â€Å"A bank vault?† Teabing shook his head violently. â€Å"That's impossible. The keystone is supposed to be hidden beneath the sign of the Rose.† â€Å"It is,† Langdon said. â€Å"It was stored in a rosewood box inlaid with a five-petal Rose.† Teabing looked thunderstruck. â€Å"You've seen the keystone?† Sophie nodded. â€Å"We visited the bank.† Teabing came over to them, his eyes wild with fear. â€Å"My friends, we must do something. The keystone is in danger! We have a duty to protect it. What if there are other keys? Perhaps stolen from the murdered senechaux? If the Church can gain access to the bank as you have – â€Å" â€Å"Then they will be too late,† Sophie said. â€Å"We removed the keystone.† â€Å"What! You removed the keystone from its hiding place?† â€Å"Don't worry,† Langdon said. â€Å"The keystone is well hidden.† â€Å"Extremely well hidden, I hope!† â€Å"Actually,† Langdon said, unable to hide his grin,† that depends on how often you dust under your couch.† The wind outside Chateau Villette had picked up, and Silas's robe danced in the breeze as he crouched near the window. Although he had been unable to hear much of the conversation, the word keystone had sifted through the glass on numerous occasions. It is inside. The Teacher's words were fresh in his mind. Enter Chateau Villette. Take the keystone. Hun no one. Now, Langdon and the others had adjourned suddenly to another room, extinguishing the study lights as they went. Feeling like a panther stalking prey, Silas crept to the glass doors. Finding them unlocked, he slipped inside and closed the doors silently behind him. He could hear muffled voices from another room. Silas pulled the pistol from his pocket, turned off the safety, and inched down the hallway.

