IFRS vs GAAP †Equity Accounts Essay

In discussing Equity Accounting standards of GAAP and IFRS we specifically look at Stockholders’ equity in regard to corporations. Of course there are many differences in language; however, we will review some major differences in accounting standards with respect to Equity accounts. There is a glaring difference in the two methods with regards to Distributions to Owners. Under US GAAP, disregarding dividends paid on unallocated shares (Employee Stock Ownership Plans), tax benefits can be received. It follows that the tax expense is reduced and no allocation is made in stockholders equity. The IFRS impose rules where entities must reduce equity accounts for the amount of any distribution, net of tax benefits. To elaborate, a company under GAAP pays 1 million dollars into pensions and 200 thousand would be the taxable amount. It would reduce the stock holder’s equity by 1 million; the 200 thousand would credit the tax expense. A company under IFRS would report 800 thousand as a debit to the equity account, with no tax liability. A broader topic is the issuance of equity instruments which includes stock. Minor differences related to stock are observable in linguistics, or account titles. GAAP accounts are labeled Common Stock and IFRS accounts are labeled Share Capital. One significant difference in accounting methods occurs in the presentation of increasing equity, specifically in regard to issuing stock. An IFRS entity may report Par value and nominal value separately in its equity account. There are some other differences in the accounting practices of IFRS and GAAP to make note of in regard to equity accounts. One difference is the recording of changes in equity. The IFRS implements a financial statement for this specific known as the, â€Å"Statement of changes in Equity.† The statement shows more than just changes. First, the statement reports profits or loss; what follows are incomes or expense titled â€Å"other comprehensive income.† Lastly, the statement shows changes in accounting policies and the financial effects incurred as a result. It’s used for compliance with IFRS accounting policies, estimates and error rules. US GAAP does not require a separate financial statement and can record changes simply in the notes of financial statements.

Lateral thinking

Lateral thinking is a term coined by Edward de Bono, a Maltese psychologist, physician, and writer, although it may have been an idea whose time was ready. De Bono defines Lateral Thinking as methods of thinking concerned with changing concepts and perception. He invented the term ‘lateral thinking'. It was first written up in a book called â€Å"The Use of Lateral Thinking†. (1967) It is similar to creative thinking. It is also seeking to solve problems by unorthodox or apparently illogical methods. â€Å"A set of systematic techniques used for changing concepts and perceptions and generating new ones†, (de Bono, 1967) â€Å"Exploring multiple possibilities and approaches instead of pursuing a single approach.† (Infinite Innovations, 1997)There are numerous ways of defining lateral thinking, ranging from the illustrative to the technical. First, â€Å"You cannot dig a hole in a different place by digging the same hole deeper† (de Bono, 1997a) This m eans that trying harder in the same direction may not be as useful as changing direction. Effort in the same direction (approach) will not necessarily succeed. Second, â€Å"Lateral Thinking is for changing concepts and perceptions† (de Bono, 1997b) With logic you start out with certain ingredients just as in playing chess you start out with given pieces. But what are those pieces? In most real life situations the pieces are not given, we just assume they are there. We assume certain perceptions, certain concepts and certain boundaries. (Wikipedia, 2006)Lateral thinking is concerned not with playing with the existing pieces but with seeking to change those very pieces. Lateral thinking is concerned with the perception part of thinking. This is where we organize the external world into the pieces we can then ‘process'. (de Bono, 1994b) Third, â€Å"The brain as a self-organizing information system forms asymmetric patterns. In such systems there is a mathematical need f or moving across patterns. The tools and processes of lateral thinking are designed to achieve such ‘lateral' movement. The tools are based on an understanding of self-organizing information systems.† (de Bono, 2004). This is a technical definition which depends on an understanding of self-organizing information systems.Fourth, â€Å"In any self-organizing system there is a need to escape from a local optimum in order to move towards amore global optimum. The techniques of lateral thinking, such as provocation, are designed to help that change.† (de Bono, 2005). This is another technical definition. It is important because it also defines the mathematical need for creativity. Lateral thinking is about reasoning that is not immediately obvious and about ideas that may not be obtainable by using only traditional step-by-step logic.Techniques that relate lateral thinking to problems are characterized by the shifting of thinking patterns away from predictable or entre nched thinking to new or unexpected ideas. A new idea that is the result of lateral thinking is not always a helpful one, but when a good idea is discovered in this way it is usually obvious in hindsight, which is a feature lateral thinking shares with a joke. (Harleys, 2004) Edward de Bono points out that the term problem solving, â€Å"implies that there is a problem to respond to and that it can be resolved. That eliminates situations where there is no problem or a problem exists that cannot be resolved. It is logical to think about making a good situation that has no problems, into a better situation. Some times a problem cannot be solved by removing its cause.† (de Bono, 1994a)Lateral thinking can be used to help in solving problems but can also be used for much more. (Wikipedia, 2006) With ‘parallel thinking' both sides (or all parties) are â€Å"thinking in parallel in the same direction.† (Davis, 2005) There is co-operative and co-ordinate thinking. The d irection itself can be changed in order to give a full scan of the situation. But at every moment each thinker is thinking in parallel with all the other thinkers. There does not have to be agreement. Statements or thoughts which are indeed contradictory are not argued out but laid down in parallel. In the final stage the way forward is ‘designed' from the parallel thought that have been laid out. (Davis, 2005)MethodsAn easy and convenient way of carrying out ‘parallel thinking' is the Six Hats method which is now being used commonly worldwide both because it speeds up thinking and also because it is so much more constructive then conventional argument thinking. (de Bono, 2005) The use of the Six Hats method is now growing speedily globally. Those who have become familiar with the technique look back at argument as primitive, crude and ego-driven. (de Bono, 2002)â€Å"With the Six Hats method you can still show off. But you now show off by performing better than anyone else under each hat. It is no longer a matter of proving someone else to be wrong. Our ingrained habits of critical disagreement are so often not just a matter of sensible caution, but a mixture of ‘power plays' and ego strutting.† (de Bono, 2003) On the other hand, there is a necessary and proper place for caution. â€Å"That place is provided by the ‘black hat’.† Under this hat every person sets out to look for dangers, risks, shortfalls, problems, etc. Even those who most like the idea make a authentic effort to recognize the faults. Power plays have no place. There is no longer an chance to show that some particular individual is wrong or that you are smarter than that person. (de Bono, 2003)There are six symbolic hats, each one a diverse color. The thinker wears one hat at a time and only uses the mode of thinking which goes with that particular color. â€Å"The white hat is neutral.† While wearing this hat, the thinkers simply focus on in formation. What information is available on the subject, and what is missing? â€Å"The red hat signifies emotion and intuition – aspects of human thinking which are traditionally excluded from ‘rational' discussion. But since they still exist, they often get expressed indirectly.† The red hat allows them to be expressed usefully and openly. â€Å"The black hat puts the thinkers into the role of judge.† Wearing this hat, they assess the risks associated with an idea and see how the idea fits with what is already known (our values, experience, objectives, etc.). (de Bono, 2003)â€Å"The yellow hat brings out the positive side of assessing an idea.† With this hat on, the thinkers look for the values and benefits in an idea. As with the black hat, the thinkers have to use logic when wearing the yellow hat.   â€Å"The green hat signals deliberate creative effort.† Under this hat all the possibilities can be discovered, using precise techniques of lateral thinking, like provocation. This is an chance for vision. Lastly, the â€Å"blue hat is there for the overview.† (de Bono, 2003)   It is typically worn by the person chairing a meeting but can be used by anyone. The process of thinking is managed with this hat and all the different threads drawn together. (Hellers, 2006)How can it be applied to the corporate world?Lateral thinking is of very great importance in such a way that it gives a new and an alternative way of solving a problem. By the use of lateral thinking, an individual can recognize dominant ideas that polarize perception of a problem, the person can search for different ways at looking things, can have a complete control of rigid thinking, can use a chance to encourage other ideas. Lateral thinking can also be applied in human problem solving. Lateral thinking can be used in the management development. This lateral thinking can be greatly used in schools where in de Bono had also done his study(. Cu rtin, 2004)Lateral thinking is also perfect for: Groups in need of new thinking like companies with an â€Å"innovation† initiative in need of tools that actually work; Professionals in the new idea development business — R&D, PD, marketing, advertising; Executives feeling the heat, same old, same old just isn't working anymore; Teams frustrated with old predicable ideas that keep surfacing in their creative thinking meetings, Scientists and engineers who need systematic tools to break open their thinking; Proactive people that want to strengthen their Innovation Instinct— their ability to generate, build on and implement valuable new ideas. Human resource / Organization development professionals needing tools to facilitate ideation meetings; (de Bono Thinking Systems, 2006)Lateral thinking will also help individuals to develop skills to: Increase productive idea output; Design the future; Find fresh new solutions to intractable problems; Escape the constraints of routine thinking; Appreciate the diversity of thinking among team members; Plan and lead innovation meetings that deliver powerful results; Secure company’s leadership edge; Find new areas of opportunity. (de Bono, 2004)Hence, Lateral thinking is an alternative way to solve problem in a different approach. It could also greatly help in strengthening your business with fresh new thinking bringing innovative solutions to life. Lateral Thinking provides a flexible framework with systematic creativity tools so that you can.Referencesde Bono, E. (1994) Parallel Thinking. London: Viking.de Bono, E. (1994b) The Teaching of Thinking: Why and How? In J.Edwards (ed.) Thinking: International Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Melbourne: Hawker Brownlow, 45-55.de Bono, E. (2004) â€Å"Parallel Thinking: the Six Hat Methods†. Retrieved from: http://www.thinkingmanagers.com/management/parallel-thinking.phpWikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia (2006) â€Å"Lateral Thinking† Retriev ed 12 October from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateral_thinkingde Bono, E. (2005) Parallel Thinking and Lateral Thinking. The De Bono Library.   Retrieved October 2006, from: http://www.edwdebono.com/debono/lateral.htmInfinite Innovations. (1997) â€Å"Definition of creative, creative thinking, parallel and brainstorming†. Retrieved from: http://www.brainstorming.co.uk/tutorials/definitions.htmlCurtin, L. (2004) â€Å"Lateral Thinking Systematic Creativity Tools†. Retrieved from: http://www.lyndacurtin.com/programs/lateral_thinking/lateral_thinking_index.aspde Bono, E. (1997a) â€Å"Effective Thinking: a General Course†. Retrieved from http://www.edwdebono.com/course/index.htmde Bono, E. (1997b) â€Å"Lateral Thinking: TIP Theories, Psychological†. Retrieved from: http://tip.psychology.org/debono.htmlHellers, M. (2006). â€Å"Serious Creativity†. Retrieved from http://www.sixhats.com.htmlde Bono, E. (1995) â€Å"Idea Focus†. Retrieved fr om http://www.ideafocus.com/products/serious/_serious.htmlde Bono, E, 2004, â€Å"De Bono Consulting: A Division of Resources Unlimited†. Retrieved from: http://www.debonoconsulting.com/Lateral_Thinking.aspDavis, A. (2005) â€Å"Timothy Mcsweeney’s: Developing Your Lateral Thinking Skills†. http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2004/12/1stallard.htmlde Bono, E. (2006) â€Å"Practical, Radical and Innovative Thinking Systems†. http://www.debonothinkingsystems.com/home.htmHarleys, C. (2004) â€Å"Creative Tools: A Creative Process, Mind Tools, Essential Skills for an Excellent Career†. Retrieved from: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCT_00.htmde Bono Thinking Systems. (2002) de Bono for Business. Retrieved from† http://www.debonoforbusiness.com/asp/lateral_thinking.asp

