Karst Topography and Sinkholes

Karst Topography and Sinkholes Limestone, with its high calcium carbonate content, is easily dissolved in the acids produced by organic materials. About 10% of the earths land (and 15% of the United States) surface consists of soluble limestone, which can be easily dissolved by the weak solution of carbonic acid found in underground water. How Karst Topography Forms When limestone interacts with underground water, the water dissolves the limestone to form karst topography - an amalgamation of caves, underground channels, and a rough and bumpy ground surface. Karst topography is named for the Kras plateau region of eastern Italy and western Slovenia (Kras is Karst in German for barren land). The underground water of karst topography carves our impressive channels and caves that are susceptible to collapse from the surface. When enough limestone is eroded from underground, a sinkhole (also called a doline) may develop. Sinkholes are depressions that form when a portion of the lithosphere below is eroded away. Sinkholes Can Vary in Size Sinkholes can range in size from a few feet or meters to over 100 meters (300 feet) deep. Theyve been known to swallow cars, homes, businesses, and other structures. Sinkholes are common in Florida where theyre often caused by the loss of groundwater from pumping. A sinkhole can even collapse through the roof of an underground cavern and form whats known as a collapse sinkhole, which can become a portal into a deep underground cavern. While there are caverns located around the world, not all have been explored. Many still elude spelunkers as there is no opening to the cave from the earths surface. Karst Caves Inside karst caves, one might find a wide range of speleothems - structures created by the deposition of slowly dripping calcium carbonate solutions. Dripstones provide the point where slowly dripping water turns into stalactites (those structures which hang from the ceilings of caverns), over thousands of years which drip onto the ground, slowly forming stalagmites. When stalactites and stalagmites meet, they forum cohesive columns of rock. Tourists flock to caverns where beautiful displays of stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and other stunning images of karst topography can be seen. Karst topography forms the worlds longest cave system - the Mammoth Cave system of Kentucky is over 350 miles (560 km) long. Karst topography can also be found extensively in the Shan Plateau of China, Nullarbor Region of Australia, the Atlas Mountains of northern Africa, the Appalachian Mountains of the U.S., Belo Horizonte of Brazil, and the Carpathian Basin of Southern Europe.

10 Fascinating Facts About Butterflies

10 Fascinating Facts About Butterflies People love watching colorful butterflies float from flower to flower. From the tiniest blues to the largest swallowtails,  how much do you really know about these insects? Here are 10 fascinating facts about butterflies. Butterfly wings are transparent How can that be? We know butterflies as perhaps the most colorful, vibrant insects around! A butterflys wings are covered by thousands of tiny scales, and these scales reflect light in different colors. But underneath all of those scales, a  butterfly wing is actually formed by layers of chitin, the same protein that makes up an insects exoskeleton. These layers are so thin you can see right through them. As a butterfly ages, scales fall off the wings, leaving spots of transparency where the chitin layer is exposed. Butterflies taste with their feet Butterflies have taste receptors on their feet to help them find their host plants and locate food. A female butterfly lands on different plants, drumming the leaves with her feet until the plant releases its juices. Spines on the back of her legs have chemoreceptors that detect the right match of plant chemicals. When she identified the right plant, she lays her eggs. A butterfly will also step on its food, using organs that sense dissolved sugars to taste food sources like fermenting fruit. Butterflies live on an all-liquid diet Speaking of butterflies eating, adult butterflies can only feed on liquids, usually nectar. Their mouthparts are modified to enable them to drink, but they cant chew solids. A proboscis, which functions as a drinking straw, stays curled up under the butterflys chin until it finds a source of nectar or other liquid nutrition. It then unfurls the long, tubular structure and sips up a meal. A few butterflies feed on sap, and some even resort to sipping from decaying carrion. No matter the meal, they suck it up a straw. A butterfly must assemble its proboscis as soon as it emerges from the chrysalis A butterfly that cant drink nectar is doomed. One of its first jobs as an adult butterfly is to assemble its mouthparts. When a new adult emerges from the pupal case or chrysalis, its mouth is in two pieces. Using palpi located adjacent to the proboscis, the butterfly begins working the two parts together to form a single, tubular proboscis. You may see a newly emerged butterfly curling and uncurling the proboscis over and over, testing it out. Butterflies drink from mud puddles A butterfly cannot live on sugar alone; it needs minerals, too. To supplement its diet of nectar, a butterfly will occasionally sip from mud puddles, which are rich in minerals and salts. This behavior, called puddling, occurs more often in male butterflies, which incorporate the minerals into their sperm. These nutrients are then transferred to the female during mating, and help improve the viability of her eggs. Butterflies cant fly if theyre cold Butterflies need an ideal body temperature of about 85 ºF to fly. Since theyre cold-blooded animals, they cant regulate their own body temperatures. The surrounding air temperature has a big impact on their ability to function. If the air temperature falls below 55 ºF, butterflies are rendered immobile, unable to flee from predators or feed. When air temperatures range between 82 º-100 ºF, butterflies can fly with ease. Cooler days require a butterfly to warm up its flight muscles, either by shivering or basking in the sun. Even sun-loving butterflies can get overheated when temperatures soar above 100 °Ã‚  F and may seek shade to cool down.   A newly emerged butterfly cant fly Inside the chrysalis, a developing butterfly waits to emerge with its wings collapsed around its body. When it finally breaks free of the pupal case, it greets the world with tiny, shriveled wings. The butterfly must immediately pump body fluid through its wing veins to expand them. Once its wings reach full-size, the butterfly must rest for a few hours to allow its body to dry and harden before it can take its first flight. Butterflies live just a few weeks, usually Once it emerges from its chrysalis as an adult, a butterfly has only 2-4 short weeks to live, in most cases. During that time, it focuses all its energy on two tasks – eating and mating. Some of the smallest butterflies, the blues, may only survive a few days. Butterflies that overwinter as adults, like monarchs and mourning cloaks, can live as long as 9 months. Butterflies are nearsighted, but they can see and discriminate a lot of colors Within about 10-12 feet, butterfly eyesight is quite good. Anything beyond that distance gets a little blurry to a butterfly, though. Butterflies rely on their eyesight for vital tasks, like finding mates of the same species and finding flowers on which to feed. In addition to seeing some of the colors we can see, butterflies can see a range of ultraviolet colors invisible to the human eye. The butterflies themselves may have ultraviolet markings on their wings to help them identify one another and locate potential mates. Flowers, too, display ultraviolet markings that act as traffic signals to incoming pollinators like butterflies – pollinate me! Butterflies employ all kinds of tricks to keep from being eaten Butterflies rank pretty low on the food chain, with lots of hungry predators happy to make a meal of them. Some butterflies fold their wings to blend into the background, using camouflage to render themselves all but invisible to predators. Others try the opposite strategy, wearing vibrant colors and patterns that boldly announce their presence. Bright colored insects often pack a toxic punch if eaten, so predators learn to avoid them. Some butterflies arent toxic at all, but pattern themselves after other species known for their toxicity. By mimicking their foul-tasting cousins, they repel predators.

