A Seperate Peace Short Essay Essay Example

A Seperate Peace Short Essay Essay Example A Seperate Peace Short Essay Essay A Seperate Peace Short Essay Essay Throughout the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles the main character, Gene Forester, who is also the narrator, discovers who he is as a person. He has become a mature adult by the end of the book, as apposed to his adolescence in the beginning of the novel. He makes these discoveries through the events that take place during his time at Devon. Three places that show the development of Gene’s maturity are when Gene visits Finny in Boston, when he didn’t give in to Finny’s fantasy of the war and when Gene finally accepts that he played a role in Phineas’ death. These events cause Gene to mature greatly. Gene’s increased maturity is first shown when he is returning to Devon after break and stops in Boston to visit Finny. The guilt of what Gene had done haunted him during the whole break. Gene confesses to deliberately jouncing the limb of the tree. When Finny becomes emotional Gene realizes, â€Å" †¦I was injuring him again†¦ this could be an even deeper injury than I had done before. † Gene thinks he is disturbing Finny’s view of the world. He is ruining the view of pureness and good Finny had. Gene’s realization shows that he has matured and sees what he is doing to Finny. When Finny returns to Devon he refuses to believe that there is a war. He creates a fantasy of what is really going on. Gene has always been pulled into Finny’s fantasies about the world but he has learned how to keep himself in reality. Gene says, â€Å"For a moment I was almost taken in by it. Then my eyes fell on the bound and cast white mass pointing at me†¦ it brought me down out of Finny’s world of invention†¦ down to reality, to the facts. Gene is no longer sucked into Finny’s views of the world. He is able to bring himself back to the realities of the world. Gene’s maturity continues to grow throughout the novel and he reaches his biggest point of maturity growth upon the death of his best friend, Finny. Gene accepts that he played a role in Phineas’ death. He realizes that his jealousy got out of hand and he had been angry about a non-existent rivalry. In the end he said, â€Å"†¦this enemy who attacked never attacked that way – if he ever attacked at all; if he was indeed the enemy. When he says this it shows that he recognizes that Finny never hated him. However, since Gene made up this rivalry he eventually had a part in Finny’s demise. Gene goes on a journey of self-discovery throughout the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles. Gene’s maturity grows immensely but especially when Gene visits Finny in Boston, when he didn’t give in to Finny’s fantasy of the war and when Gene finally accepts that he played a role in Phineas’ death. These events cause Gene to mature greatly.

Reading skill Essay Essays

Reading skill Essay Essays Reading skill Essay Essay Reading skill Essay Essay Foregrounding or Underscoring Key Ideas When you highlight or underline cardinal words and thoughts. you are placing the most of import parts of the text. There’s an of import accomplishment at work here: You can’t highlight or underline everything. so you have to separate between the facts and thoughts that are most of import ( major thoughts ) and those facts and thoughts that are helpful but non so of import ( minor or back uping thoughts ) . Highlight merely the major thoughts. so you don’t stop up with a text that’s wholly highlighted. An efficaciously highlighted text will do for an easy and fruitful reappraisal. When you jump back. you’ll be rapidly reminded of the thoughts that are most of import to retrieve. Highlighting or underscoring major points as you read besides allows you to retain more information from the text. Skim in front and leap back. Mark up the text. Make speci? hundred observations about the text. Planing Ahead and Jumping Back Skimming in front enables you to see what’s coming up in your reading. Page through the text you’re about to read. Notice how the text is broken down. what the chief subjects are. and the order in which they are covered. Notice cardinal words and thoughts that are boldfaced. bulleted. boxed. or otherwise highlighted. Planing through the text beforehand will fix you for what you are about to read. It’s a batch like look intoing out the hills and curves in the class before a cross-country race. If you know what’s in front. you know how to gait yourself. so you’re prepared to manage what’s to come. When you? nish your reading. leap back. Review the sum-ups. headers. and highlighted information in the text. Notice both what the writer highlighted and what you highlighted. By leaping back. you help solidify in your head the thoughts and information you merely read. You’re reminded of how each thought? T into the whole. how ideas and information are connected. When you make connexions between thoughts. you’re much more likely to retrieve them. Circling Unfamiliar Words One of the most of import wonts to develop is that of circling and looking up unfamiliar words and phrases. If possible. don’t sit down to read without a dictionary by your side. It is non uncommon for the significance of an full sentence to hinge on the significance of a individual word or phrase. and if you don’t cognize what that word or phrase agencies. you won’t understand the sentence. Besides. this wont enables you to rapidly and steadily spread out your vocabulary. so you’ll be a more con? dent reader and talker. If you don’t hold a dictionary readily available. attempt to find the significance of the word as best you can from its context- that is. the words and thoughts around it. ( There’s more on this subject in Lesson 3. ) Then. do certain you look up the word every bit shortly as possible so you’re sure of its significance. Taging Up the Text Marking up the text creates a direct physical nexus between you and the words you’re reading. It forces you to pay closer attending to the words you read and takes you to a higher degree of comprehension. Use these three schemes to tag up text: ten – HOW TO USE THIS BOOK – Making Marginal Notes Recording your inquiries and reactions in the borders turns you from a inactive receiving system of information into an active participant in a duologue. ( If you’re reading a library book. compose your reactions in a notebook. ) You will acquire much more out of the thoughts and information you read about if you create a â€Å"conversation† with the author. Here are some illustrations of the sorts of reactions you might compose down in the border or in your notebook:  ¦  ¦  ¦  ¦ Making Observations Good readers know that authors use many different schemes to show their thoughts. Even if you know really small about those schemes. you can do utile observations about what you read to better understand and retrieve the author’s thoughts. You can detect. for illustration. the author’s pick of words ; the construction of the sentences and paragraphs ; any repeat of words or thoughts ; of import inside informations about people. topographic points. and things ; and so on. This step- making observations- is indispensable because your observations ( what you notice ) lead you to logical illations about what you read. Inferences are decisions based on ground. fact. or grounds. You are invariably doing illations based on your observations. even when you’re non reading. For illustration. if you notice that the sky is full of dark. heavy clouds. you might deduce that it is traveling to rain ; if you notice that your coworker has a stack of gardening books on her desk. you might deduce that she likes horticulture. If you misunderstand what you read. it is frequently because you haven’t looked closely adequate at the text. As a consequence. you base your illations on your ain thoughts and experiences. non on what’s really written in the text. You end up coercing your ain thoughts on the writer ( instead than listening to what the writer has to state ) and so organizing your ain thoughts about it. It’s critical. so. that you begin to truly pay attending to what authors say and how they say it. If any of this sounds confounding now. don’t concern. Each of