Student English Text

6 1 A SHORT HISTORY OF WESTERN PAINTING Art is influenced by the customs and faith of a people. Styles in Western art have changed many times. As there are so many different styles of Western art, it would be impossible to describe all of them in such a short text. Consequently, this text will describe only the most important ones, starting from the sixth century AD. The Middle Ages (5th to the 15th century AD) During the Middle Ages, the main aim of painters was to represent religious themes. A conventional artist of this period was not interested in showing nature and people as they really were.A typical picture at this time was full of religious symbols, which created feeling of respect and love for God. But it was evident that ideas were changing in the 13th century when painters like Giotto di Bondone began to paint religious scenes in a more realistic way. The Renaissance (15th to 16th century) During the Renaissance, new ideas and values graduallv replaced those held in the M iddle Ages. People began to concentrate less on religious themes and adopt a more humanistic attitude to life. At the same time painters returned to classical Roman and Greek ideas about art. They tried to paint people and nature as they really were.Rich people wanted to possess their own paintings, so they could decorate their superb palaces and great houses. They paid famous artists to paint pictures of themselves, their houses and possessions as well as their activities and achievements. One of the most important discoveries during this period was how to draw things in perspective. This technique was first used by Masaccio in 1428. When people first saw his paintings, they were convinced that they were looking through a hole in a wall at a real scene. If the roles of perspective had not been discovered, no one would have been able to paint such realistic pictures.By coincidence, oil paints were also developed at this time, which made the colours used in paintings look richer and deeper. Without the new paints and the new technique, we would not be able to see the many great masterpieces for which this period is famous. Impressionism (late 19th to early 20th century) In the late 19th century, Europe changed a great deal. from a mostly agricultural society to a mostly industrial one. Many people moved from the countryside to the new cities. There were many new inventions and social changes. Naturally, these changes also led to new painting styles.Among the painters who broke away from the traditional style of painting were the Impressionists, who lived and worked in Paris. The Impressionists were the first painters to work outdoors. They were eager to show how light and shadow fell on objects at different times of day. However, because natural light changes so quickly, the Impressionists had to paint quickly. Their paintings were not as detailed as those of earlier painters. At first, many people disliked this style of painting and became very angr about it. They said that the painters were careless and their paintings were ridiculous. Modern Art (20th century to today)At the time they were created, the Impressionist paintings were controversial, but today they are accepted as the beginning of what we call â€Å"modem art†. This is because the Impressionists encouraged artists to look at their environment in new ways. There are scores of modern art styles, but without the Impressionists, many of these painting styles might not exist. On the one hand, some modem art is abstract; that is, the painter does not attempt to paint objects as we see them with our eyes, but instead concentrates on certain qualities of the object, using colour, line and shape to represent them.On the other hand, some paintings of modern art are so realistic that they look like photographs. These styles are so different. Who can predict what painting styles there will be in the future? Unit 3 A healthy life-Reading ADVICE FROM GRANDAD Dear James, It is a be autiful day here and I am sitting under the big tree at the end of the garden. I have just returned from a long bike ride to an old castle. It seems amazing that at my age I am still fit enough to cycle 20 kilometres in an afternoon. It's my birthday in two weeks time and I'll be 82 years old!I think my long and active life must be due to the healthy life I live. This brings me to the real reason for my letter, my dear grandson. Your mother tells me that you started smoking some time ago and now you are finding it difficult to give it up. Believe me, I know how easy it is to begin smoking and how tough it is to stop. You see, during adolescence I also smoked and became addicted to cigarettes. By the way, did you know that this is because you become addicted in three different ways? First, you can become physically addicted to nicotine, which is one of the hundreds of chemicals in cigarettes.This means that after a while your body becomes accustomed to having nicotine in it. So when the drug leaves your body, you get withdrawal symptoms. I remember feeling bad-tempered and sometimes even in pain. Secondly, you become addicted through habit. As you know, if you do the same thing over and over again, you begin to do it automatically. Lastly, you can become mentally addicted. I believed I was happier and more relaxed after having a cigarette, so I began to think that I could only feel good when I smoked. I was addicted in all three ways, so it was very difficult to quit.But I did finally manage. When I was young, I didn't know much about the harmful effects of smoking. I didn't know, for example, that it could do terrible damage to your heart and lungs or that it was more difficult for smoking couples to become pregnant. I certainly didn't know their babies may have a smaller birth weight or even be abnormal in some way. Neither did I know that my cigarette smoke could affect the health of non-smokers. However, what I did know was that my girlfriend thought I smel t terrible. She said my breath and clothes smelt, and that the ends of my fingers were turning yellow.She told me that she wouldn't go out with me again unless I stopped! I also noticed that I became breathless quickly, and that I wasn't enjoying sport as much. When I was taken off the school football team because I was unfit, I knew it was time to quit smoking. I am sending you some advice I found on the Internet. It might help you to stop and strengthen your resolve. I do hope so because I want you to live as long and healthy a life as I have. Love from Grandad Unit 5 The power of nature-Reading AN EXCITING JOB I have the greatest job in the world.I travel to unusual places and work alongside people from all over the world. Sometimes working outdoors, sometimes in an office, sometimes using scientific equipment and sometimes meeting local people and tourists, I am never bored. Although my job is occasionally dangerous, I don't mind because danger excites me and makes me feel alive . However, the most important thing about my job is that I help protect ordinary people from one of the most powerful forces on earth – the volcano. I was appointed as a volcanologist working for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) twenty years ago.My job is collecting information for a database about Mount Kilauea, which is one of the most active volcanoes in Hawaii. Having collected and evaluated the information, I help other scientists to predict where lava from the volcano will flow next and how fast. Our work has saved many lives because people in the path of the lava can be warned to leave their houses. Unfortunately, we cannot move their homes out of the way, and many houses have been covered with lava or burned to the ground. When boiling rock erupts from a volcano and crashes back to earth, it causes less damage than you might imagine.This is because no one lives near the top of Mount Kilauea, where the rocks fall. The lava that flows slowly like a wave down the m ountain causes far more damage because it buries everything in its path under the molten rock. However, the eruption itself is really exciting to watch and I shall never forget my first sight of one. It was in the second week after I arrived in Hawaii. Having worked hard all day, I went to bed early. I was fast asleep when suddenly my bed began shaking and I heard a strange sound, like a railway train passing my window. Having experienced quite a few earthquakes in Hawaii already, I didn't take much notice.I was about to go back to sleep when suddenly my bedroom became as bright as day. I ran out of the house into the back garden where I could see Mount Kilauea in the distance. There had been an eruption from the side of the mountain and red hot lava was fountaining hundreds of metres into the air. It was an absolutely fantastic sight. The day after this eruption I was lucky enough to have a much closer look at it. Two other scientists and I were driven up the mountain and dropped a s close as possible to the crater that had been formed during the eruption.Having earlier collected special clothes from the observatory, we put them on before we went any closer. All three of us looked like spacemen. We had white protective suits that covered our whole body, helmets, big boots and special gloves. It was not easy to walk in these suits, but we slowly made our way to the edge of the crater and looked down into the red, boiling centre. The other two climbed down into the crater to collect some lava for later study, but this being my first experience, I stayed at the top and watched them. Today, I am just as enthusiastic about my job as the day I first started.Having studied volcanoes now for many years, I am still amazed at their beauty as well as their potential to cause great damage. THE BEST OF MANHATTAN’S ART GALLERIES The Frick Collection (5th Avenue and E. 70th Street) Many art lovers would rather visit this small art gallery than any other in New York. H enry Clay Frick, a rich New Yorker, died in 1919, leaving his house, furniture and art collection to the American people. Frick had a preference for pre-twentieth century Western paintings, and these are well-represented in this excellent collection.You can also explore Frick's beautiful home and garden which are well worth a Visit. Guggenheim Museum(5th Avenue and 88th Street) This museum owns 5,000 superb modern paintings, sculptures and drawings. These art works are not all displayed at the same time. The exhibition is always changing. It will appeal to those who love Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings. The Guggenheim Museum building is also world-famous. When you walk into gallery, you feel as if you were inside a fragile, white seashell. The best way to see the paintings is to start from the top floor and walk down to the bottom.There are no stairs just a circular path. The museum also has an excellent restaurant. Metropolitan Museum of Art (5th Avenue and 82nd Stre et) The reputation of this museum lies in the variety of its art collection. This covers more than 5,000 years of civilization from many parts of the world, including America, Europe, China, Egypt, other African countries and South America. The museum displays more than just the visual delights of art. It introduces you to ancient ways of living. You can visit an Egyptian temple, a fragrant Ming garden, a typical room in an 18th century French house and many other special exhibitions.Museum of Modern Art (53rd Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues) It is amazing that so many great works of art from the late 19th century to the 21st century are housed in the same museum. The collection of Western art includes paintings by such famous artists as Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso and Matisse. A few words of warning: the admission price is not cheap and the museum is often very crowded. Whitney Museum of American Art (945 Madison Avenue, near 75th Street) The Whitney holds an excellent collection of contemporary American painting and sculpture.There are no permanent displays in this museum and exhibitions change all the time. Every two years, the Whitney holds a special exhibition of new art by living artists. The museum also shows videos and films by contemporary video artists. Suppose you were the president of a high school council and you received the letter below. It is from a group of students who would like to make their school more attractive. Read the letter and then use the outline on the next page to make notes for a report about the letter to the school council. Class 2A Seaforth High School Ramsay Rd Seaforth Mrs L Kroll President, Seaforth High School CouncilPO Box 235, Seaforth 12 May Dear Mrs Kroll, Lately our class has become worried about the environment at the back of the school, and we would like to do something to make it more attractive. We have done some research and have come up with a plan. With the help of our parents, we can do most of the work ours elves, but we will need a small amount of money for equipment, plants-and paint. I am writing to ask the council for permission to do this work and to ask if the school council could donate $500 towards our project. We would like to turn the empty land at the back of the school into a nature garden.We would plant trees and grasses, make paths through the garden and dig a small pond. We think this would provide a peaceful place for students and teachers to walk in. It would also attract birds, insects and small animals which students could then study in science classes. We would also like to paint the back wall of the school that faces the new garden. Some of our art classes could then paint a huge picture on it. It might be possible to paint over the wall each year so the next classes can make a new picture. Lastly, we would like to paint all the rubbish bins. At the moment they look old and the paint is coming off.If we paint them in bright, attractive colours, students might be mo re likely to use them. We think our plan would greatly improve the back of the school and everyone in the school would benefit. We have already asked our parents and they have promised to donate one weekend of their time to help us complete the project. We hope you will give us permission for this worthwhile project and will be able to donate the $500 we need. When we have finished the work, we hope the council will join us in a celebration morning tea so that the whole school can thank you. Yours sincerely, Jo Ryan (Class president)Reading and discussing Before you read the poster below, discuss what you know about HIV/AIDS with your classmates. Make a list of words that you might come