Saturday, November 30, 2019

Quaid-e-Azams Daughter Dina Wadia Essay Example

Quaid-e-Azams Daughter: Dina Wadia Paper Dina Wadia (born Dina Jinnah August 15, 1919) is the daughter of Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Founder of Pakistan. Contents [hide] 1 Early life 2 Rift with her father 3 Jinnah mansion dispute 4 Present times 5 Bibliographic references 6 External links Early life[edit] See also: Jinnah family Dina was born in London shortly after midnight on the morning of August 15, 1919. Jinnah was raised as a Muslim, reading the Holy book Quran from her aunt Fatima Jinnah. [l] She is the daughter of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the step daughter of Emibai Jinnah and the niece of Fatima Jinnah and Shireen Jinnah. Stanley Wolperts Jinnah of Pakistan records: that Her premature arrival was unexpected†her parents were at the theatre, but were obliged to leave their box hurriedly. She was a dark-eyed beauty, lithe and winsome. She had her mothers smile and was pert or petulant as only an adored. According to Wolpert, referring to Jinnahs time in London in 1930-33, Dina was [Jinnahs] sole comfort, but Dina was away at school most of the time and home only for brief times, yet still the pampered daughter could be a Joy to her doting father. He had two dogs, one formidable black Doberman, the other a white West Highland Terrier. We will write a custom essay sample on Quaid-e-Azams Daughter: Dina Wadia specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Quaid-e-Azams Daughter: Dina Wadia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Quaid-e-Azams Daughter: Dina Wadia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In November 1932, Jinnah read H. C. Armstrongs biography of Kemal Atatrk, Grey Wolf, and seemed to have found his own reflection in the story of Turkeys great modernist leader. It was all he talked about for a while at home, even to Dina, who consequently nicknamed him Grey Wolf. Being only thirteen, her way of pestering him to take her to High Road to see Punch and Judy was, Come on, Grey Wolf, take me to a pantomime; after all, I am on my holidays. [Wolpert] Rift with her father[edit] Dinas relationship with her father became strained when Dina expressed her desire o marry a Parsi-born Indian Neville Wadia. Jinnah, a Muslim, tried to dissuade her, but failed. Mahommedali Currim Chagla, who was Jinnahs assistant at the time, recalls: Jinnah, in his usual imperious manner, told her that there were millions of Muslim boys in India, and she could have anyone she chose. Reminding her father that his wife (Dinas mother Rattanbai), had also been a non-Muslim, a Parsi also coincidently, the young lady replied: Father, there were millions of Muslim girls in India. Why did you not marry one of them? And he replied that, She became a Muslim'. It is said (by Jinnahs associate M C Chagla in Roses in December) that more. It has not been corroborated by any other source. Jinnah allegedly disowned her and the father-daughter relationship became extremely formal after she married. But the legal notice of disowning never came, which is essential for such purposes. They did correspond, but he addressed her formally as Mrs. Wadia. Dina and Neville lived in Mumbai and had two children, a boy and a girl. Dinas son Nusli Wadia became a Christian, but converted back to Zoroastrianism and settled in the ndustrially wealthy Parsi community of Mumbai. Dina did not travel to Pakistan until her fathers funeral in Karachi in September 1948. Their relationship is a matter of legal conjecture and hair splitting as Pakistani laws allow for a person to be disinherited for violating Islamic rules (in this case by a Muslim woman marrying a non-Muslim), hence no claim on the Pakistani properties of Jinnah, and Indian laws recognizing religions traditional succession rules to operate. Jinnah mansion dispute[edit] After Jinnah returned to Mumbai from England to take charge of the Muslim League, e built himself a palatial mansion South Court (Jinnah House) in Mumbai, which became his residence during the politically momentous decade preceding the creation of Pakistan. The house was designed by Claude Batley, a British architect, and was built in 1936 at a total cost of Rs. 200,000/-. The 2. 5 acre (10,000 m2) property, South Court, overlooking the sea and located at 2, Bhausaheb Hirey Marg (then Mount Pleasant Road), Malabar Hill, is in Mumbais most expensive real estate. In 1948, it was leased to the British Deputy High Commission which occupied it till 1982. Successive Pakistans Government have often expressed deep interest in acquiring the property free of charge for sentimental reasons. During his visit to India, President Pervez Musharraf had renewed Pakistans claim to the house which the president had suggested to Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee should be given to Pakistan so that it could be turned into a consulate. However, this came to naught: Dina Wadia who lived in New York, wrote to the Indian prime minister demanding that the house on the Malabar Hill, now worth $60 million, be handed over to her. itation needed] Through her counsel, she has argued that Muslim Law for inheritance did not apply to her father Jinnah, a Khoja Shia but instead Hindu customary law applied, as ruled by the Supreme Court of India in previous cases. [2] Present times[edit] See also: Wadia family In March 2004, Dina came to Lahore, Pakistan to watch a cricket match between Pakistan and India. She considered cricket diplomacy to be an enthralling dimension that illustrated an entirely new phase in relations between India and Pakistan. But she and her son Nusli Wadia chose not to share their thoughts with the ublic on what was certainly a highly emotional encounter. Dina had not traveled to Pakistan since her fathers funeral in September 1948. A great sense of drama was embedded in an old womans visit, as a foreigner, to a country that was founded by her father. Dina, her son Nusli Wadia and grandsons Ness Wadia and Jehangir Wadia visited the mausoleum of her father to pay homage. She also visited the museum father. In the visitors book, Dina wrote: This has been very sad and wonderful for me. May his dream for Pakistan come true. This would appear to be a very ppropriate summation of a life-experience that is essentially inexplicable. Reports said that she asked for copies of three pictures she saw in the mausoleums antiquities room. In one picture, she is standing with her father and aunt, Fatima Jinnah. The other is a painting of her mother, Maryam Jinnah. In the third, her father is dictating a letter, showing Mohammad Ali Jinnahs political persona. She also went to the tomb of Madar-e-Millat Fatima Jinnah to pay respects to her aunt and Flagstaff House Pakistan to host the flag of Pakistan and her fathers house Wazir Mansion. [3]

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Reedsy Learning The 5-Minute Publishing School

