Event management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Event management - Coursework Example Event Management in Hotels Hotels cater to a specific set of events, mostly wedding, social and corporate related, which is why they all have ballrooms and seminar/conference halls, meeting rooms and boardrooms with office supplies to cater to this audience. Hotels today also have event planners specifically to take care of the needs of their customers’ events. There are very many organizations that operate within the events sectors that hotels would need to liaison with. From production houses to sound and light technicians, to suppliers of various products like florists, bakers, printers to DJs or musicians and entertainers, anything can be required at an event. People today look not only at convenience, but they know what they want. What they really need is the friendly event planner that will ensure their event flows smoothly and will cater to all their needs. There are various types of organizations that work within the event sector. ... Next come Suppliers. ‘Suppliers’ is a very broad term to describe the various items that an event may require. Right from decorations to party favors, there are companies that specialize in producing custom made items for every type of event, such as Wright Event Supplies and Event Supplies. These are the two main industries within the event industry spectrum. It may also involve the need for entertainers and other service suppliers based on the type of event. Other organizations hosting events There are various other organizations that host events, such as parks and schools. These differ from hotels in hosting events, in various ways. For starters, the clientele is completely different, and so, the planning execution must be too. Hosting events involves a lot of ‘Plan B’ arrangements, or Crisis Management. You never know what will go wrong and it is essential that arrangements be made for almost any accident or unfortunate occurrence. Especially in places l ike schools and parks, where the clientele may as well be children, over stiff corporate form the hotels, event managers must always be prepared. Trends in Event Management A major development in the Event industry is that of use of better technology. Be it in the production or printing, people are using new developments in technology for all sorts of events. New technology may also be used in entertainment, communication and connectivity, not to mention ticketing and innovations in cashless payment. (Etherlive to present future technologies) Event Management is not what it used to be. It is more professional and a team effort, whether it is a small event or a big one. Events are a bigger deal today than they were last decade. They no longer are

Richard vs Richmond Essay Example for Free

Richard vs Richmond Essay 1. The first recruitment poem, named Fall In follows the style of a simple ABABCDCD pattern, found most commonly within poems. However the second of which is the focus of our analysis, In Flanders Field, is much different. The first verses pattern is AABBA whereas the second verse is different yet again. Fall In has a style the is a lot more colloquial then Flanders Field relying on using more slang terms to attract the attention of the reader while Flanders Field has a tone that is a lot more easy going and not as in your face. 2. Fall In is much lengthier than Flanders Field; its words are much more direct and to the point. It contains questions that would make young men think about; how would their families and friends think about them given that they made the choice not to go to war. Flanders field arouses the memories of fallen friends and family members within the minds of men throughout the land, persuading and coercing them to join the ranks with many others. 3. The first poem Fall In is attempting to recruit young men to the forces by using what could be assumed as a sort of blackmail tactic. One can only assume that at the time of its publication the words found within its verses would have struck several chords in the hearts of the audience of young men, no doubt accomplishing its task; relying heavily on planting the seed of doubt into the minds of the young men, making them wonder just what indeed their family, friends and potential partners and children would think of their actions and absence from the forces during their countrys time of need. In Flanders Field follows a totally different path. I feel its words are meant to reverberate mostly in the hearts of those who have lost loved ones to war before; its words encourage those young people to pick up the torch and pride and carry it anew. I think personally that this poem would appeal to the more highly educated members of society, its words and underlying message would probably be more attractive to those with a higher education and a deeper understanding for poetry; Fall In uses colloquial language, slang and terms used on the street at the time, it would be much more likely to be understood by the lower class of educated men. 4. Despite my earlier comment that the second of the two poems under analytical scrutinising, I find the poem Fall In much more affective. It is easy to see how the questions would arose feelings within a young man of the time, not so much forcing but using a clever play on words to make them think that they would be lesser men if they did not do what many other men were doing and signing up for the forces. Being coerced and herded like so many sheep before them. 5. The structure of the first poem War Exalts is an unusual one, it is made up of question and answers throughout; one question is cheering on the war effort and the act of war itself while the reply completely disagrees with it, using religion as a main argument in retort. Anthem for Doomed Youth is a sonnet while the other is not; it follows the standard Shakespearean style consisting of 14 lines and five syllables per line. Both poem and sonnet respectively rely on de-idolising war itself; trying, one can only assume, to show the deadlier side to it by bringing attention to the point that not every one comes back alive to be praised by their loved ones, many will mourn. Too many. 6. I feel on a personal level that the shorter of the two poems is much more affective, this is due mainly to its mention of God. Most armies will use God to raise the morale of their troops, or simply to give good reasoning to their cause; with God on their side how could they lose? War Exalts will raise the question within any religious mind; what exactly does God think of war itself? To see your creations killing themselves in your name would upset anyone. Beliefs are harder to change, people fight against them and dont wish to have them altered, is it not better to have a good idea? Truthfully and from the heart this poem touched me, bringing to mind yet again the family members that have, and still are, fighting overseas in the name of God and country. Truly an affective poem.

Conflict and Tension Between The Proctors in The Crucible Essay

How Does Millar Create a Sense of Tension and Conflict Between John and Elizabeth Proctor at the Beginning of Act 2? Arthur Miller was borne on the 17th of October 1915 in New York City. Miller believed that tragedy was not confined to the rich and important but that the ordinary man’s failure was just as moving and terrible. The play ‘The Crucible’ was first produced in 1953 in the middle of the McCarthy political witch hunt in America. Millar decided to write the play as an allegorical text and a parallel between the two events. The activities of the committee began to be linked in Miller’s mind with witchcraft trials which had taken place in the town of Salem 2 centuries before, for example, the committee often had in its possessions lists of people at various meetings, and yet it still wanted the witnesses to name names. Miller saw these public confessions as parallels wth the naming of names in 1962. Since 1938 an organization called the Un-American Activities Committee had been in existence in America. This had the power to investigate any movement or person who apparently posed a threat to the safety of the state. Under the chairmanship of Senator Joseph McCarthy the committee became almost paranoid in the searching out of the communist sympathisers amongst the American people in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. There are a lot of ways in which Arthur Miller develops John Proctor's character during the play. Miller uses The Crucible to express his own views on what was happening in America at the time when McCarthyism was at a prominence. He uses John Proctor as he is interested in the person who doesn't allow himself to be caught up in hysteria but thinks for himself and stands up for his values agai... ...n the play. In conclusion I think that the stage directions and dramatic irony are significant to the play, and without them there would be no need for a lot of the events that happen in the play. I believe that Abigail is a key figure in the play, and the cause of many of the conflict and tension throughout the play. Without her yearning, and need and willingness to do anything for John Proctors love, and her lies and allegations there would be no need for a lot of the play. Without Abigail there would not have been any level of affair and there would be no tension or love loss between John and Elizabeth Proctor. Concerning the Proctors, in my opinion they always did and always would have loved one another, and if it where not for Elizabeth’s honesty, John may have lived and the two of them may have gone on loving one another for the rest of their days.

Cleanliness is Next to Godliness Essay

I have been fortunate to get the love and care of my parents as well as siblings. During my childhood, my parents taught me the morals based on the holy teachings of scriptures. Among the many good sayings, I remember a proverb, â€Å"Cleanliness is next to Godliness,† which was reminded to me, time and again, by my mother. When I was about seven years old, I avoided taking bath on a daily basis. It was at that time when my mother first narrated this proverb to me, which continues to guide me everyday. Although many of us may be religious and Godly, we may be defying, either intentionally or unintentionally, the basic principle of cleanliness in our practical lives. For instance, it can be seen that some people throw their household garbage on the streets, and as a result, mosquitoes and flies spread harmful diseases in the community. Similarly, some people spit on roads due to which their infected saliva often becomes a source to several contagious diseases. It must be recalled that our scriptures teach us to keep ourselves as well as our places of dwelling clean. Since God is ultimate in purity, the only way to reach God is to remain pure, and purity is attained by keeping our mind as well as body clean. However, the fellow humans are polluting the purity of the environment through their deleterious activities. Burning of fire crackers leads to air-pollution, which in return, causes respiratory problems like asthma. Also, when somebody smokes a cigarette in a public place, then the surrounding environment is polluted, and people become vulnerable to cancer due to passive smoking. I have strictly practiced the meaning of the proverb to keep my mind as well as body clean. I do not smoke, do not spit in a public place, and do not burn fire crackers. My body is a holy temple, which houses the spirit. I make every endeavor to retain the purity of my spirit because only then I can attain salvation.

