Building Codes for the Fire Services

In the recent Charleston, South Carolina furniture warehouse fire, nine firefighters perished apparently by compromised and structural collapse of the building’s roof. Every year, fire related accidents caused by building collapse; flashover and deadly smoke have been the leading causes of injuries or deaths of firefighters all over the United States (Dunn, 2007). Most tragic was the World Trade Center Twin Towers’ collapse where 343 members of the Fire Department City of New York (FDNY) perished died fifty-six minutes after the attacks (Fema’s US Fire Administration, 2002).The building officials, fire department, architects and engineers did not anticipate that such an attack could happen in American soil. In the light of these developments, the public called for a review of all existing building and fire codes in the country. Dunn (2007) enumerated three most deadly situations in firefighting history where the ten-year study of the National Fire Protection Asso ciation indicated them as the main causes of injuries and fatalities of firefighters. They are collapse, flame spread and smoke.â€Å"The most common types of collapse that have injured and killed many in the line of duty were floor collapse, roof collapse, wall collapse and ceiling collapse† (Dunn 2007). It is imperative that firefighters have the basic knowledge on the behavior of buildings while being engulfed in flames. What they know could save their lives when they take the risk of controlling the situation. It is also important to look back at previous strategies on how buildings were deemed â€Å"fire proofed† and considered safe at all times.To avoid a repeat of the tragic incidents, regulatory bodies, engineers, the academe and other professionals pit their wits and talents to ensure building safety standards are met. It is undeniable that some of the codes have become obsolete with the introduction of new building construction technologies. The Need to Overh aul Existing Codes Traditionally, the safety of buildings has been regulated by codes all over the country.Since the 1800’s the safety of buildings had been mandated by these codes and they include the use of â€Å"fire resistive materials, compartmentation features, and later, installation of automatic sprinkler systems and automatic fire alarm systems. † (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p. 619). All of these prescriptions were intended to ensure building safety even in the event of a fire. These also purported to make tall buildings safer. These had worked well under hazardous circumstances but were tested when the 9/11 attacks occurred.Codes across the United States are also moving towards performance measures in addition to the time-tested prescriptions of the codes (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p. 619). In New York City, for example, Mayor Bloomberg called for a review of the existing codes that had been in force since 1968 to conform to contemporary needs. New York ha s four construction codes namely the Building Code, Fuel Gas, Mechanical and Plumbing Codes (New New York City Construction Codes, n. d. , p. 1). The City government was caught flatfooted with an outdated construction code when the 9/11 attacks struck.The amendments to the code include the adoption of the International Building Code (IBC) format, placing safety as a priority and preserving some elements of the existing codes while enhancing the â€Å"requirements for fire protection, construction safety, and structural integrity requirements for new buildings. † (New New York City Construction Codes, n. d. , p. 1) Moore (n. d. ) defined building codes as â€Å"extratechnological laws that govern the design and construction of structures. † (p. 262). The codes follow the dictates social and ethical mores where the protection of life and property is a priority.It also traces its roots in the Hammurabi code where a builder was held responsible for a collapsed house that k illed its occupants and applying the lex talionis principle of justice (p. 262). Codes also had grown out of the necessity to adhere to insurance regulations. Protection goals include all the contents of a building or warehouse that were insured. Failure to mitigate the risk like loss to fire would mean economic repercussions for the community or state (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p. 625).Code prescriptions until the 1940’s prescribed a fire resistive building as steel framed or buildings that had â€Å"skeletal framework of steel columns and beams which supported the actual weight of the structure and its contents. † (Portolan, n. d. ) The structural elements were fireproofed or encased in concrete or tile (Portolan, n. d. ) In the 1920’s, the codes also regulated the heights of buildings where height limitations had a direct relationship to the construction methods employed (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p. 626).Each state though had its interpretation and regul ations concerning construction practices. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) proposed a performance based approach to tall building designs with the hope the building designs and construction methodologies respond to the need for safer buildings. The NFPA outlined six goals to performance based building design. They include: Life Safety of Building Occupants; Property/Contents Protection; Mission Continuity; Environmental Consequence of Fire; Heritage/Cultural Preservation; and Fire Suppression Personnel Safety (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p.632). However, not all directives and codes today follow the suggestions of NFPA. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) developed their standards specifically aimed at protecting both firefighters and civilians from fire-related injuries. Some of the standards relevant to the construction industry include NFPA 5000 (Building Construction and Safety Code); â€Å"NFPA 13 (Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems); NFPA 501 (Standard on Manufactured Housing) (NIOSH, 2005, p. 3).According to NIOSH (2005)†, while there are existing standard tests like ANSI (American National Standards Institute) or ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) that govern the safety measures in building materials and construction methodologies, these do not take into consideration real situations involving actual conflagrations and how fires would impact on the structural integrity of the structures (p. 4). NIOSH (2005) also pointed out that existing building codes enforced in various states were not designed specifically to protect firefighters.The design focus was on evacuation procedures and how occupants in the building could escape to safety once an unfortunate event occurred (p. 4). With the new reality that unfolded post-9/11, existing building codes must be reviewed for and in consideration of the risks involved when disasters strike. Basic Knowledge on Structural Behaviors of Buildings Accord ing to Portolan (n. d. (b)), there are five elements of a building that the firefighters need to consider when evaluating how buildings will behave in case of fire and which strategies to use to contain the problem.They include: the type of construction, size of the building, age of the construction, renovation and occupancy. These are essential information that firefighters can use to plan their course of actions. In addition, knowledge on the behavior of the different structural elements of the building is also imperative. Structural loading creates different stresses on the structures and they may occur separately or in combination. The stresses include compression, tensile and shear stresses (Portolan, n. d (b). ). Compression acts when materials are pressed against each other.Tensile stresses happen when the structural elements are pulled in two different directions. Shear stresses cause materials to fracture and slide across the defect in the opposite direction (Portolan, n. d (b). ). Structural elements of the building are subjected to different loads. Columns are commonly subjected to axial loads. Eccentric loads are directed along a parallel axis to the longitudinal section of the structural member and are off-centered. Torsion loads can cause twisting in the structural elements (Portolan, n. d (b).) Aside from the stresses, the firefighters also need to consider which part of the structures are vulnerable or the structural integrity had been compromised because of the fire. When steel beams are subjected to unusually high temperature, the structural member may expand and elongate. If both ends are tightly secured, torsion stresses may cause twisting in beams (Portolan, n. d. (b)). Columns carry the greatest axial loads. The more slender the column, the more it is susceptible to buckling. When axial loads shift to eccentric or torsion loads, it could also be a cause of failure (Portolan, n. d. (b)).About 60% of the buildings in the United States use t he truss system for roofs (NIOSH, 2005, p. 1). Most of the truss systems were made of wood materials. Recent innovation introduced lighter construction materials for truss systems including steel and lighter weight materials intended to accommodate wider spans. Under normal conditions, these engineered materials may perform well. However, when fire occurs, they may be weakened and compromised causing the collapse of roof and floor systems (p. 1). Types of Building Collapses Due to Fire Collapse patterns are different for each element of the building.Walls often collapse in a 90-degree angle. These walls are often constructed using reinforced masonry. Curtain wall collapse occurs when the outer veneer becomes disconnected and they fall straight down to the base of the wall. This type of collapse is also exhibited by unreinforced walls. Inward or outward collapse may also occur if the wall is breached or at areas where it is considerably weaker like door or window openings (Portolan, n. d. (b)). Truss systems of roof and floor often cave-in as their structural integrities were affected by conflagration. Steel trusses are also susceptible to expansion and torsion stresses.Often, firefighters used visual indicators to predict an impending collapse. But these were not enough to prevent accidents from happening. NIOSH (2005) listed three conditions where truss collapse occurs. First, when a firefighter works on the roof top of the burning building, chances of a cave-in is extremely high because the hidden structural members of the truss system had already been subjected to extreme temperatures thereby weakening them. Second, firefighters working inside the burning structure are also subjected to the risk of the entire roof falling onto them.Finally, failed truss systems can precipitate other parts of the structure to collapse like walls (p. 4). Another type of collapse usually found in tall structures is referred to as progressive collapse. Nair (2004) defined progr essive collapse as â€Å"collapse of all or a large part of a structure precipitated by failure or damage of a relatively small part of it. † (p. 1) This theory was used in part to explain why the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York collapsed. Conclusion Knowing how structural members behave during fire would mitigate the risk factors and prevent injuries and deaths.Part of the training of firefighters is knowing how to evaluate the condition of the burning edifice before going in and making a plan of action. The different studies on the behavior of buildings on fire proved to be valuable to firefighters. The recent events had also made regulating bodies review their out-dated Codes. Existing building codes do not include the protection of firefighters in the event of fire. The NFPA and the IBC remedied that deficiency. However, code changes were also met with opposition. Building codes were primarily implemented with economic considerations in mind.It would pro ve to be more costly for the building owner if NFPA or IBC was followed. According to Gips (2005), of the various proposals for change in the Codes, only one was acceptable and included in the IBC. It concerned the fire-resistance ratings of buildings of 420 feet or higher. The new code required a â€Å"minimum three-hour structural fire-resistance rating, whether sprinklers are present or not. † (p. 42+). Other provisions that would make it safer for both firefighters and occupants need more work. References Dunn, V. (2007). Dunn's Dispatch: 9 firefighters die fighting fire in South Carolina furniture storeroom fire.Retrieved 26 June 2007 from: http://cms. firehouse. com/content/article/article. jsp? sectionId=14&id=55205 FEMA’s US Fire Administration (2002). USA releases preliminary firefighter fatality statistics for 2001. Retrieved 26 June 2007 from: http://mcftoa. org/Deathstats1. htm Gips, M. A. (2005, March). The Challenge of Making Safer Structures: Three and a Half Years after 9-11, Building Codes Are Just Starting to Reflect Lessons Learned from the World Trade Center Collapse. Security Management, 49, 42+. Retrieved June 27, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5008988697 Moore, S. A. (n. d.) Building Codes in Encyclopedia of Science, Technology and Ethics, 262-266 Retrieved 26 June 2007 from: http://soa. utexas. edu/faculty/moore/selectpub/enc_buildingcodes. pdf Nair, R. S. (2004) Progressive collapse basics. Retrieved 27 June 2007 from: http://www. aisc. org/Content/ContentGroups/Documents/Selected_Nair/nairhotlink2. pdf New New York City Construction Codes (n. d. ) Retrieved 26 June 2007 from: http://nyc. gov/html/dob/downloads/pdf/cons_code_faqs. pdf NIOSH (2005) Preventing injuries or deaths of firefighters due to truss system failures. Retrieved 27 June 2007 from: http://www. cdc. gov/niosh/docs/2005-132/pdfs/2005-132.pdf Portolan, C. (n. d. ) Building Construction –Special situations Retrie ved 27 June 2007 from: http://www. lbfdtraining. com/Pages/buildingconstruction/specialsituations. html Portolan, C. (n. d. (b)) Glossary of building construction terminology Retrieved 27 June 2007 from: http://www. lbfdtraining. com/Pages/buildingconstruction/bconstructintro. html Solomon, R. E. and Hagglund, B. (2001) Performance code requirements in the tall building environment in Tall buildings and urban habitat: Cities in the third millennium. Council On Tall Buildings And Urban Habitat – orgname. New York: Spon Press, 619-634.