Reedsy Learning The 5-Minute Publishing School Introducing Reedsy Learning: The Five-Minute Publishing School â€Å"Once you stop learning, you start dying,† a great man with a mustache once said. And while I’m sure most of us agree with the sentiment, our hectic modern lives often leave us with little time to expand our knowledge. That is, of course, until now.Today, the team here at Reedsy is proud to unveil Reedsy Learning - a series of short publishing courses designed to help you learn more about writing, publishing, and marketing amazing books†¦ five minutes at a time.Learn how to publish over a cup of coffeeCreated by some of the best professionals in the industry, each course lasts just 10 days, with a new lesson arriving in your inbox every morning. These fun-sized knowledge nuggets can be absorbed in less than 5 minutes - perfect to enjoy on your morning commute or over a cup of coffee.And did we mention it’s FREE? Free online courses in writing, publishing, and marketing books! #ReedsyLearning What would you like to learn this week?As of this post, Reedsy Learning has launched with ten fascinating courses.Want to find out more about traditional or self-publishing? We have a bunch of courses to choose from. Need to get your rear into gear and grind out  that first book? Writing coach Jennie Nash has written a course  to educate and inspire you. Selling your book on the Kindle Store? This free course will teach you how Amazon’s Ranking Algorithms work and how you can use them to your advantage.At the end of each course, we’ll send you an online quiz, designed to help you retain all that precious knowledge you’ve accumulated.Get started right nowTo start, just pick any topic and you’ll receive your first lesson the next day. But don’t get too greedy - you can only register for one course at a time. That way, you won’t overload yourself and start ‘skipping class’ after a few days 😉At the end of your ten days, let us know what you think. We’re always looking to improve the courses, so we’re relying on your help!What subjects would you like to see covered on Reedsy Learning? Let us know in the comments below, and we’ll do our level best to make it happen for you.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Logistics Behind US Federal Regulations

Logistics Behind US Federal Regulations Federal regulations are specific details directives or requirements with the force of law enacted by the federal agencies necessary to enforce the legislative acts passed by Congress. The Clean Air Act, the Food and Drug Act, the Civil Rights Act are all examples of landmark legislation requiring months, even years of highly publicized planning, debate, compromise and reconciliation in Congress. Yet the work of creating the vast and ever-growing volumes of federal regulations, the real laws behind the acts, happens largely unnoticed in the offices of the government agencies rather than the halls of Congress. Regulatory Federal Agencies Agencies, like the FDA, EPA, OSHA and at least 50 others, are called regulatory agencies  because they are empowered to create and enforce rules regulations that carry the full force of law. Individuals, businesses, and private and public organizations can be fined, sanctioned, forced to close, and even jailed for violating federal regulations. The oldest Federal regulatory agency still in existence is the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, established in 1863 to charter and regulate national banks. The  Federal Rulemaking Process The process of creating and enacting federal regulations is generally referred to as the rulemaking process. First, Congress passes a law designed to address a social or economic need or problem. The appropriate regulatory agency then creates regulations necessary to implement the law. For example, the Food and Drug Administration creates its regulations under the authority of the Food Drug and Cosmetics Act, the Controlled Substances Act and several other acts created by Congress over the years. Acts such as these are known as enabling legislation, because the literally enable the regulatory agencies to create the regulations required to administer enforce them. The Rules of Rulemaking Regulatory agencies create regulations according to rules and processes defined by another law known as the Administration Procedure Act (APA). The APA defines a rule or regulation as... [T]he whole or a part of an agency statement of general or particular applicability and future effect designed to implement, interpret, or prescribe law or policy or describing the organization, procedure, or practice requirements of an agency. The APA defines rulemaking as†¦ [A]gency action which regulates the future conduct of either groups of persons or a single person; it is essentially legislative in nature, not only because it operates in the future but because it is primarily concerned with policy considerations. Under the APA, the agencies must publish all proposed new regulations in the Federal Register at least 30 days before they take effect, and they must provide a way for interested parties to comment, offer amendments, or object to the regulation. Some regulations require only publication and an opportunity for comments to become effective. Others require publication and one or more formal public hearings. The enabling legislation states which process is to be used in creating the regulations. Regulations requiring hearings can take several months to become final. New regulations or amendments to existing regulations are known as proposed rules. Notices of public hearings or requests for comments on proposed rules are published in the Federal Register, on the Web sites of the regulatory agencies and in many newspapers and other publications. The notices will include information on how to submit comments, or participate in public hearings on the proposed rule. Once a regulation takes effect, it becomes a final rule and is printed in the Federal Register, the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and usually posted on the Web site of the regulatory agency. Type and Number of Federal Regulations In the Office of Management and Budgets (OMB) 2000 Report to Congress on the Costs and Benefits of Federal Regulations, OMB defines the three widely recognized categories of federal regulations as: social, economic, and process. Social regulations: seek  to benefit the public interest in one of two ways. It prohibits firms from producing products in certain ways or with certain characteristics that are harmful to public interests such as health, safety, and the environment. Examples would be OSHA’s rule prohibiting firms from allowing in the workplace more than one part per million of Benzene averaged over an eight hour day and the Department of Energy’s rule prohibiting firms from selling refrigerators that do not meet certain energy efficiency standards. Social regulation also requires firms to produce products in certain ways or with certain characteristics that are beneficial to these public interests. Examples are the Food and Drug Administration’s requirement that firms selling food products must provide a label with specified information on its package and Department of Transportation’s requirement that automobiles be equipped with approved airbags. Economic regulations: prohibit  firms from charging prices or entering or exiting lines of business that might cause harm to the economic interests of other firms or economic groups. Such regulations usually apply on an industry-wide basis (for example, agriculture, trucking, or communications). In the United States, this type of regulation at the federal level has often been administered by independent commissions such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). This type of regulation can cause economic loss from the higher prices and inefficient operations that often occur when the competition is restrained. Process Regulations: impose administrative or paperwork requirements such as income tax, immigration, social security, food stamps, or procurement forms. Most costs to businesses resulting from program administration, government procurement, and tax compliance efforts. Social and economic regulation may also impose paperwork costs due to disclosure requirements and enforcement needs. These costs generally appear in the cost for such rules. Procurement costs generally show up in the federal budget as greater fiscal expenditures. How Many Federal Regulations are There? According to the Office of the Federal Register, in 1998, the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), the official listing of all regulations in effect, contained a total of 134,723 pages in 201 volumes that claimed 19 feet of shelf space. In 1970, the CFR totaled only 54,834 pages. The General Accountability Office (GAO) reports that in the four fiscal years from 1996 to 1999, a total of 15,286 new federal regulations went into effect. Of these, 222 were classified as major rules, each one having an annual effect on the economy of at least $100 million. While they call the process rulemaking, the regulatory agencies create and enforce rules that are truly laws, many with the potential to profoundly affect the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans. What controls and oversight are placed on the regulatory agencies in creating federal regulations? Control of the Regulatory Process Federal regulations created by the regulatory agencies are subject to review by both the president and Congress under Executive Order 12866 and the Congressional Review Act. The Congressional Review Act (CRA) represents an attempt by Congress to re-establish some control over the agency rulemaking process. Executive Order 12866, issued on Sept. 30, 1993, by President Clinton, stipulates steps that must be followed by executive branch agencies before regulations issued by them are allowed to take effect. For all regulations, a detailed cost-benefit analysis must be performed. Regulations with an estimated cost of $100 million or more are designated major rules, and require completion of a more detailed Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA). The RIA must justify the cost of the new regulation and must be approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before the regulation can take effect. Executive Order 12866 also requires all regulatory agencies to prepare and submit to OMB annual plans to establish regulatory priorities and improve coordination of the Administrations regulatory program. While some requirements of Executive Order 12866 apply only to executive branch agencies, all federal regulatory agencies fall under the controls of the Congressional Review Act. The Congressional Review Act (CRA) allows Congress 60 in-session days to review and possibly reject new federal regulations issued by the regulatory agencies. Under the CRA, the regulatory agencies are required to submit all new rules the leaders of both the House and Senate. In addition, the General Accounting Office (GAO) provides to those congressional committees related to the new regulation, a detailed report on each new major rule.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Standardized Testing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Standardized Testing - Research Paper Example Furthermore, the grading system might be a disadvantage to most of the students thus making them fail. Different students can be motivated differently when they are doing these tests. Others can get demoralized during the test process while others can be motivated by how the questions set and the way they are answering them. However, there many factors than can affect how the students will perform in these tests. SAT and ACT testing systems have different ways in which they test their students. Although these two tests fulfill the same role i.e. college acceptance, each one has different testing skills. SAT test on the critical thinking and the solving ability of the students while the ACT tests on the content of knowledge that a student has on a particular topic. It tests major things on what you been taught in class. Some students may find this testing very difficult because of the low skills that they have on the topics tested. This will make most of them fail the test, not becaus e they are poor in learning but due to the inadequate skills in answering the questions. Some students do not care what grades they are going to be in the tests. They make sure that they do the tests. These students will react negatively to test because it is not an issue to them. Some students have learning disabilities and they should be treated differently from others. They should be given extra time during the test and even different examination rooms. These students are believed to do better in ACT test because these tests are straightforward and more knowledge-based (Kaplan, 9). The grading system of SAT and ACT have different portions. These portions are marked differently. The writing portion is the part where a person marks it. This is because this portion has different ways in which the students can give answers. Students will express their knowledge here depending on how they understood some topics. The second portion has multiple choices. This is where a student chooses the correct answer from five choices. One choice is always correct. This portion can be mark by a machine. Marks awarded in this portion vary from the type of tests. For instance, in SAT test, if a student fails one question from the multiple choices, a fourth of the marks will be deducted from the total marks in the multiple-choice questions. This is completely different from ACT test because even if a student fails a question, there will be no deduction made from the other scored questions. The third portion of the test includes materials that are not covered in school. The teacher will not check them because the student will be taking the materials to the college (Allyn & Bacon, 23). The students’ knowledge on these tests can also depend on the motivation that they have on their learning. Students should have good motivation during learning to ensure that they get relevant knowledge that will be applied during the tests. Each student must have a desire on what is expected from the studies they are taking. They should know that these studies have meaning in their lives and should take them seriously. Another factor that will help students get the required knowledge is by making sure that they attend SAT classes. These classes are very importance because most of the topics that are tested in exams are discussed during these classes (Allyn & Bacon, 25). On the other hand,

