Discussion and Debate Tourism Lesson for ESL

Discussion and Debate Tourism Lesson for ESL Many thanks to Kevin Roche, a colleague of mine, who has kindly allowed me to include his conversation lesson on the site. Tourism is becoming more and more important - especially for those learning English. Here is a two-part lesson which focuses on the question of developing tourism as an industry in your local town. Students need to develop concepts, discuss local economic problems and solutions to those problems, think about possible negative impacts and finally make a presentation. These two lessons provide a great long-term project for upper-level students while offering an opportunity to use English in a number of authentic settings. Let's Do Tourism - Part 1 Aim Discussion, explaining, reasoning, agreeing and disagreeing Activity Tourism - Do we need it? Discussion of pros and cons of developing local tourism Level Upper intermediate to advanced Outline Split students into two groups - one group representatives of Lets Do Tourism, a tourism development company. The other group representatives of the residents of your city and are in opposition to the plans of Lets Do tourism.Give each student a copy of one of the discussion notes.Ask students if they have any questions on the explanatory notes.Give students fifteen minutes to prepare for the discussion in their groups. Students should discuss the points mentioned and any other points they may come up within their groups.Circulate around the classroom helping students and taking notes on common language problems.Have students get back together and try to convince you (or another chosen group of students) of their reasoning.Begin the activity follow-up by going over some of the more common mistakes made by students.Finish the activity as a class by asking each student to choose one reason either for or against the project. Each student should then discuss one of the points in front o f the rest of the class. Ask other students to comment on the arguments presented. Your Town, The Next Tourist Paradise? A company called lets Do Tourism is panning to invest a large amount of money to turn your town into a major center for tourists. They have made plans to manufacture a number of hotels and other tourist infrastructure in your town. As well as the hotels, they have also made plans to radically improve the nightlife in your town by opening a string of clubs and bars. They hope that by the year 2004 your town will be a major competitor within the tourist industry in your country.   Group 1 You are representatives of Lets Do Tourism your aim is to promote the plans of your company and to convince me that tourism is the best solutions for your city. Points to concentrate on: The increase in jobs that will come with the increase in investment.The money that the tourists will bring into the local economyThe progress and development of your city which will result in it becoming more important with not only your region but also your country as well.Better for the young people of your city as there will be much more investment in leisure industries. Group 2 You are the representatives of the residents of your city and are in opposition to the plans of Lets Do tourism. Your aim is to convince me that this is a bad idea for your town. Points to consider: Environmental issues - tourists pollutionTroublemakers - many tourists have no respect for the places they visit and are only interested in getting drunk and causing trouble.The rise in tourism will bring about radical changes and will result in the traditional way of life in your town being lost. Perhaps forever.Rather than promoting the position of your city in your country, this move will make your city the laughing stock of your country.

