How Computers Affect Human Being Essay Example

How Computers Affect Human Being Essay The night is dark and silent. A young boy and his father are alone in a hut in the middle of the jungle. Soon the father leaves his son alone and goes out into the jungle. Where does he go and why? OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, you will be able to: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ read and understand a story in English; use homophones correctly; use the to-infinite, gerunds and participles appropriately; edit your writing; and give and take messages. 13. 1 SECTION I Tembu, the boy, opened his eyes in the dark and wondered if his father was ready to leave the hut on his nightly errand. There was no moon that night, and the deathly stillness of the surrounding jungle was broken only occasionally by the shrill cry of a cicada. Sometimes from far off came the hollow hammering of a woodpecker, carried along on the faint breeze. Or the grunt of a wild boar could be heard as he dug up a favourite root. But these sounds were rare, and the silence of the forest always returned to swallow them up. ENGLISH 111 The Tiger in the Tunnel The Tiger in the Tunnel Baldeo, the watchman, was awake. He stretched himself slowly unwinding the heavy shawl that covered him. It was close on midnight and the chill air made him shiver. The station, a small shack backed by heavy jungle, was a station in name only; for trains only stopped there, if at all, for a few seconds before entering the deep cutting that led to the tunnel. Most trains merely slowed down before taking the sharp curve before cutting. Baldeo was responsible for signalling whether or not the tunnel was clear of obstruction, and his manual signal stood before the entrance. At night it was his duty to see that the lamp was burning, and that the overland mail passed through safely. ‘Shall I come too, Father? ’ asked Tembu sleepily, still lying in a huddle in a corner of the hut. ‘No, it is cold tonight. Do not get up. ’ Tembu, who was twelve, did not always sleep with his father at the station, for he had also to help in the home, where his mother and small sister were usually alone. We will write a custom essay sample on How Computers Affect Human Being specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on How Computers Affect Human Being specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on How Computers Affect Human Being specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer They lived in a small tribal village on the outskirts of the forest, about three miles from the station. Their small rice fields did not provide them with more than a bare living and Baldeo considered himself lucky to have got the job of Khalasi at this small wayside signal stop. Still drowsy, Baldeo, groped for his lamp in darkness then fumbled about in search of matches. When he had produced a light he left the hut, closed the door behind him and set off along the permanent way. Tembu had fallen asleep again. Notes INTEXT QUESTIONS 13. 1 I. a. What is the father’s name? . What is his son’s name? c. How old is the son? II. a. Where did Baldeo spend the night? b. What was Baldeo responsible for? III. a. Where did Baldeo’s family live? b. Why did Baldeo have to take up the job of a Khalasi? IV. Pick out three phrases which describe the station from the list below. dark and cold; a small shack; surrounded by rice fields; in the middle of a thick forest; near a tunn el; in a tribal village. 112 ENGLISH The Tiger in the Tunnel The Tiger in the Tunnel 13. 2 SECTION II At midnight, Baldeo goes out of his hut, into the thick forest. The jungle is full of dangerous animals, but Baldeo has a job to do and it is important. Notes Baldeo wondered whether the lamp on the signal- post was still alight. Gathering his shawl closer about him, he stumbled on, sometimes along the rails, sometimes along the ballast. He longed to get back to his warm corner in the hut. The eeriness of the place was increased by the neighbouring hills which overhung the main line threateningly. On entering the cutting with its sheer rock walls towering high above the rails, Baldeo could not help thinking about the wild animals he might encounter. He had heard many tales of the famous tunnel tiger, a man-eater, which was supposed to frequent this spot; he hardly believed these stories for since his arrival at this place a month ago, he had not seen or even heard a tiger. There had, of course, been panthers, and only a few days ago the villagers had killed one with their spears and axes. Baldeo had occasionally heard the sawing of a panther calling to its mate, but they had not come near the tunnel or shed. Baldeo walked confidently for being a tribal himself, he was used to the jungle and its ways. Like his fore-fathers he carried a small axe; fragile to look at but deadly when in use. He prided himself in his skill in wielding it against wild animals. He had killed a young boar with it once and the family had feasted on the flesh for three days. The axehead of pure steel, thin but ringing true like a bell, had been made by his father over a charcoal fire. This axe was part of himself. And wherever he went, be it to the local market seven miles away, or to a tribal dance, the axe was always in his hand. Occasionally an official who had come to the station had offered him good money for the weapon, but Baldeo had no intention of parting with it. The cutting curved sharply, and in the darkness the black entrance to the tunnel looked up menacingly. The signal-light was out. Baldeo set to work to haul the lamp down by its chain. If the oil had finished, he would have to return to the hut for more. The mail train was due in five minutes. Once more he fumbled for his matches. Then suddenly he stood still and listened. The frightened cry of a barking deer followed by a crashing sound in the undergrowth, made Baldeo hurry. There was still a little oil in the lamp, and after an instant’s hesitation he lit the lamp again and hoisted it into position. Having done this, he walked quickly down the tunnel, swinging his own lamp, so that the shadows leapt up and down the soot-stained walls, and having made sure that the line was clear, he returned to the entrance and sat down to wait for the mail train. ENGLISH 113 The Tiger in the Tunnel The Tiger in the Tunnel The train was late. Sitting huddled up, almost dozing, he soon forgot his surroundings and began to nod. Back in the hut, the trembling of the ground told of the approach of the train, and a low, distant rumble woke the boy, who sat up rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Father, it’s time to light the lamp,’ he mumbled and then, realizing that his father had been gone some time, he lay down again, but he was wide awake now, waiting for the train to pass, waiting for his father’s returning footsteps. Notes INTEXT QUESTIONS 13. 2 1. Name the four wild animals which were to be found in the forest. 2. Was Baldeo afraid? Which sentence in the passage gives you the answer? 