across in this poster. HIV/AIDS:ARE YOU AT RISK? HIV is a virus. A virus is a very small living thing that causes disease. There are many different viruses, for example, the flu virus or the SARS virus. HIV weakens a person's immune system; that is, the part of the body that fights disease. You can h ave HIV in your blood for a long time, but eventually HIV will damage your immune system so much that you body can no longer fight disease.This stage of the illness is called AIDS. If you develop AIDS, your chances of survival are very small. HIV is spread through blood or the fluid that the body makes during sex. For a person to become infected, blood or sexual fluid that carries the virus, has to get inside the body through broken skin or by injection. One day scientists will find a cure for HIV/AIDS. Until that happens, you need to protect yourself. Here are some things you can do to make sure you stay safe. If you inject drugs: do not share your needle with anyone else. Blood from another person can stay on or in the needle.If a person has HIV and you use the same needle, you could inject the virus into your own blood. do not share anything else that a person has used while injecting drugs. Blood could have spilt on it. If you have sex with a male or a female: use a condom. This will prevent sexual fluid passing from one person to another. The following statements are NOT true. A person cannot get HIV the first time they have sex. WRONG. If one sexual partner has HIV, the other partner could become infected. You can tell by looking at someone whether or not they have HIV. WRONG. Many people carrying HIV look perfectly healthy.It is only when the disease has progressed to AIDS that a person begins to look sick. Only homosexuals get AIDS. WRONG. Anyone who has sex with a person infected with H1V/AIDS risks getting the virus. Women are slightly more likely to become infected than men. If you hug, touch or kiss someone with AIDS or visit them in their home, you will get HIV/AIDS. WRONG. You can only get the disease from blood or sexual fluid. Unfortunately, people with HIV sometimes lose their friends because of prejudice. Many people are afraid that they will get HIV/AIDS from those infected with HIV!AIDS. For the same reason, some AIDS patients cannot find a nyone to look after them when they are sick. You can get HIV/AIDS from mosquitoes. WRONG. There is no evidence of this. Before you read Tom's essay on environmental problems, glance at the title and pictures and predict the main idea of the essay. CLEAN UP YOUR BUTTS AND BAGS All sorts of items become litter, but two of the most common and most dangerous are cigarette butts and plastic bags. Litter is a big problem for our environment, but it is a problem that individuals can easily do something about.Not littering at all or cleaning up litter, such as cigarette butts and plastic bags, greatly improves the quality of our environment. Although cigarette butts are small, they are bad for the environment. Over 1,600 billion cigarettes are smoked each year in China and large quantities of the butts are thrown away. Worldwide, about 4. 5 trillion butts are littered every year. Apart from the fact that butts spoil the beauty of the environment, they contain some very toxic chemicals. Thes e find their way into the water supply where they decrease the quality of the water and endanger plants and animals that live there.Because there are so many butts and because they can take up to 5 years to break down, the toxic chemicals add up to a large amount. So, if people have to smoke, they should not throw away the butts but put them in the rubbish bin instead. Plastic bags are another common form of litter that is a danger to the environment. There are several reasons for this. They are made from oil and gas, which are non-renewable resources, ff they are not recycled, these resources are lost to us. In China, 2 billion plastic bags are used every day. An enormous number of these become litter.This is a huge problem because they last from 20 to 1,000 years in the environment. They float easily in air and water and travel long distances. They find their way to rivers, parks, beaches and oceans. Plastic bags kill up to one million seabirds, 100,000 sea mammals and countless f ish each year worldwide. When the animal dies and breaks down, the plastic bag can become free again to kill another animal. It is up to people not to let plastic bags become litter. It would be better if they used fewer and recycled them. Cleaning up your cigarette butts and plastic bags would improve the environment.The earth would be a better place because it would be less polluted. And we would know that we were doing something to look after our planet. However, I believe the best solution would be not to smoke or use plastic bags at all. THE EARTH IS BECOMING WARMER-BUT DOES IT MATTER? During the 20th century the temperature of the earth rose about one degree Fahrenheit. That probably does not seem much to you or me, but it is a rapid increase when compared to other natural changes. So how has this come about and does it matter? Earth Care’s Sophie Armstrong explores these questions.There is no doubt that the earth is becoming warmer (see Graph 1) and that it is human ac tivity that has caused this global warming rather than a random but natural phenomenon. All scientists subscribe to the view that the increase in the earth's temperature is due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and oil to produce energy. Some byproducts of this process are called â€Å"greenhouse† gases, the most important one of which is carbon dioxide. Dr Janice Foster explains: â€Å"There is a natural phenomenon that scientists call the ‘greenhouse effect'.This is when small amounts of gases in the atmosphere, like carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour, trap heat from the sun and therefore warm the earth. Without the ‘greenhouse effect', the earth would be about thirty-three degrees Celsius cooler than it is. So, we need those gases. The problem begins when we add huge quantities of extra carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It means that more heat energy tends to be trapped in the atmosphere causing the global temperature to go up. â₠¬  We know that the levels of carbon dioxide have increased greatly over the last 100 to 150 years.It was a scientist called Charles Keeling, who made accurate measurements of the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from 1957 to 1997. He found that between these years the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere went up from around 315 parts to around 370 parts per million (see Graph 2). All scientists accept this data. They also agree that it is the burning of more and more fossil fuels that has resulted in this increase in carbon dioxide. So how high will the temperature increase go? Dr Janice Foster says that over the next 100 years the amount of warming could be as low as 1 to 1. degrees Celsius, but it could be as high as 5 degrees. However, the attitude of scientists towards this rise is completely different. On the one hand, Dr Foster thinks that the trend which increases the temperature by 5 degrees would be a catastrophe. She says, â€Å"We can't predict the climate well e nough to know what to expect, but it could be very serious. † Others who agree with her think there may be a rise of several metres in the sea level, or predict severe storms, floods, droughts, famines, the spread of diseases and the disappearance of species.On the other hand, there are those, like George Hambley, who are opposed to this view, believe that we should not worry about high levels of carbon dioxide in the air. They predict that any warming will be mild with few bad environmental consequences. In fact, Hambley states, â€Å"More carbon dioxide is actually a positive thing. It will make plants grow quicker; crops will produce more; it will encourage a greater range of animals – all of which will make life for human beings better. † Greenhouse gases continue to build up in the atmosphere.Even if we start reducing the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, the climate is going to keep on warming for decades or centuries. No one knows the ef fects of global warming. Does that mean we should do nothing? Or, are the risks too great? WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING? Dear Earth Care, I am doing a project on behalf of my school about global warming. Sometimes I feel that individuals can have little effect on such huge environmental problems. However, 1 still think people should advocate improvements in the way we use energy today.As I'm not sure where to start with my project, I would appreciate any suggestions you may have. Thank you! Ouyang Guang Dear Ouyang Guang, There are many people who have a commitment like yours, but they do not believe they have the power to do anything to improve our environment. That is not true. Together, individuals can make a difference. We do not have to put up with pollution. The growth of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide in the air actually comes as a result of many things we do every day. Here are a few suggestions on how to reduce it. They should get you started with your project. W e use a lot of energy in our houses. It is OK to leave an electrical appliance on so long as you are using it – if not, turn it off! Do not be casual about this. So if you are not using the lights, the TV, the computer, and so on, turn them off. If you are cold, put on more clothes instead of turning up the heat. 2 Motor vehicles use a lot of energy- so walk or ride a bike if you can. 3 Recycle cans, bottles, plastic bags and newspapers if circumstances allow you to. It takes a lot of energy to make things from new materials, so, if you can, buy things made from recycled materials. Get your parents to buy things that are economical with energy – this includes cars as well as smaller things like fridges and microwaves. 5 Plant trees in your garden or your school yard, as they absorb carbon dioxide from the air and refresh your spirit when you look at them. 6 Finally and most importantly, be an educator. Talk with your family and friends about global warming and tell the m what you have learned. Remember – your contribution counts! Earth Care THE LRKE OF HERVEN Changbaishan is in Jilin Province, Northeast China. Much of this beautiful, mountainous area is thick forest .Changbaishan is China's largest nature reserve and it is kept in its natural state for the people of China and visitors from all over the world to enjoy. The height of the land varies from 700 metres above sea level to over 2,000 metres and is home to a great diversity of rare plants and animals. Among the rare animals are cranes, black bears, leopards and tigers. Many people come to Changbaishan to study its unique plants and animals. Others come to walk in the mountains, to see the spectacular waterfalls or to bathe in the hot water pools.However, the attraction that arouses the greatest appreciation in the reserve is Tianchi or the Lake of Heaven. Tianchi is a deep lake that has formed in the crater of a dead volcano on top of the mountain. The lake is 2,194 metres above sea level, and more than 200 metres deep. In winter the surface freezes over. It takes about an hour to climb from the end of the road to the top of the mountain. When you arrive you are rewarded not only with the sight of its clear waters, but also by the view of the other sixteen mountain peaks that surround Tianchi. There are many stories told about Tianchi.The most well-known concerns three young women from heaven. They were bathing in Tainchi when a bird flew above them and dropped a small fruit onto the dress of the youngest girl. When she picked up the fruit to smell it, it flew into her mouth. Having swallowed the fruit, the girl became pregnant and later gave birth to a handsome boy. It is said that this boy, who had a great gift for languages and persuasion, is the father of the Manchu people. If you are lucky enough to visit the Lake of Heaven with your loved one, don't forget to drop a coin into the clear blue water to guarantee your love will be as deep and lasting as the lake itself.Look at the title of the story and the picture below. Can you predict what the story is about? Then read the story quickly and see if you were right. TRAPPED BY THE FLOOD â€Å"It's not looking too good, darling. I think you'd better pack a few things and go to your mother's place. And you'd better take Rosie and Monty with you. † Putting down the phone, Sara sighed. Tomorrow was her husband Tony's birthday. She had planned to cook him a nice meal and then surprise him with the new mountain bike she'd bought for him. If she went to her mother's house, Tony wouldn't get his present for days.However, her mother's house was the best place to be right now. Being on higher land, it would be safe from the floods. It had been raining heavily for almost two weeks and the river near Sara and Tony's house was rising higher and higher all the time. Tony and others from the village had spent the last two days putting sandbags along the side of the river to stop it overflowing . Now they feared that their hard work had been useless and soon the whole valley would be flooded. Sara dressed baby James in warm clothes and collected the things she would need for him over the next few days.She put the lead on the dog and went in search of Monty, the cat. It took her a long time, but eventually she found him safe and warm under the covers on her bed. She placed him in his cat basket and took him into the kitchen where James and the dog, Rosie, waited. Just as she was reaching for the car keys, Sara heard a sound like the noise bath water makes when you pull out the plug. She looked at the back door. Water was flowing in underneath. Turning around she saw dirty brown water fountaining out of the drain and filling the sink. Quickly she put James into her backpack and pulled it onto her back.Calling to Rosie, she picked up the cat basket and ran to the front of the house and out into the front garden. The water was already up to her knees. Rosie was swimming beside her. Knowing the water would soon be much deeper, Sara ran to the car and opened the doors. She threw the cat basket onto the roof of the car and pushed Rosie up beside it. Using the car seat as a step she climbed first onto the front of the car and then onto the roof. James, sately attached to her back, made no sound at all. Sara stared down at the water which was rushing past the car. It was already half way up the doors, and still rising.