Muscle Reading Essay Example

Muscle Reading Essay Example Muscle Reading Paper Muscle Reading Paper Assignment 04 Part A: Muscle Reading 1. Reviewing information increases brain activity, especially the long-term memory. The more you recall or access information, the easier to remember it. 2. Before you read preview, outline, question. While you read read, underline, answer.   Ã‚  Ã‚   After you read recite, review, review again. 3. The first part of muscle reading is to picture yourself go through the material and make up questions. The second is to work your muscles as you read. The third involves reviewing aloud the things you learned. 4. â€Å"A review within 24 hours moves information from your short-term memory to your long-term memory.† 5. Preview may include any or all of these: scanning the table of contents, flipping through the pages of a chapter, taking note of summaries, and observing headings and subheadings. 6. Ellis suggests the following: visualizing or forming a mental picture of the concept or idea; reading the material aloud; and getting a â€Å"feel†, a sense, or texture (even if imaginary) of the subject. 7. a. Pry out questions. Root up answers, Recite, review and preview again.   Ã‚  Ã‚   b. What makes an effective leader?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What does it mean when the author says, â€Å"We are all   leaders†?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Who are considered leaders?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Are people with titles the only leaders?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How do you own your leadership?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Why do we have to be a leader?   Ã‚  Ã‚   c. Read carefully first. Make choices about what to highlight. Underline then highlight.   Ã‚  Ã‚   d. An effective leader owns his leadership.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     It means at some point in our lives we have to assume a leadership position.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mahatma Gandhi is a leader.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   People with titles are not the only leaders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To own your leadership, you should not to back out from the responsibility when   Ã‚   opportunity arises.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It can’t be avoided.    e. Using some of the strategies for muscle reading helped me to understand the material more. Previewing gives a feel of the material, however superficial. However, the suggestions for marking the text are time-consuming. To read the material and underline and read it again for highlighting is repetitive.   I wonder if there are other, easier ways. Part B. CyberLearning 1. Adam Robinson believes that the best students ask the same fundamental questions. He calls these 12 questions CyberLearning. The first six questions have to do with the student getting acquainted or â€Å"creating a dialogue† with the text. The next six questions are about learning from the text through organization and note taking. 2. a. I read this article in order to hoping I would learn tips on hoe to communicate effectively to people of different cultural backgrounds, especially non-Americans. As I came across the title, the first word that stuck was culture. Race and class are ideas I usually associate with culture. African Americans and American Indians also came to mind. I think the article tries to explain why it’s important to learn how use different communication styles for different sorts of people. The important concepts that have to be noted are desire, knowledge and skill.   Ã‚  Ã‚   b. I am also interested about conflict management. An environment that is culturally diverse is like to have conflict. Important tips are â€Å"keep temper in check† and â€Å"be patient.† Author also suggests giving crit in private, give the other person space, don’t intimidate   Ã‚  Ã‚   c. I am interested about conflict management because I sometimes instigate conflict unintentionally. An environment that is cultural diverse is likely to have conflict. According to the author, dealing with culturally different people requires patience. Rash temper should be avoided. Giving criticisms in private conveys respect for the culturally different person. Intimidation is a good way to get what you want, but the author advises otherwise: give the other person space.   Ã‚   d. I will definitely use note taking (which includes paraphrasing) to remember this material. I will also select, underline and highlight important passages and terms. I will keep in mind everything that I learned by regularly retrieving them in my memory and applying them to specific situations.   Ã‚   e. I work in an office that is culturally diverse. I can apply the ideas found in this article by being conscious of my communication style. I should adjust my style according to the attitudes of my peers and supervisors, and with respect to their customs. Familiarity with cultural nuances and idiosyncracies will hopefully make my job less stressful and encourage coworkers especially the minorities to like me. Part C. Exploring other Reading Strategies 1. Construct a word stack, from â€Å"Read with a Dictionary in Your Lap† (p.142). To enrich one’s vocabulary, the author suggests noting down an unfamiliar word in an index card, including the sentence in which it was used, and looking up its definition and etymology in the dictionary. The reader should collate these cards. This strategy will develop in me a conscious effort to improve my vocabulary. A robust vocabulary will help me write better. 2. Notice and release ineffective habits, from â€Å"Reading Fast† (pp. 143-144). Sometimes our eyes have the tendency to go slow and read the same words over and over without our noticing it. Sometimes, too, we get so used to the habit of reading every letter. We have to be aware of and change these habits, said the author. I am prone to doing these things, and I realize that I have to get rid of them. Instead of reading letters, I should probably try to read chucks of words, and stay focused on my reading. 3. Read it again, from â€Å"When Reading is Tough† (pp.145-146). When dealing with technical material, the author suggests taking breaks instead of forcing oneself to digest the material. Once the brain recharges, it is easier to read the text the second time. Frankly, I’m too lazy to read, let alone read the same thing twice. This tip is sure to be a challenge. 4. Visualization, from â€Å"Remembering What You Read† (csbsju.edu/academicadvising/help/remread.htm, accessed 1 February 2008). This strategy prescribes the use of mental images to recall ideas, concepts or persons. Associating an idea with a mental picture would enhance my memory and make studying more profitable. 5. Association, from â€Å"Remembering What You Read† (csbsju.edu/academicadvising/help/remread.htm, accessed 1 February 2008). This strategy entails grouping related ideas together. When reading a text for example, the reader takes down important information and links ideas that are related to each other. The relationship, of course, is intuitively made by the reader. This skill will help me select and organize necessary information.

When They Dont Pay

When They Dont Pay A couple of weeks ago, a long-time fan wrote to me, saying how she had not been paid for a poem that was published on The Relationship Blogger (https://therelationshipblogger.com/). The writer did all the right things. Even once she was not paid, she sent nice notices, always being patient when the answers asked for more time. Ultimately, she wrote me and asked for help. I wrote the editor in June and asked that she be paid. Otherwise, I had to mention his website/publication to my readers as one not to trust in terms of payment. The website did post on March 4, 2019 (https://therelationshipblogger.com/spring-break-call-for-submissions/) that they were only taking reprints (for no compensation), but my friend had already been published in February. Yallwere only talking $15 for a poem. His response to me (verbatim): We are no longer a publication anymore, and I am no longer accepting any paid submissions of any kind. We ran into funding problems due to the recent decline in our income streams in December last year. Sadly, we were unable to fulfil the writers payments, and as soon as that happened we stopped taking submissions that we paid for. I do plan to pay the writers for that month, but until I can build myself back out of the hole Ive found myself in, I cant. If I pay one, then I have to pay them all if that makes sense. I am absolutely willing to take her poem down, though. I have kept most of the work the writers have done over the last year in the archives out of respect to them because we have semi-high DA (Domain Authority), and linkbacks are always good. Hope that is ok, Kind regards, Editor (name removed) Sadly, this writer didnt get her $15. While that doesnt sound like much, when you have bills to pay, it helps. So, as a reminder on the basics of freelancing, do the following: 1) Screen-print  the submission guidelines for future reference (for when they disappear later). 2) Keep a file of emails accepting your work along with any mention of conditions for acceptance. I have a spreadsheet of my submissions to include the emails used, rights purchased, expected payment date, etc. 3) When they do not pay,  be professional  and remind them. Then remind them again every few weeks. The next suggestions you may not agree with, but they are from my experience and general outlook: 4) Determine based upon the payment due to you whether your time is worth investing in pursuing compensation. Look at the hours you lose writing for another market and decide how youd like to best use that time. While I might not have pursued the $15, someone else might need it desperately. 5) If you wish to contact someone like me with a site that mentions non-paying markets, dont expect to also collect your ounce-of-flesh (retaliatory satisfaction). While I often do collect compensation for writers with a single letter, sometimes I dont. Ill write once but wont take up the torch, so to speak. 6) Dont attach your name to anything public that depicts you as a disgruntled soul who wants to get even. That means anywhere. . . Facebook, newsletter, Instagram, etc. You want the public to remember you in a positive light, regardless of how deeply you  feel burnt. You dont want your wrath to appear in someones Google search of your name. Writers have eroded entire careers duking it out with a market or publisher, with their writing long forgotten in the fight. 7) Finally, get over it. Not only will you serve yourself better

