Wednesday, December 25, 2019

The Cartoon The Killing Joke - 1376 Words

Imagine this, a demented man dressed like a clown escapes prison only to shoot a woman in the stomach and rape her. Now imagine that he kidnaps her father, strips him naked, and torture him physically as well as mentally by showing him the pictures of his daughter slowly dying while being rapped. You might be asking what horror movie this is from? It is actually from a wildly popular comic book called â€Å"The Killing Joke†. Although appearing to be childish, comic books show many adult themes such as violence, gore, and pornography, thereby making them unsuitable for children. Violence is a common theme seen in many different types of entertainment. We see it all the time in movies, T.V. shows, and video games. However, when there is violence present in comic books they tend to go beyond what we expect. It could vary from a simple punch, to a person having their brains spill out from being beaten with a barbwire bat. In comics such as Kickass 2, the antagonist kills at gunpo int four defenseless little children. He then continues to break into an apartment, kill a man, beat the man’s girlfriend, and rape her with his three friends (Meylikhov). There are so many types of entertainment available nowadays that contains violence. However, there is always some kind of bounder or line not to be crossed. Comics have not only past that line but have accelerated past it. They gone to great lengths that other forms of media would have been shut down for by programs such as the FCC.Show MoreRelatedA Satirical Article On Cultural Relativism Essay1617 Words   |  7 Pagessaying:  Ã‚   Our friends were killed because of small drawings, because of a joke, but what happened to us was not a joke. Muslim’s must understand that we in Charlie Hebdo just consider Islam as a normal religion in France. Islam must accept to be treated like all other religions in this country. And they must accept humour also.  (The Guardian 2015)   She is stating here that even though the cartoons in the newspaper are intended to be a ‘joke’, to the people who are enveloped in this culture, it can be insultingRead MoreThe Television Show South Park1650 Words   |  7 Pagesaudience. Stuart Hall outlines this in his encoding and decoding model. One of the most apparent examples of this is the television show South Park. The television show South Park is a media text with the producers’ preferred meaning of being decoded as joke or as being satire, but many audience members take an oppositional stance of taking it seriously. This is clear from the examples of controversy when South Park aired episodes focused on Scientology, red-headed people, and Islam. Through these examplesRead MoreHumor, Humor And Humor1465 Words   |  6 Pagescontinue railing and offend; and from railing and offend, blows and wounds; and from blows and wounds, butcher and homicide. In the event that you would take great guidance for yo urself, evade not just foul words and foul deeds, or blows and wounds and killings, yet unseasonable delight itself (Schaff, 1889). The predominance hypothesis of humor basically states that our laughter communicates sentiments of prevalence over other individuals or over a previous condition of ourselves. A contemporary advocateRead MoreThe World Burns : 50 Simple Things You Can Do1978 Words   |  8 Pages As The World Burns: 50 Simple Things You Can Do To Stay In Denial, by Derrick Jensen and Stephanie McMillan, is a graphic novel about the state of our environment. They use cartoons and abundant sarcasm to convey the message that the attempts people are making to save the environment are not enough to do any real good. Their message challenges both those of Edward O. Wilson and the University of Connecticut in that Jensen and McMillan’s ideas are much more radical and suggest that the ideas posedRead MoreRacial Profiling And African Americans Essay1706 Words   |  7 PagesWhite House, Senator Benjamin Tillman of South Carolina predicted (Kennedy, pg 15), â€Å"The action of President Roosevelt in e ntertaining that nigger will necessitate our killing a thousand niggers in the South before they will learn their place again†(Kennedy, pg 77). Allowing countless features of the slur within countless jokes, cartoons, and the performing arts; which reflects stereotypes and encourages the downing of Afro-Americans. Essentially the signature phrase of racial prejudice, specificallyRead MoreThe Effects Of Mental Illnesses On Children s Media1371 Words   |  6 Pagesprofessional for help because of the way mental illnesses were portrayed to be treated through the media. It can either be portrayed as a joke or as a torture treatment. In â€Å"American Horror Story: Asylum†, the doctors would tie their patients down and inject them with a serum that turned them into monsters. There was a doctor who was corrupt and was taking patients, killing them, and then feeding them to the monsters he had created out of other patients. This can cause people to believe that people whoRea d MoreBatman Films Vs. Batman1527 Words   |  7 Pagesbecause it does not happen often. Batman in 1989 was the first go at another Batman film after Batman: The Movie in 1966. It was a drastic change from its tacky predecessor. It was partially influenced by The Dark Knight Returns (1986) and The Killing Joke (1988). Violence is one of the major differences. There are fifty-eight deaths in this film. The Joker is responsible for thirty-three of those deaths and Batman is responsible for eighteen. The beginning of the film shows a scene with a youngRead More Bowling For Columbine as a Carnivelsque Essay1400 Words   |  6 Pagesfull of fear and cowardness in which fear controls them. This other side of America is what is shown in Bowling For Columbine. The movie satires America by making a joke of the way in which it operates. Humour is therefore used to cover the underlying truth and make it seem so unrealistic that all people can do is laugh. The cartoon about America’s history summaries the movie. It is funny yet very true. In this different world that carniv elsque creates, all extremities are seen as everyday thingsRead More The Simpsons as a Sitcom Essay1386 Words   |  6 Pagesthis may not happen in real life it is showing that they give it to anyone who wants it. This was shown when Homer goes to get his gun and they read out his previous record saying that he was in a mental hospital and was accused of killing Mr Burns. They still give him a gun. The police are also satirised because they are useless in crime situations and always come late. The family as a unit are stereotyped. The father brings in the money the mother stays at home.Read MorePersuasive Speech On Freedom Of Speech1345 Words   |  6 Pagespolitical commercials and campaigns we see would not be able to air on tv because most of them criticize the government Erick 2 in some way. Tv shows, movies and many more would have to take out certain parts of their show because some jokes are offensive to government system. If speech is not protected by the first amendment, then the government can place restrictions. Likewise, if we allow the government to control free speech, then we open a gate for government involvement in our

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Medical Office Specialist s Job Titles And...

Billing 1 Week 1 DB Judith Parker List, define, and discuss the medical office specialist’s job titles and responsibilities. The medical office specialist as defined by our text is qualified for a variety of entry level positions in allied healthcare. Theses positions include: Admitting clerk Patient information clerk Apprentice coder Insurance verification representative Medical biller Payment poster Medical collector Refund specialist Medical receptionist Patient information clerk Medical secretary Medical Records Technician Each of these titles represent duties that a medical office specialist might be asked to perform. The smaller the practice the more likely it is that the person in this position will be responsible for†¦show more content†¦Other responsibilities would include the proper handling of requests for medical records. The person taking on this duty would also be responsible for administrating the training and assuring compliance of everyone in the organization. Keeping up-to-date on federal and state privacy laws. Below is a list taken from the TOUCHSTONE COMPLIANCE website. †¢ Creating, posting, and distributing the Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) Maintaining a record of each patient’s acknowledgment of receiving the NPP †¢ Meeting requests from patients for access to their health records †¢ Meeting requests from patients for corrections or changes to their health records †¢ Considering requests for additional protection for, or confidential communications of, particularly sensitive health information †¢ Providing information to patients or staff who have questions about HIPAA and their privacy protections †¢ Dealing with complaints from patients or staff about possible HIPAA violations †¢ Developing and implementing HIPAA training for the staff to foster awareness of information privacy †¢ Developing, implementing, and monitoring Business Associate Agreements to ensure that privacy concerns, responsibilities, and requirements are addressed †¢ Cooperating with HHS’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and other legal entities in any compliance reviews or

Sunday, December 8, 2019

The Enemy Within free essay sample

The United States had to enter the war to stand up for what was right, even though President Wilson wanted to stay clear out of European affairs, which corresponded with his foreign policies and beliefs. Author Christine M. Kreiser stated in the article â€Å"The Enemy Within† between the months of September and June, the Spanish flu swept through America killing 675,000, however this epidemic was not just apparent in America, but all over the world with the death toll summing up to about 40 million. The men and woman who were our nurses, young factory workers, and soldiers were swept up by this flu, and immobilized completely. Not only were the Americans on our soil getting affected but also the brave men on the frontlines in Europe. The United States entered the war with relish, German U-boats were sinking American ships, and killing American citizens in an effort to cut off American supplies going into Europe. † Kreiser portrays the affirmation of the Influenza in 1918 during World War I when the Influenza flu disease was in effect.Lastly, in the article itself General John pushed to build up the troop’s strength, Rupert Blue who thought the outbreak was possible, the flu pandemic mitigation where quarantines were enacted with the interaction of the influenza disease and focus on the nation at war. Rupert Blue was an American physician and soldier who was appointed the fourth Surgeon General of the United States from 1912-1920. He was aware that an outbreak of the Influenza flu was however possible. In that instinct he was given 10,000 dollars to continue and do further research but e denied the request that they offered him in July 1918. This was the ignorance on the governments and the government’s official’s behalf and all he did was tell people what to avoid and gave them gauze masks. In all the honesty, the government officials were not seen wearing that protective gear and no one took it seriously through the aspect of this flu that was going on during the war. The government had took their part into consideration to enforce the dangers and the outcomes of the flu but no one forbidden the deadly flu germs it caused.This devoted the investigating claims that it brought through that was manifested in the states under a German –held patent. Then, there comes through the quarantine due to the flu had spread rapidly from military camp sites. But the director of the city’s Health and Charities by the name of Wilmer Krusen declined. Quarantines were regularly enacted during the terrifying polio epidemic in 1916. There were two basic components that insisted for this to be denied, which were the ignorance of the government do to the required research of the flu.This left the public’s head in the clouds and from the dangers at hand. Then the other reason behind this is that the idea was shut down due to the fact that there was a parade being held in Philadelphia as a fundraiser. This was used to cash in money to fund for the war. After this parade had happened, six hundred thirty five new civilians cases came about and one hundred and seventeen deaths from all the 200,000 spectators who came to the parade. General John was the commander in chief of the American forces in Europe.He pushed all his might to build up troop strength. The belief was that the flu wasn’t the only obstacle that was happening at this point it had to deal with at war. At the beginning of the war their weren’t enough troops because of British and French lines. Pershing needed more men and more materials for this were but the fact behind this was that most people had the disease of Influenza. The request for the troops were quite frankly in great demand by General Pershing in the rate of 250,000 troops per month even though the flu was going through the troop’s ships.Those who survived simply spread the disease at the front line for everyone else to inherit it and spread it on. The public itself downplayed the seriousness of the Influenza flu and focused on the more enemies of a nation at war. At the end, everyone just gave up and put the flu behind to winning the war. Nothing could stop a disease that infected everyone in the battlefields, and the public for weeks and carried of thousands of people in life. Some people fought through and died and others caught the flu but then spread it to everyone else.By the end of 1918, the deaths from the flu have raised greatly in the knowledge of influenza and the way it works. The people who were exposed to the flu however developed the immunity to the disease but didn’t have the lasting regrets from what the disease caused. Researchers have said â€Å"it’s probably impossible to prevent an outbreak of the flu, but it’s possible to prepare for if the government agencies agree on a plan of action to prevent it from for coming. † Carol R. Byerly presents a history of the epidemic in the U. S. Army that incorporates several distinct themes.First, the influenza epidemic was inextricably linked to the war. Indeed, the war created the epidemic by producing an ecological environment in which the virus could thrive and mutate to unprecedented virulence. Second, army medical officers were caught between their responsibilities to protect the health of soldiers and at the same time carry out the Wilson administrations war aims. Such dual responsibilities were often in conflict; the prevention of disease sometimes clashed with the goal of having the strongest possible military force.Third, there were inevitable pressures within and without the federal government as Congress, the public, and medical officers sought to shape policy. Finally, cultural ideologies and political interests shaped the experience of medical officers and their subsequent interpretations of events. Confidence in their ability to fight infectious disease proved illusory. Consequently, they ignored the epidemic as a meaningful event, excised it from the national memory, and thus preserved a faith in their ability to control disease during war.The selective memory of events also glorified the American role in World War I, which was drastically overstated. â€Å"The flu lurking in the midst of this patriotic fervor, however, would prove far more lethal than trench warfare and poison gas. † In essence to this, the author states that the disease of the flu tended the sick people and fought the wars and insisted on an effect for the disease. However, the flu was to be cause by bacteria and there were no vaccines for the flu. The author states that at the end â€Å"The Enemy Within† focused on the more tangible enemies of a nation at war rather than the Influenza disease.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Sex Marriage Personal Opinion