B.F. Skinners theory of punishment Essay

When you think of punishment and reward you think of a reaction; but man has come up with theories of why we do the things that we can do. Conditioning and learning is defined as change in behavior, which is resulted by different types of practices and experiences. In this report the main topics will be classical conditioning, operant conditioning, cognitive-social learning, and neuroscience and evolution. Every time we do something good or bad the outcome determines our reactions in future situations. This learning process that is associated between environment stimuli and behavioral responses. Breaking down the rewards system you come along reinforces and reinforcement. Both are good ways to get a conditioned response. First we primary rein forcers, this increases the chance because it satisfies a need for sex, food, and water. Secondary rein forcers increase the probability of a reaction because of value, money, and possessions through learning. Positive reinforcement is a reward that adds stimulus to increase chances of responses. Positive reinforcement would be a paycheck for a job well done. Negative reinforcement is the exact opposite removing or taking away stimulus of the action not occurring again. The two types of conditioning we are covering is classical and operant. Conditioning is learning through repetition of exercises of rewards or punishment to get a response. The pioneer scientist in classical conditioning is Ivan Pavlov. Classical conditioning is also known as a Respondent or Pavlovian conditioning. Classical is also involuntary which is one of the major differences from operant conditioning. Classical conditioning happens when an unrelated response through association with a stimulus that already makes a similar or related response. An example of classical conditioning is for some people when you hear the sound of running water you need to use the bathroom. The other types of conditioning are Operant, also called Instrumental and Skinnerian conditioning. In operant conditioning the punishment, reward, or in other words outcome is important. That adds to the probability that the act will be repeated or not. Operant conditioning is where consequences of a  particular behavior are described on the repetition of that same behavior. B.F. Skinner’s experiment of operant conditioning was a cat in a puzzle box. The only way the cat could get out was to pull on a rope; at first the cat did it by mistake. As the experiment went on the cat’s behavior became more and more purposeful. Soon the cat learned that the door opened immediately for his food. Skinner’s theory of reward was called positive reinforcement, and his theory of punishment was known as negative reinforcement. Reinforcement always increases the strength of the preceding behavior. Skinner was credited with the law of affect meaning an action will be repeated if it is rewarded. Another type of operant conditioning is called, Extinction. Extinction is a particular behavior that is weakened by the consequence of not experiencing a positive condition or stopping a negative condition. So far this report has broken down stimulus and observable reward and punishment behavior. Overall, some scientists believe the behavior cannot be explained by these theories alone. So next we come to cognitive social theory. Unlike Skinner’s black box theory, German psychologist Wolfgang Kohler wanted to look deeper inside the box. Kohler believed that solving a complex problem was responding to the stimuli in a trial and error statement. One of his experiments was with using a chimpanzee to try and find his way out of a cage and luring to reach a banana from the ceiling by using it’s insight to grasp the banana. Kohler tried the experiment again with another chimp placing him in the cage with two sticks this time and placing the banana farther then it’s grasp. The chimp lost interest in the banana when it was farther but then realized he could use the two sticks to extend his reach, allowing it (the chimp) to obtain the banana. Kohler called this a, learning insight. To wrap up this report we learned that the different types of conditioning are based on reward and punishment and they all have their own different theories and they are still being tested and experimented today.

Exercise 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Exercise 1 - Essay Example Sexual abuse on the other hand is enticing a child to undertake in any sexual activities with or without consent. The awareness of the child is irrelevant in this case. Failure to provide a child’s needs amounts to neglect. The program’s mission will be protecting children from neglect and abuse to ensure they grow in a healthy environment and proper mental, social, psychological, and emotional development. The primary goals include educating the society on the various forms of child abuse and helping those affected by offering support financially, emotionally and health programs for the sexually abused (Watkins,2009). The effectiveness of the program is measurable in the following ways; data can be obtained from the related agencies and compared to cases reported after awareness is done. A reduction of the number of reported cases shows success. Conducting a benchmarking activity by comparing our work and that done by other child protection programs. The number of children who successfully undertake the program will also be an indication of the success of the program. Activities aimed at achieving the objectives include conducting fun days where families are mobilized and educated on child abuse. Blogs and social networks will ensure that a larger population gets the intended message and are continuously updated on any new events. A toll free centre will be accessible for 24 hours to respond to any emergencies and receive

Police Communications Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Police Communications Technology - Essay Example Historically In terms of historically, Larry Seigel (2009) emphasized the police officers used only batons to keep the peace. With the introduction of the police cars of the 1990s, the police officers were often charged for racial discrimination policies. To prevent the racial discrimination charges, the police officers on duty were required to installation of car cameras. The car cameras would deter the police officers from entertaining any thoughts of abusing the rights of the crime suspects. The police officers’ actions before, during, and after the crime suspects implemented their illegal activities had been recorded in the police camera. The camera tapes are used in the training of new police recruits. The classroom students are made to criticize whether the police officers were at par or below par in terms of preset benchmarks in terms of crime scene investigation. In addition, the international Association of Chiefs of Police (ACP) emphasized the importance of cameras t o record the police officers’ actual handling of each crime scene. Police technology tips the balance of justice towards the peace makers. The article introduction to police technology clearly shows that the criminal syndicates have resorted to technology to bolster their criminal activities. With modern technology, the crime lords would outsmart the police officers. The crime lord daringly implemented their daring illegal activities under the very noses of the Police officers (in the dead of the night). The criminal elements would often use night vision goggles to watch over the encroaching police officers. With the use of emails, websites, and other internet-related technologies, the crime groups would boldly send messages to fellow group members on their next crime targets. The crime syndicates could not be stopped with the use of modern technology. The new set of police officers used modern police technology to track, gather evidences, and apprehend the crime members. Mod ern technology includes the use of modern weapons to counterattack each criminal activity. The use of modern technology included the use of â€Å"spy† devices to track the phone numbers of the crime members. Modern Technology Modern technology includes the use of satellites to locate a criminal’s car hurriedly escaping into the thick of the night sky into hiding. Modern technology uses the person’s body as a guide to easily locate a person who runs away from the crime scene to avoid being caught taking drugs or selling trucks. Modern technology includes the use of high technology customer care. In terms of technology, William Schwabe (2001) reiterated the old technologies that need replacements include radio equipment, training equipment, administrative systems, accounting systems, computers in the workplace, audio-visual equipment, crowd or riot control, protective gloves, helmets, shields, ballistic and stab resistant armor, integrated data bases of criminal m inds and criminal groups in the community, conference call equipment, and cellular phones. Robert Snow (2007) theorized Modern technology includes the latest in fingerprinting technology. The Sacramento, California police department uses the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). The program can access the police

A comparison of Still Lifes by Paul Cezanne and Francisco de Zurbran Essay

A comparison of Still Lifes by Paul Cezanne and Francisco de Zurbran - Essay Example Most impressionist paintings were done out of doors, many depicting scenes from everyday life, often with several figures and using bright, vibrant colors, and without any emphasis upon exact details. This is more unusually is an indoor scene and a still life, but there are still the bright colors and the lack of exact detail. It is exactly what it was meant to be – an impression of a kitchen scene. The items are very casually laid out, on what appears to be a kitchen table, almost with the appearance of being thrown down, and the background looks as if the artist has used it to clean his brushes, including as it does tiny amounts of many different colors, yet at the same time the viewer is able to distinguish exactly just what is being depicted as clearly as in the much more formal and realistic work earlier work by Zurbà ¡ran. Impressionism was not abstract art.