3. What weapon did he carry? Who had made it? 4. Did the barking deer call out because: a) it saw Baldeo? b) it saw a tiger? c) it was afraid of the dark? ) it was calling to its mate? 5. a) How did Tembu know that the train was coming. b) What is he waiting for? 13. 3 SECTION III Baldeo finds himself in a dangerous situation. How does he deal with it? A low grunt resounded from the top of the cutting. In a second Baldeo was awake, all his senses alert. Only a tiger could emit such a sound There was no shelter for Baldeo, but he grasped his axe firmly and tensed his body, trying to make out the direction from which the animal was approaching. For some time there was only silence. Even the usual jungle noises seemed to have ceased altogether. Then a thump and the rattle of small stones announced that the tiger had sprung into the cutting. Baldeo, listening as he had never listened before, wondered if it was making for the tunnel or the opposite direction the direction of the hut, in which Tembu would 114 ENGLISH The Tiger in the Tunnel be lying unprotected. He did not have to wonder for long. Before a minute had passed he made out the huge body of the tiger trotting steadily towards him. Its eyes shone a brilliant green in the light from the signal lamp. Flight was useless, for in the dark the tiger would be more sure-footed than Baldeo and would soon be upon him from behind. Baldeo stood with his back to the signal –post, motionless staring at the great brute moving rapidly towards him. The tiger, used to the ways of men, for it had been preying on them for years, came on fearlessly, and with a quick run and a snarl struck out with its right paw, expecting to bowl over this puny man who dared stand in the way. Baldeo, however, was ready. With a marvellously agile leap he avoided the paw and brought his axe down on the animal’s shoulder. The tiger gave a roar and attempted to close in. Again Baldeo drove his axe which caught the tiger on the shoulder, almost severing the leg. To make matters worse, the axe remained stuck in the bone, and Baldeo was left without a weapon. The tiger, roaring with pain, now sprang upon Baldeo, bringing him down and then tearing at his broken body. It was all over in a sharp few minutes. Baldeo was conscious only of a searing pain down his back, and then there was blackness and the night closed in on him forever. The Tiger in the Tunnel Notes INTEXT QUESTIONS 13. 3 1. What made Baldeo’s job as a signal man dangerous? . Pick out words and phrases from the text that describe the tiger. 3. What was Baldeo more worried about: his own safety or his son’s? 4. Why did Baldeo decide to fight the tiger? 5. How did Baldeo die? 13. 4 SECTION IV Baldeo, the bread winner of the family was dead. Who took on his responsibilities and how did he tackle them. The tiger drew off and sat down licking his wounded leg, roaring every now and then with agony. He did not notice the faint rumble that shook the earth, followed by the distant puffing of an engine steadily climbing. The overland mail was approaching. Through the trees beyond the cutting as the train advanced, the glow of the furnace could be seen, and showers of sparks fell like Divali lights over the forest. ENGLISH 115 The Tiger in the Tunnel The Tiger in the Tunnel As the train entered the cutting, the engine whistled once, loud and piercingly. The tiger raised his head, then slowly got to his feet. He found himself trapped like the man. Flight along the cutting was impossible. He entered the tunnel, running as fast as his wounded leg would carry him. And then, with a roar and a shower of sparks, the train entered the yawning tunnel. The noise in the confined space was deafening but, when the train came out into the open, on the other side, silence returned once more to the forest and the tunnel. At the next station the driver slowed down and stopped his train to water the engine. He got down to stretch his legs and decided to examine the head-lamps. He received the surprise of his life; for, just above the cow-catcher lay the major portion of the tiger, cut in half by the engine. There was considerable excitement and conjecture at the station, but back at the cutting there was no sound except for the sobs of the boy as he sat beside the body of his father. He sat there a long time, unafraid of the darkness, guarding the body from jackals and hyenas, until the first faint light of dawn brought with it the arrival of the relief-watchman. Tembu and his sister and mother were plunged in grief for two whole days; but life had to go on, and a living had to be made, and all the responsibility now fell on Tembu. Three nights later, he was at the cutting, lighting the signal-lamp for the overland mail. He sat down in the darkness to wait for the train, and sang softly to himself. There was noting to be afraid of – his father had killed the tiger, the forest gods were pleased; and besides, he had the axe with him, his father’s axe, and he now knew to use it. Notes INTEXT QUESTIONS 13. 4 1. Why did the tiger enter the tunnel? 2. What happened to the tiger? 3. Why was there excitement at the station? 4. What was happening at the cutting? 5. Why did Tembu sit by his father’s body? 6. Why did Tembu take up his father’s job soon after his death? 116 ENGLISH The Tiger in the Tunnel The Tiger in the Tunnel OVERALL QUESTIONS 1. Write two incidents to show the quality of responsibility in Baldeo and Tembu. . Most wild animals avoid human beings. Why did this tiger come straight to Baldeo. 3. Give three reasons why Tembu was not afraid of anything. Notes VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT 1. ‘Wood’ and ‘would’ are two words which sound the same, but have different meanings, and are spelt differently. Fill in the blanks in the sen tences below, with the correct words from the pairs of words given. e. g. wood, would This table is made of wood of poor quality. It is so cold tonight that I would not like to go out. 1. Bore: boar a) The film that we went to last night was badly made. It was quite a _____________. ) A wild __________ is a very dangerous animal 2. herd: heard a) A large __________ of spotted deer came out of the forest onto the road last night. b) I __________ that the examinations are to be postponed again this year. 3. root: route a) Some _____________ (s) like that of the tapioca are good to eat. b) The _________ to Jaisalmer is long and complicated. 4. weather: whether a) The ________ has been cold and damp all month. b) Baldeo was responsible for signaling __________ the tunnel was free of obstruction or not. 5. male: mail a) The ______________ has been delayed due to the strike by postmen. ) The _________ birds are always more decorative than the females. ENGLISH 117 The Tiger in the Tunnel T he Tiger in the Tunnel 6. threw: through a) Amar __________ away all the fish curry thinking it had gone bad. b) The train to Mumbai goes __________ many tunnels. Notes 7. bare : bear a) The black Himalayan ________ is very dangerous. b) People have been cutting trees so carelessly that many beautiful forests have become __________ of vegetation. 