The problems of sex and marriage, sex before and after marriage, and the role of sex in marriage are considered to be one of the most burning ones in different spheres of life. Lots of people prefer to talk about it just in order to solve own problems and share own experience. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sex Marriage: Personal Opinion specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some people like to investigate these issues and find out the ways to make their marriages better and stronger. If sex is something that turns out to be crucially important, it is necessary to talk about it and present various ideas to choose the best one. Can it be that sex is obsolete? What causes these conditions? Why people like to have sex and why they try to find out a reason not to have it sometimes? To these very questions, there are so many answers. Each person has his/her own point of view, and right now, I want to share my ideas as f or the role of sex in marriage and the reasons of why sex may be obsolete. Firs of all, it is a bit wrong to apprehend sex as a kind of barometer of relationships between a husband and a wife. To my mind, sex will be always something that unites a woman and a man, helps to develop their relations, provides them with a chance to learn each other better, and comprehend each other’s desires with time. This is why the role of sex in marriage is significant indeed. When two people feel something that is hard to control, want to be as close as possible, and cannot wait a minute without kissing each other, this condition is called passion. Passion and sex are the things, which cannot be apart. Only when passion appears, sex turns out to be true and interesting for both people. Marriage should not be a kind of barrier that decreases the role of sex; it is better to accept marriage as another opportunity to experiment and use all imagination to satisfy a partner and get the desired satisfaction. When people are married, they may forget about possible uneasiness and allow themselves doing various things. Of course, some people spend too much energy to create strong and long-time relations: they spend much time at work in order to earn more money for a family, they bring up children and forget about the ways of how these children have been made; and they think a lot about how to create good reputation among other families. Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Without any doubts, these issues are really important for any family; however, it is better to achieve positive outcomes not at expense of sex. Both men and women confess that they have obsolete sex; they consider sex as one more necessity for their fleshly bodies, but nothing more. To my mind, such attitude to sex kills all romance and desire to live together. People should not forget about sex as a wonderful me ans to find out the desired satisfaction, at least, for a couple of years. However, when I remember a couple of old man and woman, who observe a sunset, holding each other hands, I cannot but admire their devotion to each other, their attraction to each other, and their desire to spend one more minute, enjoying this sunset. I do believe that obsolete sex and certain duties are not about them, as they have already found a good way to unite all the necessary issues to create a strong family and not to forget about sex. This is why they enjoy this life as no one else. The role of sex in marriage is very important: without proper sex, a couple cannot comprehend each other and enjoy each change in this life. In order to have a good family and live a happy life, it is better to think for several times about how to achieve positive results, and then take certain steps, considering sex as a significant means to make relations stronger. This essay on Sex Marriage: Personal Opinion was written and submitted by user Dexter Hewitt to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Florida V. Bostick Essays

Florida V. Bostick Essays Florida V. Bostick Paper Florida V. Bostick Paper Florida v. Bostick Citation # 501 U. S. 429 Supreme Court of the United States Argued February 26, 1991 Decided June 20, 1991 Florida v. Bostick was a felony drug trafficking case which set precedence to the legality of random police searches of passengers aboard public buses and trains pertaining to said passenger’s fourth amendment rights. Shortly after boarding a bus departing from Miami headed for Atlanta, Terrance Bostick was approached by members of the Broward County Sheriffs department acting as part of a drug interception task force and without particularly suspicion was questioned by officers. Broward county sheriff officers advised Mr. Bostick of his right to not consent to a search of his personal belongings and then asked his permission to carry out the search. Terrance Bostick granted sheriffs officers request by consenting to the search which revealed a felonious amount of cocaine inside Mr. Bosticks travel bag. Mr. Bostick was immediately arrested and charges of trafficking cocaine were brought fourth against him. After his arrest Mr. Bostick filed a motion to suppress the cocaine citing that his fourth amendment rights had been violated as part of an unlawful seizure. This motion was denied by the trial court. Florida Appellate court affirmed the trial courts decision but submitted an inquiry to State Supreme court. The question asked of the Supreme Court was would a reasonable passenger have felt free to leave the bus and avoid the police inquiry. : It is established that a consensual encounter does not merit fourth amendment scrutiny provided that police do not convey a message of mandatory compliance. Supreme court submit that the State court erred by focusing on free to leave language of previous relevant cases citing that a reasonable passenger would not feel free to leave the bus even in the absence of police presence. Furthermore, they conveyed that more appropriately, scrutiny should be placed upon whether an individual feels free to decline and terminate the encounter. The court found that such a refusal does not warrant justification needed for detention or seizure. The Supreme Court held, led by Justice O’Conner and joined by Rehnquist, Scalia, White, Kennedy, and Souter that a search of a passenger aboard a bus is not unreasonable simply because the search takes place in the confines of a bus. It was found that a search is reasonable as long as an individual felt free to decline the request of police and that police do not act in a coercive manner during the questioning of an individual. The Supreme Court found that in the absence of such coercion there was no justification for the Florida courts per se rure that a seizure had accured simply because an encounter takes place on a bus. Justice Marshall, finding Justice O’Conner ruling disagreeable submitted a letter of dissent disputing Justice O’Conner ruling. Justice Marshall put forth his opinion that while Justice O’Conner focused on the fact that Bostick was advised of his right to refuse the search, in his opinion it was obvious that Mr. Bostick was not free to terminate the inquiry. He also cited that if Mr. Bostick had been seized in violation of his fourth amendment rights before being asked for permission to search, that his consent was irrelevant. In closing. After reviewing the case it is my opinions that while many people find encounters with police intimidating, it is up to the individual to exercise ones rights to the utmost of their ability. While extraneous circumstances, such as the confines to a bus may impede ones ability to leave freely, an individual who is thinking reasonably would not relinquish their right to refuse to consent with a search.

Friday, November 22, 2019

How to Answer Tough Interview Questions in 60 Seconds

How to Answer Tough Interview Questions in 60 Seconds We all know it’s good to prepare answers to the standard interview questions, plus the not-so-standard ones that might come up in a particular interview at a particular company. But often we are so prepared that we forget to edit our answers down to their most surgical and concise form. Here are six standard but tough interview questions and the snappy sorts of answers you should start rehearsing right now. 1. Why you left your last jobMaybe the answer is as simple as your company was downsizing, but if you left in order to challenge yourself further or pursue more meaningful work, try saying something that emphasizes some skill or experience you wanted to develop professionally. Talk about how it wasn’t possible to do so at your former job, and so you are committed to mastering it and see the perfect opportunity to do so at this company. Bonus points if you can prove you’re already well on your way to developing this skill, whether by having taken a class or ear ned a certification.2. Your greatest weaknessStep one: pick a trait that won’t scare them off, and doesn’t in any way affect your ability to perform this job. Don’t humblebrag. â€Å"I’m just too good at work!† But do try and pick something with a positive spin. Maybe  you’re too much of a perfectionist or you go flat out until a project’s done without taking a break.  Or choose a weakness that you’ve since worked hard to convert into a strength. Formula for the latter: â€Å"Well, I was noticing that I was x, so I took , so I took step y in order to improve, and ended up in situation z (which is infinitely better and makes you a stronger candidate for the job).†3. Why you seem overqualifiedRather than agree with them and say how much this job is beneath you, emphasize why (and pick three or so specifics) this job is perfect for you right now, and how it fits into your career growth plan. Your resume probably shows t hat you can do this job, use this answer to prove that you want it.4. Why you’ve changed jobs a lotCan be a red flag to some employers who haven’t gotten the memo that job-shifting isn’t necessarily a red flag anymore. Try telling the truth. Either it’s as simple as: â€Å"For reason x, we moved around a lot and so I was forced to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or you have a unique opportunity to document your drivenness and your desire to learn new things and acquire new skills that make you such a stellar candidate with such passion for what you do. Emphasize how all this hopping has uniquely prepared you to land on their precise lily pad, and why you’d want to stay put for a good long while.5. Why you’ve been unemployed for agesIf you’ve been out of the workforce for a year or more, you’re going to have to explain yourself. Either go for the â€Å"I took some time off to evaluate my career needs and wishes in order to come back refreshed a nd well-prepared and hungry to do this kind of work,† or the â€Å"I’ve just completed x course or accreditation in order to make myself more valuable in my field.† They’ll eat either up.6. Your ageIt’s illegal to discriminate in hiring decisions based on age, but not illegal to ask. If you’re on the older end of the job market spectrum, use your answer to assuage their fears that you’re just in it for the drudgery and the paycheck. Emphasize how much passion you still have and how much invaluable experience you bring to the table. You’re not done yet!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