Essay Social Security

Social Security Issue The current Social Security system should be replaced by a mandatory private pension system. The current system entails workers being forced to give a certain percentage of money out of their pay checks to Social Security. This tax money is used to pay benefits to retired people, disabled people, survivors of workers who have died, and dependents of beneficiaries (SSA). To most, this system sounds unfair because workers put in hours of labor for a paycheck that religiously has money taken out for someone else’s retirement, disability, etc. however, people for this system believe this benefits everyone because workers are not in control of their own specific retirement fund so poor decisions cannot be made. In reality, people should be able to control the fate of their own retirement funds because they can decide when the money is necessary, which can be done by making the change to a private pension system. The current Social Security system creates a lot of concern because of the accelerating demographic factors (NCPA). Life expectancy is increasing faster than expected — in 1940, a 65-year-old man could expect to live another 12 years, today it's 15 years; the fertility rate is falling faster than expected — from 3. 6 children for a typical woman of child-bearing age in 1960 to just two today; and the elderly portion of the population is expected to rise from 12 percent today to 20 percent by 2050 — increasing the number of retirees from 34 million to 80 million† (NCPA).The decreasing working population combined with the rising elderly population means the number of elderly people needing benefits will be greater than the number of working people providing the money for those benefits (NCPA). Because of these statistics, the favor for a private pension system is growing so workers can save their taxes for their individual retirements.With a private pension system as opposed to the current, honored system , the working class has more control over their retirement funds because for one, they would be earning the money for themselves, and two, the money would be in a private account for them. With the money accumulating in a private account, it is not exposed to risk. â€Å"These federally regulated personal accounts would allow individuals to invest only in diversified, approved utual funds and not in single stocks or highly volatile stocks† (Procon). In addition to its added personal safety, a private system would help the economy. â€Å"Privatizing Social Security into individual investment accounts would boost economic growth by injecting money back into America's failing financial system† (Procon). With the economic growth this would cause, there could be a possible decrease in unemployment rates, pulling the economy out of the current recession.In conclusion, the switch from the current Social Security system to a mandatory private pension system is ideal not only f or the working class, but also for the environment. Even with the criticism that a private pension system would tempt workers to make poor decisions with their retirement funds, people should have control over the money they make and be able to determine their own fate. Working for a paycheck that loses a percentage of its total to be given to the current retirees, the disabled, etc. s unfair and will discourage the working class. A private pension system that will actually save an individual’s own money will be more motivating to work towards and will better prepare him or her for their elderly years. Works Cited NCPA. â€Å"Social Security Problems Accelerating. † NCPA. org. National Center for Policy Analysis, 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2012. . Procon. â€Å"Privatize Social Security. † Procon. org. Procon, 13 Mar. 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2012. . SSA. â€Å"Social Security. † Ssa. gov. Social Security Administration, Mar. 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2012. .

Innovation in Business Development

Innovation in Business Development Innovation refers to a new method of handling processes. An innovative business seeks to create or develop new ideas with the aim of making a niche in the market.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Innovation in Business Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This implies that innovation plays a very important role in the development of businesses across the globe. In any case, contemporary economies demand dynamism that can only be attained trough innovative processes. This paper explores the roles of innovation in the growth and development of a business entity. Strategic planning and creation of wealth Innovation lays the platform for strategic planning and creation of wealth in a business entity (Kindstrà ¶m, Kowalkowski, 2014). It is crucial to mention that strategic planning is central to the work of an organization. Without a strategic framework, it may not be possible to understand the position and direc tion being taken by an organization. Strategic planning is designed to prepare strategic options in order to successfully implement the strategy set by the decision maker. Different options are available to the decision-maker and the option selected is sent to different managers in order to be translated into business terms through operational planning. The manner in which organizations are managed in the contemporary works is rapidly changing. The increasing complexity of the environment requires decision makers to have proper anticipation. New technologies and management methods ought to be adapted. Through innovation, corporate governance spurred by the systemic and effective leadership can facilitate the growth if an organization. Thus, governance is no longer attached to the only goals of short-term profitability, but is fully consistent with the overall concept of sustainable development. An innovative business should embrace performance management and steering in order to imp lement a strategic planning process. Innovation assists in setting the strategic vision of a business and constantly adapts then overall strategic indicators to achieve the strategic objective.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the absence of innovation, strategic planning can be a rigid tool that seeks to foresee growth since it may leave the decision maker surprised by the unexpected occurrences. A strategic planning process that is too rigid may always lead to strategic break because it probably lacks an innovative idea. Undeniably, an innovative strategic planning has its virtues in the planning of business activities and designing growth agenda of an organization for a desirable future. The objectives set for the future cannot be easily attained if innovation is absent. An innovative process of strategic planning is an indispensable tool for the decision-make r in an organization. It concerns the determination of the overall objectives of the company and the long-term commitment. It is prudent to note that the operational planning refers to the allocation of resources for each function of an organization. Any planning process is formalized using methodologies that emphasize efficient decision-making that eventually contributes to the gradual and successful construction of a business plan. When innovation is put into consideration during strategic planning, it can be helpful in understanding the purpose and long-term strategic goals of a business unit. An innovative strategic planning has yet another benefit. It plays a mobilizing and stimulating role. Among its key factors of success is the necessary adhesion of managers (Broring Herzog, 2008). Hence, it is essential that they are involved in developing the plan and adhere to its letter and spirit. Competitive advantage Innovation is also instrumental in boosting the competitive advanta ge of a firm. Theorized by Michael Porter in 1985 in an eponymous book, competitive advantage is the element that fundamentally differentiates the offer of a company relative to its competitors, and therefore constitutes its power of differentiation (McAdam, Reid Mitchell, 2010). The strategy implemented by a company must contribute to the creation and the sustainability of this advantage. Besides, an absolute advantage gives the company a dominant position which it may be tempted to abuse within the limits of the law. Five forces were defined by the author in 1979 and are a clear depiction of how innovation can be beneficial to an organization (Rae, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Innovation in Business Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While the concept of Porter Five Forces initially targeted the growth factors of an organisation, it is also used extensively to characterize the advantage of a g eographic area of ​​a country or an individual. The sustainability of competitive advantage is related to the establishment of barriers that are similar to distinctive competencies. Favorable historical conditions, causal ambiguity, the quality of relationships within an organization serve to engender heterogeneity of skills within the business sector and maintains the sustainability of competitive advantage (Broring Herzog, 2008). Comparative advantage and competitive advantage should not be misconstrued when it comes to the roles and benefits of innovation in a business. Generally, a competitive advantage that has been curved out of an innovative mind generates a lot of value in a business. Innovation is key to a favourable sales performance when marketing goods and services. This argument is particularly true when competitive advantage results from a differentiation strategy. For example, in the case of the so-called top differentiation, price / quality ratio incre ases due to an increase in the quality perceived as more than proportional to the corresponding increase of price. The comparative advantage is often the result of a strategic and innovative differentiation during the process of generating value (Belenzon Berkovitz 2010, p.520). The latter allows a differentiation strategy and the buying value to increase. In most cases, comparative advantage does not lead to a differentiation of the offer if management teams fail to devise innovative measures towards the same process. Innovation enhances business focus An innovative business is usually motivated to remain on track irrespective of the severe and difficult times. Hence, it is necessary for a business entity to continually invest in innovation and communication in order to withstand hard or challenging economic times. When the 2007/2008 recession struck, several businesses were negatively affected by the economic downturn. However, businesses that were innovative enough withstood the rough times and remained on the right course of growth and development.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Innovation and assessing the business situation In times of crisis, the internal environment of the company becomes a sensitive issue since trust in management is crucial. Competitors are unequally equipped to face the challenges especially as the market changes and new trends emerge. Brands and their priorities change as well (Cassia, De Massis Pizzurno 2012, p. 231). However, innovation plays a major role of reinventing business skills and tactics. For instance, communication should be changed accordingly in order to match the growth prospects of a business. In tense period, consistent messaging is crucial. If corrections are not revolutionary in practice, customers’ expectations may not be met as anticipated. By optimizing communication media and centralizing management, significant annual savings and increased efficiency can be attained with a lot of ease (Maslova, 2013). Innovation and brand management The brand image of a business organization is a vital marketing fact or that cannot be ignored by contemporary firms. This implies that branding should be done in an innovative manner. A well innovated brand increases the net value of a business. Moreover, innovation enhances close positioning between brands of the same portfolio. There are also a number of innovative attributes that strengthen and promote the brand of a business organisation (Mullins, 2010). Business managers can make the right decisions on the maintenance of a brand or changing its position in the market if dynamic innovation is embraced all the time. Knowledge of the value placed by the customers to the brand is a vital lever to make the right choices. This explains why innovation can be used to streamline business portfolio at any given time during the lifetime of its operations (Rajala, Westerlund Mà ¶ller, 2012). Innovation promotes effective marketing Optimizing the web presence of a business is one of the innovative marketing tools that contemporary organisations employ. To ugh times are an opportunity to review the policy of Internet and virtual communication. Internet is a major tool of accessing to information. In addition, Internet tools have the advantage of flexibility, segmentation or personalization in real time with techniques that are becoming increasingly dynamic (Doppelt, 2010). Markets continually expect and fear an economic slowdown. However, not all companies suffer as a result of poor economic performance (Holtzman, 2008). Managers who see an opportunity and vividly understand how to capitalise on their brand often succeed in forging a vibrant competitive both in the medium and long term. However, establishing a web presence with lasting impact requires an innovative mind. One of the benefits of an innovative online presence is the reduction of exorbitant promotion and high advertising costs. Lack of innovation can lead to millions of investment in marketing (Mieres, Snchez Vijande, 2012). In the laws of competition and saturation of m arkets, business managers may sometimes be compelled to work with the available resources. Since return on investment is not always an obvious occurrence, it is the responsibility of business managers to come up with measures that can cushion their organisations against unprecedented losses (Campbell, Edgar Stonehouse, 2011). Rigorous but effective marketing campaigns designed from innovation can minimise the chances of financial loss on investments. Innovation defines the strategy of a firm It is obviously not possible to achieve objectives without a set strategy. Innovation is a precursor to strategy. Having a strategy in place assists in identifying essential actions that can boost turnover and retain key customers. Focusing on the customer base of a business may be more profitable than seeking new customers (Lin 2008, p.69). Hence, customers who are loyal to a firm should be retained as much as possible. A business process that is innovative enough can attract and retain custom ers. For example, innovation should be used by managers to meet the changing tastes and preferences of customers. Through innovation, managers are in a vantage position to: Focus on current customers. Optimize and circumscribe the services already offered to their best satisfaction. Extend the benefits offered to customers since they are able to optimize sales from repeat customers Focus on the media and be able to reach their targets Adopt a concise and effective operational marketing (Kindstrà ¶m Kowalkowski 2014, p.98) It is always better to build a business strategy around what will work best after the elements of innovation have been applied to the letter. Innovation cab also be instrumental in shaping the relationship between customers and a business enterprise when the needs of the former are met as per the expectations. When relating with customers, direct communication should be chosen and adopted. Direct communication allows a business entity to meet the needs of custo mers in order to satisfy them (Belenzon Berkovitz 2010, p.519). Innovation also ensures a thorough and effective control of marketing activities in a firm. Control may not necessarily entail checking if the costs of a given transaction are reasonable. It also involves evaluating actions to determine which ones are not worth the process so that they can be separated from those that are most effective (Lasserre, 2012). In conclusion, innovation and positive business development cannot be separated from each other. New ideas are required all the time for business growth. Owing to strong competition in the modern markets, businesses are being compelled to devise their development chains on a regular basis. As a matter of fact, the natural laws and factors that affect demand and supply cannot permit static strategies. Dynamic business ideas are fundamental. This calls for innovation throughout the lifetime of a business organisation. Furthermore, customers’ tastes and preferences are always changing. Unless a business unit remains focussed on these needs through innovation, return on investment cannot be guaranteed. References Belenzon, S. Berkovitz, T. 2010, Innovation in Business Groups, Management Science, vol. 56, no. 3, pp. 519-535. Broring, S. Herzog, P. 2008, Organising new business development: open innovation at Degussa, European Journal of Innovation Management, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 330-348. Campbell, D., Edgar, D. Stonehouse, G 2011, Business Strategy: An Introduction, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke. Cassia, L., De Massis, A. Pizzurno, E. 2012, Strategic innovation and new product development in family firms, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour Research, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 198-232. Doppelt, B 2010, Leading change toward sustainability: a change-management guide for business, government and civil society, Greenleaf E-book, Sheffield. Holtzman, Y. 2008, Innovation in research and development: tool of strategic growth, The Journ al of Management Development, vol. 27, no. 10, pp. 1037-1052. Kindstrà ¶m, D. Kowalkowski, C. 2014, Service innovation in product-centric firms: a multidimensional business model perspective, The Journal of Business Industrial Marketing, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 96-111. Lasserre, P 2012, Global Strategic Management 3rd ed, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke. Lin, H. 2008, Empirically testing innovation characteristics and organizational learning capabilities in e-business implementation success, Internet Research, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 60-78. Maslova, N.V. 2013, Impact of Risk on Entrepreneurial Activity in the Small Innovation Business. Varazdin Development and Entrepreneurship Agency, p. 68. McAdam, R., Reid, R. Mitchell, N. 2010, Longitudinal development of innovation implementation in family-based SMEs, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour Research, vol. 16, no. 5, pp. 437-456. Mieres, C.G., Snchez, J..L. Vijande, M.L.S. 2012, Internal Marketing, Innovation and Perform ance in Business Services Firms: The Role of Organizational Unlearning, International Journal of Management, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 403-429. Mullins, L 2010, Management Organisational Behaviour, 9th ed., Pearson Education, Harlow. Rae, D 2007, Entrepreneurship From Opportunity To Action, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke. Rajala, R., Westerlund, M. Mà ¶ller, K. 2012, Strategic flexibility in open innovation designing business models for open source software, European Journal of Marketing, vol. 46, no. 10, pp. 1368-1388.

