A Bear Workshop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Bear Workshop - Essay Example The management structure has knowledgeable and dedicated staff that provide ample knowledge exchanges in an interactive environment with customers. This is a fundamental strength of a business to be able to provide better customer relationship management and provide them with exactly what customers are looking for. Clearly, the owner understands the importance of cost monitoring when it comes to purchasing and production and will likely continue these trends over the next five to ten years. Having a strategic-focused management system is the key to ensuring a proper expansion. If the business conducts regular market research using focus groups or interviews with target customers, it will likely find more success in identifying social and buying trends early in order to gain market share in the toy market. Further, growth in Internet usage in developing countries such as India, China and Pakistan will provide even more customers in an environment that is convenient. Through agreements with different distribution agencies, Build A Bear will probably be able to find low-cost distribution to ensure that many international customers are able to buy the products and have them delivered in a timely fashion. If the business remains focused on product rather than pricing, higher resource (financial) consumers will likely recognize the brand and have a loyalty that can be built up over the next five years.

Old Man, Old man Essay Example for Free

Old Man, Old man Essay How do the two poets of the poems Old Man, Old man and Warning present different ways of facing the crossroads of old age? Throughout our lives we encounter many crossroads of life. These could be starting school, getting a new job, moving house or getting married but one of the main crossroads in life is old age. For some people old age is a good crossroads in life where they can make a fresh start and do things they have missed out on in their younger years. For others old age is not something to look forward to as we change mentally and physically, often for the worst and things begin to make less sense to us. Old man, Old man is an example of the disadvantages of becoming older and shows the way we handle becoming less in control of our lives and changing mentally and physically. Warning on the other hand is an example of the advantages of old age and how we often use old age to do things we wouldnt normally be able to get away with or to catch up on things we have missed out on, even just as a long holiday. In Old man, Old man the poem focuses on reality for the old man in a way in which he has very little if any control over his life and he appears to be stuck in his own little world which is no longer mobile. It seems a narrator who appears to have known the old man when he was younger and now is looking at him in old age writes the poem itself. Warning on the other hand is a fantasy of the freedom old age gives from the point of view of a younger woman. Looking at the title of Old man, Old man it shows that he is no longer seen as an individual but just an old man and by calling him old man it is in some ways referring to not just him but also many other old men in the same situation as him. The repetition of the word Old man indicates him having to be told things twice in his old age and is said in quite a regretful tone. In comparison the title Warning is quite up beat and although warning suggests danger in this case it is not for her but for other people and her family. It is different to Old man, Old man in the way that it is a young womans idea of old age and Old man, Old man is reality. The language of old man old man shows the reality of how he has lost the control he used to have over his life physically and mentally. He used to be the man of the house a man who did-it-himself and was very independent but now he needs help even with small things like opening bottle tops indicating arthritic hands. The poet also makes it seem as if he finds it hard to understand the world he is in now when he says shambles amongst clues. The word shambles indicates a physical loss and in some ways shows a loss of mental capacity, the word clues shows he needs clues to help him remember. In contrast Warning is a fantasy and is therefore defined by positive language as she is looking forward. The way she uses the colours red and purple with quite recklessness means that unlike the old man she wont be overlooked. When is used a lot making it seem like it will defiantly happen making it seem more positive as she will be able to enjoy the experience. Old man, old man focuses on the reality of the debilitating factors of old age where as Joseph bases Warning more on the physical pleasures of old age. The poem Warning is written in a reckless way indicating the retreat back into childhood, all the unsuitable clothes, thoughts and behaviour are emphasised in a child like list each prefixed by an and. Both of the poems Warning and Old man, Old man give us insights into the two characters in their prime. Old man, Old man shows us how he used to be the boss and wasnt a man to express his feelings. He used to be able to live his life with physical power and his DIY hobbies but now he is unable to do this once lord of shed, garage and garden, the pause here indicates this has now stopped. Not good with daughters showing us he found it hard to look after his daughters just like an ordinary average man. From this we can see that he is used to being in control both physically and mentally but now he isnt he is finding it hard to get along. Run on lines have been used throughout to show the tedious amount of time in which he began to deteriorate and for things to change. In stanza two a run on line is used to show that he new his eyesight would deteriorate but this shows the time it took. In Warning her prime life is her current life as she is looking forward to the prospects of old age. Stanza three sums up the way she has to live now being sensible, polite and smart, she uses a weary tone to show how society refrains us. The way society has been so strict with the way she has had to behave has led to her wanting to rebel. The pauses after children. and papers. are there to reflect on her life now. The way she describes how we can act when were old in the third stanza makes it seem that she is at the moment frustrated, worried with weight and has had such a sensible upbringing that she is waiting to make up for it. Throughout she uses childish words such as gobble and the things she describes are childish which shows how she has missed out and needs to catch up due to such a sensible up bringing. In comparison to Old man, Old man, warning gives a very positive approach to old age and she seems to think she will just wake up old suddenly one morning. Old man, Old man however gives a very negative view on old age and makes it seem like a long tedious process. In Warning the narrator is her younger self and it is therefore a more positive view on old age as she thinks of all the things she can look forward to and not the more realistic, more negative points. In Old man, Old man the narrator is not someone who is present in the old mans life but someone observing like his daughter who he disinherited. They show us that with old age we change and our experiences change us mentally, making many things not make sense to us any more. Both the poems present different of perceptions of old age. Warning is more of a dream and imaginary view, but Old man, Old man is more realistic.