Discuss the social context that influences Othello’s labelling of Desdemona as that “cunning whore of Venice”

In Othello many issues are undertaken. According to the time that the play was written, men hold all the power and women are considered to be of low intellect. Throughout the play Desdemona is a symbol of innocence and helplessness. At first she appears to be mature and quite perceptive of events around her. Iago often tells Othello that she is unfaithful. It seems that she refuses to accept what is happening and her views are impartial. She has a tendency to be sympathetic towards other people's situations, like Cassio. This is what triggers Othello's jealousy when Iago pointed out they were speaking in privacy. She often pays attention to other peoples thoughts yet remains cynical if they differ to her own. She has a loyalty to her husband in all aspects of life, whether it is mental or physical. Othello shows us how a woman's character, reputation and power can be manipulated and distorted by men. The relationship between Desdemona and Othello is very peculiar, and would have been considered even more so at the time at which Shakespeare was writing, it therefore stands out in the play, not least because it is a mixed-race marriage but also because at the start of the play they appear to be on an equal standing, they have a mutual â€Å"respect† for one another. We are presented with a very powerful image of women at the start of the play; Desdemona has disobeyed her father and taken her chosen husband, although Desdemona does acknowledge that Othello is her â€Å"Lord† and that it is her â€Å"duty† to obey him. However, in that state, Desdemona does act as a dramatic device, bringing Othello into a domestic situation where he is inexperienced. This causes his obsession with Desdemona to grow because she has become his whole world; Iago finds it easy to manipulate this situation because Othello is unfamiliar to life only in the domestic side. Although Desdemona was rational in trusting, her trust was often misplaced, for example Iago. As well as this regardless of her intellect of what goes on around her in some cases, this was not enough to rise up in society, as women had no opinion in the time of the play. Although Shakespeare undertook many modern day ideas, he did not do this for a modern day society, as it would not have allowed so many events to occur, and it would not have been considered realistic by the public. When Othello talks of wooing Desdemona he is portrayed as an eloquent storyteller and lover: â€Å"She gave me for my pain a world of sighs. † It is through her relationship with Othello that his failure is shown not only by her spoilt opinion of him, he was previously an ideal to her, but by the end of the play she has realised that â€Å"men are not gods†, but also by Othello's swift dismissal of her as a â€Å"fair devil† and a â€Å"lewd minx† after his view of her where he would â€Å"deny her nothing† has been destroyed by Iago. The downfall of Othello is marked by the destruction of their once close and trusting relationship, which Iago has convinced Othello that it is a â€Å"foul disproportion. † Desdemona's physical and vocal absence from the opening scenes speaks about women's place in the Venetian society. It is through Desdemona's absence that we are able to conjure up our own mental image of her based on what we have heard.

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Report - Essay Example SWAT and Porter analysis demonstrates that the strategy of development adopted by the company for the next two decades is fully in line with the key strengths, opportunities, and competitive forces the Corporation is likely to face in the future. The Port of Brisbane Corporation is a Government Owned Corporation that manages and controls the operations of the third busiest container port in Australia. First small exports through Brisbane were made during the early years of European settlement, and only in the second half of the 19th century it emerged as the main commercial centre in Australia. During only 35 years from 1850 to 1885 net tonnage through Brisbane grew from 8,128 tons to 690,883 ton. In 1888 the Port started to trade frozen beef adding it to the dominant exports of coal and rural products (POB 2007). World War II became the next major milestone in the Port's development. Disruption of normal maintenance dredging activities made the main channel's depths unsuitable for further exploitation by 1949. Construction of Cairncross Dockyard to meet the demand for ship repair facilities was only the first step in the long series of developments in the Port. As a result, total tonnage through the port reached 2.6 million ton in 1961 (POB 2007). The 1960s were marked by two other developments that had essential impact on further operation of the Port. Firstly, the discovery of the Moonie oil fields led to construction of two large refineries at the mouth of the Brisbane River. Secondly, the growth of containerized exports led to a modification in cargo handling technology: the Brisbane's first container terminal was constructed in the Hamilton Reach of the river in 1969 (POB 2007). The Port of Brisbane Corporation was established as a statutory authority in 1976. In 1994 it was corporatized under the Government Owned Corporation (GOC) Act 1993, and on the 1st of July this year the Port of Brisbane Corporation changed from a statutory to a company GOC, listed with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Currently, the PBC is a publicly owned organization that operates on a commercial basis and in a competitive environment and manages Australia's fastest growing container port. The Corporation also leases and manages land for port-related purposes and maintains navigable access to the port for commercial shipping. Currently, the Port of Brisbane is the largest general cargo port in the region of Queensland. Annually, more than 2,600 ships exchange over 26 million tons of cargo over the Port's wharves. The exchange is expected to reach 50 million tons by 2025 (POB 2007). Factors of Success The progress made by the Port of Brisbane over less than a decade is impressive. Rapidly developing infrastructure of the Port provides effective transport networks, logistics options, and ensures convenient location of warehouses and other facilities. Currently, the Port's trade consists of a range of containerized, bulk and break-bulk cargoes: it leads the industry in beef and cotton exports holding approximately 50% of Australia's total market in this section (POB 2007). Financial

Doing Business in Russia Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Doing Business in Russia - Assignment Example Not since the days of Peter the Great has Russia seen such limitless potential for businesses seeking to gain opportunities; however, this is not to say that entering Russian markets is an easy, or that success is a foregone conclusion. Being able to properly discuss doing business in Russia first requires an understanding of the Russian business environment, which is one that is highly unique given the massive political, social, and economic changes the nation has undergone as a result of the shift away from Communism. Especially in the cities of the nation, there has emerged a significant population of consumers who are eager to experience products from other parts of the world. This is made especially relevant due to the fact that the nation has likewise undergone an economic resurgence and a cultural renaissance. All of these factors have made Russia more attractive to potential investors who appear to be impressed by what is taking place within Russia itself. This is not to say, however, that carte blanche business involvement in Russia is a possibility for every company wishing to do so. Rather, there are important concepts for companies to understand before getting involved in Russia (Bergman, et al, nd).: Collectivism- Dating back to the days when Russian peasants gathered together for the purposes of farming and producing goods together, collectivism still exists in Russia to a large extent, creating a sort of group mindset for consumers, posing a particular challenge for businesses entering the Russian business sector. Egalitarianism- What is meant by egalitarianism in this context is yet another concept dating back to the communist days of Russia, when the removal of inequality was endorsed in favor of an equal distribution of all that society had to offer, which usually leads to traditional Russian business negotiations being considered as a group effort, with all sharing in the benefits of the particular business operations. Dusha- This is a somewhat mysterious force within Russian society, referring to the collective spirit and belief sets of the Russian people. However, for anyone doing business in Russia, a fundamental understanding of this concept is extremely critical. It must also be understood that, as a note of caution, there were previous attempts to open up Russian borders to outside business interests, which was essentially thwarted by the inability of the government under Mikhail Gorbachev to remedy issues of business productivity, product availability, personnel and marketing (Owen, 1995) although admittedly, these problems most likely occurred because this Russian business effort was an internal, homegrown effort which did not make a lot of sense given the inherent lack of business acumen of the level that a recently opened economy like that of Russia would demand. A Rising Opportunity: Russia's Oil Market When thinking of the most readily available and productive oil fields in the world, images of the riches and potential of the Middle East typically come to mind; however, what many fail to realize is the past of Russia's oil industry, as well as its fascinatingly lucrative potential for the future. Following suit of other Russian businesses over the years, the Russian oil industry has risen to impressive heights