these thoughts will be exhaustively explained in the lessons that follow. In the interim. get down practising active reading as best you can. Get down by taking the pretest. Questions frequently come up when you read. They may be answered subsequently in the text. but by that clip. you may hold forgotten the inquiry! And if your inquiry isn’t answered. you may desire to discourse it with person: â€Å"Why does the author describe the new public assistance policy as ‘unfair’ ? † or â€Å"Why does the character react in this manner? † Agreements and dissensions with the writer are bound to originate if you’re actively reading. Write them down: â€Å"That’s non needfully true! † or â€Å"This policy makes a batch of sense to me. † Connections you note can be either between the text and something that you read earlier or between the text and your ain experience. For illustration. â€Å"I remember experiencing the same manner when I. . . † or â€Å"This is similar to what happened in China. † Evaluations are your manner of maintaining the writer honest. If you think the writer isn’t supplying suf? cient support for what he or she is stating or that there’s something incorrect with that support. say so: â€Å"He says the dropping of the bomb was inevitable. but he doesn’t explain why† or â€Å"This is a really sel? sh ground. † eleven READING COMPREHENSION SUCCESS IN 20 MINUTES A DAY Pretest B efore you start your survey of reading accomplishments. you may desire to acquire an thought of how much you already cognize and how much you need to larn. If that’s the instance. take the pretest that follows. The pretest consists of 50 multiple-choice inquiries covering all the lessons in this book. Naturally. 50 inquiries can’t screen every individual construct or scheme you will larn by working through this book. So even if you get all the inquiries on the pretest right. it’s about guaranteed that you will? nd a few thoughts or reading tactics in this book that you didn’t already know. On the other manus. if you get many inquiries wrong on this pretest. don’t desperation. This book will demo you how to read more efficaciously. measure by measure. You should utilize this pretest to acquire a general thought of how much you already know. If you get a high mark. you may be able to pass less clip with this book than you originally planned. If you get a low mark. you may? nd that you will necessitate more than 20 proceedingss a twenty-four hours to acquire through each chapter and better your reading accomplishments. There’s an reply sheet you can utilize for? lling in the right replies on page 3. Or. if you prefer. merely circle the reply Numberss in this book. If the book doesn’t belong to you. compose the Numberss 1–50 on a piece of paper and enter your replies at that place. Take as much clip as you need to make this short trial. When you? nish. look into your replies against the reply key at the terminal of this lesson. Each reply offers the lesson ( s ) in this book that teaches you about the reading scheme in that inquiry. 1 – LEARNINGEXPRESS ANSWER SHEET – 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B degree Celsius degree Celsius c hundred degree Celsiuss c hundred degree Celsiuss c hundred degree Celsiuss c hundred degree Celsiuss c hundred degree Celsius vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B 3 degree Celsius degree Celsius c hundred degree Celsiuss c hundred degree Celsiuss c hundred degree Celsiuss c hundred degree Celsiuss c hundred degree Celsius vitami n D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B degree Celsius degree Celsius c hundred degree Celsiuss c hundred degree Celsiuss c hundred degree Celsiuss c hundred degree Celsiuss c hundred vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D vitamin D – PRETEST – Pretest The pretest consists of a series of reading transitions with inquiries that follow to prove your comprehension. Cultural Center Adds Classes for Young Adults The Allendale Cultural Center has expanded its humanistic disciplines plan to include categories for immature grownups. Director Leah Martin announced Monday that get downing in September. three new categories will be offered to the Allendale community. The class rubrics will be Yoga for Teenagers ; Hip Hop Dance: Learning the Latest Moves ; and Creative Journaling for Teens: Detecting the Writer Within. The latter class will non be held at the Allendale Cultural Center but alternatively will run into at the Allendale Public Library. Staff member Tricia Cousins will learn the yoga and hip hop categories. Ms. Cousins is an complete choreographer every bit good as an experient dance pedagogue. She has an MA in dance instruction from Teachers College. Columbia University. where she wrote a thesis on the pedagogical effectivity of dance instruction. The journaling category will be taught by Betsy Milford. Ms. Milford is the caput bibliothec at the Allendale Public Library every bit good as a editorialist for the professional diary Library Focus. The classs are portion of the Allendale Cultural Center’s Project Teen. which was initiated by Leah Martin. Director of the Cultural Center. Harmonizing to Martin. this undertaking is a direct consequence of her attempts to do the centre a more built-in portion of the Allendale community. Over the last several old ages. the figure of people who have visited the cultural centre for categories or events has steadily declined. Undertaking Teen is chiefly funded by a muni? cent grant from The McGee Arts Foundation. an organisation devoted to conveying humanistic disciplines plans to immature grownups. Martin oversees the Project Teen board. which consists of? ve board members. Two board members are pupils at Allendale’s Brookdale High School ; the other three are grownups with backgrounds in instruction and the humanistic disciplines. The originative journaling category will be cosponsored by Brookdale High School. and pupils who complete the category will be given the chance to print one of their journal entries in Pulse. Brookdale’s pupil literary magazine. Students who complete the hip hop category will be eligible to take part in the Allendale Review. an one-year concert sponsored by the cultural centre that features local histrions. instrumentalists. and terpsichoreans. All categories are scheduled to get down instantly following school dismissal. and transit will be available from Brookdale High School to the Allendale Cultural Center and the Allendale Public Library. For more information about Project Teen. reach the cultural center’s scheduling of? Ce at 988-0099 or bead by the of? Ce after June 1 to pick up a autumn class catalog. The of? Ce is located on the 3rd? oor of the Allendale Town Hall. 2. Which of the undermentioned statements is right? a. Tricia Cousins will learn two of the new categories. B. The new categories will get down on June 1. c. Peoples who want a complete autumn catalogue should halt by the Allendale Public Library. d. The cultural center’s one-year concert is called Pulse. 1. The Creative Journaling for Teens category will be cosponsored by a. The Allendale Public Library. B. The McGee Arts Foundation. c. Brookdale High School. d. Betsy Milford. 5 – PRETEST – 6. The rubric of the class â€Å"Creative Journaling for Teens: Detecting the Writer Within† implies that a. all immature people should compose in a journal day-to-day. b. adolescents do non hold adequate avocations. c. composing in a diary can assist adolescents go better and more originative authors. d. adolescents are in demand of counsel and way. 3. Harmonizing to Leah Martin. what was the direct cause of Project Teen? a. Tricia Cousins. the gifted choreographer and dance pedagogue. was available to learn classs in the autumn. B. Community organisations were disregarding local adolescents. c. The McGee Arts Foundation wanted to be more involved in Allendale’s humanistic disciplines programming. d. She wanted to do the cultural centre a more of import portion of the Allendale community. 