What Dreams May Come essays

What Dreams May Come essays Gender Stereotypes, An Epidemic For Most Americans? Gender stereotyping is a problem even today in the twenty- first century. For example, there are still disputes on womens rights dating back to the late eighteen hundreds, though many accomplishments have been achieved in this ongoing battle. Since then, women have been able to vote, own property, and operate businesses (some women are even CEOs of fortune five-hundred companies such as e-bay and Kraft foods). Despite all of these things, there are still more battles ahead in the future. Women are still getting paid less than men, even though they are doing the same job as fellow male coworkers. Women still cannot be drafted into the United States armed forces in times of need, either. (Which would be valuable these days.) Some employers may prefer one gender to the next and unconsciously use that to consider a prospective employees future. Fortunately, we are fighting these stereotypes; there is an increased number of stay-athome dads and the necessity of a two-income famil y has changed they way most people feel toward housewives. Most of society has come to accept and realize that women are just as intelligent as men. I believe that stereotypes are limiting and constricting, despite the fact that we use them often to define ourselves. I have seen their effects in the media, in society and life and in our very own homes. The media dictates the use of many gender stereotypes. Males are expected to be strong and to play sports from very young ages. Many male sports accentuate masculinity and there appears to be a contest to see which man or team is more macho. Television networks are known to cover male sports statistically more often than female sports. Even with the womens soccer World Cup Finals and womens ice-skating in the winter Olympics having very high ratings, male sports still are promoted more frequently. The defense ...