Everything You Need to Know About Essay Formatting

Everything You Need to Know About Essay Formatting Essay format has nothing to do with the  actual content of the essay, it is how you organize and present it. Essay format gives the physical look of your essay as the eye scans the pages without reading the words. MLA Essay Format with Example APA Essay Format with Example Chicago Essay Format Why Is Formatting Important? It is estimated that essay formatting can account for at least ten percent of your overall grade. This can be the difference between getting an A or a D. Thus, paying close attention to your formatting is a relatively easy way to improve your grade. Since formatting is often done after all the research and writing is accomplished, many students are too tired to give formatting the proper attention. They may also be rushed for time since this is the last task they do. For these reasons, you may want to start your essay assignment early enough that you can do your formatting on a different day than you actually research and write your essay. You can also enlist professional services like ours to help you format your essay perfectly and perhaps proofread your final draft as well. is your one stop shop for all the writing services, from background research, to writing and formatting your paper. Ordering your essay at means you will get all the formatting job done for you at no cost. In addition, you will also receive a free bibliography page as well as an anti-plagiarism check. Order your custom paper today and we will start working on it immediately! What Formatting Styles Are There? Most common formatting styles are MLA, APA, Harvard Chicago. MLA is the most typical one, and if you are unsure how your essay should be formatted, use MLA as the default formatting style. The essay formatting rules depend only on the formatting standards, as prescribed by MLA, APA or Chicago style guides. Many styles erroneously think that academic (or complexity) level of your paper will influence the overall essay format. This is obviously a myth: if you need to write an MLA style essay, it will look same for high-school, college or university level. The Same statement is also true for APA Chicago formatting styles. What Are the Differences in Formatting Styles? Each formatting style sets its own requirements towards a number of things, including: Title pages Spacing between lines Paragraphs Page numbering Margins Font size Indentation Binding Proofreading etc. Every formatting style has its respective formatting guide that can be easily purchased as a soft copy or a hard copy. There is, however, a great deal of information on each of these styles that is available online. Here are some useful links: Numbering Pages and Paragraphs Always number every page of your essay in consecutive order. Put the number for each page in the upper right-hand corner half an inch from the top and flush with the right margin. It is a good practice to include your last name before each number in case the pages get jumbled up with other essays. An example would be: Smith, 2. Keep your numbers very simple. Do not put periods after page numbers and do not underline them. Do not put quotations marks around them. Do not use a fancy font or embellish them with graphics of any kind. Use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) instead of Roman numerals (I, II, III). The Importance of Double Spacing and Leaving Wide Margins Part of the purpose in writing an essay in an academic environment is to obtain constructive feedback from your teacher or professor. This allows you to improve with each re-write and with each subsequent essay you write. In order to leave enough room for your teacher or professor to leave his or her comments, be sure to double space between each line of text. Be sure to also leave a one-inch wide margin on all sides of the paper. Spacing Between Words and Sentences Always leave a single space between each word in a sentence. You should also leave a single space after each comma, semicolon, and colon. Never leave a space in front of the punctuation at the end of a sentence. It is traditional to leave two spaces between sentences. However, it is has become increasingly acceptable to include only one space between sentences. If in doubt, ask your teacher or professor for his or her preference. Indentation of Paragraphs and Quotes Traditionally, the first line of a new paragraph was always indented. However, many teachers and professors now prefer that students start new paragraphs flush with the left margin of the paper. For this reason, if your instructor does not offer guidance on this when they give an essay assignment, you may want to ask them what they prefer. Whether you indent or not, be sure to be consistent throughout your entire essay. If you do indent paragraphs, it is traditional to indent seven spaces or half an inch from the left margin. For quotes, it is traditional to indent ten spaces, or a full inch from the left margin, to set them apart more distinctly than paragraphs. Spacing Between Paragraphs Since you are double spacing between lines, it is best to insert four spaces between paragraphs so the eye can more readily distinguish between paragraphs. How to Handle Titles in Your Essay Format There should be a formatting distinction made between longer full-length works and shorter works such. Longer works should be underlined. These include books and plays. Shorter works should be placed inside quotation marks. These include newspaper articles, magazine articles, book chapters, essays, and blog posts. When in doubt, use quotation marks or consult the MLA Handbook. The first letter of each word in a title should be capitalized with three exceptions. First, do not capitalize articles (a, an, the). Second, do not capitalize prepositions (on, of, in, over, under). Third, do not capitalize conjunctions (and, because, but). Never Write in All Capitalizations Capitalization should be used sparingly or it will tend to irritate the reader and detract from your overall points. Although you may be tempted to capitalize every letter in an important headline, resist this temptation and add your emphasis in the words you choose. Table of Contents Guidelines Essays are much shorter than books. Therefore, most do not require a table of contents. However, if your essay is lengthy, or your instructor suggests it, you may want to include one. For most essays, youll want to include the following sections in your table of contents: Introduction Body Conclusion You can also provide subsections for the body since this is the lengthiest part of your essay. Beside each section and subsection, include a page number, in a simple format, for easy reference. Example: CONTENTS Introduction 1 Body. Subtopic 1 3 Body. Subtopic 2 6 Conclusion ..14 15 How to End Your Essay Many students feel it necessary to embellish the end of their essay with a fancy graphic. This is not necessary and may even annoy your teacher or professor. Simply end your essay with the last period of your last sentence and leave it at that. Similarly, you do not need to write The End. Be Sure to Bind Your Essay You should always bind together all the sheets of paper in your essay because it is quite easy for loose sheets to become scrambled or even lost. If you use a stapler, be sure to staple the upper left corner so the page numbers on the upper right corner still show. The same is true if you use a paper clip. You may also want to take your essay to a business center and have the left edges bound. Summary Writing a good essay takes practice and patience. Dont be too hard on yourself if you dont get an A on your first few attempts. If you are not satisfied with your grades, schedule an appointment with your teacher or professor and politely ask them for suggestions on how you can improve. Be sure to ask them about essay format as well as the content of your writing. If you need more help, or you simply have limited time, contact us for professional help. We have a talented team of experienced writers who can help you with any aspect of your essay(s), including essay format. Our prices are so reasonable, they are affordable on almost any budget. Here is a general pricing plan for custom essay writing (prices are in US dollars, cost per page):

Public Meeting Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Public Meeting Paper - Assignment Example The meeting was arranged to explain new regulations and provide answers to questions about them. Most local government officials voluntarily select to seek the public’s input with regard to the development of legislation. The meetings I attended at the Tempe City Council in Arizona was aimed at accomplishing their core aim of giving citizens the opportunity to directly influence decisions made by the governing bodies. I came to find out that during the conduction of regular City Council meetings and Issue Review Sessions, they are broadcasted live on Tempe Channel 11 which is the City’s government access channel. As noted by Sharp, Smith and Patton (pp.2-4) people tend to more readily accept government policies if they had a role in its development. The City Council’s public meeting serves a very crucial democratic function by offering the citizens with the opportunity to convey information to officials, to set up future agendas, attracting the attention of the m edia, persuade public opinion, and delay decisions as well as communicating with the other citizens. So as to ensure that the meeting goes on smoothly as witnessed at Tempe City Council you require utmost planning for the meeting. First, determine the purpose of the meeting. The meeting was intended to inform, consult and involve the general public. The objective of the meeting needs to be reiterated at the commencement of the meeting in order to set parameters for those in attendance. Second, you need to create a relationship with participants in advance. The inclusion of diverse citizens who possess significant interest in the outcome of the meeting ensures that relevant information about the specific issue is not overlooked. Thirdly, before conducting any meeting a draft agenda needs to be developed. The real agenda to be followed was prepared by the City Clerk. The City Council agenda are publicly posted at least 24 hours before the meeting. On that particular day, the Tempe Cit y Council had the following in their agenda. (1)The miscellaneous items included: approval of Maryanne Corder Neighborhood Grant Program to the tune of $150,000 to home owners and neighborhoods; approval for the amendment of Magellan Health Service of Arizona; and finally, holding a public hearing to recommend the approval of a Series 01 in the government’s liquor license designated for Lipsmark LLC among many others. (2) Award of bids or contracts, such as approving the use of a one year state of Arizona contract with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for the acquisition of tires and tubes and award of a construction contract to AJP Electric to enhance the intersection at Broadway Road and Priest Drive. (3) Ordinances and item for first hearing which included the introducing and holding first public hearing to adopt an ordinance allowing partial abandonment of storm drainage easement situated near 2150 East Warmer Road. (4) Ordinances and items for second hearing. (5) Resolut ions: adoption of a resolution to permit the Mayor to effect an agreement between the Tempe City and Slat River Pima Maricopa Indian Community as well as an agreement between Arizona State and Tempe Police Department to accept federal grant funds for impaired driver alcohol