The Dark Side of Energy Drinks

The dark side of energy drinks General purpose: to persuade Organizational outline method or pattern: problem/solution INTRODUCTION Attention getter: Ever since Red Bull came on to the market in 1997, there's been an explosion in caffeinated energy drinks. Some are marketed as food and others as dietary supplements. But there's little guidance for the consumer on how much caffeine is in them. Specific purpose: The specific purpose of my speech is to persuade you to take a stand against energy drinks due to the negative effect it may cause on your body.Listener relevance link: Each of us should care about this because to many people are unaware of the ingredient that are present in these drinks and the consequences they may cause. Establish speaker credibility and goodwill: I have knowledge through experience and research. Preview of main points: Today, I will talk to you about the problem of energy drinks and how we can solve them. Transition statement: But first, let’s talk a bout some of the problems BODY I. Anyone who is considering boosting their energy is at risk while using an energy drink. A.A story in the New York Times noted that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received reports of 13 deaths linked to an energy drink essay writer vancouver. The drinks contain about 215 milligrams of caffeine, more than enough, health specialists say, to sicken children and some adults, and even send some of them to the hospital how to type a essay. B. Concerns over the potentially harmful effects of energy drinks, especially when they’re combined with alcohol, have been growing in recent years. Research suggests that individuals can develop caffeine dependence and may experience withdrawal when caffeine onsumption decreases. The caffeine in energy drinks increases heart rates, which over time can increase your chances of stroke and heart disease. C. In a 2011 study, about 1,100 college students have been combining alcohol and energy drinks which can be very dangerous. Although it does not â€Å"counteract† the sedating effects of alcohol, there is a concern that mixing alcohol and energy drinks may keep people awake for a longer period of time, allowing them to consume more alcohol than they ordinarily would.D. Energy drinks have a lot of stimulants in them like ginseng and taurine, while alcohol is a depressant. So by mixing the two you're sending mixed messages to your nervous system which can cause cardiac related problems or even death. Transition statement: Now I would like to talk about some effective solutions for energy drinks and the problem it may cause. II. There are several was to help reduce energy drinks related risks A. Study the ingredients of any drink before purchasing.Know which of these ingredients are likely to pose risk to your health. Learn the level recommended for consumption. Regulate one’s consumption to reduce addiction and do not mix with alcohol. B. Once we are aware of the ingred ients contained in energy drinks and the side effects resulting from their consumption, we can make a concerted effort to limit accessibility to these drinks. C. We as adults should become proactive. Knowledge is power and alerting each other and our teens to the potential danger of these beverages is vital.CONCLUSION Specific purpose restatement: The purpose of my speech was to persuade you to create awareness about the potential dangers associated with the consumption of energy drinks. Main point summary: I have spoken to you about some of the problems and solution to persuade you to think twice before consuming energy drinks. Clincher: Red bull can really give you, â€Å"your wings. † REFERENCES Meier, Barry. â€Å"More Than a Case of the Jitters. † New York Times 24 Oct. 2012: B1(L). Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context.

