Tuesday, March 17, 2020

ACT Writing Tips 15 Strategies to Raise Your Essay Score

ACT Writing Tips 15 Strategies to Raise Your Essay Score SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Whether you've never thought about ACT Writing strategies or have worked hard on the ACT essay, you can benefit from knowing more: about the essay itself, and what really matters when the graders are reading your essay. In this article, we offer a number of ACT Writing tips as well as a foolproof template for putting them into practice. ACT Essay Tips The ACT essay is a very short assignment- you only get 40 minutes to write a full-fledged essay- and it can pass in a flash if you don't have a method for attacking it. It requires a very specific approach that's unlike the essays you've been writing for English class. The goal of this approach is to cram in as many of the desired components as possible in the 40 minutes that you've got for the essay. We'll give you the four main elements the ACT asks for, the top three things they don't tell you, and a bulletproof template for your ACT Writing essay format. Here we go! What ACT, Inc. Does Tell You: 4 Elements to Remember ACT, Inc. explains the main components of the successful ACT Essay in its scoring criteria. Here they are, condensed and explained: #1: Ideas Analysis: A 12-scoring essay includes "an argument that critically engages with multiple perspectives on the given issue. The argument’s thesis reflects nuance and precision in thought and purpose. The argument establishes and employs an insightful context for analysis of the issue and its perspectives. The analysis examines implications, complexities and tensions, and/or underlying values and assumptions." In other words, answer the question that's in the prompt, make it very, very clear what your perspective is and analyze how your perspective relates to at least one of the three given perspectives. Ideas and Analysis is the hardest domain to master; it's tough to do everything you need to do well at all, much less in 40 minutes. The main thing is that you want to show that you understand as many sides of the issue as possible. You can do this by discussing those sides of the issue, why people might have those opinions, and whether those opinions are logical or not. It's fine to copy the exact words from the prompt into your thesis statement- in fact, this guarantees that the graders will see that your thesis is there and on topic. You must, however, make it obvious which side you are arguing for. If you can, it's great to put the argument in terms of a larger debate- we'll discuss that later. #2: Development Support: In a 12-scoring essay, "[d]evelopment of ideas and support for claims deepen insight and broaden context. An integrated line of skillful reasoning and illustration effectively conveys the significance of the argument. Qualifications and complications enrich and bolster ideas and analysis." Develipment Support is another area that can be hard for students to grasp. The bottom line is that you need to fully explain every point you make. If you don't have time to explain it in two to four sentences, leave it out (unless it's the only way you can get in a comparison of your perspective with one of the three perspectives). Make sure to either explain your thinking and reasoning or use specific examples to illustrate your points. #3: Organization: A 12-scoring essay "exhibits a skillful organizational strategy. The response is unified by a controlling idea or purpose, and a logical progression of ideas increases the effectiveness of the writer’s argument. Transitions between and within paragraphs strengthen the relationships among ideas." In short, you need to give each idea 1-2 paragraphs. If a logical organization for your points occurs to you (for example, if Point 1 depends on Point 2, you'd put Point 2 first), use it. If not, just list your points, allotting a paragraph for each one. A transition that reflects your logic just means tying one point to another somehow, and this is ideal. The ACT essay scoring system won't penalize you too heavily for a "First, Second, Third" type of organization, so if you just say "My first reason†¦," and "Second†¦," that's better than no transitions. The intro and conclusion should make the same general points, and if you have a larger context mentioned in the intro, mention it again in the conclusion. #4: Language Use: A 12-scoring essay uses language in a way that "enhances the argument. Word choice is skillful and precise. Sentence structures are consistently varied and clear. Stylistic and register choices, including voice and tone, are strategic and effective. While a few minor errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics may be present, they do not impede understanding." Language Use can be the hardest area for students to improve in (particularly if English is not their native language). "Word choice is skillful and precise" does include using fancy vocabulary, but it also means not repeating yourself and using the advanced vocabulary correctly. The essay graders aren't going to be impressed by words like "dogmatic" and "provincial" if you just throw them in and hope for the best; if you're not sure about the usage of a more advanced word, stick with the simpler one. Using "consistently varied and clear" sentence structures doesn't just mean not starting every sentence the same way (e.g. "Machines are helpful to humans. Machines can also cause problems. Machines are the answer to our future"). You also need to make sure your sentences are clear and further your logic (rather than making it more difficult to understand). As with word choice (and organization), it's better to be clear than to be fancy. If in the moment you find that your brain freezes and your sentences are all coming out the same with simple words, don't sweat it. Adding in more advanced vocabulary or switching up sentence structures is something you can fix when you revise your essay in the last two to four minutes of the essay section. What ACT, Inc. Doesn't Tell You: 3 Secrets Even though the ACT essay has some clear published guidelines, there are a few secrets that most students don't know and that can give you a major advantage on the test. These are facts that ACT, Inc. doesn't want to be too well-known because it helps us develop ACT Writing strategies that may give us an edge over people who haven't prepared. #1: You Don't Need to Know the Facts You can make up whatever information you need to support your point. Really. As with the tip above, if you know the real facts, that's great (since the grader will probably know them too), but it's not