American and British Civil Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

American and British Civil Religion - Essay Example In order to understand American and British civil religion and its link to Christianity, one must focus on the history and what brought about the changes in these regions historically and their impact on the Christian world in these two most influential regions. In my research efforts, I would like to discuss Gerald Parsons book â€Å"Perspectives on Civil Religion and Sydney Ahlstrom's book on the religious history of these two countries. There are different levels of the definition civil religion and the two most influential authorities on civil religion's definition from Robert Bellah the American sociologist and later Pierard and Linder have in turn served to actually link the concept of civil religion with Christianity (Parsons,2002, p.6). According to Bellah, American civil religion has two aspects :priestly and conservative, liberal and prohetic (Parsons, 2002, p.3). He goes on to explain the Americans on the one hand see themselves as divinely appointed by God to lead the world in a particular direction. â€Å"..For some among the new Christian Right within recent and contemporary American politics, the concept of an American civil religion has been deployed as part of a campaign to create and sustain a distinctively 'Christian America' (Parsons, 2002, p.4).† According to the author, the move in this direction advertises America's ideologies in a Christian context- the ideologies of peace and justice and mingle them in the context of Christian religion. Richard Pierard and Robert Linder have actually defined certain characteristics of civil religion where a nation and its vision are somehow intertwined with each other (Parsons, 2002). His book actually serves to show us how a nation's civil religion is predom inantly linked to some form of religion-in this case Christianity. One must understand through their analyzing of this concept that this concept still is ambiguous to the present day. But in order to under their links, it is only fair to look at the history of these two major powers in the world and their religion in order to understand more clearly their dealings with the world. Both these countries are dominantly Protestant and Anglo-Saxon and their forms of "modernity" go back to the eighteenth century (Parsons, 2002, p.7). In doing so, in my discussion of civil religion, it is important to look at the rituals of remembrance of these two countries. Americans celebrating the 4th of July independence and Memorial day (remembrance of those who have died in civil war), and the British having celebration of Remembrance Sunday (the anniversary of the armistice that ended the First World War in 1918) are most notably viable examples of civil religion in these two countries (Parosn, 2002). In America, the most influential leader Abraham Lincoln who led the civil war in the 18th century, delivered certain key speeches that contributed to the concept of civil religion in America that were intrinsically tied to the Old testament Scriptures :for example at the Gettysburg Address in 1863, "Lincoln used Christian symbolism and language and he saw America as the promised land to which God had led their predecessors (Parsons,2002, p.15)."1 In the meantime in Britain, there is a growing trend in the twentieth century to mark the graves of those who had died in the war (Parsons, 2002). "From 1915 onwards, street shrines were designed to list the names of those who were currently serving with the armed forces and of those who had been killed ...For the clergy they were part of the process of evangelism and the attempt to reassert the relevance of the message of Christianity in the midst of war...it also endorsed the understanding of the war as a holy crusade (Parsons, 2002, p.29)."2 Also , it is notable to include that the British were fueled in their ceremony of marking the graves of those deceased in war-commonly known as the commonwealth war graves were met with huge public support (Parsons, 2002). The British people although

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

International Methods of Management - Career Week Project Report Term Paper

International Methods of Management - Career Week Project Report - Term Paper Example This calls for corporate effort from schools and districts in development of quality career week days based on standards. Such standard-based curriculum requires various crucial changes within domains of teaching methods, ways of running schools. Additionally, process on curriculum development should provide various opportunities for reflection and revision for purposes of ensuring frequent improvement and update. Development of high standard curriculum requires collaboration amongst educators, parents, community members and students. These shareholders are required to share their expertise in the creation of curriculum for quality student learning (Pattison and Berkas). Workshop The key sponsors of this project would be Career Services Center, Student Alumni Association and The Division of Student Affairs. The career week would offer opportunity for current students to connect to the rest of the world as well as exploring various professional options. This would be achieved through presentations, workshops as well as one-on-one mentoring with alumni and employers. There is need for students to start exploring their career options earlier enough. Career week assist in bridging the gap between academic major and career options since the events have potential of speaking to student needs irrespective of the background. The program focuses on organizational improvements as well as accommodating students from all walks of life including English speakers. Career week planning committee members Name of committee member Contact Chairman Group  : Address/Addressa  : Email  : Co-chair Group  : Address/Addressa  : Email  : Planning Committee members 1.Group  : Address/Addressa  : Email  : 2. Group  : Address/Addressa  : Email  : It’s all about deliverables Deliverables will take many forms, however in this project, they will be problem solvers, answering to the students’ expectations regarding the event. First of all, the current car eer week issues and problems pointed out by the students are listed below: Limited space for a significant number of people Restricted access to companies Companies were interested in French speakers only Poor time management / not enough time for several interviews Missing scheduled companies Misinformation: schedule difficult to understand No proper career week representatives Increasing the number of students participating in the event as well as improving relationship and communication will make significant progress after the following actions are undertaken: Better internal communication with students Take all students into consideration: International and French Internationally-oriented companies involved in the event Clear planning and continuous information transfer Appropriate and adapted spaces, welcoming as many students as possible Clearly designated career week official of which could be a white paper, a training course, a website, a position paper, or other specific te chnical solutions. Increase in the number of foreign

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Integrated design Essay Example for Free

Integrated design Essay The mower in production has a problem which can be solved in multiple ways. The problem is not due to the design inefficiency but due to the diversity of target consumers (the consumers range from owners of flats to owners of four bedroom houses). It is about the length of the flex lead. The problem actually has two parts. The committee was of various opinions. A final decision has to be made regarding this. The second part is that depending on the decision the design and technical aspects are decided. The first problem is a managerial problem. The diversity of opinions can be due to various reasons. The reason for this has to be found out and a conclusion has to be drawn from this. The second part is the design. It depends on the solution of the first part of the problem. Various opinions depend on the nature of the basis on which the opinions are based. Opinions drawn on vague guesses of the nature of the target customers will result in difference in opinions. In this case if there is no statistical data about the percentage of the type of customers then the opinions of each can be different from other. Even if there is a firm statistical data there can be different opinions due to difference in view points. Glass which is half full is half empty. The opinions about this change depending on whether one considers it as half full or half empty. The design of the mower as said before depends on the decision about the length of the flex. The technical issues like surge suppression and earth breaking are to be considered depending on the decision of the board. A decision has to be made regarding the length of the flex lead. A committee can be setup to survey the number of houses which are flats, four bed room houses etc. The percentage of each type of houses is then found. This work can be done either by the company itself or it can be outsourced to some agency or company which has some considerable expertise in this. After categorizing the houses into different categories the houses the length of flex lead required for each type of house should be found. It will be good if a few customers are involved in this and their opinion is taken into consideration regarding the length of the flex lead. The customers will know the specific problems regarding these things which can be a great asset to the company in designing the product. At this point we have percentage of each type of house and the length of the flex required for each type of house. The company can take different courses based on this data. The company can identify the type of houses which form the major percentage of total houses and can design the mower accordingly and sell them. It can produce different type of mowers in amounts corresponding to the number of that type of houses. This depends on the capacity of the company whether it can afford to make different type of mowers or it can only make a single type of mower. The above methods can be used or new technology can be used to solve this problem. A mower with variable flex lead can be designed using new technology to prevent surge suppression and earth breaking. A single mower would cater to the need of every type of house. This would be an innovative solution. The company has to decide upon it course of its action depending the constraints of the company.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Electrical Engineering :: Graduate Admissions Essays

Electrical Engineering My decision to pursue graduate study in the United States is underscored by my desire to be a part of the graduate program at your institution. Purdue University offers the flexibility needed for such a vast and rapidly changing field. The research facilities and the faculty at the university are par excellent. Communications is an industry that has changed our lives. In a very short period it has changed the way we have looked at things since centuries. It is one industry that is going to shape our future for centuries to come. Hence my desire to do masters in electrical engineering with communications as my major. My interest in electronics blossomed during my high school years. It was the time when technology had begun to make an impact on the lives of people in India. Hence engineering with electronics as my major was the first choice for my undergraduate studies. Right since the beginning of my undergraduate study electronics is a subject that has fascinated me with its power of applications. The subjects that I have studied include Linear Electronics, Digital Electronics. These laid the foundation for my courses in Electronic Communication & Communication Systems at a later stage. My undergraduate studies already focus on the communications aspect of electronics. A masters degree in electrical engineering with communications as major field is the next logical step. For the past four months I have been working as a project trainee at the Indian Institute for Advanced Electronics. I am working on the design and development of a "PC Controlled Digital Serial Data Generator". This short stint has given me invaluable practical experience. It has given me the confidence to pursue a masters degree and also kindled a desire to do research. During the course of my work at IIAE, I have come across several scientists. Most of them work in different areas of communications. Interactions with them have made me realize the vastness and the scope of communications. My discussions with them convinced me that specializing in communications will suit me very well. The subject of research which interests me very much is spread spectrum communication systems. Coding theory and combinations is another research subject which arouses my curiosity. The subject Communication Theory which I am studying at present introduces these topics in theory.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Analysing The Power Crisis In Pakistan Environmental Sciences Essay