Verb Tenses and Forms on SAT Writing

Verb Tenses and Forms on SAT Writing SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Get excited for this article all about verbs!!! Tenses!! Gerunds!! Infinitives!! In my next article, I may write about not overusing exclamation points!!! Extreme punctuation aside, knowing when to use different verb tenses and forms will be extremely beneficial to you on the SAT Writing section, since these concepts are tested repeatedly on the SAT. There’s a lot of information in this article, but I promise that it’s all valuable and knowing it will help you maximize your SAT score. In this post, I’ll do the following: Define the verb tenses and forms that are tested on the SAT. Provide information about when to use different verb tenses. Detail how to construct verbs in different tenses. Explain and demonstrate how verbs are tested on the SAT. Provide practice questions to test you on what you’ve learned. Verb Tenses You Need To Know While you don’t need to know the names of verb tenses for the SAT, you do need to know when and how to properly use different verb tenses. We'll go through them one at a time. Present Function The present tense is the verb tense you use when for discussingthings that are currently happening or for statements of fact. Examples of verbs in the present tense are "runs," "plays," and "talk." Also, the present progressive is considered a form of the present tense. The present progressive is formed with the present tense of â€Å"to be† + the gerund (â€Å"ing†) form of the word. Examples of presentprogressive verbs are "am talking," "is explaining," and "are jumping." Typically, words like â€Å"currently† andâ€Å"now† indicate that you should use the present tense of a verb. Here's an example sentence for you: Currently, I am writing this amazing article. Construction Let's conjugate a verb in the present tense. This is the conjugation of the verb "walk". Singular Plural I walk We walk You walk You walk He/She/It Walks They walk The present tense is not specifically tested on the SAT Writing section, but you do need to know how to properly conjugate verbs in the present tense for subject-verb agreement questions. Simple Past Function Generally, any sentence that describes a completed action should contain a verb in the past tense. Construction Typically the simple past tense of a verb is formed by adding â€Å"ed† to the verb. The past tense of â€Å"destroy† is â€Å"destroyed†. The past tense of â€Å"talk† is â€Å"talked† and the past tense of â€Å"explain† is â€Å"explained.† Check out this example sentence: Yesterday, George watched seven hours of Netflix. Many verbs are irregular and do not follow this construction. For example, "buy" becomes "bought" in the past tense, "come" becomes "came," and "grow" becomes "grew." However, the SAT will not specifically test you on irregular verbs. Good stuff Present Perfect Function Use the present perfect tense for actions that began in the past but are still continuing in the present. Construction The present perfect is formed with has/have + the past participle. For regular verbs, the past participle is formed by adding "ed" to the verb. Examples of present perfect verbs include "has talked", "have done", and "has brought". Here is an example sentence with a verb in the present perfect tense. For the past seven hours, George has watched Netflix. As in this example, the words â€Å"for† and â€Å"since† often indicate that the present perfect tense is needed. Be aware, however, thatthere are other instances when context determines that you should use the present perfect tense. Past Perfect Function When a sentence describes two completed actions, the past perfect is used for the action that came first. Construction The past perfect tense is formed with had + the past participle. Examples of past perfect verbs include "had talked," "had danced," and "had grown." Look at this sentence that correctly uses the past perfect tense: By the time his mom came home from work, George had watched seven hours of Netflix. The seven hours of watching werecompleted before George'smom came home, so we use the past perfect for the verb "to watch." The action that comes firstshould be in the past perfect tense. Conditional Function The conditional tense is used to describe things that could occur or things that haven't yet occurred from the perspective of the past. Construction The conditional tense is formed with "would" + the verb. Examples of verbs in the conditional tense are "would talk," "would sing," and "would write." Future Function The future tense is used to describe things that have not yet occurred or could occur in the future. Construction The future tense is formed with "will" + the verb. Examples of verbs in the future tense are "will talk," "will sing," and "will write." Gerunds and Infinitives Gerund and Infinitive Function Both gerunds and infinitives are verbs that act like nouns. While gerunds and infinitives can often be used interchangeably, certain idiomatic expressions require you to use one or the other. Gerund Construction Gerunds are formed by adding "ing" to a verb. Examples of gerunds include "running," "jumping," and "singing." Infinitive Construction Infinitives are formed by adding "to" + the verb. Examples of infinitives include "to play," "to run," and "to jump." How Are Verb Tenses and Forms Tested on the SAT? Now that you're familiar with the different verb tenses and forms, we can discuss how theyare tested on the SAT. Consistency Most of the verb questions in the SAT Writing section have to do with consistency. The basic consistency rule regarding verbs is that verbs should remain consistent in tense or form throughout a sentence. Sentences that start in the past should stay in the past and sentences that start in the present should stay in the present. Check out this incorrect sentence that does not follow the consistency rule: Jerome attends study hall and played the violin. The verb "attends" is in the present tense and "played" is in the past. The verb tenses should be consistent. Here is a correct version of the sentence: Jerome attends study hall and plays the violin. We could have corrected the sentence by changing "attends" to "attended". The important thing to remember is that the verb tenses should be consistent. Sometimes, however, you can have a shift in tense and the sentence can still be correct. This kind of construction is only possible if the verbs are in different clauses. Take a look at these examples: Jeremiah bought a Lexus and impresses his peers. Jeremiah bought a Lexus because he wants to impress his peers. The first sentence is incorrect since "bought" and "impresses" are in different tenses but the same clause. The second sentence, on the other hand, is correct. The tense shift takes place in a different clause and the two verbs are occurring at different times: Jeremiah bought the car in the past, but he still wants to impress people in the present. Strategy If a verb is underlined in either the sentence improvement or identify the error subsection, make sure the verb follows consistency rules. If there are multiple verbs in the sentence, identify the tenses to make sure they're consistent. If there's a shift from past to present or vice versa, determine if the variation is acceptable given the context of the sentence. Here's an actual SAT Writing question that tests verb tense consistency. Real SAT Example Try to answer the following question from a real SAT. Explanation: The verb â€Å"has been† is part of the underlined phrase. Whenever you see a verb underlined, check for verb tense andsubject-verb agreement errors. â€Å"Has been† is in the present perfect tense. However, we know that the sentence should be in the past due to the verb â€Å"was† in the sentence. The verb tenses should be consistent. Also, the present perfect is used for something that is still going on, and, based on the context of the sentence, we know that we’re dealing with a completed action. Similarly, because there is not a sequence of completed actions, we know that we shouldn’t use the past perfect tense, "had been". After eliminating wrong choices, we’re left with C and D. Due to parallel structure rules, the infinitive â€Å"to conceive† should be used to be parallel with â€Å"to espouse† on the other side of the conjunction. The answer is D. On the SAT Writing section Let's take a look at another common type of verb form question on the SAT. Gerund Vs. Infinitive On the SAT, gerunds will be switched with infinitives. While both gerunds and infinitives are verbs that function as nouns, certain idiomatic expressions require you to use either a gerund or an infinitive. Typically, you have to rely on knowing what sounds right to determine whether to use a gerund or an infinitive. Here is an example of ansentence with an error: Luis has decided playing football next year. To fix the error, you have to know that the verb "decide"requires an infinitive to follow it. This is the corrected version of the same sentence: Luis decided to play football next year. How do you figure out gerund vs. infinitive questions on the SAT? Strategy Review the list of idioms with gerunds and infinitives. In sentences with a gerund or infinitive underlined, replace one with the other to determine what sounds better. Use this strategy and your knowledge of gerunds and infinitives to answer this actual SAT question. Real SAT Example Where is the error in the following sentence? Is there an error? Explanation: I hope your ear for what sounds right helped you figure this one out. There is a gerund, â€Å"working†, underlined. Replace the gerund with an infinitive to determine what sounds better. Would you say â€Å"they had an inability working together† or â€Å"they had an inability to work together†? The latter is correct, and the infinitive form should be used. The answer is C. Let's move onto some of the other commonly misused verb forms. Simple Past Vs. Present Perfect On the SAT, a verb will occasionallybe in the simple past tense when it should be in the present perfect and vice versa. As noted earlier, the past tense is used for completed actions. The present perfect is used for actions that began in the past and are still going on. Here is an example sentence with this sort of verb tense error: For the past month, I wrote articles for PrepScholar. The action, writing, started a month ago and is still going on. Therefore, you should use the present perfect tense. This is the corrected sentence: For the past month, I have written articles for PrepScholar. Will make you holler! I have a few tips to help you figure out whether to use the past or present present perfect on the SAT Writing section. Strategy For both past and present perfect tenses, determine the function of the verb based on the context of the sentence. Use your knowledge of how the tenses should be used to determine if the given tense is being used correctly. Keep in mind that words like â€Å"for† and â€Å"since† often indicate that the present perfect is required. Simple Past Vs. Past Perfect The simple past is for completed actions and the past perfect describes the first of two completed actions or events. On the SAT, occasionally, a verb will be in the simple past when it should be in the past perfect and vice versa. This is an example of an incorrect sentence: I never saw such a disgusting meal until I went to Applebee's. Because the â€Å"never seeing† happened before going to Applebee’s, the verb should be in the past perfect tense. This is the corrected version of the sentence: I had never seen such a disgusting meal until I went to Applebee's. The following advice will help you when you encounter a simple past vs. past perfect question on the SAT. Strategy Any time a simple past tense verb or past perfect verb is underlined, make sure the verb is being used correctly. The phrase â€Å"by the time† will often indicate that the past perfect is needed. Check out this past vs. past perfect question from the SAT. Real SAT Example Try to correctly answer this past vs. past perfect question that appeared on the identify the error subsection. Explanation: Let’s look at the underlined verb â€Å"had been†. It’s in the past perfect tense. Should it be? Well, the two actions, sharing the Nobel Prize and being the first woman to win, happened simultaneously. The past perfect should only be used for an action that is completed before another completed action. Therefore, the simple past should be used instead of the past perfect. The answer is C. The verb should be â€Å"was†. Would Vs. Will On rare occasions, "would" and "will" will be switched with one another. Generally, you only have to remember that "would" should be used with sentences in the past tense and "will" should be used with sentences in the present or future tense. Here is an example of an incorrect sentence: Bill Clinton, who will become president in 1992, was born in Hope, Arkansas. Because the sentence is in the past, as indicated by a date in the past, you need to use â€Å"would† instead of â€Å"will†. This is the corrected version: Bill Clinton, who would become president in 1992, was born in Hope, Arkansas. Strategy Any time that â€Å"would† or â€Å"will† is underlined, make sure that â€Å"would† is used for sentences in the past, and â€Å"will† is used for sentences in the present/future. Let's take a look at more verb questions from the SAT Writing section. More Real SAT Examples Try to correctly answer this identify the error question. Explanation: On first glance, nothing may seem incorrect. However, the phrase â€Å"twenty-five years after† indicates that the action is already completed. The event happened twenty-five years ago. The past tense should be used for completed actions. The verb â€Å"stimulate† is in the present tense and should be changed to â€Å"stimulated†. The answer is B. Here's another example question for you. Explanation:When you see a verb underlined, make sure it’s in the proper tense. The phrase â€Å"during the last fifty years† indicates that something started in the past and is still going on. What verb tense should we use in this situation? We should use the present perfect tense. â€Å"Come† is in the present tense. Also, the verb â€Å"have seemed† is a clue that â€Å"come† should be in the present perfect tense. In this situation, the tenses should be consistent. Therefore, â€Å"come† should be â€Å"have come†. The answer is B. Here are some more general tips for verb questions on SAT Writing. General Strategies for Verb Questions #1: If a Verb is Underlined, Check for Proper Tense and Form Whether on the sentence improvement or identify the error subsection, if a verb is part of an underlined phrase, there is a possible verb form error. #2: Look for Words/Phrases That Indicate Which Verb Tense Should Be Used Often, words or phrases elsewhere in the sentence will let you know what tense to use. If a date in the past is referenced, you should probably use a form of the past tense. If the word â€Å"since† is written, there should probably be a present perfect verb. Context clues are placed within a sentence to indicate the proper verb tense. Also, the other verbs in the sentence can indicate which tense to use. Remember consistency rules. #3: Replace Gerunds with Infinitives and Vice Versa If there is a sentence with a gerund or infinitive underlined, replace it with the other to determine which would work best in the given sentence. Rely on your ear and knowledge of idiomatic expressions for gerund/infinitive questions. I created some realistic practice questions to test you on what you've learned. Additional Practice Utilize your verb knowledge to answer the following SAT Writing practice questions. 1. When Toni Braxton performed (A) at the casino in Arizona (B), she sold (C) out the venue and had been given (D) a standing ovation. No error. (E) 2. Until (A) recently, people talk (B) to each other instead (C) of relying on texting and e-mail to communicate (D) with their peers. No error. (E) 3. For the past five years, Josh has been listening toTupacShakur. A. has been listening B. listens C. is listening D. will be listening E. listened 4. When (A) Mariah Carey released (B) her first album in 1990, (C) no one knew that she will (D) win 5 Grammy Awards and sell more than 60 million albums. No error. (E) Answers: 1. D, 2. B, 3. A, 4. D What's Next? Now that you'vethoroughly reviewed verb questions, check out this article on the complete parts of speech for SAT Writing. For an in-depth post about questions related to specific parts of speech, read this one on adjectives and adverbs. For those of you who are aiming for perfection, learn how to get a perfect score on SAT Writing. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Writing and grammar lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Analysis essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Analysis - Essay Example The use of direct quotes of the author calling his siblings shows the author’s attempts to imitate the family set-ups he watched in his favorite program. The quotes are useful in creating an imagery of the author’s actions and his desire to mimic the perfect families in TV. Orr (82) explains that the use of satire throughout the story is the writer’s strongest aspect in constructing his arguments. The author asked his brother Rick and sister Debbie to put on shoes to the dinner table just like in the TV where people dress appropriately for dinner parties. However, Rick defied him and came to the dinner table with only his swim trunks on. The writer’s attempts to influence his siblings and his brother’s defiance occurred without the mother realizing. The use of satire is more evident in the author’s use of an exclamation mark in the sentence â€Å"†¦to become wealthy, and right away!† The author is so obsessed with the rich lives of the families he watches in the TV such that he decides to take a rake and look for work in the neighborhood. Even though doing manual jobs such as cleaning using rakes cannot make one rich, the author still believes he can be rich. Even more satirical is the fact that the author walks in the neighborhood requesting to collect leaves in the summer. It is clear that the author’s obsession has impaired his judgment and reasoning. It is in the summer therefore, there are no leaves to clean up. However, the author’s insistence on the presence of leaves to clean up is ridiculous and discomforting. The author’s use of satire is his strongest literary aspect to show his childhood and often, stupid obsession with families in TV (Orr 83). Gary Soto discusses at length his quest to work for people in the neighborhood in order to get rich (Orr 93). He succinctly describes the work he did for his neighbors and in the process, highlights the stupidity of his