8. steel : steal a) ___________ utensils are easy to keep clean. b) Ravi knew that there was Rs. 10 in his father’s almirah, and he needed some money. But he did not take it because it is wrong to __________. 9. their : there a) __________ is no time to go shopping before we leave for the station. b) Ravi and Neha are friends. I have forgotten ________ phone numbers. 2. Pick out the odd words from each set of words below:Example : watchman, engine, driver, fireman, boy, cook (boy) 1. tiger, deer, panther, hyena, jackal ________ 2. father, brother, neighbour, son, aunt __________ 3. bullock cart, train, car, aeroplane, scooter. 4. axe, gun, spear, knife, blade 5. grunt, roar, cry, shout, men 6. hut, house, cave, station, garage 7. see, hear, read, taste, feel 8. eap, run, jump, walk, sleep 9. cow, dog, hen, crow, pig GRAMMAR: Non- Finites I. To-Infinitives Look at the following sentences. Study the underlined words. 118 ENGLISH The Tiger in the Tunnel a. Tembu wondered if his father was ready to leave the hut b. At night it was his duty to see the lamp was burning. The underlined words are called Infinitives. They are formed by writ ing to + verb – e. g. 1. He had also to help at home. 2. It’s time to light the lamp i. e. to + help, to + light Note: ‘to’ is followed by the first form of the verb i. e. the original form of a verb without any change. Exercise I Underline the Infinitives in the following sentences. 1. He agreed to postpone the meeting. 2. It is dangerous to play with a gun. 3. We tried to open the door, but it had jammed. 4. We have to learn more about Infinitives. 5. Bank is a place to deposit money. 6. Children go to play in a park. Exercise II Fill in the blanks using the infinitive form of the verb in the box. post help go sleep accompany report park live sit waste 1. I forgot ________ you letter. 2. He wants ________ to the station. 3. She pretended __________. 4. Would you like __________us? 5. He asked her _________ the progress of the project. . Is it safe __________ the car here? 7. _________ without air is impossible. 8. __________ in the sun in winter is pleasant. 9. __________ water is foolish. 10. I shall be glad ___________ you. The Tiger in the Tunnel Notes ENGLISH 119 The Tiger in the Tunnel The Tiger in the Tunnel II. Gerunds Observe the following sentences and see how the underlined words functio n. a) Swimming is good for health Notes b) Sita loves dancing. Swimming and dancing are used as Nouns although they are derived from verbs. A word which was a verb does the work of a Noun by adding ‘ing’. It is used in the same way as a noun. Hence we say – He likes driving. Writing poems is his hobby. Exercise I Underline the gerunds in the following sentences. 1. Anju likes reading novels by Thomas Hardy. 2. Boys like playing cricket. 3. Riding is an interesting hobby. 4. Giving is better than receiving. 5. Singing gives us joy. Exercise II Use the gerundial form of the verb in the brackets and fill in the blanks: 1. __________ (bath) is necessary for good health. 2. _______ (see) is _________(believe). 3. We go to school for __________ (study). 4. He dislikes _______ (wear) a green shirt. 5. Baldeo was responsible for _________ (signal). . He heard the __________ (hammer) of a woodpecker. 7. He stopped __________ (tremble) when he was that the tiger was dead. 8. The leopard waited at the _______________ (cut). 9. __________ (shop) had made her tired. 10. _________ (study) grammar is fun. III. The Present Participle You saw/that by adding ‘ing,’ we can use the verbs as Nouns also. Now look at 120 ENG LISH The Tiger in the Tunnel the underlined words in the following sentences. The ‘ing’ words function like adjectives or adverbs. They are present participles. a) He heard a barking deer. b) The toy was a dancing girl in a glass case. Exercise I Pick out the present participles in the following sentences. 1. The boy sitting in the corner is my friend. 2. He jumped into a moving bus. 3. The frightening cry was followed by a crashing sound in the under growth. 4. They disapproved of playing cards. Exercise II Fill in the blanks with the present participle of the words in the box speak menace excite learn yawn write 1. We got some _________ news last evening. 2. We had a ________ activity in class today. 3. The black entrance to the tunnel looked _______. 4. The train entered the ___________ tunnel. 5. She was busy __________ letters. 6. It was a _________ experience for us. V. The Past Participle Observe the following sentences a) They found hidden treasure under the stone. b) They ate cooked food. c) They cut a fallen tree. d) These are burnt sticks. The past participle (hidden, cooked, fallen) use – ed, en or – t (hide+en, cook+ed, fall+en, burn+t) to express a completed action as an adjective to qualify- treasure, food, tree, sticks. The Tiger in the Tunnel Notes ENGLISH 121 The Tiger in the Tunnel The Tiger in the Tunnel A. Pick out the past participles in the following sentences and underline them. a. A frightened child ran to his mother. b. He is a changed man now. Notes c. Don’t use a broken scale. B. Fill in the blanks with the past participle form of the verbs in the box. write, complete, paint steal break a) Submit a _________ report. b) The police found the ________ goods. c) Please submit your _________ assignment. d) Don’t play with ________ toys. e) It is a _________ picture not a photograph. LET’S WRITE Editing Spelling Compare the sentences given in the boxes below: I. The cuting curved sharpli, and in the darknes the black entrence to the tunel looked up menacingly II The cutting curved sharply, and in the darkness the black entrance to the tunnel looked up menacingly. Do you notice that the sentence in box I had a lot of spelling mistakes. But in box II the same sentence has seen corrected and all the spelling are corrected. That is, the sentence have been edited. a) Now edit the following sentences by correcting the spelling. It swa about 10 o’clock on Hali day and the gaty had began. The grounds of the twonshipe were filing up with people splashing colurs at each other. Forteen year old Minal Pawar, who lives in one of the ground –floor flats was hanging out the whashed cloths in the courtyard. She planed to join the fun as soon as she finished. 22 ENGLISH The Tiger in the Tunnel Now you have edited the spelling mistakes . You can also edit the punctuation marks like capital letters, commas, full stops, question marks, use of ‘I’, like the one give below. e. g. Box I ‘shall i come too father asked tembu sleeply still lying hunddled in a corner of the hut. Box II ‘Shall I come too, Father? ’ asked Tem bu sleepily, still lying huddled in a a corner of the hut. The sentences in Box I have been edited by putting the punctuation marks. They have been underlined in Box II. Now edit the following passage by correcting the punctuation. Exercise I are you going far asked the doctor i’m going all the way to Detroit said the man a rather thin man with small black eyes filled with tears from the wind. The Tiger in the Tunnel Notes LET’S TALK Worksheet Listen to conversation number on giving and taking messages on tape. Then fill in the blanks below Ravi wanted to speak to _____. ________ offered to pass on Ravi’s message to _______. Ravi said that Ajit should contact __________ regarding a trip to __________. Ravi also said that Suresh will give Abhay all details including how much __________ will be needed for the trip. CHECK YOUR ANSWERS Intext Questions 13. 