Lords Of Flies Essays - Allegory, Lord Of The Flies,

Lords Of Flies The story is about a group of English schoolboys who are plane-wrecked on a deserted island. At first, the stranded boys cooperate, attempting to gather food, make shelters, and maintain signal fires. Later Ralph, he started to act up and boss people around thinking he's the king of the island. Piggy, Ralph's over weighted, sidekick who pretty much the only one that listens to Ralph. When Ralph tries to order people around. The boys would rather swim, play, or hunt the island's wild pig population. Soon Ralph's rules are being ignored or don't even notice Ralph existed. Ralph's competition is Jack, the redheaded leader of the pig hunters, who manages to lure away many of the boys to join him. The situation changes when Ralph discovers that instead of being hunters, he and Piggy have become the ones being hunted. The novel tells about competition between two different groups and who will become the leader at the end. Overall, the story was pretty good. However it was confusing to start, I got used to reading it as I went along, which took a while. I like the style when I got use to it. I think the writing really related to what were studying in American History. It explains how society was made, it starts with people, they make rules and form an economy, and there are leaders and followers, the ones that think and ones that work. Like in US history, something happens and society falls apart, like the great depression. It is interesting to see how a group of boys can go from being so orderly to turn into competition against each other. This has a lot of suspense in it, lots of detail, and didn't feel like some fairy tale. The book contained great amounts of violence to kids fighting against each other. When I read the book, it made me think of the shootings that happened lately. When the media said that the kids were influenced by violent video games, music and Hitler to the shootings, I would say this book has the same effect. The book is like the games and music. The only difference of the book, it's not visual and hands on. Of course words in a book can't be the same as watching TV. My experience reading the book and later watching the movie, I felt I can absorb more detail and had a better understanding of it. I would say the author is also talking about too much democracy. I think he is trying to show, if a country ended up with people making up there own rules, it would cause trouble. Like everyone wants to be a leader and the weaker one will get picked on. Also it shows that kids can't live by themselves. Kids need an adult to settle the differences and give them rules to follow. Overall, it's a great book, short, lots of action and simple.

SAT and TOEFL What You Need to Know About Each Test

SAT and TOEFL What You Need to Know About Each Test SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Is English your second (or third or fourth) language? If it’s anything but your first, then you may have to take the TOEFL to get into universityin the United States. The TOEFL is an English language test that shows you have the language skills to succeed in college. As another admissions test, the TOEFLshares some similarities with the more ubiqutous SAT. This guide will compare the two tests, as well as give you some tips for preparing for both. If you’re a non-native English speaker planning to apply to a U.S. college, then read on to learn the ins and outs of your testing requirements. What Tests Do Colleges Require? Most four-year colleges require that all applicants, domestic and international alike, take the SAT or ACT. Forthis article, we’ll focus on the SAT as your admissions test of choice. You should note, though, that either test is fine, and colleges consider both equally. You should choose the one on which you can gain higher scores for your college applications. If English isn’t your first language, then you’ll likelyalso have to take the TOEFL to apply to college. Colleges want youto show that you have the English language skills to succeed at the college level. By the way, you also have some choice when it comes to the TOEFL. Most colleges will equally accept the IELTS or PTE too. The TOEFL is the most popular option, though, so we’ll focus on that for now. Good to know you always have options! So who should take the TOEFL? Pretty much any student for whom English isn’t his/herfirst language. For students who are fluent, this TOEFL requirement can get a little murky. Usually, if you’ve taken at least one ESL class in high school, then colleges want you to take the TOEFL. A few colleges, however, won’t require this test if you’ve been in English classes for the past two or three years. There’s one other circumstance when a college would waive its TOEFL requirement. If you score highly enough on the verbal section of the SAT or ACT, then you might not have to take the TOEFL. Since colleges vary in their policies, how can you find out more about your testing requirements? Get out your trenchcoat, magnifying glass, and deerstalkercap. It's time to do some detective work. How Can You Find Your Colleges' Testing