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 21. TRAILS

I HATED TO WASTE ANY PART OF THE NIGHT IN SLEEP, but that was inevitable. The sun was bright outside the window-wall when I woke, with small clouds scuttling too quickly across the sky. The wind rocked the treetops till the whole forest looked as if it was going to shake apart. He left me alone to get dressed, and I appreciated the chance to think. Somehow, my plan for last night had gone horribly awry, and I needed come to grips with the consequences. Though I'd given back the hand- me-down ring as soon as I could do it without hurting his feelings, my left hand felt heavier, like it was still in place, just invisible. This shouldn't bother me, I reasoned. It was no big thing – a road trip to Vegas. I would go one better than old jeans – I would wear old sweats. The ceremony certainly couldn't take very long; no more than fifteen minutes at the most, right? So I could handle that. And then, when it was over, he'd have to fulfill his side of the bargain. I would concentrate on that, and forget the rest. He said I didn't have to tell anyone, and I was planning to hold him to that. Of course, it was very stupid of me not to think of Alice. The Cullens got home around noon. There was a new, businesslike feel to the atmosphere around them, and it pulled me back into the enormity of what was coming. Alice seemed to be in an unusually bad mood. I chalked it up to her frustration with feeling normal, because her first words to Edward were a complaint about working with the wolves. â€Å"I think† – she made a face as she used the uncertain word – â€Å"that you're going to want to pack for cold weather, Edward. I can't see where you are exactly, because you're taking off with that dog this afternoon. But the storm that's coming seems particularly bad in that general area.† Edward nodded. â€Å"It's going to snow on the mountains,† she warned him. â€Å"Ew, snow,† I muttered to myself. It was June, for crying out loud. â€Å"Wear a jacket,† Alice told me. Her voice was unfriendly, and that surprised me. I tried to read her face, but she turned away. I looked at Edward, and he was smiling; whatever was bugging Alice amused him. Edward had more than enough camping gear to choose from – props in the human charade; the Cullens were good customers at the Newton's store. He grabbed a down sleeping bag, a small tent, and several packets of dehydrated food – grinning when I made a face at them – and stuffed them all in a backpack. Alice wandered into the garage while we were there, watching Edward's preparations without a word. He ignored her. When he was done packing, Edward handed me his phone. â€Å"Why don't you call Jacob and tell him we'll be ready for him in an hour or so. He knows where to meet us.† Jacob wasn't home, but Billy promised to call around until he could find an available werewolf to pass the news to. â€Å"Don't you worry about Charlie, Bella,† Billy said. â€Å"I've got my part of this under control.† â€Å"Yeah, I know Charlie'll be fine.† I didn't feel so confident about his son's safety, but I didn't add that. â€Å"I wish I could be with the rest of them tomorrow.† Billy chuckled regretfully. â€Å"Being an old man is a hardship, Bella.† The urge to fight must be a defining characteristic of the Y chromosome. They were all the same. â€Å"Have fun with Charlie.† â€Å"Good luck, Bella,† he answered. â€Å"And . . . pass that along to the, er, Cullens for me.† â€Å"I will,† I promised, surprised by the gesture. As I gave the phone back to Edward, I saw that he and Alice were having some kind of silent discussion. She was staring at him, pleading in her eyes. He was frowning back, unhappy with whatever she wanted. â€Å"Billy said to tell you ‘good luck.'† â€Å"That was generous of him,† Edward said, breaking away from her. â€Å"Bella, could I please speak to you alone?† Alice asked swiftly. â€Å"You're about to make my life harder than it needs to be, Alice,† Edward warned her through his teeth. â€Å"I'd really rather you didn't.† â€Å"This isn't about you, Edward,† she shot back. He laughed. Something about her response was funny to him. â€Å"It's not,† Alice insisted. â€Å"This is a female thing.† He frowned. â€Å"Let her talk to me,† I told him. I was curious. â€Å"You asked for it,† he muttered. He laughed again – half angry, half amused – and strode out of the garage. I turned to Alice, worried now, but she didn't look at me. Her bad mood hadn't passed yet. She went to sit on the hood of her Porsche, her face dejected. I followed, and leaned against the bumper beside her. â€Å"Bella?† Alice asked in a sad voice, shifting over and curling up against my side. Her voice sounded so miserable that I wrapped my arms around her shoulders in comfort. â€Å"What's wrong, Alice?† â€Å"Don't you love me?† she asked in that same sad tone. â€Å"Of course I do. You know that.† â€Å"Then why do I see you sneaking off to Vegas to get married without inviting me?† â€Å"Oh,† I muttered, my cheeks turning pink. I could see that I had seriously hurt her feelings, and I hurried to defend myself. â€Å"You know how I hate to make a big deal out of things. It was Edward's idea, anyway.† â€Å"I don't care whose idea it was. How could you do this to me? I expect that kind of thing from Edward, but not from you. I love you like you were my own sister.† â€Å"To me, Alice, you are my sister.† â€Å"Words!† she growled. â€Å"Fine, you can come. There won't be much to see.† She was still grimacing. â€Å"What?† I demanded. â€Å"How much do you love me, Bella?† â€Å"Why?† She stared at me with pleading eyes, her long black eyebrows slanting up in the middle and pulling together, her lips trembling at the corners. It was a heart-breaking expression. â€Å"Please, please, please,† she whispered. â€Å"Please, Bella, please – if you really love me . . . Please let me do your wedding.† â€Å"Aw, Alice!† I groaned, pulling away and standing up. â€Å"No! Don't do this to me.† â€Å"If you really, truly love me, Bella.† I folded my arms across my chest. â€Å"That is so unfair. And Edward kind of already used that one on me.† â€Å"I'll bet Edward would like it better if you did this traditionally, though he'd never tell you that. And Esme – think what it would mean to her!† I groaned. â€Å"I'd rather face the newborns alone.† â€Å"I'll owe you for a decade.† â€Å"You'd owe me for a century!† Her eyes glowed. â€Å"Is that a yes?† â€Å"No! I don't want to do this!† â€Å"You won't have to do anything but walk a few yards and then repeat after the minister.† â€Å"Ugh! Ugh, ugh!† â€Å"Please?† She started bouncing in place. â€Å"Please, please, please, please, please?† â€Å"I'll never, never ever forgive you for this, Alice.† â€Å"Yay!† she squealed, clapping her hands together. â€Å"That's not a yes!† â€Å"But it will be,† she sang. â€Å"Edward!† I yelled, stalking out of the garage. â€Å"I know you're listening. Get over here.† Alice was right behind me, still clapping. â€Å"Thanks so much, Alice,† Edward said acidly, coming from behind me. I turned to let him have it, but his expression was so worried and upset that I couldn't speak my complaints. I threw my arms around him instead, hiding my face, just in case the angry moisture in my eyes made it look like I was crying. â€Å"Vegas,† Edward promised in my ear. â€Å"Not a chance,† Alice gloated. â€Å"Bella would never do that to me. You know, Edward, as a brother, you are sometimes a disappointment.† â€Å"Don't be mean,† I grumbled at her. â€Å"He's trying to make me happy, unlike you.† â€Å"I'm trying to make you happy, too, Bella. It's just that I know better what will make you happy . . . in the long run. You'll thank me for this. Maybe not for fifty years, but definitely someday.† â€Å"I never thought I'd see the day where I'd be willing to take a bet against you, Alice, but it has arrived.† She laughed her silvery laugh. â€Å"So, are you going to show me the ring?† I grimaced in horror as she grabbed my left hand and then dropped it just as quickly. â€Å"Huh. I saw him put it on you. . . . Did I miss something?† she asked. She concentrated for half a second, furrowing her brow, before she answered her own questions. â€Å"No. Wedding's still on.† â€Å"Bella has issues with jewelry,† Edward explained. â€Å"What's one more diamond? Well, I guess the ring has lots of diamonds, but my point is that he's already got one on -â€Å" â€Å"Enough, Alice!† Edward cut her off suddenly. The way he glared at her . . . he looked like a vampire again. â€Å"We're in a hurry.† â€Å"I don't understand. What's that about diamonds?† I asked. â€Å"We'll talk about it later,† Alice said. â€Å"Edward is right – you'd better get going. You've got to set a trap and make camp before the storm comes.† She frowned, and her expression was anxious, almost nervous. â€Å"Don't forget your coat, Bella. It seems . . . unseasonably cold.† â€Å"I've already got it,† Edward assured her. â€Å"Have a nice night,† she told us in farewell. It was twice as far to the clearing as usual; Edward took a long detour, making sure my scent would be nowhere near the trail Jacob would hide later. He carried me in his arms, the bulky backpack in my usual spot. He stopped at the farthest end of the clearing and set me on my feet. â€Å"All right. Just walk north for a ways, touching as much as you can. Alice gave me a clear picture of their path, and it won't take long for us to intersect it.† â€Å"North?† He smiled and pointed out the right direction. I wandered into the woods, leaving the clear yellow light of the strangely sunny day in the clearing behind me. Maybe Alice's blurred sight would be wrong about the snow. I hoped so. The sky was mostly clear, though the wind whipped furiously through the open spaces. In the trees it was calmer, but much too cold for June – even in a long-sleeved shirt with a thick sweater over the top, there were goose bumps on my arms. I walked slowly, trailingmy fingers over anything close enough: the rough tree bark, the wet ferns, the moss- covered rocks. Edward stayed with me, walking a parallel line about twenty yards away. â€Å"Am I doing this right?† I called. â€Å"Perfectly.† I had an idea. â€Å"Will this help?† I asked as I ran my fingers through my hair and caught a few loose strands. I draped them over the ferns. â€Å"Yes, that does make the trail stronger. But you don't need to pull your hair out, Bella. It will be fine.† â€Å"I've got a few extras I can spare.† It was gloomy under the trees, and I wished I could walk closer to Edward and hold his hand. I wedged another hair into a broken branch that cut through my path. â€Å"You don't need to let Alice have her way, you know,† Edward said. â€Å"Don't worry about it, Edward. I'm not going to leave you at the altar, regardless.† I had a sinking feeling that Alice was going to get her way, mostly because she was totally unscrupulous when there was something she wanted, and also because I was a sucker for guilt trips. â€Å"That's not what I'm worried about. I want this to be what you want it to be.† I repressed a sigh. It would hurt his feelings if I told the truth – that it didn't really matter, because it was all just varying degrees of awful anyway. â€Å"Well, even if she does get her way, we can keep it small. Just us. Emmett can get a clerical license off the Internet.† I giggled. â€Å"That does sound better.† It wouldn't feel very official if Emmett read the vows, which was a plus. But I'd have a hard time keeping a straight face. â€Å"See,† he said with a smile. â€Å"There's always a compromise.† It took a while for me to reach the spot where the newborn army would be certain to cross my trail, but Edward never got impatient with my pace. He had to lead a bit more on the way back, to keep me on the same path. It all looked alike to me. We were almost to the clearing when I fell. I could see the wide opening ahead, and that's probably why I got too eager and forgot to watch my feet. I caught myself before my head bashed into the nearest tree, but a small branch snapped off under my left hand and gouged into my palm. â€Å"Ouch! Oh, fabulous,† I muttered. â€Å"Are you all right?† â€Å"I'm fine. Stay where you are. I'm bleeding. It will stop in a minute.† He ignored me. He was right there before I could finish. â€Å"I've got a first aid kit,† he said, pulling off the backpack. â€Å"I had a feeling I might need it.† â€Å"It's not bad. I can take care of it – you don't have to make yourself uncomfortable.† â€Å"I'm not uncomfortable,† he said calmly. â€Å"Here – let me clean it.† â€Å"Wait a second, I just got another idea.† Without looking at the blood and breathing through my mouth, just in case my stomach might react, I pressed my hand against a rock within my reach. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"Jasper will love this,† I muttered to myself. I started for the clearing again, pressing my palm against everything in my path. â€Å"I'll bet this really gets them going.† Edward sighed. â€Å"Hold your breath,† I told him. â€Å"I'm fine. I just think you're going overboard.† â€Å"This is all I get to do. I want to do a good job.† We broke through the last of the trees as I spoke. I let my injured hand graze across the ferns. â€Å"Well, you have,† Edward assured me. â€Å"The newborns will be frantic, and Jasper will be very impressed with your dedication. Now let me treat your hand – you've gotten the cut dirty.† â€Å"Let me do it, please.† He took my hand and smiled as he examined it. â€Å"This doesn't bother me anymore.† I watched him carefully as he cleaned the gash, looking for some sign of distress. He continued to breathe evenly in and out, the same small smile on his lips. â€Å"Why not?† I finally asked as he smoothed a bandage across my palm. He shrugged. â€Å"I got over it.† â€Å"You . . . got over it? When? How?† I tried to remember the last time he'd held his breath around me. All I could think of was my wretched birthday party last September. Edward pursed his lips, seeming to search for the words. â€Å"I lived through an entire twenty-four hours thinking that you were dead, Bella. That changed the way I look at a lot of things.† â€Å"Did it change the way I smell to you?† â€Å"Not at all. But . . . having experienced the way it feels to think I've lost you . . . my reactions have changed. My entire being shies away from any course that could inspire that kind of pain again.† I didn't know what to say to that. He smiled at my expression. â€Å"I guess that you could call it a very educational experience.† The wind tore through the clearing then, lashing my hair around my face and making me shiver. â€Å"All right,† he said, reaching into his pack again. â€Å"You've done your part.† He pulled out my heavy winter jacket and held it out for me to slide my arms in. â€Å"Now it's out of our hands. Let's go camping!† I laughed at the mock enthusiasm in his voice. He took my bandaged hand – the other was in worse shape, still in the brace – and started toward the other side of the clearing. â€Å"Where are we meeting Jacob?† I asked. â€Å"Right here.† He gestured to the trees in front of us just as Jacob stepped warily from their shadows. It shouldn't have surprised me to see him human. I wasn't sure why I'd been looking for the big red- brown wolf. Jacob seemed bigger again – no doubt a product of my expectations; I must have unconsciously been hoping to see the smaller Jacob from my memory, the easygoing friend who hadn't made everything so difficult. He had his arms folded across his bare chest, a jacket clutched in one fist. His face was expressionless as he watched us. Edward's lips pulled down at the corners. â€Å"There had to have been a better way to do this.† â€Å"Too late now,† I muttered glumly. He sighed. â€Å"Hey, Jake,† I greeted him when we got closer. â€Å"Hi, Bella.† â€Å"Hello, Jacob,† Edward said. Jacob ignored the pleasantry, all business. â€Å"Where do I take her?† Edward pulled a map from a side pocket on the pack and offered it to him. Jacob unfolded it. â€Å"We're here now,† Edward said, reaching over to touch the right spot. Jacob recoiled from his hand automatically, and then steadied himself. Edward pretended not to notice. â€Å"And you're taking her up here,† Edward continued, tracing a serpentine pattern around the elevation lines on the paper. â€Å"Roughly nine miles.† Jacob nodded once. â€Å"When you're about a mile away, you should cross my path. That will lead you in. Do you need the map?† â€Å"No, thanks. I know this area pretty well. I think I know where I'm going.† Jacob seemed to have to work harder than Edward to keep the tone polite. â€Å"I'll take a longer route,† Edward said. â€Å"And I'll see you in a few hours.† Edward stared at me unhappily. He didn't like this part of the plan. â€Å"See you,† I murmured. Edward faded into the trees, heading in the opposite direction. As soon as he was gone, Jacob turned cheerful. â€Å"What's up, Bella?† he asked with a big grin. I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Same old, same old.