Course Management Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Course Management Systems - Essay Example They can also assist instructors with furthering their Internet class options through the use of features like discussions, Emails, and quizzes (Cole and Foster, 2007). A teacher can also store a syllabus, lecture notes, and other information on a server, if desired. Another beneficial feature is the use of the open forum discussion, which allows for asynchronous classroom participation; thus, this makes it much easier for both professors and students to find the time to interact (Cole and Foster, 2007). Synchronous tools include the chat feature, which some instructors like to use to setup office hours with their students, or question and answer sessions via an appointment (Cole and Foster, 2007). Assignments in Moodle are particularly easy to grade, as the CMS uses a dropbox feature for written assignments, and this information, when graded, goes right into the gradebook, and can be privately viewed by the student, thus keeping the school in line with FERPA guidelines (Moodle Docs, n.d.) Moodle has an extreme advantage over some other online platforms because it is relatively inexpensive. For instance, one can actually sign up for a free trial, meaning that Moodle is an open source (Cole and Foster, 2007). ... Since online technology is becoming more and more important in education as online education becomes increasingly popular, Moodle allows individuals to be able to do several things in an online or traditional course via the Internet that were not possible less than a decade before. Educators throughout the country are still debating about how to combine technology for both online teaching, face-to-face meetings, and classes that use both online and face-to-face meetings, designated as hybrid courses. Hybrid courses generally utilize both solid aspects of face-to-face learning with the Internet software available to give students a credible learning experience overall, especially if the students still require some face to face interaction.Furthermore, Moodle is a very effective tool as far as Social Constructionist theory is concerned. Social Constructivism states that an individual or group will learn best when he or she or they are experiencing a social process of constructing ideas through the act of constructing an artifact for others (Cole and Foster, 2007). Therefore, in order to effectively learn, one most place oneself in the process of negotiating meaning in a culture of shared artifacts and symbols. The use of Moodle software effectively offers this, because it allows for the individual to be able to learn in a variety of ways; through chats, through discussions, via Email and assignments, through feedback from the instructor, through interaction with peers, and, if a traditional or hybrid course, through face to face learning (Cole and Foster, 2007).Another reason to consider Moodle is the fact that it holds up

Studying abroad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Studying abroad - Essay Example Problems encountered by international students should be given attention and solutions to help foreigners cope with their new environment and perform well in their studies. This paper will discuss some of these problems such as homesickness and the multi-cultural experiences of international students. Perhaps the most common complaint among foreign students is homesickness. Studies show that â€Å"students in America experience homesickness due to culture shock† (Harrison and Brower). The culture in America is definitely different from most foreign students especially those coming from eastern countries. It is not just the language that is different but the divergences in food, clothing, customs and practices are also quite astonishing to foreign students. This makes them long for familiar environments and people they have been used to. From the studies of Harrison and Brower, this separation anxiety has a strong correlation to psychological hardiness- â€Å"a personality variable that seemingly impact students’ adjustment to their often challenging and bewildering host cultures† (Harrison and Bower). The research of the shows that those who are able to adjust and actively involve themselves in whatever challenges individuals are faced with, experience less h omesickness. In addition, those who are able to act strong and able in their new environment are less stressed and therefore are able to cope with the demands of their host culture. Those who are resilient to changes are also found to be stronger in times of emotional and psychological troubles among foreign students. In contrast to the negative effect of foreign studies, there is also a great advantage especially with those who have strong psychological hardiness and are open to challenging experiences. According to Christine Lee, David Therriault and Tracy Linderholm, â€Å"multicultural experiences such as studying abroad are quantitatively and qualitatively

Microsoft programmes Essay Example for Free

Microsoft programmes Essay During year ten I had two weeks of work experience from the 12th to 23rd of March 2007. Work experience wasnt just compulsory for pupils within my school, but a nationwide curricular activity. My head of year Miss Joseph organised the work experience with a company called Trident, who helped organise the placements and checked the placement for health and safety. For those not organising their own work experience, you had apply for jobs through tridents website. You had to select six difference jobs, and order them in preference and then Trident would try to organise the placement you placed first. However Trident were unable to succeed in getting everyone their first choice in placement, as many other schools within Waltham forest were doing work experience during the same period. I however arranged my own placement, at my mothers primary school. My mother, several members of staff and I and to fill out a couple of forms which were then sent to Trident, who would check the placement to see if it was safe for me to work there. I chose to work in a school as I enjoy working with others and helping children to learn. I have often considered becoming a teacher, so I felt that working in a school would help me decide whether that was the career path I should be going down. A couple of weeks before my work experience was due to start, I had an interview with the head teacher of the school. I had to ring up the school and organise this interview. The head teacher asked me a couple of questions about why I had chosen to work there, and what skills I was hoping to gain from the experience. She then showed me around the premises, and introduced me to the members of staff that I would be working with. During my work experience, my working hours were from 8.00 till 5. 00. I took the car to work and the journey would usually take half and hour. I would work until 3. 15, when the children went home, however I did not leave until 5. 00 as I had to help clear up and help with after school activities. On my first day I was informed of the tasks I would be doing that day and introduced to all the children. Most mornings I would clean the childrens cup and then fill them with water. I would then have to set up the first activity, which was always spelling. Other jobs I had to do included; photo copying, paired reading, taking groups of children for group learning and cleaning. I worked with one teacher and one teaching assistant, both of which would assist me with tasks I found difficult and were both very helpful. I felt I did have a positive effect on my colleagues as I would often be able to carry out tasks without too much assistance and therefore my less work for others. However in some activities I had to be assisted due to health and safety reasons, which could have made more work for the staff, than if I was not there. I offered to help out after school and would always be willing to try any task the teacher set me, even if I didnt know what to do. I therefore feel that I made a positive contribution and reduced the work load for my colleagues. During my work experience I had to carry out many different tasks, many of which I had never done before. I was able to cope with most of these new activities, however I did encounter some problems during my first week. For example whilst I was doing paired reading with an individual child, another child, with behaviour difficulties, kept disturbing me and trying to get my attention. I was unsure on what strategy I should use to prevent the children from preventing me from doing the paired reading so I went and spoke to the class teacher. She then told me that the best thing to do, would be to ignore the disruptive child, and they would soon return to their work. I used this strategy several times during my work experience and I then was able to continue with the work, undisturbed. Another problem I encountered was when one child told me that another child had hit them, when in the playground. I then went and spoke to the other child, however they said that it was actually the other child who had hit them. Both children denied hitting one another, so I asked both children if they were hurt in any way, but they both said no. I then spoke to both children, telling them that hitting was wrong, and if there were any more problems then I would have to take them to their class teacher. I then got the two children to make up and play a game together nicely. Afterwards I spoke to the class teacher about the incident and she said the way that I handled the situation was perfect, but next time I should take them both to her as some children do have behaviour issues. I felt that I learned from both incidents and am now able to cope with many more problematic situations that before my work experience. I often helped the teacher to carry out activities outside the classroom, which without my help, would have been a lot harder. I felt that my contribution in many of the activities made it easier for my colleagues and subsequently affected the outcome of the activity, as they all went very well. Over the time of my work experience I learned many new skills that I may not have learned, if I hadnt done the work experience. I really enjoyed my two weeks of work experience. It was a very hard, but rewarding job. Some tasks I did find a little bit boring, however overall the experience was fun and I learnt lots of new skills. For example I am now able to use many of the new Microsoft programmes for modern computers, which are used in many offices and other computer based jobs across the UK. I am also able to teach small groups of children, keeping the attention of every child and enabling them to learn. As I enjoyed my work experience so much I have decided that I would like to become a teacher when I am older, therefore all the skills that I have gained during my work experience will be used again in the future and could make a significant impact on the way I work etc.