Energy production of a state is the premier index of its economic system. For a state to be economically stable and comfortable, it needs to hold sufficient energy at its disposal. No state can get high economic growing without bring forthing sufficient energy. Energy production reflects the industrial end product, transit and agricultural end product etc. restricting energy supply to an industry adversely affect its end product, ensuing in higher production cost, due to which many industries shutdown go forthing labor unemployed. In Pakistan, the electricity burden casting is an alarming issue. The rush of rising prices is due to energy deficit in the state. Number of people populating below poorness line is increasing due to unemployment and rising prices, both of which are the byproducts of energy crisis. From the last few old ages, Pakistan has been confronting an unprecedented energy crisis. The ground being that it ‘s energy substructure is non to the full developed, deficient and ill managed. Despite of important addition over the last few old ages in the disposable incomes, increasing usage of power intensive contraptions, urbanisation and industrialisation which has caused the power demand to outpace supply, no serious stairss have been made to put in new coevals capacity. Consequently, burden sloughing has been seen as the common phenomena in Pakistan. During the last 10 old ages, Pakistan ‘s power demand has risen by CAGR ( Compound Annual Growth Rate ) of 5.2 % , while supply has grown by merely 2.2 % ( Pakistan Power Sector, 2009 ) . Presently, state ‘s entire electricity demand stands at around 19,000MW. Demand supply shortfall ranges 2500-4500MW depending on peak clip and season, ensuing in burden sloughing of 4-8 hours day-to-day and 8-12 hours during th e extremum summer season. In Pakistan, entire installed coevals capacity is about 19,754MW ( Exhibit 1 ) , of which thermal is about 12,500MW i.e. 64 % of state ‘s entire coevals capacity, but the existent available capacity is limited to 16,500MW due to several grounds: power losingss during distribution stage due to poor-quality transmittal lines, electricity ‘s larceny, low works burden factors due to aging generators and hapless care at KESC and WAPDA workss, lessening in hydel coevals capableness due to fluctuation in the reservoir degrees particularly in winter season ensuing in the deficit of 2500MW to 4500MW depending on peak clip and season.Reasons of power crisis in Pakistan:Lack of large dikes in the state. Decline in hydro beginnings of energy ( a cheap resource ) and over trust on the expansive beginning of electricity i.e. Thermal based power coevals. Soon, oil and Gas-based thermic workss histories for 68 % of bring forthing capacity, hydroelectric workss for 30 % and atomic workss for merely 2 % ( Exhibit 2 ) . Rise in the oil and gas monetary values pushes the electricity duty really high. Consequently, leads to high coevals costs, which in bend adversely impact the economic system. Lack of strong political leading in Pakistan, to convert and safeguard the reserves of people on the building of one of the controversial dams- Kala Bagh Dam and other non-controversial dikes like Kohistan dike and Basha dike. To bridge the demand supply spread, around 5,000MW of IPPs and rental workss are expected to come online between 2009-2012 ( Pakistan Power Sector, 2009 ) . Though the state is endowed with huge hydel and coal based power potency, it is yet to to the full work these resources and cut down dependance on oil based coevals.Coal as an alternate energy resource:Coal is presently the universe ‘s fastest turning fuel around the Earth. Estimates show that around 40 % of universe power supply and 26 % of primary energy comes from the coal entirely. China, being the universe ‘s largest manufacturer of coal, fulfil 78 % its entire energy demands through coal which ranks it as the universe ‘s largest consumer as good. Similarly, USA stands at 2nd place in utilizing coal, 60 % of its energy demands comes coal. Many states like UK, USA, Germany, India, Indonesia and Australia have embarked upon the new coal based power workss. But, unluckily, Pakistan holding the 6th largest coal militias in the universe, with over 185 billion metric tons of proved coal militias, has non been successful in using coal as an alternate energy beginning. It is estimated that 100,000 MW of electricity could be generated from merely half of these resources, for 30 old ages, if exploited decently and the Energy contents of these resources are more than the energy contents of Saudi Arabia and Iran ‘s joint oil resources ( Pakistan ‘s Thar Coal Power Potential, 2008 ) .Why Coal can be an of import beginning of energy?Some of the grounds why coal is of import for Pakistan future energy state of affairs are as under: Current Energy Crisiss: Demand for electricity has outpaced its supply ; the state is presently confronting power deficits ranges between 4500 to 5,000 MW and it is expected that demand would transcend supply by beyond 5,500 MW. World-Renowned Companies Already Operating in Pakistan: Around twelve Independent Power Producers ( IPPs ) are runing in the power sector of the state. Predictable Multi-Year & A ; Long-run Duty: Typically, the authorities allows a long-run duty of 25 – 30 old ages with the power buyer. The IPPs, therefore, are non subjected to market hazard for their end product. The undertakings are expected to gain an attractive / competitory and stable return on investing. Abundant Coal Potential: Pakistan is blessed with big coal sedimentations peculiarly in its Sindh Province. The Thar brown coal militias, which are suited for power coevals, in the Province of Sindh are estimated to be about 175 billion metric tons.Research Aims:The chief aims of this research are, foremost to analyze the development of coal based power undertakings in Pakistan, learn about the deepness and comprehensiveness of this country and seek to foreground the key challenges and hazards associated with the investing in power sector of Pakistan in-terms of environmental restraints ( both locally and globally ) , security issues, authorities and regulative restraints etc. And secondly the research will take to analyse the power coevals sector of Pakistan utilizing Porter ‘s five forces analysis tool and place the function of Coal fired works in this sector. Such analysis of industrial profitableness will enable us to place the countries that need to be addressed to do the industry more attractive.Personal Claim:The grounds of taking this research are, foremost the research worker personally has a acute involvement in energy sector of Pakistan. Second, the demanding state of affairs in the energy sector of state, particularly power sector is the premier incentive to make research on the subject ‘Development of Coal Based Power Projects in Pakistan ‘ . And in conclusion, the chosen country is new one as non much has been done in the coal-based power coevals sector of Pakistan.Outline of the Undertaking:Chapter 2- Research Methodology3.1 IntroductionThis chapter will look at the necessary research methods required to transport out the research in order to accomplish the research aims. In order to accomplish this I have looked at the counsel given in ( Saunders et al 2003 ) .3.2 Aims and JustificationThe aim of this research methodological analysis is to place the agencies of roll uping valid and dependable primary and secondary informations. It analyses all facets of the research methodological analysis.3.3 Research ApproachInductive and deductive are two types of attacks that can be used whilst carry oning the research ( Saunders et al 2003 ) . This research will utilize the deductive attack where the findings of the research will be used to look into the literature sing the fiscal state of affairs of Jessops. The deductive attack will let roll uping quantitative informations, and will besides help in making a hypothesis and a research scheme to prove the hypothesis. As in the instance of this survey fiscal theoretical accounts will be used. The inductive attack is where, from the findings and analysis a theory is proposed ( Saunders et Al, 2003 ) , therefore this attack will be used to prove the hereafter of Jessops.3.4 Research DoctrineSaunders ( et al 2003 ) , indicates there are three types of research doctrines that are interpretivism, positivism, and pragmatism. Positivism is where ‘the theory generates a hypothesis that can be tested and thereby will let account of Torahs to be assessed ‘ ( Bryman & A ; Bell, 2007 ) . The function of this research is to prove the theories from the literature, hence positivism will be used. Positivism besides strongly links with the deductive attack that will be used. Interpretivism considers that the universe of concern is excessively complex and is ever changing where definite Torahs can non be defined. Hence this method is irrelevant for this survey.3.5 Research StrategyI will choose the study method for my research. I will utilize a questionnaire which will let more in depth comparings. It is besides seen good to utilize this method as it is easy understood by people, other benefits of utilizing such a method are that it is most efficient in clip, cost, and flexibleness and will let consequences to be analysed with easiness, which is extremely applicable for this survey. The usage of a study will besides supply greater response rates from participants ( Bryman & A ; Bell, 2007 ) . The questionnaire will let me to place from the directors and fiscal departmental workers at Jessops to why gross revenues at Jessop have plummeted and will supply grounds for premises to look at the hereafter of Jessops.3.6 Data Collection and Sample3.6.1 Sample The sample size will be in entire 30 participants selected indiscriminately. All participants will be employees of Jessops, as this will let the research worker to derive valued informations because employees will hold a better penetration into the company. However the response was non a coveted 1 as merely 17 participants completed the questionnaire. However due to clip restraints non much could be done to get the better of this issue, even though the position of 17 participants was still considered of import due to their functions within the company. 3.6.2 Primary Data This research uses both primary and secondary informations. Primary research as mentioned above we be collected via questionnaires. The questionnaire will be aimed at current employees of Jessops of who are shop directors and the remainder of who work within the fiscal section. This is a critical sample for the research as the positions and remarks of the proposed participants will supply important penetration into what is go oning within Jessops, and will assist analyze their fiscal public presentation. 3.6.3 Secondary Data Secondary informations will be taken from literature ( i.e. diaries, books, articles etc. ) ; nevertheless another facet of secondary research will be company histories and studies. This will be critical as utilizing company histories and studies will let the research worker to to the full analyze the state of affairs of Jessops and will assist organize a footing in the hereafter of Jessops. The histories will besides enable the research worker to utilize the fiscal theoretical accounts such as Altman ‘s z-score theoretical account.3.7 Questionnaire DesignThe questionnaire is seen to be an of import tool for research harmonizing to ( Naftali, 2001 ) , therefore the questionnaire needs to be precise, accurate and good designed. Naftali ( 2001 ) was used as guidelines for the design of the questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to achieve relevant informations required for the primary aims of this research. Hence the questionnaire was designed to maintain inquiries simple and to the point to have the coveted consequences. A transcript of the questionnaire can be viewed in Appendix B.3.8 Data AnalysisThe information from primary and secondary research will be analysed in many ways. The quantitative consequences from the primary research will be analysed utilizing Excel, whereas SPSS will besides be used to place relationships and correlativities between responses of participants to supply a clearer position on the research. The above methods including secondary informations will be presented diagrammatically where necessary utilizing graphs, tabular arraies and charts.3.9 Reliability and ValidityThe information was collected after with planning and due attention. The informations collected can be considered dependable hence the specified beginning of information was chosen. However the primary informations to an extent may non be dependable as participants may confabulate replies with each other. The secondary research can be identified as dependable and valid as all information was collected via company histories and studies.3.10 Research RestrictionsTime was a cardinal restriction within this survey as designing and administering the questionnaire ‘s required a batch of clip. Receiving all consequences was besides clip devouring as it did non give a clear thought on how many consequences would be attained. A longer clip frame would hold allowed countering this job.3.11 Research Ethical motivesAll research was conducted within the Lcmit University Research Ethics guidelines. The moralss declaration can be viewed in Appendix A. All participants opted by pick to take portion in finishing questionnaires and participant individualities were kept anon. to the highest degree.3.12 Alternate MethodsA possible method of deriving primary research that could hold been used was an interview. The interview method would hold allowed for elaborate analysis to inquiries and more preci se responses from the interviewee. The research worker did non utilize this method due to clip restraints, and besides the research worker felt the usage of interviews may hold resulted in more colored consequences.3.13 DrumheadThis chapter takes into consideration the methodological analysis that will be conducted in order to transport out the research for this survey. The following chapter will exemplify the existent findings of the primary and secondary research.Literature reappraisal:Introduction:Pakistan is blessed with big coal sedimentations peculiarly in its Sindh Province. The entire coal resources of Pakistan are over 185 billion metric tons out of which about184 billion metric tons exist in Sindh entirely ( Exhibit 3 ) . The coal sedimentations of Sindh are of Lignite which is suited for power coevals. The reported one-year coal production in 2003 was around 3.3 million tones ( Exhibit 4 ) . The immense coal potency of Pakistan can good be utilized in power coevals for su stainable socio-economic development of the state.Constitutional Position on CoalCoal is considered as mineral and under the ‘Constitution of Pakistan ( 1973 ) ‘ mineral is a provincial topic. The Provincial Governments are responsible for the development of coal. The ‘National Mineral Policy 1995 ( revised in 2002 ) ‘ focal points all activities and determination at Provincial degree while the Federation would supply needed support and advice to the Provinces to take up the challenge of accomplishing benefits from the development of coal resources. Some of the Fiscal & A ; Financial Incentives for Coal Development are discussed in Appendix 2.Why Coal neglected so far?Pakistan ‘s power sector is chiefly dependent on the thermal based power workss. Thermal coevals dissolution shows that gas fuel histories for 55 % of thermal-based bring forthing capacity, furnace Oil for 44 % and Diesel Oil for merely 1 % and Coal 0 % ( Exhibit 2 ) . It is a known fact t hat Pakistan has the 6th universe largest coal militias, but unluckily, coal has non been developed for power coevals. The research conducted by Tipoo Sultan ( 2008 ) indicates that in the past, many powerful transnational oil companies and trusts have been involved in understating the use of coal as an energy beginning in the development states, as they do non desire to see coal as the replacing of oil that they sell. Miss-perceptions about the coal public-service corporation have affected the authorities policies. The quality of coal and big sum of capital demand has make coal addition less importance in the development precedences. Second, the authorities has been failed to pull the foreign investors to put in coal based power undertakings. Few of the investors after being confronting immense losingss were forced by the authorities to discontinue their undertakings. For case, Zafar Bhutta ( 2008 ) , in his article â€Å" Sino Coal, Engro Pakistan to work on Thar coal undertaking † , reported that â€Å" Chinese Company, Shenhua was ready to construct the integrated excavation and power coevals composite at a guaranteed power duty of 5.75cents per unit but NEPRA refused to pay more than 5.34 cents. Chinese company packed its operations in Pakistan and went back to China go forthing no good mark for the investors interested in coal based power workss. † There are other factors, besides those stated above, that has added to the investor ‘s reluctance in the development of Pakistan coal resources. These are as follows: The foremost barrier to foreign investing is the provincial liberty over the coal excavation. A recent illustration indicated by Aftab Channa ( 2010 ) in his article: â€Å" Power workss at Thar Coal: Czech Republic unlikely to put 500 million euros † , is the WTC group of Czech democracy who are interested in puting atleast 500 million Euros at Thar Coal for coal-burning power workss of 300 to 600 MW but unluckily the response of Sindh authorities is non overpowering ‘yet ‘ . The Technical Director, WTC Group, Karel Galuska forwarded a missive to Secretary Coal and Energy Development Department Aijaz Khan on June 21, 2010 stating that: â€Å" We would wish to inform you that therefore far we have non received any information from you. We are get downing to believe that the authorities of Sindh is non taking ‘coal ‘ as a serious plus for its state and for work outing energy crisis in Pakistan. â€Å" ( Karel Galuska ) . Lack of needed substructure like roads, railroad lines, communicating webs, H2O supply, life support systems, community services and etc The policies of the authorities are non consistent. They alter with the changed authorities. There is Political uncertainness in the state. The Law and order state of affairs in the state was non favorable and still its a questionable fact. absence of modern coal excavation proficient expertness deficient fundss There is a quality concerns as good with the coal deposits found at Thar.Current SituationPakistan is a coal-rich state, but, unluckily, coal has non been developed for power coevals for more than three decennaries due to miss of substructure, deficient funding and absence of modern coal excavation proficient expertness. The Government is now seeking to advance and ease private investors in developing and advancing autochthonal coal for power coevals. The demand/supply projection indicates that power deficits appeared from the twelvemonth 2006, and has increased to 4,500 MW in the twelvemonth 2010 will increase farther if no steps are taken to convey in new capacity. In order to turn to these deficits, the GOP announced Power Policy 2002 which provided a set of inducements to pull the much needed investing in power coevals. The cardinal points of the new policy are International Competitive Bidding ( ICB ) and an accent on puting up power undertakings based on autochthonal fuel resources such as coal, hydal power and renewable energies.General Regulations sing coal-based Power Undertakings:The power policy 2002 lays major accent on the development of power undertakings based on autochthonal coal. Merely Provincial Governments are authorized to allow rentals and licences for coal prospecting and coal excavation to Private Sector and Public Sector companies or organisations. There is no function of Federal Government and Public Sect or to allow rentals and licences for coal excavation. Coal is considered as mineral and mineral is a Provincial Subject harmonizing to the Constitution of Pakistan. There was a job that when prospective investors got a excavation rental and had signed a MoU with the several provincial authorities, so such unasked natural site had to be considered. On designation of a natural site by the provincial governments, PPIB advertises coal natural sites for seeking proposals from investors ( see appendix-2 ) . PPIB can besides transport out International Competitive Bidding ( ICB ) after acquiring a bankable feasibleness survey completed. The GOP guarantees the footings and conditions of executed understandings, i.e. IA, PPA, including payment footings, which are maintained for the continuance of the Agreements for undertakings. The coal power bring forthing companies would be allowed to import works, equipment and machinery non manufactured locally, at concessionary rates. The power companies would besides be wholly exempted from the payment of income revenue enhancement and keep backing revenue enhancement on imports. In order to advance indigenization, the local technology industry will be encouraged to organize joint ventures with foreign companies to develop incorporate undertakings of coal-mine and coal-burning power workss with a cumulative capacity of at least 2000 MW by the twelvemonth 2015. The inducements for puting in coal based power workss in Pakistan are given in Appendix-2.How to continue frontward with coal-based power workss?The ordinance and processing of the applications by investors takes topographic point at the provincial every bit good as federal degrees. The measure by measure process is given in Appendix-3 ( Courtesy: PPIB ) and subsequent appendices.Requests for Proposal ( RFP )It is mentioned that the Request for Proposal ( RFP ) for an autochthonal coal-burning undertaking with capacity above 50 MW will be for an incorporate coal excavation and/or power coevals works composite. The particulars required for a undertaking offered for competitory command in a typical RFP ar e mentioned in appendix-4.Feasibility StudyFor integrated coal-mine and power coevals workss, the feasibleness survey will cover all facets of coal excavation and power coevals, including, but non limited to, coal militias, mine ability, hazards involved in excavation, legal facets of excavation etc. , besides storage/transportation of coal to the power works, operations of the power works on coal, necessary inside informations about the power coevals works itself and, above all, the commercial viability of the undertaking. The feasibleness survey may or may non propose a ‘Coal Supply Agreement ( CSA ) ‘ in such instance. For a stand-alone coal-based power coevals works, the excavation subdivision would non be covered in item. However, handiness of a sufficient and dependable coal supply for power coevals would be considered, besides other necessary facets. The feasibleness survey may necessitate a CSA even if the coal provider is sister concern of the power generator. S ome farther demands are as mentioned in Appendix-6.Evaluation of CommandsThe process is given in Appendix-6. PPIB will reserve the right to reject any or all commands without delegating ground therefore, and will non presume any liabilities or claims for compensation in connexion therewith. Once the command is accepted and tariff approved by PPIB, the successful bidder will be issued an LOS by PPIB against bringing of a Performance Guarantee ( PG ) in favour of PPIB, in the needed sum valid up to three months beyond the Financial Closing day of the month specified in the LOS and upon payment of the cost of the feasibleness survey to PPIB. Further stairss to be taken are given in Appendix-8.Power Duty:The development of a coalmine, constitution of coal-burning power works and transit installations to provide dependable coal for the incorporate undertaking of power works and mine, require significant investing. These disbursals are to be accounted for in the power duty in the signifie r of capacity and energy charges. The duty will be denominated in Pakistan Rupees Bidders will be asked to cite their duty in two parts: ( 1 ) Energy Purchase Price ( EPP ) and ( 2 ) Capacity Purchase Price ( CPP ) The RFP may stipulate the maximal per centum of overall duty for the capacity constituent The CPP will be paid provided the works is available for dispatched to criterions specified in the PPA. The EPP will be paid upon the sum of kWh of energy dispatched In order to guarantee sustained involvement of the patron during the full life of the undertaking, the amount of the EPP and non-debt related CPP ( computed on a kWh footing at the mention works factor specified in the RFP ) will stay changeless or increase over clip. The debt-related CPP watercourse may fit the loan refund watercourseEnvironmental issues and Pakistan ‘s coal based developmentFossil fuel power coevals is non environment friendly as its CO2 emanation contributes to air pollution and it has been connected with planetary heating. Soon, the emanation of gases like C dioxide, S dioxide, and N oxides, into the air is the lone pollution caused from coal-burning power workss. The chief ground for increasing usage of coal burning is because it is inexpensive and it plays major function in carry throughing energy demands. Since 1950, planetary concern over impact of nursery gasses has emerged into international ordinances for restricting CO2 emanation in ambiance. First international regulation pact in this respect was Kyoto protocol ( 1997 ) . It obliges 37 industrialised states to run into binding CO2 emanations marks. Footings of the dainty are such that globally there is bound to how much CO2 can be produced, and some states produce more CO2 than others. Those who use more than their bound can borrow C credits from states non utilizing their quota. Interestingly, USA recognizes the pact but it has non agreed to follow with the C emanation marks although it is a major dodo fuel consumer. Carbon recognition system under Kyoto Protocol requires single corporations to countervail their C emanation by either retrofitting the works to cut down its C emanations or put ining carbon-capture equipment to cut its emanations by a million ton, or purchase carbon beginnings from a C bargainer for a undertaking in a underdeveloped state like Pakistan. ( Exhibit 5 ) The issue of emanations control has to be decently addressed under Kyoto protocol. In the longer term one must besides maintain in head that CO2 extenuation initiatives down the route may go mandatary for the states like Pakistan excessively. This will add to the cost of coal power coevals as has happened in the developed universe. One must maintain in head that a typical power coal works generates 3 million dozenss of CO2 or 17 dozenss of C per megawatt and draws approximately 2.3 billion gallons of H2O per annum from nearby beginning while on land, whereas Sind which has 90 % of Pakistan ‘s coal modesty is earnestly lacking in the supply of H2O ; produces quicksilver which non merely renders H2O useless for human ingestion but besides for irrigation intent as good. Area of chance is that C beginning market is existent and major Bankss involved are involved in it. Entire C beginning market is about $ 6 billion ( Jan 2010 ) , and it is projected to transcend 50 billion dollars after the US joins C trading so Pakistan can profit from any C recognition potency in different industries. In 2008 Pak-Arab Fertilizers ( Pvt. ) Ltd. , earned $ 13 million through selling CER ( The Nation newspaper ) . Islamabad is establishing C recognition undertakings from beginnings runing from landfills to vehicles. Asiatic states have several CDM undertakings registeredChapter-3Proposed Strategy continue with the development of coal-based power undertakingsScheme is driven by lacks and chances inherent in a peculiar industry. To unearth these two variables the industry has to be scrutinized utilizing a scientifically established tool. In our instance we will be utilizing Porter ‘s five forces to analyse the power coevals sector of Pakistan and place the functio n of Coal fired workss in this sector. Such analysis of industrial profitableness will enable us to place the countries that need to be addressed to do the industry more attractive.What is an Ideal Industry?An ideal industry would be one where ; The dialogue power with buyer/suppliers is low. The competition is minimum. Substitutes do non be or even if they exist they are excessively expensive to move as replacements. Entry barriers are comparatively low. It will be interesting to see if the power sector of Pakistan has all the above mentioned factors to do it attractive for investors.Power Sector of Pakistan ( Analysis utilizing Porter ‘s Five Forces Model )Buyer PowerBefore we embark upon discoursing the magnitude of the power held by the purchasers in the power sector it is of import to first place the purchasers in the industry. Chiefly the purchasers of the power in Pakistan are authorities organisations such as WAPDA which has sole distribution rights of electricity in the state. WAPDA, KESC etc service as the jobbers between the concluding consumer and the power manufacturers. This means that though there are merely a few purchasers and logically talking the lower the figure of purchasers the greater their power but kineticss of the industry in Pakistan are such that the purchaser is vulnerable and power providers are at a much more powerful place. To authenticate this statement we need to look into the per unit monetary value addition of electricity in Pakistan over the last few old ages.Electricity Price InflationThe past four old ages data indicate that there has been a stable addition of 13 % -14 % in electricity duties on one-year footing. Two grounds seem to confirm this rising prices in duties ;Demand/Supply DynamicsOver the past few old ages the state has been bring forthing power at a steady rate without taking into consideration the one-year population growing rate of 2 % . This has led to a 4000MW deficit of electricity in 2009-10. ( Exhibit 7 ) This shortage in supply has led to a demand supply instability taking to hyperbolic duties. Similarly we may see the same scenario from a different angle. Harmonizing to the per capita power ingestion rates Pakistan ‘s rate is 464KWh which is 41 % lower than Asia and significantly lower than the mean rates of the universe. ( Exhibit 8 ) . The low per capita power ingestion rate is due to the fact that installed power is less than the needed power.Raw Material Price InflationThe 2nd most important ground for the uninterrupted rush in electricity monetary values has been increase in oil monetary values. ( Exhibit 9 ) . The above chart indicates that most of the power workss in Pakistan are thermic based and fueled by furnace oil. Similarly if we look at the tendency of furnace oil monetary values in Pakistan we see that the monetary values have been systematically on the rise. This addition in monetary values is reflected in the hyperbolic duties that are being charged by the pow er manufacturers. ( Exhibit 10 )Deductions of Low Buyer PowerMade the industry attractive for new investors. High costs to consumers have made the authorities incentives the power sector so as to pull to more investors. ( Appendix-9 ) New window of chances for workss based alternate fuels ( such as coal ) so that the consumer gets cheaper electricity. Since a larger ball of electricity is being used by industrial and commercial units the burden casting entirely in 2009 led to $ 210 billion losingss to the national economic system. ( Exhibit 11 )Barriers to EntryBarriers to entry be given to do the industry unattractive for new entrants. In stead of the power crisis being presently faced by Pakistan the authorities in its capacity should and it must get the better of any entry barriers to the industry. Three barriers to entry have been identified ;Capital Intensive SectorThe authorities is concentrating on promoting power workss that are based on alternate fuels such as coal. But the sum of capital required to put up a coal fired works is really high. ( Exhibit 11 ) Investors may be encouraged to put in capital intensive undertakings by supplying them with inexpensive entree to capital and high rate of return.Government RegulationsThe whole procedure of using for a coal rental country and so acquiring an blessing from the relevant governments for puting up a works is highly boring and clip consuming. The patrons have to take blessing from both provincial ( in instance of renting mine country ) and federal authorities ( LOI, LOS, PPA, IA etc ) . The authorities can cut down the elaboratenesss in application procedure by giving authorization to one organisation which could be PPIB to function as a interface between the authorities and the investors.Infrastructural Issues ( Coal power workss )Coal excavation sector of Pakistan is extremely developing. Right of manner to most mines is under developed. Most countries that have been advertised by PPIB are devoid of H2O. To get the better of these issues the authorities has to work manus in manus with the prospective investors. Some remedial actions that can be taken by both the parties are ; Use belowground H2O as a beginning of H2O. The authorities should supply grapevines to transport the H2O to the sites. Increased use of belowground H2O will do the excavation of coal easier. Bucket wheel excavators alternatively of shovels and trucks could be used to retain higher net incomes and achieve better efficiencies. ( Appendix-10 )3- Intensity of RivalrySome factors that contribute to the strength of competition have been listed in Exhibit-5. By analysing the nature of the power sector we see that about all the factors that must be at that place in an industry with intense competition are non applicable to the power sector of Pakistan. One major lending factor that reduces the competition is the intensely regulated environment of the power sector.4- Supplier Power ( Coal )As mentioned before since the authorities is be aftering on working alternate beginnings of energy to supply cheaper electricity to the consumer ; so an in depth analysis of coal supply in the state reveals the fact that about 185 billion dozenss of coal militias are still untapped ( Exhibit-1 ) . This is adequate coal to supply 100,000 MW of energy for 300 old ages. Since there are barely any constituted coal houses in Pakistan that can function as exclusive providers of coal to the power workss, therefore most of the workss will hold to backward integrate in to char excavation. Soon there are certain hurdlings in back ward integrating as the ordinances refering to char excavation have yet to be established by the authorities of Pakistan. Though our suggestion would be to border ordinances that encourage back ward integrating.5- Substitutes ( w.r.t Coal )There are several utility beginnings of energy available to char, nevertheless most of them require greater capital outgo as compared to char based power undertakings ( Exhibit-6 ) . Handiness of the replacements is besides limited as compared to the handiness of coal therefore doing the replacements unattractive for investings.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Peace and Order