required. This might sound crazy. You could write about how Al Gore invented the dishwasher, and the ACT graders are not allowed to penalize you. Why is this? ACT, Inc. doesn't have the resources to do fact-checking on every single essay. With over a million students taking the test every year, graders only have a few minutes to put a score of 1-6 to each of the four essay scoring domains. They can't check whether Martin Luther King was born in 1929 or 1925. Thus, ACT essay scoring uses a simpler rule- all statements are taken as truth. The important point is that the evidence needs to support your thesis. (Of course, ACT, Inc. doesn't want people to know about this- that would make the ACT essay sound silly.) If you're short on examples to prove a point, make up something realistic-sounding (you can even pretend a newspaper or politician said something they didn't), and slap it in there. It's much better than trying to write a vague paragraph without concrete evidence. #2: You Should Write More Than a Page This is one of the most important ACT Writing tips. There is a strong relationship between essay length and score- the longer your essay, the better your score. In a short essay, it's difficult for you to develop your points well enough to earn a decent score. Really, you should write a page and a half if at all possible. Although ACT, Inc. never explicitly mentions that length matters in ACT essay scoring, it does. And if you can write more than a page and a half without repeating yourself or digressing from your point, you'll be in really good shape. #3: Your First Paragraph and Conclusion Matter More Than the Middle The introduction and conclusion are the "bookends" of the essay: they hold it together and are guaranteed to be read more closely than the rest of the essay. ACT graders have to read a lot of essays very quickly, and they give most of them a 3 or a 4 in each domain. The fastest way for them to score an essay is to find the thesis (to make sure that it's there, that it answers the prompt, and that the rest of the essay supports it) and then skim the first and last paragraphs. Here's why: if a student's introduction and conclusion paragraphs are well-written and logical, it's likely the rest of the essay will be too. By reading these parts, the grader can usually tell with confidence what the score will be. They'll scan the middle to make sure it makes sense, but they probably won't read every word as closely. On the other hand, if you don't have time to write an introduction or conclusion, you will be heavily penalized. It'll be hard to score above an 8 without an introduction and conclusion, particularly if you don't make your thesis, or point of view, clear in the first paragraph. This might be the most important ACT essay tip we can give you. A strong ACT writing strategy includes preparing enough time to write and revise your introduction and conclusion paragraphs, as we explain below. Key Strategy: How to Write A Successful ACT Essay in 40 Minutes Because you only have 40 minutes to write the ACT essay, you need to have a game plan before you start the test. Here's a step by step guide on how to write an effective ACT essay. Overcoming the Biggest Obstacle: Planning Your Argument Methodically One of the things that students often find hardest about the essay is quickly thinking of support for the thesis. But it can be done in a simple, methodical way, which we explain below. Let's start with a sample prompt. Intelligent Machines Many of the goods and services we depend on daily are now supplied by intelligent, automated machines rather than human beings. Robots build cars and other goods on assembly lines, where once there were human workers. Many of our phone conversations are now conducted not with people but with sophisticated technologies. We can now buy goods at a variety of stores without the help of a human cashier. Automation is generally seen as a sign of progress, but what is lost when we replace humans with machines? Given the accelerating variety and prevalence of intelligent machines, it is worth examining the implications and meaning of their presence in our lives. Read and carefully consider these perspectives. Each suggests a particular way of thinking about the increasing presence of intelligent machines. Perspective One: What we lose with the replacement of people by machines is some part of our own humanity. Even our mundane daily encounters no longer require from us basic courtesy, respect, and tolerance for other people. Perspective Two: Machines are good at low-skill, repetitive jobs, and at high-speed, extremely precise jobs. In both cases they work better than humans. This efficiency leads to a more prosperous and progressive world for everyone. Perspective Three: Intelligent machines challenge our long-standing ideas about what humans are or can be. This is good because it pushes both humans and machines toward new, unimagined possibilities. Essay Task Write a unified, coherent essay about the increasing presence of intelligent machines. In your essay, be sure to: clearly state your own perspective on the issue and analyze the relationship between your perspective and at least one other perspective develop and support your ideas with reasoning and examples organize your ideas clearly and logically communicate your ideas effectively in standard written English Your perspective may be in full agreement with any of the others, in partial agreement, or wholly different. Wall-e Eve (Perler) by Morgan, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. In the prompt above, the ACT gives you three viewpoints so that you know what to mention in your discussion of various perspectives. But you'll need to elaborate on these as well. Let's look at the viewpoints this prompt gives us. Conservative: "Intelligent machines lead to problems, which is bad." Utilitarian: "Intelligent machines allow us to be more efficient, which is good." Progressive: "Intelligent machines lead to progress, which is good." Supporting each viewpoint is a slew of possible reasons, and these are what you want to lay out clearly in your essay. You can, of course, choose any side of the argument, but one is usually easier to argue than the other (because it is opposite the other two perspectives). For this prompt, it's easier to argue against intelligent machines than to argue for their efficiency or progress, so we'll look at potential support for the "conservative" argument, which is that "Intelligent machines lead to problems." To argue against any change, we can point out its assumptions and how they are false, or its consequences and how they are bad: Assumptions: it