Death in T.S. Eliots The Wasteland and Maddys No Past, No Present, No Future :: Death Eliot Maddy Wasteland Future Past Essays

Death in T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland and Maddy's No Past, No Present, No Future Death is an inevitable fact that everyone experiences at some point in their lives. Whether it is losing a friend, family member, someone famous and well known, or finally themselves, everyone knows what it's like to deal with the topic of death. In The Wasteland T. S Eliot is describing death with a very different approach which makes death seem poetic yet very dreary and uninviting. On the other hand, in Yulisa Amadu Maddy's book No Past, No Present, No Future death is not poetic at all but very cold and melancholy. In No Past, No Present, No Future three boys become best friends and later their friendship is torn apart from the inside out until it finally dies. It began when Joe Bengoh came to live with Ade John and Santigie Bombalai after his parents died. That was the first death that Joe experienced. The second death affected both Joe and Ade when a girl Mary died. Mary was a prostitute who Joe lost his virginity to, and then afterwards Ade had sex with her. Mary claimed to be pregnant with Ade's child, and she committed suicide trying to abort the baby. Since Ade came from an elite and prestigious family his parents took him out of school and practically disowned him for disgracing their family name. That changed Ade's life from there on out because he was now alone and he wasn't going to let that mistake ruin all his dreams of becoming powerful and rich and wealthy. Joe was affected also by Mary's death because he held a deep sense of anger towards Ade for even having sex with the girl in front of him and later on down the road Mary's death has some part in tearing Joe and Ade apart. Santigie also experienced death, and that was the death of his father who was the chief of his tribe. That death hurt him deeply because when his father died, he left the position of chief not to Santigie but to his uncle. Also, when his father died, he had to quit school at the Mission and begin working like Ade had, because his mother couldn't afford to keep him in school anymore. When Santigie left the Mission Joe Bengoh was all alone and turned to things that shaped his future. Death in T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland and Maddy's No Past, No Present, No Future :: Death Eliot Maddy Wasteland Future Past Essays Death in T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland and Maddy's No Past, No Present, No Future Death is an inevitable fact that everyone experiences at some point in their lives. Whether it is losing a friend, family member, someone famous and well known, or finally themselves, everyone knows what it's like to deal with the topic of death. In The Wasteland T. S Eliot is describing death with a very different approach which makes death seem poetic yet very dreary and uninviting. On the other hand, in Yulisa Amadu Maddy's book No Past, No Present, No Future death is not poetic at all but very cold and melancholy. In No Past, No Present, No Future three boys become best friends and later their friendship is torn apart from the inside out until it finally dies. It began when Joe Bengoh came to live with Ade John and Santigie Bombalai after his parents died. That was the first death that Joe experienced. The second death affected both Joe and Ade when a girl Mary died. Mary was a prostitute who Joe lost his virginity to, and then afterwards Ade had sex with her. Mary claimed to be pregnant with Ade's child, and she committed suicide trying to abort the baby. Since Ade came from an elite and prestigious family his parents took him out of school and practically disowned him for disgracing their family name. That changed Ade's life from there on out because he was now alone and he wasn't going to let that mistake ruin all his dreams of becoming powerful and rich and wealthy. Joe was affected also by Mary's death because he held a deep sense of anger towards Ade for even having sex with the girl in front of him and later on down the road Mary's death has some part in tearing Joe and Ade apart. Santigie also experienced death, and that was the death of his father who was the chief of his tribe. That death hurt him deeply because when his father died, he left the position of chief not to Santigie but to his uncle. Also, when his father died, he had to quit school at the Mission and begin working like Ade had, because his mother couldn't afford to keep him in school anymore. When Santigie left the Mission Joe Bengoh was all alone and turned to things that shaped his future.