Peace and ordeR is an occurrence of harmony characterized by the lack of violence, conflict behaviors and the freedom from fear of violence. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility and retribution, peace also suggest sincere attempts at reconciliation. Peace is usually the period in which there is now war or any other kind of hostilities. It refers to the moment in life where people enjoy freedom from chaos and disagreements which is marked by harmonious relationships between people Dugan, M. (2003.The absence of war between people can also be termed as peace. Peace also refers to a time when someone is free from any kind of strife. In addition, peace refers to the stillness, serenity and silence that exist between people in a particular moment in their life. We can also talk of peace in a particular country when we refer to the time when the people living there abide by law and order. Peace usually has several attributes. One of the attributes of peace is lack of war. For th ere to be peace, there should not be war or even any kind of hostility.Serenity, silence and stillness are also other attributes peace Portilla, J. (2004). Another attribute of peace is harmony that prevails between people who are peacefully living together. Peace is also characterized by adherence to law and order in a society. The major focus of peace in a society is to terminate war and hostility in that particular society. According to Rinehart, M. (1995), peace is also characterized by tranquility and concord in a particular society peace must be in agreement with one another for them to live in peace.Peace in the world reflects law and order and a state of the absence of war in that particular society. Peace is historically seen as the presence of law and order in the society. There are several approaches to bring about peace in a society. According to Christine D et al, (2008), different approaches are followed in the efforts to bring about peace. First, people have to ensure that they observe law and order to avoid causing conflicts that are the main cause of war.Countries can also embark on ensuring peace in the nation by providing job opportunities that allow people to live in harmony with one another. More so, governments can also employ people like the police to ensure law and order that contribute to peace. Peace helps in conflict resolution in the society. When people are in conflict, it means that there is no peace between them. When peace is ensured between people, conflicts are terminated. Therefore peace is very essential in conflict resolution.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