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Synthesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Synthesis - Essay Example Majority of the opinion from the analysts, authors, and interviewees, is that college is worth it. This paper will present all sides of the issue -- from yes, no, to â€Å"its complicated† in order to prove and defend the stand of the collective writers that college is definitely worth it. With most college students needing to work in order to stay in college, the financial trade off for the student and his parents does not seem to be fair. That is most likely the reason why there is a rush of articles in academic journals arguing about the validity of a college education. Is it worth going into debt for? Is there actually any value that can be set for the college education of a person? Is it truly worth the financial sacrifice to complete a college education? Or perhaps trade school would be best so that the student can immediately set out to work after graduation? These are the questions that three separate articles which were assigned reading in our class tried to answer based upon practical reasoning, historical data, and common sense. Once viewed collectively, the answer to the question being posed becomes quite clear, college is definitely worth it for those who can afford it. In the interview of Larry D. Singell, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences of Indiana University, Jamsheed Chosky , professor of Central Eurasian Studies and History, and finally Richard Miller, professor of Religious Studies, the three important figures from Indiana University attempt to provide evidence as to why a college degree is worth the cost in an interview with Bruce Lilly. The main argument of the three university representatives centered around the cost of education and the difference between a completed liberal arts education as opposed to an education completed at a trade school. All three men, regardless of how they presented their opinion on the

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Locke vs. Rousseau Essay Example for Free

Locke vs. Rousseau Essay ?According to Rousseau, the original condition of mankind was a peaceful and quixotic time in which people lived solitary, uncomplicated lives. This differs from Lockes concept of the state of nature in that, his natural condition of mankind was a state liberty in which one was able to conduct ones life as they saw fit. Like Rousseaus, it was a time of peace between the people, but Lockes was not necessarily a solitary life. ?The state of nature for Locke was a state wherein there were no civil authorities or governments to punish people for transgressions against laws, but was not a state without morality. It was pre-political, but was not pre-moral. In it, persons were assumed to be equal to one another, and therefore equally capable of realizing and being obliged by the law of nature. (The law of nature being one internal, which commanded that no one should harm another as concerning their life, health, liberty, or possessions [p. 4]). In Lockes pre-contract condition, one was not at absolute liberty to do whatever one chose to do; they were inherently bound by the law of nature. ?Rousseaus state of nature had no private property. Private property was something which arose from the stages leading up to the need for authority. Where Locke saw property as something which was naturally protected in the state of nature, Rousseau conceived of property ? the result of greed, competition and vanity- as humanities reason for abandoning such a time and entering into the contract. ?For Rousseau, the few needs of the people in the pre-contract condition were easily satisfied by nature. Because of the abundance of nature and the small size of the population, competition was non-existent, and persons rarely even saw one another, much less had reason for conflict or fear. ?Moreover, for Rousseau, the simple and morally pure persons in the pre-contract condition were naturally endowed with the capacity for pity, and therefore were not inclined to bring harm to one another. There were no inherent ? laws forbidding transgressions on another; it was an internal aptitude for pity. It was the division of labor (once families and communities had developed and leisure time had resulted) that led to value and property, whereas Locke saw property as something that was existent in the natural condition.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Hester Pryne of Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Hester Pryne of The Scarlet Letter Hester Pryne, after being punished for her sin, lived an important life. In "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester was convicted of adultery. However, after her conviction, she managed to raise a daughter, became an important seamstress in her community, and set an example for her close-knit community. Pearl, the daughter of a convicted sex offender, grew up living a different life from her peers. Growing up with Hester, Pearl never really associated with children from her age group. This happened because whenever Hester and Pearl went into town, they were tormented and harassed. In retaliation, Pearl began to throw rocks back at the children. This kind of thing only happened in the beginning of Pearl's life. Later on, the kids stopped harassing Pearl because her mom's sin did not have as much effect on the people of the town. The best thing that ever happened to Pearl was her move to Europe with Hester and her father, Reverend Dimmesdale. In Europe, Hester pretty much left Pearl alone. Pearl, then got married and started a new life. In the book, Pearl was always the smartest character portrayed by Hawthorne. Had Hester been put to death because of her sin, Pearl might not have been as successful as she became. Hester was a very admirable person. After committing her awful sin (awful as seen by the townspeople), and losing the respect of most of the townspeople, Hester was able to turn her life around for the better. Her turn around, however, happened slowly. It took Hester and Pearl a while to earn some respect in their community. Hester became a renowned seamstress. She made clothes for herself and Pearl, she even sewed gloves for the governor. For Pearl, she made some beautiful dresses. She made some of these dresses a crimson color, (which was a color close to scarlet). She did this to remind herself of her sin. Most people, if put into a situation similar to Hester's, would let their life deteriorate. Hester, having pulled her life together was the strongest character, (mentally), in this book. Her life was anything but a waste. To Her community, Hester served as an example of how one can turn