The Host Chapter 26: Returned

Without ever actually agreeing to do it, I became the teacher Jeb wanted. My â€Å"class† was informal. I answered questions every night after dinner. I found that as long as I was willing to do this, Ian and Doc and Jeb would leave me alone during the day so that I could concentrate on my chores. We always convened in the kitchen; I liked to help with the baking while I spoke. It gave me an excuse to pause before answering a difficult question, and somewhere to look when I didn't want to meet anyone's eyes. In my head, it seemed fitting; my words were sometimes upsetting, but my actions were always for their good. I didn't want to admit that Jamie was right. Obviously, people didn't like me. They couldn't; I wasn't one of them. Jamie liked me, but that was just some strange chemical reaction that was far from rational. Jeb liked me, but Jeb was crazy. The rest of them didn't have either excuse. No, they didn't like me. But things changed when I started talking. The first time I noticed it was the morning after I answered Doc's questions at dinner; I was in the black bathing room, washing clothes with Trudy, Lily, and Jamie. â€Å"Could you hand me the soap, please, Wanda?† Trudy asked from my left. An electric current ran through my body at the sound of my name spoken by a female voice. Numbly, I passed her the soap and then rinsed the sting off my hand. â€Å"Thank you,† she added. â€Å"You're welcome,† I murmured. My voice cracked on the last syllable. I passed Lily in the hall a day later on my way to find Jamie before dinner. â€Å"Wanda,† she said, nodding. â€Å"Lily,† I answered, my throat dry. Soon it wasn't just Doc and Ian who asked questions at night. It surprised me who the most vocal were: exhausted Walter, his face a worrisome shade of gray, was endlessly interested in the Bats of the Singing World. Heath, usually silent, letting Trudy and Geoffrey talk for him, was outspoken during these evenings. He had some fascination with Fire World, and though it was one of my least favorite stories to tell, he peppered me with questions until he'd heard every detail I knew. Lily was concerned with the mechanics of things-she wanted to know about the ships that carried us from planet to planet, their pilots, their fuel. It was to Lily that I explained the cryotanks-something they had all seen but few understood the purpose of. Shy Wes, usually sitting close to Lily, asked not about other planets but about this one. How did it work? No money, no recompense for work-why did our souls' society not fall apart? I tried to explain that it was not so different from life in the caves. Did we not all work without money and share in the products of our labor equally? â€Å"Yes,† he interrupted me, shaking his head. â€Å"But it's different here-Jeb has a gun for the slackers.† Everyone looked at Jeb, who winked, and then they all laughed. Jeb was in attendance about every other night. He didn't participate; he just sat thoughtfully in the back of the room, occasionally grinning. He was right about the entertainment factor; oddly, for we all had legs, the situation reminded me of the See Weeds. There had been a special title for entertainers there, like Comforter or Healer or Seeker. I was one of the Storytellers, so the transition to a teacher here on Earth had not been such a change, profession-wise, at least. It was much the same in the kitchen after dark, with the smell of smoke and baking bread filling the room. Everyone was stuck here, as good as planted. My stories were something new, something to think about besides the usual-the same endlessly repeated sweaty chores, the same thirty-five faces, the same memories of other faces that brought the same grief with them, the same fear and the same despair that had long been familiar companions. And so the kitchen was always full for my casual lessons. Only Sharon and Maggie were conspicuously and consistently absent. I was in about my fourth week as an informal teacher when life in the caves changed again. The kitchen was crowded, as was usual. Jeb and Doc were the only ones missing besides the normal two. On the counter next to me was a metal tray of dark, doughy rolls, swollen to twice the size they'd started at. They were ready for the oven, as soon as the current tray was done. Trudy checked every few minutes to make sure nothing was burning. Often, I tried to get Jamie to talk for me when he knew the story well. I liked to watch the enthusiasm light up his face, and the way he used his hands to draw pictures in the air. Tonight, Heidi wanted to know more about the Dolphins, so I asked Jamie to answer her questions as well as he could. The humans always spoke with sadness when they asked about our newest acquisition. They saw the Dolphins as mirrors of themselves in the first years of the occupation. Heidi's dark eyes, disconcerting underneath her fringe of white-blond hair, were tight with sympathy as she asked her questions. â€Å"They look more like huge dragonflies than fish, right, Wanda?† Jamie almost always asked for corroboration, though he never waited for my answer. â€Å"They're all leathery, though, with three, four, or five sets of wings, depending on how old they are, right? So they kind of fly through the water-it's lighter than water here, less dense. They have five, seven, or nine legs, depending on which gender they are, right, Wanda? They have three different genders. They have really long hands with tough, strong fingers that can build all kinds of things. They make cities under the water out of hard plants that grow there, kind of like trees but not really. They aren't as far along as we are, right, Wanda? Because they've never made a spaceship or, like, telephones for communication. Humans were more advanced.† Trudy pulled out the tray of baked rolls, and I bent to shove the next tray of risen dough into the hot, smoking hole. It took a little jostling and balancing to get it in just right. As I sweated in front of the fire, I heard some kind of commotion outside the kitchen, echoing down the hall from somewhere else in the caves. It was hard, with all the random sound reverberations and strange acoustics, to judge distances here. â€Å"Hey!† Jamie shouted behind me, and I turned just in time to see the back of his head as he sprinted out the door. I straightened out of my crouch and took a step after him, my instinct to follow. â€Å"Wait,† Ian said. â€Å"He'll be back. Tell us more about the Dolphins.† Ian was sitting on the counter beside the oven-a hot seat that I wouldn't have chosen-which made him close enough to reach out and touch my wrist. My arm flinched away from the unexpected contact, but I stayed where I was. â€Å"What's going on out there?† I asked. I could still hear some kind of jabbering-I thought I could hear Jamie's excited voice in the mix. Ian shrugged. â€Å"Who knows? Maybe Jeb†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shrugged again, as if he wasn't interested enough to bother with figuring it out. Nonchalant, but there was a tension in his eyes I didn't understand. I was sure I would find out soon enough, so I shrugged, too, and started explaining the incredibly complex familial relationships of the Dolphins while I helped Trudy stack the warm bread in plastic containers. â€Å"Six of the nine†¦ grandparents, so to speak, traditionally stay with the larvae through their first stage of development while the three parents work with their six grandparents on a new wing of the family dwelling for the young to inhabit when they are mobile,† I was explaining, my eyes on the rolls in my hands rather than my audience, as usual, when I heard the gasp from the back of the room. I continued with my next sentence automatically as I scanned the crowd to see who I'd upset. â€Å"The remaining three grandparents are customarily involved†¦Ã¢â‚¬  No one was upset with me. Every head was turned in the same direction I was looking. My eyes skipped across the backs of their heads to the dark exit. The first thing I saw was Jamie's slight figure, clinging to someone's arm. Someone so dirty, head to toe, that he almost blended right in with the cave wall. Someone too tall to be Jeb, and anyway, there was Jeb just behind Jamie's shoulder. Even from this distance, I could see that Jeb's eyes were narrowed and his nose wrinkled, as if he were anxious-a rare emotion for Jeb. Just as I could see that Jamie's face was bright with sheer joy. â€Å"Here we go,† Ian muttered beside me, his voice barely audible above the crackle of the flames. The dirty man Jamie was still clinging to took a step forward. One of his hands rose slowly, like an involuntary reflex, and curled into a fist. From the dirty figure came Jared's voice-flat, perfectly devoid of any inflection. â€Å"What is the meaning of this, Jeb?† My throat closed. I tried to swallow and found the way blocked. I tried to breathe and was not successful. My heart drummed unevenly. Jared! Melanie's exultant voice was loud, a silent shriek of elation. She burst into radiant life inside my head. Jared is home! â€Å"Wanda is teaching us all about the universe,† Jamie babbled eagerly, somehow not catching on to Jared's fury-he was too excited to pay attention, maybe. â€Å"Wanda?† Jared repeated in a low voice that was almost a snarl. There were more dirty figures in the hall behind him. I only noticed them when they echoed his snarl with an outraged muttering. A blond head rose from the frozen audience. Paige lurched to her feet. â€Å"Andy!† she cried, and stumbled through the figures seated around her. One of the dirty men stepped around Jared and caught her as she nearly fell over Wes. â€Å"Oh, Andy!† she sobbed, the tone of her voice reminding me of Melanie's. Paige's outburst changed the atmosphere momentarily. The silent crowd began to murmur, most of them rising to their feet. The sound was one of welcome now, as the majority went to greet the returned travelers. I tried to read the strange expressions on their faces as they forced grins onto their lips and peeked furtively back at me. I realized after a long, slow second-time seemed to be congealing around me, freezing me into place-that the expression I wondered at was guilt. â€Å"It's going to be okay, Wanda,† Ian murmured under his breath. I glanced at him wildly, searching for that same guilt on his face. I didn't find it, only a defensive tightening around his vivid eyes as he stared at the newcomers. â€Å"What the hell, people?† a new voice boomed. Kyle-easily identifiable by his size despite the grime-was shoving his way around Jared and heading toward†¦ me. â€Å"You're letting it tell you its lies? Have you all gone crazy? Or did it lead the Seekers here? Are you all parasites now?