Reflective report on business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Reflective report on business - Essay Example The basic objectives of a task have been highlighted below: To critically evaluate the website of the client and to compare the outlook of its website with other websites that introduces the similar features like Birmingham and Leeds. How can the website be improved and what changes might it require? To conduct a market research and to find out the target audience of the current website. To evaluate the website using 10 usability criteria. Jobs Assigned There were 11 group members involved in the project that were assigned with different tasks to help completing the project on desired time. Following are the names of group members and their tasks which were assigned to each individual: Khurram was provided with the opportunity to describe the project plan and project scope related to the improvements in the website of Salford City Council. The project plan includes describing milestones of the project, its goals and deliverables. The work also includes making up of Gantt chart. Nadia and Ruby were provided a mutual task in which they had to develop 15 questionnaires for the survey and found the target audience of the website as described by our client Ruth. ... Case studies template was designed by me. Ozon and Marios described in their part of how Salford City Council can design mobile application in their website. The Aim of this Report The aim of the particular report is to describe the driving force of the group in conducting the particular research for the term project. This report helps in understanding how the project was performed since the very beginning and how did the team coordinated in achieving the desired results. Theories McClelland’s Human Motivation Theory has been applied to increase the motivation amongst group members. The theory helps to identify the nature of every group members to which they are motivated. If a person is praised in a group meeting for his good performance but it not made any impression on the person but rather it made him feel bad. The idea behind this theory is that, every person has different personalities and managing every person is never easy (Jelencic 2010). If a person is managing a tea m, it is essential to know what motivates an individual group member that is how a person can be motivated effectively. The theory helps a leader in identifying the motivational driver for the group member. Similarly, the group leader used to assign suitable tasks according to our own taste and if a person would never want to stand out in a crowd, then a person is appreciated in private. The second theory relates with the Tuckman’s theory which was introduced by Bruce Tuckman in 1960’s. According to the theory there are five stages in developing a group. The stage one of the group has successfully been applied in our group which focuses upon making small groups between people that have good understanding amongst themselves (Anyanwu 2009). This

Nemiros Research on Creativity in Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nemiros Research on Creativity in Teams - Essay Example Malhotra (2000, p.101) stated that, "These structures are characterized by such terms as virtual, boundary-less or networked." The people or members are involved in virtual teams, are scattered geographically and communicate with each other through information technology. Nemiro proposed three different types of work design approaches: the wheel, modular and iterative approach. Members on two different status levels make up the network, a high-status member (the leader or supervisor) and lower level members or assistants. The higher status member is usually referred to as the hub or center of network, through which all communication must pass. If the team member has to put forward an idea, it should be directly presented to the team leader rather then being shared by the other members. So, in most situations, the team members of the lower status lack communication and sharing of information prevails. The duties are delegated to the team members by the leader or the lower status team members present their ideas personally to the leader. The second proposed work design approach is the modular approach, which is repeatedly used by the virtual teams to complete their tasks. This approach involves more communication then the previous one. Firstly, the team sets a face to face group meeting and decides on the steps that are suppose to be followed, while finding the solution to the problem or completing the task. Nemiro (2002) stated that, "Team members met initially to decide on the need, task, or project to be pursed. Then, as a group, the work was parceled out or distributed among team members" After completing the initial step the team members disperse in order to extract information through different sources individually or accompanied by other members. The findings then are discussed among the team members before the final submission. 3. The iterative approach Most virtual groups use iterative approach where there is more connection with the team members is involved. None of the step is done in isolation or without communicating it to the other members. The feedback is being given at every step or at every finding. Nemiro (2002) has written that group members who are involved in the developmental cycles, each member shows some work at every step and gets feedback. Similar procedure is followed until final submission. This approach is widely used because the results are more impressive and accurate because in the feedback session more ideas can be generated on the new findings and the results get closer to the perfection. How the approaches would be helpful Nobody can deny the effectiveness of the traditional team structures which

Analysis of Nonobjective Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of Nonobjective Art - Essay Example I. Introduction It is possible to use literal, design, and expressive qualities to guide one’s analysis of works such as Wassily Kandinsky’s painting Several Circles. Afterwards, a reflection on the analysis of nonobjective works will be provided, describing how this process differs from analyzing figurative or representational artwork. II. Literal Qualities Kandinsky used the circle because he thought it represented various concepts, including peace, wholeness, and perfection. He epitomized the form of the circle in this sense, his work being like a form of visual poetry. â€Å"The use of the circle occurs†¦in [several] variations†¦in Kandinsky's work†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 1 In effect, the use of circles is effective, especially because of the pleasing aesthetic placement of circles of various colors. For example, primary colors red and yellow are used with the secondary color orange in the same general perimeter. In addition, the primary color blue is used effective ly because it is close to the secondary colors green and purple. The literal qualities of the work include strong usages of primary and secondary colors to convey various effects. III. Design Qualities The circle as design was considered to be an epic and most complete shape out of all of the shapes available one could work with, in turn.

Is China in an asset bubble Yes or no Why or why not (Particularly Assignment

Is China in an asset bubble Yes or no Why or why not (Particularly real estate bubble) - Assignment Example Fan Gang joined the regional officials in expressing their concern over the surging prices of assets (Leung & Wong Para 1). According to Forsythe and Hamlin, there is a sprout of empty buildings across the nation as firms with access to 1.4 trillion dollars- given in new loans in 2008- build skyscrapers. This has led to the Chinese property’s market bubble. James Chano, the hedge fund manager, says that there is a monumental asset and fixed asset, including real assets, bubble in China right now. He adds that deflating such an issue will be quite difficult at best (Forsythe & Hamlin Para 4). The Chinese government, since October 2010, has increased asset bubbles three times. This suggests fears of a shaping asset bubble and high inflation. China is highly dependent on oil and her growth rate is higher than that of Japan. If the worldwide prices of oil continue rising, China could be in some serious trouble. Moreover, there are numerous IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) in China with ample foreign investors wanting to invest in them. This move could only be fueling the growth of asset bubbles (Zhou 79). Conclusively, a serious market bubble is looming in China if the government does not take effective measures to contain it. Since 2006, economists and analysts have predicted a large asset bubble and this has increased with time. Forsythe, Michael and Hamlin, Kevin. China’s Real Estate Bubble Causing Growing Concern. Bloomberg News. 14 February 2010. Web 27 April 2012, Leung, Sophie and Wong, Chia-Peck. China Faces Asset-Bubble Risk, PBOC Adviser Fan Says (Update 2). Bloomberg. 18 November 2009. Web 27 April 2012,

Managing workplace diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing workplace diversity - Essay Example It is evident from the study that for the last decades, the term diversity has been used to mean the â€Å"demographic constitution of a particular group or team†. In experimental studies, the diversity of a team is normally determined using compositional technique, which focuses on how demographic characteristics such as ethnicity, gender, age among others are distributed within the team. Assessment of diversity in workplace entails determination of the extent in which members are similar or dissimilar to one another. According to Caleb, diversity represents the numerous individual disparities existing among people in particular organization. In studies of diversity in workplaces, various attributes of employees have been proved to be of critical importance in the current management practices. They include gender, ethnicity, length of service in the particular organization, areas of specialisation and skills, level of education, cultural values in addition to personality of t he individual. The content of diversity in workplaces has been a subject of many research studies. Aparna and Susan classified the content of diversity into two categories, namely task and relations oriented. Relations oriented diversity involves the availability of traits or attributes that are influential in determining interpersonal associations. In normal circumstances, relations oriented diversity does not have direct noticeable effects on the performance of tasks (Aparna and Susan, 2000: 60). Mike (2004: 157) consider relations oriented diversity as the social -category diversity. Task oriented diversity is the distribution of the performance-relevant attributes. Examples of attributes that are more likely to be relationship-oriented diversity include age, sex, race, ethnicity, religion, political association, sexual orientation and nationality. These attributes are readily indentified or recognised in a particular context (Caleb, 2006). Other relationship oriented attributes are not readily detected in workplace setting. They include gender, attitudes, values, personality, racial and ethnic identity, sexual and class identity among other social identities. Task oriented diversity attributes in the work place include readily identified qualities such as education level, membership to an organisation or department, association with professional bodies, formal credentials and titles in addition to organisation tenure. However, some task oriented diversity attributes are not obvious, or easily detected. They include knowledge and expertise, cognitive skills and abilities, in addition to physical skills and capacities (Aparna and Susan 2000: 201). Research on performance of employees in a multicultural background indicates that diverse teams perform differently from homogenous groups (Kreitner and Kinicki 1995:72) Although the exact mechanisms that cause the disparity in performance remain speculative, various existing theories provide feasible explanation t o the difference.