The Significant Grammatical Error Subject Verb Agreement English Language Essay

The Significant Grammatical Error Subject Verb Agreement English Language Essay Writing is no ordinary assignment and it requires one to have inclusive skills to construct a high quality of work. The mechanism of writing comprises the grammar, sentence structure and also, the organization of the writing. However, these skills are threatening the students performances in their writing task as most of them, do not relate the concept they have learned in their writing. As students attain their tertiary level of education, they are requires to generate further written materials such essays, reports, commentaries etc.. These requirements also must be in English language as English language is the core language for communication and to guide the students to get used to using the English language at their place of work. To be precise, the native speakers of Malay language are the largely significant group that imply the discussed predicament. According to their essays, most of them are prone to produce error in grammar and explicitly, subject-verb agreement. These essays are gathered from their semester examination and a study is conducted. Through the analysis, it has been found that the students have a major fault with the usage of subject-verb agreement. The result for this study is not fundamentally for the sake of the error itself, but, a scheme for students understandings and improved teaching methods. Eventually, this will also help in enhancing the English language amongst the students. (227 words) CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.0 INTRODUCTION The topic about subject-verb agreement is chosen because of its significance in writings. Without a proper rules of subject-verb agreement, the ideas in writing in difficult to convey and thus, worsen the value of writing itself. Any mistakes regarding the subject-verb agreement will definitely change the meaning of the sentence. Moreover, the research among the tertiary level students is interesting, because, though they have achieved to a higher education, most of them still, could not apply the correct rules of this grammar. This main issue will be discussed further in this research. In addition, most students are complaining about the errors they make in writings, mainly subject-verb agreement. The simple definition of the subject verb agreement is as simple as a subject agreeing with a verb. If the singular subject is used, the singular verb is obligatory and same goes with the plural subject that is plural verb respectively. This simple rule of grammar makes the mistakes produced by the students clearly visible. During the study of the students writings, they tend to make mistakes in general rules and the sub rule in subject-verb agreement. Moreover, upon looking of the students errors, this research also includes the remedial actions that need to be approached to the students in order to improve the problems of the students in using the correct subject-verb agreement in their writings. 1.1 THE CONTEXT OF THE STUDY The study was conducted on Year 2 students in MARA College of Banting whom are taking International Baccalaureate Diploma programme for 2009 / 2011 batch session. Even though, the Malaysian education system announced that English as a Second Language (ESL), most of the subjects use English language as their medium of communication. Primarily, the scope of the study is focused on the grammatical error produced by the students in their writings based on the students examination papers. Eventually, the study is narrowed to more specific type of grammatical error that is the subject-verb agreement due to its frequency of error is the highest. 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The problem arose when there were complaints from teachers about the students English performance English Semester Two examination paper. The teachers were commenting on about the students English essays. Although the students had achieved good results, namely in English 1119 in Malaysia Education Certificate which is known as Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), the students are still producing some grammatical errors in their essays. Therefore, the research is carried out to study the problem of the students in their English essays and the most significant error they had produced. In order to arrive to the conclusion of this study, error analysis is used as an indicator to enable the significant error to be detected. 1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Based on the statement of the problem, the study is focused on the students most common grammatical errors in their writing production. It is noted that the written production was analyzed based on their English essay in Semester Two examination paper. The objectives of this study are: To investigate the most significant grammatical error produced by the students in the English essays. To identify the reasons for the error occurrence. To find solution to improve the error in writing among students. 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION The research question of this study is linked to three important aspects: writing, error analysis and grammar that will be narrowed down to subject-verb agreement as the most significant error. Therefore, the research question is constructed based on these three main components. Is subject-verb agreement the most significant grammatical error produced by the student of MARA College of Banting of 2009/2011 batch session in their writings? Moreover, the research topic is chosen originally of personal interest. I have become concerned about the complaints from the English teachers about the students grammar. Therefore, this research topic of subject-verb agreement will be examined thoroughly. 1.5 SIGNIFICANCES OF THIS STUDY The importance of the research as follows: To help the students to identify their significant grammatical error in writing the English essay and helping them to overcome the flaws in writing English. To aid the students to produce a quality English essays in the future. To help the teachers, explicitly in English Department by aiding them to create a suitable framework for the students in the teaching methods. 1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY The scope of the study will be centralized on the subject-verb agreement errors in writing of the students in MARA College of Banting of 2009 / 2011 batch session. These students represent the tertiary level students and their grammar usage of subject-verb agreement. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 WRITING AS AN IMPORTANT SKILL Essay writing (Koch) is conducted to the students so that they can affix diverse fundamentals of course and extend the insightful by going beyond what is educated in the class. Moreover, writing an essay is in fact a production of sovereignty to convey opinions by the students or the author themselves. They have to work in the constraints and, accordingly, they should have an apt familiarity on how to present and communicate their ideas in understandable and efficient performance. 2.1 ESSENCE OF GRAMMAR IN WRITING Grammar is the logic of speech, even as logic is the grammar of reason.   