† Many heads fell forward, ashamed. Only a few kept their chins stiffly in the air, their shoulders squared: Lily, Trudy, Heath, Wes†¦ and frail Walter, of all people. â€Å"Easy, Kyle,† Walter said in his feeble voice. Kyle ignored him. He walked with deliberate steps toward me, his eyes, the same vibrant cobalt as his brother's, glowing with rage. I couldn't keep my eyes on him, though-they kept returning to Jared's dark shape, trying to read his camouflaged face. Melanie's love flowed through me like a lake bursting through a dam, distracting me even more from the enraged barbarian closing the distance quickly. Ian slid into my view, moving to place himself in front of me. I strained my neck to the side to keep my view of Jared clear. â€Å"Things changed while you were gone, brother.† Kyle halted, face slack with disbelief. â€Å"Did the Seekers come, then, Ian?† â€Å"She's not a danger to us.† Kyle ground his teeth together, and from the corner of my eye, I saw him reach for something in his pocket. This captured my attention at last. I cringed, expecting a weapon. The words stumbled off my tongue in a choked whisper. â€Å"Don't get in his way, Ian.† Ian didn't respond to my plea. I was surprised at the amount of anxiety this caused me, at how much I didn't want him hurt. It wasn't the instinctive protection, the bone-deep need to protect, that I felt for Jamie or even Jared. I just knew that Ian should not be harmed trying to protect me. Kyle's hand came back up, and a light shone out of it. He pointed it at Ian's face, held it there for a moment. Ian didn't flinch from the light. â€Å"So, what, then?† Kyle demanded, putting the flashlight back in his pocket. â€Å"You're not a parasite. How did it get to you?† â€Å"Calm down, and we'll tell you all about it.† â€Å"No.† The contradiction did not come from Kyle but from behind him. I watched Jared walk slowly toward us through the silent spectators. As he got closer, Jamie still clinging to his hand with a bewildered expression, I could read his face better under the mask of dirt. Even Melanie, all but delirious with happiness at his safe return, could not misunderstand the expression of loathing there. Jeb had wasted his efforts on the wrong people. It didn't matter that Trudy or Lily was speaking to me, that Ian would put himself between his brother and me, that Sharon and Maggie made no hostile move toward me. The only one who had to be convinced had now, finally, decided. â€Å"I don't think anyone needs to calm down,† Jared said through his teeth. â€Å"Jeb,† he continued, not looking to see if the old man had followed him forward, â€Å"give me the gun.† The silence that followed his words was so tense I could feel the pressure inside my ears. From the instant I could clearly see his face, I'd known it was over. I knew what I had to do now; Melanie was in agreement. As quietly as I could, I took a step to the side and slightly back, so that I would be clear of Ian. Then I closed my eyes. â€Å"Don't happen to have it on me,† Jeb drawled. I peeked through narrowed eyes as Jared whirled to assess the truth of Jeb's claim. Jared's breath whistled angrily through his nostrils. â€Å"Fine,† he muttered. He took another step toward me. â€Å"It will be slower this way, though. It would be more humane if you were to find that gun fast.† â€Å"Please, Jared, let's talk,† Ian said, planting his feet firmly as he spoke, already knowing the answer. â€Å"I think there's been too much talk,† Jared growled. â€Å"Jeb left this up to me, and I've made my decision.† Jeb cleared his throat noisily. Jared spun halfway around to look at him again. â€Å"What?† he demanded. â€Å"You made the rule, Jeb.† â€Å"Well, now, that's true.† Jared turned back toward me. â€Å"Ian, get out of my way.† â€Å"Well, well, hold on a sec,† Jeb went on. â€Å"If you recall, the rule was that whoever the body belonged to got to make the decision.† A vein in Jared's forehead pulsed visibly. â€Å"And?† â€Å"Seems to me like there's someone here with a claim just as strong as yours. Mebbe stronger.† Jared stared straight ahead, processing this. After a slow moment, understanding furrowed his brow. He looked down at the boy still hanging on his arm. All the joy had drained from Jamie's face, leaving it pale and horrorstruck. â€Å"You can't, Jared,† he choked. â€Å"You wouldn't. Wanda's good. She's my friend! And Mel! What about Mel? You can't kill Mel! Please! You have to -† He broke off, his expression agonized. I closed my eyes again, trying to block the picture of the suffering boy from my mind. It was already almost impossible not to go to him. I locked my muscles in place, promising myself that it wouldn't help him if I moved now. â€Å"So,† Jeb said, his tone far too conversational for the moment, â€Å"you can see that Jamie's not in agreement. I figure he's got as much say as you do.† There was no answer for so long that I had to open my eyes again. Jared was staring at Jamie's anguished, fearful face with his own kind of horror. â€Å"How could you let this happen, Jeb?† he whispered. â€Å"There is a need for some talk,† Jeb answered. â€Å"Why don't you take a breather first, though? Maybe you'll feel more up to conversation after a bath.† Jared glared balefully at the old man, his eyes full of the shock and pain of the betrayed. I had only human comparisons for such a look. Caesar and Brutus, Jesus and Judas. The unbearable tension lasted through another long minute, and then Jared shook Jamie's fingers off his arm. â€Å"Kyle,† Jared barked, turning and stalking out of the room. Kyle gave his brother a parting grimace and followed. The other dirty members of the expedition went after them silently, Paige tucked securely under Andy's arm. Most of the other humans, all those who had hung their heads in shame for admitting me into their society, shuffled out behind them. Only Jamie, Jeb, and Ian beside me, and Trudy, Geoffrey, Heath, Lily, Wes, and Walter stayed. No one spoke until the echoes of their footsteps faded away into silence. â€Å"Whew!† Ian breathed. â€Å"That was close. Nice thinking, Jeb.† â€Å"Inspiration in desperation. But we're not out of the woods yet,† Jeb answered. â€Å"Don't I know it! You didn't leave the gun anywhere obvious, did you?† â€Å"Nope. I figured this might be comin' on soon.† â€Å"That's something, at least.† Jamie was trembling, alone in the space left by the exodus. Surrounded by those I had to count as friends, I felt able to walk to his side. He threw his arms around my waist, and I patted his back with shaky hands. â€Å"It's okay,† I lied in a whisper. â€Å"It's okay.† I knew even a fool would hear the false note in my voice, and Jamie was not a fool. â€Å"He won't hurt you,† Jamie said thickly, struggling against the tears I could see in his eyes. â€Å"I won't let him.† â€Å"Shh,† I murmured. I was appalled-I could feel that my face was fixed in lines of horror. Jared was right-how could Jeb have let this happen? If they'd killed me the first day here, before Jamie had ever seen me†¦ Or that first week, while Jared kept me isolated from everyone, before Jamie and I had become friends†¦ Or if I had just kept my mouth shut about Melanie†¦ It was too late for all that. My arms tightened around the child. Melanie was just as aghast. My poor baby. I told you it was a bad idea to tell him everything, I reminded her. What will it do to him now, when we die? It's going to be terrible. He'll be traumatized and scarred and devastated – Melanie interrupted me. Enough. I know, I know. But what can we do? Not die, I suppose. Melanie and I thought about the likelihood of our survival and felt despair. Ian thumped Jamie on the back-I could feel the motion reverberate through both our bodies. â€Å"Don't agonize over it, kid,† he said. â€Å"You're not in this alone.† â€Å"They're just shocked, that's all.† I recognized Trudy's alto voice behind me. â€Å"Once we get a chance to explain, they'll see reason.† â€Å"See reason? Kyle?† someone hissed almost unintelligibly. â€Å"We knew this was coming,† Jeb muttered. â€Å"Just got to weather it. Storms pass.† â€Å"Maybe you ought to find that gun,† Lily suggested calmly. â€Å"Tonight might be a long one. Wanda can stay with Heidi and me -â€Å" â€Å"I think it might be better to keep her somewhere else,† Ian disagreed. â€Å"Maybe in the southern tunnels? I'll keep an eye on her. Jeb, wanna lend me a hand?† â€Å"They wouldn't look for her with me.† Walter's offer was just a whisper. Wes spoke over the last of Walter's words. â€Å"I'll tag along with you, Ian. There're six of them.† â€Å"No,† I finally managed to choke out. â€Å"No. That's not right. You shouldn't fight with each other. You all belong here. You belong together. Not fighting, not because of me.† I pulled Jamie's arms from around my waist, holding his wrists when he tried to stop me. â€Å"I just need a minute to myself,† I told him, ignoring all the stares I could feel on my face. â€Å"I need to be alone.† I turned my head to find Jeb. â€Å"And you should have a chance to discuss this without me listening. It's not fair-having to discuss strategy in front of the enemy.† â€Å"Now, don't be like that,† Jeb said. â€Å"Let me have some time to think, Jeb.† I stepped away from Jamie, dropping his hands. A hand fell on my shoulder, and I cringed. It was just Ian. â€Å"It's not a good idea for you to be wandering around by yourself.† I leaned toward him and tried to pitch my voice so low that Jamie wouldn't hear me clearly. â€Å"Why prolong the inevitable? Will it get easier or harder for him?† I thought I knew the answer to my last question. I ducked under Ian's hand and broke into a run, sprinting for the exit. â€Å"Wanda!† Jamie called after me. Someone quickly shushed him. There were no footsteps behind me. They must have seen the wisdom of letting me go. The hall was dark and deserted. If I was lucky, I'd be able to cut around the edge of the big garden plaza in the dark with no one the wiser. In all my time here, the one thing I'd never found was the way out. It seemed as if I'd been down every tunnel time and again, and I'd never seen an opening I hadn't eventually explored in search of one thing or another. I thought about it now as I crept through the deepest shadowed corners of the big cave. Where could the exit be? And I thought about this: if I could figure that puzzle out, would I be able to leave? I couldn't think of anything worth leaving for-certainly not the desert waiting outside, but also not the Seeker, not the Healer, not my Comforter, not my life before, which had left such a shallow impression on me. Everything that really mattered was with me here. Jamie. Though he would kill me, Jared. I couldn't imagine walking away from either of them. And Jeb. Ian. I had friends now. Doc, Trudy, Lily, Wes, Walter, Heath. Strange humans who could overlook what I was and see something they didn't have to kill. Maybe it was just curiosity, but regardless of that, they were willing to side with me against the rest of their tight-knit family of survivors. I shook my head in wonder as I traced the rough rock with my hands. I could hear others in the cavern, on the far side from me. I didn't pause; they could not see me here, and I'd just found the crevice I was looking for. After all, there was really only one place for me to go. Even if I could somehow have guessed the way to escape, I would still have gone this way. I crept into the blackest darkness imaginable and hurried along my way.