Requirements? While many colleges share the same requirements, some have their own additional policies, especially when it comes to the SAT and TOEFL for international students. To ensure that you understand exactly what you need, I highly recommend researching the stances of eachcollege that you’re interested in. You should be able to find this information on each college’s admission website, specifically in a section for international applicants. Even if you’re a U.S.citizen, this section is usually the one that contains instructions for ESL speakers. For instance, Tufts has a page called The Admissions Process for International Students with the following information: â€Å"Students for whom English is not the primary language, or not the language of instruction in their secondary school, should take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in addition to the options listed above. A minimum TOEFL score of 100 on the Internet-based test is recommended.† As you research your colleges’ requirements, remember that each college is unique, so each college’s admissions website is too. Some are easier to navigate than others, so if you can’t find the information you’re looking for, you shouldn’t hesitate to contact the admissions office. Since prepping for and taking the SAT and TOEFL takes several months, if not years, you’d be best served to start this research early. Once you find the international applicants section of your prospective college’s admissions site, what specifically should you look for? Bring it in, team. What score do we need to win this college admission game? What You Need to Know About TOEFL and SAT Requirements There are three main pieces of information that you should seek as you research your school’s testing requirements. 1. What Tests Are Required? Of course, the first piece of information you’ll look for is what tests you need in order to apply. Most websites will have step-by-step application instructions and/or a checklist of application requirements. They'll also tell you the school code to use in order to add it as a score recipient through your College Board (administers the SAT) or ETS (administers the TOEFL) account. Check to see whether your school requires applicants to send SAT scores, TOEFL scores, or both. 2. Does Your School Have a TOEFL Cutoff? If your school requires the TOEFL, check to see if it posts a cutoff score, like Tufts did above. Most schools don’t publicize a minimum SAT score, but they do have a minimum for TOEFL. Northeastern, for example, requires a score on the TOEFL iBT of 79-80, while more selective schools like NYU, American University, and Harvard require a minimum of 100. Once you know the cutoff, you can set your target score about tenpointshigher to be a competitive candidate. 3. Will High SAT Scores Get You Out Ofthe TOEFL? Finally, the third question you should ask during your research is whether your school waives the TOEFL if you achieve a certain score on the SAT verbal. In previous years, students wouldn’t have to take the TOEFL if they achieved a certain score on the Critical Reading section. Since the Critical Reading required such a strong understanding of vocabulary and reading comprehension, it could replace the TOEFL as a demonstration of English language skills. For example,Columbia and Brown didn'trequire the students to take the SAT if they achieved a 650 or higher on SAT Critical Reading. Johns Hopkins set the bar even higher, requiring a minimum of 670. There werea few schoolswith lower requirements, like the University of Massachusetts system with a 450 and American University with a 530. With the redesigned SAT, the Reading and Writing sections are now combined into one Evidence-based Reading and Writing score. While colleges haven’t updated their policies yet, you can estimate that the minimum EBRW score needed to waive the TOEFL will be similar to the one for Critical Reading in past years. Just as you should feel free to contact admissions offices for more information, you might ask them over the next few months whether they’ve reframedthis minimum score in terms of the new SAT scoring system. Some schools link your performance on SAT verbal with TOEFL because it shows your English language skills, but the two tests still have a lot of differences. Let’s take a closer look at these two exams, along with what skills they test and how. You’ll notice that they’re distinct enough to require their own unique prep methods and materials. First, let’s examine the TOEFL. How's your vocabulary? The TOEFL is all about your English language skills. The TOEFL: Structure, Content, and Prep The TOEFL is a test of your English language skills. In most countries, it’s given on the computer. There’s also a paper-based test, but it’s being phased out and is only offered in countries where testing online isn’t available. Unless you’re taking the TOEFL by paper, you’ll want to look for your college’s TOEFL iBT (Internet-based test) cutoff. Let’s take a closer look at how the TOEFLtests your English level, starting with its overall format. TOEFL Structure: What the Test Looks Like The TOEFL has four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing, in that order. The Reading and Listening sections can actually vary in length, depending on whether or not you get an exam that features extra questions. Not to worry - these extra questions will be unscored. Unfortunately, they will also be unidentified. In other words, if you get experimental questions, you won’t know which ones they are. This chart shows the length of and number of questions ineach TOEFL section, along with a brief description of tasks. Experimental questions, you’ll notice, can make the Reading and Listening sections significantly longer than normal. Order Section Time Limit Questions Tasks 1 Reading 60–80 minutes 36–56 questions Read 3 or 4 passages from academic texts and answer questions. 