† â€Å"Yeah,† he agreed. â€Å"Bunch of vampires trying to kill you. The usual.† â€Å"The usual.† â€Å"Well,† he said as he shrugged into his jacket to free his arms. â€Å"Let's get going.† Making a face, I took a small step closer to him. He bent down and swept his arm behind my knees, knocking them out from under me. His other arm caught me before my head hit the ground. â€Å"Jerk,† I muttered. Jacob chuckled, already running through the trees. He kept a steady pace, a brisk jog that a fit human could keep up with . . . across a level plane . . . if they weren't burdened with a hundred-plus pounds as he was. â€Å"You don't have to run. You'll get tired.† â€Å"Running doesn't make me tired,† he said. His breathing was even – like the fixed tempo of a marathoner. â€Å"Besides, it will be colder soon. I hope he gets the camp set up before we get there.† I tapped my finger against the thick padding of his parka. â€Å"I thought you didn't get cold now.† â€Å"I don't. I brought this for you, just in case you weren't prepared.† He looked at my jacket, almost as if he were disappointed that I was. â€Å"I don't like the way the weather feels. It's making me edgy. Notice how we haven't seen any animals?† â€Å"Um, not really.† â€Å"I guess you wouldn't. Your senses are too dull.† I let that pass. â€Å"Alice was worried about the storm, too.† â€Å"It takes a lot to silence the forest this way. You picked a hell of a night for a camping trip.† â€Å"It wasn't entirely my idea.† The pathless way he took began to climb more and more steeply, but it didn't slow him down. He leapt easily from rock to rock, not seeming to need his hands at all. His perfect balance reminded me of a mountain goat. â€Å"What's with the addition to your bracelet?† he asked. I looked down, and realized that the crystal heart was facing up on my wrist. I shrugged guiltily. â€Å"Another graduation present.† He snorted. â€Å"A rock. Figures.† A rock? I was suddenly reminded of Alice's unfinished sentence outside the garage. I stared at the bright white crystal and tried to remember what Alice had been saying before . . . about diamonds. Could she have been trying to say he's already got one on you? As in, I was already wearing one diamond from Edward? No, that was impossible. The heart would have to be five carats or something crazy like that! Edward wouldn't – â€Å"So it's been a while since you came down to La Push,† Jacob said, interrupting my disturbing conjectures. â€Å"I've been busy,† I told him. â€Å"And . . . I probably wouldn't have visited, anyway.† He grimaced. â€Å"I thought you were supposed to be the forgiving one, and I was the grudge-holder.† I shrugged. â€Å"Been thinking about that last time a lot, have you?† â€Å"Nope.† He laughed. â€Å"Either you're lying, or you are the stubbornest person alive.† â€Å"I don't know about the second part, but I'm not lying.† I didn't like having this conversation under the present conditions – with his too-warm arms wrapped tightly around me and nothing at all I could do about it. His face was closer than I wanted it to be. I wished I could take a step back. â€Å"A smart person looks at all sides of a decision.† â€Å"I have,† I retorted. â€Å"If you haven't thought at all about our . . . er, conversation the last time you came over, then that's not true.† â€Å"That conversation isn't relevant to my decision.† â€Å"Some people will go to any lengths to delude themselves.† â€Å"I've noticed that werewolves in particular are prone to that mistake – do you think it's a genetic thing?† â€Å"Does that mean that he's a better kisser that I am?† Jacob asked, suddenly glum. â€Å"I really couldn't say, Jake. Edward is the only person I've ever kissed.† â€Å"Besides me.† â€Å"But I don't count that as a kiss, Jacob. I think of it more as an assault.† â€Å"Ouch! That's cold.† I shrugged. I wasn't going to take it back. â€Å"I did apologize about that,† he reminded me. â€Å"And I forgave you . . . mostly. It doesn't change the way I remember it.† He muttered something unintelligible. It was quiet then for a while; there was just the sound of his measured breathing and the wind roaring high above us in the treetops. A cliff face rose sheer beside us, bare, rough gray stone. We followed the base as it curved upward out of the forest. â€Å"I still think it's pretty irresponsible,† Jacob suddenly said. â€Å"Whatever you're talking about, you're wrong.† â€Å"Think about it, Bella. According to you, you've kissed just one person – who isn't even really a person – in your whole life, and you're calling it quits? How do you know that's what you want? Shouldn't you play the field a little?† I kept my voice cool. â€Å"I know exactly what I want.† â€Å"Then it couldn't hurt to double check. Maybe you should try kissing someone else – just for comparison's sake . . . since what happened the other day doesn't count. You could kiss me, for example. I don't mind if you want to use me to experiment.† He pulled me tighter against his chest, so that my face was closer to his. He was smiling at his joke, but I wasn't taking any chances. â€Å"Don't mess with me, Jake. I swear I won't stop him if he wants to break your jaw.† The panicky edge to my voice made him smile wider. â€Å"If you ask me to kiss you, he won't have any reason to get upset. He said that was fine.† â€Å"Don't hold your breath, Jake – no, wait, I changed my mind. Go right ahead. Just hold your breath until I ask you to kiss me.† â€Å"You're in a bad mood today.† â€Å"I wonder why?† â€Å"Sometimes I think you like me better as a wolf.† â€Å"Sometimes I do. It probably has something to do with the way you can't talk.† He pursed his broad lips thoughtfully. â€Å"No, I don't think that's it. I think it's easier for you to be near me when I'm not human, because you don't have to pretend that you're not attracted to me.† My mouth fell open with a little popping sound. I snapped it shut at once, grinding my teeth together. He heard that. His lips pulled tightly across his face in a triumphant smile. I took a slow breath before I spoke. â€Å"No. I'm pretty sure it's because you can't talk.† He sighed. â€Å"Do you ever get tired of lying to yourself? You have to know how aware you are of me. Physically, I mean.† â€Å"How could anyone not be aware of you physically, Jacob?† I demanded. â€Å"You're an enormous monster who refuses to respect anyone else's personal space.† â€Å"I make you nervous. But only when I'm human. When I'm a wolf, you're more comfortable around me.† â€Å"Nervousness and irritation are not the same thing.† He stared at me for a minute, slowing to a walk, the amusement draining from his face. His eyes narrowed, turned black in the shadow of his brows. His breathing, so regular as he ran, started to accelerate. Slowly, he leaned his face closer to mine. I stared him down, knowing exactly what he was trying to do. â€Å"It's your face,† I reminded him. He laughed loudly and started jogging again. â€Å"I don't really want to fight with your vampire tonight – I mean, any other night, sure. But we both have a job to do tomorrow, and I wouldn't want to leave the Cullens one short.† The sudden, unexpected swell of shame distorted my expression. â€Å"I know, I know,† he responded, not understanding. â€Å"You think he could take me.† I couldn't speak. I was leaving them one short. What if someone got hurt because I was so weak? But what if I was brave and Edward . . . I couldn't even think it. â€Å"What's the matter with you, Bella?† The joking bravado vanished from his face, revealing my Jacob underneath, like pulling a mask away. â€Å"If something I said upset you, you know I was only kidding. I didn't mean anything – hey, are you okay? Don't cry, Bella,† he pled. I tried to pull myself together. â€Å"I'm not going to cry.† â€Å"What did I say?† â€Å"It's nothing you said. It's just, well, it's me. I did something . . . bad.† He stared at me, his eyes wide with confusion. â€Å"Edward isn't going to fight tomorrow,† I whispered the explanation. â€Å"I'm making him stay with me. I am a huge coward.† He frowned. â€Å"You think this isn't going to work? That they'll find you here? Do you know something I don't know?† â€Å"No, no. I'm not afraid of that. I just . . . I can't let him go. If he didn't come back . . .† I shuddered, closing my eyes to escape the thought. Jacob was quiet. I kept whispering, my eyes shut. â€Å"If anyone gets hurt, it will always be my fault. And even if no one does . . . I was horrible. I had to be, to convince him to stay with me. He won't hold it against me, but I'll always know what I'm capable of.† I felt just a tiny bit better, getting this off my chest. Even if I could only confess it to Jacob. He snorted. My eyes opened slowly, and I was sad to see that the hard mask was back. â€Å"I can't believe he let you talk him out of going. I wouldn't miss this for anything.† I sighed. â€Å"I know.† â€Å"That doesn't mean anything, though.† He was suddenly backtracking. â€Å"That doesn't mean that he loves you more than I do.† â€Å"But you wouldn't stay with me, even if I begged.† He pursed his lips for a moment, and I wondered if he would try to deny it. We both knew the truth. â€Å"That's only because I know you better,† he said at last. â€Å"Everything's going to go without a hitch. Even if you'd asked and I'd said no, you wouldn't be mad at me afterwards.† â€Å"If everything does go without a hitch, you're probably right. I wouldn't be mad. But the whole time you're gone, I'll be sick with worry, Jake. Crazy with it.† â€Å"Why?† he asked gruffly. â€Å"Why does it matter to you if something happens to me?† â€Å"Don't say that. You know how much you mean to me. I'm sorry it's not in the way you want, but that's just how it is. You're my best friend. At least, you used to be. And still sometimes are . . . when you let your guard down.† He smiled the old smile that I loved. â€Å"I'm always that,† he promised. â€Å"Even when I don't . . . behave as well as I should. Underneath, I'm always in here.† â€Å"I know. Why else would I put up with all of your crap?† He laughed with me, and then his eyes were sad. â€Å"When are you finally going to figure out that you're in love with me, too?† â€Å"Leave it to you to ruin the moment.† â€Å"I'm not saying you don't love him. I'm not stupid. But it's possible to love more than one person at a time, Bella. I've seen it in action.† â€Å"I'm not some freaky werewolf, Jacob.† He wrinkled his nose, and I was about to apologize for that last jab, but he changed the subject. â€Å"We're not far now, I can smell him.† I sighed in relief. He misinterpreted my meaning. â€Å"I'd happily slow down, Bella, but you're going to want to be under shelter before that hits.† We both looked up at the sky. A solid wall of purple-black cloud was racing in from the west, blackening the forest beneath it as it came. â€Å"Wow,† I muttered. â€Å"You'd better hurry, Jake. You'll want to get home before it gets here.† â€Å"I'm not going home.† I glared at him, exasperated. â€Å"You're not camping with us.† â€Å"Not technically – as in, sharing your tent or anything. I prefer the storm to the smell. But I'm sure your bloodsucker will want to keep in touch with the pack for coordination purposes, and so I will graciously provide that service.† â€Å"I thought that was Seth's job.† â€Å"He'll take over tomorrow, during the fight.† The reminder silenced me for a second. I stared at him, worry springing up again with sudden fierceness. â€Å"I don't suppose there's any way you'd just stay since you're already here?† I suggested. â€Å"If I did beg? Or trade back the lifetime of servitude or something?† â€Å"Tempting, but no. Then again, the begging might be interesting to see. You can give it a go if you like.† â€Å"There's really nothing, nothing at all I can say?† â€Å"Nope. Not unless you can promise me a better fight. Anyway, Sam's calling the shots, not me.† That reminded me. â€Å"Edward told me something the other day . . . about you.† He bristled. â€Å"It's probably a lie.† â€Å"Oh, really? You aren't second in command of the pack, then?† He blinked, his face going blank with surprise. â€Å"Oh. That.† â€Å"How come you never told me that?† â€Å"Why would I? It's no big thing.† â€Å"I don't know. Why not? It's interesting. So, how does that work? How did Sam end up as the Alpha, and you as the . . . the Beta?† Jacob chuckled at my invented term. â€Å"Sam was the first, the oldest. It made sense for him to take charge.† I frowned. â€Å"But shouldn't Jared or Paul be second, then? They were the next to change.† â€Å"Well . . . it's hard to explain,† Jacob said evasively. â€Å"Try.† He sighed. â€Å"It's more about the lineage, you know? Sort of old-fashioned. Why should it matter who your grandpa was, right?† I remembered something Jacob had told me a long time ago, before either of us had known anything about werewolves. â€Å"Didn't you say that Ephraim Black was the last chief the Quileutes had?† â€Å"Yeah, that's right. Because he was the Alpha. Did you know that, technically, Sam's the chief of the whole tribe now?† He laughed. â€Å"Crazy traditions.† I thought about that for a second, trying to make all the pieces fit. â€Å"But you also said that people listened to your dad more than anyone else on the council, because he was Ephraim's grandson?† â€Å"What about it?† â€Å"Well, if it's about the lineage . . . shouldn't you be the chief, then?† Jacob didn't answer me. He stared into the darkening forest, as if he suddenly needed to concentrate on where he was going. â€Å"Jake?† â€Å"No. That's Sam's job.† He kept his eyes on our pathless course. â€Å"Why? His great-granddad was Levi Uley, right? Was Levi an Alpha, too?† â€Å"There's only one Alpha,† he answered automatically. â€Å"So what was Levi?† â€Å"Sort of a Beta, I guess.† He snorted at my term. â€Å"Like me.† â€Å"That doesn't make sense.† â€Å"It doesn't matter.† â€Å"I just want to understand.† Jacob finally met my confused gaze, and then sighed. â€Å"Yeah. I was supposed to be the Alpha.† My eyebrows pulled together. â€Å"Sam didn't want to step down?† â€Å"Hardly. I didn't want to step up.† â€Å"Why not?† He frowned, uncomfortable with my questions. Well, it was his turn to feel uncomfortable. â€Å"I didn't want any of it, Bella. I didn't want anything to change. I didn't want to be some legendary chief. I didn't want to be part of a pack of werewolves, let alone their leader. I wouldn't take it when Sam offered.† I thought about this for a long moment. Jacob didn't interrupt. He stared into the forest again. â€Å"But I thought you were happier. That you were okay with this,† I finally whispered. Jacob smiled down at me reassuringly. â€Å"Yeah. It's really not so bad. Exciting sometimes, like with this thing tomorrow. But at first it sort of felt like being drafted into a war you didn't know existed. There was no choice, you know? And it was so final.† He shrugged. â€Å"Anyway, I guess I'm glad now. It has to be done, and could I trust someone else to get it right? It's better to make sure myself.† I stared at him, feeling an unexpected kind of awe for my friend. He was more of a grown-up than I'd ever given him credit for. Like with Billy the other night at the bonfire, there was a majesty here that I'd never suspected. â€Å"Chief Jacob,† I whispered, smiling at the way the words sounded together. He rolled his eyes. Just then, the wind shook more fiercely through the trees around us, and it felt like it was blowing straight off a glacier. The sharp sound of wood cracking echoed off the mountain. Though the light was vanishing as the grisly cloud covered the sky, I could still see the little white specks that fluttered past us. Jacob stepped up the pace, keeping his eyes on the ground now as he flat out sprinted. I curled more willingly against his chest, recoiling from the unwelcome snow. It was only minutes later that he dashed around to the lee side of the stony peak and we could see the little tent nestled up against the sheltering face. More flurries were falling around us, but the wind was too fierce to let them settle anywhere. â€Å"Bella!† Edward called out in acute relief. We'd caught him in the middle of pacing back and forth across the little open space. He flashed to my side, sort of blurring as he moved so swiftly. Jacob cringed, and then set me on my feet. Edward ignored his reaction and caught me in a tight hug. â€Å"Thank you,† Edward said over my head. His tone was unmistakably sincere. â€Å"That was quicker than I expected, and I truly appreciate it.† I twisted to see Jacob's response. Jacob merely shrugged, all the friendliness wiped clean from his face. â€Å"Get her inside. This is going to be bad – my hair's standing up on my scalp. Is that tent secure?† â€Å"I all but welded it to the rock.† â€Å"Good.† Jacob looked up at the sky – now black with the storm, sprinkled with the swirling bits of snow. His nostrils flared. â€Å"I'm going to change,† he said. â€Å"I want to know what's going on back home.† He hung his jacket on a low, stubby branch, and walked into the murky forest without a backward glance.