Is China in an asset bubble Yes or no Why or why not (Particularly Assignment

Is China in an asset bubble Yes or no Why or why not (Particularly real estate bubble) - Assignment Example Fan Gang joined the regional officials in expressing their concern over the surging prices of assets (Leung & Wong Para 1). According to Forsythe and Hamlin, there is a sprout of empty buildings across the nation as firms with access to 1.4 trillion dollars- given in new loans in 2008- build skyscrapers. This has led to the Chinese property’s market bubble. James Chano, the hedge fund manager, says that there is a monumental asset and fixed asset, including real assets, bubble in China right now. He adds that deflating such an issue will be quite difficult at best (Forsythe & Hamlin Para 4). The Chinese government, since October 2010, has increased asset bubbles three times. This suggests fears of a shaping asset bubble and high inflation. China is highly dependent on oil and her growth rate is higher than that of Japan. If the worldwide prices of oil continue rising, China could be in some serious trouble. Moreover, there are numerous IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) in China with ample foreign investors wanting to invest in them. This move could only be fueling the growth of asset bubbles (Zhou 79). Conclusively, a serious market bubble is looming in China if the government does not take effective measures to contain it. Since 2006, economists and analysts have predicted a large asset bubble and this has increased with time. Forsythe, Michael and Hamlin, Kevin. China’s Real Estate Bubble Causing Growing Concern. Bloomberg News. 14 February 2010. Web 27 April 2012, Leung, Sophie and Wong, Chia-Peck. China Faces Asset-Bubble Risk, PBOC Adviser Fan Says (Update 2). Bloomberg. 18 November 2009. Web 27 April 2012,

Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Portfolio - Essay Example To say that this course helped me crystallize many of my thoughts and feelings would be an understatement. The paragraphs that follow would detail the ways in which I developed my thoughts and learnt to form them into coherent arguments reflecting some beliefs that are close to my heart. As is evident from the classroom discussions t as well as the online exchanges that I had with my peers, this course helped me reframe some of my core beliefs and attitudes towards Euthanasia and the right to die. This is one issue on which I have firm beliefs and as people who know me well would attest, I firmly believe that we as individuals have a right to die when â€Å"the time is up†. Towards this end, I practice what I preach as is evident from the fact that I have made my will and want to go without â€Å"no tube for eating† and â€Å"no support†. This is what I am and what I will be. The reason that I mentioned about making a will was that for many people, the controversy surrounding Euthanasia is primarily due to the fact that there might be malicious intentions in letting people decide on whether they want to live or not because their near and dear ones would be awaiting the gains from that person’s will. This would not be the case with me and I have already made arrangements in terms of drawing up the will as I have explained above. When a person carries out an act of euthanasia, he brings about the death of another person because he believes the latters present existence is so bad that she would be better off dead, or believes that unless he intervenes and ends her life, it will become so bad that she would be better off dead. The motive of the person who commits an act of euthanasia is to benefit the one whose death is brought about. (Though what was just said also holds for many instances of physician-assisted suicide, some wish to restrict the use of the latter term to forms of assistance which stop short of the physician ‘bringing about the death’

Beyond The Human Essay Example for Free

Beyond The Human Essay Nature is benevolent. It may condone one mistake of the human being. It may accommodate him in his yet another folly. But when the human beings continue with the deliberate, malicious and intentional negative activities to destroy Nature, Nature will hit back with tremendous vigor, for it has to recoup its original, natural health. Man is not the creature of Nature. Rather he is the product of the divine creative force that sustains the world. This novel by Atwood is grim and depressing and the contents therein, if it were to become true, do not augur well for the wellbeing of humanity. This book can be categorized as Science Fiction or speculative fiction, but as one goes through the contents, it reads like predictions that will come true. There is a method in the imaginative narrations which reach the borders or truth. At the end of each chapter, the reader is compelled to nod his head and say-yes, this can happen! How then to make this Planet Earth heaven-like? The answer is simple and direct. Eyes full of understanding, heart full of love and deep respect for the laws of Nature and the life that refuses conflicts—enough, these alone are enough! Two main themes dominate the book, Oryx and Crake. The novel relates to the distant future, the global warning has taken its toll, it has created many changes to the geography of Earth, that the coastal cities do not exist, and the name of New York is New New York. Umbrellas wont do to go outside in the sun; one invites certain death. The wealthier areas of the world still dominate, well-protected under places known as compounds and areas known as The Pleebands still exist. People live the normal life here, and understand Nature and its glory better. They know the real worth of Gods gifts to humanity. The plot of the book has three central characters. The narrator, Snowman, formerly known as Jimmy, is the only surviving human being on this Planet Earth. The sad beginning of the novel describes this terminally ill Snowman, sleeping in a tree. Food is in short supply; the sun is so hot that the Snowman has blisters on his body. The genetically engineered beings wolvogs and the pigoos that have managed to escape are now roaming the grounds, with no human beings to control them. At this stage, Atwood makes the reader ponder, as to what a sad pass the human race has arrived and the responsibility rests squarely on the shoulders of the captains who led the human race. The role of the scientists becomes suspect here. No doubt, they obey the orders of the politicians and do research on weapons of more and more and destruction. When questioned, their reply is that they have no responsibility for its use. Atwood provides the imperative advice to those who govern the affairs of humanity that if proper review is not made in time, even the desperate remedies will not be able to avert the forthcoming desperate situations. The important question is not who is responsible but what will happen to the Planet Earth, when such irreversible grim situations confront humanity—in this particular story, the humanity itself is extinct so who is there to tell the story and also listen to the story! To what a calamitous situation this mad craze for unending research has brought the human race, the so-called crown of creation! How the human beings are unable to know the real source of happiness? True happiness is not in reading more and more books, creating innovative materialistic objects. The products of mind related thinking can never be the permanent source of happiness. To achieve the state of bliss, an individual has to cross the barrier of mind, rather transcend it. Now the only surviving human being the Snowman, has the added responsibility of looking after a group of humanoid creatures named the Crackers. His best friend Crake invented them and created such class of people. They are supposed to be ideal human beings. If only the individual who created such human being were to know the exact nature of ideal human beings! Crakers are strange creatures, with no emotions, no desires, and no sex drive. They just procreate, as matter of reflex action. They are without any motivation. The concept of war is not known to these creatures, and this aspect seems to be the only good point about them. Being strict vegetarians, they have no desire for meat. They are simple people, but the meaning of their simplicity is not amenable to human reason. The question is, why for these Crakers were created at all? An important conclusion is the mind-less craze for research must stop. How to stop it and where to stop it, should be the concern of the leadership of the humanity. A popular protest to halt the undesirable and unhealthy growth of research that affects the human life must be on the top of the agenda. This aspect of research can be illustrated with an example. An over the counter medication for diabetes claims—the cure for diabetes is guaranteed with this medicine. But the side effects reported are, hypertension, night-blindness, hair fall, palpitation of the heart, with possible heart attack, high blood pressure, blisters etc. Further research is in progress as to how to avoid these side-effects. Is it not prudent to own the original disease, instead of extending a cordial invitation to so many side effects? So, this much about the world of research related to the medical world. So, the important question is why the world ended and why should it have ended thus. Due to the follies of the miniscule of minority of human beings, the majority had to face the ultimate disaster—total extinction! —Atwood elucidates this aspect convincingly and indicates her deep concern for the real happiness of human beings, which is an attainable reality provided right type of efforts are made. Conclusion: One must read this book; one must re-read and ponder over the contents. The points mentioned in the book are logical and the conclusions are frightening. Just remember the atomic blasts done over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That was the time when the research on atomic weapons was still in its infancy. What if some mad political authority should initiate triggering the push-buttons of these silent demons? There wont be a Snowman to collect the ashes of humanity perhaps! Does the humanity deserve this? Perhaps not! Are we taking action and thinking strongly to avert such a situation? Perhaps not! Then who is to blame? Perhaps ourselves! The science-community, especially the bio-engineering division, is taken to task by Atwood and her deep suspicions about the craze of unending research are absolutely right. So, the scientists! —you may cross the moon and beat the stars; but probe and research you must the mysteries of a happy human heart! ************************** References Cited: Atwood, Margaret (Author) Book: Oryx and Crake. Paperback: 376 pages Publisher: Anchor (March 30, 2004) Language: English ISBN-10: 0385721676 ISBN-13: 978-0385721677