Analysis of The Allegory of the Cave Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of The Allegory of the Cave - Essay Example Glube’s analysis will be considered. The cave is incredibly dark since there is no adequate light inside it, making difficult, even for the inhabitants to see objects. Inside the cave, there are chained people on their feet and necks making it difficult to move. Equally, there is another world just out of the cave, which is separated by a wall. Numerous people walk on this wall causing reflection of the shadows into the cave, which the prisoners perceive as real. However, in actual sense, this is just an illusion. This scenario contrasts sharply with the outer world, which is characterized by light and visibility of everything (Grube, 112). This makes a prisoner released from the cave to dazzle in the light, however as he stays longer, he is acclimatized. He expresses sympathy to the prisoners in the darkness. He sees it better for one to be a prisoner in the other outer world. As a point of departure, the Allegory of the cave represents a dialogue between the protagonist Socrates and Glaucon, the interlocutor. The people in the cave are seen bound by chains and believing that the reality lies in the shadows of the artifacts. It is unbelievable how these people manage a life confined in darkness, because the fire represented is behind them. This is a metaphorical application, which gives a picture of their state while in the cave. Their senses are bound and they are confined to their sense of ignorance, which makes Socrates to wonder how these people will respond if they were â€Å"released from their bondage and cured of their ignorance† (Grube 187). Socrates believes that there is a possibility that, the prisoners will be confused to differentiate between the real artifact and its shadow. Accordingly, Grube notes that the primary intention of education as articulated by Plato is not to impart knowledge but to change the behavior and

Dear Phyllis Essay Example for Free

Dear Phyllis Essay Im writing to you to say goodbye. Im in the prison now. I am sad to say Ill be executed tomorrow because I escaped from the camp. I know you will feel so sad and miserable. But I hope you do not to feel too unhappy. Being shot is the same as letting me successfully escape that hateful camp, hateful country. However, its to be regretted that I will let my mother be alone again. Im so sorry about that I couldnt go back to Germany; that I cant look after her in the future. My death will regret by her. And much to my regret let Christoph die accompany me. Phyllis, my beloved, I despaired when you decided not to go with me and had changed your mind when I met you on the highway at that night. Im not sure why my beloved so easily changed her mind. I think you have your reasons. Anyway, I think you must be anxious to know why we have been captured. We according to our plan and with two other comrades had sailed in safety across the channel. But mistaking our bearings we steered into Jersey, think that the island was the French coast. Unfortunately, we were perceived in that island, and they delivered up to the authorities. The death punishment is being reserved for Christoph and me; the sentence for two was accordingly commuted to flogging because we interceded for them when we were captured. I know I will be dead tomorrow, but I will remember you and love you forever. You are always my beloved, you all be always in my mind. At least I hope you wouldnt feel too broken heart when I die. Dont blame yourself. Forget me, live happily and well in the future. Goodbye! My beloved. Love from Matthaus Tina

How Sweet It Isn’t: The Effects of Global Climate Change On the Maple Sugar Industry :: Essays Papers

How Sweet It Isn’t: The Effects of Global Climate Change On the Maple Sugar Industry Global climate change has been the topic of discussion these days in New England, where spring thaw seems to come earlier each year, prematurely driving hundreds of sugar bush operators from their cabins and into the thickets to tap the sweet nectar of the sugar maple. Times and temperatures are changing for these laborers, and the effects of global climate change on the maple sugar industry have not gone unnoticed. Much of the New England sugar industry has suffered from profit and production decrease, and poor sugar bush health, posing the threat that the tradition of maple sugaring in this region may become obsolete if warming trends continue as they are. The economic, social and ecological effects of global climate change are a cause for concern in New England, compromising the livelihood of an entire culture of loyal maple syrup lovers. The sugar maple (Acer sacharum) has been an icon of New England for centuries, made sacred by the Native Americans who first extracted the sugary lifeblood from the tree. It ignites fall flames throughout the mountains and valleys of New England startling even the most avid â€Å"leaf peepers†, and is a trademark of the landscape, kept under close watch by its neighbors. Throughout the past decade the sugar maple has experienced significant stress from environmental pollution such as acid rain, smog and increased levels of carbon dioxide. In addition to this, rising temperatures and extreme weather patterns have weakened the vitality and richness of the species in its native habitat (Rock, Barrett and Shannon Spencer, 2001). GRAPH The sugar maple is unquestionably the most preferred species for producing maple products, primarily because of their high sugar content. Sugar maple occurs naturally throughout most of the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada The vulnerability of the sugar maple to the effects of global climate change poses a risk not only for the trees, but also for many who make a living in the forest.