Future Layout Plan for Chicago O'Hare International Airport Research Paper

Future Layout Plan for Chicago O'Hare International Airport - Research Paper Example Comparing both the plans would help one understand how the future layout plan can resolve certain limitations that exist. Fro example, the existing airfield contains a total number of 3 paralell runways and a single north-south runway. Amongst these there is only one runway that meets the standard of ADG VI, while the rest of them are just 150ft wide. Now the betterment plan includes a puporsal of the field suggest the parallel runways to be raised to the amount of 6 in number and along with that two runways will be made enough wide i.e. 200ft wide to meet ADG VI standards. The rest of the runways would be kept 150 ft wide to accommodate ADG V. An additional thing would be the designated taxi ways that would aid aircraft taxing from terminal to aircraft runways. Terminal facilities are to provide the passengers with facilities and conduct operations both internationally and domestically. At present there are four terminals with one of them being conducting international operations, and all of them being simultaneously connected to ATS, that is further linked to a station in parking lot E. The future layout plan does not plan to make an entirely new terminal system but suggests amendments in the existing terminals and simultaneously offers development of new one on the western side. The modifications include extension of the existing terminals and development of new ones within them . The purposed plan for the west terminal includes the addition of satellite concourse and apart from that it purposes the term of making three terminals able enough to conduct international operations. And underground system is also purposed in order to connect satellite system to existing core and ATS. Support/ancillary facilities are a vital feature of any airport, if we look at the existing ones in Chicago OHare airport we have a main cargo area in the southwest part of the airport and an additional

How Saddam Hussein terrorized his own people Essay

How Saddam Hussein terrorized his own people - Essay Example w its hypothesis on the fact that terrorism is not necessary restricted to organized violence between states or regions, but also organized violence that can be committed by a regime to its own population. The first way that Saddam Hussein used against his people was the Anfal campaign. Anfal is an Arab word that means spoils. It was a campaign carried out in the late 1980’s by the Saddam Hussein’s regime against the larger Kurdish population living in the north of Iraq. The campaign was carried out to ascertain the Iraqi control over the area. However, the real agenda behind this type of campaign was to keep the Kurdish population on check. This campaign involved killing of men after being rounded up by the Iraqi troops and their villages raced down, while children and women were taken to camps with deplorable conditions (Ferguson 120). Chemical weapons were also used against the Kurds during the Anfal campaign. The Iraqi used chemical generated weapons to smoke the Kurds out of there homes and villages. These operations were carried out in the morning of March 16, 1988 and continued all night long. The Iraqi’s would deploy bombs filled with a mixture of mustard gas and nerve agent gas. The mixture proved deadly since it had an immediate impact to its victims. The long-term consequences of these weapons included cancer, birth defects and permanent blindness. Short-term effects included vomiting, convulsions, immediate blindness and blisters. Saddam Hussein’s cousin known as Ali Hassan al-Majid directly oversaw this operation against the Kurds after which he earned the famous name of â€Å"Chemical Ali† (Ferguson 130). The second way that Saddam Hussein used to terrorize was through reprisal on Dujail. This occurred in the early 1980’s, when Saddam Hussein was on a visit to a town known as Dujail situated a few miles north of the city of Baghdad. In Dujail, a group of militants known as Dawa shot at his motorcade. In retaliation on what was considered