Production Efficiency under the impact of Employee Training Research Proposal

Production Efficiency under the impact of Employee Training - Research Proposal Example Researches reveal that production efficiency (referred to as efficiency further on in this assignment), is significantly influenced by the variation in employee training, attitudes, and wages that employees receive. Conveniently concluding the discussion, as analyzed from the various literatures, it will not be wrong to suggest that: Over the years, researches reveal that these variables though are effective in enhancing the production efficiency, but each has a particular threshold level, beyond which, the concepts of diminishing returns start taking over. As this literature review moves on, it can be seen how valid this argument is prior to proceeding with the primary research about the same. It is worth mentioning here that the three impacts under consideration have been title of various human resource management books, which goes to show the depth of matter available on these; however, this research, due to constraints of time and other resources, has tried to gather a crux of these literatures.   2.2 Impact of Employee Training on Production Efficiency abc   2.3 Impact of Employee Attitude on Production Efficiencyabc 2.4 Impact of Employee Wages on Production Efficiencyabc   

Collective Behavior and Social Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Collective Behavior and Social Change - Essay Example So, if a business company decides to modernize, interested community of people who are apt to get a job in the same company must gain the formal education as a credential fit for the jobs available. Conversely, some ideological link may hamper a society to adapt fully to innovations. For example, the use of internet has limitations to some sectors because of religious convictions in terms of moral standards. But, most schools today encourage students to utilize information technology to help them facilitate learning. As in the past, educational institutions were exclusive, either for whites only or for blacks only. Today, most schools no longer recognize race and color. (479-481) 3. Switch over of ideas, barter of technologies, and exchange of people, allows the flow of knowledge, technology, and people into many varied directions bringing about awareness, education and eventual social change after people realize the benefits of what had just been learned. (482) 4. Crowds are swarm of people gathered in a milieu as commonplace bystanders, usual spectators, but, can also be active partakers as in theatrical presentations, and expressive participants as in religious rites. This throng of people does not necessarily interact for deeper interpersonal relationships. Conversely, all these kinds of crowds taken together compose the aggregate group. (Scribd chapter7) 5. Bell-bottom blue-jeans were actually in for sometimes, replacing tight-fitting cowboy look. Living in one's own home also became a fad because in economics reality, it is not categorized as consumption, but, an investment which most people did not understand, but went with the crowd because it was the style. 6. Universally, people panic upon hearing news of an upcoming danger to human properties and lives like storm, fire, volcanic eruptions, war, foreclosures, bankruptcies, outbreak of infectious diseases etc. which are all beyond normal living conditions, and this is the usual reaction of an active kind of crowd. (484) 7. Leaders in social movements are the polarizing factors. They are usually persuasive and fluent at crafting a united stand, and clever at convincing people to supply time, money, place, etc, for the cause. (Chapter 18 491) 8. Relative deprivation theory means that the deficiency in life of people within a society is calculated from end to end evaluation of similarities and differences of lives and living conditions within the same society (Chapter 18 490). But, apparently, not every member of social movements is motivated by the same mental attitude because of individual differences which may be contributed by family backgrounds, education, and social exposures. 9. Reactionary social movements cling to what went before the present generation. They may be called the traditionalists who intend to keep white supremacy over everything considering the applicability of old cultural beliefs and idiosyncrasy. Conversely, the conservative social movements intend to preserve the current practices and strive to resists growth and developments (Chapter 18 491). 10. Arrays of civil rights movements come and go. Usually, they start conglomerating because of a prevailing problem which does not have a solution in sight. Then they band together and elect a polarizing individual to solidify their stand on the perceived

Position Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Position Analysis - Essay Example In addition, when children get access to guns, it is dangerous in that during their playtime, and they might end up killing others thinking that they are just playing Gun control is ineffective in reducing crime. Research has countless times revealed through their historical, econometric, and criminological studies that gun control does not reduce crime, yet the advocates of gun control fail to recognize these results. Instances of youth brutality utilizing weapons were pointedly expanding. This exploration presumed that between 1985-1998 instances of youth brutality expanded by 154%. Weapon control by age is very important since people in this age tend to be very violent and aggressive. This is attributed to early onset of forceful youth practices and poor child rearing as a percentage of the explanations behind expanded youth wrongdoings. Specifically, the events of the Aurora, Colorado Theater shooting alongside the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre have galvanized public opinion on both sides of the issue (Agresti and Reid, n.p). The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution sought to convey individual gun rights to the citizen. Although the law has long been interpreted to mean just this, the fact of the matter is that when one reads the Second Amendment from a literalist perspective. It is quite clear that the Second Amendment is speaking to the needs of the states and individual regions of the newly formed United States to form a militia as a means of protecting the Republic. In such a way, the Second Amendment can and should be interpreted as little more than admission from the Federal government that it promises not to infringe upon the rights of the militias (National Guard and Army Reserves) to maintain a stock of weaponry for the purpose of defense and securing the borders of the new nation. This particular argument hinges upon interpretation of

Online E-Petition System Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Online E-Petition System - Literature review Example As such, in the midst of various possibilities of providing formal online participations platforms for citizens, e-petition systems have been considered as being official and fully operational online democracy activity for parliaments and governments, as well as for non-governmental institutions across the globe. The first of its kind was done in 2000 by the Scottish government; it was apparently the first online petition or e-petition system to be established anywhere in the world by an elected parliament (Susha and Gronlund, 2012; Medaglia, 2012). This was followed in 2002 by the Parliament of Queensland, which also designed and developed its own e-petition system. The Bundestag, German’s Federal Parliament also followed suit and has been, since 2005, operating an e-petition system that is more similar to the one established by the Scottish parliament. Not only parliaments followed this path, governments and other non-governmental institutions also followed this path; for in stance, the office of the British Prime Minister in 2006 launched an e-petition system dubbed the British Prime Minister’s e-petition system (Ralf Lindner and Ulrich Riehm, 2009; Beddie et al., 2001). In comparison to other forms of formal, codified, and institutionalized online political participation, which are albeit less advanced, e-petitions which have a quite impressive uptake by a number of public institutions still remains more an experimental concept; limited to very specific purposes (Taylor-Smith and Buckner, 2009). For instance, online voting, a form of online participation in referenda and general elections has been introduced in various jurisdictions across the globe; however, most governments eventually have refrained from these online political participation systems because of unresolved legal, technical, and political challenges (Kriplean et al., 2009; BÃ ¶hle and Ulrich Riehm, 2013). In the US, as well as in many jurisdictions throughout

Annotated bibliography for analyzing a concept paper

For analyzing a concept paper - Annotated Bibliography Example as many other books or literatures on this topic do not explore real time analysis as this one, in fact, most of them only explore the relationship between PTSD and the patterns of texts in archived documents. The author addresses a wide audience because apart from addressing the psychologist alone, it can also be used by the parents and family for the participants. This is made easy by the inclusion of sample system architecture and implementation that can be used as an early screening tool for information on the participants that require close follow up. The book is also current with the official release date being April 2012 and all the authors are professionals with wide experience in computer science. Therefore, their work would be recommendable when used as a scholarly source. This book looks into the lives of clinicians who attend to trauma survivors. The book further explains how in the course of treatment to these survivors it has been established that an emotional intensity and stress levels from the survivors affects this clinicians as they listen to their stories. The authors further explain that with respect to posttraumatic therapy, there are very few experiential studies relating to pervasiveness, dynamics and personality of the mental health expert’s empathic stress reactions related to exposure to trauma survivors. The authors Wilson and Thomas carryout a study and provide data for effective management in a move to help those that are affected by empathic strain from their professions. The authors both having attained PhD levels in their studies can be viewed as of qualified opinion and, therefore, making their work credible for use in scholarly research work. Though the book was written in 2004, it cannot be termed as outdated since the information offered is still current and widely practiced. The book although not biased tends to touch on cases of severe trauma and graphic descriptions related to war crimes and torture. Therefore, it is not