Film Analysis of Helen of Troy Essay

In the film, Helen of Troy one of the main character is Achilles, the demigod warrior, a highly skilled and the strongest champion of Greece which also showed his soft side – his kindness, care, love for a woman and brotherly love for his cousin, Petraclus. The film really captured my idea of Achilles based on the book of Greek mythology. I think anyone who will watch attentively in the film will understand and capture the idea of character Achilles. Aside Achilles there are other important characters in the film such as Agamemnon – ruler of Greece, Menelaus – king of Mycenae, Paris – prince of Troy, Hector – brother of Paris, and Helen – the cause of great war. Each character has strengths and weaknesses. Agamemnon was a proud and aggressive king because of that hundreds of his men died and they’re defeated by Trojans, an apparent weakness of him. Agamemnon strength is his men that following all his orders and respected him. Menelaus is just the same of Agamemnon, they have the same characteristic and the same strength and weaknesses, in my opinion. Paris weakness is his being coward and unskillful fighter even he was favored by Gods. King Priam a good thinker and always weigh every possibility and ask opinions of council before he made a decision but like his son Paris he is not a skilled fighter. Hector one of the son of King Priam unlike Paris he is a skilled fighter a brave and aggressive one but his weakness are his confidence and having no mercy that is why Achilles killed him in a battle. Lastly, Helen’s strength is her irresistible beauty that every man in the kingdom wants to protect her. Helen’s weakness showed when she was seduced by Paris. The Gods of Greek mythology were actually not seen in the entire film aside from mother of Achilles a minor goddess. Gods wasn’t really there in the action but there were times that the characters calling them or praying in the name of Gods. I could say that the film is quite different from the original story. It is more real and less of fantasy that is why Gods were not really in the scene and doesn’t play an important role based on the film. The cousin of Achilles namely Patroclus is one of the important character in the story. Achilles really cares to his cousin, he doesn’t want Patroclus to fight but because Patroclus really wanted to he disguise as his cousin, Achilles that lead to a fight to Hector who defeated and stab him to death. Achilles rage in anger, he became totally mad and sad in the death of his beloved cousin. Achilles doesn’t wants to participate anymore in the war because of his quarrel to Agamemnon but because of the death of Patroclus he had decided to fight again against the Trojans. Achilles leads the attack to the kingdom of Troy and his men conquer the troy but he was been killed by an arrow thrown by coward prince Paris. One of the most dramatic scenes in the film was the dialogue of king Priam and Achilles over the body of Hector. King Priam bravely went to the tavern of Achilles secretly to please and beg for the body of his beloved son Hector. He kneeled down and kiss the hand of Achilles while saying that â€Å"I`m the father of the warrior you have been killed and begging you to please return his body to me. â€Å", king Priam was crying in front of Achilles and pleasing Achilles to return the body. Then after Achilles convinced that he should return the body of Hector to his father king Priam to have a decent burial like what he did to his beloved cousin Patroclus. Achilles kindly let king Priam walk away and ensured their security with the body of Hector and he also let his woman to go with king Priam but he said that nothing will change they’re still enemies. On my own opinion the depiction of characters in the film is similar to the original story but the whole film is not accurately based on the book or the epic. The film is entertaining but it should not be use to study the epic of Homer because there are some changes and revisions from the original story. The film focus on actions and it depicts reality of war rather than the fantasy of Greek mythology. However the experienced of watching it is great especially to watch it with other students in the classroom.

Black Watch Essay Essays

Black Watch Essay Essays Black Watch Essay Essay Black Watch Essay Essay A watch is nothing more than a time keeper or a fashion statement, but my watch is something important to me. It was a gift from my dad to keep track of time during the SHSAT. When I took the SHSAT it felt like my dad was with me throughout the test. I had it for almost a year now. I don’t leave my house without it. I remember when I was taking the SHSAT, I was really nervous. There were a lot of students around me and a teacher at the front of the room. There were a lot of questions I got stuck on; it was like my mind suddenly went blank. So I looked at my watch and thought about what my dad would say if he was here. Now I look back and say that I couldn’t pass the test if it wasn’t for the watch. This watch has been a part of my life ever since. My watch is black like a storm night and it has a metal ring around its face. On the shiny black face behind the glass cover there is a hour hand and a minute hand. The hands move slowly like a snail. On the bottom of the face there are two grey circles with digital interface. The middle circle has a digital clock and the other two circles keeps track of the seconds, which ticks constantly. The bumpy band has 11 small holes to assist in locking the watch to your wrist. There are also 4 buttons that looks like square erasers, the light button turns on the light immediately. The blue light of the watch is as beautiful as the color of the ocean.