Richard C. Trench  [1]   According to Richard C. Trench, the use of grammar is very important in depicting the value of the language and the judgment towards the ideas. The use of grammar also reflects the authors writing skill and it will give the reader an indication of the content in the written production will be like. On whole, the logic of language depends completely on its grammar usage. In addition, the grammatical error can give a reader a bad impression of the authors abilities. The higher degree of grammar usage in English produces more quality of works. Though nobodys grammar is perfect, grammar teaches an author to control the language they are using. If the grammar is strictly controlled with firm and strong basic knowledge, a good work of essay will be produced. 2.3 SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT AS IMPORTANT TOOL As writing required strong and firm sentences to create understanding in the essay, the basic of grammar, basically, subject needs to agree with the verb. If the author fails to apply the tool in writing, they can make reading more difficult as well as to convey the ideas. Same thing that is overlooked, the common error is that of incorrect use of the subject and verb agreement. Verb  [2]  is the most important part of a sentence. These two parts are correlated as the subject is the main topic of the sentence; it has to be matched with verb. For instance, Julia and Megan are going to the cinema today. Mother wants to cook chicken soup for me. These two examples follow the rules of subject-verb agreement. Julia and Megan is the plural subject, and the verb used is are. While the second sentence follows the same rule, mother is the singular subject and wants as its verb. Henceforth, authors and writer need to master this rule in order to write effectively and convey their message clearly. This topic is also agreed by Surina Nayan (August, 2009) in her research on A Study of Subject-Verb Agreement: From Novice Writer to Expert Writers  [3]  . In her research, the students have difficulties in subject-verb agreement because, in their L1 which is Malay language, they do not have such rules of subject needs to agree with verb. In the long run, mother tongue of the student affects the performance of English grammar. 2.4 THE IMPORTANCE OF ERROR ANALYSIS However, even after an approximate 11 years of formal English education in school, majority of the students tend to produce most subject-verb agreement error in their writing. Error in writing happens when there is a change in the language. After reviewing the students writings, and receiving complaints from teachers, it is necessary to conduct an analysis regarding the error produced by the students. In academic context, error analysis will help the student to improve their lack in grammatical usage efficiently. The consideration to error type and an understanding of the misuse of specific grammar rules proposes teachers a means of helping students to deal with language and usage problems (Ho, 2003). Then, the students can attain their remedy through the research. CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 3.0 INTRODUCTION In this section, the procedures of collecting the data are disclosed. It consists of the procedures that are related with the analysis of the data. 3.1 SUBJECT OF THE STUDY This study involved a random sampling of 45 students among the second year students in MARA College of Banting. The students in the college are receiving the scholarship to study abroad. Overall, the students have a good education background from their previous achievements. These students were chosen at random from the Medicine, Biotechnology and Engineering streams. 3.2 PROCEDURE OF RESEARCH In order to find the students significant error in their writings, 45 students essays were reviewed. The essays were based from their Semester 2 examination. All of the students are taking English B Higher Level for their International Baccalaureate final examinations in May 2011. The examination scripts were marked by the teachers also has included the teachers comments on the students errors. Apart from that, two different sets of questionnaires were also distributed to the students and teachers in continuance of the opinion from them about the writing trends by providing the quantitative data. The questionnaires are set to create the awareness to the students and also their responses in the respective study. The teachers were also given the questionnaire to give a clearer indication in this problem of writing among the students prior to their experiences in teaching English language. 3.3 METHODOLOGY To begin with, the students chosen were asked for their Semester 2 examination paper, especially their English writing in Paper 2. After compiling all the paper from the students, the papers were then checked and identified for the errors done by the students. The feedbacks and comments from the teachers notes were recorded as well. It follows that, after, the study of the students paper is done, and every significant error made by the students is verified. With the reference from the teachers marking scheme, this study has been set into few parameters to ease to the focused topic research that is the grammatical error specifically in writing . The scheme is used as a guide to gather the error made by the students. The marking scheme of the writing essay is obtained from the teacher (Refer Appendix 1). Besides, in this study of the written production by the students, the three major components that are taken into account in order to justify the most significant error in the students essay are: a. Grammatical error b. Vocabulary c. Spelling d. Paragraph structure In the wider quality of the writing production of the students, the identification of the grammatical error in their writing productions is focused. The grammatical errors are classified into: noun ending, articles, verb tenses, verb forms and subject-verb agreement. These findings are observed and, the results are recorded. CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 4.0 INTRODUCTION In this chapter, the main idea that will be focused on is about processing the data collection from 49 of the students essay writings. The results of the data are constructed relatively to the aim of the research. What is the most significant grammatical error composed by the students in their English essays? Why the students are tend to produce the error? 