Strategic Management and Business Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Strategic Management and Business Policy - Essay Example Example of Consolidated Industry: Energy industry is an example of consolidated industry. In Karachi, energy is only supplied by Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) and the company has the ability to set prices according to their own will. On the other hand, in case of fragmented industry there are huge numbers of medium and small sized enterprises and no organization has the ability to set prices. In this type of industry prices are set by market forces. The organizations in this industry experience perfect competition. There are no or very few entry barriers in this industry, this means that companies can enter and exit the industry whenever they want to. If an organization wants to operate in this kind of industry, it has to change itself with changes in technology and environment. Examples of fragmented industry includes: food, juice, clothing, health care, and dry cleaning industry. In Pakistan there are more than 250 juice producing companies in the juice

Substance Dualism Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Substance Dualism - Term Paper Example Such versions are comprised of substance dualism; psycho-physical parallelism; occasionalism; idealism; double-aspect theory; and epiphenomenalism. I wish to stress on the fact that such examinations will be done to further establish the arguments that will be set on the logicality of duality. Dualism, in its basic sense, emphasizes on the radical difference between mind and matter (Calef). In this reasoning, the mind is not the same as the brain or any other body part. Thus, there exist two independent substances in a person—one material (comprised mainly of bodily parts) and one non-material (human mind) (Philosophy of Mind). The term ‘substance’ is the most essential concept in this statement as it strongly posits the need to treat the mind as an independent object. Formally defined, a substance is a thing or an entity that does not depend on other thing or entity in order to exist (Lacewing). Moreover, a substance may or may not be composed of other substances, may or may not enter into relationships with other substances, but will always have specific attributes (Blutner). Through this definition, the ‘dualist perspective’ argues that there are two fundamentally different objects in a person—the mind and the body—and they do not necessarily need the presence of each one to exist. Thus, while the mind and the body may or may not be in a ‘relationship’ (as to be explored in greater detail in the second part of this paper), they will always possess specific attributes that will make them be as they are (Everitt). Because of this, the human body and the human mind can be discriminated according to attributes of spatial extension (for body) and of thought (for mind). Such attributes are further ‘specified’ by certain states or modes—modes of extension such as form, location texture and weight for the body, while modes of thought such as images, emotions, beliefs,

International Strategic Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Strategic Planning - Essay Example Strategic planning and management functions are all the more important in case of large organizations. Other functional management areas like Human Resources, Finance etc. deal with only a part of the organization or its activity. At times two or more such areas may need to take assistance from each other. But strategic planning and management relates to the management of the organization as a whole. Different set of persons may contribute in different proportions towards making strategic moves. Strategic decisions are concerned with the issue of setting a direction for the organization to move or the course the organization will follow Though very crucial, yet preparing 'strategic moves' for future often is not based on hard facts, but on presumptions. It involves past experience, forecasting and 'surround-effect'. The input from different sources are integrated into one comprehensive plan in order to manage the operations, marketing, production, human resources, marketing communica tions, technology implementation, diversification, mergers & acquisitions etc. Multinational Enterprises with stakes in many markets, different sets of individuals, cultures etc. need to take care of the variations in perceptions and practices in order to remain relevant to the desired areas of operations. In general the planning process begins by taking stock... International strategic planning is the process through which multinational enterprises are supposed to evaluate their performances in the past, make an objective assessment of their corporate strengths and weaknesses, and then chalk out strategies for future operations, which also involves processes like selection, recruitment, allocation of resources and assessing the market positions. Blaney (2001) for example, states that 'long-term planning is about making decisions. It is not about day dreaming. It is a practical exercise in decision-making to try to ensure that the organization goes from where it is now to where it wants to go in a given time-period'. Strategic planning and management can be therefore described as what Bernard (1962) called 'maintaining the organization in operation'. Strategic planning, in general, is carried out by the top management, with strategic inputs from different departments. For multinational enterprises, such a planning is done at corporate headquarters together with senior managers from domestic and foreign operating subsidiaries. In these competitive times, when market dynamics do not allow plans to last long enough, most of the MNEs try to keep permanent planning staff for providing timely inputs to top level managers in order to devise strategies. The planning staff is supposed to gather demographic data, economic data, marketing potential, remuneration statistics etc. to the top level executives; who in turn come out with strategic plans accordingly. The top executives responsible for devising international strategies for MNEs, must also be aware of different political systems, government structures, legal systems, multiple currencies, accounting systems besides the

Core Subsystems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Core Subsystems - Assignment Example The scheduler policies fail to receive priority from the memory managers. In such scenarios, there may de diverge allocations of the central processing unit (Torkkeli and Tuominen, pg. 277). Such a scenario may result to two main problems. For instance, there is the schedule oblivious; where scheduling policies fail to exist and even those who are operating, the systems do not use it. In addition to that, the core objective remains to maximize the final and overall faults. Such an approach deters the achievement of schedule goals. The scheduling aspects of the general systems are based on the priority purposes in all times. The input is kept at a high end at all times. Delaying of one priority task occurs for the sake of more than five low priorities. Real time operating systems have the mandate of managing the hardware aspects, which are found in the computer, and other applications installed in it. It remains very reliable it enhances measurement and general automation where the downtime remains a costly affair. The real time systems operate under maximal time. It does provide a high level of real time consistent timing (Grimmer and King, pg. 2647). A number of real-time systems are constructed and operate using the general systems. The operating system is at the chance of providing real time support though they are engineered for a robust real time production, with a number of unpredictability. The disk activity and schedule granularity is at a consistent angle. The critical difference between the general-purpose operations system and real-time operating system is all about the physical aspects of the system. It is all about the time sensitivity aspect. An example of a time conscious system is an automated machine, where one gets the money in not more than five seconds after request of the transaction. Such a system is critical in being time responsive. A personal computer does not portray such a time sensitivity aspect. When one is

The Computer Vision Syndrome Essay Example for Free

The Computer Vision Syndrome Essay Close to 150 million people sit in front of a computer monitor each day. Many of them spend more than two hours at a time, focusing on screens as they complete work projects, blog, or just surf the web. If a significant portion of your day involves computer time, you may be at the risk of CVS-Computer Vision Syndrome too. What is Computer Vision Syndrome? According to the American Optometric Association, CVS is a set of symptoms that are all related to working with a computer. These symptoms can affect both the eyes and musculoskeletal parts of the body. Very simply, CVS occurs when an individual overburden the human eye by asking it to perform in prolonged situations that it was not designed to do. Studies have found that the majority of video display workers experience some eye or vision symptoms. A national survey of doctors of optometry found that more than 14% of their patients present with eye or vision-related symptoms resulting from this type of work. The most common symptoms are: †¢ Blurred Vision when looking into the distance †¢ Double Vision †¢ Stinging of the eyes †¢ Excessive tearing of the eyes †¢ Headaches †¢ Neck or shoulder pain. (Keep in the mind that these symptoms are generally experienced after prolonged periods of computer work or, over time, due to progressive eye strain associated with CVS). What Causes CVS? Unlike printed matter, a computer screen displays words and images through the use of pixels which are multi-dimensional and vary in contrast. The eye is always working extra hard to accommodate as it focuses and refocuses on the graded areas of these combined pixels. The eye lens must work harder to support the function of sight. Eventually, the eye tires and becomes lazy. This explains why vision blurs occur and why it is difficult to look away from the monitor and see distant objects clearly. One of the most significant environmental factors affecting work with displays is lighting. Bright lights in the peripheral field of view may cause discomfort glare. An acceptable lighting level may require a compromise between the amount of light needed to enhance VDT screen visibility and reduce reflections and glare and that needed to perform other office reading and work tasks. The brightness of the screen and the surrounding room should be balanced. For dark background screens this often requires using lower light levels. The brightness and contrast should be adjusted to provide balance with room lighting and maximum visibility. Stinging of the eyes and eye irritation can be caused by the dry atmosphere, and starring at the screen. It decreased number of blinking and increased rate of tear evaporation, which effect the dry eyes. The presence of even minor vision problems can often significantly affect the worker comfort and performance. Uncorrected farsightedness, astigmatism, and binocular vision (eye coordination and eye focusing) problems can be major contributing factors to VDT related eye stress. What can I do if I think I might be suffering from eye problems associated with CVS? At first you have to think about limiting the time you spend front of the computer. It is often unaccomplishable, but there are several other methods too: †¢ Seeing an ophthalmologist is a good first step in to determine whether you have a problem like Computer Vision Syndrome. †¢ Eyeglasses or contact lenses prescribed for general use may not be adequate for computer work. Special lens designs, lens power or lens tints or coatings may help to maximize visual abilities and comfort, and helps you minimize eye strain, and get optimal eye performance. †¢ You have to set up your computer’s place properly. The screen must have an optimal height and distance from your eyes. †¢ The colour of screen characters may also affect visibility. The colour of the characters can affect how the eyes focus on the screen. Monochrome, or single colour displays often provide more optimal images for word processing. Dark letters on a light background or invert could generally provide a more readable image than green, yellow-orange, blue or red characters. †¢ You may to set the proper contrast and brightness setting on your monitor too, to make it more viewable.