9 11 Essay :: September 11, 2001 Essay

On September 11, 2001 terrorists crashed two American airline airplanes into Twin Towers, killing thousands of people. It was the worst terrorist attack in American history and it showed us that we are not protected by Atlantic and Pacific. It showed us that we could be attacked by anyone at anytime. It showed us that if we will be attacked again that we can only depend on each other and not on other nations to help us. The 9/11 changed people forever, some lost family members or friends, others lost their jobs even so called â€Å"American Dream.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The September 11th attacks made us united as one powerful person who can stand up from the ruins of thousands pounds of metal and fight so that we wont have to be in ruins again. In the recent videos Osama bin Laden and his colleagues are talking about the power of Islam and the attacks on Twin Towers. It seems like Osama bin Laden and other radicals are ready for â€Å"Jihad† and they are ready to win. They say that Allah is on their side and people around the world want to learn more about Islam since the September 11th attacks. A good example was John Walker, an American who was with Taliban army man when he was captured. He was studying Muslim traditions in Pakistan where he joined Taliban. The other day I was watching â€Å"Dennis Miller Live† where I heard Dennis Miller talk about John Walker, he said that his parents should give him more then just spanking. This showed me that even today almost five months of 9/11 people still talk about it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Our military campaigns in Afghanistan eliminated a regime that supported terrorism and other violent groups. Today in Afghanistan there is no regime and the country is rebuilding it self from the ruins of Soviet war. John Ashcroft who is now the famous man on TV is probably the only one who takes the problem seriously. He said that he wants to check for people who have connections with the Alquida and its cells. But some people say it’s unconstitutional to do that, but in 1700’s or even 1800’s terrorists did not attack America. That means that our finding fathers did not had to deal with Ottoman Empire nor their attacks because we were protected by oceans. Even in the old days constitution was not a factor for some people to do something immoral or illegal.

Comparing The Perfect Family, The Sanctuary of School, Dog Lab, and Education :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Comparing The Perfect Family, by Alice Hoffman, The Sanctuary of School, by Lynda Barry, Dog Lab, by Claire McCarthy, and Education by Jake Werner What we learn at home, at school, from our peers, and from entertainment can have great effects throughout our whole entire lives. There is no such thing as a perfect family, human being, or society, yet we are able to live our lives with the enjoyment of peace and harmony. What we see on television may simulate a perfect family, but, of course, not everything we wish to see is true. Not everyone can have the lives that everyone wants. In reading the essays "The Perfect Family" by Alice Hoffman, "The Sanctuary of School" by Lynda Barry, "Dog Lab" by Claire McCarthy, and "Education" by Jake Werner a realization occurred. These authors came down with comparable results. Two authors have similar styles of writing while the others had a contrasting style.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "The Perfect Family" by Alice Hoffman was about how she was faced with the adversity of being raised in a single parent family. She never gave up on believing her mom and herself, which is the reason who she is today. Alice Hoffman had a straight-forward strategy in writing her essay. In her style of writing, she included many details in describing her childhood history. It was from the introductory paragraph where I figured that this story was going to be descriptive in the sense of trying to constrain us by sympathizing with her and other families. In addition, she gave images such as "Roses grew by the front door...We had glass bottles filled with lightning bugs and brand-new swing sets in the backyard, and softball games at dusk."(pg --) Using this type of technique in writing her essay gave a clearer understanding of what she is trying to do. She was setting the table. Also, she gave a brief history of how marriages ar e supposed to be, how divorces are uncommon during that time, and the type of jobs a wife should be committed to. This technique was useful in her essay because if she did not include that history, maybe the reader would not understand the point of writing this essay, or may be confused on what is going on. A historical background can help greatly in helping the reader understand what is going on and can answer some questions to why this essay is being written.

Population Explosion

Before the end of the year 2011 the world can expect the population to hit an historic accomplishment of reaching seven billion people. The birth of this seven billionth baby will happen sometime in â€Å"October or November† (Nagarajan). This baby will most likely be born in India due to India having the highest fertility rate of â€Å"fifty one babies every minute† (Nagarajan). So is this an accomplishment for humans beating nature by populating the Earth? Or on the other hand will humans soon have to come to grips with their careless actions of destroying all resources, killing thousands of other species and eventually see the end of the human race at the hands of overpopulation? According to the author of Population 7 Billion, Robert Kunzig, â€Å"people shouldn’t panic- at least not yet† (1). A fair and stable amount of people is needed to keep the human species from dying off. Overpopulation, though, could deplete or destroy Earth’s resources such as food, water, and eventually lead to the breakdown of the ecosystem. With these resources being affected by the human population, the resulting consequences of plagues, wars, and famines could cause one of the few times for the global population to decrease. A global plan of action is needed, but policies such as China’s one-child policy is not even going to be considered by the U. S and many other countries to lower their population. The populations of humans on planet Earth have to face the challenge of providing food, water, and face the accountability for ecosystem breakdown. One famous book, The Population Bomb, a best seller in 1968 written by Paul R. Ehrlich, warned about overpopulation and advocated immediate action to limit population growth. He predicted famines that would follow the revelation of the world but thanks to the â€Å"Green Revolution of the 1970s, an increase in the world harvest averted the famines predicted by Ehrlich† (Zeaman 63). Although disaster was averted â€Å"decades from now there will be likely two billion more mouths to feed, mostly in poor countries† (Kunzig 43). Producing enough food as populations grow is possible but doing so will exhaust finite resources, and especially water will be a challenge. If the world population, which is expected to be eight billion by 2025, continues to be so high, â€Å"forty eight countries containing three billion people will face water shortages† (Hinrichsen). We do have the technology to desalinate ocean water, but this process is several times the costs as getting fresh water. Areas suffering from shortages of water can increase their share of water by capturing rain water and storing it. Finding enough arable land that is not already being occupied by humans will have to be dealt with future populations. China feeds its billion- plus people on less than ten percent of Earth’s arable land† (Kunzig 56). At least space to put all these people is not one of the most pressing issues, as the â€Å"world population could fit in the size of Texas, if it were as densely populated as New York† (Kunzig 48). Though we might have just enough livable land for future populations and land for crops and livestock, plants and animals will have to find space off of what is not already being used by humans. Earth’s biodiversity and ecosystems are in jeopardy, â€Å"with two out of every three species to be in decline† (Hinrichsen). Trees provide habitats for more than â€Å"fifty percent of plants and animal species† (Zeaman 73). Forests lost range from â€Å"twenty percent to fifty percent† (Zeaman 73). In the fourteenth century Europe experienced one of the worst plagues in human history, the bubonic plague. The bubonic plague killed over â€Å"half of the people of western Europe† (Dawling). The development of better transportation routes between Asia and Europe, which allowed rats carrying infected fleas to reach European cities, coinciding with the overcrowding and unsanitary conditions within these cities created an ideal condition for the disease to spread. In Ehrlich’s The Population Bomb similar occurrences were supposed to happen but thanks to institutions like â€Å"the World Health Organization and UNICEF† (Kunzig 45), and also with the development of â€Å"penicillin and smallpox vaccines after World War II† (Kunzig 45), plagues which were expected to be some of the worst humans have experienced, were practically eliminated with the exception of the AIDs virus. Plagues are not as threatening as they were to older cultures as they are today, but wars threaten people of all cultures and time periods. Wars do not only come from â€Å"religious differences, political beliefs, and ambitious rulers, but also population pressures will play a big role in wars of the future† (Zeaman 37). A country with a swelling population might try to take land from a neighboring country, or an overpopulated country, overwhelmed by poverty and social problems, breaks out into internal problems. Psychologists that have studied animals discovered the more crowded animals are together, the more aggressive they are and more prone to attack one another. Could such a mechanism operate in humans as well? Another risk for future humans is the utbreak of famines. Agriculture created civilization, but could dependence put an entire civilization at risk? In undeveloped nations where population growth is the highest, crop failures due to drought, excessive rains, or soil erosion can cause people to starve. Scientist who studied the Earth’s core found evidence of an ancient drought that led them to predict â€Å"that one region of Equatorial East Africa will suffer a mega drought, possibly lasting decades, in the next fifty to one hundred years† (Zeaman 62). This would be a drought of un-parallel proportions that could deteriorate an already unstable region. For the human race to become stable to a degree that does not deplenish the Earth’s resources, while having a population large enough to live through any global catastrophes, is needed for continuing existence. Is a world controversial population control policy that mimics China’s coercive one-child policy the solution? In â€Å"1965 Chinese women were having six children, now it is down to around one and a half† (Kunzig 48). Though the Chinese will continue this policy, the answer for other nations, especially the United States is a clear no. A much less controversial and beneficial policy to not only the country of India but becoming a beneficial program to its people is voluntary sterilization. The procedures which are mostly done to women are being changed to be done on the male population. The scalpel vasectomy costs less and is easier on the man than a tubal ligation on a woman. In less than seven minutes, male patients are walking out of the clinics without even a Band- Aid. An incentive fee of a week’s wage for a laborer would be more acceptably viewed by the global population then having your child taken away from you, like in China. Another way to fight overpopulation in the world’s undeveloped nations where populations incur the most growth is fighting poverty that feeds the world population. Fighting poverty through better education or providing clean water and nutritious food is a step in the right direction. Karl Marx, a nineteenth century communist revolutionary, is another world doom prophesier like Ehrlich that believed â€Å"capitalism creates overpopulation† (Gee). Marx has a right to his own views but his predictions seem to show that capitalism is the problem of over population. The U. S and almost all of Europe is close to or under the world average population growth of one hundred and thirty three percent between 1960 and 2011. In fact the â€Å"less developed world will account for more than ninety five percent of the future population growth† (Kunzig 50-51). In a study on 41,554 households in India, small but growing groups of one-child families appeared due to â€Å"education costs for children attending public or private school. With emphasis these parents have to give their children better opportunities to be successful through a higher education† (Kunzig 36). Will humans become extinct at the hands of overpopulation? The death of the human race will likely not be because of over population. An asteroid or environmental disaster is a bigger threat and less controllable than overpopulation. A country like America will only be affected by â€Å"the population group of fifteen to twenty four being affected by unemployment† (Countries 9) due to the economy suffering from the retirement of so many people at once. Men before the world even hit a billion which happened around the 1800s, were predicting populations of twenty billion people and plagues that would put a dent in the growing global population. Men such as William Petty, a seventeenth century economist, and Thomas Malthus, an eighteen century priest and economist predicted such events that have not and will not occur. Even predictions from a more modern writer, Paul Ehrlich, did not calculate the innovations of the future to be able to adapt for an ever growing population. Population growth is on the decline but will take a generation before stability can be reached. Even just a little education on the issue can make a difference. If women were to have one less child now, then by 2050 that could have the difference of eight billion rather than ten and a half billion.