4.1 RESULTS OF THE DATA Based on the objectives of this investigation, after 45 essays are monitored, the errors are classified on the grammar errors, vocabulary, spelling and also, their paragraph structure. However, looking into deeper insight of the writing skills among the students, the specific error that is mainly focused is their grammatical errors. This is due to students produced their original writing of ideas during their examinations without having any references. As to that, it is easier to recognize the factors that are affecting them. In order to find the common mistakes produced by the students, 10 questionnaires (Refer Appendix 2) have been distributed among the English language teachers as to response to the objective of this investigation. This survey had been distributed to the teachers in the month of September 2010. The bar chart shows the number of teacher and their responses. Figure The graph shows the number of English language in MARA College of Banting teachers and their feedbacks on the students writing skill in their semester 2 examinations paper. Based on the bar chart, the most significant aspect is that the usage of the grammar. It is responded by majority of six teachers. Then, it is followed by four teachers who voted as satisfactory. However, by the frequency of good, very good and excellent, there are no votes for grammatical error. The other aspect for vocabulary is voted by two teachers to be an unsatisfactory grade. But, it more teachers votings lead to satisfactory and the highest five votes from teachers are accumulated in good grade. This shows that the teachers have found out most of the students flaws in their writings are grammatical error. Therefore, after accumulating the votes from the teacher as the sophisticated users, 45 questionnaires were also distributed to the students (Refer Appendix 3). This refers to question number 19, asking on the students personal opinion about their grammar performances. Statements Number of students Percentage % Im not certain whether my English grammar is a problem for my writing 16 35.56 My English grammar problems are exceedingly severe and spoil my writing 12 26.66 Though I dont know much regarding English grammar, its not a serious problem for me 10 22.22 English grammar is not really a serious subject for me. Other writing issues are more vital. 7 15.56 Total 45 100.00 Table Percentage of the students statement in grammar. The Table 1 above shows the statements chosen by the 45 chosen students, the number of the students responses and their percentage in each statement. Based on the statements made by 45 students in this study, the highest percentage of 35.56 percent out of the 45 students stated that they are not really sure whether their English grammar is a problem for them. It is followed by 26.66 percent of the students stated that their English grammar problems are very serious and hurt their writing. The third highest percentage is 22.22 percent that the students thinks that though they dont know much about English grammar, they think it is not a serious problem for them. Subsequently, the lowest percentage is only 15.56 percent that stated by seven students. They claimed that the English grammar is not a serious issue for them; however, they think that there are other important issue that harm their writing production. From the surveyed, predominantly, most of the students are still unaware of their grammar error especially in writing. 4.2 GRAMMATICAL ERRORS Throughout the findings of the students error in their writing production, it is obviously shown that grammar error is the main flaws that hurt their writing performance. Looking deeper into this study, their writing scripts were also analysed based on the type of grammar mistakes that they tend to repeat. With regard to that, the grammar errors produced by the students are classified to: noun ending, articles, verb tenses, verb forms and subject-verb agreement. The students writing scripts were analyzed for their error. Their marked writing scripts done by the teachers have eased the calculation of the students errors. The first step of this calculation is each of every error in the scripts is calculated and accumulated. After that each of the type of error is counted upon the whole error. The percentage of the type of error done by the students cum the respondents of MARA College Banting is shown in the bar chart in Figure 2. Figure The Graph 2 shows the percentage of the type of error done by the students in MARA College of Banting in their writing production in Semester 2 examinations. According to the Graph 2, the highest error produced by the students is subject-verb agreement which recorded to be 51.78 percent. Then, it is followed by noun ending with only 17.42 percent. The bar chart decreases to 12.14 percent as article error. Subsequently, verb tense and verb form are only in a small percentage of 9.66 percent and 9 percent respectively. However, there is also small portion of error produced by the students in the phrasal construction as well as their word choices. 4.3 DISCUSSION FOR FINDINGS In this segment, the discussion is extent to the respond of the question in part 4.0: b) Why the students are tend to produce the error? 4.3.1 SINGULAR AND PLURAL (SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT) As observed in the bar chart in Figure 2, the highest percentage of type of error produced by the students is subject-verb agreement which recorded as 51.78 percent. The percentage is more than 50 percent therefore; it can be a significant error by the students in their writing productions. To the amount of the highest percentage of subject-verb agreement in the students writing production, there are some of examples of the usage if the subject-verb agreement error from the students. By referring to table 2, there are some of the error in the sentences produced by the KMB students in their essays. No Identification of the error in students writings The correct usage of the SVA aspect 1 Everybody are feeling so excited about the class trip this weekend. Everybody is feeling so excited about the Sports Carnival this weekend. 2 Therefore, it show that most of the students are attracted to study abroad Therefore, it shows that most of the students are attracted to study abroad. 3 She is the secretary who write the report for the meeting. She is the secretary who writes the report for the meeting. 4 Five years are the minimum duration to study medicine. Five years is the minimum duration to study medicine. 5 Neither Sarah nor Jasmine are going to the park with me. Neither Sarah nor Jasmine is going to the park with me. 6 Only few was there to watch the show. Only few were there to watch the show. 7 The quantity of working women, who is earning higher than men, is increasing recently. The quantity of working women, who are earning higher than men, is increasing recently. 8 They do not realize how important the usage of technology are They do not realize how important the usage of technology is.. Table 2 Error produced by the students in the essays. Based on the Table 2e, from the examples (1) to (8), it can be observed that most of the students encountered the error in subject verb agreement. These errors will be further discussed to identify rules in subject-verb agreement and giving the guidelines to correct them. The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and no one are singular and require a singular verb. (Chris Berry)  [4]   *Everybody are feeling so excited about the class trip this weekend. Correct sentence: Everybody is . * Neither Sarah nor Jasmine are going to the park with me. Correct sentence: Neither Sarah nor Jasmine is . Nouns such as civics, mathematics, dollars, measles, and news require singular verbs. (Chris Berry) * Five years are the minimum duration to study medicine. Correct sentence: Five years is . According to the error produced by the students, it can be stated that the students have more propensity in making error in the common rules of the subject verb agreement. This may be due to preventing themselves to use the sub-rule of the subject verb agreement. Based on the error produced by the