1 I. a) Baldeo b) Tembu c) Twelve II. a) In a railway station/small station/ signal stop ENGLISH 123 The Tiger in the Tunnel The Tiger in the Tunnel b) Signalling whether or not the tunnel was clear of obstruction (to see the signal lamp was burning) III. a) In a small village three miles from the station. Notes b) Their rice fields did not provide the family with a living. IV. A small shack; in the middle of a thick forest; near a tunnel Intext Questions 13. 2 1. tiger, panther, bear, barking deer. 2. No; Baldeo walked confidently, for being a tribal himself he was used to the jungle and its ways. . A small axe; his father 4. (b) 5. a) by the trembling of the ground b) for the train to pass and his father’s returning foot steps/his father to return. Intext Question 13. 3 1. He had to face the tiger any time. 2. It was a man eater. 3. Tembu’s/his son’s 4. He had an axe to kill it; he didn’t think the tiger was dangerous. 5. The axe got stuck in the tiger’s shoulder so he couldn’t fight it. Intext Question 13. 4 1. He was trapped when the train came, flight along the cutting was impossible. 2. It got caught in the cow-catcher of the engine. 3. The driver found a tiger cut in half just above the cow-catcher of the engine 4. There was no sound, the boy sat beside the body of his father. 5. To guard the body from jackals and hyenas. 6. All the responsibility fell on Tembu. OVERALL QUESTIONS 1. Baldeo – 1) took up his job inspite of the dangers. 2) tried to kill the tiger. Tembu – 1) took up his father’s job 2) looked after the family in place of his father. 124 ENGLISH The Tiger in the Tunnel 2. It was used to the ways of men and expected to bowl over Baldeo who stood in the way. 3. 1. his father had killed the tiger. 2. the forest gods were pleased. . he had his father’s axe. VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT 1. (a) bore, (b) boar 3. (a) root, 5. (a) mail, 7. (a) beer, (b) route (b) male (b) bare 2. (a) herd, (b) heard The Tiger in the Tunnel Notes 4. (a) weather, (b) whether 6. (a) threw, 8. (a) steel, (b) through (b) steal 9. (a) there, (b) their 2. (1) deer, (5) men, (2) neighbour, (3) bullock cart, (4) gu n, (6) cave, (7) read, (8) sleep (9) crow CHECK YOUR ANSWERS Grammar To-Infinitives Exercise I 1. to postpone 4. to tearn Exercise II 1. to post 5. to report 9. to waste Gerunds Exercise I 1. reading 4. giving, receiving ENGLISH 2. to play 5. o deposit 3. to open 6. to play 2. to go 6. to park 10. to help 3. to sleep 7. to live 4. to accompany 8. to sit 2. playing 5. singing 3. riding 125 The Tiger in the Tunnel The Tiger in the Tunnel Exercise II 1. Bating 5. wearing 2. seeing 6. signaling 10. shopping 3. believing 4. studying, 7. hammering 8. trembling 11. studying Notes 9. cutting The present Participle Exercise I 1. sitting 4. playing. Exercise II 1. exciting 4. yawning The Past Participle A. (a) frightened B. a) written d) broken (b) changed b) stolen e) painted. (c) broken c) completed 2. speaking 5. writing 3. menacing 6. earning 2. moving 3. frightening, crashing CHECK YOUR ANSWER Let’s write a) It was about 10 o’clock on Holi day and the gaiety had begun. The grounds of the township were filling up with people splashing colours at each other. Fourteen year old Minal Pawar, who lives in one of the ground-floor flats was hanging out the washed clothes in the courtyard. She planned to join the fun as soon as she finished. Exercise I â€Å"Are you going far? † asked the doctor. â€Å"I’m going all the way to Detroit,† said the man, a rather thin man with small black eyes filled with tears from the wind. 126 ENGLISH

Gender Roles in The Good Earth Essays - O-Lan, The Good Earth

Gender Roles in The Good Earth Essays - O-Lan, The Good Earth Daniel Kang Ms. Menard Honors English 8 13 May 2014 Gender Roles in The Good Earth Pearl S. Buck's opinion about the gender roles of China of the time is plainly written in her texts of The Good Earth. In the book, Wang Lung treats woman differently based on their looks. In the beginning of the story, Wang Lung treats O-lan as an equal because she works and cooks and at that time, that is all that he cared about. Then, after Wang Lung buys the land and becomes very prosperous off of it, he suddenly, as if a veil had been lifted from his eyes, he notices O-lan's ugliness. Lotus on the other hand, is treated a totally different way by Wang Lung. Lotus comes into play when Cuckoo tempts Wang Lung at a teahouse. He adores Lotus and gives her everything she desires in return for her satisfying his lust. Pearl S. Buck shows that beauty ranked a woman not their usefulness. One of the main topics that Pearl S. Buck focuses on in this book is how unfair women were treated. She shows the reader that Wang Lung made a mistake near the end of the book when O-lan dies. Wang Lung is very proud of his sons. Then, he remembers that it was O-lan that gave birth to them. He regrets how he mistreated O-lan. The author does a great job showing the reader the violation of women's rights and how it should be changed. Gender roles play a great role in China during the time period that The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck takes place. Women, were just property in Wang Lung's household. Wang Lung definitely shows favoritism in woman. "He saw for the first time that her hair was rough and brown and unoiled and that her face was large and flat and coarse-skinned, and her features too large altogether and without any sort of beauty or light. Her eyebrows were scattered and the hairs too few, and her lips were too wide, and her hands and feet were large and spreading" (The Good Earth 169). After becoming rich, Wang Lung starts to notice O-lan's ugliness and becomes angry. Treasured by Wang Lung, Lotus satisfies him. Cuckoo, previously a slave in the House of Hwang, said to Wang Lung, "There they are, their pictures. Choose which one you wish to see and put the silver in my hand and I will place her before you" (The Good Earth 176). Wang Lung is tempted into a life of lust by Cuckoo. He meets Lotus and can never stop seeing her. He goes to great lengths to ensure that Lotus is his. He brings her to his house and adores her. The difference between men and women becomes a main focus of the book. Pearl S. Buck wrote this book to signify the importance of gender roles. Wang Lung appreciates O-lan for her sons and as time goes on and he becomes rich, he notices her ugliness and gives his attention to a woman named Lotus. Gender roles play an important part in this book and are signified in the way Wang Lung treats the women in his life.