One-Sided Relationship Essay

In school there is always one kid that a person will hang out with, although that person does not want to be seen with him. They will only associate with that one person when they have no one else to hang out with or when they need something from them. It is evident through the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, that in a one-sided relationship there is always one person in a friendship who will unconditionally love the other person and one who will be willing to take advantage of the other. In the novel, Hassan will always do anything for Amir because he is a loyal and true friend. On the other hand, Amir only hangs out with Hassan when no one else wants to play with him. Amir does not notice how unfair his relationship with his best friend is until he brutally watches Hassan get raped in the alley by Assef. Through the actions of Hassan and Amir, it is evident that a one-sided relationship will not work out because there will always be jealousy, lies, and shame to deal with. Evidently, Amir and Hassan’s friendship is unhealthy because Amir is afraid to consider Hassan a true friend. He is afraid to consider Hassan a true friend because he feels shame in being the only Pashtun child playing with a Hazara boy because Hazaras are of a lower class. Amir is struck by the words Assef says to him, â€Å"How can you talk to him, play with him, let him touch you? How can you call him your friend? If idiots like you and your father didn’t take these people in, we’d be rid of them by now† (Hosseini 41). It is at this point that Amir truly considers his relationship with Hassan. He wonders why he only plays with Hassan when no one else is around and why when other kids come over they never include Hassan in any games. This is the point where their relationship begins to struggle because Amir cannot distinguish if Hassan is a friend or a servant to him. Additionally, Amir tests Hassan’s loyalty to prove that he is a true friend to h im. One of the ways in which he tests his loyalty is by asking, â€Å"Would you eat dirt if I told you to?† (54). Out of shame, Amir asks Hassan this question because he wants to see if he would be willing to do anything for him. Amir constantly  looks to test his loyalty with questions like this one because Amir wants Hassan to say no in order to make himself feel better. He feels that if Hassan will not do one thing he asks, then it will make his doubts about his relationship feel better and not as one-sided. It is utterly clear that the boys’ relationship is unhealthy because Amir is always trying to test Hassan’s loyalty because he has developed too much shame in the way he treats Hassan to consider him a true friend. Furthermore, the relationship between Hassan and Amir is unhealthy because Amir has too much jealousy built up. Amir is jealous of Hassan because he has the attributes and talents that he wishes he had instead of his own. Amir is jealous of Hassan because he heard Baba exclaim, â€Å"I see how they push Amir around, take his toys from him, give him a shove here, a whack there. And, you know, he never fights back. Never† (22). Amir was offended when he heard his own father say this because at this moment he knew his father wished he was like Hassan. He learned that his father wished he was more athletic and did not read books all the time. Learning of this made him very jealous of Hassan because he had all of these features and was considered golden in the eyes of Baba. Additionally, Amir resents Hassan because he has always received attention from Baba and was treated like his favorite son. Amir is jealous of Hassan because he got a very thoughtful and loving birthday present: a doctor to fix his hairline lip. Amir does not understand why his father gave such a huge gift to Hassan because he had never received such a loving gift. Amir acknowledges the fact the he normally only receives a toy or little object from Baba and cannot comprehend the fact that his father put so much effort into Hassan’s gift. This makes Amir very jealous of Hassan because he yet again stole the attention from Baba. Overall the relationship of Amir and Hassan is very detrimental because Amir resents Hassan for having many of the things that he wishes he could obtain. Amir wishes he were more athletic and strong so that he could be the golden child in Baba’s eyes. Finally, the one-sided relationship comes to an end due to the fact that it cannot survive when too much hatred and lies have built up. One of the main reasons the relationship between Hassan and Amir failed was the fact that  Amir enabled Hassan to get raped. Before being raped by Assef, Assef blurted, â€Å"You’re nothing more but an ugly pet. Something he can play with when he is bored, something he can kick around when he is angry. Don’t ever fool yourself and think you’re something more† (72). After the rape, these words that were said stuck to both Hassan and to Amir who stood by aimlessly watching him get raped. Both boys knew that if it was the other way around, Hassan would have jumped in and tried to prevent the rape from happening. However, in reality, Amir was the reason their relationship came to an end because he simply just did not have love for Hassan the same way he was loved back. Moreover their relationship could no longer work after t he rape because Amir could not stand to look at Hassan’s face everyday and tell lies about what had happened that day in the alley. Amir tried to deal with this trouble by trying to get Baba to kick Hassan and his father out of his house. For example, Amir stuck his watch and birthday money under Hassan’s mattress so that Baba would get furious and kick them out of his house. However, Amir’s plans always backfired on him, which resulted in him having to live with more lies building up. Their relationship came crashing down hard after the rape because Hassan woke up from his little fantasy and learned how good of a friend Amir was to him. He came to realize that he would always love Amir, and in return it would take years before Amir would love him the way that he did. Overall the relationship of Amir and Hassan came to an end because Hassan’s eyes were opened and they could no longer live with such huge lies in their lives. Due to the fact that there will always be lies, shame, and jealousy to deal with in a relationship, it is obvious that a one-sided relationship will never work out for the best. The relationship of Amir and Hassan never worked out well because Amir was afraid to consider Hassan a true friend. He was only the person who was there for him when he needed it the most and no one else was there to play with. Also the relationship never worked out because Amir built up too much jealousy towards Hassan. Amir could not stand the fact that Hassan was the golden boy in his father’s eyes. He always wanted to be that boy, and came to realize he would never be because Hassan was perfect from his father’s point of view. Ultimately, their relationship came to an end because Amir let Hassan get raped, while he watched it all  happen and took no actions to prevent it. This led to too many lies and too big of a burden for Amir to live with. This caused him to build up hatred, which even tually made Hassan and his father leave his house. Clearly, the relationship could not work out because Amir could not love Hassan for who he was. People need to take this example of Amir and Hassan and apply it to their own lives. They need to realize that they cannot and should not take advantage of a friend or a person because it will result in a failed relationship and hatred will most likely arrive. Thus people need to be more considerate and caring to the people they live and socialize with in their daily lives.