students are chiefly completed under the general rule of the subject verb agreement. Apart from that, it is because of the interference of the Malay language that does not have any specific rule in the usage of singular or plural form of subject verb agreement. Besides, the students tend to construct the sentence structures upon their Malay language experience that create faulty in their essays. Again, it is concluded that the mother tongue of the students, mainly Malay language inhibit the progression of the English language of the students. In addition to this discussion, these subject and verb are the two main mechanisms in developing accurate and absolute sentence in English essays, so, as to this, the students need to be alert of the significance of the subject verb agreement usage. Therefore, the students need to be recognizable with this framework of the study. The students should be conceded that every subject verb agreement rules are vital in writing English essays, so that they have variations in phrase of words, mode and registration used to explicate. As a result, the effort of writing of the students will be more eminence and agreeable to be read. CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.0 INTRODUCTION In this chapter 5, we will be discussing about the overall of the conclusion and the recommendation of this study. 5.1 CONCLUSION Ultimately, after looking upon the students examination scripts for their writing production, it can be concluded that the most of the students tend to produce most error in their subject-verb agreement. Apparently the conclusion is also, based on the questionnaires that had been distributed among the students and the teachers as well. The significant analysis shows that, the research question is undoubtedly true. The main reason the students were producing error in subject-verb agreement is because; they do not have an inmost knowledge of this rules in grammar component. Most of the students were uncertain about the verb and the subject in writing their essays. However, we can also state that, they are learning English because it is one of the compulsory components that the students need to achieve in the education system in Malaysia as ESL. Moreover, most of the students here are using Malay language in daily conversation. In fact, in Malay language, the language system does not have specific rules of the plural and singular as in English grammar, especially in context of subject-verb agreement. When the students were asked, about the type of language they are using as thinking to write an essay, most of the students apply Malay language and trying to translate their sentences in English. This could be one of the reasons why the errors in subject-verb agreement among students are obvious and inhibit the grammar development among the students as the students rely highly upon the Malay language. Furthermore, based on the survey from the questionnaires, the students are lack of practice on their writing skills because, they said, it needs time to work on one essay. Subsequently, the students are also, have lack on the general knowledge and surveys showed that only 9 out of 49 students will spend their time reading non-academic books. Big portions of 80 percent of the students do not practice the reading culture. This could lead to the improper building of good sentences and a well flow of ideas in their essay. Their lack of knowledge on the system of the language and unsatisfactory terminology that the students had reflected to a certain extent the comportment they were educated, the learners approach and their learning strategies in the whole learning development. Even if these would mean that there is a need to perform a further study, the subsequent opinions on how a number of students would like their English class to be taught, give the teachers diverse notion on their outlook on the road to learning English in MARA College of Banting. 5.2 RECOMMENDATION This section is based from the vote in the questionnaire form that is distributed to the students in order to enhance their usage and understanding in subject-verb agreement. Students should have their own scheme to have further knowledge in the English language. This may be done through wide-ranging reading English text materials such as books, magazines and etc. The action is then can be adopted to the real purpose, verbal or written. This technique is voted to enhance the skill of the students in English language. The learning process of grammar should be taught constantly though the students have already reached their college levels. They should have a strong knowledge in grammar rules to make certain that the students can submit an application in their essays. The students should be prone to more English programme such as an English workshop to provide more familiar connection with the language. This sort of programme would benefit on the evaluation to the students. 5.3 RECOMMENDATION FOR FUTURE STUDIES To classify the targeted group of the study into weak and good students with their background family information. To study and analyzed the teaching process and the methods used by the lecturers or the teacher to approach the students in English language. Giving more exercises to the students based on the criteria needed and record the marks to compare them. REFERENCES

America’s Culture of Sex :: Sex Media Television TV

America’s Culture of Sex Sex in today’s world can be seen anywhere. It is on billboards, radio stations, personal books, school books, magazines, peers, movies, songs, and the most famous is televisions. Commercials use seductive images, sounds, and music grabbing the attention of the audience. Movies and television are proof of the sickness of sexual addiction in society. This disease spreads across the country, infecting the way people think and live their lives. Ultimately it is destroying society and what America holds to be morally correct. Two such sources of writing, â€Å"Sic Transit Gloria†¦Glory Fades† and Countering the Culture of Sex, give examples of what effect culture play in the way of living. Today’s culture pumps out messages of sexual immorality and the idea of sexual relations outside of marriage are fine. Sexual immorality can destroy families and create dysfunction in the sacred vows of marriage. â€Å"Sic Transit Gloria†¦.Glory Fades† is a song by Brand New. It tells a story of a man who is very inexperienced sexually, and a girl who knows her sexual skills like the back of her hand. The young man wants only to hold this girl and love her. Instead he is pressured into sex with her, even though he really never wanted. Sex is what she wants and he knows it would make her happy by giving into her. He feels horrible while this happens, but he will not stop because he wants to impress her. Countering the Culture of Sex is an article by Ellen Goodman dealing with the entertainment industry’s plague upon society. With sex rooted deep in children’s minds it creates this idea of what life revolves around. Digging deeper, Goodman brings up the point of why one never sees the consequences of sex. If the media were to show the consequences of people’s actions, the industry could create a sense of fear into the public. The big picture between these two texts says sex is a problem in society.