A Beginners Look at the Subjunctive Mood in Spanish

A Beginners Look at the Subjunctive Mood in Spanish One of the most confusing aspects of Spanish for beginners is the subjunctive mood. In fact, it usually isnt taught, at least to those using English as a first language, until at least the intermediate level. But even as a beginning Spanish student, you should be aware of what role the subjunctive mood plays, if only so you can recognize it when you come across it in speech or reading. What is the Subjunctive Mood? The mood of a verb, sometimes known as its mode, indicates what type of role it plays in a sentence and/or the speakers attitude toward it. For the most part, in English as well as Spanish, the most common verb mood is the indicative mood. In general, it is the normal verb form, indicating both action and state of being. Both Spanish and English have two other verb moods. One of them is the imperative mood, used in making direct commands. For example. the Spanish Hazlo, and its direct English equivalent, Do it, use a verb in the imperative mood. A third mood, extremely common in Spanish and other Romance languages such as French and Italian, is the subjunctive mood. The subjunctive mood also exists in English, although we dont use it very much and its use is less common than it used to be. (The were in if I were you is an example of the subjunctive mood in English.) Without limiting yourself much, you can speak English for days and get by without using a subjunctive form. But that isnt true in Spanish. The subjunctive mood is essential to Spanish, and even many simple types of statements cant be made properly without it. In general, the subjunctive is a verb mood that is used to express an action or state of being in the context of the speakers reaction to it. Most commonly (although not always), the subjunctive verb is used in a clause that starts with the relative pronoun que (meaning which, that or who). Frequently, the sentences that contain a subjunctive verb are used to express doubt, uncertainty, denial, desire, commands, or reactions to the clause containing the subjunctive verb. Comparing the Indicative and Subjunctive Moods The most important differences between indicative and subjunctive moods can be seen by comparing two simple sentences: Indicative: Los hombres trabajan. (The men are working.)Subjunctive: Espero que los hombres trabajen. (I hope the men are working.) The first sentence is in the indicative mood, and the mens working is stated as a fact. In the second sentence, the mens working is placed in the context of what the speaker hopes for. It isnt particularly important to the sentence whether men work or not; what is important is the speakers reaction to it. Note also that while the Spanish distinguishes the subjunctive through the conjugation of trabajar, no such distinction is made in English. Although not common, sometimes a Spanish sentence using the subjunctive is translated to English using the subjunctive: Indicative: Insisto que Britney est sana. (I insist that Britney is healthy.)Subjunctive: Insisto en que Britney està © feliz. (I insist that Britney be happy.) Note how the first sentence in both languages asserts Britneys health as a fact. But in the second sentence, her health is stated as a strong desire. Insist is one of very few verbs in English that can trigger the subjunctive mood, but Spanish has thousands of such verbs. The following sentences show other reasons for using the subjunctive; note how a distinctive subjunctive form is used in English in only the final translation. Indicative (statement of fact): Britney est sana. (Britney is healthy.)Indicative (statement of fact): Sà © que Britney est sana. (I know that Britney is healthy.)Subjunctive (doubt): No es cierto que Britney està © sana. (It is uncertain that Britney is healthy.)Subjunctive (likelihood): Es probable que Britney està © sana. (It is likely that Britney is healthy.)Subjunctive (denial): No es verdad que Britney està © sana. (It is not true that Britney is healthy.)Subjunctive (reaction): Estoy feliz que Britney està © sana. (I am happy that Britney is healthy.)Subjunctive (permission): Es prohibido que Britney est sana. (It is prohibited for Britney to be healthy.)Subjunctive (desire): Espero que Britney està © sana. (I hope that Britney is healthy.)Subjunctive (preference): Preferimos que Britney està © sana. (We prefer that Britney be healthy.) Recognizing the Subjunctive Mood In everyday Spanish, the subjunctive is used in only two of the simple tenses, the present and the imperfect (a type of past tense). Although Spanish has a future subjunctive, it is nearly obsolete. While you may not need to memorize the subjunctive conjugations as a beginning Spanish student, becoming familiar with them can help you learn to recognize them.. Here are the subjunctive forms for regular -ar verbs, using hablar as an example: Present subjunctive: yo hable, tà º hables, usted/à ©l/ella hable, nosotros/nosotras hablemos, vosotros/vosotras hablà ©is, ellos/ellas hablen.Imperfect subjunctive: yo hablara, tà º hablara, usted/à ©l/ella hablara, nosotros/nosotras hablaramos, vosotros/vosotras hablareis, ellos/ellas hablaren. (There are two forms of the imperfect subjunctive. This one is the more common.) And the subjunctive forms for regular -er and -ir verbs using beber as an example: Present subjunctive: yo beba, tà º bebas, usted/à ©l/ella beba, nosotros/nosotras bebamos, vosotros/vosotras bebis, ellos/ellas beban.Imperfect subjunctive: yo bebiera, tà º bebieras, usted/à ©l/ella bebiera, nosotros/nosotras bebià ©ramos, vosotros/vosotras bebierais, ellos/ellas bebieran. The subjunctive perfect tenses and progressive tenses are formed by using the appropriate subjunctive form of haber or estar followed by the appropriate participle. Key Takeaways The subjunctive mood is a key aspect of Spanish grammar and is much more common in Spanish than it is in English.The subjunctive is used primarily for viewing a verbs action from the perspective of the speaker rather than stating it as a fact.The subjunctive mood is used in the present and imperfect tenses.