assumes that machines lead to progress [assumption made by perspective 3] it assumes that machines allow us to be more efficient [assumption made by perspective 2] it assumes that the benefits machines give to us outweigh the negatives Consequences: it could lead to progress in some areas, but also to new problems caused by that progress it could let us be more efficient in some ways, but end up creating more it would hurt us more than it would help because people would end up becoming less courteous and respectful to and tolerant of other people [perspective 1] This method works for any argument. If you find yourself supporting the proposal in the prompt, like that a right to avoid health risks is a more important freedom than the right to do whatever you want, then you just need to think of ways it would be positive. That can be much simpler. But you can still use the assumptions-and-consequences method above for the paragraph in which you address at least one other perspective. The Golden Essay Template This is a tried and true structure for earning a great score on the ACT essay. Just by following this template and keeping in mind the ACT writing tips above, you're pretty much guaranteed a 6 or higher out of 12. Do a decent job and you'll easily get an 8 or higher. Here are a few real ACT prompts to keep in mind as we go through the steps: Intelligent machines: they're not good, they're good and practical, or they're good and lead to progress. Public health and individual freedom: freedom is more important than physical health, society should strive for the greatest good for the most people, or the right to avoid health risks is more important than individual freedom. Planning Time: 8-10 minutes #1: Decide on your thesis, choosing one of the three sides. You can try to form your own, fourth perspective, but since you have to compare your perspective with at least one of the perspectives given you might as well argue for one of them and save some time for writing. #2: Quickly brainstorm two or three reasons or examples that support your thesis. #3: Brainstorm counterarguments for or analyses of at least one other perspective and your responses. #4: Organize your essay. Make sure you order your points in a way that makes sense. #5: Check your time. Try to have 30 minutes left at this point so you have enough time to write. If you don't, just keep in mind that you might have to cut out one of your supporting points. Writing Time: 25-28 minutes #1: Paragraph 1: Introduction Thesis Write your introduction. If you can think of an interesting first sentence that brings your thesis into a larger discussion (say, of how intelligent machines have changed the way people interact with each other), start with that. Narrow down from the larger context to your specific response to the question (your thesis), which should be at or near the end of the first paragraph. It can be helpful to the reader to have your reasons and examples "previewed" in the introduction if it fits in well. #2: Paragraph 2: Transitions Opposing Perspective. When you start paragraph 2, try to think of a first sentence that refers back to the first paragraph. "In contrast to my perspective, Perspective [X] claims that†¦" is a simple example of an effective way to transition into the second paragraph. Then address one of the perspectives opposing yours and why its supporters are wrong or misguided. In the example about intelligent machines above (where we've chosen to argue Perspective 1), you could argue against perspective 2 OR 3 in this paragraph. #3: Body Paragraphs (those remaining before the conclusion): Introduce your first reason or example in support of the perspective you'll be discussing. In 3-5 sentences, explain your reasoning as to how this perspective relates to your own (using explanations of your thinking or specific examples to support the point). Connect your example to the thesis and then state that it supports your thesis. Check your time. Try to have 7 minutes left by this point. #4: Conclusion (Optional) Relate your two or three examples back to your thesis. Add one or two sentences if you want. End with a restatement of your thesis or a return to your first lines to wrap up the essay. Revising Time: 2-4 minutes Hopefully, you still have 2-4 minutes to read over your essay. In this time, you can do several things. #1: You can, of course, correct mistakes. #2: You can replace dull words with fancier words. #3: You can make sure that your introduction and conclusion "match" by stating the same thesis (in different words, of course). Notice the two time-checking steps (in the Planning and the Body Paragraphs stages). It's very easy to get caught in the planning stage and run out of time on your actual essay, which is easy to avoid if you practice checking your time. If you have to make a choice between explaining a perspective or writing a conclusion paragraph, always choose the explanation. You can get by with a short sentence for a conclusion as long as you have a clear thesis in your introduction, but if you leave out the analysis of the relationship between your perspective and one of the ACT's perspectives in your essay, you'll lose a lot of points. Now What? Now you practice. Print out the template above, consult our ACT Essay Prompts Article(or think of any controversial issue in the world today), and get to work. You may find that many issues can be argued using the same reasoning or examples. For instance, the argument that the benefits of the changes happening in the world don't necessarily outweigh the problems they create can apply to many of the new ACT prompts. You can research concrete information to support this kind of useful argument, like a newspaper article about how the Industrial Revolution led to increased environmental destruction. Downtown by .shyam., used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Cropped from original. More like Industrial Re-POLL-ution, am I right? Remember: the more you practice, the easier it gets, as you learn how to reuse information to suit different purposes and your brain becomes used to thinking in this way. What's Next? Read more about the new ACT Writing Test and how to score a perfect score on your ACT essay. Want more in-depth guides? Check out our step-by-step guide to writing top-scoring ACT essay as well as a complete breakdown of the new ACT Writing Scoring Rubric. Hungry for more practice ACT Writing prompts? Look no further than our article containing links to all the freelyavailable official ACT Writing prompts that have been released so far, as well as bonusprompts I constructed. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