7. Which of the following right states the primary topic of this article? a. Leah Martin’s personal thoughts about immature grownups B. The McGee Foundation’s grant to the Allendale Cultural Center c. three new categories for immature grownups added to the cultural center’s humanistic disciplines plan d. the demands of immature grownups in Allendale 4. Which of the undermentioned factors is implied as another ground for Project Teen? a. The figure of people who have visited the cultural centre has declined over the last several old ages. B. The cultural centre wanted a grant from The McGee Arts Foundation. c. The immature people of Allendale have complained about the cultural center’s offerings. d. Leah Martin thinks categories for adolescents are more of import than categories for grownups. 8. This article is organized in which of the following ways? a. in chronological order. from the yesteryear to the hereafter b. most of import information? rst. followed by background and inside informations. c. background? rst. followed by the most of import information and inside informations. d. as sensational intelligence. with the most controversial subject? rst 5. From the context of the transition. it can be determined that the word â€Å"muni? cent† most about means a. complicated. b. generous. c. funny. d. unusual. 6 – PRETEST – ( extract from the gap of an ignoble essay ) John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath. published in 1939. was followed ten old ages subsequently by A. B. Guthrie’s The Way West. Both books chronicle a migration. though that of Guthrie’s innovators is well less black in beginning. What strikes one at? rst glimpse. nevertheless. are the commonalties. Both Steinbeck’s and Guthrie’s characters are chiefly husbandmans. They look to their finishs with about spiritual enthusiasm. conceive ofing their â€Å"promised† land the manner the Biblical Israelites envisioned Canaan. Both undergo great adversity to do the trek. But the two sagas differ clearly in beginning. Steinbeck’s Oklahomans are forced off their land by the Bankss who own their mortgages. and they follow a false promise- that occupations await them as seasonal labourers in California. Guthrie’s husbandmans volitionally remove themselves. selling their land and merchandising their old dreams for their new hope in Oregon. The pioneers’ determination to go forth their farms in Missouri and the East is frivolous and ill-founded in comparing with the Oklahomans’ unwilling response to supplanting. Yet. it is they. the innovators. whom our history books declare the heroes. 11. Which of the undermentioned extracts from the essay is an sentiment. instead than a fact? a. â€Å"Both Steinbeck’s and Guthrie’s characters are chiefly husbandmans. † B. â€Å"Steinbeck’s Oklahomans are forced off their land by the Bankss who own their mortgages†¦Ã¢â‚¬  c. â€Å"John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath. published in 1939. was followed ten old ages subsequently by A. B. Guthrie’s The Way West. † d. â€Å"The pioneers’ determination to go forth their farms in Missouri and the East is frivolous and ill-founded in comparing with the Oklahomans’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  9. From the context of the transition. it can be determined that the word â€Å"frivolous† most about agencies a. silly. b. exalted. c. dif? cult. d. calculated. 10. Suppose that the writer is sing following this sentence with supportive item: â€Å"Both undergo great adversity to do the trek. † Which of the undermentioned sentences would be in maintaining with the comparing and contrast construction of the paragraph? a. The migrators in The Way West cross the Missouri. so the Kaw. and do their manner overland to the Platte. B. The Oklahomans’ buss break down repeatedly. while the pioneers’ waggons need frequent fixs. c. Today’s travellers would see it a adversity to pass several yearss. allow alone several months. acquiring anyplace. d. The Joad household. in The Grapes of Wrath. loses both grandma and gramps before the journey is complete. 12. The linguistic communication in the paragraph implies that which of the followers will go on to the Oklahomans when they arrive in California? a. They will? nd a agency to pattern their faith freely. B. They will be declared national heroes. c. They will non? nd the occupations they were promised. d. They will do their lifes as mechanics instead than as farm labourers. 7 – PRETEST – Bill Clinton’s Inaugural Address ( extract from the gap ) When George Washington? rst took the curse I have merely sworn to continue. intelligence traveled easy across the land by horseback and across the ocean by boat. Now the sights and sounds of this ceremonial are broadcast outright to one million millions around the universe. Communications and commercialism are planetary. Investing is nomadic. Technology is about charming. and aspiration for a better life is now cosmopolitan. We earn our support in America today in peaceable competition with people all across the Earth. Profound and powerful forces are agitating and refashioning our universe. and the pressing inquiry of our clip is whether we can do alter our friend and non our enemy. This new universe has already enriched the lives of 1000000s of Americans who are able to vie and win in it. But when most people are working harder for less ; when others can non work at all ; when the cost of health care devastates households and threatens to ruin our endeavors. great and little ; when the fright of offense robs observant citizens of their freedom ; and when 1000000s of hapless kids can non even conceive of the lives we are naming them to take. we have non made alter our friend. 15. When President Clinton says that â€Å"most people are working harder for less. † he is a. making a sensible decision based on grounds he has provided. b. making an unreasonable decision based on grounds he has provided. c. doing a generalisation that would necessitate grounds before it could be con? rmed. d. doing a generalisation that is so obvious that grounds is non needed. 13. What is the cardinal subject of the address so far? a. how Americans can maintain up with planetary competition b. ways in which engineering has undermined our economic system c. ways in which engineering has improved our lives d. how alteration has affected America and our demand to accommodate 14. By comparing our times with those of George Washington. Bill Clinton demonstrates a. how seemingly different. but really similar. the two epochs are. b. how engineering has drastically speeded up communications. c. that presidential startups receive immense media attending. d. that telecasting is a much more convincing communications tool than print. 16. Assuming that Clinton wants to add something about offense being a more serious menace in our clip than in George Washington’s. which of the undermentioned sentences would be most consistent with the tone of the presidential address? a. If I’d been alive in George’s twenty-four hours. I would hold enjoyed cognizing that my married woman and kid could walk metropolis streets without being mugged. B. In George Washington’s clip. Americans may non hold enjoyed as many luxuries. but they could rest in the consciousness that their vicinities were safe. c. George could at least count on one thing. He knew that his household was safe from offense. d. A statistical analysis of the overall growing in offense rates since 1789 would uncover that a signi? cant addition has occurred. 8 – PRETEST – The Crossing Chapter I: The Blue Wall ( extract from the gap of a novel by Winston Churchill ) I was born under the Blue Ridge. and under that side which is bluish in the eventide visible radiation. in a wild land of game and wood and hotfooting Waterss. There. on the boundary lines of a brook that runs into the Yadkin River. in a cabin that was chinked with ruddy clay. I came into the universe a topic of King George the Third. in that portion of his kingdom known as the state of North Carolina. The cabin reeked of corn-pone and bacon. and the olfactory property of furs. It had two shakedowns. on one of which I slept under a bearskin. A unsmooth rock chimney was reared outside. and the? replace was every bit long as my male parent was tall. There was a Crane in it. and a bake boiler ; and over it great buckhorns held my father’s Rhode Island? vitamin E when it was non in usage. On other horns hung jerked bear’s meat and venison jambons. and calabashs for imbibing cups. and bags of seed. and my father’s best hunting shirt ; besides. in a ignored corner. several articles of woman’s garb from nog. These one time belonged to my female parent. Among them was a gown of silk. of a? Ne. faded form. over which I was wont to theorize. The adult females at the Cross-Roads. 