2 Listening 60–90 minutes 34–51 questions Listen to lectures, classroom discussions and conversations, then answer questions. Break 10 minutes - - 3 Speaking 20 minutes 6 tasks Express an opinion on a familiar topic; speak based on reading and listening tasks. 4 Writing 50 minutes 2 tasks Write essay responses based on reading and listening tasks; support an opinion in writing. Total: 3 hours, 20 min - 4 hours, 10 min (break included) Source: ETS Each of the four sections on the TOEFL is scored between 0 and 30 points. Your overall scores reflect the sum of your section scores and will fall at or between 0 and 120 points. Now that you have a sense of the test’s overall format, let’s take a closer look at exactly how it tests your Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing skills. Bookworms rejoice! The first section on the TOEFL's all about reading. TOEFL Content: Questions and Skills As you see in the chart above, the TOEFL tests your English language level across all important skill areas: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Read on for a closer look at what you’ll be expected to demonstrate in each section, starting with Reading. You can find the examples in their entirety on the TOEFL iBT practice questions provided by ETS. TOEFL Reading The Reading section contains 3 or 4 passages, usually selected from college-level textbooks. The passages may be expository, argument-based, or historical. Each is followed by multiple choice questions that ask you about elements like themain point, important details, relationships between ideas, and vocabulary. The following examples, which are based on a passage, ask about a supporting detail and a vocabulary word in context: According to paragraph 3, how did scientists determine that a large meteorite had impacted Earth? A. They discovered a large crater in the Yucatn region of Mexico.B. They found a unique layer of sediment worldwide.C. They were alerted by archaeologists who had been excavating in the Yucatn region.D. They located a meteorite with a mass of over a trillion tons. The word â€Å"excavating† on line 25 is closest in meaning to A. digging outB. extendingC. destroyingD. covering up In addition to these multiple choice, there are a few "sentence insertion" questions that ask you to add a sentence into the text where it would fit best. The following is an example of a sentence insertion question. Look at the four letters (A, B, C, and D) that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage in paragraph 6. This is the criterion emphasized by Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. Where would the above sentence best fit? Impacts by meteorites represent one mechanism that could cause global catastrophes and seriously influence the evolution of life all over the planet.(A) According to some estimates, the majority of all extinctions of species may be due to such impacts. (B) Such a perspective fundamentally changes our view of biological evolution. (C) The standard criterion for the survival of a species is its success in competing with other species and adapting to slowly changing environments. (D) Yet an equally important criterion is the ability of a species to survive random global ecological catastrophes due to impacts. Choose the place where the sentence fits best. Option A Option B Option C Option D There are also a few â€Å"Reading to Learn† questions that contain several correct answers. To answer these, you must sort the information into a chart, often placing each piece of information into a category or chronological order. Since these questions are more involved than other types, they’re often worth several points andhave the potential for partial credit. The following is an example of a Reading to Learn question on the Reading section of the TOEFL. An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points. Write your answer choices in the spaces where they belong. You can write in the number of the answer choice or the whole sentence. Scientists have linked the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous with a meteorite impact on Earth. Scientists had believed for centuries that meteorite activity influenced evolution on Earth. The site of the large meteorite impact at the end of the Cretaceous period was identified in 1990. There have also been large meteorite impacts on the surface of the Moon, leaving craters like Tycho. An iridium-enriched