Saturday, February 29, 2020

Capital Gains or Losses Tax

There are certain sales made by Dave in the financial year 2015 and the task at hand is to calculate the capital gains or losses arising from it. He received 850,000 from the sale of his two storeyed house in St. Lucia which was purchased for 70,000. This means that he made a gain of 780,000 in this sale if we don’t account for the expenses incurred in the commission expenses. However, the proceeds received by Dave from sale of his residence at St Lucia is fully exempted from capital gains tax because as per ATO proceeds from a sale of personal home are fully exempted if the individual has been living it for the duration for which he/she has owned the property and the property hasn’t been generating any assessable income. The proceeds received from the forfeiture by a buyer is also application for exemption under capital gains as it as part the capital proceeds from the disposal of that asset which was exempted due it being a main residence of the taxpayer. Hence even t he forfeited amount wont attract any capital gains tax liability. The painting is not eligible for exemption as neither was it purchased under $500 nor was it acquired before 16 th September,1995 hence the net capital gains are taxable. So the net gains of 110,000 are to be taxed under capital gains tax. The figure of 110,000 dollars is the selling price less the acquiring price which are 15,000 and 125,000 respectively. The taxable amount arisen due to the benefit provided can be calculated using either of the two methods prescribed by the ATO i.e. indexing method or the discount method whichever yields the lowest value subject to the constraint that it satisfies the conditions laid down to use a particular method for discounting. Since the asset has been held for more than a year and since the asset was acquired before September,1999 he can apply the indexation method to calculate the discount. The indexation factor is given by CPI (Consumer Price Index) in which the sale was made divided by the CPI for the quarter in which the initial investmen t was made. CPI values were obtained from the website of ATO and the indexation factor calculated to the fourth decimal point is obtained as 2.6952. Since the sale was made in 3 rd quarter 1985 the indexation factor for this was 39.7 and that for the sale was 2 nd quarter 2015 for which the indexation factor was 107.Hence the cost of the painting would be increased by that factor to get the capital gain. Hence now capital gain would be 84,572 as the cost for calculating capital gain would be 40,428 dollars which is 15,000 multiplied by the indexing factor. But the discount factor gives a better result as under the discount method the capital gains are discounted by 50% hence under this method capital gains would be 55,000 dollars which is the net gains of 110,000 discounted by 50%. Since the discount method gives the better result which in this case is the lower value we would use this method to calculate the capital gain at 55,000 dollars.   The capital gain can be reduced only after all the capital losses for the income year have been applied. It is imperative to mention here that net losses from collectables can only be deducted from capital gains made from collectables, not from other capital gains. The capital loss on the boat boat which was purchased in 2004 would be calculated using the other method which would give the highest possible result of 50,000 dollars. The amount is obtained by subtracting the sale price of 60,000 dollars from the acquisition cost of 110,000 dollars. For the capital gain tax on the shares, the other method will be used. The cost base would include the cost price of shares and also the brokerage paid on the shares and the stamp duty. Hence total cost would be 71,000 dollars and since the shares were sold for 80,000 dollars the total capital gain is 9000 dollars. It’s explicitly mentioned that the interest charges are not to be included in the cost base. The net capital gain or loss is given by total capital gains for the year less the capital losses for the year further brought down by any discounts allowed. Hence, the net capital gain from sale of painting and shares is 64,000 dollars or 93,372 dollars depending on the method used for the painting. Net capital loss from sale of boat is 50,000 dollars Hence net capital gain of 14,000 dollars or 43,372 for Dave for the current year. Since Dave has had a net capital gain of 14,000 dollars he can use this to deduct the net capital loss carried forward from the previous year which amounts to 50,000 dollars. His net capital loss would now stand at 36,000 dollars as the capital gain this year would be deducted from the carried forward capital gain loss. If Dave has a net capital loss it would be added to the capital gain loss carried forward from last year. Hence now his total capital loss would stand at 50,000 dollars and the additional capital loss incurred this year Capital loss cannot be used to offset the tax liability and would be carried forward and can be used to deduct it against capital gains in the coming years. To calculate a car fringe benefit, an employer must work out the taxable value of the benefit using either of the below mentioned methods as per ATO. Even if a different method was used in the