The American West and Its Disappearing Water Essay Example for Free

The American West and Its Disappearing Water Essay The author outlined the geography of the semi-arid region of the West. According to him, although the West have rivers and large basins of water, the erratic nature of the landscape as well as the orientation of water flows cannot sustain large numbers of people. The convex nature of the river system allows only a minute flow of water into potential settlements and farms. People living in California, Arizona, and Idaho faced perennial shortages of water. These perennial shortages are due perhaps to the relative orientation of the settlements along river banks. Usually, the flow of water was downward, rather than upwards. The implication: there is relatively shortage of water to sustain irrigation-based agriculture. One can easily see the geographical distribution of people in the West prior to the 1900s. Most people preferred settling in either north of Arizona or West of California. In less than a century though, people began to transform the landscape of the West. Dams were built to provide irrigation and potable water to households and farms. The landscape of the West became a semitropical region (this is though misleading – only a significant area of the West was turned into ‘almost’ semitropical areas). As a result, settlements flourished. The area allocated to farming increased significantly. In essence, the attempt of the people to end the scarcity of water in the West became an attempt to change the orientation of the environment. The collective action of the people was not without political or economic support. Various legislations were enacted to increase water shortage funding. The state governments, with the support of some private individuals, allocated higher budget for constructing dams and modern irrigation facilities. All these efforts were made to neutralize the relative scarcity of water in the region. Environmental History of the West The first chapters of the book deals with the environmental history of the West From the 16th to the 17th century, the Spaniards attempted to colonize regions above California. Most of the expeditions sent by the Viceroy of Mexico failed because of scarcity of water in the region. The attempts of Spanish soldiers to divert water from rivers were futile. The same case can be said when the Americans arrived. The retreating of the desert forced many inhabitants to increase the supply of water from the rivers to households and farms. The relative demand of water by the settlers provoked what Reisner called ‘little imperialism. ’ The officials of the developing urban center (with the support of the population) manipulated the ‘common folks’ of the countryside to secure an efficient supply of water from the Owens Valley. In a sense, Los Angeles stole the Owens River for its own development. This generally led to the decline of the Owens Valley. The continuous use of the river caused perennial inflows which generally reduced the amount of water entering Los Angeles. The stealing of the Owens River was not without political support. The state government promoted homesteading to ensure maximum usage of the river. It sold public lands for settlement and irrigation-based agriculture. When the supply of water from the river withered, the state government ordered a general reversal of its reclamation policy. When the government saw the disastrous effects of its reversal, it implemented a new reclamation scheme. This time, only rich individuals were able to avail of the project. Newcomers and even those living near the Owens River were not able to avail of the project. In short, only some individuals were able to benefit from the project. Dependence on Dams and Aqueducts Most cities and urban centers depended much on dams and aqueducts. Dams provided electricity to the growing industrial and manufacturing sectors of the West. Although aqueducts were few, those constructed were efficiently used. After the Great Depression, the federal government launched several water-based projects. In the West, about 250 000 dams were constructed, of which several thousands were of obvious economic importance. The Role of the Federal Government The role of the federal government was evident. The federal government distributed large mount of capital to local, municipal, and even state governments for dam buildings and other related constructions. The political machinery of the federal government was intended to shove the disastrous effects of water shortage in developing urban centers, at the cost of the environment. A new class of people, the irrigation and dam engineers, gained enormous technical power. Most of their advices were followed by both the federal and state governments to the letter. The emphasis, of course, of these technical advices was on the economic importance of the building projects. There was little regard for the welfare of the environment. History of the Colorado River Basin Then came the history of the Colorado River Basin. It deals primarily with one fateful man-made structure, the Colorado River Basin. For many environmentalists, the project was powerful ‘sin against nature. ’ For the economic liberals in both government and the chambers of commerce, the project was an approximation of the ideal. The real effect though of the project could be best understood on the individual level. Because of the Colorado River Basin, agriculture in the West was heavily subsidized by the government. This created a general distortion in the prices of agricultural goods. Prices of agricultural goods in the West were substantially lower than the prices of the same commodities produced in the East. The general subsidy program of the government only hastened the urbanization of the West, which eventually resulted to further degradation of the river system. The New Deal: A New Chapter on Environmental Degradation Most of the policies implemented in the West focused on water-based projects. The projects implemented during FDR presidency in the West were politically motivated. The water-based projects were implemented to increase the mineral supply of the United States. This mineral supply was vital to the growing manufacturing industry in urban centers. With the outbreak of the Second World War, these projects doubled the supply of aluminum available to the armaments industry. Dams provided the necessary hydroelectric power to run the armaments industry. The damage to the environment was unprecented. To increase the supply of aluminum, mountains had to be ripped off. To power the armaments industry, additional dams would have to be built or those already existing over capacitated. Here again the theme of environmental exploitation is presented, although in a different condition. The demands of the war dominated the demands for a more responsible management of the environment. The Army Corps of Engineers vs. the Bureau of Reclamation After the war, the Army Corps of Engineers was tasked to build water projects around several rivers. The relative obsession of the Engineer Corps on efficiency shortened the life spans of river and outlet flows. Although the short term value of those projects could not be denied, its long term effects were generally disastrous. The author argued that only after 10 years (since the construction of those projects), their marginal value declined sharply. The Army Corps of Engineers clashed with the Bureau of Reclamation over the implementation of the Reclamation Act of 1902. This act gave the federal government the funding for constructing irrigation projects in semi-arid regions. The Corps of Engineers insisted that it was part of their duty to implement the said act. The Bureau of Reclamation reacted quickly, passing an implementing order to all its sub-agencies in California and Arizona. Chapters 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 are generally an outline of the major steps undertaken by various presidents and NGOs to prevent further environmental degradation of the Arizona river system. Here, the author outlined the positive effects of restoring the environmental value of the river systems without due reference to its economic implications. According to the author, only political motivation can only save the remnants of the river system. This political motivation though is hard to achieve as the economic importance of the river system continue to dominate the minds of politicians. Environmentalist Tone of the Book The tone of the author’s environmentalist leaning can be found in the first pages of the book. It reads: a lot of emptiness amid a civilization whose success was achieved on the pretension that natural obstacles do not exist Thanks to irrigation, thanks to the Bureau [of Reclamation] states such as California, Arizona, and Idaho became populous and wealthy; millions settled in regions where nature, left alone, would have countenanced thousands at best what has it all amounted to? not all that much. Most of the West is still untrammeled, unirrigated, depopulate in the extreme Opposition against building of water-based projects increased considerably during the Nixon and Carter administration. Carter supported the move because it was part of his government platform. In any case, the building of water-based projects in the West fell by about 85%. Major Arguments in the Book Here are some of the major arguments of the author in the book: 1) The intrinsic value of the environment is more important than its perceived economic value. The economic value of an important resource would tend to decrease as more and more of its utility is consumed; 2) Environmental degradation is correlated with the level of economic usage of a particular environmental resource. Relying from historical sources, the author argued that economic usage of a particular resource is inversely related to sustainability. An optimum level of usage can only be achieved if an optimum level of degradation is achieved; 3) And, political motivation is both a key in environment degradation and environment protection. This proposition is evident in the book. The degradation of the Owens River and the Colorado Water Basin was politically motivated. Equally speaking, the solutions proposed by the Carter administration to relieve environmental protection were effective, and thus, are under the nexus of political motivation. Analysis Analysis Many of the author’s arguments are generally full of unnecessary fallacies. At some point, he argued that the ultimate cause of environmental degradation was faulty political policies. At some other point, he argued that the massive ‘excessiveness’ of the urban centers was the sole cause of increased environmental degradation of the river system. The contradictory nature of these two statements is obvious and unrelenting. It can also be said that most of the author’s arguments lack verifiable evidences. Historical evidences cannot be translated into verifiable evidences because of the static nature of the former. Multiple references to sources are a necessity in verifying historical claims. Conclusion Much of the author’s arguments need more authentic verification. The historical proofs provided by the author were either devoid of associated empirical facts or simply lacking in credibility. For example, the term ‘political motivation’ has multiple meanings in the book, but the author failed to clarify it. Reference Reisner, Marc. 1993. Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water. New York: Penguin Books.