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Difficulty recognizing the enemy during Vietnam - Essay Example n recognizing the enemy came about because most while in previous conflicts, the Americans had faced enemies in conventional wars, the Vietnam conflict involved facing an enemy that adopted guerrilla tactics. The guerilla tactics adopted by the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong allowed them to make swift attacks on the Americans and their allies in the south and disappear into the local population. This ability was of great advantage for North Vietnam and its allies because it allowed them to keep the Americans in a constant state of uncertainty over who were their enemy and who were not (Bates, Lichty, and Miles 187). The result of this uncertainty was that it led to a situation where there was extreme difficulty in drawing a line between combat troops and civilians. The development of constant fear of attack as well as the paranoia that accompanied this state of mind made the American troops to undertake some extraordinary actions such as committing atrocities against of noncombat civilians or the torture of prisoners which remained prevalent throughout the war. Violence against the civilians of Vietnam by the American military was an intentional act of war as a result of its inabilit y to recognize the difference between civilians and combatants (Herring 82). During the conflict, the American military acted with indifference to the destruction of noncombatants and to that of their property because a significant number of these troops had already died as a result of the guerilla tactics adopted by the Viet Cong. It should be noted that most of the American commanders in Vietnam were aware of the laws governing ground warfare that had been established by various international agreements but atrocities were still committed by some American soldiers and officers. This has been largely blamed on the difficulty of these individuals to identify their enemy, especially considering that most often melted into the civilian population. A result of this situation was that

Term Paper _Cost Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Term Paper _Cost Accounting - Essay Example In this novel the authors have used their creativity to talk about the managerial issues faced by employees in the western working environment and the possible repercussions of the prevalent state of affairs that are required to be addressed on immediate basis in the corporate sector before it’s all too late. Theory of Constraints The authors add the element of surprise and interest in the story by subjecting Alex Rogo to â€Å"cross-road† situation where he has to save his job in a period of just 90 days bearing in mind that his domestic life is also not running smoothly as his marriage is turning out to be disaster as well. Under such intricate scenarios the authors try to explain and introduce the famous â€Å"Theory of Constraints†. The Theory of Constraints is one the most widely used theories in the business environments today as it is applicable to a wide variety of processes involved in Operations and Project management. Bottlenecks Identifying bottleneck s at the right time is also another aspect addressed in the book. Bottlenecks and their identification are very important managerial tasks that the corporate governance looks to be performed at the right time by its managers. The bottlenecks refer to the blockages and hindrances that a particular department faces during the process of accomplishing the desired goals. Bottlenecks ultimately end up bringing loss of numerous working hours and costing huge percentages of revenues every year for a lot many companies in the corporate world. The idea of bottlenecks and means of identifying and improving on them are also described by using the personality of Alex Rogo and his team in the novel. The advantages of rectifying bottleneck activities and enhancing the efficiency of the system on the whole, were portrayed in the novel in terms of the goals achieved by Alex Rogo and his team, yielding huge benefits. Socratic Method An outstanding feature of the story is the Socratic Method, a magic al tool that solves the problem without any outside assistance being craved for, used by the authors. A character, Jonah, introduces this methodology to Alex and his team in the novel. The Socratic Method is to ask a question regarding a problem to the people affected. This question will initiate a series of questions that the affected would answer themselves and ultimately will reach a solution to the problem. This method was not only fruitful for Alex in his professional life but it also turned the tables in his favor in his domestic life with his wife. The rhetoric used in the novel by the authors involves the reader in the story and makes one feel as if the situation is being experienced or witnessed in real time and this consequently enhances the learning and experience. Activity Based Costing In relation with theory of Constraints various vital concepts of Management and Cost Accounting were also discussed in the book such as the severity of Activity Based Costing (ABC) in ide ntifying the weak links or inefficient practices in the process chains and why Traditional Cost Accounting (TCA) should not be used. ABC focuses on â€Å"what needs to be done?† while TCA is more concerned about â€Å"how it needs to be done?† because of being process focused ABC enables the companies to identify bottlenecks and to reduce costs at every stage in the production process while TCA is just about getting a task done in a conventional method without questioning the