Monday, November 11, 2019

Planet Earth Essay

Earth is the third planet from the sun. The place where many organisms exist, enhance with the beauty of nature. Packed with rich biodiversity, streams and rivers. Have you seen this place before? Maybe yes, but for how long? How much it matter to us if it is lost? What can we do to save them? Those are questions that that will hopefully strike our nerves. In this new millennium, many changes have occurred that altered the condition of the nature. Nearly all the natural rainforest has gone from several countries. It’s very alarming to know that our planet’s wealth is starting to vanish that provides us the basic-life supporting services. Imagine life without these resources, if we don’t put into effort conservation, were not going to only make our lives worse but it also going to impact wild life. People must keep in mind that gross materialism and the search of material wealth is not the only thing in life. Many species of animals are now in massive decline and various factors contribute to extinction. The Amur leopard that is rare and highly endangered and the wild Bactrian camel, the most endangered large animal are threatened to disappear. Nearly half of the world’s frog is extinct by now because of the fungus that hit them. Forest elephants and Walia Ilex are also on the top list. Folks are shooting them for their bush meat so they tend to go to sheer cliff where they are safe from guns and snares. If your protecting the species, first thing you should know is how close to extinction the species are. Extinction is driven by habitat change, release of pollution into the environment, by global warming. All these things are combining in a series of forces that likely to lead if we don’t take action very soon to the extinction of a large proportion of the wild life species. We can’t concentrate in only important species because every species is important. We need a great diversity of species. We need them all because when you start decreasing their number, you start reducing the stability of the area. To save one, typically means to save them all because if one of them got extinct, it will affect the others since they are part of them. It’s like a domino effect, if one piece falls automatically the rest of them will follow. In hot spot conservation, WWF’s strategy is to use anti-poaching patrols to protect the species, and so the rest get  protected also in the bargain. With extinction so close, conservation becomes desperate. The Audubon zoo creates the species survival plan which is like parent organisation in the United State. The clone the animals an d freeze the cells and 50 years from now, they could pull out the DNA and make them alive. It’s like living library in the future. The main thought is that they are getting attention from us. Protection and right treatment for these animals can give us such benefit in our life.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Jazz Heritage/The Roots of Jazz

Africa is the home of jazz, which spread to Europe and all throughout America. Today’s jazz music is influenced by the different countries mentioned. There are musical traditions and cultural traditions coming from Africa, Europe and America which contributed to the sound of jazz today. As jazz developed, it was centered in New Orleans (Yurochko 3). To better understand why jazz sounds the way it does today, it is best to examine its roots one by one, country by country. Africa The life in Africa is centered around the tribe. All its members participate in Every activity, function and ritual in the tribe. African tribes were highly interactive and participatory because all of its members always found a way to contribute and cooperate and common gatherings and functions (Yurochko 3). From this, it can be inferred that the musical activities of the tribe were also interactive and participatory. Because of these characteristics, the music they created was full of dynamics. No single member of the African tribe just sat down. No one just listened. All of them were tied to everything that was happening in the tribe. As a result, music was functional as it was properly suited to all the activities and events in the tribe (Bjorn and Gallert 178). What was unique in Africa was how people listened to music. In this country, one cannot find a single concert hall. Everybody gathered themselves in just one area to listen to music. Listening to music was a significant part of the tribe’s lives. In Africa, there were different types of sounds fit for different types of occasions. There was music for marriage, death and births. There was music even for chopping down a tree, or clearing out a path. What music was to Africans was a social glue that united all members of the tribe together (Yurochko 3). Meanwhile, the characteristics of African music can explain why jazz music rooted from Africa. African music makes the body perform. It means that the music alone involves the body by making it dance, sway to the beat, clap, and pound a rod on the ground. Apart from the musicians themselves, all members of the audience were also joining the fun. Africa music makes everyone sing, too (Bjorn and Gallert 178). Africans used different musical instruments like aerophones, idiophones and cordophones. The bass sound of the music was mainly acquired from the drum. African music was full of drums which came in different shapes and sizes. The drum was their main instrument which Africans produced from hollowed out logs and gourds. Across the opening of the drum was a stretched animal skin (Bjorn and Gallert 178). What makes jazz so â€Å"African† is its rhythm, since African music is highly characterized by the emphasis on rhythm. Cross rhythms and polyrhythms were made by African drummers, both of which were major contributors to the driving force of jazz or African music (Bjorn and Gallert 178). The beat of jazz and the beat of African music can be demonstrated by creating a single beat, and dividing it into two. The other half should be given two claps to a single beat. The other hand will be given three claps to a single beat. This is a simple polyrhythm compared to how much jazz has developed through time. The basic principle behind jazz beats is two beats against one (Bjorn and Gallert 179). African sound seems unorganized, and this is what jazz is all about. It is because of the more complex polyrhythm found in African music. Each beat of the drum has an already set rhythm. Then again, once this beat is combined with other drums which also have their own set rhythms, then that is where the complicated sound is produced (Bjorn and Gallert 180). Another characteristic of African sound which can be found in jazz music is the pentatonic scale. A pentatonic scale can best be seen in a piano. The scale is defined by five notes, thus the term â€Å"penta†-tonic, with the chords C, D, E, G and A. This musical scale can also be found in the music of Peru, Mexico, Scotland and Japan (Salzman and the American Studies Association 961). In Africa, singers sing and the members of the audience respond. African musicians can also chant a melody, and the rest of the people in the venue react with the type of response already established in the society. In Africa, this is called â€Å"call and response†, which is also highly used in jazz. In jazz, though, the way people respond is different. This can be seen in many churches with people singing jazz praise songs (Salzman and the American Studies Association 961). The characteristics of jazz can be traced back to the African music’s characteristics, too, in which bending tones, falsetto, buzzes in the voice, raspy tones and vocal manipulation can be found. No vocal sound is ever produced. Letting out their feelings and expressing themselves by belting out what and how they were feeling an emotion contributed to the very distinct characteristics of jazz music. The tones were also not organized. As a listener listens to a jazz music, he will mostly find the singer reciting words spontaneously (Henson 48). Europe Europe influenced jazz music through harmony and instrumentation. The harmonies in jazz music are characterized by diatonic scale. Jazz music is highly diatonic, and diatonic, in this case, is an expanded version of the pentatonic scale coming from Africa. Chord progressions from the European or Western sound influenced today’s jazz music. Europe contributed a big part of the instrumentation of jazz. Instruments from Europe used in jazz music are clarinets, trombones and trumpets. Most of the European instruments used gave jazz music its symphonic nature (Henson 48). The birthplace of jazz music is mainly in New Orleans. The people of the city made use of what they were hearing from Africa and Europe, combined the different techniques and various musical styles to technically call the new genre â€Å"jazz† (Henson 48). New Orleans: New Orleans was undeniably successful in giving birth to jazz because of various components. One of these factors is its location. Since New Orleans is located at the tip of the Mississippi River, it was easy for people to bring in jazz to the area. The river made it easy for New Orleans to export music to different parts of the globe, too, which made the music genre jazz, became popular in a very short period of time upon its conception (Brown 74). The Mississippi River was a very important factor in making jazz a popular genre because it has touched various states in America. Several states which were considered areas for slaves contributed in New Orleans’ highly diverse population. Since the city became a busy seaport, it also developed into becoming the gateway to the islands of the Caribbean (Henson 48). It is also important to study the demographics of the people in New Orleans as this is related to the development of jazz. The city is a very unique one because even before it was a state of America, it has been under the flags of France and Spain. When one would visit New Orleans, one would see how diverse the population is because of the different ethnic groups found in the city. Because of the diverse population, there was also a diverse culture. Cultural diversity helped in improving the quality of jazz music (Brown 74). The races inhabiting the city defined jazz music. The different cultures taking place made jazz what it sounds today. Since French people were among those who were occupying New Orleans, the tradition where they allowed males to have their mistresses was a big influence to the music. Several men chose women who were light skinned, and they went for those who had mixed blood. Most of these women were found in the southern part of New Orleans. Because of this, the group of lower class blacks grew and became known to the city (Henson 48). The black creoles were widely accepted in New Orleans, especially by the white society. However, it didn't stay this way for too long. They received the same privileges and rights from the government. In 1984, a law was passed by the Louisiana Legislature which suggested that people with African blood were labeled as â€Å"Negros†. Because of this, the black creoles were driven away from New Orleans. They had no choice but to join the black culture (Henson 48). The joining of the pure blacks and the black creoles (cross between black and light-skinned) gave birth to the full development of a new music which is now referred to as jazz. Slaves from different parts of the globe who were pushed to the United States possessed nothing but their clothing. Then again, they brought not only clothes in the United States, but music, too. They brought their heritage and culture. They shared their musical practices in the United States, specifically in New Orleans (Brown 74). Because of the struggle of the black culture, New Orleans slowly became identified as the city of refuge for blacks. All freed slaves and escaped slaves fled to New Orleans. They all gathered in Congo Square during Sundays because this was their only chance to be together and celebrate their culture. During these days, they all participated in the African culture where they played drums, sang and danced (Henson 48). New Orleans is then the breeding ground of musical activity. Numerous musical ensembles can be found here, like brass bands, musicales, opera companies and orchestras. Up to this day, there are still musical parties being held in the city. What made jazz sound disorganized and highly syncopated today is the merging of the musical influences of black slave culture and the black creoles. Their different cultures and distinct musical style made jazz sound like it does today. How jazz is being played is merely a result of the amalgamation of different tempos, beats and styles through time. Examples of African musical activities that highly influenced today's jazz music are rhythmic emphasis, African field holler, interactive music and the call and response ritual. All of these found a space into the style of jazz (Brown 74).