Contributions of Women in the Sultanate of Oman

Contributions of Women in the Sultanate of Oman After the accession of His majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said in 1970 Oman transformed from a rudimentary single economy that lacked all sorts of public amenities and modern infrastructure to a modern and diversified economy aided by the wise leadership of his Majesty. The availability of oil revenues and the importance given to education in the post 1970 period accelerated the development process. For women in Oman, the new era started when His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said began the process of Renaissance. The result seen today is because of his firm belief in the future of Oman and its men and women. Women are encouraged to work shoulder to shoulder with their male counter parts. Omani women today are seen in different professions such as, medical doctors, lawyers, engineers, business leaders, and teachers. Omani women are found in the army and police, private and public sectors, and most importantly, in senior government positions. While there are no official figures available, it is said that Oman has the highest number of working women among the AGCC states. (Source: Oman Tribune, 30 September 2007) Purpose of the study This conceptual paper addresses the following issues factors that encourage women to pursue various careers role and contributions of Omani women in the Sultanate obstacles hindering womens progress Recommendations Factors that encourage women to pursue various careers: Factors which encourage women to work and achieve economic independence and leave a significant mark on the society are mainly: support of women from the Islam religion and the Holy Quran, the wise leadership of his majesty under which thrust has been given to education and Omanization, setting up of Womens Association and favorable labour laws. Rights of women as stated in Islam Islam accords equals rights to men and women. Female education in the Islamic world was inspired by Prophet MuhammadHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammads_wivesHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammads_wivess ( PBUH) wives: Khadijah, a successful businesswoman, and Aisha, a renowned hadith scholar and military leader. According to a Hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he praised the women of Medina because of their desire for religious knowledge:[18] An indicator of the attitude of the Quran to women in the workplace is indicated by the quotes used to justify women working. Khadijah (Prophet Muhammads(PBUH) wife), who was an eminent business woman.Sitna Khadijah is called up as a role model for women. Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) encouraged Muslims, men and women alike, to seek and pursue knowledge. The Holy Quranic verses and Hadiths can be cited to demonstrate this fundamental right to knowledge. Say: My Lord, increase my knowledge (Holy Koran xx: 1,14). God will exalt to high ranks those who believe among you, and those who have knowledge (Holy Koranlv11: 11). Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave (Hadith).The search for knowledge is a duty of every Muslim, male and female(Hadith). Role of His Majesty His Majesty in His speech: The education of girls is never absent from our mind, since women form half of our society. Rapid strides in educational development were taken after Sultan Qaboos assumed power in 1970. In the year 1970 there were only three schools and no colleges or universities. By the year 1985 the number increased to 588 schools and by 2006 07, there were 1053 schools enrolling a total of 5,63,602 students and employing a teaching staff of 44,514. To support the role of women, the Omani government has set a number of programs such as a network of modern health services and social services throughout the country aimed at improving the advancement of women. Undoubtedly, Omani women have been liberated and accorded their respect as equal partners in Omani society under the leadership of His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos. Omanization Omanization Policy was introduced in 1988 as a long-term process of committed vision and mission. This is a key development policy influencing the employment scenario of the country. Omanization plan is seen as a national objective in order to stop the continuation of the countrys dependence on the expatriate manpower by substituting Omani nationals for foreign labor. To this effect, legislation concerning employment contained in the Omani Labor Law states that preference should be given to Omani nationals. This mandate is enforced by the Governments Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor by specifying the ratio of Omanization to be achieved in the private sector taking into account the number of Omani graduates graduating annually from the various educational institutes Education Education in Oman is a fundamental right for each and every Omani citizen. The importance of educating and developing the countrys national human resources has been one of the main aims and policies of His Majestys government .In accordance with His Majestys directives, a network of modern primary and secondary education establishments for girls and boys has been extended across the whole country, catering to even remote villages. Educational progress has been phenomenal. Women have an equal access to educational opportunities. For the academic year 2008 2009 275,229 males and 265,103 females are enrolled in Government schools for general education. For the academic year 2008 2009 7,298 and 4,033 female students are enrolled in Sultan Qaboos University and Colleges of Applied Sciences respectively which is very close to the number of enrollments of the opposite gender. Role of Support Services The aims of the Directorate is to set up programs for the care of mothers and children, the eradication of illiteracy, education, the development of traditional and modern handicraft skills, the promotion of healthy and hygienic environment, the teaching of survival skills, and the cultivation of womens minds and roles as citizens of a modern developing society. Omani Womens Association, the first of its kind in the country was founded in 1971 and is managed as a not for-profit organization. The Omani Womens Association acts in collaboration with the efforts and support of the government to carry out a great number of activities such as literacy classes, provision of handicrafts skills and family care programmes.. It is envisaged that the Womens Association could be instrumental in providing a network for Omani women in management, and to offer the much needed support for their development in the workplace. These programmes enhance the role of Omani women in Sultanate. Womens Leadership 41.9% women (Omanis and Expatriates) are employed in civil services out which the major share is of the Omani women. One and two Omani women are employed in the Special and Ambassador grade respectively with no expatriate females in this grade. Omani (16,389) and expatriate (1,749) women are primarily employed in Grade 6 of Civil Services in 2008 . Economic growth and diversification The availability of oil revenues has made it possible for Oman to develop its economy, educate its people and offer a relatively comfortable standard of living. This however, has not rendered a total reliance and dependence on oil revenues, rather the government of Oman has been pursuing economic diversification and privatization programs as a measure of maintaining available and sustainable economy for its people. Labor Laws pertaining women Labor laws are favorable Omani women .They ensures equality in the workplace and employment in Oman does not discriminate on gender and exercises a sound policy of equal employment opportunity and equal pay act. An entire section in the Oman Labor Law is dedicated to the employment of women. For example, Articles 80 to 82 in the Oman Labor Law clearly safe guard the rights and working conditions of Omani women (Oman Labor Law). Women can avail special leaves such as maternity leave and leave upon death of husband, and a special provision that allows working women to request leave of absence (up to four years) without pay to accompany a spouse who is posted abroad. Working mothers who return to work while continuing to breast feed are allowed to leave work an hour early each day for six months to feed their babies. The working hours in the government (public) sector are conducive to working women. Government employees work from 7:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m. Saturday through Wednesday, and Thursday and Friday are days off from work. Such working hours allow parents, particularly working mothers, to spend time with their children. With all the above factors Omani women have occupied different professions and have contributed to the progress of society. . Role and contributions of Omani women in the Sultanate Today Omani women are in key positions starting at the Ministerial posts. Dr Rawiyah bint Saud Al Busaidiyah, Minister of Higher Education, Dr Rajiha Bint Abdulamir bin Ali Minster of Tourism, Dr Shariffa bint Khalfan Al Yahya Minister of Social development, Sheikha Aisha bint Khalfan Al Siyabiya, Chairperson of Public Authority for Craft Industry, all hold crucial portfolios. At all levels women are found to hold responsible positions today. Health, Education, banks are the leading sectors. Omani women are active voters as well as candidates who have served terms in the Majlis Ashura. The Majlis Ashuras members represent the Sultanates wilayats. Omani women exercising their voting rights prove their equal status.Omani womens membership of the Majlis AShura dates from 1994. Omani women are also represented at Diplomatic circle as His Majesty appointed the first woman ambassador by appointing her as ambassador to the Netherlands in September 1999. In the Legal area also a growing presence of women is seen. In April 2009 First Omani women was appointed as Director of public prosecution Directorate in the Wilayat of Barkha. Women have served in the ROP for over 35 years and their contribution is growing with new development and experience. Women Police traffic patrols are introduced which is in its first phase now that is limited to the Governorate of Muscat. In the field of fine arts Omani women have been reaching out to international audience. Works of Omani female artists, artisans, sculptress, photographers have been around to other countries for exhibitions. Omani actresses have won accolades for their performance on stage and screen. The Royale Oman Symphony Orchestra has harnessed the talent of some wonderful female musicians. During 2007-2008 the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra and Syrias Mari orchestra with Maestro Raad Khalaf performed a joint concert featuring 50 female musicians the first time an event of this kind has been staged in the Gulf. Dr Mariam Al Waili is a Senior Specialist in Nutritional Medicine. She feels that Health sector is a suitable place for women to play their essential role in society. There are more opportunities available than even before and a high demand for qualified and skilled practitioners. Due to the dramatic rise of several diets related chronic diseases, she dreams to see specialized Nutritional Medicine and education centers in the country that can provide adequate treatment and cost effective supplements. Her Highness Sayyida Zeyana Ali Al said is an Air Traffic Controller for the last 14 years. She was selected to study in UK and underwent all the 4 stages of training in Air Traffic Control. According to her the 2 qualities in an ATC would require is Multi tasking and quick thinking.She needed to work in shift, needed a lot of focus to talk to pilots at the same time, keep abreast of information of all aircrafts and work harder to make Air raffic less congested.She thanks His Majest Sultan Qaboos to have given women a chance to prove their capabilities in all of these careers. Barka Al Barky studied Social Science and after her Post graduation moved to Oman in 1976. She took up employment with UN Development Programme and worked till 1993. She helped in development and coordinating UN Agencies contribution to Omani development efforts in all fields of economy from fisheries, agriculture, tourism and industrial planning, civil aviation and meteorology systems. She was the Director of Administration and Personnel at Al Shatti Hospital. In the last 3 years she is mainly supporting the blind community across Oman. Ahlam Al Jahdhami is an Engineer who is today Sales and Client support Manager At Falcon Oilfield Services (National Wireline Logging Company). She provides hi-tech exploration and production services to oil companies in the region. After a degree in Biomedical Engineering she wanted a career as a real engineer. Opportunities in the region were limited. There was a lack of other female engineers from the AGCC and she was one of the first Omani women to survive in this environment. The sharp end of the oil industry is never described as woman friendly or even just friendly. It is still a very male dominated and conservative business. She was working and sometimes living in remote camps or on offshore rigs kilometers away from the comforts of home. The work was very physical and set in some of the harshest environments on earth. However she wants to continue to share her passion for science and engineering and encourage more young women to get involved and contribute in a real and practical way. Dr. Wafaa Al Harasy is a consultant and director of the ROP Forensic Laboratory. She did her Bsc in Egypt and completed her MSc and Phd in United Kingdom. Practically Forensic work is mostly a mans world. There are times when the Forensic team is required to attend crime scenes at unsocial hours of the day and at isolated locations. But she enjoys her job because of these daily challenges and considers herself lucky not only to be part of this specialized skilled team but also one of the founders of this profession in Oman. She wants to be able to contribute to Oman and have a State of art Forensic laboratory and achieve an international recognition for its services. Maliha Al Kharoussi is an E business entrepreneur and CEO of Arabian booking.net a new resource for business, leisure and family travelers.She wishes to add value to the core industries that all use i.e. hospitality, travel and tourism. By bringing these 3 major sectors in one easy to access and use website she will help those who want value for money in quickest possible way. She wishes to help and strengthen Oman as leading tourism destination in areas of regular tourism, medical tourism, cultural tourism and adventure tourism. Ghada Al Harthy is the proprietor of cafà © G Patisserie Cafà © G Catering.From aviation to catering she wanted a career not just a job. She strongly feels that business has no gender. As long as the business is legal and ethical there is nothing to stop us from achieving the goals. She believes that under the wise leadership of His Majesty whohas a strong advocate for women in business, we are amongst the most fortunate in the Gulf as far as equal opportunities are concerned. The opportunities are endless. But there is more to be achieved and that is why His Majesty has initiated yet another step toward the advancement of women in Oman. There are various factors that have hindered the progress of Omani women. Obstacles hindering womens progress Traditional Mind set of Arab men The Arab traditional attitude asserts that women are inferior to men and incapable of pursuing a professional career. Such conservative attitudes negate the concept of professional working women in traditional Arab societies, the idea of women working is degrading and a disgrace to some Arab men who consider that it is their responsibility to provide for their wives and family. The above attitude tends to have a spillover effect at work, whereby male employers regard women as being less capable then men and unfit for responsible positions, claiming that their family obligations take priority; and hence, subjects them to lower productivity and absenteeism (Beck, 1994;Hammoud, 1993). This negative attitude and traditional stereotype towards women in Arab/Islamic societies has been, and still is, a major resisting force to progress for professional working women. Portrayed Self-image of Women The inferior self-image of women becomes difficult to overcome considering that it is ingrained and conditioned in their upbringing and social development(Hunsaker Hunsaker, 1991; Hennig Jardim, 1977). In traditional Arab-Islamic patriarchal societies, the feminine gender is subordinate, while the masculine is superior and dominant (Magharabi et.al., 1994; Bech,1994; Hammoud, 1993; Allaghi Almana, 1984; Gerner, 1984; Al-Hatimy1983). Generally, men are held responsible for providing the necessities of life, thus to work outside the home. On the other hand, women are expected to serve their husbands and children at home, especially since women are not required by the Islamic law (Sharia) to financially support the family. In this subordinate position, women become victims of their own gender (Mernissi,1985, Rassam, 1984). Hammouds (1993) dynamic study on the role of women in higher education management in the Arab region confers that the most fatal obstacle which prevents women from realizing their utmost professional achievement is the self-image of a woman portrayed as inferior to men, incapable of being socially and financially independent, and hence depends on them an to care for and protect them. Human Resource Policies and Strategies The lack of proper human resource policies and strategies addressing women workers has proven to be a major obstacle to womens progress and development. The majority of these workers are concentrated in the lower echelons of the organizational hierarchy with a small percentage in decision making positions12,072 out of 51,229 Omani employees in the wage group of 120 Rials were Omani women, followed by the 200 300 bracket in which 3349 Omani women are employed out of a total of 15,665 local workers in that bracket. Only 25 Omani Women fall in the wage group of 2000 + in the private sector out of a total of 589. . In Oman, the absence of human resource policies and strategies to promote the recruitment and development of female managers at work is a deterrent to gender diversity. The work environment and culture are not conducive to promoting women in management. This acts as a glass ceiling preventing womens accessibility to top management positions. For example, there are no programs to facilitate the advancement of women as role models, absence of mentoring programs, lack of management training programs, and shunning of affirmative action. Lack of Professional a Womens Network The lack of a professional womens network in Oman creates a major void for women aspiring to professional managerial positions. The absence of female mentor-protà ©gà © relationship makes it difficult for women to develop the requisite attitude, skills and abilities for leadership and management positions. This results in a disparate situation and a state of confusion; because after all, women are entering a male dominated domain coupled with a traditional value system and a culture that tends to shun women from pursuing management careers. Work Family Conflict There is an interdependence of work and family life which is especially problematic for women as a result of their greater family responsibilities. Traditionally, women have had the primary responsibility for housekeeping and childcare which do not diminish when they are employed outside the home. Furthermore, the responsibilities they carry are simultaneous while mens are more typically sequential. i.e. a woman may be called in at work regarding a sick child whereas typically a father may fulfill role obligations after work hours. Recommendations The hindrances should be tackled efficiently from all angles like Government, organization and the individual. In Oman the availability and accessibility to all levels of education along with equal opportunities in the job market is more so in the urban area. In the rural interiors the importance given to education takes a back seat and therefore the opportunities in the job market is relatively less? Thus it is important to ensure that rural areas should be focused for literacy campaigns. It is urged that educational opportunities to Omani women should never be compromised, but rather be improved. Meanwhile, special measures should be undertaken to encourage and promote womens access to scientific, managerial, technical, and vocational disciplines in order to develop the requisite skills and extend their opportunities for employment in non-traditional occupations. . It is necessary to institute awareness programs of employment opportunities and benefits to Omani women in all the different regions of Oman so that their participation in work force will further increase. This can be achieved through the utilization of the local and international media as a means for promoting the role of working women in the workplace and the values of Arab women in changing society and their integration in the development process. Other measures include setting up quota systems to ensure the employment and representation of women in the workforce. Since the Omani society is based on strong family ties the centrality of the family accompanied by close relationship makes it the responsibility for parents and parents in law of working women to help with child care. However it is recommended that the Organizations and Government also take the responsibility of family support and Child care services and special attention is directed to the provision of a social infrastructure that will enable women to work, such as professional day care centers onsite, kindergartens, and adequate maternity leave. The availability of such support services is a tangible expression of organizational recognition of the needs of professional women. Consequently, it undoubtedly can make a great difference to the capacity of women to manage multiple roles It is very important that Omani women should think positive about them first and convince others that they are empowered and deserve to be trust worthy. Ghada Al Harthy proprietor of cafà © G Patisserie and Cafà © G Catering says I hope to one day fund and support my own training facilities for younger generation of Omanis so that they may also have a brighter future ahead of them. I also want to start new business ventures that will allow me to create career opportunities for the blind and disabled members of our society. We can all make a positive change starting with our thoughts which lead to our actions. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has always emphasized the importance of the womans role in the countrys growth: Many years ago, I said that if the energy, capability and enthusiasm of women were excluded from a countrys active life, then that country would be depriving itself of 50 per cent of its genius. I have taken very good care that this should not happen to Oman, and I look forward to the further progress of women in my country with the greatest pleasure and confidence.