Effective Career Management and Planning Essay Example for Free

Effective Career Management and Planning Essay For individuals career management is one of the important tasks which should be arranged in order for theme to be employable, and successful in their work and life. This essay introduces terms career management, career planning and explain how these two tasks are linked together. Subsequently it also explain how to effectively manage careers. Lastly conclusion and explanation will be given on who is responsible for managing careers, as well as who should plan individuals career to improve effectiveness. There is many ways to describe career management. As it is described by American Management Association it is a cycle of events that enables individuals and companies to achieve their goals (HR Focus 1999). Good management of careers would preferably put employees in most profitable and competitive situation for the businesses, at the same time employees are required to understand what skills will help them to improve and develop in order to achieve rewards from work and personal life. There are two different career managements: organizational and individual (De Vos, A et. all 2008). Organizational career management is set to improve workers effectiveness, this is achieved by findings what workers want and helping them in achieving the goals, at the same time selecting the employees who deserve opportunities the most, in order to motivate them. Individual career management is effort which individual puts to improve career aspiration, it is also very important that employees, while satisfying their personal goals, also satisfy the goals of the organisation. In changing economy of 21st century, people are not able to remain in only one job for the duration of their life. As Handy (1976) said traditional careers are not compatible with new organisation structures. It is also proven by Guest and Mackenzie (2006) that the number of the opportunities of work promotion decreased which would make it more difficult for the employees to move up the ladder in their organisation (Newell 2000). Due to the changes in the organisations, and the fact that employees are not able to work for one employer for the duration of their career, puts more responsibilities for managing careers on the employees themselves in order to achieve their life ambitions. Career management in today’s world requires people to learn continuously for the duration of their career due to increasing amount of technology being used in day to day work. To be competitive in the work, employees have to be current with new technologies and skills, which will increase their employability. Another very important skills employees have to develop are relationships with colleagues and competitors, which will help in observation how the industry is changing, to be modern and competitive in the workplace. Psychological contract is a mutual obligation of employees and employers, this obligation can include promises and expectation from both parties of the contract. Over the years Psychological contract has changed dramatically due to changes in the economy. Psychological contract no longer gives job security, and mainly focuses on short term financial relationship (Atkinson, 2002). These changes put more responsibilities on employees and demand from them to be highly skilled, and marketable. Career planning is a part of career management which consist of activities which lead to achieving career goals, as well as finding their strength and weaknesses (Orpen 1994). Tasks are associated with exploring people’s interests and abilities; it also should include identifying new skills people want to develop. Career planning also involves drawing action plans and making sure the plans are realistic. Planning is one of the tasks which are compulsory to remain employed and competitive in employment market. Planning of career must include variety of strategies carried out in order for the individual to be successful. In order to develop a career plan individual have to go through four steps: self assessment which helps people identify their skills and qualities, research which is design to introduce individual to job from inside, decision making requires individual to choose one of the options available, and lastly taking actions such as looking for jobs as well as keeping in touch with the people in the field (Zigelstain, T). Each of these steps is design to help individual find his ideal career based on skills and attributes of individual. Research conducted by Orpen (1994) shows that the employees who plan and use different tactics are more successful in their careers even if the tactics do not work. The responsibility of managing and planning the careers for individuals lies between the employers and employees, mainly because employment is seen as a relationship between these two parties. It is very important that there are different tasks assign to this two parties in order for them to work effectively. Then again career management on the organization side helps empl oyee become more successful, encourages workers to identify what they want, it also support self-development (Barnet Bradley 2007). Involvement of the organisation in career management brings confidence to an employee which makes them feel their careers are better. Taking in the account the fact that in today’s world people will frequently change jobs- as indicated by Bureau of Labour Statistics 64% of individuals change job between 5 to 14 times in their life (Loretto 2010)- responsibility of managing career is principally placed on the individuals themselves. In the conclusion it is vital to saying that the career management and planning is very important in individuals’ career. Tasks associated with planning and managing help people to uncover their skills and attributes which then can be used in their career. Managing careers is broadly responsibility of employees, but in order for the employees to take the right steps in managing the career help from employers in form of various activities is needed. If the help from the organizations is not significant there will be only little progress made in managing the careers (Newell 2000). At the same time due to changes in economy and organizations themselves people have to take control in planning and managing their careers on their own in order to make career effective and gain benefits as well as satisfaction from work and personal life. Without participation in the tasks associated with planning and managing careers individuals will find it very difficult to find the precise occupation in which they will feel comfortable. Concurrently share responsibility of career management improves performance as well as increases benefit for organization and individuals. There will be help available from your employer in managing and planning career but before individual or graduates get job they should take control of their career and life.

Basic Laboratory Techniques Dilutions

Basic Laboratory Techniques Dilutions Dilution is a process of making a weaker or a less concentrated solution. Substances which are highly concentrated can be problematic to carry out tests. For instance, when a blood sample is placed on a slide it would be difficult to count cells due to overlapping. As a result dilutions are carried out so that the cells will be more spread. Moreover a large amount of reagent would be needed to react with a highly concentrated substance. This is inadequate since large amounts of reagent would be wasted. In addition it is impractical to use large volumes of substances example buffers. Generally a concentrated form is present and then the necessary dilutions are made for different tests. A manual of how the dilutions are made is typically present with the reagent. Adequate apparatus must be used for dilutions. Basically, there are two types of dilutions. One, where the final specific concentration only is significant and the other where both the final volume and concentration are significant. Dilution symbols are significant. 1/10 refers to 1ml sample with 9mls diluents for a total volume of 10mls. This is the same as 1+9. 1:10 refers to 1ml sample with 10mls diluents for a total volume of 11mls. This is the same as 1+10. Serial dilution is a method used to dilute a substance into solution stepwise with a constant dilution factor in each step. The dilution factor is the volume of stock / total volume. The first step in making a serial dilution is to take a known volume (example 1ml) of stock i.e. the original sample and place it into a known volume of water (example 9ml). This produces 10ml of dilute solution. The dilute solution has 1ml of original sample / 10ml. The technique used to make a single dilution is repeated using the previous dilute solution. At each step, 1ml of the previous dilution is added to 9ml of distilled water. This is repeated sequentially until the required dilution is achieved. The volumes of substances used vary accordingly. During dilutions it is essential to pipette the larger volume first and then the smaller volume. Diagram of how serial dilutions are made: Rule : Original concentration = New concentration Dilution factor Since the dilution-fold is the same in each step, the dilutions are a geometric series i.e a constant ratio. Example: 1/3, 1/9, 1/27, 1/81. Each dilution is a three-fold. A two-fold and a five-fold also exist where it is multiplied by 1/2 and 1/5 respectively. Serial dilutions are principal for several situations. In the lab there are a number of volumetric flasks however there is not a lot of 1000ml flasks. Hence serial dilutions are the only way to get the desired concentration. Serial dilutions are essentially used for calibration curves to ensure the accuracy of the measurements. This is useful since if a minor mistake is done, it is not noticed since the mistake will be repeated in all the dilutions and as a result there will be no effect. Furthermore serial dilutions are used for antibody titres. A test can be quantitative example the concentration of glucose in blood is 6 or qualitative if the test is positive or negative example when testing for the human immunodeficiency virus if it is present in the blood sample, the result is either positive or negative. However there is another test known as the semi-quantitative test where the result is neither numerical nor positive or negative. When serial dilutions are carried out, the resu lt can be that the antibody titre is positive up to 1/320. It shows that the patient is immune up to a certain limit. This is often used to monitor treatment. Six test-tubes were placed in a rack. To the first tube 500Â µl of water were added. To each of the remaining tubes 100Â µl of water were added. 20Â µl of solution B were added were transferred to tube 1 and mixed well. 100Â µl of tube one were transferred to tube 2 and mixed well. 100Â µl of the contents of tube 2 were transferred to tube 3, and the procedure was repeated for the remaining tubes. The dilution of the serum in tube 6 is 1/832 since the dilution of tube 1 is 20/520 = 1/26. The dilutions are 2-fold. As a result 1/26 x 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 = 1/832

Personal Narrative - Marching Band Competition :: Personal Narrative Essays

Personal Narrative- Marching Band Competition This season was only the second year that I had been in marching band, even though we did do parades in middle school. The year before, I was selected to be drum major of the upcoming marching season. I was excited to meet the challenge of getting back to the state championships. It was also nerve-racking because I felt if we didn't make it to state, it would be my fault. To be truthful, later on I experienced both sentiments from some of the most influential, heart-warming, absolutely awesome friends that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. This would be the year that our band would adopt its slogan, its mission statement: Band #1. Two weeks before school even started, the Hotchkiss High School Marching Band began its march to the state-qualifying competition in Delta. We worked four hours a day for five days, getting our fundamentals going and getting a feel for our new show. Once school did start, we started practice at 7:00 a.m. and went for two hours every day, working on music and marching. Our band was once again small (eighteen people!), but our sound was great. It was actually easier trying to teach a smaller group because of the difficulty of the moves we were attempting. Of course, I didn't help matters much by my trials of congeniality with the podium. I figured if I didn't fly off with flapping of my arms, then surely I would walk right off the stand. The season shuffled along with surprising ease. By this time we had learned all of the show and were weeding it out to make it perfect. While fulfilling the amount of work needed to create a spectacular performance, we had a little fun in Fort Collins at the CSU Band Day. Along with the CSU Marching Band, our band learned their marching songs and sets and performed a show for a crowd of over 15,000 people! This fun could only last so long, however, and so the Hotchkiss High School Marching Band prepared for Grand Junction band day. We traversed the sixty miles down to the city in which we would compete. The day became toasty as it was still the start of October. Despite the heat, the parade amazingly stayed together and field show brought a tear to our director's eye. She promptly let us know, though, that it would take more next time-we knew it would, too.