Thursday, November 7, 2019

ACT Book Guide The Best Books for Intense Study

ACT Book Guide The Best Books for Intense Study SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Albert Einstein, who's generally considereda pretty smart guy, said, "It's not that I'm so smart. It's just that I stay with problems longer." That type of commitment, as anyone who's studying for the ACT knows, is its own formof intelligence, and it's what will help you accomplish your long-term goals. This book guide is meant for students looking to "stay with problems longer" and study intensively, like 100 or more hours, to maximize their scores on the ACT.If you're a student who wants to leave no stone unturned as you prep for the ACT, then these are the books for you. Before delving into the ACT prep book list, a word about what perspective I'm coming from in my recommendations. Perspective Check The ACT books on this list all have strengths and weaknesses, but taken together they can provide you with comprehensive instruction, insightful strategies, and a huge number of practice questions. Since all these books add up to hundreds of pages, I'll suggest an agenda below to help you study from them in a coherent sequence. These recommendations are based off of the experiences of myself, ACT experts, and students. These are the ACT preparation books that offer a level of detail and insight into the testbeyond the ordinary. They'll help you achieve mastery in each section of the test. At the same time, I think that self-studying from books presents some extra challenges for students. One lies in the comprehensive nature of these ACTprep books. Because they're so comprehensive, they can feel overwhelming. It can be difficult to know where to start and how to use them in a more effective way than attempting(and struggling) to read them cover to cover. The best ACT study plan is customized to your individual needs, target scores, and strengths and weaknesses. You don't want to waste time drilling yourself on vocabulary you already understand or probability questions you could do in your sleep. Instead, you want to make sure you're making an effective use of your time, targeting your weak areas, and building your confidence where you need it most. PrepScholar's online ACT prep program was created with these challenges in mind. It has all the best parts of these books, with critical lessons, strategies, and practice questions, plus it adds the unique feature of customization. The prep program diagnoses your level and individualizes the study plan to you, ensuring your prep is as focused and effective as possible. Plus it helps you design a schedule and stay accountable, two things that are tough to prioritize when you're studying completely on your own with ACTprep books. Regardless of whether or not you're interested in trying the 5 day free trial of PrepScholar's ACT prep program, you should explore our detailed study guides on the ACT. We have answers to all your questions about the ACT, from how to read the passages to saving time on math to how to best review your practice test mistakes. Our goal is to make sure all students can access the resources they need on their path to college. That being said, read on for a thorough assessment of the best ACT preparation books for intense study, starting with the critical book all serious students need. The Critical ACT Prep Book The book that's essential to your ACT prep comes from the testmakers themselves. The Real ACT Prep Book, also known as the Red Book, is a must-have. At the same time, it's not sufficient as the only book you use. Let's look at the pros and cons of the Red Book. The Real ACT Prep Book (or the "Red Book") Amazon price: $18.18 Pros Because The Real ACT Prep Bookwas created by the ACT and contains previously administered ACT tests, its practice questions are the best ones available. There are definitely high quality practice questions that aren't "official," but they are still an imitation. The questions in the Red Book are real, and therefore they're the most useful ones you can use to get ready for the test. The Red Book has 5full length practice tests, allof which were administered to students in past years. That adds up to over17hours of practice testing with more than1,000 practice questions! Students doing intensive prep can gain a lot from all this practice testing. As I'll explain further down,students could benefit from using these tests throughout their test prep, first to diagnose their level, then to measure to progress, and finally to finish up their studying with a post-test. You can gain a ton both from the experience of practice testing and the post-test scoring and analysis. Make sure to thoroughly understand your mistakes and use them to fuel further review. While the Red Book is the best prep book for authentic practice tests and sample questions, it's lacking in some other key areas. Let's consider what it's missing and why you need to supplement it with other books. Cons There are other parts to ACT studying besides practice tests, like lessons in content and time management strategies. The Red Book has some general information in these areas, but it doesn't go as deeply as you're looking for. That's why it's best used alongside other books to reinforce your understanding, experiment with strategies, and measure your progress as you go. Another word of caution: according to ACT experts and students, the ACT has been secretly but steadily getting harder in the past few years!The Science section, especially, has been getting more complex and time-consuming, plus the Reading is tough to finish within the given time limit. While the ACT has not announced any changes, there is general agreement that the test has, in fact, changed. This means that practice tests developed and/or administered before 2010 are probably not as representative of the test you'll see today as more recent ones. They still resemble the current ACT and are useful, but they're somewhat easier in terms of content and pacing. When taking these earlier practice tests, keep a critical eye on any differences amongthe tests. Also keep in mind that you might score higher on these than you would on the more challenging test given today. Finally, the last downside to the Red Book is that the answer explanations for each question are not as thorough as they could be. Students who want to prep deeply for the test should not just understand why a correct answer is correct, but also what exactly is wrong with the other answer choices. None of the answer choices are going to be totally off base or random, so students should develop a discerning eye about the common misleading answer choices that seem reasonable, but aren't quite right in some way. Luckily, the next book in this list provides more thorough answer explanations to many of the questions in the Red Book. It explains each answer choice while also suggesting helpful thought processes to use when approaching each question type. The Best ACT Book for Strategy The similarly named ACT Black Book is my highest recommendation for gaining strategies and insights into how the ACT works. It refers directly to questions from the ACT Red Book, so the two are best used together. The ACT Prep Black Book: The Most Effective ACT Strategies Ever Published Amazon price: $19.79 Pros Can this book live up to its bold title? Actually, I do think it's one of the best books for pure strategy and in-depth understanding of the ACT. According to its author, Mike Barrett, the ACT is a predictable, standardized test. The content knowledge is not particularly advanced, but the questions are unique, even designed to trick students, in their wording. Because of this predictability, Barrett says, students can learn to see through the tricks and beat each question in the least amount of time possible. He talks about patterns and process, and gives you practical strategies for answering math, reading, science, and English questions. The Black Book also shows you over 200 solutions for some of the hardest questions in the ACT Red Book. He walks you through how to solve and think about ACT questions in a way that the Red Book doesn't. While the ACT doesn't want to reveal its secrets, Barrett's mission is to pierce through the workings of the ACT and provide a concise roadmap of the test to students. The Black Book works well for focused students who are interested in going a step beyond the usual in their ACT prep. If you're interested in taking a big picture approach to the testand analyzing its patterns, then the ACT Prep Black Book is an indispensable study aid. Cons You mightbe starting to suspect that some of these books are so high quality because they're focused on a particular aspect of test prep. The Red Book is focused on practice tests, while the Black Book is focused on strategy. Because of its singular emphasis, the Black Book does a really good job in that area. Inevitably, though, this means that it's lacking in other key areas of test prep, namely content