Second language acquisition is when a child or adult has already become

Second language acquisition is when a child or adult has already become competent at a language and then attempts to learn ano. Comment to the language teaching method, combine with your own learning experience, choose one or more teaching methods that you think is the best. Second language acquisition is when a child or adult has already become competent at a language and then attempts to learn another. The goal of learning language is for communication and exchanging message. There are numerous of methods have been used to teach a second language: direct method, communicative method, (indirect) grammar-translated method, reading method and audio-lingual (audio-visual) method, etc. Normally, teacher does not use one single method, although he/she may have a leaning towards certain aspects of particular one. He/She may use a combination of methods, in order to successfully achieve the goal. For the direct method, it is also known as Natural/ Phonetical method. It is based on the belief that knowing a language for speaking purpose. Writing, printed note or word and learning of grammar are avoided because they hinder the acquisition of good oral proficiency. But it is not the real case. Rejecting printed word; focusing only on oral aspect of language would resist the development of other language skill. A good language learner should acquaint oneself with writing, reading, listening and speaking all four skills. And the communicative method, it is quite similar to the direct method. It also focuses on language as a medium of communication. But it is more systematical and not limited to the practice of oral skills, but all four-skills area. In fact, it recognizes that disregard of grammatical form... ... others fluently. Direct method is the best to use for putting the learner of a forward progress. All kinds of teaching methods should all have their strength and weakness. They are invented to suit to use in the period of time. But gradually, disadvantages are discovered. There is never a method that should not be applied; it can really help learners to learn the second language. Never just to blame for the teaching method and the fault’s of the teacher, if it is unsuccessful to learn a language. Student’s attitudes towards language should also be positive, patient, eager to learn and not to be shy of making mistakes. Learning from mistakes is a precious experience of learning. With a combination of suitable teaching method, good teacher and correct attitudes towards learning a language is the only way to get succeed in any second language acquisition.

Review on Black Comedy :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Journal Entry for â€Å"Black Comedy† Dear Journal:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have never been so exhausted in my entire life and now I have time to sleep and do some schoolwork. I know this is a day late and I am sorry, but Sunday I just couldn’t function anymore.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the production of â€Å"Black Comedy† I learned how to speak with a Standard British and Cockney dialect, was able to participate in the erection and demolition of a big set, and realized how much actors rely on each other during a performance. This production was hard, but an enjoyable learning experience. Never in my life had I used a British accent or a Cockney, now that I think of it. It was really hard for me to get that all down. Chris really did his job by pounding it away into our brains with all the packets and tapes. I had to watch â€Å"My Fair Lady† to get that wonderful Cockney down. Dialect work was the topic of our second rehearsal with little comments throughout the production.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Oh what a lovely set we had! With some measurements that were missing or wrong. All Hail Jim! I really enjoyed being a part of the group and helping put the set together. I was so glad to hear that there would be a second work call because I hadn’t been able to attend the first. We started out that morning by putting the upstairs platform up, the stairs, the flats, and then paint. We ended that night by painting the stage a nice brown color and we were out of there at eleven o’clock. It took an awfully long time to put the set up, yet it took about three and a half hours to pull it all down. It was all over when all there was left to do was sweep the floor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since this was only my second play I realized that with a small cast as â€Å"Black Comedy† had each actor must work together and know the other actors’ lines. When someone would miss or forget a line, another actor would have to either help them get back to where they should be or go with it. I learned just how important cue lines were in this production. They tell you were you should be in your blocking, in the play, and who’s line is next. A way that helped me learn my lines this time around was when I thought I knew them I would write them down and then go back over them with the script in my hand.

Catcher in the Rye Essay: The Need for Control -- Catcher Rye Essays

Need for Control in Catcher in the Rye  Ã‚  Ã‚   With his work, The Catcher in the Rye   J. D. Salinger created a literary piece that was completely unique. The entire novel was written from the first person viewpoint of the 17-year-old boy Holden Caulfield. The majority of the story is compiled of Holden's rudimentary monologue of â€Å"complexly simple† thoughts, the rest utilizing his relay of previous dialogue. That, along with the use of unique punctuation, digressing explanations, and complex characterization, transforms the simple plot into a complex literary classic. The novel's dialogue and monologue alike manage to relay the feel of natural speaking such as "I mean you'd be different in some way - I can't explain what I mean." The contractions â€Å"you'd† and â€Å"can't†, since they are common in everyday language, establish a very common and simple tone. Stress on the first syllable of "different" reinforces the tone by demonstrating how typically they speak. He uses dashes for pauses and the sig naling of associative digressions. Instead of for signaling pauses, commas are used only where mechanically required. "So all of a sudden, I ran like a madman across the street - I d*** near got myself killed doing it, if you want to know the truth - and went in this stationary store and bought a pad and pencil." ***CITE THIS???***   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Holden Caulfield creates a thought-provoking point of view. On the surface, many of his thought patterns seem unrelated and stray from the topic. His association of topic with digression is used almost constantly throughout the novel. However, realizing that these digressions are very relevant and even crucial to the topic, he allows the reader to gain true insight into the character. His statements ... ... His being the lone "big" person expresses his desire of being in control. The playing in the rye field next to a crazy cliff would depict the nearness to his fall while being oblivious to the danger. His one wish is to be able to prevent this, to be in control. Then, after establishing his wishes, he considers it impossible by expressing thoughts of it's craziness. He has resolved that he cannot be in control, but it is all he wants. In a world before alternatives to his painful lifestyle, what can Holden do but blindly play the game in the rye field, right beside his cliff of sanity. "But life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one must play by the rules."    Bibliography 3rd edition Psychology (Bernstein-Stewart, Roy, Srull, & Wickens) Houghton Mifflin Company Boston, Massachusetts 1994    NOTES ***YOU MUST CITE ALL THE QUOTES FROM THE NOVEL***