Cannabis and Marijuana Plants

Marijuana Marijuana is a psychoactive drug, and is the most controversial of these types of drugs. The reason being is that there are so many myths and misconceptions that surround marijuana. It is not clear about the addiction potential, physical and psychological problems of marijuana. . Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America behind only alcohol and tobacco, and has been used by nearly 100 million Americans (marijuana). Marijuana is widely used and it is estimated that nearly 25% of Americans have used marijuana once in their lives and that 2-5 million people use it daily despite it being illegal.Marijuana is a mixture of crushed leaves, flowers, small branches, stems, and seed of the hemp plant. This plant grows best in tropical climates and can be found throughout the world. Most countries cultivate this plant on purpose. Cannabis Indica species can withstand colder climates (â€Å"Marijuana, history of,†) If marijuana were to become a cash crop i t would be the largest grown in the United States. It is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world, following caffeine, nicotine, and alcoholic beverages in the popularity.In the United States, where the route of admission is usually smoking, it also has been called weed, grass, pot, or reefer (â€Å"Marijuana, history of,†). Marijuana is a depressant. The effects of marijuana may vary with its strength and dosage and with the state of mind of the user. High doses can cause tachycardia, paranoia, and delusions (â€Å"Marijuana, history of,†). Marijuana can also have a psychedelic effect in high doses. With this being said, marijuana is classified as both a depressant and a psychedelic.Marijuana does produce some of the same effects as hallucinogens like a LSD or mescaline, but it differs chemically and pharmacologically. Marijuana is made up of many chemicals. There are currently 426 known compounds in the plant. When marijuana is burned there are 1500 additiona l compounds that are formed. The chemical compounds that are found in marijuana only are called cannabinoids. These cannabinoids are the most active and mind-altering ingredients in marijuana. The primary active component of marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), although other cannabin derivatives are also thought to be intoxicating.In 1988 scientists discovered receptors that bind THC on the membranes of nerve cells. They reasoned that the body must make its own THC-like substance. The substance, named anandamide, was isolated from pig brains in 1992 by an American pharmacologist, William A. Devane (â€Å"Marijuana, history of,†). The potency of marijuana is determined by the amount of THC present. All the parts of the plant have different concentrations of THC. So the mixture of the plant material used and the conditions of how the plant was grown determines the potency of this drug sold on the street.The root of this plant has no THC value, the stalk have very l ittle value, there is some THC found in the branches, there is a moderate amount of THC found in the leaves(male has 5 leaves and female has 7 leaves), and the highest amount of THC concentration will be found in the buds, flowers and seeds. The concentration of THC has increased over the past 30 years. Marijuana is 25 to 40 times more potent than it was in the 1960’s, it’s up from . 2% to 5-8% pure today. Marijuana dates back to 2700 B. C. in ancient China. The plant was used to make rope, cloth, and paper from its fiber.It was during this time that the resins, flowers, and leaves from the plant could also be used for medical use. It was used to treat gout, malaria, and gas pains. It was by 500 B. C. that the Chinese put a ban of the use of the plant because of it unpredictable intoxicating effects. Marijuana was introduced into ancient India mainly for the mind altering effects. Marijuana was used in religious ceremonies the euphoria producing ability. It didnâ€℠¢t take long for the plant to be recognized for its intoxicating effects and its value in making rope and cloth.In America the public didn’t show any interest in marijuana as a recreational drug. It was just used in medicines. It was primarily prescribed legally for a numerous physical and mental aliments until 1940. In fact when Congress passed the Harrison Narcotics Act in 1914, many drugs were removed from the marketplace, but it excluded marijuana. It was not until the prohibition of alcohol that marijuana smoking became prominent. The Mexican immigrants were introducing marijuana along the Mexican border, while West Indian sailors were bringing it into the Gulf States.People no longer could legally use alcohol in and get their intoxicating effects so smoking marijuana became very popular. It became apparent in the 1930’s that marijuana was being abused and there was an increase in violence because of its use. Tales were beginning to spread of the effects, murder, rape, sexual excess, and memory loss from using marijuana. The federal government tried to scare the public with a film called â€Å"reefer madness†, but it actually did more harm than good. In 1935 the states took action and started passing their own laws towards non-medical use of marijuana.In 1937 the federal government stepped up and passed a Marijuana Tax Act that prohibited the use of all non-medical marijuana, the possession and use of cannabis nationwide. Marijuana came back on the scene during the World War II era. It was extensively cultivated during the World War II era, when Asian sources of hemp were cut off (â€Å"Marijuana, history of,†). It was commercially grown. The Philippines were being invaded by the Japanese so there was no sisal plant to make rope. American farmers were actually encouraged to the marijuana plants for rope production.Birds loved the seeds of this plant and when they would leave their droppings it would start wild plants of marijua na to grow throughout the United States. Marijuana became a very popular drug of choice because of its availability. Today marijuana is a widely used illegal drug among many ethnic groups. Hispanics are among 9. 