review. The Black Book is not particularly useful for instruction in geometry or grammar rules, nor is it going to help you develop your critical reading skills. In addition, the Black Book has no practice questions of its own. While the Red Book has 5 practice tests, you'll probably want to seek even more ACT questions to apply your understanding and improve your time management. Finally, the Black Book requires a certain amount of dedication and focus from its readers. It's not the easiest read, because it dives deeply into the ACT. That's why it can be so helpful for intense study, but be aware that you'll really have to engage with the material to get the most out of it. So far we've talked about practice tests and strategies, with less of an emphasis on reviewing concepts and enhancing skills. Below are my recommendations for the best comprehensive book for content review, followed by the best books for spotlighting each individual section of the ACT. The Best ACT Book for Overall Content Review My recommendation for an ACT prep book with an in-depth breakdown of concepts and skills is Barron's ACT. Students aiming for top scores who are looking for additional practice can also check out Barron's ACT 36: Aiming for the Perfect Score(Amazon price: $9.99). This assessment will focus on Barron's ACT. Barron's ACT Amazon price: $15.15 Pros Barron's ACT thoroughly reviews the concepts and skills being tested on the Reading, Math, English, Science and Writing sections of the ACT. The Englishand Math reviews are particularly strong, with each concept broken down into subtopics like a grammar review of parallelism, transitions, and word order and a math review of intermediate algebra, plane geometry, and trigonometry. It starts with a diagnostic test, encouraging students to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses and plan their test prep accordingly. Purchase of the book will also give you access to an online component that helps you establish your skill profile and access video lessons. In addition toexampleand practice questions that illustrate and drill various concepts, Barron's ACT also has 3full-length practice tests. These aren't authentic ACT questions, but they are still high quality and useful in your prep. This is another 10+ hours of practice testing and over 600 practice questions, an essential part of intensive study. Barron's also excels in its answer explanations. Like the Black Book, it explains both why an answer is correct and what's wrong about the incorrect answer choices, an understanding that should not be overlooked in your test prep. While it's a traditional prep book written in a straightforward style, Barron's also acknowledgesthe feelings of its readers with sections on optimizing your test-taking mindset and managing any anxiety you have around the ACT. Cons As I mentioned earlier, big traditional prep books can be very useful in their thoroughness, but they can be daunting at the same time. Barron's ACT is a perfect illustration of this - chock full of content and practice questions, but intimidating in its breadth. The book suggests some study plans based on the amount of time you have to prep, but you'll also have to do some extra work to break it up into smaller, more manageable goals. Perhaps the biggest downside to Barron's ACT is how realistic the practice tests are. While they're relatively high quality, a lot of students agree that they are sometimes more difficult than the questions that will actually appear on the ACT. Their wording can be overly complicated, or sometimes they test a concept that's too advanced. While overpreparing isn't the worst thing, you want to mimic the test as much as possible so you have a strong understanding of what to expect. Again, try to keep a critical eye when taking practice tests and take factors like difficulty level into account if you notice unexpected fluctuations in your practice test scores. Finally, Barron's ACT is particularly strong on Englishand Math,and pretty useful on Reading. Its Science review is less strong than the other sections, something which occurs often across ACT prep books. While it describes the sources of passages, types of passages, and strategies for reading, along with science practice questions, you probably would want to supplement your science studying with another resource. Given this, let's look at the best resourcesspecific to each section of the ACT, starting with Science. Best Book for ACT Science Even though many students find the Science section to be the most challenging part of the ACT, until recently there were no books specifically dedicated to helping you on ACT Science. At PrepScholar, we know all the tricks for making ACT Science easier, so we decided to compile them into a book. The PrepScholar Guide to ACT Science Amazon price:about $5 Pros The PrepScholar Guide to ACT Sciencecovers every topic, skill, and question type you'll see on ACT Science which means that nothingon this section will come as a surprise on test day.That includes a list of every science fact you could be tested on, so you're only studying the science information you need to know. It also containsmultiple strategies for tackling Science passages so you can choose the method that works best for you. Most importantly,this bookalsoincludes all of our best ACT Sciencetest-taking tricks.Many students get tripped up ontheScience section because it's so different from the science tests they've taken in school. Even if you're a science whiz, you'll likely need to study how the Science section works before you can ace it. This book is your key to doing that. It shows you how to identify every trick inACTScience and learn how toavoid getting fooled by them so you can find the correct answer quickly and more easily. Cons While every chapter in this book includes sample questions to help you see and understand different concepts, there is no final quiz or exam section at the end of the book. For every section of the ACT, it's critical to take regular practice tests and quizzes to track your practice and see where you still need to improve. To fully practice everything you've learned from this book,we recommend takingfull-length Science sections. Best ACT Book for Math If you want to hone in on the math section and improve your algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and problem-solving skills, then you can do so withthe Ultimate Guide to the Math ACT. Let's take a look at where it excels and where it's not as strong. The Ultimate Guide to the Math ACT Amazon price: $17.54 Pros The Ultimate Guide to the Math ACTis a solid review of all the concepts you need to know for the Math section of the ACT. It doesn't get too advanced, but sticks to the topics that will show up on the test. Like PrepScholar, this book breaks each area - algebra, geometry, trigonometry - into small subtopics, like fractions, averages, square roots, functions, and trigonometry for rights triangles. Each lessonis illustrated with high quality practice problems, along with techniques and strategies for answering various question types. In addition to its own practice questions, this book cross-references questions in the Red Book. Overall it walks you through each and every concept you need to know for the Math section of the ACT in a clear and succinct way. Cons This book takes a minimalist approach in terms of its lessons. Some students will appreciate its straightforward, not overly explanatory style, while others might wish they hadmore description and explanation in each lesson. It's not a wordy book, but a lot of students look for that when they study math. On a similar note, this book isn't the most helpful for walking you through a problem from beginning to end. Some of its explanations are helpful, especially as they cross reference the Red Book, but it doesn't offer a lot of guidance for thinking through a problem. Nor does it evaluate problems by difficulty level or provide a frequency guide to help you prioritize more important concepts over others. Finally, this book has some errors in printing, especially in matching up the questions with the answer key. While this doesn't detract much from its overall quality, it can be distracting as you're scoring and understanding your practice questions. Just as this book dives into the math section of the ACT, my next two recommendations closely examine the verbal, or English and Reading sections. Best ACT Books for English and Reading I'm grouping these books together for two reasons. First, the skills you develop for English are helpful for Reading, and vice versa. Secondly, both guides come from the same author, Erica Meltzer, and have similar pros and cons. Let's look first at Meltzer's book on the English section of the ACT. The Complete Guide to ACT English by Erica Meltzer Amazon price: $26.52 Pros 75 questions in 45 minutes, oh my! The English section is definitely fast-paced. To make sure you finish in time, you need toquickly and efficiently identify each grammar rule being tested