Sustainability in Entrepreneurship, Innovation

Discuss the relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development. What role does sustainability play in this relationship? Refer to both theory and examples from the business world to support your discussion. In today’s economy, entrepreneurship is an important subject and entrepreneurial abilities have become a pivotal requirement both nationally and globally. However, enterprises that succeed mostly do so as they are capable of change for the better, through innovation. So for an enterprise to be successful innovation is required.Creativity and innovation is at the heart of the 21st century. For example in the United States alone, more than 16,000 firms operate their own research labs! These successful enterprises and their advancements in innovation as a result lead to a country’s economic development. Economic development has become a focus of attention by governments around the world. As the UK Office of Science and Technology (2007) put it, à ¢â‚¬Å"Innovation is the motor of the modern economy.. † Thus there is no doubt that a connection between entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development prevails.The three factors are complementary because innovation helps any form of entrepreneurship to prosper, thereby increasing its economic value, thus contributing to economic development. This paper will examine this relationship of entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development, and explore the extent of its connection. To begin, it will define these terms, and then connect them accordingly, using economic literature and real life examples for evidence. Secondly, the essay will look at what sustainability is, types f sustainable innovation, whether it’s a threat or opportunity for enterprises, and its effect on economic development.The term entrepreneurship can take numerous definitions. Simply put, entrepreneurship is the act of an entrepreneur, and that is someone who assumes the risk for and organi zes a business project. Economist Richard Cantillon first used the term entrepreneurship in his book Essai Sur La Nature de Commerce en General (1959) where he explains that an entrepreneur is one who buys things at a lower price, and sells them at a higher price, undertaking the risk factor. More recently, Joseph Shumpeter provided a thorough description, where he divided entrepreneurship to two types: allocating and catalytic.Further, Shumpeter (1934) stressed on the importance of an entrepreneur to be innovative, â€Å"Whatever the type, everyone is an entrepreneur only when he actually carries out a new combinations and loses that character as soon as he has built up his business†. This leads into the connection of entrepreneurship with innovation. Mintzberg (1983) defined innovation as â€Å"the means to break away from established patterns. † Innovation is the creation of something new; and in the business world, it would be for moneymaking benefit. According to Shumpeter, it can be the creation of a new product, opening a new market and so on.Thus, it can be stated that innovation is required for an enterprise to succeed, so is a factor contributing to the process of entrepreneurship. Innovation can take two forms, incremental or radical. A radical innovation can be stated as a â€Å"gap-filler† as economist Harvey Leibenstein (1968) put it, which is a novel creation that fills a â€Å"gap† in the market. Radical innovation is a vital for economic development as the problem is missing markets is solved. There we see the connection of innovation with economic development.Economic development can be defined as a positive progress in an economy, usually through government expenditures to promote the wellbeing of the economy and society as a whole. It can be measured by taking into account a country’s standard of living, economic health, environmental sustainability and other factors. According to Harvey Leibenstein in his book The American Economic Review (1968 p77), there is no universally accepted theory of economic development, but there are two important elements that contribute to development, one of which is the â€Å"Interaction between the creation of economic capacity and the related creation of demand [.. The entrepreneur is probably the prime mover of the ‘capacity creation’ part of these elements of the growth process. † In addition, as said in the Hamilton Project (2012), â€Å"Innovation has transformed the American economy through the development of automobiles and highways, airplanes, telecommunications, and the internet, all of which have made it progressively easier for businesses to market their products.. † which as a result, help the business enterprises. Thus, it is undeniable that there is strong connection between entrepreneurship, innovation and conomic development, as has been stated in literature time and time again. It can also be proven with th e use of real life examples, for instance in the software industry, which today is globally worth $489 billion. Microsoft, â€Å"the worldwide leader in software technology†, an innovation founded by Bill Gates, had a revenue of $28. 37 billion in the year 2002, and employed more than 50,000 employees in 78 countries as said in Andriopoulos and Dawson’s, Managing Change, Creativity & Innovation Textbook (2009 p94).Microsoft’s software is an example of an incremental innovation, and a successful enterprise, which thus became a major contributor to USA’s economic development. An example of a radical innovation that majorly contributed to economic development was Henry Fords simple invention of the assembly line method of production in the 1920’s. Its application to the production of Ford cars reduced the time to produce the Model T Ford by 68%, thereby increasing efficiency, and reducing its cost by 62%, thereby increasing the demand for the car.This a result increased employment in America, increased travel around the country, helped all businesses reduce costs, and raised the standard of living of the middle-class American family who could now afford a car, which had once been a luxury. All these factors contributed to of economic development of the US economy, which was booming at the time. Therefore, it can be firmly stated that a strong connection between entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development does exist, and that they are often times co-occurring.A change in one can have an effect on the other; however, they are not dependent upon on another. For example, economic develop does have other factors contributing to it, aside from entrepreneurial gain. Secondly, I believe that entrepreneurships can succeed without innovation. This is where I disagree with Schumpeter’s theory of Creative Destruction. In this, Shumpeter claims that an entrepreneur has to do something novel to be successful, however in world of business there have been instances that prove his theory wrong.For example, in the 1990s’s, a team of entrepreneurs from the US implemented a set of multi screen cinemas in Mexico City called Cinemax, which was a well-known and established business model in the US. This was very successful in Mexico City, and the chain of cinemas was sold for $300 million ten years later. This is very entrepreneurial, but not innovative. Therefore I believe that whilst innovation and entrepreneurship go hand in hand, an entrepreneur does not necessarily need to be innovative in his/her thinking to be successful.Hence, I agree with Schumpeter’s theory only to an extent, in that they are strongly related, but disagree with the fact that an entrepreneurship has to be novel in order to be successful and contribute to economic development. Almost all economies today are growing rapidly, China and India for example. Though this is a primary objective of all countries, governments and oth er environmentally friendly organizations are far more concerned on ensuring that this development occurs without excessive damage to the environment.The aim is to ensure human needs are met; but also conserved for the needs of the future generations, and as a result conserving the environment. This is also known as sustainable development. According to the Brundtland report (1987), sustainable development is â€Å"Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. † Sustainability can take many forms, including economic, social and environmental. This essay will look at sustainability in the economic form and understand sustainability from the business point of view.The implementation of government regulations, such as UK’s DEFRA, which look at conserving and protecting the environment, and fine or reprove businesses that do not, may initially seem as a problem for many companies. But in actu ality, in can help the businesses and even be an opportunity for innovation. The need to be sustainable has created environmentally friendly inventions, an internal driver of sustainability, boosting economic growth accordingly. Sustainability in business encourages enterprises to cut down on its costs and produce more with less. Companies today reduce, reuse and recycling waste material.In addition, it gives way for invention of environmentally friendly products, such as the Panasonic’s Rhythm eShower for water conservation and Toyota’s invention of the Prius, an electric car, which would in turn reduce fuel consumption. Toyota even won the title of â€Å"Best Global Green Brands 2012† (BusinessWeek, 2012) for the second time in a row. Further, it has resulted in the invention of renewable energy methods such as solar photovoltaic cells and tidal stream generators, a new industry in the market. British company, Lunar Energy has decided to build the worlds first tidal energy farm deep sea, providing energy for 5000 homes.As a result, creating employment too. The requirement for businesses to be sustainable has created employment, promoted innovation and has even opened up a whole new industry in renewable energy, thereby contributing to economic growth. The contribution sustainable development makes to the economy is clear in the long run, as the economy is sure to sustain in the future as well. The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change (2006) explains how there is a negative impact on economic growth if governments and businesses are not environmentally friendly.Economist Nicholas Stern stated that if we don’t act in a sustainable manner, the impacts that occur would cost damage worth of 20% of a country’s GDP. Whereas in contrast, investment in greener and more sustainable development today, would only cost 1% of global GDP each year. I believe that while sustainable development may result in some businesses to lo se out, overall it opens new industries, encourages innovation and also works in favor of the economy in the long run.To conclude, It can be stated that sustainability can play an important role in economic development, and can encourage enterprises to innovate environmentally friendly technology, cut costs, and thus be more successful. It also helps a country’s economy in the long run as it would not have to heavily spend on the damages caused by global warming. As said by Schumpeter, (1934 p367) â€Å"The entrepreneur is the prime mover in economic development and his function is to carry out new combinations. † This is true in the sense that through innovation, enterprises can succeed and contribute to an economy’s development.Thus, it is clear that businesses and innovation have a positive effect on economic development are strongly connected. But again, I do not believe that all enterprises must be innovative to succeed, and that for a new business to open, a current one must be eroded. Therefore in conclusion it can be stated that entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development are complementary in real life, and are at often times co-occurring, but are not dependent on one another. And encouraging businesses to be sustainable will only have a positive impact on the economy, when taking the long run impacts into account.Bibliography The American Economic Review Harvey Leibenstein. (May 1968) Page 77. Volume 78, No. 2, American Economic Association. Entrepreneurship and Small Businesses Paul Burns. (2007) 2nd Edition, Palgrave MacMillan, New York Stern Review of the Economics of Climate Change Nicholas Stern. (October, 2006) The Theory of Economic Development Joseph A. Shumpeter. (1983) Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick, New Jersey Our Common Future (The Report of the Brundtland Commission) United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development. 1987) BusinessWeek Bloomberg. (July 2012) Power In and Around Organizati ons (The Theory of Management Policy) Henry Mintzberg. (January 1983) Published by Prentice Hall, College Division Hamilton Project Michael Greenstone, Adam Looney and Leslie B. Samuels. (May 2012) Managing Change, Creativity & Innovation Constantine Andriopoulos and Patrick Dawson. (2007) Published by TJ International Ltd. Padstow, Great Britain Essai Sur La Nature de Commerce en General Richard Cantillon. (1959) Published by Frank Cass and Co. , London