previous taxable year, the method to be used this year would be determined by the method which gives the lowest value. However, if the required documentation for the operating cost method (for example, log books) have not been kept then the statutory formula method must be used. The operating cost method requires the company to maintain a log book which specifics the usage of car in terms of business and non-business use. Since this has not been maintained the statutory method of valuation would be used to evaluate the taxable value of the fringe benefit arising from the use of the car. Under the statutory formula method, the steps involved are estimating the cost of the car, estimating the statutory rate and determining the number of days the car was used for private purpose. The taxable value is then given by A*B*C/365 where A is the base value of the car, B is the statutory rate and C is the number of days in use of the car in a given assessment year. The statutory rate for calculating the fringe benefits tax would be 20% since ATO prescribes a flat tax rate of 20% for calculating the benefit provided if kilometres travelled are less than 15,000 kilometres. In fact, for any benefits provided after 2011 the tax structure is a flat rate of 20%. The car held by Emma for a 11 month period which constituted 336 days. During the 11-month period or the 336-day period from 1 st may to 31 st March no days would be deducted in determining the number of days of usage of car as ATO clearly lists that annual maintenances are to be listed as days when it is available for use and whenever it is garaged at the employee’s house would also be not deducted, in this case when Emma was interstate would not be deducted, Keeping the above factors in consideration the tax liability would be calculated at 20% of the cost price of the car which is 33,000 and it would be factored by 336/365. Hence 6075 is the taxable value. A company is said to provide a loan fringe benefit if it extends to its employee a loan and charges no interest or a low rate of interest. Any interest rate lower than the prescribed or the benchmark interest rate qualifies as a loan fringe benefit. The  benchmark interest rate  for the Fringe Benefit Tax for the assessment year ending March 31,2015 is given as 5.95% by ATO. Hence for the given scenario since the loan is provided by Periwinkle to Emma at 4.5% it qualifies as a loan fringe benefit. The taxable value of a loan fringe benefit is the difference between: Since Emma uses the loan for purchase of a holiday home and for lending it to her husband the entire amount is to be taken into consideration. For the given scenario the taxable value of the loan fringe benefit is the difference between the two amounts 29,750 dollars and 22,500 dollars which is 7,250 dollars. While the former is the rate of interest charged by the company to Emma, the latter is the interest to be paid in accordance with the statutory rate in 2015. There is no specific information regarding cheap sale of its own products to its employees and neither is it under any exempt category but since the price Emma paid for it is anyways more than the manufacturing cost we exclude it from our scope of taking out the fringe benefits provided to Emma. Hence the total taxable value of the fringe benefits is the loan fringe befit of 7,250 dollars and the car fringe benefit of 6,075 dollars which is a total of 13,325 dollars. Hence the total fringe tax liability would be 6262.75 dollars as the fringe benefit tax is 47%. Had the 50,000 been used by Emma herself instead of being lent to the husband to buy the shares it would be eligible for deduction. ATO prescribes that the taxable value of a loan fringe benefit may be reduced in accordance with the 'otherwise deductible' rule, subject to the constraint hat the investment is made by the employee himself or herself rather than an associate which was the case in first place. Putting it simply it implies that the taxable value would be reduced to the extent to which interest payable on the loan is, or would be, allowable as an income tax deduction to the employee. We look at an example to understand the implications better. Supposing an employee uses a loan from his/her company wholly to invest in interest bearing financial instruments, then the interest that he would have to pay the company is deductible fully for tax purposes. Hence what the mentioned scenario implied is that under this rule the taxable value of the fringe benefit provided would be ze ro, irrespective of the rate of interest charged by the company on the loan. Therefore, where the otherwise deductible rule applies, the taxable value of a loan fringe benefit is: Hence for the given scenario the taxable amount under loan fringe benefit would be reduced by the differential interest paid on 50,000 dollars since this would now be deductibe for tax purposes. This would mean that the loan fringe benefit would now be 6525 dollars instead of 7250 dollars and the total taxable amount under fringe benefit tax would be 12,600 dollars. ATO, 2016. Capital Gains Tax. [Online] Available at: https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Capital-gains-tax/ ATO, 2016. Fringe benefits tax. [Online] Available at: https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Fringe-benefits-tax-(FBT)/