12 stat mis off. were dressed in harsh white walnut wool and immense sunbonnets. But when I questioned my male parent on these affairs he would give me no replies. My male parent was- how shall I say what he was? To this twenty-four hours I can merely surmise many things of him. He was a Scotchman Born. and I know now that he had a little Scotch speech pattern. At the clip of which I write. my early childhood. he was a backwoodsman and huntsman. I can see him now. with his runing shirt and leggins and mocassins ; his pulverization horn. engraved with fantastic scenes ; his slug pouch and hatchet and runing knife. He was a tall. thin adult male with a strange. sad face. And he talked small save when he drank excessively many â€Å"horns. † as they were called in that state. These oversights of my father’s were a ageless beginning of admiration to me- and. I must state. of delectation. They occurred merely when a passing traveller who hit his illusion chanced that manner. or. what was about as rare. a neighbour. Many a winter dark I have lain awake under the teguments. listening to a? ow of linguistic communication that held me spellbound. though I understood scarce a word of it. â€Å"Virtuous and barbarous every adult male must be. Few in the extreme. but all in a grade. † The opportunity neighbour or traveller was no less smitten with admiration. And many the clip have I heard the question. at the Cross-Roads and elsewhere. â€Å"Whar Alec Trimble got his larnin’ ? † 18. Judging by the sentences environing it. the word â€Å"surmise† in the 3rd paragraph most about means a. to organize a negative sentiment. b. to praise. c. to want. d. to think. 17. Why did the storyteller enjoy it when his male parent drank excessively many â€Å"horns. † or bill of exchanges of spirits? a. The male parent spoke brightly at those times. B. The male child was so allowed to make as he pleased. c. These were the lone times when the male parent was non opprobrious. d. The male child was allowed to try the drink himself. 9 – PRETEST – 22. Which of the undermentioned adjectives best describes the part in which the cabin is located? a. remote b. urban c. agricultural d. ? at 19. The reference of the frock in the 2nd paragraph is most likely meant to a. demo the similarity between its proprietor and other members of the community. b. show how warm the clime was. c. show the unsimilarity between its proprietor and other members of the community. d. give us insight into the manner most of the adult females of the part dressed. 23. The writer most likely utilizations dialect when citing the inquiry. â€Å"Whar Alec Trimble got his larnin’ ? † in order to a. show disapproval of the father’s imbibing. b. demo how people talked down to the storyteller. c. show the speakers’ deficiency of instruction. d. mimic the manner the male parent talked. 20. It can be inferred from the transition that Alec Trimble is a. a traveller. b. a neighbour. c. the narrator’s male parent. d. a poet. 21. What is the significance of the lines of poetry quoted in the transition? a. Work force who pretend to be virtuous are really barbarous. B. Moderate sums of virtue and ferociousness are present in all work forces. c. Virtuous work forces can non besides be barbarous. d. Whether work forces are virtuous or barbarous depends on the dif? culty of their fortunes. 10 – PRETEST – ( extract from a missive to a pet-sitter ) Dear Lee. As I told you. I’ll be gone until Wednesday forenoon. Thank you so much for taking on my â€Å"children† while I’m off. Like existent kids. they can be sort of annoying sometimes. but I’m traveling to bask myself so much more wise they’re acquiring some sort human attending. Remember that Regina ( the â€Å"queen† in Latin. and she acts like one ) is teething. If you don’t watch her. she’ll chaw anything. including her sister. the cat. There are plentifulness of chaw playthings around the house. Whenever she starts gnawing on anything illegal. merely deviate her with one of those. She by and large settles right down to a good hour-long chaw. Then you’ll see her rolling around wailing with the remains of the plaything in her oral cavity. She gets truly frustrated because what she wants is to bury the thing. She’ll attempt to delve a hole between the shock absorbers of the sofa. Finding that unsatisfactory. she’ll wander some more. discontent. until you solve her job for her. I normally show her the wash basket. traveling a few apparels so she can bury her plaything beneath them. I do sound like a parent. don’t I? You have to understand. my ain boy is practically grown up. Regina’s nutrient is the Puppy Chow in the public-service corporation room. where the other favored nutrient is stored. Give her a bowl one time in the forenoon and one time in the eventide. No more than that. no affair how much she begs. Beagles are ill-famed overeaters. harmonizing to her breeder. and I don’t want her to lose her girlish? gure. She can portion Rex ( the King’s ) H2O. but be certain it’s changed daily. She needs to travel out several times a twenty-four hours. particularly last thing at dark and? rst thing in the forenoon. Let her remain out for approximately 10 proceedingss each clip. so she can make all her concern. She besides needs a walk in the afternoon. after which it’s of import to frolic with her for awhile in the pace. The game she loves most is fetch. but be certain to do her bead the ball. She’d instead play jerks of war with it. State her. â€Å"Sit! † Then. when she does. state. â€Å"Drop it! † Be certain to state her â€Å"good miss. † and so throw the ball for her. I hope you’ll bask these Sessionss every bit much as I do. Now. for the other two. Rex and Paws†¦ ( missive continues ) 26. Harmonizing to the writer. his or her fond regard to the pets derives at least partly from a. their regal lineages and royal bearing. b. holding few friends to go through the clip with. c. these peculiar animals’ exceeding demands. d. a desire to go on rearing. 24. The tone of this missive is best described as a. chatty and humourous. b. logical and precise. c. con? dent and trusting. d. condescending and preachy. 25. If the pet-sitter is a business-like professional who watches people’s pets for a life. she or he would probably prefer a. more? rst-person disclosures about the proprietor. b. fewer? rst-person disclosures about the proprietor. c. more congratulations for holding to watch the animate beings. d. greater item on the animals’ cute behaviour. 27. The information in the note is suf? cient to find that there are three animate beings. They are a. two cats and a Canis familiaris. b. three Canis familiariss. c. a Canis familiaris. a cat. and an unspeci? ed animate being. d. a cat. a Canis familiaris. and a parrot. 11 – PRETEST – 29. From the context of the note. it is most likely that the name â€Å"Rex†is a. Spanish. b. English. c. Gallic. d. Latin. 28. Given that there are three animate beings to feed. which of the undermentioned agreements of the eating instructions would be most ef? cient and easiest to follow? a. all given in one list. chronologically from forenoon to dark b. provided individually as they are for Regina. within separate transitions on each animate being c. given in the order of measures needed. the most to the least d. placed in the center of the missive. where they would be least likely to be overlooked. 