Night World : Daughters of Darkness Chapter 8

She waited another hour after he set off down theroad, heading east-doing what, she had no idea. There was nothing that way except two creeks andlots of trees. And her house. She hoped he was goingto try to walk into town, and that he didn't realize how far it was. All right, he's gone, now forget about him. You'vegot a job to do, remember? A slightly dangerous one. And he's not involved. I don't believe he knows anything about what happened to Mrs. B. She got the shovel and started down the road west.As she walked she found that she was able to put Ash out of her mind completely. Because all she could think of was what was waiting ahead. I'm not scared to do it; I'm not scared, I'm notscared†¦. OfcourseI'm scared. But being scared was good, it would make her careful. She would do this job quickly and quietly. In through the gap in the hedge, a little fast work with the shovel, out again before anybody saw her. She tried not to picture what she was going to findwith that shovel if she was right. She approachedBurdock Farm cautiously, going north and then doubling back southeast to come in through the back property. The farmland had gone wild here, taken over by poison oak, beargrass, and dodder, besides the inevitable blackberry bushes and gorse. Tan oaks and chinquapins were moving in. Sometime soon these pastures would be forest. I'm not sure I believe I'm doing this, MaryLynnette thought as she reached the hedge that surrounded the garden. But the strange thing was that she didbelieve it. She was going to vandalize a neighbor's property and probably look at a dead bodyand she was surprisingly cool about it. Scared but not panicked. Maybe there was more hidden inside her than she realized. I may not be who I've always thought I am. The garden was dark and fragrant. It wasn't theirises and daffodils Mrs. B. had planted; it wasn't the fireweed and bleeding heart that were growing wild. It was the goats. Mary-Lynnette stuck to the perimeter of the hedge,eyes on the tall, upright silhouette of the farmhouse. There were only two windows lit. Please don't let them see me and please don't letme make a noise. Still looking at the house, she walked slowly, taking careful baby steps to the place where the earth was disturbed. The first couple of swipes with the shovel hardly moved the soil. Okay. Put a little conviction in it. And don't watch the house; there's no point. If they look out, they're going to see you, and there's nothing you can do about it. Just as she put her foot on the shovel, somethingwent hooshin the rhododendrons behind her. Crouched over her shovel,Mary-Lynnette froze. Stop worrying, she told herself. That's not the sisters. It's not Ash coming back. That's an animal. She listened. A mournful maaaa came from the goat shed. It wasn't anything. It was a rabbit. Dig! She got out a spadeful of dirt-and then she heardit again. Hoosh. A snuffling sound. Then a rustling. Definitely an animal. But if it was a rabbit, it was an awfully loud one. Who cares what it is? Mary-Lynnette told herself.There aren't any dangerous animalsout here. And I'm not afraid of the dark. It's my natural habitat. I love the night. But tonight, somehow, she felt differently. Maybe it was just the scene with Ash that had shaken her, made her feel confused and discontented. But just now she felt almost as if something was trying to tell her that the dark wasn't any human's natural habitat. That she wasn't built for it, with her weak eyes and her insensitive ears and dull nose. That she didn't belong. Hoosh. I may have rotten hearing, but I can hearthatjustfine. And it's big. Something big's sniffing around in bushes. What kind of big animal could be out here? Itwasn't a deer deer went snort-wheeze. It sounded larger than a coyote, taller. A bear? Then she heard a different sound the vigorousshaking of dry, leathery rhododendron leaves. In the dim light from the house she couldseethe branches churning as something tried to emerge. it's coming out. Mary-Lynnette clutched her shovel and ran. Nottoward the gap in the hedge, not toward the housethey were both too dangerous. She ran to the goat shed. I can defend myself in here-keep it out—hit itwith the shovel†¦. The problem was that she couldn't see from in here.There were two windows in the shed, but between dirt on the glass and the darkness outside, Mary-Lynnette couldn't make out anything. She couldn'teven see the goats, although she could hear them. Don't turn on the penlight. It'll just give awayyour position. Holding absolutely still, she strained tohear any thing from outside. Nothing. Her nostrils were full of goat. The layers of oat straw and decomposing droppings on the floor were smelly, and they kept the shed too warm. Her palms were sweating as she gripped the shovel. I've never hit anybody †¦ not since Mark and Iwere kids fighting †¦ but, heck, I kicked a strangerthis morning†¦ . She hoped the potential for violence would comeout now when she needed it. A goat nudged her shoulder.Mary-Lynnette shrugged it away. The other goat bleated suddenlyand she bit her lip. Oh, God-I heard something out there. The goatheard it, too. She could taste her bitten lip. It was like sucking on a penny. Blood tasted like copper, which, she realizedsuddenly, tasted like fear. Something opened the shed door. What happened then was that Mary-Lynnette Something unholy was after her. Something thatsniffed like an animal but could open doors like ahuman. She couldn't see what it was-just a shadowdarkness against darkness. She didn't think ofturning on the penlight-her only impulse was to smash out with the shovel now, to get ft before ft could get her. She was tingling with the instinct forpure, primordial violence. Instead, she managed to hiss, â€Å"Who is ft? Who'sthere?† A familiar voice said,†Iknew you were going to do this. I've been lookingeverywherefor you.† â€Å"Oh,God, Mark.† Mary-Lynnette sagged against wall of the shed, letting go of the shovel. The goats were both bleating. Mary-Lynnette's earswere ringing. Mark shuffled farther in. â€Å"Jeez, this place smells. What are you doing inhere?† â€Å"Youjerk,†Mary-Lynnette said. â€Å"I almost brained you!† 0†³You said you were forgetting all this crazy stuff. You lied to me.† â€Å"Mark, you don't †¦We can talk later†¦. Did you hearanything out there?† She was trying to gather her thoughts. â€Å"Like what?† He was so calm. It made MaryLynnette feel vaguely foolish. Then his voice sharpened. â€Å"Like a yowling?† â€Å"No. Like a snuffling.† Mary-Lynnette's breath was slowing. â€Å"I didn't hear anything. We'd better get out ofhere. What are we supposed to say if Jade comes out?