Managing a Golf Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing a Golf Business - Assignment Example Rendering of ‘Custom-Fitting’ equipments for the individual golfers rather than depending on ‘Off-the-Shelf’ technique helped the company gain on larger revenue margins. The ‘Off-the-Shelf’ clubs depended more on the custom of ‘One-Size-Fits-For-All’ that tended to affect customer interests and thereby affected profits and revenues earned. Secondly the dry summer months add to the strength of the company in significantly contributing to the turnovers of the firm. Thirdly the work atmosphere in the Professional Golf Club is also found to be quite amicable and prosperous for development of business relations. The work atmosphere is also found quite congenial in fostering an environment that would promote innovation and empowerment. Weakness Firstly the current state of business affairs relating to the carrying out of the training operations of the Golf Professional Club is affected by the emergence of the winter and wet summer months. The business is affected owing to the wet outside soil restraining effective performance of golf training sessions.Such seasonal factors also happen to create obstacle to the optimal utilisation of the resources available with the Golf Club and thus restrain the effective meeting of customer care needs. Secondly the space rendered to carry out training activities indoors has also been seriously affected owing to unavailability of adequate space. Thus under-utilisation of the available space and resources coupled with bad weather and soil conditions contributed in weakening of the existing business conditions. Assessment of the Competition and the Market External Analysis of the Business Opportunities The demographic factors of the Mere Valley region render a host of opportunities for the P rofessional Golf Club to effectively thrive in the area. Mere Valley population consists of high income individuals and also composed of people from business backgrounds possessing a passion for Golf. These people are frequent visitors or members of the Golf Club that in turn reflects the opportunity for the club to further expand in helping the people to pursue Golf as an effective sport. Moreover the availability of large number of open spaces in the Mere Valley region also renders significant opportunities for the Golf Club to effectively grow and accommodate a larger crowd of trainees. Thus presence of required customer profiles along with open spaces effectively contributes in business continuity of the Golf Training and Professional Club in the region. Moreover the availability of baking facilities in the region also helps the different clubs to gain adequate loans for working on renovation and replenishment activities in an effective fashion. Threats Firstly owing to the pres ence of opportunities pertaining to required customer

Daily Reading Responses5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Daily Reading Responses5 - Essay Example Family values of these two backgrounds differ greatly. However, with this knowledge at hand, do social classes of gay individuals vary? A class difference is a major factor that contributes to African American lesbian relationship’s conflicts and break-ups (Hall & Greene 65). Women couples who are from the same social background are found to understand each other better, live with each other in peace and have healthy relationships as compared to those from different backgrounds as it is seen that behaviors of these two are completely different as they do not share same values and perspectives. These conflicts and break-ups however can be prevented if couples from different social backgrounds agree to bridge the existing gap between them by being open with each other, not comparing each other as to who is more superior than the other in terms of education and amount of income and making changes that will improve the

Nation Branding: A Tool Of Soft Power

Nation Branding: A Tool Of Soft Power Nations have always cared about their image, but in recent years one witnessed a turning point in methods used by states to build and manage their reputation. In this era of globalization the world is increasingly becoming a gigantic stage on which countries have to compete for all types of resources in order to enhance, and raise their international profile. In light of this, nation branding holds a vital key to win this world contest. Though, it draws heavily from the marketing and public relations realms, this concept is increasingly pertaining the sphere of international relations as states are using it as a tool to reach their desired international aims. In light of this, the aim of this essay will be to evaluate the relatively new concept of nation brand in the context of soft power in international relations. It will argue that there is close link between soft power and nation branding, since the latter if done effectively can enhance a nation soft power and consequently winni ng the hearts and minds of foreign audiences. The second part of the essay will then attempt to shed led on to what extent can state branding can fit within the theories of IR and the eventual implications it can have on the conduct of foreign policy. Soft power, a term that is increasingly used in discourses of international relations, was coined by Joseph Nye who is amongst the most prominent theorists within the Neoliberal theory, to define co-optive power in contrast to the traditional hard power related to the military and economic might. Soft power is conceptualized as the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion or payments. It arises from the attractiveness of a countrys culture, political ideals, and policies (Nye, 2004). Soft power blossomed after the end of the cold war. Definitely, due to globalization and communication the usage of soft power is becoming more important. In fact, in light of this Nye states that, Winning hearts and minds has always been important, but it is even more so in a global information age. Information is power, and modern information technology is spreading information more widely than ever before in history (Nye 2004). Though the concept of soft power was put forth by Nye in recent decades, it could also be seen in previous works such that of Hans J. Morgenthau, Klaus Knorr and Ray Cline (Fan, 2008). Soft power rests on the ability of shaping the preferences of others. Hence, such arguments insist that a nation may address and reach its desired outcomes on the global stage, due to the fact that other states admire its values, imitate its example and seek to reach its level of prosperity and openness. Therefore, it is a significant asset in influencing others, not by using hard military power, but by the ability to attract, which goes beyond influence or persuasion (Nye, 2004). Nye states that soft power relies on primarily three resources the attractiveness of its culture, the appeal of its domestic political and social values, and the style and substance of its foreign policies (Nye, 2004). Due to such factors soft power is intangible and difficult to measure and control. Through such power, nations are able to cultivate specific relations with the other states particularly culturally and economically which eventually result in a better and more favorable public opinion and credibility in the outside world. An interesting aspect is that soft power in contrast to hard power is not controlled entirely by the government but non-state actors can also have a contribution to it. As previously discussed, soft powers most particular and important asset is the ability to attain desirable outcomes without involving any type of force. In todays world, many nations around the globe are suffering from bad image problems which lead nations to embark on initiatives such as nation branding. Image problems are driven by both internal policies and events taking place in the political, economical and social landscape, and also due to certain stereotypes that exist on the external side. Cases in point are the nations of Greece, Spain and Italy which are under investigation in my dissertation. In fact such countries, particularly Greece has currently its image into a storm due to the