To Kill a Mokingbird essays

To Kill a Mokingbird essays The main theme in this book To Kill a Mocking Bird is predjudiceprejudice and apartheid, and how easy it is for children to take right conclusions and how they see the difference between right and wrong. It cant be helpful for a kid to be raised up in anenvironmenta enviorment that is full of hate and racism wardsto the black americansAmericans and those who are outsiders in the society. The book it self could be a instructions to human nature, that is howwho people can behave cruelly. Scout or Jean Louise Finch, the main character was heavily affected by these lessons in human nature and they put ithere mark on her. Those three years the book takes place she learned many importantimpact things whothat will ofallow her the rest of her life. One of the persons who eaffected Scouts life the most, except Atticus, was Boo Radley or Arthur Radley. He brought fear and then finally relief to her life. In the beginning kids thought that he was evil and mean, because there was this rumours that he once drove the scissors into his parents leg, pulled them out, wiped them on his pants, and resumed his activities.1 that is he tried to kill them. Even though it was just a rumour, both Jem and Scout were terrified ofwith the Radleys. Jem describes him as a monster six-and-a-half-feet tall, judging from his tracks2 and with blood-stained3 hands. He was said to eat raw squirrels and any cats he could catch4 . The rest of the book Scout, Jem and occasionally Dill tried to meet Boo (Arthur) and trying to get over the fear of him. They did not succeedinsucceed that but he showed them that he was well aware of what they were doing and left them a gifts in a hole of a tree. Finally, in the end of the book, Boo proves he is a go od person when he saves Scout and Jems lives when Bob Ewell was going after them. Then Boo proved that he is a good citizen and Scout learned th...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Quotes About New Years Resolutions

Quotes About New Year's Resolutions Want to get fighting fit? Or kick a bad habit? Make a New Years resolution and you are part of the  way there. The tricky part in making New Years resolutions is sticking to them. The loftier the resolution, the tougher it is to hang on to. It takes steely nerves and determination to live by what you resolve. Read these quotes about New Years resolutions to motivate you to keep your resolutions and improve your life. Neil GaimanI hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. Youre doing things youve never done before, and more importantly, youre doing something. Maria EdgeworthThere is no moment like the present. The man who will not execute his resolutions when they are fresh upon him can have no hope from them afterward; they will be dissipated, lost, and perish in the hurry and scurry of the world, or sunk in the slough of indolence. Melody BeattieThe new year stands before us like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals.Alfred Lord TennysonHope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, It will be happier. AnonymousA dogs New Years Resolution: I will not chase that stick unless I actually see it leave his hand!John BurroughsOne resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things.Mark TwainNew Years Day. Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual. Cyril CusackIf you asked me for my New Year Resolution, it would be to find out who I am. Andre GideBut can one still make resolutions when one is over 40? I live according to 20-year-old habits.Helen Fielding, Bridget Joness DiaryI do think New Years resolutions cant technically be expected to begin on New Years Day, dont you? Since, because its an extension of New Years Eve, smokers are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine in the system. Also dieting on New Years Day isnt a good idea as you cant eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second.John SeldenNever tell your resolution beforehand, or its twice as onerous a duty.Henry MooreI think in terms of the days resolutions, not the years.When we once begin to form good resolutions, God gives us every opportunity of carrying them out. Albert EinsteinLearn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. F.M. KnowlesHe who breaks a resolution is a weakling; He who makes one is a fool.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

LP8-Case Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

LP8-Case Law - Assignment Example However, on its part the court argued that Michael waived his right to stay silent and this was due to his request to consult his probation officer. The main issue on this case was to inquire whether by requesting that he consult his probation officer, Michael’s right under the Fifth Amendment was invoked (Fare v. Michael C. 442 U.S. 707 1979). The court held that since under the criminal justice system attorneys and probation officers are different, then Michael rights were not violated. According to Justice Blackmun, while attorney plays a significant role in the adversarial process, probation officers do not provide equally assistance in the custodial interrogation and thus speaking to the two officers cannot be treated in a similar way. Additionally, the court argued that the minor was aware that he waived his rights. This implied that there was a chance of more interrogation. In my opinion, the police could have allowed the respondent to speak to his probation officer. According to the US Supreme court, any one who exercises his or her right to remain silent should not be punished. Thus, the interrogators were supposed to allow Michael to speak to the probation officer who could then provide more information that could assist the judge and the prosecutors in the trial process. During the case, the court held that it was not a must that the warnings given by the police to the accused use same words as indicated by Miranda opinion. In this case, I support the court’s holding. The case of California v. Prysock case involves a victim who was murdered in 1978. After the killing, a minor was arrested and taken to Tulare County department where he was reminded on his Miranda rights. Despite efforts by the police to retrieve information from the respondent, he declined to talk. This made the police to notify his parents since the

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Operations manager & project management tools Essay

Operations manager & project management tools - Essay Example The methodology of a project enables a project manager to finish the project as early as possible, whether the manager is a novice or an expert (MPMM). A project manager makes use of a methodology in order to keep the projects going as per the schedule and conforming to the standards of quality required by the client. Methodology also helps a project manager structure the project in a way that it becomes more manageable. Methodology applied on a particular project can be used for many projects of similar nature, thus becoming a process as more and more projects are executed. Methodologies involved in a project include but are not limited to conduction of feasibility studies, cost-benefit analysis, designing, risk assessment, cost assessment, obtainment of insurance coverage, selection of staff, space management, organization, project execution, leading and controlling. All of these are a necessary part of the management of any project. There is also a whole range of project management tools including basic project management applications, wiki-based project management, ticket and bug tracking, conferencing and collaboration, invoic ing and time tracking (Chapman). Likewise, an operations manager needs to use all these methodologies to conduct the operation. In fact, execution of a project of any nature is an operation in itself. Thus, a project manager and operations manager can be used interchangeably. A task does not necessarily have to be called a project in order for project management methods to be very useful in its planning and implementation. Even the smallest task can benefit from the use of a well-chosen project management technique or tool, especially in the planning stage. (Chapman). In order to make the operation cost effective, an operations manager needs to assess the risks involved in the work prior to the commencement of the work. Taking