† Mary-Lynnette didn't know how to answer that. Mark was in a different world, a happy, shiny world where the worst that could happen tonight was embarrassment. Finally she said â€Å"Mark, listen to me. I'm your sister. I don't have any reason to lie to you, or playtricks on you, or put down somebody you like. AndI don't just jump to conclusions; I don't imagine things. But I'm telling you, absolutely seriously,that there is something weird going on with these girls.† Mark opened his mouth, but she went on relentlessly. â€Å"So now there are only two things you can believe, and one is that I'm completely out of mymind, and the other is that it's true. Do you really think I'm crazy?† She was thinking of the past as she said it, of allthe nights they'd held on to each other when their mother wassick, of the books she'd read out loud tohim, of the times she'd put Band-Aids on his scrapes and extra cookies in his lunch. And somehow, even though it was dark, she could sense that Mark was remembering, too. They'd shared so much. They would always be connected. Finally Mark said quietly, â€Å"You're not crazy.† â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"But I don't know what to think. Jade wouldn't hurtanybody. I justknow that. And since I met her , .†Hepaused. â€Å"Mare, it's like now I know why I'm alive.She's different from any girl I've ever known. She's ____ she's so brave, and so funny, and so †¦ herself.† And I thought it was the blond hair, MaryLynnette thought. Shows how shallow I am. She was moved and surprised by the change in Mark-but mostly she was frightened. Frightenedsick. Her cranky, cynical brother had found somebody to care about at last †¦ and the girl was probably descended from Lucrezia Borgia. And now, even though she couldn't see him, shecould hear earnest appeal in his voice. â€Å"Mare, can't we just go home?† Mary-Lynnette felt sicker. She broke off and they both snapped their heads to look at the shed window. Outside a light had gone on. â€Å"Shut the door,† Mary-Lynnette hissed, in a tone that made Mark dose the door to the shed instantly. â€Å"And be quiet,- she added, grabbing his arm and pulling him next to the wall. She looked cautiously out the window. Rowan came out of the back door first, followedbyjade,followed by Kestrel. Kestrel had a shovel. Oh. My. God. â€Å"What's happening?† Mark said, trying to get alook. Mary-Lynnette damped a hand over his mouth.What was happening was that the girls were digging up the garden again. She didn't see anything wrapped in garbage bags this time. So what were they doing? Destroying the evidence? Were they going to take it into the houseand burn it, chop it up? Her heart was pounding madly. Mark had scooted up and was looking out. MaryLynnette heard him take a breath-and then choke. Maybe he was trying to think of an innocent explanation for this. She squeezed his shoulder. They both watched as the girls took turns with theshovel. Mary-Lynnette was impressed all over againat how strong they were. Jade looked so fragile. Every time one of the sisters glanced around the garden, Mary-Lynnette's heart skipped a beat. Don't see us, don't hear us, don't catch us, she thought. When a respectable mound of dirt had piled up, Rowan and Kestrel reached into the hole. They lifted out the long garbage-bagged bundle Mary-Lynnettehad seen before. It seemed to be stiff-and surpris ingly light. For the first time, Mary-Lynnette wondered if it was too light to be a body. Or too stiff †¦ how longdid rigor mortis last? Mark's breathing was irregular, almost wheezing.The girls were carrying the bundle to the gap inthe hedge. Mark cursed. Mary-Lynnette's brain was racing. She hissed,†Mark, stay here. I'm going to follow them-â€Å" â€Å"I'm going with you!† â€Å"You have to tell Dad if anything happens to me-â€Å" â€Å"I'm going withyou.† There wasn't time to argue. And something inside Mary-Lynnette was glad to have Mark's strength to back her. She gasped, â€Å"Come on, then. And don't make asound.† She was worried they might have already lost the sisters–it was such a dark night. But when she and Mark squeezed through the gap in the rhododendron bushes, she saw a light ahead. A tiny, bobbing white light. The sisters were using a flashlight. Keep quiet, move carefully. Mary-Lynnette didn'tdare say it out loud to Mark, but she kept thinking it over and over, like a mantra. Her whole consciousness was fixed on the little shaft of light that was leading them, like a comet's tail in the darkness. The light took them south, into a stand of Douglasfir. It wasn't long before they were walking into forest. Where are they going? Mary-Lynnette thought. She could feel fine tremors in her muscles as she tried to move as quickly as possible without making a sound. They were lucky–the floor of this forest was carpeted with needles from Douglas fir and Ponderosa pine. The needles were fragrant and slightly damp and they muffled footsteps. Mary-Lynnette could hardly hear Mark walking behind her except when he hurt himself. They went on for what seemed like forever. It was pitch dark and Mary-Lynnette very quickly lost any sense of where they were. Or how they were going to get back. Oh, God, I was crazy to do this-and to bring Markalong, too. We're out in the middle of the woodswith three crazy girls†¦. The light had stopped. Mary-Lynnette stopped, holding out an arm thatMark immediately ran into. She was staring at thelight, trying to make sure it really wasn't moving away. No. It was steady. It was pointed at the ground. â€Å"Let's get loser,† Mark whispered, putting his lips against Mary-Lynnette's ear. She nodded and began to creep toward the light, as slowly and silently asshe knew how. Every few steps she paused and stood absolutely still, waiting to see if the light was going to turn her way. It didn't. She got down and crawled the last ten feet to the edge of the clearing where the girls had stopped. Once there, she had a good view of what they were doing. Digging. Kestrel had shoveled the pine needles aside and was working on a hole. Mary-Lynnette felt Mark crawl up beside her,crushing sword fern and woodfem. She could feel his chest heaving. She knew he saw what she saw. I'm so sorry. Oh, Mark, I'm so sorry. There was no way to deny it now. Mary-Lynnetteknew. She didn't even need to look in the bag. How am I going to find this place again? When I bring the sheriff back, how am I going to remember it? It's like a maze in one of those computer fantasy games-Mixed Evergreen Forest in every direction,and nothing to distinguish any bit of it from any other bit. She chewed her lip. The bed of moist needles she was lying on was soft and springy-actually comfortable. They could wait here for a long time, until the sisters left, and then mark the trees somehow. Takephotographs. Tie their socks to branches. In the clearing the flashlight beam showed a hand putting down the shovel. Then Rowan and Kestrellifted the garbage-bagged bundle-Jade must beholding the flashlight, Mary-Lynnette thought-and lowered it into the hole. Good. Now