Where Does Law Come From? Essay -- The Origin of Law

Where does law come from? Law has been defined in many ways by various leaders and thinkers but there is no universal definition. There are numerous sources and the English legal system adopts the rules derived from these various sources to form the English law. Sources of law include common law and equity, legislation, and international conventions such as the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). It must be noted that customs or constitutional conventions are not law. It is a common misconception that customs or conventions are law. The judiciary have repeatedly held that conventions are not law and thus are not binding. The case of Attorney General v Jonathan Cape Ltd aptly demonstrated this point as the court held that the convention of Parliamentary confidentiality is only a convention and does not carry any legal weight. Nevertheless, it is essential to understand what, and how, are sources of law created and what possible dangers may arise from these sources. Common Law Common law first came about during the reign of William the Conqueror who created a common set of laws which was binding on all in the land. In the 15th century, the Chancellor was given the responsibility of deciding cases and he subsequently created his own court, the Court of Chancery which decided cases based on equity. As a result of the Judicature Act 1873, common law and equity were merged into the same courts to ensure that one enhances, instead of opposing, the other. Consequently, the only distinction between common law and equity is the remedies available to litigants. Today, common law is regarded as case laws which are decisions made by judges in cases. Common law is operated on two concepts of equal importance, namely the do... ...e Human Rights Act 1998 Third Edition, 2006 Articles T.H.Bingham ,’The European Convention on Human Rights: Time to Incorporate’ (1993) L.Q.R. 390 Table of cases A-G v Jonathan Cape Ltd [1976] QB 752 Fitzpatrick v Sterling Housing Association Ltd [1999] 4 All ER 705 Miliangos v George Frank (Textiles) Ltd [1975] 3 WLR 758 R v Goldstein, R v Rimmington [2005] UKHL 63 R v R [1991] 4All ER 481 Royal College of Nursing v Department of Health and Social Security [1981] 2 WLR 279,CA Table of statutes and other instruments Statutes: Abortion Act 1967 c87 European Communities Act c68 Human Rights Act 1998 c42 Interpretation Act 1978 c30 Judicature Act 1873 c66 Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006 c51 Parliament Act 1949 c103 Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 c23 European Legislation: European Convention of Human Rights (1951)

Presidential Election 2000 :: essays research papers

Presidential Campaign 2000 In the presidential campaign for the year 2000, there are a small number of men running for the spot, and all these men have different opinions on different issues. In this paper, some of the issues and opinions of Ralph Nader from the Green Party, Al Gore from the Democratic Party and Republican George W. Bush have been highlighted. To start off, the issue of Abortion is big these days. Do we let women do it or not? Democratic Candidate Al Gore personally opposes abortion, but thinks that it is up to the woman if she wants to abort her baby. Al Gore does not think that it is the governments right to tell women what they can and cannot do about it. "You're not going to stop abortions," Gore said. Unlike Gore, Republican Candidate George W. Bush is pro life with the exception of baby by rape, incest and the life of the mother. He has set the goal that all children should be welcomed in life and protected by law. Bush supports efforts to increase adoptions and opposes it and calls it â€Å"doctor assisted suicide†. He believes the role of a doctor is to relieve pain and suffering, not to end life. Green Party Candidate Ralph Nader says that his run doesn’t affect abortion rights, and that â€Å"we should work toward preventing the necessity of abortion†. He vaguely says that he thinks that women should privately decide to use RU-486 if they want to and that the government should not decide for them. My view on abortion is that it is up to the mother whether she wants to do it or not. It all depends on the situation. I think that if the baby is conceived due to rape or incest, then it is ok to abort it, but if the baby is made due to carelessness, then it is the parents’ responsibility to take care of it. Adoption is always an option. The next issue is gun control in the United States. Vice President Al Gore is for gun control. He thinks that we should focus on gun safety, not hunters & sportsmen and that we should restrict guns from wrong hands, not sportsmen & homeowners. He thinks that there should be gun licensing by states, but no registration and that there should be no special lawsuit protection for gun makers. Gore wants mandatory background checks before the gun is sold and child safety locks. Presidential Election 2000 :: essays research papers Presidential Campaign 2000 In the presidential campaign for the year 2000, there are a small number of men running for the spot, and all these men have different opinions on different issues. In this paper, some of the issues and opinions of Ralph Nader from the Green Party, Al Gore from the Democratic Party and Republican George W. Bush have been highlighted. To start off, the issue of Abortion is big these days. Do we let women do it or not? Democratic Candidate Al Gore personally opposes abortion, but thinks that it is up to the woman if she wants to abort her baby. Al Gore does not think that it is the governments right to tell women what they can and cannot do about it. "You're not going to stop abortions," Gore said. Unlike Gore, Republican Candidate George W. Bush is pro life with the exception of baby by rape, incest and the life of the mother. He has set the goal that all children should be welcomed in life and protected by law. Bush supports efforts to increase adoptions and opposes it and calls it â€Å"doctor assisted suicide†. He believes the role of a doctor is to relieve pain and suffering, not to end life. Green Party Candidate Ralph Nader says that his run doesn’t affect abortion rights, and that â€Å"we should work toward preventing the necessity of abortion†. He vaguely says that he thinks that women should privately decide to use RU-486 if they want to and that the government should not decide for them. My view on abortion is that it is up to the mother whether she wants to do it or not. It all depends on the situation. I think that if the baby is conceived due to rape or incest, then it is ok to abort it, but if the baby is made due to carelessness, then it is the parents’ responsibility to take care of it. Adoption is always an option. The next issue is gun control in the United States. Vice President Al Gore is for gun control. He thinks that we should focus on gun safety, not hunters & sportsmen and that we should restrict guns from wrong hands, not sportsmen & homeowners. He thinks that there should be gun licensing by states, but no registration and that there should be no special lawsuit protection for gun makers. Gore wants mandatory background checks before the gun is sold and child safety locks.

How Did the Constitution Guard Against Tyranny? Essay

How come no one could take over the government. The Constitution (document-based question – DBQ)  was written in 1787 in Philadelphia. A Constitution tells how the government is going to work. How did the writers of the Constitution keep person or a group of people from getting too much power? A tyranny is a power held by I person or group of people. The Constitution guarded against tyranny in several ways which were federalism, separation of power, check and balances, and small and large states. How Does Federalism Guard Against Tyranny The ï ¬ rst guard against tyranny was Federalism which means the central and state government examples. Both government has the power to tax and laws or enforce laws. The central government can provide an army, but the state government can establish school. Federalism protects against tyranny because the state and national governments have powers so no one become too powerful. It helps them work together. A second guard against tyranny was separation of power which means divided the government in to three branches. In order to not have a tyranny, you must separate the department of power. Each branch is need to make a decision Judicial Power is vetted in the supreme court goose to the president. Separation of Power protects tyranny because they could over power the president. The third guard against tyranny was check and balances which means that each branch is able to check up on the other branches. They want to keep the central government branches working together because they need each other. The 3 branches working cycle they all can do things they must all agree. Check and balances protects against tyranny because by having each branch check up on each other no one branch can over power the other. The fourth guard against tyranny was the issue of small and large state which means making everything fair for all states. The large state favor the H, of rep because they have a large population and small state has a favor the senate. The House of Representatives is based on population and each has 2 senators. The issue of small and large state protects against tyranny because the congress is far for both large and small states because they need each other to make a decision. In conclusion, federalism, separation of powers, check and balances, and issue of small and large states helped to guard against tyranny in the U.S. government. For example, the government is divided into 3 branches which are fair and equal. It is important to understand, to know that our constitution protect us from somebody taking over states. I think that is important today because in my future IÊ ¼ll be able to achieve my goals. Works Cited Brady, Charles, and Philip Roden. Mini-Qs in American History. Evanston, IL, The DBQ Project, 2009. â€Å"Selected Works on Tyranny.† Constitution Society Home Page, www.constitution.org/tyranny.htm. Seppa, Nathan. â€Å"Meeting Notes: Multivitamins Don’t Guard against Heart Attack.† Science News, vol. 182, no. 12, 2012, pp. 9–9.