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Reading questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Reading questions - Assignment Example Most importantly, timely data interpretation is crucial as it is not dynamic but static element that may lose its wider meaning if left unattended. When the random data is streamlined into coherent arrangement or format and adds value to the given issue or subject, it is known as information. Thus, information can be broadly described as a process of rearranging data in some specified way so as to reveal certain critical facts about particular issue or subject. The individual entities within a database constitute vital ingredients of facts or information that helps to make rational choice or facilitate decision making process based on informed choice. In research, the information provided by data helps in interpretation of situation and come to certain conclusion. Hence, data help to construct some meaning to issue and reveal new perspectives or confirm existing knowledge. Interview is my favorite data collection method. The major factor that makes it attractive is the human interaction that gives data that can generate new theories about the real life situation. More importantly, it is an art in retrieving vital information from the subject or respondent through his said/unsaid words, behavior and emotions. The interpretation of data generated through interview is also attractive for its social construction of meaning in human behavior. It is a complex process where understanding, sensitivity to the feelings and socio-cultural value system and ethical considerations play crucial role in establishing trust and confidence between the researcher and respondent or interviewee. The relationship building becomes essential part of interview schedule as it helps to get the right information and many times, confidential information that is significant to the research outcome. Another very attractive aspect of interview its format of questions that can not only help to extract vital information without alarming the respondent but tests the critical thinking

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Reading Comprehension Strategies and Reading Skills