30. If the Sitter is to follow the owner’s waies in playing fetch with Regina. at what point will he or she will state Regina â€Å"good girl† ? a. every clip Regina goes after the ball b. after Regina? nds the ball c. when Regina brings the ball back d. after Regina drops the ball ( extract from a pro-voting essay ) Vote is the privilege for which wars have been fought. protests have been organized. and columns have been written. â€Å"No revenue enhancement without representation† was a conflict call of the American Revolution. Women struggled for right to vote as did all minorities. Eighteen-year-olds clamored for the right to vote. stating that if they were old plenty to travel to war. they should be allowed to vote. Yet Americans have a distressing vote history. Interviewing people about their vote wonts is uncovering. There are persons who province that they have neer voted. Often. they claim that their single ballot doesn’t affair. Some people blame their absence from the voting booth on the fact that they do non cognize plenty about the issues. In a democracy. we can show our sentiments to our elective leaders. but more than half of us sometimes avoid taking the people who make the policies that affect our lives. 33. By taking the word â€Å"clamored. † the writer implies that a. eighteen-year-olds are by and large enthusiastic. b. vote was non a serious concern to eighteenyear-olds. c. eighteen-year-olds felt strongly that they should be allowed to vote. d. eighteen-year-olds do non manage themselves in an adult-like mode. 31. This statement relies chiefly on which of the following techniques to do its points? a. emotional averments b. researched facts in support of an averment c. emotional entreaties to electors d. emotional entreaties to nonvoters 32. Which of the undermentioned sentences best summarizes the chief thought of the transition? a. Americans are excessively lazy to vote. B. Women and minorities fought for their right to vote. c. Americans do non take vote earnestly plenty. d. Americans do non believe that elected of? cials take their sentiments earnestly. 12 – PRETEST – Improving Streamside Wildlife Habitats ( excerpt from Habitat Extension Bulletin distributed by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department ) Riparian flora [ the green set of flora along a watercourse ] can assist stabilise stream Bankss ; ? lter deposit from surface overflow ; and supply wildlife home ground. livestock eatage. and scenic value. Well-developed flora besides allows bank dirts to absorb excess H2O during spring overflow. let go ofing it subsequently during dry months. therefore bettering late-summer watercourse? ows. In many parts of the waterless West. trees and bushs are found merely in riparian countries. Woody workss are really of import as winter screen for many wildlife species. including highland game birds such as pheasants and Meleagris gallopavos. Often this winter screen is the greatest individual factor restricting game bird populations. Woody flora besides provides concealment screen and browse for many other species of birds and mammals. both game and nongame. Dead trees ( â€Å"snags† ) are an built-in portion of streamside home grounds and should be left standing whenever possible. Woodpeckers. nutcrackers. brown creepers. and other birds eat the insects that decompose the wood. These insects normally pose no menace to nearby life trees. Occasionally a disease being or abuse of pesticides will weaken or kill a base of trees. If several trees in a little country Begin to decease. reach your local extension agent instantly. 36. Assume that the writer has done some other composing on this subject for a different audience. The other piece Begins: â€Å"Remember the last clip you walked along a watercourse? No uncertainty thick flora prevented easy advancement. † What is the likely consequence on the reader of this gap? a. an aroused involvement. due to the mention to the reader’s personal experience b. bitterness. due to being addressed so personally c. loss of involvement. because the gap line makes no effort to pull the reader in d. confusion. because non every reader has walked along a watercourse 34. What is the consequence of the word pick â€Å"riparian† ?

Modern nation-state and transnational entities Essay

Modern nation-state and transnational entities - Essay Example The emergence of the modern nation state dates back to the 1700s. Before the emergence of nation-states, monarch systems were the governing tools, but later sovereignty came to change people’s way of life. Sovereignty recognized people as citizens with a role to play in government rather than subjects. The issue of nationalism is also viewed by many as a political ideology. The French revolution played a significant role in the emergence of modern nationalism (ZÃ ¼fle, 2011). Nationalism has many positive attributes in any nation-state. One of the attributes is that nationalism promotes democracy. This occurs because nationalism advocates for popular sovereignty and supports the idea that political power is legitimately held by people. People use the political power to put others in power to work as their agents. Nationalism also promotes economic growth within a country. Therefore, nationalism offers the opportunity to build a colonial power, to use resources to improve people’s life as well as economic infrastructure. The other impact of nationalism is that it promotes diversity and experimentation. This is evident in democratic nations through the way people from different walks of life maintain their own culture and values (Godfrey, 2004). Characteristics of modern nation-state In order to understand the concept of modern nation-state, it is necessary to define a nation, state and country. This is because the four terms apply to refer to political, economic, social and cultural contributors in the international system. Modern nation-state refers to single or multiple nationalities that come together to form a political union. The nation-state is responsible for identifying official languages, laws, currency system, and ordering elements of society through bureaucracy. A nation-state is only recognized when a nation of people forms its own country or state. Japan qualifies to be a nation-state (Chernilo, 2007). A nation state is highly politically oriented. Nation states refer to the political units comprised of national groups. A nation state also shows a highly centralized public administration. Traditionally, a nation state exists to ensure that there is a self- governing territory within a nation in an aim to attai n any power. For example, in Japan, the population is of Koreans and Chinese blood, but there is a recognized language and culture. This fact makes a nation-state more powerful and organized than a nation. A nation-state provides a political personification as well as wider scope of power. In a nutshell, a nation-state is a hybrid of a nation and a state (Teichova, 2003). On the other hand, a nation refers to a group of people who share similar demography and culture similar to those of a community, and are able to make independent political decisions. People within a nation just believe of its existence making it intangible. A nation has members who have a common identity that make them different from others. In some situations, the term nation is exclusively used to refer to ethnic grouping. Unlike a nation-state, a nation is a socio-cultural entity comprised of people sharing a common language and culture. An example of a nation is the Basque, which forms part of northern Spain a nd southern