Dracula define monstrostiy within the context, who is the real monster Essay

Dracula define monstrostiy within the context, who is the real monster - Essay Example Although the vampires threatened Harker, Dracula identified him as his victim. This made it evident that the Count was capable of more harm than the vampires. The fact that he had the command that allowed him to maintain Harker for himself translates to the fact that he was more powerful than the three sexually –oriented vampires who threatened him. The Dracula definitely ordered for the confinement of Harker, causing him surging fear. The victim identified the fact that Count Dracula had supernatural powers and ambitions that appeared fiendish (Conner, Espinosa, and Stoker 56). With such devilish ambitions and goals, it was evident that he was a leading monster who took his time to plot out his future missions in the evil realm. It appeared that he controlled other vampires that resided in his proximity. After the death of Lucy, who succumbed to attacks by vampires, all characters sought to conduct a vampire slaying ritual for both Lucy and progress to Count Dracula, who had remained a vampire for a long period. The power commanded by the count became evident from the diary entries made by Seward and Harker (Conner, Espinosa, and Stoker 60). ... The fact that they wanted to terminate the vampire problem, and only were after the Count Dracula, ascertains that he was the greatest threat. From the family history that the count Dracula produces, it is evident that he originated from a family of lords, explaining why he was nostalgic of the days when his family members were renowned rulers of the region.as part of the benefits of growing up in such a family, he still managed the title of lord in Transylvania (Conner, Espinosa, and Stoker 78). The fact that he had such powers is a reason for him to abuse his supernatural powers in the destruction and tormenting of others. Moreover, the pride of his family that he was trying to uphold was the capacity to exercise control over others. This ascertains that although other monstrous characters are depicted in the story, his social standing coupled with the devilish accomplishments make him a real monster. In addition, it is evident from the sediments expressed by the count Dracula that he longed for the possession of immense power that would enable him to have all the humans under his subjection. This longing also serves to explain his increased desire to carry out devilish missions with his supernatural powers reveals that he had intentions of harming people in all senses. Moreover, his expression of the interest in carrying out a revenge mission also indicates that he had the potential and the intention of carrying out monstrous missions. Although the entire group struggles to track down the Count Dracula and perform the rituals that would send him powerless. He has the powers to connect with his victims especially Mina,

Exam questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Exam questions - Essay Example They include introduction, research questions and objectives, literature review, methodology, results and findings, discussion and conclusions. Introduction provides background of the study and the statement of the problem. Before carrying out a research, researchers need to identify the problem to be solved. Researches are used in developing solutions to particular problems. In order to create a deeper understanding on the problem, the background of the study will provide a synopsis of some of the theoretical aspects involved within the study. The second section is research questions and objectives. Once a research problem has been identified, researchers have to develop various objectives/aims attainable at the end of the research. Whilst attaining such aims or objectives, there are questions that researchers need to develop and provide their answers. It is in answering research questions that research objectives are attained. Literature review is a section that provides short desc ription as well as critical evaluation of previous works related to the topic of study. Literature review section in most cases surveys scholarly articles, books, and other relevant materials whilst aiming at offering an overview of the importance of such works on the topic of study. Methodology defines the overall plan and materials applicable in conducting the research. Methodology section usually involves population under study, sampling methods, data collection, analysis, and presentation methods. Through this section, researchers are able to chronologically state how the study was conducted. Results and findings involve displaying of collected data from the sample. Here, the researcher provides all the results and information found during the research. It is important to provide results and findings since they form the basis or evidence of making discussion and conclusions. Discussion and conclusions section is the last of the six, which uses the results and findings to critica lly analyze the concepts of the study. Based on the topic of research, discussions and conclusions aim at providing an in-depth analysis of the data obtained in a view to answering research questions and attaining research objectives. In most case, conclusions of researches are accompanied by generalizations and recommendations. Part 2 Research in an academic journal article is likely to differ from research presented in a daily newspaper. Firstly, research in a journal article is likely to have the aforementioned six parts; introduction, research questions and objectives, literature review, methodology, results, discussions and conclusion, which are not likely to be found in daily newspaper research. Whereas daily newspaper researches reports aim at presenting what occurred in a given scenario, research reports on journal articles will always identify the problem within a scenario whilst developing appropriate solutions. Notably, research reports in daily newspaper will not provide a discussion of other works in relation to the topic of discussion whereas research reports in journal articles will have to identify what previous studies indicated on the topic. It is also evident that while research reports in daily newspapers do not provide a general idea of a given topic, the research reports in academic journal articles will always present a general view of the problem under scrutiny. Daily newspaper reports may not entail serious ethical standards like consent from the participants but for reports on

No File Essay Example for Free

No File Essay â€Å"Why Lawrence Summers was Wrong† In this article Summers portrays simply portrays women as genetic under dogs, being that he basis his claim off of genetic variances betrwwen men and women, and the â€Å"biological differences†. He claims that women shy away from more critical math and science fields because they â€Å"naturally† want to nurture a family, leaving them with the lack of desire to want to pursue a high stressed job. He also uses, genetic differences causes more males to have high aptitude for critical thinking. By mentioning scientific reasoning, Summers try to make his claim stronger, thus inarguable, but in this case, he failed. He failed to realize that sometime nurture, and social up-bringing, in some cases, is much stronger than scientific facts. The casual argument suggested in this article is society and how if effects culture and gender roles. Beginning decades ago women were portrayed as being the â€Å"damsel in distress†, whereas men were expected to be the family hero and safe-keeper. Media usually objectifies women in a light that enable them to think of their worth as low. Christianson, cleary and strongly opposes Summers claim with a great argument. She states â€Å"the societal forces working againt [women] encouragement are still pervasive. The act of women being smart and successful, in the social eye, is considered unattractive. The stereotypes given to women consequently shape the career paths women chose to take. Can you recall any child time book that portrays the man as the home-maker and not the bread winner. This leads to the fact that nurture is what causes expectections of gender roles to be engraved in their minds, not biology, although it does have a minute effect. From birth usually female infants are socialized, by their own mother to be dependent, as in the study that showed â€Å"Mothers of daughters tended to ask their daughters more question, encouraging social interaction, whereas mothers of sons were less verbal, encouraging their sons to be more independent†. The fact that women are peace keepers make them fail to realize that they are being discriminated against. We are sometimes oblivious to the fact that we are experiencing social inequality, and accept what we a given to us.