and pick the right answer choice. Erica Meltzer explains all the grammar rules you need to know for this section in The Complete Guide to ACT English, like verb agreement, word pairs, and transitions. Similar toPrepScholar's approach, she breaks the section down by skills and drills you on each one to ensure you can apply them in context. Throughout the text are cumulative reviews so you can practice your widening range of concepts. The practice questions in this book are realistic and take the same passage format as you'll see on the ACT. Meltzer's lessons are straightforward, clear, and to the point. You can also find extra tips for both the English and Reading sections onher blog, The Critical Reader. Cons One immediately evident con of this book is the cost. At almost $30, it is relatively expensive considering it only covers one of four sections. Plus you'll need to use it alongside the Red Book, if not other books for even more practice tests and questions. This book is "no frills," meaning it doesn't have a lot of description or creative graphics. Some students find it dry, while others appreciate that she cuts out extraneous material. The formatting can get a bit tedious with a lot of small font on each page, but the content remains high quality. Finally, you have to be careful about answering questions that are arranged by skill. While it's a great way to learn and reinforce each grammar rule, you also must practice applying these rules on real practice tests. Real tests won't be arranged in order for you, so you need to ensure you can quickly identify and apply each rule randomly without them being labeled for you. In addition toher grammar rules in The Complete Guide to English Grammar, Erica Meltzer also does a great job of presentingthe Reading section of the ACT. The Complete Guide to ACT Reading by Erica Meltzer Amazon price: $30.39 Pros Like her English book, Erica Meltzer's The Complete Guide to ACT Reading is a great resource for students serious about gaining a strong Reading score. She has realistic passages from prose fiction, humanities, social science, and natural science with high quality practice questions. The Reading section can be harder to break down than, for instance, the Math section, but Meltzer manages to clearly outline the skills and concepts you need. She categorizes the Reading question types into literal comprehension, big picture, vocabulary in context, inference, and tone/attitude questions. Along with a clear lesson, she has questions illustrating each of these important types. Along with these skills, this ACT book teaches you how to manage both your time and your stress. Meltzer gives strategies for mapping the passage, strategically reading them in order, and using skimming techniques to your advantage. She offers a few different approaches so that students can figure out what works best for them. At the end of the book are two practice tests, each with four passages and 40 questions each. That's another 70 minutes of practice testing to add to the hours you get from the Red Book and Barron's ACT. Cons Like its English counterpart, this book is relatively expensive, especially for a book of only 120 pages that covers just one section. It's also not all that creative in its layout, with small font filling up thepages. Some students find its style to be dry, which can make self-study harder to maintain if you're not engaged with the material. Like the English guide, this book is arranged by question type and skill, like big picture questions and determining tone. This is a great way to recognize question types and apply skills, but you also want to make sure you can identify and apply skills when the questions are in random order. All of the books I mentioned are exceptionally strong in some areas and not so useful in others. Taken together, they might feel a bit overwhelming - where exactly do you start? Read on for my suggestions on how to come up with a study plan that uses these books in a logical way. X marks the treasure(d ACT score)! Study Plan with ACT Prep Books Should you start reviewing content or learning about strategies? Is it better tobreak into your first practice test or leave it until you've done some studying? What if you juststackthe books in a pileand try again tomorrow? So many questions, somuch time....if you're planning to study intensively and devote many hours to ACT prep, that is. I wouldn't recommend attempting to read these books from cover to cover without a thoughtful plan. Instead, I recommend mapping out a plan and schedule that concentrate your review on the areas in which you need it most. First off, you need to uncover those areas where you need the most intensive prep. I recommend using a practice test as a diagnostic test, just as Barron's ACT suggests. For your most accurate diagnostic tool, you should use one of the official practice tests from the Red Book. Time yourself in a quiet room with no distractions. After you score your test, mark the ones you got wrong and figure out the reasons for your mistakes. Go over the answer explanations thoroughly, and take notes on where you need to review. If you struggled on geometry questions, for instance, you could start with geometry review. If you kept running out of time on Science, consult the time management study guides on the Science sections. You should review every section, but concentrate your prep on your weaker areas. Consult this guide of recommended ACT prep books for content review. Barron's is a comprehensive breakdown of all the sections, while The Ultimate ACT Math Guide and Erica Meltzer's books focus intensively on one section at a time. Teach yourself these concepts, drill them with practice problems, and measure your progress with practice tests spaced out along the way. The Black Book is best for students who have a strong foundation in the math, verbal, and science concepts and skills. You could save Black Book strategies for after you've done some content review. As you study, continue to keep a critical eye on question types and difficulty level of questions, as well as analyze themistakes you make on practice tests. Focus on the areas where you need to improve your performance and confidence the most. Dive into your weaknesses to see the biggest score improvements. Since this type of planning is so unique to each individual, it can be tough to know exactly what the best approach is for you. Before you start planning, I would encourage you to explore your options for test prep. Are Books the Best Option for Intensive Study? Taken together, these ACT books have a huge amount of knowledge to impart. It can be a big challenge, though, to get all that knowledge...imparted. You have to havea tremendous amount of self-discipline and sustained motivation to spend 100+ hours poring over these books. In addition, you have to design an effective study plan, rather than repeating the same kinds of questions that won't end up improving your score. Besides these challenging efforts, books can also get expensive. All together, these add up to over$100.In the old days of test prep (ie, 5 to 10 years ago), books were a mainstay of SAT prep. But with the advent of online prep programs, which combinethe unparalleled advantagesof technology with human expertise, books are no longer the only, nor necessarily the best, option. One of the reasons I'm a big fan of PrepScholar's approach is because it makes the test prep process more enjoyable. It does a lot of the behind-the-scenes work for you, by diagnosing your academic profile and building a study regimen that complements your skills and learning style. It incorporates all the strengths of these books while seamlessly taking care of the customization and accountability aspect. Besides trying out PrepScholar's 5 day risk-free free trial, you can also explore our detailed study guides on all sections of the ACT. Some especially helpful ones include The Best Way to Review Your Mistakes on ACT Questions Should You Guess on the ACT? 5 Guessing Strategies The 31 Critical Math Formulas You Must Know The Complete Guide to ACT Grammar Rules ACT Vocabulary: Words You Must Know How to Write an ACT Essay, Step by Step How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer If you're looking to devote a good amount of time to prepping for the ACT, then you want to ensure you're making the most of it. By exploring your test prep options and the abundance of free resources online(though no ACT preparation books pdf free download), you can make an informed decision that will help you enjoy the process and ultimately achieve the scores you seek for your college applications. What's Next? For more detailed strategy guides on all sections of the ACT, including the best ways to study and manage your time, explore our continually updated articles here. Are you deciding when to take the ACT for the first time (or second or third)? Read about how to choose your test dates here. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Monday, November 4, 2019