Noise pollution in the ocean Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Noise pollution in the ocean - Research Paper Example Some of the marine life has been adversely affected by the increase in noise pollution in the oceans and their survival has been compromised. Most of the marine life species have evolved over the years to possess very acute hearing abilities which are affected by an increase in the noise under water. Naturally, most of the species in the oceans majorly depend on sound to detect danger and also to hunt for their food. Noise pollution masks the important sounds to the marine life and it also causes stress to the animals. This paper focuses on noise pollution in the ocean and addresses the three main animals that are affected and how humans contribute to the noise pollution in the ocean. The three main animals affected by noise pollution Cephalopods Giant squids are some of the ocean animals that are affected by noise pollution. The squids are injured by the noise and it could even lead to death if they are subjected to certain frequencies of sound for a long time. According to research ers who are set out to find out whether squids can hear, the results of their study showed that the sea animals can hear. Unlike humans, their hearing capability is limited to around 500 Hz. This means that the animals cannot perceive the high frequency sounds from animals like dolphin screeches. Recent study has revealed that Giant squids are affected by sound in the least expected way, which affects their balance. In the research experiment, the squids were placed in tanks and were then exposed to two straight hours sound at low frequency. The findings revealed that the animals suffered great damage to their statocyst tissue which is responsible for balance while navigating in the water. The exposure is traumatizing and the lesions in their statocysts get worse (Coghlan 15). There are many types of squids and they have many relatives in the Cephalopods groups of marine species. The Octopus is also in the group and it is also vulnerable to noise pollution. Octopuses have also been affected in a similar way as the Squids by the low frequency noise in the ocean (Heimbuch Para 8). Squids live in various parts of the sea, some may be found in the deep sea while others may be found at more shallow depths. Noise from the activities on the surface of the sea or in the deep sea during fishing done by humans is transferred very fast across the water and it can reach the animals at all depths. Cephalopods are therefore very vulnerable to trauma and damage from noise pollution that is on the increase in the ocean. Cephalopods like the Humboldt Squid have been one of the most adversely affected marine species by noise pollution in the ocean over the past decade. In 2004, thousands of the squids died and were washed to the coast in Oregon. In 2008, a similar case occurred in the same region (Mulvaney Para 1). At that time, the marine biologists had no idea what was causing the mysterious deaths on such a large number of squids. Biologists undertook a study on four species of squids to determine the damage caused by low frequency noise on the animals. After a short time of exposure to the noise, the biologists observed that the hair in the statocysts of the animals had experienced damages. The nerves in the statocysts later swelled and soon after, holes would form in the statocysts. The findings were very shocking since the sound used was very low in frequency and the biologists were worried that exposure to higher frequencies of noise to the squid would have worse effects on them. Whales

Samsung and theme park in Korea Essay Example for Free

Samsung and theme park in Korea Essay Title of the case: Samsung and theme park industry in Korea 1) â€Å"Is the Global theme parks industry an interesting industry to be in? † a) Rivalry among existing competitors Is the industry growing rapidly? Yes,because of the increasingly fierce competition and the maturity of the market. Concentration Do the 4 biggest players have together more than 80% of market share? Yes, because 4 biggest players which are The Walt Disney Company,Time Warner’s Six Flags Corporation, Paramount, Anheuser Busch and Cedar Fair have together more than 80% of market share. Diversity of competitors Are competitors all of approximately the same size? No,because it depends on the land size and different regions Are the competitors diversified rather specialized? Yes. Theme parks generally have a global theme to propose. Diversity of competitors were getting more intense. Product differentiation Are there significant product differences and brand identities between the competitors? Yes,there was a variety of parks and attractions, each with a different approach to drawing crowds and showing them a good time. That are Cultural and Education Parks; Outdoor Amusement Park; Theme Parks were generally family-oriented entertainment complexes that were built around a theme;Water Theme Parks. That means theme is equal to brand. Are products complex and do they require a detailed understanding on the part of customers? No, the rides and attraction are not require information. Would customers incur significant costs in switching to a competitor? No,ticket prices for consumers is very cheap. Excess capacity and exit barriers Is the industry with no intermittent over capacity? No. Important over capacity of extra staff during spring and summer Is it hard to get out this business because there are specialized skills and facilities or long term contract commitments? Yes, it is. Economies of scale and the ratio of fixed to variable costs. Are there economies of scale in this industry? Yes, the economies of scale and scope were significant in the industry. Increasingly, Parks got larger and longer to generate more operating revenue. Also, companies had multiple parks to take advantage of the learning curve effects in the management of theme parks and the increased economies of scope. Most of the operating expenses for theme parks (about 75 per cent) were for personnel. Are the fixed costs of the business a relatively low portion of total costs? No, because land development costs around 50% of investments and advertising campaigns around 10%. b) Threat of new entrants Capital requirements Is a lot of capital needed to enter the industry? Yes, because the theme park business required a large-scale initial investment, typically ranging from $50 million to $3 billion. Is equipment expensive to acquire / to serve? Yes, because land development costs, Amusement machinery costs, Working capital and Amusement equipment are all expensive to acquire. Economies of scale Do large firms have a cost or performance advantage in the industry? Yes, they have. Many parks periodically added new attractions or renovated existing ones to draw repeat customers. The parks typically reinvested much of their revenue for expansion or upgrading purposes. Absolute cost advantages (â€Å"first mover advantage†) Does experience help to continuously lower costs? Yes, because large firm such as Walt Disney Company, its financial profile was generally used to assess the return on investment within the industry. The revenues for the theme parks segment of the Walt Disney Company were at US$2. 042 billion in 1988 and grew to US$3. 4 billion in 1993. Operating income was pegged at US$565 million in 1988 and US$747 million in 1993. With this clarification,large firms has enough experience to help to continuously lower costs,most of revenue to be reinvest for expansion purposes. Does a newcomer have any problems in obtaining the necessary skilled people, materials or suppliers? Yes, they have. In some countries, where land was scarce, governments limited the area of the land that the developers could take up for theme parks. Park administration was dependent on the government for utilities such as power, gas and water. A typical period required for arranging government approval for a theme park could be as high as two to five years,depending on the country. Product differentiation Are there any proprietary product differences in the industry? Yes,because the theme park industry had three classes of inputs: the building and construction services that provided landscaping and architectural support; the hardware providers that supplied amusement machinery; and the software providers that supplied management know-how. Are there any established brand identities? Yes, because the park manager should work with tour operators and government tourist promotion boards to draw the tourist crowds to their parks. Theme parks spent about 10 per cent of their annual revenues for advertising. Radio, newspaper, yellow page (telephone book) advertisements, family and group discounts, and direct mail were the most common promotional methods. Do customers incur any significant costs in switching suppliers? No, because the customers dont care about the price. Access to channels of distribution Does a newcomer to the industry face difficulty in accessing distribution channels? Yes, because theme parks spent about 10 per cent of their annual revenues for advertising. Radio, newspaper, yellow page (telephone book) advertisements, family and group discounts, and direct mail were the most common promotional methods. Governmental and legal barriers Are there any license, insurance of qualification