economic crisis. Apart from that, as in the case of Spain and Italy it suffers from certain stereotypes associated with countries located in the Mediterranean basin. Hence, in order to overcome negative perceptions or turn their potentials into reality countries embark on initiatives such as n ation branding. The practice and theoretical conceptualization of nation branding its still in its infancy, although it must be noted that some researches (e.g. Olins 2002) argue that countries have always branded themselves throughout history. Nation Branding is about applying branding and marketing communications techniques to promote a nations image (Fan 2008). In the marketing field a brand is understood how what a customer thinks about a certain product. On the other hand, the brand state revolves around the idea of how the outside world views a particular country. Hence, this makes nation branding a crossroad between the world of public relations and marketing and international relations. If one looks at the main definition of nation branding, one finds an array of differences in the focus and purpose of nation branding. Fan (2008) made a close examination of the major definitions. Fans (2008) evaluations show that nation branding is about remolding the national identities (Olins, 1999), enhance nations competitiveness (Anholt 2007), embrace political, cultural, business and sports activities (Jaffe and Nebenzahl, 2001), promoting economic and political interests at home and abroad (Rendon and Szondi, 2003) and to altering, improving or enhancing a nations image/ reputation (Gudjossan, 2005). In less theoretical words, nation branding is about building and managing the reputation of a country. Hence, this concept allows nations to better control the image they project to the world, and therefore be able to attract and compete for the right kinds of available resources. Consequently, by this process a nation hopes to boost its international profile in a globalized world where every country has to compete with every other nation for the share of income, power, voice and influence. In fact, nations engage in branding primarily in order to attract tourists, investment, boost exports, restore international credibility and ratings, increase political influence, stimulate stronger international relations, combat negative national stereotypes and enhance nation building by nourishing confidence, pride, harmony and national resolve (Dinnie 2008). Thus, a positive nation brand provides a crucial competitive advantage in contrast to a bad image which hinders the states competitivene ss in the global arena. As Van Ham (2008) states, similar to Nyes soft power resources, a countrys brand is determined by its culture, political ideals, and policies. There are three key components in nation branding, or in other words, a nations brand consists of three sub-brands: political brand, economic brand and cultural brand (Fan, 2008). Such arguments illustrate that nation branding and soft power are certainly two concepts linked. Backing this argument is the nation brand hexagon developed by Anholt in which there six main factors that determine a brand which are tourism, governance, exports, investment and immigrations, culture and heritage and the citizens. Hence, such six factors fall under the three main categories previously mentioned. Evidently, these are also the sources associated with the conduction of soft power. Certainly, nation branding falls under a wide umbrella of postmodern power where soft power and public diplomacy are also located. Van Ham (2008) argues that in academic discourse on soft power, the concept of nation branding has now acquired a place which is still somewhat awkward. Definitely, when one evaluates nation branding within the context of soft power in IR, one has to look also to the links and differences that exist between nation branding and public diplomacy. This is due to the fact that public diplomacy has much more theoretical backing of rich as one of the main soft power tools in IR. For example Melissen states that they are complimentary tools with the practice of branding a nation involves a much greater and coordinated effort than public diplomacy (Melissen 2005). On the other hand Szondi argues that both practices can be seen as distinct but overlapping concepts in that they are oriented toward the same purpose of branding a nation but as different tools in this endeavor (Szondi 2008). Anholt argue that public diplomacy is a subset of nation branding. In Anholts arguments nation branding is how a nation represents as whole itself, whilst public diplomacy is exclusively concentrated on the presentation of government policies, hence the political subset of nation branding. Nevertheless, one must keep in mind governments are assumed to represent the people of a nation, and therefore, there is no getting away from the fact that nation branding is a highly politicized activity (Dinnie, 2007). It must be noted, that the main link between public diplomacy and nation branding is that both concepts aim at the same outcome wining the hearts and minds to create a favorable image of the country. Though it is beyond the scope of this assignment to evaluate in detail the links and difference between nation branding and public diplomacy, it is interesting to have a glance between these tools through the table below Table 1: Table 1: Main differences between Public diplomacy and Nation Branding Public Diplomacy Nation Branding Goal Promoting political interest Promoting (mainly) economic related interests. Context Highly politicized and change according to government. Driven mainly by IR and culture May be de-politicized. Driven by marketing and public relations Target Targeted at key countries Targeted more universal, applicable to nay country Direction Foreign public Both foreign and domestic audience Strategies Relationship building, more emphasis on substance and content Image management, emphasis on visual and symbolic elements Evaluation Short, middle and long term Mostly long-term Definitely, as previously mentioned nation branding has very much in common with the values and issues related to soft power in IR. Fan (2008) states that nation branding can be an important asset in the development of soft power of a nation. Apart from that, a successful nation branding campaign will help create a more favourable image among the international audience thus further enhancing a countrys soft power. Hence, state branding is extensively seen as a vital tool to win over the hearts and minds of foreign audiences and persuade them that their brand is competitive. Bringing, Nyes arguments into light, one finds that reputation is a crucial part in the soft power of a country. This is due to the fact that reputation expresses the total impressions of other soft power recourses, such as for example how culture is perceived in the world. As in the case of soft power, nation branding initiatives are also built on credibility and reputation and determined by the nations culture, political ideals and policies. (Van Ham 2008) In light of the increasing rise of nation branding, a daunting question is: what is the implication of such a concept on international affairs? One needs to evaluate to what extent established theories of international relations have the right theoretical tools to shed light on this new concept that is pertaining the world of international relations. Van Ham (2008) states that The international relations theory of constructivism sheds some light on the functioning of place branding, whereas classical political science tools fail to come to terms with its implications for international politics. Such argument is made in the light of the fact that nation branding, as part of soft power revolve around factors such as values, norms and ideas in international relations. Hence, this is on the same lines of the IR constructivists theory since constructivist explanations of international politics define the global system as a set of ideas, a body of thought, a system of norms, which has been arranged by certain people at a particular time and place (Jackson and Sorrenson 2006). Constructivism assumes that the selves, or identities, of states are a variable; they likely