Causes and Solutions to Prison Overcrowding

Causes and Solutions to Prison Overcrowding Introduction The purpose of this paper is to look at the overcrowded prisons that are plaguing the U.S. The prison system that we have is constantly evolving, but seems to circulate through the same prison philosophies. An overcrowded prison does not lend itself to a productive environment for inmates. Many would not care about the environment that the inmates encounter as they feel the inmate has brought this upon himself through his deviant behavior, however not all inmates will stay in prison forever. We will examine some possible solution to curb the overcrowding that is prevalent in prisons today. Solutions to Prison Overcrowding Prison overcrowding has been a problem that has plagued the U.S. prison system since its inception. The solution to this problem for many has been to build more prisons to house the additional prisoners that have been sentenced there. Those who advocate building additional prisons fail to look at what is behind the overcrowding in the first place. Rese arch has found that crime rates are decreasing. It has also shown that prison populations are increasing. Much like the Kevin Costner movie Field of Dreams with the infamous quote, â€Å"If you build it, they will come† that by building more prisons, we will only seek to put more prisoners into them. To fully understand our current overcrowding issue, we must look at the history of the U.S. prison systems and the philosophies that drove them. Then we must look at the sentencing practices that have increased the number of inmates that are incarcerated. This will include the truth-in sentencing laws, the impact of the war on drugs and the enforcement and the increasing of the length of prison terms for certain offenses. We will also take a look at the cost of building a prison and the daily costs of housing an inmate. Then we will look at solutions for reducing prison populations which include rehabilitation and the release of aged offenders and inmates with minor offenses. The U.S. derived many of its ideas about the prison system from England. In the Middle Ages, prisons were used for housing criminals as well as debtors. Juvenile delinquents also began to be housed in prisons. As prisons developed and emerged, the purpose of them changed as well. Drawing from the ideas presented in Essays on Crimes and Punishment by Cesare Beccaria in 1764 a move towards less physical punishment for crimes was made. Beccaria was also responsible for the idea that a punishment should be severe enough to deter crime, but not too extreme. In 1557, England began the use of workhouses. Initially, they were to remove the homeless and vagrants from the streets during the day. During this time, many believed that most criminals were lazy and committed crimes as a result of that. This allowed inmates to work, however they did not learn any useful skills and were not kept in the workhouses overnight. In 1790, the Quakers from Pennsylvania reformed the Walnut Street jail into a p rison. The Quakers drew from their religious background and sought to use the prison as a place for an inmate to perform a penance and to make amends for their actions against society. Also, known as the Pennsylvania System, the prison layout allowed for solitary cells. The inmate was placed in the cell, so that they could think about their actions and gain remorse. Work was completed in the cells as well, so the interaction with others was limited to an hour of exercise a day. Although the prison sought to reform the inmates through solitary work, some prisoners could not handle the solitary times and reform did not occur. There was also a high cost involved in maintaining this type of prison.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Latin american history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Latin american history - Essay Example analysis of the political and economic history of Columbia, Cuba, and Mexico, this essay demonstrates that the flawed economic policies of the countries are predominantly at fault. In Latin America, the 1980’s are referred to as ‘Decada de aprendizaje doloroso’ , or the decade of painful experiences. Nowhere were these experiences more evident than in Columbia. According to David Robinson, â€Å"economic problems†¦had a significant impact on the political systems in the region. Elected governments still tend to support their own interests or those of elite groups (Robinson).† The government had increasing levels of foreign debt, which forced them to devalue the currency repeatedly. People from rural areas became poorer. Even the resource-rich Columbia faced internal problems of guerrillas and the drug cartels. According to a May 8, 1990 Time magazine article, kidnapping and murder of political aspirants became a routine affair carried out by the drug cartels, in order to influence the outcome of the elections. According to the magazine, 503 people were murdered and 18 kidnapped in a single week in May. From the United States per spective, Columbia is of national importance because of its geographic location and natural resources Although Columbia is an ally of the United States, 90% of the illegal cocaine in the United States comes from Columbia, which has still not become a safe place. Fighting continues between the armed groups maintained by the drug cartels and the government forces. A United Nations report indicates that â€Å"2 million people have been displaced because of armed conflict in Columbia† this year. Most of the internally displaced persons were Afro-Columbians, who fled because they were frightened of the fighting between the Columbian army and the armed groups operating near the Atrato river in north-western Columbia. Although a determined effort by the government to overcome the drug cartels has resulted in a semblance of order in