which are difficult to obtain? Yes, because the licence and insurance of qualification are all difficult to obtain, because government regulations were quite strict because of the extensive land use and security. Licensing requirements and methods of ascertaining operational expertise to ensure visitors’ safety varied from country to country. Retaliation Can a newcomer expect strong retaliation on entering the market? Yes, because the insurance premiums were extremely high in some parts of the world. Given the likelihood of accidents in the amusement parks and the possibility of serious injury, 100 per cent insurance coverage was a must in the industry. c) Threat of substitutes Has the customer no real substitutes? No, there are Various substitutes for customers : other modes of entertainment Propensity/willingness of buyers to substitutes Is the customer unlikely to substitute? No, customers can easily substitute, because they want to try something new, something different, cheaper, safer, better or more convenient. Will the customer incur costs in switching to a substitute? Yes, because they meet more complex needs. Free admission parks and beaches, camping trips, or even video-movies at home were competing options for leisure time. It means if customers have enough leisure time while the price is lower than theme park or have the same type of entertainment, they were probably change their mind. Price/performance characteristics of substitutes Have substitutes performance limitations which do not completely offset their lowest price or is the performance advantage of substitutes not justified by their higher price? Yes, It was the availability of leisure time and a high discretionary income that drove the commercial recreation industry. Like video-movies at home, customers cost little even though they cant go out for fun. Is it difficult to perceive performance differences between industry products and substitutes? No, because Theme Parks industry do not fit well with High tech image of Samsung. d) Bargaining power of buyers Buyers’price sensitivity 1) Importance of the item as a proportion of their total cost Are customers not highly sensitive to price? Yes, because in a good economy, customers do not have a great deal of bargaining power within the theme park industry. Although the entertainment facilities as a proportion of their total cost, customers just focus on the rides themselves,it shows that buyers’price sensitivity are not highly. 2) Level of differentiation Is the product unique to some degree or has accepted branding? Yes, like special simulators for amusement purposes using proprietary technology were being developed by technology-intensive companies. Does the customer face any significant costs in switching suppliers? No, because the customers are not affected by suppliers. 3) Level of competition between buyers Are customers’ businesses/activities/finance profitable? Yes, because to handle the admissions revenue a centralized ticket system was generally preferred. An all-inclusive admission price entitled customers to as many rides and shows as they desired. This approach led to longer stays at parks resulting in increased food and beverage sales. 4) Importance of the sold product to the quality of the buyer’s product/service Yes, successful park managers used extensive marketing research to understand their customers and also spent a lot of effort in promoting the park. To reach the diverse groups, parks emphasized increased beautification and the range of entertainment and food services offered. Relative bargaining power 1) Size and concentration of buyers relative to suppliers Is there a large number of buyers relative to the number of firms in the business? Yes, there are local families,children’s groups,the evening market,corporate groups and tourists. Is there a large number of customers, each with relatively small purchases? Yes, each customer just buy one ticket. 2)Buyer’s information Does the buyer need a lot of important information to properly buy? No, they dont need any information to buy a ticket. 3) Ability to enter the other party’ business through vertical integration Is there anything which prevents the customer from taking supplier’s function in-house? No, there isnt anything to prevent the customer from taking suppliers function in-house. e) Bargaining power of suppliers Sensitivity to suppliers’ price 1) Importance of the item as a proportion of total cost Have cost of purchases no significant influence on overall costs? No, significant for landscaping, machineries (hardware) and know-how (software). The amusement equipment required for the park was expensive, most of it going from $1 million to $50 million. The software charged huge licensing fees which were over 10 per cent of the revenues. 2) Level of differentiation Are inputs (materials, labor, supplies, services) standard, rather than unique and differentiated? Yes, because these inputs provided by the supplier that the value constitute a larger proportion in the total cost of the product of the buyers, that is to say bargaining power of suppliers will increases greatly. Is it possible to switch between suppliers quickly and cheaply? No, the amusement machinery industry had grown over the years. Because most of the large drives which has a solid market position, they have many buyers so that not controlled by the market competition of firms. 3) Level of competition between suppliers Are suppliers’ businesses profitable? Yes, because admission fees constituted over 60 per cent of the total revenues of a theme park, while the rest came primarily from food, beverage, and merchandise sales. 4) Importance of inputs to the quality of product/service Yes, because customers expect high level of quality along all areas of the theme park. Users also expect adventures and experiences in an artificial environment at a calculable risk. Relative bargaining power 1) Size and concentration of suppliers Are there many potential suppliers? No, like special simulators for amusement purposes using proprietary technology were being developed by technology-intensive companies such as Sega Japan and Simex Canada. Is there no major dominant supplier(s) ? Yes, the amusement machinery industry had grown over the years. Most of the large drives, such as the Hurricane or the Giant Wheel, were manufactured in Japan, Europe or the United States. 2)Information Is it easy to compare suppliers’ offer? Yes, because there were fewer than 10 suppliers who were capable of developing quality machinery, such as DOGO of Japan, HUSS of Germany, and ARROW of the United States. 3) Ability to enter the other party’ business through vertical integration Would it be easy to enter the business of suppliers? No,because most of these suppliers worked globally, and the machinery were custom designed and made to order to fit the particular market and environment conditions. Summary – Overall industry rating. Favorable Moderate Unfavorable Intensity of rivalry among competitors v Threat of entry v Threat of substitutes v Bargaining power of buyers v Bargaining power of suppliers v 2) â€Å"More specifically, will the idea of theme parks work in Korea ? † Yes, because there is an increase of Theme Parks demand in Korea that is creating a booming in leisure domains, leading to a potential very profitable if running in this business. The theme park industry was still in its early stages in Korea, and had a history of less than two decades. However, indications were that the industry was growing globally, with more players entering. Rivalry between established competitors the Korean market is becoming mature with 33% of worldwide Theme Parks are based in Asia. In Korea, around the Seoul area , there were six themes parks. The most notable player in these region are : Lotte World , Seoul Land and Yongin Farmland. Each of these firms offers theme parks with varying experiences, always trying to debut the newest and best experiences in order to stay ahead of one another. A great example of this can be seen by looking at these three major theme parks. New attraction and technology can attractive customers. Lotte World has a series of their own entertainment, Seoul Land is more of a entertainment