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 13

Final - Essay Example Following the partition of the Palestine in 1947 and the US government recognition six months later of the State of Israel, there was need for the US military to intervene and protect the young nation. The war in Egypt after the death of Gamal Abdel Nasser who was succeeded by Anwar Sadat who attacked Israeli necessitated the US involvement after the Soviet had threatened to intervene by use of military force against the Israelis. It was at this time when Henry Kissinger used a diplomatic engagement and managed to make peace between the warring countries. To this far, the American Military involvement was justified to be in the Middle East. This is because had it not been for the US military, there would have been no peace between the Israeli and the Egyptians; many people would have lost their lives. The US managed not to be involved militarily in the Middle East conflicts after the WWII, due to continued instability in the Middle East politics between Muslims and Christians, there was need for the American troops to be dispatched there. They managed to contain the situation between the warring factions without any casualties (Faucet, 2013). According to John C. Goodman, in 2009 only, the US government devoted a lot of resources to defend the oil in the Persian Gulf. The reason why the US troops are maintained in Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Oman is to ensure a free flow of oil from the Middle East. The final implication of this reason is cheap oil from the Middle East which comes with unmentioned expenses and costs which policy makers should give a lot of thought before supporting any foreign policy. He argues that if the federal budget for Persian Gulf defense were to be included in the gas price, the US consumer would be paying $5 per gallon (Faucet, 2013). It is unnecessary to have a continued presence of the US troops in Persian Gulf to ensure