cover it up and leave. The beam showed Rowan bending to pick up the shovel again. She began quickly covering the hole with dirt. Mary-Lynnette was happy. Over soon, she thought, and let out a soft breath of relief. And in that instant everything in the clearingchanged. The flashlight beam swung wildly. Mary-Lynnette flattened herself, feeling her eyes widen. She could see a silhouette against the light-golden hair haloed around the face. Kestrel. Kestrel was standing, facing Mark and Mary-Lynnette, her body tense and still. Listening. Listening. Mary-Lynnette lay absolutely motionless, mouthopen, trying to breathe without making a soundThere were things crawling in the soft, springy needlebed under her. Centipedes and millipedes. She didn'tdare move even when she felt something tickle acrossher back under her shirt. Her own ears rang from listening. But the forest was silent †¦ eerily dent. All Mary-Lynnette couldhear was her own heart pounding wildly in herchest-although ft felt as if it were in her throat, too.It made her head bob with its rhythm. She was afraid. And it wasn't just fear. It was something shecouldn't remember experiencing since she was nineor ten. Ghost fear. The fear of something you're not even sure exists. Somehow, watching Kestrel's silhouette In the dark woods, Mary-Lynnette was afraid of monsters.She had aterrible,terrible feeling. Oh, please–I shouldn't have brought Mark here. It was then that she realized that Mark's breathing was making a noise. Just a faint sound, not a whistling, more like a cat purring. It was the sound he'd made as a kid when his lungs were bad. Kestrel stiffened, her head turning, as if to locate a noise. Oh, Mark, no. Don't breathe. Hold your breath-Everything happened very fast. Kestrel sprang forward. Mary-Lynnette saw her silhouette come running and jumping with unbelievable speed. Toofast-nobody moves thatfast .. . nobody human†¦. What are these girls? Her vision came in flashes,as if she were under a strobe light. Kestrel jumping. Dark trees all around. A moth caught in the beam. Kestrel coming down. Protect mark†¦ A deer. Kestrel was coming down on a deer. Mary-Lynnette's mind was filled with jumbled, careening images. Images that didn't make sense. She had a wild thought that it wasn't Kestrel at all, but one of those raptor dinosaurs she'd seen at the movies. Because Kestrel moved like that. Or maybe ftwasn't a deer-but Mary-Lynnette could seethe white at its throat, as pure as a lace ruffle at the throat of a young girl. She could see itsliquid black eyes. The deer screamed. Disbelief. I can't be seeing this†¦. The deer was on the ground, delicate legs thrashing. And Kestrel was tangled with it. Her face buriedin the white of its throat. Her arms around it. The deer screamed again. Wrenched violently.Seemed to be having convulsions. The flashlight beam was all over the place. Then it dropped. At the very edge of the light, Mary-Lynnette could see two other figures join Kestrel.They were all holding the deer. There was one last spasm and it stopped fighting. Everything went still. Mary-Lynnette could see Jade's hair, so fine that individual strands caught the light against the background of darkness. In the silent Bearing the three figures cradled thedeer. Huddling over it. Shoulders moving rhythmically. Mary-Lynnette couldn't see exactly what theywere doing, but the general scene wasf,miliar.She'd seen it on dozens of nature documentaries. About wild dogs or lionesses or wolves. The pack hadhunted and now ft wasfeeding. I have always tried†¦ to bea very good observer. And now, I have to believe my own eyes†¦ . Beside her, Mark's breath wassobbing. Oh, God, let me get him out of here. Please justlet us get out. It was as if she'd been suddenly released from paralysis. Her lip was bleeding again-she must havebitten down on it while she was watchingthe deer.Copperbloodfear filled her mouth. â€Å"Come on,† shegasped almost soundlessly, wiggling backward. Twigs and needles raked her stomachas her T-shirt rode up. She grabbed Mark's arm.†Come onl† Instead, Mark lurched to his feet. â€Å"Mark!† She wrenched herself to her knees andtried to drag him down. He pulled away. Hetook a step toward theclearing. No â€Å"Jade!† He was heading for the clearing. No, Mary-Lynnette thought again, andthen shewas moving after him. They were caught now, andit really didn't matter what he did. Butshe wantedto bewith him. â€Å"Jade!† Mark said and he grabbed the flashlight.He turned it directly on the little huddle at the edgeof the clearing. Three faces turned toward him. Mary-Lynnette's mind reeled. It was one thing toguess what the girls were doing; it was another thingto seeit. Those three beautiful faces, white in the flashlight beam †¦with what looked like smearedlipstick on their mouths and chins. Cardinal red, thimbleberry color. But it wasn't lipstick or burst thimbleberries. It wasblood, and the deer's white neck was stained with it. Eating the deer, they're really eating the deer;oh, God, they're really doing it†¦. Some part of her mind-the part that had absorbedhorror movies-expected the three girls to hiss and cringe away from the light. To block it out with bloodstained hands while making savage faces. It didn't happen. There were no animal noises, nodemon voices, no contortions. Instead, as Mary-Lynnette stood frozen in an agonyof horror, and Mark stood trying to get a normal breath, Jade straightened up. And said, â€Å"What are you guys doing out here?† In a puzzled, vaguely annoyed voice. The way youwould speak to some boy who keeps following you everywhere and asking you for a date. Mary-Lynnette felt her mind spinning off. There was a long silence. Then Rowan and Kestrelstood up. Mark was breathing heavily, moving the flashlight from one of the girls to another, but always coming back to Jade. â€Å"What areyoudoing out here; that's the question!† he said raggedly. The flashlight whipped to the hole, then back tothe girls. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"I asked you first,† Jade said, frowning. If ft hadJust been her, Mary-Lynnette would have started towonder if things were so awful after all. if maybethey weren't in terrible danger. But Rowan and Kestrel were looking at each other,and then at Mark and Mary-Lynnette. And their ex pressions made Mary-Lynnette's throat close. â€Å"You shouldn't have followed us,† Rowan said.She looked grave and sad. â€Å"They shouldn't have beenableto,† Kestrel said.She looked grim. â€Å"It's because they smell like goats,† Jade said. â€Å"What are you doing?†Mark shouted again, almostsobbing. Mary-Lynnette wanted to reach for him, butshe couldn't move. Jade wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.†Well, can't youtell?†She turned to her sisters.†Now what are we supposed todo?† There was a silence. Then Kestrel said, â€Å"We don'thave a choice. We havetokill them.†