Ray Charles Contributions To Popular Music

Ray Charles Contributions To Popular Music Ray Charles has been described by many of his contemporaries, Such as Frank Sinatra, who said, Ray Charles is the only genius in the business. I am going to discuss to what extent Ray Charles contributed to popular music. Ray grew up alongside both gospel and country music and was heavily influenced by these two genres. I am going to discuss how through his integration of gospel and rhythm and blues in releases such as I Got a Woman helped Ray create his own musical identity but ultimately helped to create a whole new musical style Soul. Finally I will discuss how his fusion of white country music through Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music helped to break barriers and introduced country music to a mainstream audience. Nat King Cole and pianist-singer Charles Brown, much to similar style of Cole had a great effect on Ray Charles. Ray closely imitated these artists as a teenager and during his time with Swing Time Records, headed by Jack Lauderdale. However, for Ray too be more successful he would have develop his own musical identity. During the 1950s Ray Charles would begin to blend RB and secularise gospel styles, which would ultimately lead to birth of Soul. He would begin to incorporate the chord changes, song structures, call and response techniques, and vocal screams of gospel. The influence gospel had on Ray is present from an early age. Ray grew alongside church music and would listen to Wings Over Jordan and the Golden Gate Quartet. During his time at school he would regularly sing in a choir and also organise his own informal singing group, which would sing rhythmic gospel music. In 1953 Whilst recording for singer Tommy Ridgeley at the JM Studio, New Orleans, Ray would play a couple of tunes after the session. He performed Feeling Sad funeral march and Guitar Slims and Rays I Wonder Who. His performance is characteristically blues, as ray weeps his way through the lyrics as horns drone sombre chords. However as Micheal Lydon states that after re-listening, Ray opens his voice in baby steps, exploring how to shade his vocal textures. This recording shows that Ray would need to push himself further with his emotional range. Around his birthday after Ray begins to widen his emotional range his friends in New Orleans would notice a change he began to sound like a gospel singer. Trumpeter Wallace Davenport recalls The first time I heard him I thought he was Charles Brown, then he started getting into that church thing. As Ray began to incorporate gospel into his music he would listen to gospel radio and read the Braille bible he carried. Renald Richard explained how Ray loves the blues singers like Joe Turner, but most of all he loved gospel singersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦He used to talk about Archie Browne, the lead singer with the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, how much he liked them. He would then begin to sound like them by turning and playing around with his notes, which would be much to the enjoyment of the audience. Later on in December 1953 whilst with Atlantic Records, Armet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler would listen to four arrangements Ray had made on radio station, WDSU. In this you can hear three distinct elements: Jazz, Deep Blues and fervid Gospel, coming together in an early stage, not a sound which is fully refined but one that sounds like Ray Charles. If there was a single turning point in the career of Ray Charles, it probably occurred on November the 18th 1954 at a radio station in Atlanta. It was here Ray and his recently formed band would record I Got a Woman. This was his first hit Ray had with a gospel influence. In October 1954, Ray was touring with his first band toward Indianna. Whilst searching the radio stations he would stop when he found a gospel station. Renald Richard remembered vividly a gospel tune that came on with a good groove and started singing. Ray sang something like I got a woman and I answered yeh she lives cross town then shes good to me. Renald then wrote the song for the next morning to the satisfaction of Ray. I Got a Woman is an archetypal 16 bar secularisation of My Jesus is all the World to me. Others have seen it as a straight rewrite of I Got a Saviour. The songs Ray had performed before like The Suns Gonna Shine had the hortatory tones of a preacher in the pulpit. I Got a Woman was a preacher a t a picnic. Light heartened gospel spiritual joy into sexual delight. It would lift the listener with each of its 4 bar chord change, confirming his optimistic lyrics. Just as the church would joyfully celebrate the glory of God. I got a woman was a record for every happy couple in America, black, white and in-between. The band first performed I Got a Woman for Ahmet and Jerry as they arrived at the Peacock club in Atlanta. Ahmet described how the power and precision had stunned Jerry. Jerry stated that something fantastic had happened, Ray had hatched, ready for fame. Through blending gospel with blues, Ray had the first time fused two strict idioms. In the African-American community the blues and gospel are both part of their culture. However a blues singer didnt sing gospel and a gospel singer didnt sing the blue. It was taboo. Many people believed that it was sacrilegious to mix blues with spirituals says Big Bill Broonzy and American blues singer. However, it quickly rose to the top of the charts in early 1955, the success of I got a woman being down to good attention from both white and black markets. Before, Ray had recorded songs like Mess Around by Ahmet Ertegà ¼n, which were big in the RB charts but not the white charts. A year after its first recording, Elvis Presley would confirm the impression it made by his own cover of I Got a Woman at RCA. In Jan 1955 Billboard quotes as I Got a Woman as one of the most infectious blues sides to come out since the summer. At the following recording session for Atlantic in Miami. Rays defining sound would be clearly and precisely heard. Ray recorded four charts, two straight blues and two gospel charts. The gospel songs This Little Girl of Mine and A Fool For You would reiterate Rays push of his gospel influence. This Little Girl of Mine is an up-tempo shouter with a rhythmic Latin feel based on the gospel song This Little Light of Mine. A Fool For You is a 6/8 double time waltz with Rays sanctified singing but without the heavenly lyrics, accompanied by piano gospel licks and preaching horns. Although, like I Got a Woman these two gospel and RB charts was seen as sacrilegious, the mix Ray had created appealed to so many audiences across the nation, and introduced a new music that would have a lasting effect, which would be later labelled as Soul music. As the 1950s progressed vocal groups following Ray Charles, began to add a sense of urgency and meaning- Soul, to their style of music resulting in the groups of Motown and others, including groups like the Chicago based family band called the Staple Singers who had hit songs which were centred around Gospel and RB. Their success followed on into the 1970s. In the late 1950s into the 1960s girl groups joined male Doo-Wop and RR groups, which resulted in groups like The Shirelles, Marveletess and The Supremes. Their material was largely written by the Brill Building writers and received hit records but never usually lasted. As Ray Charles added the gospel influence to his music, such as the call and response backing vocal groups like the Raylettes so too did Aretha Franklin. She reinfused her female backing groups with a gospel influence, which are present in her mid 1960s Atlantic recordings. Other artists like James Brown, who started his career as a singer with the Gospel Starlighters, following the style of Reverends Julius Cheeks and Claude Jeter added RB to their style. The vocal urgency and syncopated dance rhythms of gospel along with top notch RB house bands came together most clearly in the music of James Brown. Combining a Little Richard- style act with other theatrics from Joe Tex and a pleading version of Ray Charles gospel/soul. He then recorded his hit Please, Please, Please. In 1959 Ray released Whatd I Say, a song that became a top ten pop hit and would be one of his last singles with Atlantic before his move to ABC. There are clear gospel influences combined with the sexual innuendo in the song made it not only widely popular but very controversial to both white and black audiences. In the middle of the song. Charles indicated that The Raelettes should repeat what he was doing, and the song transformed into a call and response between Charles, The Raelettes, and the horn section in the orchestra as they called out to each other in ecstatic shouts and moans and blasts from the horns. This improvised interchange between himself and the Raylettes and between the band and audience is much like that of a Preacher and his congregation. Ray also uses gospel dialouge with unuh-uhnnh over charles moans and cries. He also uses phrases like shake that thing and I feel alright, and expression for the body instead of the lord. During Rays early life the influence of country and western music is ever present. When Ray Charles was growing up, the south was full of Country or Hillbilly music. Ray explains how there wasnt a single Saturday night that he wouldnt listen to the Grand Ole Opry on the radio. I loved Grandpa Jones and other characters. I could hear what they were doing and appreciate the feeling behind it. Ray would listen to Jimmie Rodgers, Roy Acuff, Hank Snow, Hank Williams and later Eddie Arnold. I listened to them all the time, I certainly dug it and paid it some mind. In 1948 Ray joined a Hillbilly band called the Florida Playboys. It took just one audition to convince the Playboys that Ray could play country music with genuine flavour, and they hired him, no questions asked about race. For seven months he gigged with the band, playing current country hits of the day like Kentucky Waltz and Anytime in white honky-tonks in and around Tampa, learning to yodel and singing, Waiting All for You. Even as black, blind man, Ray was accepted and applauded just like anyone else by the audience. I could play the music right and I could do country music with as much feeling as any other southernerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. I had been hearing it since I was a baby. Long before the birth of his own country music, Charles looked back with pride on his stint with the Playboys.Lydon. In an outtake of a 1950s recording, Ray plays a limpid country lick. The producer chuckles over the studio intercom and says that he didnt know Ray could play Nashville. Ray then replies Man, Didnt you know I gigged with the Florida Playboys His time with the Florida Playboys, though brief would plant a seed in his mind that would rise during the 1960s. After leaving Atlantic Records in 1959, Ray joined ABC and at the end of 1961. He asked Sid Feller to get together 40 country hits from the last twenty years with the idea to record a country album. Sid Feller had not know at the time that Ray liked County and Samuel Clark and Larry Newton the executives at ABC Records were adamantly opposed to the idea that Charles brought to them. The ABC executives said, You cant do no country-western things.Youre gonna lose all your fans! However Feller believed that Ray understood Country music. He describes how Ray loved the simple plaintive lyrics, and he felt that giving the music a lush treatment would make it different Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music is a dozen tunes that runs the whole scope of Nashville from the traditional Careless Love to the rock and roll Bye Bye Love and from Hank Williams to the B-side fail of I Cant Stop Loving You. The tracks alternate from big band to string and voice. However regardless of all the jazz and symphonic effects present, the heart of every arrangement is a simple strummed guitar. Rays bluesy melismas wring every tear out of the country weepers, all the poetry out of their monosyllabic lyrics. I Cant Stop Loving You has a folk song strength, major scale melody, marching up and down over 3 chords and operatic grandeur created by his baritone voice and orchestra. He also uses his trademark letting the chorus lead the lyric with his voice following. Ray sings County in his own way, expanding the country sounds without distorting its colour. Rays own blend obscures the fact that Modern Sounds was his boldest album, which breaks many barriers. Invading white country music in the 1960s was something black pop-jazz singers didnt do. You had to be Country in 1962. After Modern Sounds it became a major player in Rays repertoire and on popular music. His unique blend of Country, Pop, Jazz and RB introduced country music to people of the city and showed to record companies and producers how to arrange their music to reach a much wider audience. Ray Charles played a pivotal role in shaping the course of a seemingly very different genre of popular music. In the words of his good friend and sometimes collaborator, Willie Nelson, speaking before Charles death in 2004, Ray Charles the RB legend did more for country music than any other living human being. The landmark album that earned Ray Charles that praise was Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, which held at number 1 for 14 weeks and stayed in the charts for 2 years. His single release I Cant Stop Loving You ruled at number 1 on RB and Easy Listening charts for weeks in the summer of 1962 dipping to 3rd in July and beginning to fall in august. As Charles told Rolling Stone magazine a decad e later, But Charles recognized the quality of songs like I Cant Stop Loving You by Don Gibson and You Dont Know Me, by Eddy Arnold and Cindy Walker, and the fact that his version of both of those country songs landed in the Top 5 on both the pop and RB charts was vindication of Charless long-held belief that Theres only two kinds of music as far as Im concerned: good and bad. Following the massive commercial success and notice of Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, country music experienced an immediate increase in popularity. According to music writer Daniel Cooper, the album raised the genres profile, specifically Nashville sound, of which Charles had covered. Benefiting from this were songwriters, music publishers and country singers who covered the subgenres material. As noted by Cooper, by the end of 1962, Nashville country publishers were being held as the hottest source of music material in the record business these days. Ray Charless success with the stylistic fusion of country and soul on Modern Sounds later lead to country soul efforts from performers, such as Candi Staton and Solomon Burke who were both greatly influenced by Charless Modern Sounds recordings. Many country music artists, such as Willie Nelson and Buck Owens, have cited Charless take on country music and Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music as their major influences. In an interview for Country Music Television, Nelson said of Modern Sounds influence that the album did more for country music than any one artist has ever done. Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music has also been perceived by many critics and writers as a landmark album in American music, as the record was the first to blend the two racially distinct genres of country and soul. Ray Charles all-embracing attitude toward music was one that he developed during his childhood and early career. Ray was immersed in the sounds of jazz, blues, gospel and country in his youth, playing in RB bands and a Country Hillbilly band. Ray Charles pioneered soul music, which had a great effect on popular music. In secularising certain aspects of gospel music with RB, Ray received his first gospel and RB hit I Got a Woman, which received attention from both black and white audiences. Subsequently, further releases like Whatd I Say and the Hallelujah I Lover Her So album attracted a large mainstream audience. His fusion of white country music earned Ray mainstream and crossover success, with his album Modern Sound in Country and Western Music which broke racial stereotypes and exposed country music to city dwellers. It also helped other country artists; particularly them orientated around the Nashville sound, reach a wider audience, raising the genres profile. To him, the bounda ries between those styles of music were made to be crossed, and he made a career out of doing just that having a great effect on popular music.