How Accurate Is It to Say That the Black Power Movements Essay

In some ways I agree that the Black power Movements of the 1960’s achieved nothing for the Black people because by 1968 little had changed, and it is therefore easy to claim that Black Power movements achieved nothing, and in fact had a negative impact on black Americans. However in some ways I disagree because the Black Power movements in the early 1960s coincided with the peak of success for the Civil Rights campaign such as the freedom cities of 1966 or the Free D. C. movement. Firstly I agree that the Black Power Movements achieved nothing for Black people relations between King and other Civil Rights groups were never entirely secure, and he was often accused of taking credit for the efforts of others, for example in the student sit-ins of 1961. He was criticised for a cynical use of children in the Birmingham campaign of 1963 and for cowardice in halting the first Selma March. These attacks reflect internal rivalries that had nothing to do with Black Power. They increased after 1966 when he moved his focus to the north. The Chicago campaign of 1966 was a dismal failure and also revealed a cultural gap between the respectable bible-belt leaders of the south and the ghetto-based youth of the north, who found Malcolm X a more inspiring figure. The whole situation was made much worse by the war in Vietnam, which diverted money and media attention and created a widening gap between black and white communities. Many black people resented having to fight for a country that valued them so little, while white public opinion saw the refusal of some to serve, like Mohammed Ali, as unpatriotic. The most important point, however, is that once legal equality had been achieved in 1965 and the focus shifted to the social and economic effects of long-term discrimination, King’s methods were ineffective. Secondly the Chicago campaign. The Albany movement Thirdly the Memphis Sanitation workers strike. The Mississippi Freedom Summer On the other hand the Freedom cities were aimed to bring ‘home rule’ to the black community of Washington D. C. The project was started with the demonstration against the way the local schools were administered. Towards the end of 1966 the black citizens of Washington D. C. had won the right to elect their own school boards. SNCC gained $3 million worth of government funding to improve community policing. SNCC innovated similar projects for example in New York the campaign saw black people take control of the intermediate School in Harlem as well as in Mississippi set up a Child Development Group in which the group raised $1. 5 million from the churches and the federal government in order to set up 85 head start centres to support young children . Furthermore the March on Washington was a massive success groups such as the SCLC. SNCC, CORE and the NAACP were involved it was also to commemorate the 100 years since the Emancipation Proclamation was created the campaigned was initially designed to pass a Civil Rights Bill. 250,000 people marched to the Lincoln memorial to hear Kings famous ‘I have a dream speech’ as well as other figures of the Civil Rights Movement. The March drew a vast amount of media attention. The March ensured support for new civil rights legislation which gave the government power to desegregate southern states. It presented the civil rights movement as a united front. Additionally the Birmingham campaign aimed to desegregate the city’s largest shopping areas schools and public parks as well as demanding an end to racial discrimination in employment. ‘Bull’Connor obtained a court injunction against demonstrations in certain precincts to weaken protests. The 3rd of May the police demonstrators with high pressure fire hoses and arrested and imprisoned 1300 children which caused a media frenzy Kennedy was sickened by the images of police violence from Birmingham. The significance of the campaign was that the department stores were desegregated and the racial discrimination was ended. The Greensboro sit-ins were a success it aimed to desegregate public places such as restaurants or swimming pools. In February 1960 the sit-in escalated to 300 students by the fourth protest it became highly influential as there were similar protests like watch-ins in cinema which by the start of 1961 over 70,000 people black and white had taken part in demonstrations. The significance of the sit-ins brought a mass of media attention which increased the support towards the civil rights campaigns. By the end of 1961 810 towns had desegregated their public places. Woolworths lost decreased by a third during the campaign which showed the economic power of black people. Finally the Freedom rides designed to turn de jure victories of Morgan v. Virginia and Boynton v. Virginia into de facto desegregation of interstate transport and interstate transport facilities set up by SNCC and CORE. The significance of the freedom rides was that it showed that Kennedy supported the civil rights movement and that it marked a new high cooperation within the civil rights movements. The Poor Peoples Campaign aimed to create a coalition big enough to solve the social and economic problems identified during the Chicago campaign In conclusion the Black Power declined very quickly in the late 1960s because its organisation was very poor and it had little money to support itself. It also declined because the government preferred King’s the peaceful methods to the violence and hatred of Black Power. Thus it seemed as if Black Power had not achieved anything of real importance for black people, and was a factor in the ending of the civil rights movement as a whole. However, it can be said that Black Power did manage to achieve something for black people as a whole. Black Power leaders did try to help the people in the inner-city ghettos, and they did increase black pride and a sense of Black Nationalism. Malcolm X in particular was very important in raising the morale of many black people, and became a hero to young black people in the USA and around the world. The emergence of the Black Power movements in the early 1960s coincided with the peak of success for the Civil Rights campaign – the legislation of 1964-65. Thereafter, the focus of campaigns had to move the practical issues related to social and economic deprivation, and the ability to exercise the rights that had been gained. By 1968 little had changed, and it is therefore easy to claim that Black Power movements achieved nothing, and in fact had a negative impact on black Americans. It is hard to deny that the Black Power movements had a damaging impact in the 1960s. The preaching of Elijah Mohammed and later Malcolm X that integration was impossible and undesirable, that white people were devils and Christianity just a legacy of slavery, created a mirror of white racism that could only be divisive. They rejected the support of white liberals and divided white from black. They subjected integrationist leaders like Martin Luther King to campaigns of personal abuse, calling him a hypocrite, a coward and an Uncle Tom. They even indulged in vicious internal feuding, such as the assassination of Malcolm X by members of the Nation of Islam in 1965. Incidents of violence, such as attacks on white people, the race riots of Harlem in 1964 and Watts in 1965, damaged the black community and created a white backlash. This threatened the promised government expenditure on housing, schools and job creation under the Great Society. As casualties from Vietnam increased, they campaigned against the draft and argued that black youths should not serve, infuriating an increasingly patriotic public and media. The existing Civil Rights movement disintegrated, as the student organisations led by SNCC under Stokely Carmichael adopted Black Power symbols and slogans, and refused to co-operate with Martin Luther King’s SCLC. The government and many white Americans saw the black communities as ungrateful, and King as a spent force. The links that had helped him to gain reforms and investment disappeared, and nothing of significance was achieved for black Americans after 1966. The emergence of Black Power was totally negative. 24. In many ways, however, this argument is over-simplified. The problems faced by the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s had begun to surface before the Black Power movements developed, and could be said to have contributed to their growth. Relations between King and other Civil Rights groups were never entirely secure, and he was often accused of taking credit for the efforts of others, for example in the student sit-ins of 1961. He was criticised for a cynical use of children in the Birmingham campaign of 1963 and for cowardice in halting the first Selma March. These attacks reflect internal rivalries that had nothing to do with Black Power. They increased after 1966 when he moved his focus to the north. The Chicago campaign of 1966 was a dismal failure and also revealed a cultural gap between the respectable bible-belt leaders of the south and the ghetto-based youth of the north, who found Malcolm X a more inspiring figure. The whole situation was made much worse by the war in Vietnam, which diverted money and media attention and created a widening gap between black and white communities. Many black people resented having to fight for a country that valued them so little, while white public opinion saw the refusal of some to serve, like Mohammed Ali, as unpatriotic. The most important point, however, is that once legal equality had been achieved in 1965 and the focus shifted to the social and economic effects of long-term discrimination, King’s methods were ineffective. This means that by 1966, methods of campaigning to improve conditions for black people had to change, and the Black Power movements did offer some alternatives. When the Black Panthers set up community projects and policed the housing estates of Chicago, they offered a more direct and practical form of help. More generally, Black Power offered black people a sense of their own culture and pride in their identity. The late 1960s saw changes in music, fashion and style that celebrated black identity rather than attempting to look like whites, such as the Afro hairstyles, the growth of a new soul music and the later development of hip-hop and rap. The use of Black Power salutes by American athletes offended many whites, but it drew the attention of the world to the continuing levels of discrimination suffered by many black Americans. It is difficult to measure the results, but it can be argued that by helping to maintain attention on the problems and demanding change, the Black Power movements helped the black communities to keep fighting for better conditions. By comparison with the gains made through ‘peaceful’ protest, the impact of Black Power was mixed and its achievements limited, but to claim that it achieved nothing for black people is an exaggeration.

Greek Contributions to Modern Western Civilization Essay

Ancient Greek culture has influenced modern western civilization from their discoveries and traditions during their Golden Age. Their philosophies, politics and values have helped shape our every day life. Some of the most prominently displayed leaders of all time lived in Greece during the time. Their math, art science politics, architecture, drama, medicine, philosophy and values have inspired today’s everyday way of life. If it weren’t for their constant strides towards a better tomorrow, civilization today might be less advanced. A lot of their academic achievement math and science has trickled down from the generations and into western civilization today. Euclid, a mathematician, is now viewed as the most prominent mathematician of all time. He wrote a book called â€Å"The Elements† and put all of his discoveries and theories into it. A lot of the math and science that we use today was influenced by his theories and discoveries. A man named Hippocrates also solely influenced today’s medical practices. His discoveries in medicine made a long lasting imprint on today’s doctors and practices. He was an extremely trustworthy doctor. He made an oath stating that he would never give bad medicine and always strive to cure a patient, not just get paid. Today when becoming a doctor, you must take the Hippocratic oath, which was the oath that Hippocrates created. Whenever you go to see a performance now, whether you know it or not, Greek influence is involved. Greek drama and auditoriums are big influences. The three types of theaters that the Greeks had were Proscenium (like in today’s Gershwin Theater), Thrust (like in many of the concert halls seen today) and Arena (like today’s sports arenas). The architecture of these stages and of a lot of other structures are direct influences of the Greek civilization. Playwrights such as Socrates, Aeschylus and Euripides wrote plays that entertained people in Greece and all around the world still today. Playwrights wrote tragedies in which there is a main character with either a  special ability or tragic flaw. As the story progresses, the tragic flaw ruins the character (just like in today’s drama). One of the most tragic of plays are the stories of Oedipus, the King. In this, the main character’s tragic flaw is unknown even to him. It is his tragic past and how it influenced his present day life. Tragedies such as Oedipus the King have contributed to the making of today’s theater. Greece’s system of democracy was a new ideal for the time. Today, countries around the world use it. During the time of the first democracy, philosophers started to teach their thoughts and voice their opinions. This is because it was a time of turmoil. Corrupt leaders were leading Greece and people did not have much faith in democracy. At this time, philosophers gave the people things to ponder and believe in. The greatest three Greek philosophers were Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Even today, people live by some of the teachings of these philosophers and they are widely studied. Overall, many of today’s traditions, beliefs and values have been passed down from Greek civilizations. Their discoveries, traditions and strides toward perfection inspired later generations to act as they did. The individuals that invented and discovered new aspects of life and their surroundings gave way to brand new lifestyles that are used today.