2 percent of users; non-Hispanic blacks (7. 7% , nearly 8 percent of females used marijuana in the past year vs. 14% of males used in the past year); non-Hispanic whites (6. 7%, nearly 7 percent vs. 11 percent); Asian/Pacific Islanders (2. 0%, 2% vs. 7. %); South Americans (4. 2%, more than 4% vs. 13 percent). It can be found on the street for a price of $250-500 ounce depending on where it is bought. The cheapest is in Oregon at $258 ounce and most expensive in Washington D. C. at $486 ounce. Age itself is one of the most significant variables in understanding marijuana use. Past-year use of marijuana increased with age, to a peak prevalence of about 23 percent among 18 -25 year olds, before declining to about 44 percent among persons aged 35 and older. Among adults, male s moking rates for marijuana are nearly twice those for females.IN the total surveyed population, males were about 70% more likely than females to have used marijuana in the past year (11 percent versus 6. 7, nearly 7 percent). The only exception to the data showing more male smokers of marijuana than females occurs among children and teens. There still remains controversy over the medical uses of marijuana. Proponents are saying that it is useful for treating pain and the nausea and vomiting that are side effects of cancer chemotherapy and for restoring the appetite in people with AIDS (â€Å"Marijuana, history of,†) Modern research uggests that cannabis is a valuable aid in the treatment of a wide range of clinical applications. These include pain relief-in particular (neuropathic pain), nausea, plasticity, glaucoma, and movement disorders. Marijuana is also a powerful appetite stimulant, specifically for patients suffering from HIV, the AIDS wasting syndrome, or dementia (Ma rijuana). What are the acute effects of marijuana? Marijuana can reach the brain through the bloodstream in less than 30 seconds of smoking a joint. It delivers a physical and psychological effect rather quickly.The peak of the effects is usually reached by the time smoking is finished. If a person wants these effects to last longer they would have to consume the marijuana orally from brownies for example. This would allow the marijuana to be absorbed into the system much longer and these effects would last over 2-3 hours. It only takes a single use of marijuana to impair a person’s motor coordination. The person who just used marijuana may think that they are just fine, but they are really clumsy. This kind of thinking from a person under the influence only spells disaster waiting to happen.A person under the influence of marijuana and their ability to follow a moving stimulus is greatly diminished and can last up to 4-8 hours beyond the point of intoxication. This would int erfere with their driving skills. Also their ability to perceive light will be significantly impaired and would be a major risk for someone operating heavy machinery. Marijuana has some serious physical effects on a person. Although legalization activists and many marijuana users believe smoking pot has no negative effects, scientific research indicates that marijuana use can cause many different health problems (The health effects of marijuana, n. . ) . Smoking a single joint of marijuana is the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes. Marijuana has at least 50% more tar and carcinogenic materials than cigarettes. Because marijuana is not filtered it enters the lungs at a temperature hotter than cigarette smoke and thus drying and irritating the tissues in the lung. Marijuana has been shown to increase the heart rate. Within a few minutes after smoking marijuana, the heart begins beating more rapidly and the blood pressure drops.Marijuana can cause the heart beat to increase by 20 to 5 0 beats per minute, and can increase even more if other drugs are used at the same time (The health effects of marijuana, n. d. ) It is because of the lower blood pressure and higher heart rate that the researchers have found that a person smoking marijuana has a 4 times greater risk of heart attack compared to them not smoking marijuana. If a person is aware that they have heart disease they should avoid the use of marijuana. Marijuana can hurt the immune system of a person’s lungs.Smoking marijuana can paralyze or destroy the anti-infection white blood cells of the lungs. It is because of this that most smokers will develop laryngitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis, cough, hoarseness, and dry throat. Research indicates that THC impairs the body’s immune system from fighting disease, which can cause a wide variety of health problems. One study found that marijuana actually inhibited the disease-preventing actions of key immune cell (The health effects of marijuana, n. d. ) . There have been recent studies that show marijuana can depress T cells.The depressing of T-lymphocyte functions known as â€Å"killer T cells† would make a person more susceptible to the AIDS infection. The greatest concern is the fact that marijuana is a drug. Some of the most profound effects occur in the brain. Marijuana produces a sense of euphoria, but it also produces anxiety, confusion and if used heavily-drug induced psychosis. Not to mention the effects on reflexes, vision, and motor coordination. Marijuana