Presenting Language Through Texts English Language Essay

Presenting Language Through Texts English Language Essay Texts have been used in language classrooms for many years. There are many reasons for teachers using texts. Firstly, they use texts as a linguistic objects. Secondly, they use texts as vehicle for information. And for the last reason, they use texts as a springboard for production. So texts in language teaching have played the important role in language learning and teaching. The most effective texts in learning process are authentic materials. Leaning English through authentic materials will make the learners feel like the are in the a real language situations. The atmosphere of the classrooms are alive. Research studies on the use of authentic materials reveal that it can promote the students motivation, positive attitude, involvement and interest on the subject. There are several kinds of authentic materials which are audio, visual, printed materials and multimedia materials. The multimedia materials are involved audio, video and graphic presentations. All of these materials are applied for communicating specific dispatches in real situations. Authentic audio materials : 1. Music, news and other audio materials available on the internet 2. TV programming including movies, commercials, quiz shows, cartoons, news and weather 3. Radio including ads, music and sales pitches 4. Taped or eavesdropped conversations, such as one-sided phone conversations 5. Meetings, talks 6. Announcements in airports and stores 7. Professionally audio-taped short stories and novels Authentic visual materials : Images and graphs available on the internet photographs painting and drawings, childrens artwork wordless street signs pictures from magazines, postcards, wordless picture books stamps x-rays coins and currency clocks phones Halloween masks and other holiday decorations Authentic printed materials : web based printed materials available on the internet newspapers including articles, movies reviews and advertisements, astrology columns, sports reports, obituary columns, advice columns, classified ads reports, obituary columns, advice columns, classified ads lyrics to song restaurant menus street signs food product labels such as cereal boxes, candy wrappers tourist information brochures university catalogs telephone books maps magazines including TV guides, comic books, catalogs greeting cards, letters grocery coupons and flyer pins or t-shirt with messages bus schedules mail including bills , missing children flyers and junk mail flyers, posters, billboards school notices forms including leases, tax forms, applications, medical history forms Authentic multimedia materials : TV, Video programmes of various kinds podcasting on the internet we based programes involving multimedia use There are criteria for teachers to consider for choosing the authentic materials for classroom use. Firstly, the interest of the students, the teacher has to ensure that the chosen materials suit the age, interest and background of the students. Secondly, the purpose of language learning, teachers must consider the information in the chosen materials are of value to the learners. Thirdly, the cultural appropriateness, some materials are produced on the basis of the native speakers, the learners might not familiar with the culture of the contexts. Thus, the teachers should carefully select the appropriate second language contexts. Fourthly, the language level, the group of students are different levels like beginner, intermediate or advanced students .because the authentic materials are not made to fit the learning purposes so the teachers must choose the kind of comprehensible input which is slightly difficult in order to sustain their motivation. Lastly, the quality of the materials may be concerned. The chosen texts must have the quality of the text organization and the appropriate picture use. In the same time, the teachers must attentively check for errors and spelling mistakes of the texts. 614 Using authentic materials have great benefits or advantages, specially for the second language learners of English. A large number of evidences of research studies have revealed a wide range of advantages. Firstly, the learners will expose to a wide range of natural language. Next, the reality and the meaningful interactive are brought into classroom. Then, there is a connection between the classroom and the outside world. The teaching and assessment focus on the 4 skills which the facts of language are not included. Moreover, the important objective is not a memorization for the examination but for the communicative proposes. For the next reason, the authentic texts can help the teachers accessing the ready, available, attractive and inexpensive resources of the texts as well as bring the variety to the classroom activities. So, the students have opportunities to practice the skills learnt in the classroom in the outside world when they meet them in the real situations. 771 Using the authentic materials also have some problems. Some kinds of materials may include difficult language and unusual vocabulary items which are not being used in the daily life basis. These kinds of problems cause a burden to the teachers. So to solve the problems, the teachers should carefully pick the authentic materials by using the above mentioned criteria. For instance, the notices, bottled labels and reservation forms are used for the lower level learners. Whereas, the advanced levels need more complex materials. 854 Thornbury claimed that language always happens as text and not as isolated words and sentences Therefore, the basis of foreign language teaching is handling texts for both written and oral. There are three acronyms that have been used to describe texts TALO : Text as a linguistic object A TALO text is used for language work, specifically grammar or vocabulary. TALO texts : are written especially with a pedagogical purpose in mind could be authentic texts the teacher has chosen because they contain lots of examples of a particular feature of language, could be authentic texts adapted to contain or highlight certain features of language. TAVI : Text as a vehicle for information A TAVI text has a different focus. Information within the text is seen as more important than the language. Students should understand the overall meaning of a text instead of ( or at least before ) the finer points of detail, TAVI texts : can be chosen because they are motivating, these texts are mainly authentic and based on communicative approach. TASP : Text as a Stimulus for Production A TASP means using texts as a springboard for another task usually a reading or writing task. TASP approaches also fit well with communicative approach. TASP type activities could be : doing a role play on the text, discussing issues raised by the text, having a debate about the points of view presented in the texts, writing a similar text about something the students know about writing a response to the text ( Verster 2005 ): TALO, TAVI, TASP. From : www.vgtu.it Texts based activities presented in the course book Information Technology are marking the statements as true or false, filling in the gaps in the statements, linking each pair of actions ( donating cause and effect ) by a time clause, matching the terms in table A with the statements in table B, making a list of the key features of the facility ( device ) students are reading about, matching the reviews of the facilities to their titles, writing a brief evaluation of the phenomenon you have read about ( at least by listing its good and bad points ), trying to guess the meaning of the given abbreviations, trying to paraphrase the statements, linking each set of sentences to make one sentence ( corresponding to the descriptions given in the text ), completing the forms to record the main details of the problem described in the text, working in pairs, studying the diagram to explain how facility works, putting the described events in sequence, finding words or phrases in the table which mean what is given in the statements below. 1091 From my experience as a teacher, I have been teaching young learners, mostly in the Phatom 1-3 students. And I have used several kinds of authentic materials in my class. For example, I use English songs and nursery rhymes when I would like to present new language to my students for promoting the motivation and engagement in learning of my students. Then, I use many pictures to present the new vocabulary in order to promote a better understanding of the meanings of the words. Sometimes, I have them read their favorable books from the bookshelf, so they can choose what ever they like. The examples of my authentic materials are : Five Little Speckled Frogs Five 5 little speckled frogs, Sitting on a hollow log, Eating some most delicious bugs, Yum, Yum. One 1 frog jumped in the pool, Where it was nice and cool, Now there are four 4 speckled frogs, Glub, glub. Four 4 little speckled frogs, Sitting on a hollow log, Eating some most delicious bugs, Yum, Yum. One 1 frog jumped in the pool, Where it was nice and cool, Now there are three 3 speckled frogs, Glub, glub. Three 3 little speckled frogs, Sitting on a hollow log, Eating some most delicious bugs, Yum, Yum. One 1 frog jumped in the pool, Where it was nice and cool, Now there are two 2 speckled frogs, Glub, glub. Two 2 little speckled frogs, Sitting on a hollow log, Eating some most delicious bugs, Yum, Yum. One 1 frog jumped in the pool, Where it was nice and cool, Now there is one 1 speckled frog, Glub, glub. One 1 little speckled frog, Sitting on a hollow log, Eating some most delicious bugs, Yum, Yum. One 1 frog jumped in the pool, Where it was nice and cool, Now there are no 0 speckled frogs, Glub, glub. From www. enchantedlearning.com My students really enjoy it. So they like English language too. And I have another example : Hark, Hark, The Dogs Do Bark! Hark, hark, the dogs do bark! The beggars are coming to town! Some in rags and some in tags, And some in velvet gowns. From www. enchantedlearning.com One, Two, Three, Four, Five One 1, two 2, three 3, four 4, five 5, Once I caught a fish alive. Six 6, seven 7, eight 8, nine 9, ten 10, But I let it go again. Why did I let it go? Because it bit my finger so. Which finger did it bite? The little one upon the right. From www. enchantedlearning.com Aesops Fables : The Ant and the Grasshopper In a field one summers day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its hearts content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest. Why not come and chat with me, said the Grasshopper, instead of toiling and moiling in that way? I am helping to lay up food for the winter, said the Ant, and recommend you to do the same. Why bother about winter? said the Grasshopper; we have got plenty of food at present. But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew: It is best to prepare for the days of necessity. The Ass and His Masters AN ASS, belonging to an herb-seller who gave him too little food and too much work made a petition to Jupiter to be released from his present service and provided with another master. Jupiter, after warning him that he would repent his request, caused him to be sold to a tile-maker. Shortly afterwards, finding that he had heavier loads to carry and harder work in the brick-field, he petitioned for another change of master. Jupiter, telling him that it would be the last time that he could grant his request, ordained that he be sold to a tanner. The Ass found that he had fallen into worse hands, and noting his masters occupation, said, groaning: It would have been better for me to have been either starved by the one, or to have been overworked by the other of my former masters, than to have been bought by my present owner, who will even after I am dead tan my hide, and make me useful to him. He that finds discontentment in one place is not likely to find happiness in another The Ass, the Fox, and the Lion THE ASS and the Fox, having entered into partnership together for their mutual protection, went out into the forest to hunt. They had not proceeded far when they met a Lion. The Fox, seeing imminent danger, approached the Lion and promised to contrive for him the capture of the Ass if the Lion would pledge his word not to harm the Fox. Then, upon assuring the Ass that he would not be injured, the Fox led him to a deep pit and arranged that he should fall into it. The Lion, seeing that the Ass was secured, immediately clutched the Fox, and attacked the Ass at his leisure. *Never trust your enemy