Reading Comprehension Strategies and Reading Skills GEPT: General English Profiency Test HP: Higher proficiency LP: Lower proficiency HETC: Harvard Education Training Center Rationale Hammadon (1991) says: â€Å"Reading comprehension is not just understanding words, sentences, or even texts, but involves a complex interartion of the readers prior knowledge, language profiency and their learning strategies† (p.30). So reading strategies are very important to achieve the comprehension. Many types of reading strategies are introduced to guide students of all different levels. However, there were few researchers who investigate the relationship of reading comprehension strategies and reading comprehension of students. At HETC, reading has a key place in any English courses when students study English not only as the interest but also the demand for improving their study and promoting in their careers to achieve the long-term goals, especially some of them were assigned to live and work abroad. In their learning process, almost the students meet great challenges when dealing with the reading texts. They usually do not understand texts and cannot complete the tas ks so they feel tired in reading lessons. Therefore, what are the main causes of this current situation? In order to find out the answer, the researcher started a survey on the reading comprehension strategy use. For teachers at HETC, it is hoped that this study may offer them the ways on how to identify strategies used by the students and then they can decide what they should do to promote their students reading comprehension and in their learning as well. Literature review 2.1. Reading comprehension strategies and reading skills Oxford (1990) gives a detailed definition of language learning strategies: â€Å" Learning strategies are specific actions taken by the learner to make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self-directed, more effective, and more transferable to new situations† (p.8) and described concretely how learning strategies are applied to the four language skills: listening, speaking, writing and reading. According to her, four strategies: listening strategies, †¦, or reading strategies are those learning strategies themselves that applied to each of the four skills. Of course, skills and strategies are two big words and common terms of the reading activities, as well. Nutall (1982) pointed out that reading was certainly a process of the readers, who used strategies to work with the meaning of the texts actively and then made sense from them. By the interesting interactions from the readers and texts, more and more researchers keep working to research the relationship between the use of reading strategies and reading comprehension. However, strategy and skill, are they different? Yes, it was actually apparent that they were different. Strategy meant people used the planned methods and implements to achieve their goals, but skill was known as a routine. Moreover, strategy was the result of conciously work towards goals. It helped readers to understand the meaning of contents in order to find out the answer or obtain a certain performance level in reading that they want for themselves (Gagnà ©, 1985). However, it is not always easy to make such a clear differnces between these two terms. Grabe and Stoller (2002) said that â€Å"many abilities that are commonly identified as strategies are relatively automatic in their use by fluent readers (e.g. skipping an unknown word while reading, rereading to reestabilsh text meaning† (p.15) Paris et al (1991) supposed â€Å" an emerging skill can become more efficient and developmentally advanced when they become generated and applied automatically as skills† (p.61). Sometimes this difference is not clear at all because that is part of the nature of reading. In this study, reading strategies are used to show specific actions, steps and plans that students conciously apply in their reading process to improve their comprehension. 2.2. The relationship between reading strategies and reading comprehension Reading comprehension must occur rapid in almost any purposeful context, and the more rapidly a text is read, the better reading processes are to effect. Those specific processes must be implemented effectively in combination to ensure the reading comprhension. Reading comprehension requires the reader be strategic. The reader needs to identify processing difficulties, address balances between text information and background knowledge, decide for monitoring comprhension, and shifing goals for reading. When a good reader use strategies, they can read fluently, flexible in line with changing purpose and then continue monitoring the comprehension. Similarly, reading is an process that evaluating the reader, who must decide if the reading information is coherent and finds out the purpose for reading.Alderson (2003) said reading as the interaction of four things. He claimed that the reader and the text together must be fluent reading or â€Å" the ability to reach at an appropriate rate with adequate comprehension†, or â€Å" the ability of the reader to use a wide variety of reading strategies to accomplish a purpose for reading† (p.149). So discovering the best methods and strategies are the way that a good learner apply during a reading process. 2.3. Previous research on reading comprhension strategies Grellet, F. (1981) wrote a book â€Å"Developing Reading Skills†. This book showed the important role of reading and provided some techniques which help learners improve their reading skill. Nutal, C. (1989) proved reading is â€Å" to enable students to read without help unfamiliar authentic texts at appropriate speed, silently with adequate understanding†. Ozek, O. (2006) researched â€Å" A study on the Use of Cognitive Reading Strategies by ELT Students†. This study carried out to find out which reading strategies are commonly employed by ELT students while reading a text, and which reading strategies are needed to be developed to understand the text better, and to continue academic studies successfully. San San Kung (2007) did an investigation into the relationship between reading comprehension and the use of reading strategies among EFL students in colleges in Taiwan. Through the study, the researcher knew what the reading strategies the EFL students use more or less and what the differences between different grade students. Methodology This chapter will describe research methods used to collect data to answer the research questions and then explain how and why the methods are used. 3.1. Research questions This study aims to find out reading strategy use of HETCs students. This also has objectives to discover if there are any differences in strategy use between lower and higher proficiency readers, as well. Then to suggest some recommendations to raise students awareness of using reading comprehension strategies in the classroom. It aims at answering the following questions: 1. What reading strategies are used by students at HETC? 2. What are the differences in the use of reading strategies between lower and higher proficiency readers? 3.2. Descriptions of variables 3.2.1. Independent variables In this study, the independence variables were the students at HETC. 51 students were chosen as representatives of this particular group sudents to collect needed data. These 51 students were divided into four groups in which students are the members of higher and lower proficiency groups. These 2 groups were chosen to get information to answer the second research question ( More details about these groups and about higher and lower proficiency readers will be found in 3.3.1 and 3.4.2) 3.2.2. Dependent variable: The dependent variable in this research were the strategies applied in reading comprehension, i.e. reading comprehension strategies. 3.3. The data collection instruments: This study employs a combibation of 3 data collection instruments: * General English Proficiency Test (GEPT) * Questionaire * Think-aloud interviews As one of the objectives of this study is to find out if there are any dfferences in the strategy use between higher proficiency (HP) and lower proficiency (LP) readers. The test was used to divide the subjects into difference groups in which groups of higher and lower proficiency were chosen to collect the data. Think-aloud interviews aimed at getting qualitative data and quesionaire was used to get quantiative data. The author can collect a large information of all mentioned strategies and the information from students who share their thought of strategy use in the think-aloud interviews. Of course, the think a loud interviews in this study can be one of the best ways to reaffirm the result got from the questionaire. For example, in the questionaire, the subjects report that they use life experiences to understand the meaning of texts or read the first and last paragraphs and then go back to read the paragraphs; the author will know they use these strategies or not in the interview. 3.3.1. Test A General English proficiency test is a procedure taken to collect data on students ability or the knowledge of disciplines as â€Å" Information about peoples language ability is often very useful and necessary† (Nunan, 1992). The GEPT was taken form the book â€Å"IELTS for Academic Purpose: A short insentive course† (see the appendix 3). Based on the result of the test, the subjects were classified into 4 groups. Group 1 consists students who just got from mark 1 to 2.5; group 2 has those who got mark from 3 to 5. The students in these 2 groups are LP learners. Meanwhile, the students who are in group 3 got mark from 5.5 to 6.5 – they are at medium levels. And the last group – group 4 consists of HP ones who got mark from 7 and over. After having the result of the test, the author decided to chose group 2 and 4 to collect the data to answer the second research question. So there are 51 subjects in these 2 groups. The author did not choose group 1 becaus e their proficiency were too low and they were only 1% of the subjects. Details of the test can be found in Appendix 1. 3.3.2. Questionaire: Questionaire is the second data collection instrument in this study. This is also a pretty popular means of data collection. Many researchers suppose that using questionaire in language research has many advantages. First, questionaire can be given to a great amount of students at the same time and it is self-administered. Second, to protect the privacy and keep the fairness, the subjects names might not be appeared on the questionaire. So subjects tend to share the information more naturally, even some sensitive information. Third, the data collected are more accurate because questionaire is usually given to all the subjects at the same time. This study used one survey questionaire to gather the information about reading strategies as well as the differences in strategy use between these two kinds of readers. According to the result of the questionaire (and interviews), the athor can make some recommendation to help students improve their reading abilities. The quesionaire was designed based on the questionaire of Shan Shan Kung (2007). This part consists 3 parts. Of couse, in this study, the author modified the first part personal information part. The next part – concept of reading had 3 questions to explore the perceptions of English reading. The last part had thirty – eight questions of strategy use. In the beginning of third section, thirty – four questions utilized a Liker – Scale point systems. The subjects were asked to respond to each statement by choosing among four answers: 1) usually; 2) sometimes; 3) rarely; 4) never. Each section has four to six questions (except section 1 has 10 questions because of discovering the reading process). Through the survey, the author found out which strategies actually actracted HP readers more than LP readers. 3.3.3. Think aloud interviews In addition to the quetionaire, interviews are used to obtain information by actually talking to the subject. The interviewer asks questions and the subject responds. Interviews are the good way for collecting data as Seliger, H.W. (1989) claimed â€Å" Interviews are personalized and therefore permit a level of in-depth information – gathering, free response and flexibility that cannot be obtained by other procedures† (p.166). However, it can be costly and time consuming. In this study, think – aloud interviews were used to collect the data about the students reading strategy. The Interviewer Guide for Reading Strategies developed by Honsenfeld et al. (1981). In oder to make the Guide appropriate for objectives of thi study, the researcher has made some changes in the strategies they posed ( see Appendix 3). 3.4. Participants in the study: At the time the study was carried out, the subjects had just finished an English course. Their textbook was †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Therefore, their commonly assumed proficiency was intermidiate. They were members of three classes. One class included 25 students , 24 in the other class and 21 in the last one and they stuied the same textbook. Their ages ranged from 19 to 24. Almost all of students had at least 3 years of learning English before this class. They were delivered a reading proficiency test to be divided into higher and lower proficiency readers. In this study, gender has minimal effect on the results because the number of male students is quite small in the total of the subjects. 3.5. Procedure The data were collected by the researcher during a week in autum 2009. After contacting the English teachers of the subjects in person to get approval for asking their students to participate in the study, the researcher pre-arranged the time. The researcher went to English classes to administer the tests. The students were asked to complete the test in 60 minutes. The English teachers and the researcher supervised and marked the test papers later. The 2 days after, subjects were distributed the questionanires. The researcher gave some directions to the subjects and of then encouraged students to ask for any clarifications they might need and any other extra time when they filled out the questionaire. And of couse, the researcher wanted to protect the privacy and the students fairness, so the students names would not fill in the questionaires. In order to advoid misunderstanding the questions, the questionaire were translated into Vietnamese which were enclosed with the English version. The questionaire administration took about 30 minutes in each class. For days later, six chosen students were interviewed individually at the researcher s office in HETC. The reseacher pre-arranged the time and contacted to the students by the phone. Before the interview, the reseacher gave the instructions and explained the purpose of the study to students so they could understand what they had to do clearly. Each interview took from 10 to 15 minutes. Data analysis and findings 4.1. The result of the questionaire 4.1.1. Demographic Data Table 4.1 Demographic Information of Students (N=51) Subject Frequency Percentage Total N % Gender Male 9 17.6 51 100 Female 42 82.4 Level Lower proficiency 32 63.7 Higher proficiency 19 36.3 Years of English learning experience 2 3 5.9 51 100 4 9 17.6 5 15 29.4 6 11 21.6 7 6 11.8 8 2 3.9 9 4 7.8 10 1 2.0 Look at the table 4.1, of the 51 students participating in the study, 9 (17.6%) were males and 43 (82.4%) were females. Of the 19 HP students (36.3%) and 32 (63.7%) were LP students. When asking about years of English learning experience, just 1 students (2.0%) has been studying English for ten years. 9 students (17.6%) have been studying English for four years, 15 students (29.4%) have been studying English for five years, 11 students (21.6%) have been studying English for six years, 6 students (11.8%) have been studying English for seven years, 2 students (3.9%) have been studying English for eight years, 4 students (7.8%) have been studying English for nine years. Because foreign language in general and English in particular were given into school from sixth grade in secondary school, and from tenth grade in high school ( in some remote areas), the most students years of English learning experience were between four and seven years. To answer the second section of the questionnaire about concepts of reading, the results were presented in Table 4.2. Table 4.2 The Relationship between the Important of Reading for Language Learning and Reading Hours per Week by higher and lower proficiency students Reading hours per week 2 3 4 Over 4 N % N % N % N % Higher proficiency students (N =19) Very important 2 10.5 5 26.3 6 31.6 3 15.8 important 1 5.3 2 10.5 Not important Lower proficiency students (N =32) Very important 6 18.8 7 21.9 5 15.6 important 4 12.5 5 15.6 4 12.5 Not important 1 3.1 According to the illustration of Table 4.2, HP students who thought reading was very important for language learning were 2 (10.5%) spent two hours per week on reading, 5(26.3%) for three hours per week, 6 (31.6%), for four hours per week and 3 (15.8%) for over four hours per week. HP students who thought reading was important for language learning were 1 (5.3%) spent two hours per week on reading, 2 (10.5%) for four hours per week. There were not any students who thought reading was not important for language learning. In the LP group, 6 (18.8%) students thought reading was very important for language learning and spent two hours per week for it, 7 (21.9%) spent three hours for reading, 5 (15.6%) spent four hours for reading. These LP students supposed reading was important for language learning were 4 (12.5%) spent two hours per week on reading, 5 (15.6%) for three hours per week. There was 1 (3.1%) students said reading was not important for language learning but still spent two hours per week on it. 4.1.2. Findings for Research Question One The research question one was â€Å"What reading comprehension strategies are used by students at HETC ?† After collecting data, it showed what the same or different strategies were used more or less by HP or LP students for helping them understand the contents of the reading materials in different reading situations and were ranked from low to high to represent which strategy would be used more or less by the students during their reading process in different situations. The results were listed in the following by all of students reading ability levels when they used reading strategies in different reading situations. The total results came from the 51 students in Table 4.3, 4.4, 4.5 and 4.6. Table 4.3 Means, Ranks, and Standard Deviations of the Uses of Reading Strategies in First Section by students at HETC When I read English materials, Mean Mean SD Rank 1. I read a table of contents, and then read the contents 1.82 1 .90 2. I focus on the first sentence of each paragraph for helping me understand the main points of the whole paragraph 2.51 7 .12 3. I underline the main points when I am reading 2.03 4 .97 4. I write Vietnamese on the margin for vocabulary words I dont understand during reading 1.86 2 .90 5 I skim over the full text, and then read details 1.88 3 .92 6 I use life experiences helping me understand the meaning of texts 1.86 2 .90 7 I use the background knowledge of the English culture to understand the contents 2.57 8 1.03 8 I use key words or sentences to guess the main idea of the articles 1.88 3 1.08 9 After reading each paragraph, I ask myself if I understand what I read before, and paraphrase the main idea, then keep reading the next paragraph 2.25 5 1.09 10 I discuss what I read with classmates 2.45 6 1.05 In Table 4.3, the result indicated which strategies the 51 students used more or less when they read English materials. The table showed the data with mean, mean rank, and standard deviation. As illustration of Table 4.3, the mean was from 1.82 to 2.51 and the rank was S1 (1.82) Table 4.4 Means, Ranks, and Standard Deviations of the Uses of Reading Strategies in First Section by students at HETC When I do not understand a vocabulary, Mean Mean SD Rank 11 I check the dictionary immediately 2.37 3 1.1 12 I mark and pass it, keep reading and then go back 2.33 2 1.08 13 I use other words in the sentence to infer the meaning of vocabulary 2.09 1 .87 14 I analyze its suffix and prefix to get its meaning 3.00 4 1.21 Through Table 4.4, strategy 13 â€Å"I use other words in the sentence to infer the meaning of vocabulary† was most used by the students when they did not understand a vocabulary during the reading process. On contrary, strategy 14 â€Å"I analyze its suffix and prefix to get its meaning† was the strategy which most students used least in this reading situation. Table 4.5 Means, Ranks, and Standard Deviations of the Uses of Reading Strategies in First Section by students at HETC When I do not understand a sentence, Mean Mean SD Rank 15 I use the context (topic, subject) to derive the meaning of each sentence 1.86 1 .91 16 I translate word for word into Vietnamese to better understand the meaning of the sentences 2.35 4 1.12 17 I take grammar analysis (ex: finding subject and verb etc.) to understand the meaning of the sentences 2.33 3 1.02 18 I analyze the structure of sentences (ex: sample sentence, adjective clause, or adverb clause, etc.)to derive the meaning of sentence 2.37 5 .97 19 I will analyze the verb tense (ex: past tense or future tense) or verb mood (ex: subjunctive mood or imperative mood) for better understanding 2.27 2 .95 In Table 4.5, those strategies had close mean scores between each other, but it also pointed out the differences from 2.27 to 2.37, except the strategy 15 had the mean score less 1.86. It described that strategy 15 â€Å"I use the context (topic, subject) to derive the meaning of each sentence† were the most used by the students when they did not understand a sentence during reading process. Vice versa, the means of the strategy 16 and strategy 18 to derive the meaning of sentence† meant that they were used least than other strategies in this section. Table 4.6 Means, Ranks, and Standard Deviations of the Uses of Reading Strategies in First Section by students When I dont understand (including vocabulary and sentences,) except above reading strategies, Mean Mean SD Rank 20 I check books (ex: grammar books or encyclopedia) for references 2.16 2 1.14 21 I go on the Internet to find related information 1.98 1 .92 22 I ask teachers or classmates for clarification 2.27 3 1.03 23 I read the difficult parts several times 2.63 5 1.12 24 I read the contents orally several times 2.47 4 .94 25 I will memorize the vocabulary pertaining to the contents before reading 2.16 2 .99 According to the data, it presented that strategy 21 â€Å" I go on Internet to find related information† was used by almost students. The information technology nowaday becomes quite popular to students so they would like to search information on the Internet. The S20 = S25 (2.16) both stood the second position. The strategy that students used least was strategy 23 â€Å" I read difficult parts several times†. 4.1.3. Findings for Research Question Two Research question two was â€Å"What are the differences in the use of reading strategies of the higher and lower proficiency students at HETC?† Through mean, standard deviation, t-tests and p value, the data analysis depicted detailed information about the differences of reading strategy performance between these two groups of students. The comparative groups focused on higher and lower proficiency student. Table 4.7 Means, Standard Deviations, t-Tests and p Value between higher and lower proficiency students at HETC when I read English materials, Lower proficiency students Higher proficiency students T p (N=19) (N=32) Mean SD Mean SD 1. I read a table of contents, and then read the contents 2.00 1.054 1.72 .813 .999 .322 2. I focus on the first sentence of each paragraph for helping me understand the main points of the whole paragraph 2.16 1.118 1.78 .792 1.288 .20 3. I underline the main points when I am reading 2.00 1.105 2.06 .914 -.208 .84 4. I write Vietnamese on the margin for vocabulary words I dont understand during reading 2.79 1.084 2.78 1.069 .026 .98 5. I skim over the full text, and then read details 2.05 1.026 1.78 .870 .965 .34 6. I use life experiences helping me understand the meaning of texts 1.89 .937 1.84 .917 .189 .85 7. I use the background knowledge of the English culture to understand the contents 2.05 1.129 2.86 .871 -2.729 .00** 8. I use key words or sentences to guess the main idea of the articles 2.37 1.261 1.59 .911 2.412 .02* 9. After reading each paragraph, I ask myself if I understand what I read before, and paraphase the main idea, then keep reading the next paragraph 2.00 1.202 2.53 .983 -1.630 .11 10. I discuss what I read with classmates 2.53 1.264 2.41 .946 .359 .72 p As indicated in Table 4.7, strategy 7 and strategy 8 attended to the significant difference level (p Table 4.8 Means, Standard Deviations, t-Tests and p Value between higher and lower proficiency students at HETC When I do not understand a vocabulary, Higher proficiency students Lower proficiency students t p (N=19) (N=32) Mean SD Mean SD 11. I check the dictionary immediately 3.32 .749 1.81 .896 6.432 .00** 12. I mark and pass it, keep reading and then go back 2.89 1.1 2.06 .878 2.809 .00** 13. I use other words in the sentence to infer the meaning of vocabulary 2.05 .911 2.13 .871 -.279 .78 14. I analyze its suffix and prefix to get its meaning 2.84 1.344 3.13 1.07 -.782 .44 p In table 4.8, strategy 11 and strategy 12 attended to the significant different level (p Table 4.9 Means, Standard Deviations, t-Tests and p Value between higher and lower proficiency students When I do not understand a sentence, Higher proficiency students Lower proficiency students t p (N=19) (N=32) Mean SD Mean SD 15. I use the context (topic, subject) to derive the meaning of each sentence 1.89 1.1 1.84 .808 .176 .86 16. I translate word for word into Vietnamese to better understand the meaning of the sentences 3.21 0.976 1.84 0.884 5.005 .00** 17. I take grammar analysis (ex: finding subject and verb etc.) to understand the meaning of the sentences 2.16 1.167 2.44 .948 -.885 .38 18. I analyze the structure of sentences (ex: sample sentence, adjective clause, or adverb clause, etc.)to derive the meaning of sentence 1.84 .898 2.69 .896 -3.253 .00* 19. I will analyze the verb tense (ex: past tense or future tense) or verb mood (ex: subjunctive mood or imperative mood) for better understanding 1.84 .898