Saturday, February 1, 2020

RFID Tags Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

RFID Tags - Assignment Example The pivotal reasons behind the adoption are high operating costs and numerous stakeholders for the delivery of services. One way to overcome these challenges is the effective use of RFIDCovered cost-benefits of the RFID are labor cost savings, reduction of inventory, reduction of capital expense, increase patient management and reduce operating cost. RFID provides accurate inventory. The replacement cost of the lab supplies can be reduced by RFID. Unnecessary rush orders and lost equipment can hamper the cost-benefit of the healthcare. The cost of the RFID technology is higher. The stolen or misplaced equipment means lost data and time-consuming. The access of lost clinical and financial records can be expensive. The use of RFID applications in the healthcare makes the process of tracking equipment and inventory quite easier (McDonnell & Sheard, 2012). It helps to provide accurate information of each item that is being tracked. The tracking of medical instruments is much more secure and efficient. The possibility of human error is reduced by the use of RFID. It is an automated technology that can quickly capture multiple assets with a single pass. Some problem in hardware can lead to lost financial and clinical data. The use of RFID can be expensive for small enterprises. The use of RFID in the healthcare helps to provide better protection to the vulnerable patients. RFID wrist bands are provided to patents to track their movement in the facility. The privacy of the consumers is recorded in the RFID tags. The common problem of RFID is tag collision. All the information of the patients is stored in the RFID chip and can only be viewed through company scanners. Some of the RFID tags that are used in the healthcare can be readable approximately to 100 meters. This eventually raises the privacy concern. Sensitive information can be collected by any unwilling source. The use of RFID technology can be highly adaptable

Friday, January 24, 2020

Asian American Essay -- essays research papers

The American Community in the 1900’s to the 1920’s was in fact a totally different generation than its successor not only because of cultural and economic reasons but also because of world events and the rise of technology. Americans in the early 1900’s were a closely knit generation with a sense of community, morals, and obligations. They had an "instilled" set of ideals and values and their lives were very much affected by the rise of technology. Living in America in the early part of the 1900’s was a hard and trying era through such turbulent times as the Great Depression, World War I, and the Industrial Revolution. Such profound and important events happened in a relatively short amount of time. Americans were searching for an identity for their country which was still only less than 200 years old. Big Industry was on the rise slowly and Americans were starting to contend in the growing world market. Throughout American history, people have fought for equality in any shape or form and the mid 1900’s was no exception. Having gone through leaps and bounds in terms of civil rights. The 1920’s to the 1940’s was a transitional period for all Americans and minority groups. During this period of American history, America was one of the most modern countries in the world but still...

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Equal Rights in South Africa Essay

Mission Equal Education is a movement of learners, parents, teachers and community members working for quality and equality in South African education, through analysis and activism. Background 20 years after Nelson Mandela’s release from prison the education received by young people in South Africa remains vastly unequal. Despite attempts to overhaul the system, class and race-linked inequalities remain entrenched. Education was the foundation upon which inequality was fashioned during the years of apartheid, but unequal educational opportunities still remain amongst the greatest obstacles to equality, dignity and freedom in today’s South Africa. What is Equal Education? EE is a community and membership-based organisation. It advocates for quality and equality in the South African education system and engages in evidence-based activism for improving the nation’s schools. It is a leader in youth leadership development. EE’s campaigns, based on detailed research and policy analysis, are aimed at achieving quality education for all. We promote the rights to equality and education, with the firm belief that these will enable the poor and working classes to an equal opportunity in life. Education is an end in itself. Also,education helps one to understand and demand the full realisation of the rights enshrined in the Constitution. Led by young activists, EE seeks to improve the poor quality of education in South Africa by working together with communities, schools, teachers, principals, learners, parents, academics, researchers and the government. We build an understanding of the educational system, whilst drawing attention to problems faced by schools and their communities. Equipped with this knowledge, EE offers a new way for people to participate in the democratic system and bring change to education and society. History of Equal Education The organisation began in February 2008 by conducting research in schools in Khayelitsha (a working-class community in Cape Town, with a population of approximately 700,000 people, and 54 schools). Schools in Khayelitsha, like those in other poor communities, are under-resourced, under-staffed and overcrowded – factors which have a significantly negative impact on academic performance. EE began with the aim of supporting the many hardworking teachers and determined learners within the community who are battling in difficult conditions. Today EE is known nationally, and has members active in most provinces. The Head Office remains in Khayelitsha, where it intends to stay. EE has active branches in Bonteheuwel, Khayelitsha and Kraaifontein. There is also regular campaigning taking place in Grahamstown, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Potchefstroom, Polokwane and Pretoria-Tshwane. Equal Education’s most active members are called ‘Equalisers’. They are high school students in grades 8 to 12. Equalisers have a leading role in the activities of the organisation. They, along with parents, teachers, activists and community members, work with EE to improve schools in their communities, and they set an example to their peers through their dedication to their own education. Major Campaigns to Date †¢ EE successfully campaigned for the Western Cape Education Department [WCED] to fix 500 broken windows at Luhlaza High School in Khayelitsha. †¢ EE has been assisting Harry Gwala High School in Khayelitha to have its leaking roof fixed. †¢ EE ran a ground-breaking campaign against late-coming in 8 Khayelitsha High Schools. In some schools (Esangweni, for example) daily late-coming was reduced from over 100 learners per day to zero. This campaign also spread into other parts of Cape Town and the Eastern Cape. †¢ EE is presently running a major campaign for a National Policy on School Libraries, and a campaign for Minimum Norms and Standards for School Infrastructure.