Calypso or Circe Essay

Nausicaa is the first normal woman Odysseus sees in nearly twenty years, the last of whom being the women from Ismarus, the city he sacks directly after leaving Troy, and understandably he is very weary of her. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, he treats her with the utmost respect and keeps his distance from her, both physically and emotionally. He admires her beauty, respects her decisions and listens to her like an equal, despite her age and sex, which shows respect, although not necessarily feelings. Despite his lack of show of affection towards her, he is kind and shows his appreciation for her saving him from death – ‘I do indeed pray to Zeus†¦ to let me reach my home†¦ If he does, then I will pray you as a divinity all the rest of my days. For it was you lady, who gave me back my life. ‘ showing how he does indeed respect what she has done for him, and is grateful towards her. After Odysseus leaves Nausicaa in the town, Homer does not mention her anymore but for their goodbyes, despite the fact they are staying under the same roof. This indicates Odysseus’s lack of interest in Nausicaa’s comings and goings. When Odysseus begins to explain his adventures to Alcinous, in particular he mentions Calypso and Circe, and how he never had any affection for them – ‘The divine Calypso was certainly for keeping me in her cavern home because she yearned for me to be her husband and with me the same object Circe†¦. but never for a moment did they win my heart. ‘ Here Odysseus states in his own words that he was never won over by either, and although he may have found pleasure in staying with them, it could never compare with the pleasure of seeing his wife again; any feelings he had towards Calypso or Circe were not genuine or heart-felt. Similarly to Calypso, Circe is first seen as ‘singing with her beautiful voice’ and ‘weaving one of those delicate, graceful and dazzling fabrics that goddesses make’, and the temptation to stay with her (as he then does with Calypso) would have been immense. Hermes warns her that ‘she will†¦ invite you to her bed. You must not refuse†¦ if you want her to free your men and look after you’. The fact that Odysseus obeys this shows the extent of what he would do to free his men and return home; going to bed with Circe would have been merely another obstacle for him on his journey home, his feelings towards her being limited. Although he describes the ‘comfortable heat’ and the way ‘all the painful weariness was gone’ from his limbs, his ‘thoughts were elsewhere’ and ‘mind was full of forebodings’ showing how he cannot feel content without knowing his crew is safe and his chances for ever reaching home are still tangible. In addition, the way in which he prioritises Circe’s actions towards him and his crew is also relevant, seeing as it is Odysseus recounting the story to Alcinous. He first says Circe ‘graciously bathed the members of my party in her palace and rubbed them with olive-oil. She gave them tunics and warm cloaks’, showing how to him, the women he encounters are mostly beneficial to him for the reason that they give him and his crew shelter, food and drink, and there is no implication of any feeling towards them. They stay on the island for a year, and by the end the crew are frustrated – ‘What possesses you to stay on here? It’s time you thought of Ithaca’. It is only when Ithaca is mentioned that Odysseus is persuaded to leave – ‘my proud heart was convinced’; if he did have any feelings towards Circe, he would have stayed, or at least contemplated staying for a little longer. Overall I consider that Odysseus does not care about these women. He loves his wife dearly – ‘[Penelope] is never out of your thoughts’- and is happy to leave every island he sets foot upon if he thinks he is heading for home. Circe does seem to hold a certain place in Odysseus’ heart, because she is the one he stays with voluntarily and has to be persuaded to leave, but Odysseus leaves the others without a backward glance – ‘with a happy heart’ in fact, in the case of Calypso. Odysseus’s affection and respect for Nausicaa seems to be purely polite and possibly only to suit his own means, or at the most brotherly- he wants the best for her. As for Arete, Odysseus never had affectionate feelings for her. He needs her support to get home, and this is the only reason he shows respect for her, except perhaps because she is a wise woman. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus longs for his homeland, and is unable to feel much but grief at his prolonged absence.

The History and Evolution of the European Common Agricultural Policy

The years immediately following the Second World War, Europe was marked with food shortages, a situation that needed immediate and lasting action. The food supply must and will be secured, and agricultural production within the region revitalized. This necessity would then prompt the beginnings of a Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).The beginnings of CAPThe Cap has its roots in the signing of one of the Treaties of Rome[1] in 25 March 1957, which established the European Economic Community[2] (EEC). Article 38.4 of theTreaty Establishing the European Community refers specifically to the creation of a common agricultural policy among Member States that would accompany the implementation of a common market for agricultural products (3). Article 39 then presents the objectives of a common agricultural policy:1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to increase agricultural productivity;2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to ensure a fair standard of living;3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to stabilize markets;4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      to assure availability of supplies;5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to ensure that supplies reach consumers at reasonable prices. (3)The Stresa Conference[3] in July 1958 established the three key principles of the CAP namely: market unity (for free movement of agricultural products within the EU), financial solidarity (a communal treasury finances all of CAP’s expenses), and community preference (European products were to be given priority over products from outside the region) (Delayen 1). Finally, the year 1962 marked the CAP’s coming into force.The CAP started with the short-term goal of addressing the food supply problem by providing subsidies and granting high prices to farmers to produce more. There is a clear link between production and subsidy: the more farmers produce, the more they will earn.Aside from subsidies, the CAP also provided for financial assistance aimed at the development of farming: funds were directed towards farm management and enlargement, and acq uisition and management of proper and up-to-date technological skills.Moreover, the CAP created practical measures like aid for early retirement (to provide avenues for the next generation of farmers), assistance for training and development, and financial incentives for the less favored areas[4] (LFA).Farmers working in less favored areas are given compensation for income loses that they incur. (Rural development in the European Union 5) By the 1980s, the CAP was continuously seeing favorable results and agricultural production continued to increase. The CAP’s long-term goal of self-sufficiency is finally made secure.However, unhampered abundance in agricultural products led to a surplus—more than what the region could consume was being produced. Excess commodities were stored, distributed within the EU, or exported (supported by export subsidies) (The Common Agricultural Policy Explained 4).However, this was not enough—more costs were incurred, prices were dis torted, and negative environmental effects were becoming manifest. There was a growing concern towards environmental sustainability of agriculture and the CAP just had to cope with the changing times and circumstances.The milk quota in 1983 was just the beginning of a series of reforms. To control dairy production and costs, producers were given a certain quota. If producers go beyond their quota, taxes would be appended. Then in 1992, the Mac Sharry reform[5] introduced the vital direct payments. Production was limited and prices reduced, but farmers were given direct payments as compensation (Delayen 2).The EU also began taking the environmental aspect into consideration by providing incentives to farmers who apply farming measures that help in protecting the environment. With the coming of the new century, the food supply is secure and self-sufficiency not an issue anymore. The emphasis of the CAP has changed and therefore, policies must undergo an overhaul.The CAP todayChange wa s inevitable and necessary, thus, Agenda 2000[6] came into being. The reforms initiated focuses on increasing productivity and competitiveness of agriculture in the EU while taking environmental sustainability into account, and establishing clear rural development policies. It was also in Agenda 2000 that the system of funding was reorganized and a specific budget was set.Regarding productivity and competitiveness, the EU remains a strong player in the world market. With the coming of the Agenda 2000, price cuts were implemented (15% for cereals, 15% for dairy products, 20% for beef and veal) so as to stabilize supply and demand in the market (Agenda 2000—A CAP for the Future 1).The quality and circumstances involved in food production and the relationship between production and the environment has replaced the necessity of securing the food supply. In line with this, the CAP established agri-environment measures.Optional cross-compliance was introduced. Incentive is given an nually to farmers who commit to these agri-environment measures. However, non-compliance would mean reduction or cancellation of this incentive. The uncollected funds are then added to funds for rural development or agri-environment measures (Agenda 2000—A CAP for the Future 1).Funding under the Agenda 2000 is now divided into two pillars. Whereas before, funding of the CAP only provided for market management (market-related subsidies) and direct payments to farmers, it now has a second pillar to provide for rural development policies.Funding for the second pillar is financed by both the EU and individual Member States, and encompasses agri-environment measures, aid to farmers working in LFAs, and commitments to higher quality of food, and animal welfare.   (The Common Agricultural Policy—A Policy Evolving with the Times 4).