place for short visit,Farmland planned to revamp its theme park with addition of the water park, a global fair and the expansion of the existing zoo. Every year new attractions, restaurants, entertainment, and hotel offerings are announced in order to influence people to attend the various parks. This rivalry also affects the profits of these theme parks as they typically see a good return on their investment year over year. Other forms of competition comes from free admission parks, beaches, camping trips. These are either free or cheaper than paying for a trip to the theme park. Threat of entry The threat of new entrants of theme park in Korea is particularly high. Theme parks around the world need a large scale initial investment from $50 million to $3 billion. Land development cost ,amusement machinery cost and working capital are the main component of the capital investment. Another reason is land use, Seoul where land is scare. The land requires for building or expanding a theme park normally involved considerable large land plot. The government often gives firms long periods of approval. Theme parks always have a large economic of scale in order to attract much more customers because of the rides and services which need satisfy customers demand. Threat of substitute Farmland plan to develop a resort town in Yongin with luxury hotels, golf courses and resort accommodations catering to customers with families and spend longer time in Farmland. The challenge for Farmland is finding ways to entice customers to spend their vacations with them as opposed to trips to the beach, admission parks, camping trips or staying at home and watch video-movies. Bargaining power of buyers In a good economy and during the holiday seasons, the buyer bargaining power is low where there are many patrons to the theme park. Since the Koreans do not have many vacation leave and Korea is a temperate country , the only time for Koreans to go out with their family will be during the mid –summer to mid autumn period. These will be the peak period for most of the theme parks and it is term the high seasonality. When the high seasonality period is over, the customer’s bargaining power will be high and the theme parks must start their promotional activities or special events to attract customers to visit the theme park. Bargaining power of suppliers the suppliers to the theme park industry have a lot of bargaining power. DOGO of Japan, HUSS of Germany and ARROW of the United States are just a few of the major companies who create the attractions found in most of the theme parks throughout the world. Every year,the IAAPA hosts a convention where the newest technology is put on display for the consumers (theme parks). In an effort to keep customers excited year after year, theme parks have the opportunity at this convention to see the newest technologies first hand and decide what to bring to their theme parks in the future. This can negatively affect the profit level of theme parks, however, as they bid against one another as they vie for the best technology, driving up the prices and reputation of the suppliers. 3) â€Å" Should Samsung invest in the proposed Master Plan ($300 million investment)? † Yes, but should be more because theme park developers chose land sites in a central area which was relatively expensive in Korea and several important criteria are missing in this plan to be complete and realistic. For example, the fact that Farmland is going to build new attraction and extend some others to make them more attractive is a point that required the whole advertising campaign to be reconsidered entirely, and also more impacting by focusing on all those novelties. This is an important operation that will raise a budget corresponding to more than 10% of the revenue in the group, plus other unexpected extra costs.

Book Review Of Star Wars: X-wing Rogue Squardron :: essays research papers

Book Review of Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squardron Dan Boughen 9A The title of the novel is Star Wars : X-Wing Rogue Squadron. The author's name is Michael A. Stackpole. The type of book is fantasy / adventure. Main Characters A) Corran Horn : Corran is a pilot in training for the Alliance or the Rebellion. He is the best rookie pilot on the Rogue Squadron. He is a silent person who does not like the social life but does like the spotlight once in a while. He was a CorSec security officer on the planet Correlia in his late teens'. B) Kirtan Loor : Kirtan is a cold, isolated man that lives on the planet of Churba. He is a high ranked officer for the Imperial Army. He later gets promoted to a commanding officer and sits on the right side of the head leader of intelligence for the Emperor. Setting : The setting first takes place in the Rebel's secret base. The setting then moves to a swamp planet by the name of Imdaar. The setting then moves to Imperial headquarters on the planet of Coruscant. Plot Summary : Corran and his new partners are given a limited amount of training time and are sent out on a mission in just weeks of forming the new Rogue Squadron X-wing fighter group. This book switches the first-person perspective between Corran and Kirtan Loor. While Corran and the Rogue Squadron are off fighting TIE fighters and Star Destroyers, Kirtan is hunting down information on the squadron and it's pilots. Personal Reaction : I found this book a little hard to read because of the long complicated sentences and the complex words Michael Stackpole chose for his book. I would say the reading level would probably be around grade 11 or 12 because of the intricate words and long sentences. I liked this book because it not only was exciting and kept me on the edge of my seat, but because of the easy to

Hallstead Jewelers

We see an increase in the break-even point, both in dollars and in sales tickets, from year 2003 to 2006. This increase is not as dramatic between the years 2003 and 2004 as it is between 2004 and 2006. The increase in break-even point in sales tickets is 1615,80 and 7623,90 respectively. The increase in the first year is due to the increase in fixed costs and also the decrease in sales. The increase between 2004-2006 is due to the dramatic increase of fixed costs because of the bigger store and higher rent and the decrease in contribution margin that is caused by the greater increase in variable costs than sales.The margin of safety on the other hand gradually decreased. The decrease between 2003-04 and 2004-06 are 20% and 47% respectively. The reason for that is the huge increase in break-even point between 2004 and 2006 and the decrease in sales for the years 2003-2004.If the company were to pursue that new idea, the net income of the company would increase to $917,01. The new bre ak-even point would be 9105,56 in sales tickets and $8.203,20 in dollar amount.Assuming that everything stays constant, because sales commissions are variable costs, if will increase the contribution margin per unit which will end up decreasing the break-even sales volume compared to 2006. The new break-even point would be 11 570,86 in sales tickets and $9487 in sales dollars.Because advertising is a fixed cost, an increase in advertising will cause an increase in break-even point. The new break-even point, everything else staying the same, would be 17 912,28 in sales tickets and $ 14.687,17 in sales dollars. Because the outcome of advertising is not certain, it carries a certain amount of risk. I would not recommend that the sisters try this because it is risky for the situation that they are in now.  The average sales ticket have to increase to $840 from $819 ($21 increase) to break-even if the fixed costs remained the same in 2007 as it was 2006.I would recommend the managers a t Hallstead Jewelers to go with the idea of the consultant, the %10 price reduction in order to increase the number of  people visiting the store. If everything goes according to the plan, they can have a profit of $900,90 and even if it doesn’t goes as smoothly as planned, this option has a 39% margin of safety, so it has a large portion of the break even sales to fall back on. Among the options given, this one is the safest and the one that will provide the highest profit.