has effects on long-term memory, because studies suggest that marijuana will fill a synaptic gap between brain cells which stops the flow of electrical signals.Marijuana users experience burn-out or amotivational syndrome from regular use. They have a lack of concern for the future, loss of motivation, loss of ambition, loss of effectiveness, dullness, diminished ability to carry out long term planning, difficulty in concentration, intermittent confusion, impair ed memory, and a decline in work and school performance. There are treatments for marijuana disorders. Marijuana dependence may appear to be very similar to other substance dependence disorders, but the long term clinical outcomes may be less severe.The adults who are seeking treatment for marijuana abuse or dependence have used marijuana nearly every day for more than 10 years and have attempted to quit more than six times (â€Å"Marijuana abuse,†). Let it be noted that marijuana dependence is most prevalent in patients that are suffering from other psychiatric disorders, who are mostly adolescents or young adults. Usually dependence in marijuana co-occurs with other drugs such as cocaine and alcohol. Studies indicate that effectively treating the mental health disorder with standard treatments involving medications and behavioral therapies may help reduce annabis use, particularly among heavy users and those with more chronic mental disorders. Behavioral treatments, such as motivational enhancement therapy (MET), group or individual cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and contingency management (CM), as well as family-based treatments, have shown promise (â€Å"Marijuana abuse,†). Success rates of those seeking treatment are modest and even the most effective treatment for adults will only achieve 50% abstinence in a 2 week period. Those that do achieve a full two week abstinence, more than half will resume use within a year.Across studies, 1 year abstinence rates have ranged between q0 and 30 percent for the various behavioral approaches (â€Å"Marijuana abuse,†). This data suggest that a more chronic care model should be considered for marijuana addiction. The intensity of the treatment can be stepped up or down based on the patients need. The availability of family and other supports are needed. There are currently no medications to treat the abuse of marijuana, but there is ongoing research being conducted. The studies are mostly tar geting the withdrawal syndrome of marijuana.For example, a recent human laboratory study showed that a combination of a cannabin agonist medication with loffexidine ( a medication approved in the United Kingdom for the treatment of opioid withdrawal) produced more robust improvements in sleep and decreased marijuana withdrawal, craving, and relapse in daily marijuana smokers relative to either medication alone(â€Å"Marijuana abuse,†). There have been recent discoveries about endogenous cannabin systems inner workings. It raises the possibility of a future medication that would be able to block THC’s intoxicating effects.This would prevent patients from relapsing by eliminating marijuana’s appeal. References Abbott, A. (2010). Alcohol tobacco and other drugs (2nd ed. ). Washington, DC: NASW Press. Colorado and washington legalized marijuana today, what happens now? (2012, November). Retrieved from http://blog. norml. org/2012/11/08/colorado-and-washington-legali zed-marijuana-tuesday-what-happens-now/ Demographics of marijuana users. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. opposingviews. com/i/gov-t-stats-reveal-demographics-of-adult-marijuana-users Drug facts: marijuana. (n. d. ). Retrieved from

The Decline of The Islamic Empire essays

The Decline of The Islamic Empire essays There was once an immense empire known as the Roman Empire, it was once the dominant force in Europe and had almost complete control of Europe. The Roman Empire had 55 rulers overall. The empire had an excellent government but they had trouble with keeping a ruler. In fact about three-fourths of the Roman Empires rulers were assassinated. Rome also had many virulent rulers who contributed to the fall of this gargantuan empire. When this empire collapsed it left a large hole for the Islamic tribes to freely fill. There was no competition so it was like a vacuum and sucked the Islam into its place, and since there was no competition the Islamic tribes quickly and easily spread across the vast area that the Roman Empire left. They were assisted by their military, which was pretty powerful, good economy and very rapid and huge population growth. They prosper and live life very nicely then things begin to go really bad and the Islamic Empire starts its decline because of the three things: the military, the economy, and demographically. The powerful military was the main ingredient in the Islamic Empires success, and it also helped the decline of the Empire. Muhammad the Prophet, the founder of Islam, drew Arabs of the Arabian Peninsula to Islam by his forceful personality, the promise of salvation for those who died fighting for Islam, and the lure of fortune for those who succeeded in conquest. The warriors of the Islamic Empire had a very strong will to win. They fought for fortune and prosperity and that is what they got. The Arab warriors fought until the enemy said there were no god but Islam. They outsmarted the opposition and fought with intelligence rather than brute strength. The normal warrior was equipped with light armor, just enough to protect their vital parts. On the other hand the Europeans used very heavy armor that weighed about 60 pounds, this was a disadvantage for the Europeans. Since the Islamic warrio...