Little Picture Questions in ACT Reading Find the Detail

Little Picture Questions in ACT Reading Find the Detail SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Little picture questions account for a huge amount of the questions on ACT Reading. Of the 4 publicly available ACTs I surveyed, between 25% and 50% of ALL Reading questions were little picture questions. So what does this mean for you and your ACT test prep? It means that it is well worth your time to make sure you can consistently answer little picture questions accurately and in a reasonable amount of time (what "reasonable" is will depend on the score you're aiming for). In this article, I’ll provide examples of the different ways ACT Reading will ask you to use little picture skills and explain the strategies you can use to help with these questions. I'll end with a walkthrough of a sample question as well as practice questions for you try out on your own. First, however, I’ll explain what exactly I mean by â€Å"little picture† questions tiny books by kelly taylor, used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Cropped from original. What Are Little Picture Questions? Little picture questions are questions that ask you to find specific details from a passage. It's not like when my class was reading Great Gatsby in school, and I cared approximately ZERO about the different colors of Daisy’s dress and the green light and all that stuff that we had quizzes on â€Å"to make sure we did the reading.† The ACT asks you about details that are vital to understanding the passage (even though you don’t necessarily have to read the whole passage to find these details). For example, you might be asked what the milky blue that appears around the edges of older dogs’ eyes signifies (cataracts), but you will not be asked what color it is, all on its own. Out of the list of skills ACT lists you as needing to have (more on this here), little picture questions require you to... locate details within a passage and interpret them (although for little picture questions, the only interpretation you have to do is some paraphrasing) interpret sequence of events and flow of ideas (although again, for little picture questions, it's mostly just sequence of events, rather than flow of ideas) make comparisons understand cause-effect relationships Because little picture questions use so many of the skills the ACT sets out to test with its Reading section, if you can master little picture questions, you’re well on your way to mastering many of the other question types as well. I’ve divided up little picture questions into two levels. Level one questions only involve going back to the passage in order to identify the correct detail/fact. Level two questions, on the other hand, require you to gather multiple details/facts and then take that information a step further. Level One: Detail Hunting Questions on this level are the most basic the ACT gets: you basically have to go search out the information that answers the question. These questions can be further subdivided into two categories. 1. Find The Information In A Specific Place For these questions, you're given a line number and asked to find the detail to answer the question. Depending on how complicated the passage is, some vocabulary knowledge may prove necessary (more about vocab-in-context here); if there is a word you don't know, however, context clues can often be helpful. Here are a few of examples of the ways these sorts of questions might be phrased (all taken from official ACT practice tests): "Lines 42-44 indicate that another composer took over Mozart’s work in order to:" "Information in the second paragraph (lines 37-42) establishes that a change of one semitone translates into a frequency difference of..." "Information in lines 33-42 reveals that the public’s response to the conductor’s errors in the performance was to..." "The author indicates that the common factor in the events and periods listed in lines 50-54 is that they" "By his statement in lines 41-45, the author most nearly means that during the Classic period:" 2. Find The Information In An Unspecified Place For these level one questions, the information needed to answer them is somewhere in the passage. Sometimes the location is narrowed down to a few paragraphs or general areas like â€Å"the end of the passage,† but on occasion even that information is not given. Because these questions require you to do more searching than questions for which you are given specific location information, "Find the information in an unspecified place" questions are often relatively simple. You may need to do a little paraphrasing from text to answer choices, or you may be looking for the exact same words in the text. How can you be sure that questions asking you about information in a non-specific place are little picture questions, not inference or big picture questions? Because of the way the questions are phrased. Inference or big picture questions will have the phrases "It can be inferred from the passage" or "The passage suggests," whereas little picture questions will be more direct. See below for some examples of how little picture questions have been phrased on past ACT Reading sections. "According to the narrator, which of the following organizations is relatively new to her hometown?" "According to the passage, one of the woman’s worries about her present situation is that she..." "According to the passage, news reports attribute the flugelhorn player’s knees buckling to..." "The passage states that Leonard Bernstein believed the relationship between an orchestra and their section leaders should be:" "Which of the following statements about the galant style is best supported by the passage?" Rather than "It can be inferred from the passage," little picture detail questions will include phrases like "According to the passage" or "The passage states." You're not being asked to make assumptions based on the text - you're being asked to look for answers that are directly in the text. Level One Strategies I almost always do these level one little picture questions first when I start working on a passage. For me, hunting for the details gets me acquainted with the passage without having to read (and are easy points!). How you go about it, however, will depend on your reading strategy and, above all, on what works best for YOU. 1. Start by figuring out what the key information the ACT is looking for in the question. Take the following sample question. â€Å"The passage indicates that at the time Frank and Sigwarth presented new evidence supporting the small-comet theory, Frank most nearly felt...† The key information in this question: the names Sigwarth, Frank; â€Å"new evidence† or synonyms of that phrase; the phrase â€Å"small comet theory.† 2. Next, figure out where in the passage that information is (if you aren’t told outright) and read the relevant section slowly. You can try to quickly answer the question in your own words as well, even though the answer choices are sometimes taken word-for-word from the text. Putting the answers in your own words helps prevent you from falling into â€Å"I recognized the general phrasing so I’ll just choose it† trap (when in fact the ACT has sneakily reversed the meaning on you). 3a. If you tend to read the passage thoroughly first, I would recommend answering big picture questions before moving on to little picture questions. That way, you can answer questions about the whole passage before getting lost in the details. 3b. If you read the questions first, and don't think it will disorient you and make it harder for you to answer other types of questions, absolutely start with these questions and knock ‘em out of the way. World's best batsman and his mommy by joiseyshowaa, used under CC BY-SA/Cropped from original. Knock those questions out of the way like you are a small child playing cricket, and those questions are the ball. Look, it's...it's not a PERFECT analogy. Let's go back to the previous sample question for a moment. â€Å"The passage indicates that at the time Frank and Sigwarth presented new evidence supporting the small-comet theory, Frank most nearly felt...† To answer this question, you can scan the article for the words â€Å"Sigwarth† and â€Å"new comet theory† (either mentally or with your finger on the paper as you read, whichever is more effective for you). There's no need to read the entire article first. 3c. If you skim the passage, then answer questions, it could go either way. Skimming a passage can help you form a mental map of where certain details are more likely to show up, making it easier to answer detail questions; on the other hand, it can also give you enough info to get the big picture questions out of the way (just as if you'd read the passage all the way through). You'll need to experiment to figure out which way works best for you. Level Two: Using knowledge of multiple details, answer the question These questions will ask you to find multiple details across a passage or within a specified series of lines, then compare these details in one of two ways. 1. â€Å"EXCEPT† and â€Å"NOT† questions These types of little picture questions ask you to find the thing that is NOT true/NOT specifically described in the passage. They will typically appear at least once a test. Some examples (modified from ACTual ACT questions): "According to the passage, Aaron Copland believed that â€Å"American music† should include all of the following EXCEPT" "The author cites all of the following as causes of the unified musical style during the Classic period EXCEPT" "Which of the following is NOT listed in the passage as an element of the Classic period?" 2. Ordering or List questions These (relatively rare) questions ask you to choose the answer choice that lists a series of details in a particular order, or that match a particular criteria. The skill set you need to answer these types of questions is similar to that needed for "EXCEPT" and "NOT" questions; the main difference is that ordering and list questions are actually a little easier, because their answer choices tend to be more lengthy, and you only need to know that part of an answer choice is incorrect to be able to eliminate the whole thing. Here are a few examples of how ordering or list questions might be worded (all questions modified from real ACT questions): "According to the passage, which of the following cities is the last one Armstrong is said to have lived in?" "Which of the following most fully lists solutions considered by the author to the problem that the list of beloved women conductors is not nearly as long as the list of beloved men conductors?" "According to the frequency data presented in the passage, the audible ranges, from largest to smallest, of the following instruments is..." Level Two Strategies 1. Just like the strategies for answering level one little picture questions, the strategies for answering level two little picture questions involve finding the key words in the question, finding where the information is in the text, and reading the question carefully. 2. The process of elimination is also hugely helpful with these questions – if the text directly contradicts an answer choice, you can cross it out with no worries. 3. In general, I find it helpful to answer level two questions after you’ve already answered level one little picture questions or big picture/inference questions. Why? Because sometimes you end up covering the same ground as earlier questions with these level two questions. Here's an example of this: The sentence below is excerpted from an official ACT practice test and includes line 76-beginning of line 80. "Consider, for instance, the food crises that engulfed Europe during the Little Ice Age – the great hunger of 1315 to 1319, the food dearths of 1741, and 1816, â€Å"the year without a summer† – to mention only a few." The first question is level one (you’re given lines and asked to paraphrase), while the second is level two (an "EXCEPT" question). If you’ve already answered the first question, you’ve been focusing on the part of the passage that will help you with the information you need to answer the second question, which will then make that question easier to answer. Of course, these sorts of companion questions are not always right next to each other/in order, so don’t assume that answering questions in order will help. If you don’t remember exactly where you read the relevant information, however, you can always refer back to the first question, which may (as it does in this case) give a specific line number. 4a. If you read the passage thoroughly first, you might find it easier to start with these level TWO detail questions. Your memory will be fresh, so it will be easier to confirm that the â€Å"except† or â€Å"not† answer did not appear in the passage, or in what order events occurred. Once you've got those out of the way, you can move on to level one detail questions. 4b. If you read the questions first, then look at the passage, I’d suggest doing level ONE little picture questions first. As I said above, this can give you a better picture (har har) of the way the passage is laid out. Once you have a mental map of the passage's structure, you'll have a better idea of where to look for the details mentioned in the answer choices (whether you need to put them in order of occurrence or figure out which answer choice is NOT present in the text). 4c. If you skim first, then answer questions, it can go either way. The mental map you create as you skim the passage might help with confirming some details to be true/knowing where to look for the details...but it also might get you bogged down in detail too quickly and make it harder to answer big picture questions. 5. Ultimately, you need to do some trial and error on your own to figure out which way of reading the passage is most effective for you, and which questions you should answer first. This includes completing full ACT Reading sections as well as full length practice ACTs. The strategy you get the most points with is the one to go with. Little Picture Questions: A Walkthrough To finish, I wanted to do a brief walkthrough of my thought process (in italics) for answering a question from an official ACT practice test. Question: In the last paragraph, a comparison is made between â€Å"diminished excellence† and â€Å"flawed competence.† From the narrator’s point of view, the conditions are different because the one is: a source of sorrow while the other is a source of pride. based in the family while the other is based in the self. inherent in the environment while the other is inherent in the individual. a sign that the individual can improve the world while the other is a sign that the individual can’t. Key words in this question: â€Å"diminished excellence† and â€Å"flawed competence.† And â€Å"difference† (since I need to figure out how they’re different). I’ll search for those in the last paragraph of the passage. Okay, time to go to the last paragraph. "The whole time I work I wait to see where the screw-up is going to come. I imagine what my colleagues will be saying about me in the hallways. Did you know that Bryant built his shelves so they tilt? Did you know that Bryant’s books rejected the color he painted his shelves? But the screw-up doesn’t appear. I paint the shelves red, and they look O.K. (Granddaddy Bryant once painted yellow a whole row of company houses he built.) I paint a chair blue and red, and it’s a little silly-looking, but it picks up the blue of the carpet and the red of the shelves. The vision isn’t nearly as impressive as I thought it would be, but then what vision ever is? We plan-makers are accustomed to things turning out not-quite-as-good-as-we-had- in-mind. Our world view includes the â€Å"diminished excellence† component. Diminished excellence is a condition of the world and therefore never an occasion for sorrow, whereas flawed competence comes out of character and therefore is frequently the reason for the bowed head, the furrowed brow. Three months later, when I try to turn the heat off in my office, I discover that I have placed one of the shelf uprights too close to the radiator to be able to work the valve. The screw-up was there all along, but in this case I am relieved to find it. I am my grandfather’s grandson after all." So I see the phrase â€Å"diminished excellence† twice and â€Å"flawed competence† once nearby†¦I’ll read that section closely. "Our world view includes the â€Å"diminished excellence† component. Diminished excellence is a condition of the world and therefore never an occasion for sorrow, whereas flawed competence comes out of character and therefore is frequently the reason for the bowed head, the furrowed brow." How are they different? Well, for starters, â€Å"diminished excellence† is external (a condition of the world) and so you shouldn’t be sad, while â€Å"flawed competence† is something different (uses the word â€Å"whereas† to indicate a contrast) that makes you sad (bowed head, furrowed brow). What are the answers again? a source of sorrow while the other is a source of pride. One is a source of sadness, but there’s a difference between â€Å"never an occasion for sorrow† and pride, so probably not based in the family while the other is based in the self. Says nothing about family – it’s either based in â€Å"world† or â€Å"character,† neither of which is â€Å"family† in this context. So eliminate. inherent in the environment while the other is inherent in the individual. That sounds like it could be right – based in the world = inherent in environment, contrast to that = based in character = inherent in the individual a sign that the individual can improve the world while the other is a sign that the individual can’t. There’s stuff about the world but nothing about improving it, so no. Best answer is H. Review: It certainly helped that I knew the definition of inherent, but it was not critical; even if I couldn’t positively identify H as correct, I would have been able to show that F, G, and J were incorrect, which would have left me with H in any case. And now†¦it's your turn! Little Picture Practice Questions Just in case you hadn’t gotten enough of little picture questions, I’ve compiled a couple of different passages with some questions to answer. The answer key is up here, so you can scroll back up after you’ve finished the questions to check your answers. 1. J 2. C 3. J 4. H 5. D 1. Which of the following questions is NOT answered by the information in the passage? F. Has the narrator ever walked around inside Eugene’s house? G. What hobby or interest do Eugene and the narrator share? H. What makes Eugene’s house different from other houses on the block? J. What careers other than teaching has the narrator considered pursuing? 2. The narrator draws which of the following comparisons between the old couple and Eugene’s parents? A. The old couple were more socially outgoing and had many more friends than Eugene’s parents. B. Eugene’s parents are just as interested in tending the lawn and flowers as the old couple were. C. Eugene’s parents are less nurturing of each other and spend less time together than the old couple did. D. Just like the old man and old woman, both of Eugene’s parents appear to have jobs outside the home 3. According to the narrator, which of the following statements was true about Eugene at the moment when she first talked to him? F. Due to the size of the school, he had not even noticed the narrator until she started talking to him. G. He had searched unsuccessfully for the narrator’s locker several different times and had been too shy to ask someone where it was. H. He had first noticed the narrator in study hall but had been uninterested in her until she introduced herself. J. He had apparently taken notice of the narrator at school and had come to like her but felt nervous about introducing himself. 4. The narrator most nearly portrays her parents’ dreams as: F. close to being realized because of her father’s good job. G. somewhat uncommon among the other residents of the family’s building. H. ones she has heard about many times but that seem far off and remote to her. J. ones she shares with her parents and longs to fulfill. 5. The narrator claims that she felt close to the old couple because she had: A. listened in on so many of their conversations over the years. B. helped take care of the old woman’s flowers after the woman’s husband had died. C. been able to watch them as they moved through their entire house. D. regularly observed them during their mealtimes. What’s Next? Want more ACT Reading skills articles like this one? Start with our vocab-in-context article - more will follow over the next few weeks. Not sure what the best way to approach ACT Reading passages is? Read our article and figure out which one is right for you. Where can you find official ACT practice tests to hone your newly-acquired knowledge on? We can help you – go to our complete list of official ACT tests. Thinking you need more structured help to master little picture questions? Maybe a test prep platform customized to you is the answer for you. Try PrepScholar risk-free for five days! Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Reading 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:

Recycling the Household Rubbish Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Recycling the Household Rubbish - Essay Example The nations around the world should opt for compulsory recycling of household rubbish to overcome the problems like environmental pollution and ecological disorders. The most crucial aspect of this issue is that the world is running out of room to bury its rubbish. The figures in the recent years show that if the people of America recycled the Sunday newspaper, they could save over 500,000 trees a year. Much more will be the effects if another solid household waste is recycled. Recycling is widely accepted as the environmentally friendly, cheapest and most sensible way to dispose of the household rubbish. To begin with, recycling the waste helps in reducing the amount of methane generated from biodegradable waste, for example, breaking down cardboard in the landfill. It also cuts down the emissions of methane, the most important factor contributing to global warming. Recycling the rubbish will also avert other negative environmental impacts; for instance, it will reduce the number of trees being cut down and will reduce the number of minerals and metals extracted from mines. An important hindrance that stands against the recycling of the household waste is the unreceptive mentality of the society against recycling.  The National Consumer Council (NCC) points out, factors that might restrain people from acting ‘sustainably’ include recycling (Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, 2005). People should be convinced of the fact that the reserves of metal ores are not unlimited. There is only a little gold, silver, tin and other metals remaining in the ground and once they all have been mined out, there will not be anything left unless we are already to recycle what has already been used. Evidently, â€Å"the United States daily generates more solid waste than any other country on earth.† (Barry & Mendoza, 2006, p. 416). Consumption of fast food meals packed in paper or Styrofoam containers has grown alarmingly high.