Cognitive Dissonance and the movie 2001 essays

Cognitive Dissonance and the movie 2001 essays The argument that the paper states is that a persons wants and desires influence more than just behavior. They influence his/her thinking and even his/her power of perception. The most important point made is that when a person is confronted by ideas or facts that are against their pre-existing notions and ideas, what results is cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is referred to as a sort of static in the human psyche. This static caused by cognitive dissonance has the power to distort or even block perception. When disturbing information creates cognitive dissonance, the static discredits the information, so that a person does not feel compelled to cope with it, even if it is true. Cognitive dissonance is a very powerful self-preservation mechanism that can completely override the human desire for truth. The movie 2001 illustrates the points the author is trying to make. The fact that the geometric slab is kept secret is an example of the potential for cognitive dissonance. The government feared that if the Earths inhabitants learned of it without adequate preparation and conditioning, widespread culture shock and social disorientation would inevitably ensue. This disturbing information would have created a cognitive dissonance with the earths inhabitants; the people would simply discredit the evidence so that they would not have to cope with the far-reaching effects. I agree with the argument made about cognitive dissonance and the illustration with the movie. I dont really believe the producers of the film 2001 intentionally set out to make a film tackling the psychological issue of cognitive dissonance, but somehow stumbled upon it. ...

ACT Homeschool Code for Registration

ACT Homeschool Code for Registration SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you've registered for the ACT, you may have noticed that you'll need to enter a school code. But what code do you put if you're homeschooled? How can you make sure your scores get to you? We answer your questions in this guide! What Is the ACT Homeschool Code? The universal ACTHomeschool Code is 969-999.This code is applicable anywhere in the USA, and it's what you'll use when asked to provide a school code. When you use this ACT homeschool code, itmeans that your score results will be sent directly to your home. You will have already provided your address in a different part of the registration process, and ACT will use that information to know where to send your scores. Why Does the ACT Ask for School Codes? There are two reasons why students are asked to provide a school code when they register for the ACT. The first is so their school can see how well they and other students are doing on standardized tests. The second reason is that ACT uses this information itself to collect data on how well different groups of students do on the exam.This can include comparing scores of students within one local area, comparing scores of students in different states, and comparing scores of students in public schools vs home schools.Homeschooled students, on average, score higher on the SAT and theACTthan their public school counterparts. When Should You Use Your Local High School's Code? If you want to, you can use the local high school's code instead of a homeschool code,as long as you have permission from the high school. This could be a good option if you plan on attending the high school later on and want them to already have your ACT scores, or if you need to provide them your ACT scores to participate in their extracurriculars. Conversely, this could mean less privacy for you, since the high school officials would then be able to view your ACT scores. If that bothers you, then it might be better to use the ACT homeschooler's code and send your scores directly to your residence. Other Resources for Homeschoolers Taking the ACT Need more information on registering for the ACT? We have a complete guide on how to register for the ACT as a homeschool student. Are youwonderingwhen you should sign up to take the ACT for the first time?This guidedescribes the most important considerations to help you choose the best test date for you. What's a good ACT score for college?Check out our step-by-step guide to figure out your target score. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Segregation and the Racial Wage Gap Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Segregation and the Racial Wage Gap - Term Paper Example The image of the black man, being relegated to lower rung jobs, being inadequately compensated and constantly striving to prove himself has gone through a drastic change, report Mary Daly, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and Kenneth A. Couch, University of Connecticut. Their study has pointed out that an increase in the weekly pay of black male workers rose substantially so as to narrow the gap between black and white earnings to its lowest historically recorded levels. (Gene Koretz) This Discrimination in wage earnings begins at an early stage in the careers of black men and these have a direct impact on the â€Å"future labor earnings.† This wage inequality starts with the first job and continues to grow during the first five years of â€Å"post-school labor market activity† (Renna, King, 2007) This gap in earnings is considerable, growing from 12.46% during the first post school job to 25.86% even five years later. The statistics concerning racial wage gap may reveal the narrowing of the phenomena, but in all economic matters, racial inequality is an undeniable fact. African Americans face unemployment two times more than their white counterparts and even when employed they may earn only 75 per cent of what their white colleagues receive as wages. (Council of Economic Advisers, 1998) In the first few years in the job market, the incumbent is at a lower rung due to educational qualifications, but over the years this factor ceases to have an impact on the wage potential, because the employer is aware of the productivity levels of the employee. Thus, while the wage gap narrows over the years, it shows a direct proportional decrease with the increase in the number of years spent in the wage market. The lower wage workers have seen an increase in their pay structure, and more importantly, the reduction in wage gap