depend on historical, cultural, political, and social context (Hopf 1998, 176). Hence, such arguments are extremely relevant for nation branding since the latter assume that identities are contextual and malleable (Van Ham 2008). Other traditional tools such as realism may find it more difficult to evaluate the rise of nation branding within the field of international relations. Realists are focused on a system of anarchy and balance of power in IR. First, they may find arguments about the relevance of public diplomacy and state branding as trivial and frivolous. (Van Ham, 2008). Apart from that, for realists, states in the international system pursue their egoistic self interest. Hence, regarding nation branding though, this can be a good initiative as such from the viewpoint of neorealism in that it can affect a states economic strength positively and thereby increasing its power and security. Apart from evaluating the implications of nation branding to the schools of IR, its also interesting to investigate the effect of this initiative on foreign policies the real IR world. As Anholt argues, applying nation branding techniques in foreign policies can be a dangerous initiative. Governments need to have a real sense and organized way of what are doing since they can fall their own victims if a brand is found not be credible or it is misleading. Apart from that, developing countries which are in need to brand themselves may use financial resources in branding efforts at the expense of more tangible needed reforms. Nation branding techniques can also backfire. This is highly illustrated with the case of Greece when it hosted the 2004 Olympics in Athens. The political, economic and international standing of Greece were at high levels, however none of government officials or departments took the task to develop the international profile of Hellas (Cromwell, T Kyriacou 2005) In light of the discussed arguments, one could assume that nation branding is inextricably linked with public diplomacy under the wider spectrum of the concept of soft power. However, as in contrast to traditional soft power tools such as public diplomacy, it makes explicit use of marketing and public relations techniques to reach its aims. Definitely, a new game in international politics is emerging about image and reputation. Nation branding provides the state a useful soft power approach in order to create its desired international influence in the international arena. As regards international relations discourses, nation branding is found most at home within the social constructivism theory. This is due to the fact that nation branding revolves around issues such as values, norms. With the increase use of soft power and the ever-increasing competition amongst states, nation branding will continue to gain ground as a concept, whilst further investigation in the IR field need to fu rther developed in order give a better insight on the place nation branding have in the political sphere.

Trinidad Education

In Trinidad, The Ministry of Education has the policy of free education for all. They preach that this ‘free’ education is not based on class, wealth, race, gender or ethnicity but rather is a way to ensure that the entire nation is educated. Though these are the promises on Trinidad’s and Tobago’s Education Policy Paper, how is it that only nine of every one thousand people continue onto college, university or any higher education after secondary school? Twenty-one percent of Trinidadians live in poverty, which means that twenty-one percent of citizens do not have access to running water or proper health care. Because of this, many children in these poor families immediately enter the world of work or become ‘beggars’ to help feed their family. This shows the importance of social class on the initial decision of whether a child will be educated or not. This is not common as only two percent of Trinidad’s population is illiterate. I would categorize myself in the middle to high status class in my country and this has, in many ways affected my educational opportunities. I lived in a town known as Diego Martin and though my neighborhood mostly consisted of people within my same social class, the town itself has many neighborhoods consisting of people living in poverty. Pre-school education is not considered by government policies and therefore, there are no public pre-schools and if a family wants to enroll their child in preschool they would have to do so privately and with their own money. This goes to show that the first level of education in Trinidad is in fact not free. Because of this, my parents enrolled me in a private pre-school, which would indeed have to be paid for with their own money. This shows the immediate impact that class has on one’s education from just the first steps. Pre-school in Trinidad usually takes about two years and here is where a child learns his numbers and letters and therefore these children living under the poverty line are somewhat ‘robbed’ of these essential learning years. After this, a child must then be signed up for primary school where he or he will spend the following seven years. There are two hundred and sixteen primary schools in the country, one hundred and sixty-three of which are funded by various religious institutions, thirty-two of which are funded by the government and therefore are completely free of charge, and twenty-one of which are privately run. I attended a privately run school as these had higher success rates in the SEA or Secondary Entrance Assessment examination that all primary school students are prepared for in order to gain placement in the school of one’s choice. Once again, though there is an availability of free primary level education, the members of the middle and higher social class send their children to privately run schools in order to ensure that teachers are constantly present and not on strike due to low government wages, and that their children receive a more well-rounded education as there are funds now for sports and other recreational activities. Personally, attending a private school made me not only feel safe, as there were not usually guards present in government funded institutions due to high cost, but to also gave me the opportunities to join different sporting teams and go on school ‘outings’ to various national attractions and the necessary preparation to gain a placement in the secondary school of my choice- the number one girls secondary school in Trinidad. The entrance examination is one aspect that I can truly say that had absolutely nothing to do with class, race or ethnicity as each student was given an identification number and placement into choice schools was done based on results. These secondary schools were again a seven-year course. Therefore, in total one should spend sixteen years at school in order to complete what is considered a general education but the average number of years spent at school in Trinidad is eleven. This means that the average student ‘drops out’ of secondary school after two years. As a female in the top all girls’ institution, I became very gender bias as my school continuously obtained the most government scholarships year after year. Not only that, but nationally women received a significant number of scholarships more than the men did. This may have wrongly shaped my idea that women are in fact smarter than men based on what I experienced at home. Tertiary education for many Trinidadians is extremely class bias. There is one university known as the University of the West Indies and though it is extremely renowned in engineering and mathematical studies it can only facilitate a very small percentage of graduates every year. Therefore, if one wishes to study, he or she may have to look at schools abroad which is a huge expense for any family. Studying in the United States has been a great privilege for me that would never have been possible if I belonged to a lower social class. Overall, my social status granted me opportunities unimaginable for many residents in my country. Despite government efforts to better the education levels of the country there is still a lot to be done in order to meet the goal that class does not determine one’s level or education.