Conflicting Perspectives Essay

â€Å"An important outcome of studying this elective is the realisation that all representations of perspectives are designed to provoke an intended response. † To what extent does this statement relate to your study of at least one of Hughes’ poems and one related text of your own choosing? In some texts authors have the intention to evoke a personal understanding in the audience. However, the personal experience varies between each individual creating conflicting ways in response to a text. These responses to the messages from the authors are shaped through personal experience and values of the individual. The notion of conflict within perspectives is evident in â€Å"Birthday Letters† by Ted Hughes especially in the poems â€Å"Fulbright Scholars† and â€Å"Sam† as well as in Michel Gondry’s film â€Å"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. † The conflict within memory and connections leads to a representation of their conflict in perspectives. The nature and strength of memories is to some extent subjective in relation to events, situations and people. Hughes proves this idea of selective memory through the use of rhetorical questions asked in his first poem Fulbright Scholars such as â€Å"where was it, in the Strand? † and â€Å"was it when I bought a peach? These questions are evidence of his disordered memory. Hughes perspective of Plath is somewhat subjective as he remembers vague details of particular moments and her â€Å"Veronica Lake bangs. † In his second poem â€Å"Sam† depicts the same events as Plath’s poem â€Å"Whiteness I remember† but showing his conflicting interpretation of Plath’s memory. The two poems prove conflicting ideas through the tempo of the first paragraphs and Hughes ongoing use of caesura. Although Plath interprets the event to be a â€Å"great run† and â€Å"high as the roofs† conflicting this idea Hughes describes it as dangerous and Plath having â€Å"lost (her) stirrups. The text â€Å"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind† proves memory to be a selective sense; the character Joel displays merely a memory of selective moments, objects and feelings of his past relationship with Clementine. The key motifs are birthday presents and certain outings. The fallibility of memory can lead the distortion of connections between memory and reality. The author intends to create a particular emotional response to the text that is represented through a connection between the audience and their perspective of the text. The connection between the perspectives in â€Å"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind† show the author is being balanced and unbiased. The perspectives of both the character is shown equally to the audience, forcing and internal response in each individual. In â€Å"Fulbright Scholars† Hughes repetitively uses â€Å"you† to simultaneously speak to Plath as well as the audience, to create a more intimate connection with the text. This continues into his next poem â€Å"Sam† alongside alliteration and assonance in the line â€Å"horribly hard, swift river† increasing the intensity for the audience. In the final stanza Hughes personifies Sam as himself, and positions the audience as Plath. In the line â€Å"you strangled me† he uses accusatory language to gain an emotional response and connection from his audience, which relates back to the publics perceptions of him during this time. It is clear that all authors create their texts to gain a reflection the audience towards the text. Each text is a representation of the author’s perspective response to their memory, creating an emotional connection to their audience, which provokes an internal response. The connections made are used to intensify a reaction within each individual.

Global Justice & Global Poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global Justice & Global Poverty - Essay Example Some of the constutuents that measure living standards include the per capita, age of people and life expentancy among others. There is the fear of the gap widening more in the years to come if no action has taken place to curb this problem. Inequality is massive in the decision making of policies in the international political and in financial insititutions.John Rawl explains this in his theory on global liberties. They exist in form of both global economic and political basis. â€Å"There is uneven distribution of resources in the world† (Pogge, p34, par 3); hence, causing inequality in the living standards. Discrimination is another factor that leads to inequality especially when the poor people are discriminated in relation to their economic status the society. Many peole are dying in East Bengal due to lack of food, medical care among other basic needs. This shows how much inequality has affected the world today. It is possible to evade poverty among such poeple through a pplying several policies. This paper will focuss on the effects of global justice and the increasing cases of global poverty. It also analyzes possible solutions to this problem so to achive lower levels of poverty cases if any. The issue of double standards has also been addressed in this paper. However, double standards is not justified whatever the situation. Global justice has become an issue in political philosophy arising from the unjust state of the world today (Pogge, 2007, p345). Thinking about global justice in the world today involves a double standard. This involves two broad parties to achieve global justice. The first party is at the individual level while the second is the government level. Teh context of global justice is the impartiality that bhas been created in the world today. This is because people believe that their duties to family members, friends and their personal issues are more important than those of strangers. This makes them less concerned about issues of people who appear to be strangers to them. The government also contributes to the state of glodal injustice through the various policies they make for their cirtizens. This is because they make policies with their citizens in mind only, not considering those of other countries. â€Å"This has also led to some of the conflicts existing between some states† (Schaefer , p23 par4). Global justice is the main cause of global security because injustice causes certain feelings in people like anger and humiliation. These feelings cause violence among societies in the quest for justice. For instance, the poor feel that the wealthy people in the society are the cause of their poverty. Such feelings trigger violence and in long run lead to wars in the world. Philosophers have tried coming up with theories to solv ethe problem of global injustice in the world today. An example of such a philosopher is John Rawl. He explains how to achieve justice in the world both on the basis of eco nomic status and political inequalities. Morality is also another factor to consider when seeking to ensure justice (Pogge 2007, p34). This is because it is morally upright to ensure equality in the society. Some theories term injustice and inequality in the socity as an immoral act. However, the theory of Rawl explains clearly on how to curb the problem of injustice in the world by avoiding discrimination. He explains that making decisions should not be on the basis of teh economic status of a person. It ensures that

Power of Multinational Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Power of Multinational - Essay Example t its CEO in the five years prior to its rise to power (1995-2000) is Richard Cheney, the Vice President of the United States of America since 2000 and who lies second only to George W. Bush as the most powerful man in the world. This paper investigates the company’s rise to power, the perceived role of Mr. Cheney in the company’s success, and how the company exercises its growing power in the world’s political and economic environments. Beginning with a review of available literature on the power of multinational enterprises and how they exercise this power over nations and governments through the instrument of foreign direct investments, the paper looks at the techniques of strategic analyses to gain a deeper understanding of the company and the nation where it took root: America. Using the SLEPT/EE strategic analysis framework provides an in-depth look into the workings of the multinational enterprise and the thinking processes of its managers to discover a link between American history and the behaviour of America’s business and political institutions. The paper concludes by establishing a link that explains the consistency between the known American past, the traditional links between business, politics, and democracy, and the justifications for Halliburton’s exercise of power. This paper investigates the economic and political power of American multinational enterprises and explores the thesis that this explains America’s rise to globalism. Focusing on the American oil industry and specifically the Halliburton Oil Company, an analysis is made of the dynamics of business and government power in the light of contemporary issues using the SLEPT/EE strategic framework. The findings determine the accuracy of the thesis. This research paper looks at how a formerly obscure oil company rose to prominence in the past decade, investigates the role played by its former CEO who happens to be the incumbent Vice President of the United States of

Decision-Making Process, Communication Errors Coursework

Decision-Making Process, Communication Errors - Coursework Example Such reaction entails critical thinking. In addition, utilization of the nursing process aids the nurse in thinking and adopting priority steps for the sake of patient care. The nurse incorporates steeps of problem identification and assessment, coming up with goals and interventions to curb the problem, intervening and evaluating whether the goal were achieved to the best level. The goals must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound. Proper decision-making improves the patient care, making it holistic and hence decreasing the hospital stay through quick recovery (Dowding & Thompson, 2013). Communication errors in nursing arise when there is inappropriate handing over between shifts. In such case, there is a breakage in the continuity of care provided to the patients. There is fragmentation of care and decreased satisfaction to the patient. The result is poor healing and over hospitalization leading to death. During reporting and handing over shifts, wrong information may be passed regarding certain patients. It has direct implications to the subsequent care. Wrong documentation impeaches the patient rights to have good care, and can lead to legal implications to the staff since it is a form of negligence. There is subsequent increase in the cost of care towards the patient side since he is receiving what he not supposed to receive (Zendejas, Ali, Huebner, & Farley,

Monopoly, Oligopoly, Monopolistic competition, or Perfect competition Essay

Monopoly, Oligopoly, Monopolistic competition, or Perfect competition - Essay Example These barriers discourage new entrants in the oil industry as the existing firms can also take them down in price wars. The market for crude oil refining is an example of an oligopoly. Another significant feature of an oligopoly is that it is dominated by a few large firms which also holds true for the crude oil industry. It is dominated by major players like Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and BP (British Petroleum) Corporation etc. Firms in an oligopoly can decide to collude and act as a monopoly or stay as rivals and compete. When firms in an oligopoly collude, they may agree on prices, market share, advertising expenditure etc. Collusion reduces uncertainty in market regarding prices and since firms do not go for price competition, the total industry profits are not reduced. A cartel like OPEC acts as a single firm or a monopoly and diagrammatically a profit-maximizing cartel can be explained as follows: Since there are few major players, each player exerts significant market power and the bargaining power of suppliers is more than the bargaining power of buyers due to this. Also because of the interdependency feature, there is a lot of scope for collusion among the firms in an oligopoly. ... Each firm’s demand curve is relatively elastic below the existing price line. This entices firms to cut their prices and win over their rival’s customers and increase the total revenue. However the rival’s response to the price cut can act as a hindrance because if rivals match the price cut, there will be very less room for increased total revenue. If a firm raises its price, then its rivals might not copy the price increase and a significant portion of sales will be lost to rivals. Oil is a commodity that is used as a fuel for transportation, electricity generation, in industries as well as domestically. The world economy at large is dependent on oil and that is how large the demand for oil is. Since there is a cartel in the oil industry, OPEC, the world oil prices have shown an upward trend because OPEC has substantial power to drive up prices. Price elasticity is different in the presence of a cartel because the supply of oil is in the control of OPEC. Under a cartel such as OPEC, the producers try to fix the price and quantity. The output in an oil industry just like any other oligopoly is allocated as per a quota system (Geoff Riley). The aim of this cartel strategy is to maximize profits. Each individual oil firm is given an output quota. But the output quota allotted to an individual firm might not be at its profit maximizing level (Geoff Riley). The only way an individual firm can make profit out of it is through cheating and going against the cartel. It can supply oil at a price lower than the cartel price. The demand for oil under a cartel is not that responsive or elastic to a price change because oil is an important raw material in many industries and also an essential fuel