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

The Life Of A Seaman During The Stuart Age - 4003 Words

THE LIFE OF A SEAMAN DURING THE STUART AGE Gregory Leatherman Course Title March 31, 2015 The Stuart Age was a tumultuous time for the men of the Navy Royal. Seamen had to endure to austere conditions that heretofore were unknown to men in service of the crown. The men were cut off the common life ashore for months, having to deal with cramped quarters, disease, repetitive and salty foods, and low pay. On top of all of this sailors had to face the danger of weather at sea and the constant threat of attack by enemy ships. This paper will attempt to give the reader a real sense of the experience of the 17th century English sailor. I would be remiss if I did not mention the lack of accurate recordkeeping†¦show more content†¦Once a man had signed on and come aboard, the officers were supposed to decide if the man was an able or ordinary seaman. Able seamen were more advanced than ordinary and would be given positions of increased responsibility. Able seamen would helm the ship or control the sails and rigging, positions that required considerable ski ll. Taking the helm of a ship meant controlling the movements of the ship. While an officer would oversee this position, the helmsman may have to make a decision in an emergency to ensure that wind stayed in the sails. An ordinary seaman was not one that was unskilled, many times working above the deck and learning the rigging or manning a gun such as a musket. The pay of a navy man was decent; after 1693 ordinary seamen were given 19 shillings per month and able seamen were given 24. This pay was about the same as a land laborer, but was less than could be paid for service in the merchant service. Men expected to be paid a lump sum at the end of each trip, but naval administration of the time usually did not have the money to do so. Crews could accumulate massive running debts owed to them by the administration, sometimes up to 3 or 4 years of pay. In such cases, families of sailors had to use credit or charity from friends and family to afford life. Samuel Pepys noted in his diary that this put undue stress on the sailors and their families,Show MoreRelatedIntimate Partner Violence and Substance Abuse in Women Essay1970 Words   |  8 Pagesinclude any other form of intimate partner violence. (Connelly, et al. 2006) Intimate partner violence results in fatalities in thirty percent of all female homicides. (Catalano, 2006) For males, the percentage goes down to five percent. Men and woman ages twenty to thirty-four are at the highest risk for intimate partner violence. Again, both men and women who are married but separated are at higher risk for intimate partner violence. Black and white females are more likely to be victims of nonfatalRead MoreThe John Lennon Tragedy1100 Words   |  4 Pagestown of Liverpool, England. His parents are Julia and Alfred Lennon. He is named John Winston Lennon after his grandfather, and prime minister, Winston Churchill. He mostly lived with his mother because his father was always traveling as a merchant seaman. Johnâ €™s aunt almost took custody of him, but then his father came home and made John pick between living with his father or mother. His decision was to live with his father but when he saw how upset his mother got he then ran up to her and his finalRead Moreï » ¿IMPLEMENTATION OF R.A.9262 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS ANTI-VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN CALAPAN CITY ORIENTAL MINDORO5910 Words   |  24 Pagesin every three has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. Every year, violence in the home and the community devastates the lives of millions of women. Gender-based violence kills and disables as many women between the ages of 15 and 44 as cancer, and its toll on womens health surpasses that of traffic accidents and malaria combined.1 Violence against women is rooted in a global culture of discrimination which denies women equal rights with men and which legitimizes