Grammar Test

Tenses 1) I’m busy at the moment. ~ on the computer. a) I work b) I’m work c) I’m working d) I working 2) My friend ~ the answer to the question. a) is know b) know c) knowing d) knows 3) I think I’ll buy these shoes. ~ really well. a) They fit b) They have fit c) They’re fitting d)  They were fitting 4) Where ~ the car? a) did you park b) did you parked c) parked you d) you parked 5) At nine o’clock yesterday morning we ~ for the bus. a) wait b) waiting c) was waiting d) were waiting 6) When I looked round the door, the baby ~ quietly. a) is sleeping b) slept c) was sleeping d) were sleeping 7) Here’s my report. it at last. a) I finish b) I finished c) I’m finished d) I’ve finished 8) I’ve ~ made some coffee. It’s in the kitchen. a) ever b) just c) never d) yet 9) We ~ to Ireland for our holidays last year. a) goes b) going c) have gone d) went 10) Robert ~ ill for three weeks. He’s still in hospit al. a) had been b) has been c) is d) was 11) My arms are aching now because ~ since two o’clock. a) I’m swimming b) I swam c) I swim d) I’ve been swimming 12) I’m very tired. ~ over four hundred miles today. a) I drive b) I’m driving c) I had been driving d)  I’ve driven 13) When Martin ~ the car, he took it out for a drive. ) had repaired b) has repaired c) repaired d) was repairing 14) Janet was out of breath because ~ a) she’d been running b) she did run c) she’s been running d) she’s run 15) Don’t worry. I ~ be here to help you. a) not b) will c) willn’t d) won’t 16) Our friends ~ meet us at the airport tonight. a) are b) are going to c) go to d) will be to 17) ~ a party next Saturday. We’ve sent out the invitations. a) We had b) We have c) We’ll have d) We’re having 18) I’ll tell Anna all the news when ~ her. a) I’ll see b) I’m going to see c) I see d) I shall see 19) At this time tomorrow ~ over the Atlantic. ) we flying b) we’ll be flying c) we’ll fly d) we to fly 20) Where’s Robert? ~ a shower? a) Does he have b) Has he c) Has he got d) Is he having 21) I ~ like that coat. It’s really nice. a) am b) do c) very d) yes Questions, negatives and answers 22) What’s the weather like in Canada? How often ~ there? a) does it snow b) does it snows c) snow it d)  snows it 23) Which team ~ the game? a) did it win b) did they win c) won d) won it 24) What did you leave the meeting early ~? – I didn’t feel very well. a) away b) because c) for d) like 25) Unfortunately the driver ~ the red light. ) didn’t saw b) didn’t see c) no saw d) saw not 26) You haven’t eaten your pudding. ~ it? a) Are you no want b) Do you no want c) Don’t want you d) Don’t you want 27) I really enjoyed the disco. It was great, ~? a) is it b) isn’t it c) was it d) wasnâ€℠¢t it 28) Are we going the right way? – I think ~. a) indeed b) it c) so d) yes Modal verbs 29) The chemist’s was open, so luckily I ~ buy some aspirin. a) can b) can’t c) did can d) was able to 30) Susan has to work very hard. I ~ do her job, I’m sure. a) can’t b) couldn’t c) don’t d) shouldn’t 31) We had a party last night. ~ spend all morning clearing up the mess. ) I must have b) I’ve been to c) I’ve had to d)  I’ve must 32) There was no one else at the box office. I ~ in a queue. a) didn’t need to wait b) mustn’t wait c) needn’t have waited d) needn’t wait 33) ~ I carry that bag for you? – Oh, thank you. a) Do b) Should c) Will d) Would 34) I’ve lost the key. I ought ~ it in a safe place. a) that I put b) to be putting c) to have put d) to putting Passive 35) We can’t go along here because the road is ~. a) been repaired b) being repaired c) repair d)à ‚  repaired 36) The story I’ve just read ~ Agatha Christie. a) was written b) was written by ) was written from d) wrote 37) Some film stars ~ be difficult to work with. a) are said b) are said to c) say d) say to 38) I’m going to go out and ~. a) have cut my hair b) have my hair cut c) let my hair cut d) my hair be cut Infinitive and Gerund 39) The driver was arrested for failing ~ an accident. a) of report b) report c) reporting d) to report 40) Someone suggested ~ for a walk. a) go b) going c) of going d) to go 41) I can remember ~ voices in the middle of the night. a) hear b) heard c) hearing d) to hear 42) The police wants ~ anything suspicious. a) that we report b) us reporting ) us to report d) we report 43) We weren’t sure ~ or just walk in. a) should knock b) to knock c) whether knock d) whether to knock 44) It was too cold ~ outside. a) for the guests eating b) for the guests to eat c) that the guests should eat d) that the guests eat 45) Did you congr atulate Tessa ~ her exam? a) of passing b) on passing c) passing d) to pass 46) I didn’t like it in the city at first. But now ~ here. a) I got used to live b) I’m used to living c) I used to live d) I used to living 47) They raised the money simply ~ for it. It was easy. a) asking b) by asking c) of asking d)  with asking 8) As we walked past, we saw Nigel ~ his car. a) in washing b) to wash c) wash d)  washing Nouns and articles 49) I need to buy ~. a) a bread b) a loaf bread c) a loaf of bread d) breads 50) My father is not only the town mayor, he runs ~ too. a) a business b) a piece of business c)  business d) some business 51) The ~ produced at our factory in Scotland. a) good are b) good is c) goods are d)  goods is 52) I’m looking for ~ to cut this string. a) a pair scissors b) a scissor c) a scissors d)  some scissors 53) I was watching TV at home when suddenly ~ rang. a) a doorbell b) an doorbell c) doorbell ) the doorbell 54) I’ve alwa ys liked ~. a) Chinese food b) food of China c) some food of China d) the Chinese food 55) In England most children go ~ at the age of five. a) school b) to school c) to some schools d) to the school 56) We haven’t had a holiday for ~ time. a) a so long b) so a long c) such a long d) such long 57) Our friends have a house in ~. a) a West London b) the West London c) West London d) West of London Miscellaneous 58) It’s so boring here. Nothing ever happens in ~ place. a) that b) these c) this d) those 59) Is that my key, or is it ~? a) the yours b) the your’s c) your d) yours 0) Adrian takes no interest in clothes. He’ll wear ~. a) a thing b) anything c) something d) thing 61) There’s ~ use in complaining. They probably won’t do anything about it. a) a few b) a little c) few d) little 62) I don’t want to buy any of these books. I’ve got ~. a) all b) all them c) everything d) them all Pronouns 63) Let’s stop and have a coff ee. ~ a cafe over there, look! a) Is b) It’s c) Them d) There’s 64) Everyone in the group shook hands with ~. a) each other b) one other c) one the other d) themselves 65) The washing-machine has broken down again. I think we should get ~. ) a new b) a new one c) new d) new one 66) All the guests were dancing. ~ having a good time. a) All were b) Every was c) Everyone was d) Someone were Adjectives and adverbs 67) The house was ~ building. a) a nice old stone b) a nice stone old c) a stone old nice d) an old nice stone 68) The government is doing nothing to help ~. a) poor b) the poor c) the poors d) the poor ones 69) The young man seems very ~. a) sensible b) sensiblely c) sensibley d) sensibly 70) I ~ missed the bus. I was only just in time to catch it. a) mostly b) near c) nearest d) nearly . 71) This detailed map is ~ the atlas. ) more useful as b) more useful than c) usefuller as d) usefuller than 72) This place gets ~ crowded with tourists every summer. a) always more b) crowded and more c) from more to more d) more and more 73) Yes, I have got the report. ~ it. a) I just am reading b) I’m just reading c) I’m reading just d) Just I’m reading 74) I’ve read this paragraph three times, and I ~ understand it. a) can’t still b) can’t yet c) still can’t d) yet can’t 75) Sorry, we regret what happened ~. a) a bit b) much c) very d) very much Prepositions 76) The village is ~ Sheffield. It’s only six miles away. ) along b) by c) near d) next 77) You can see the details ~ the computer screen. a) at b) by c) in d) on 78) I’ve got a meeting ~ Thursday afternoon. a) at b) in c) on d) to 79) We’ve lived in this flat ~ five years. a) ago b) already c) for d) since 80) This car is ~ if you’re interested in buying it. a) for sale b) in sale c) on sale d) to sell 81) Polly wants to cycle round the world. She’s really keen ~ the idea. a) about b) for c) on d) with 82) I prefer dogs ~ cats. I hate cats. a) from b) before c) than d) to 83) My father used the money he won to set ~ his own company. a) forward b) on c) out d) up 4) Don’t go too fast. I can’t keep ~ you. a) on to b) on with c) up to d) up with Reported speech 85) Someone ~ the tickets are free. a) said me b) said me that c) told me d) told to me 86) Last week Justin said â€Å"I’ll do it tomorrow. † He said he would do it ~. a) the following day b) the previous day c)  tomorrow d) yesterday 87) I don’t know why Nancy didn’t go to the meeting. She said she ~ definitely going. a) be b) is c) was d) would 88) The librarian asked us ~ so much noise. a) don’t make b) not make c) not making d) not to make Relative clauses 89) What’s the name of the man ~ gave us a lift? ) he b) what c) which d) who 90) What was that notice ~? a) at that you were looking b) you were looking at c) you were looking at it d) which you were looking 91) Sus an is the woman ~ husband is in hospital. a) her b) hers the c) whose d) whose the 92) York, ~ last year, is a nice old city. a) I visited b) that I visited c) which I visited d) whom I visited 93) The accident was seen by some people ~ at a bus stop. a) waited b) waiting c) were waiting d) who waiting Conditional sentences and wishes 94) If I ~ my passport, I’ll be in trouble. a) lose b) will lose c) lost d) would lose 95) I haven’t got a ticket.If ~ one, I could get in. a) I’d have b) I had c) I have d) I’ve got 96) If the bus to the airport hadn’t been so late, we ~ the plane. a) caught b) had caught c) would catch d) would have caught 97) If only people ~ keep sending me bills! a) don’t b) shouldn’t c) weren’t d) wouldn’t Linking words 98) I just had to take the dog out ~ of the awful weather. a) although b) despite c) even though d) in spite 99) Anna put the electric fire on ~ warm. a) for getting b) in order get c) so she gets d) to get 100) ~ I didn’t feel well, I went to school. a) Because b) Nevertheless c) And d) Although