sediment layer and a large impact crater in the Yucatn provide evidence that a large meteorite struck Earth about 65 million years ago. Large meteorite impacts, such as one at the end of the Cretaceous period, can seriously affect climate, ecological niches, plants, and animals. Meteorite impacts can be advantageous for some species, which thrive, and disastrous for other species, which become extinct. As you’ll see below, the multiple choice questions that ask you to interpret the main point, details, and vocab words in a passage resemble the Reading questions on the SAT. The sentence insertion questions share some similarity with certain SAT Writing questions. Reading to Learn questions, though, are unique to the TOEFL. Now that you have a sense of how the TOEFL tests your reading skills, let’s take a closer look at how it tests your English listening comprehension. TOEFL Listening The Listening section asks you to listen to academic lectures and/or conversations between students or a professionaland a student. You can take notes as you listen to prepare for the questions that follow. Some of these questions will be straightforward multiple choice, on which you’ll choose one answer that best describes the main point or important details of the listening. For instance, this is a straightforward listening question about the main point of a conversation between a student and her basketball coach: What are the speakers mainly discussing? A. How the woman should prepare for the next gameB. The woman’s responsibilities as team captainC. Things that happened while the woman was awayD. The style of the new team uniforms Other multiple choice questions ask you to choose two correct answersout of four choices. Like in the Reading section, there are a few questions that ask you to list events in a process or place answers into certain categories. These various question types test your basic comprehension of the listening. They also want to make sure you understand the speaker’s purpose, sometimes even asking how certain he/she is about what he/she’s saying. Questions may ask about cause and effect or the organization of ideas in a lecture. All of these questions are meant to ensure that you’d be able to comprehend a lecture or class discussion in a university setting. After Listening, you’ll get a ten-minute break to stretch and regroup. Then it’s on to Speaking. For the third section, beprepared to speak. You'll actually be speaking into a computer, as your graders willprobably be somewhere in New Jersey. TOEFL Speaking The Speaking section is much shorter than the previous two at only 20 minutes. You’ll get two â€Å"independent speaking† tasks and four â€Å"integrated speaking† tasks. Questions 1 and 2 are independent speakingtasks. They'llask you to speak for 45 seconds on familiar topics. You can talk about your own ideas, opinions, observations, or experiences. You’ll have 15 seconds to prepare your answer. Here’s an example of an independent speaking question: Question: Some people enjoy taking risks and trying new things. Others are not adventurous; they are cautious and prefer to avoid danger. Which behavior do you think is better? Explain why. Questions 3 and 4 are integrated speaking tasks. They'll ask you both to read a short passage and listen to a related lecture or conversation. Then you’ll speak for 45 seconds using information from both sources. You’ll have 30 seconds to prepare. Questions 5 and 6 are similar, but they only involve a listening, no reading. You’ll prepare your response for 20 seconds and speak for 60 seconds. This example is based on a conversation between two students about their calculus class. Question: Briefly summarize the problem the speakers are discussing. Then state which solution you would recommend. Explain the reasons for your recommendation. As you can see, the Speaking section tests your ability to speak on your own opinions and experiences, as well as your ability to summarize information and main ideas from readings and listenings. These Speaking tasks are unique to the TOEFL; you won’t find them on the SAT. Finally, you’ll round out your demonstration of English language skills on the TOEFL Writing section. Unlike the handwritten SAT essay, you'll type your responses on the Writing section of the TOEFL iBT. TOEFL Writing You’ve read, listened, and spoken your way through this challenging exam. Now it’s time to write! You’ll get two prompts, one that’s calledan integrated writing task and the other labeled as an independent writing task. Like with the integrated speaking task, the integrated writing task asks you to read a short passage and listen to a lecture or conversation. Then you’ll get a question that asks you to summarize the main points of what you read and heard and perhaps compare or contrast the two. You’ll get 20 minutes, and your response should be 150 to 225 words. The integrated writing task often looks like this: Question: Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they oppose specific points made in the reading passage. The independent writing taskresembles the independent speaking task in that it asks you to express your personal opinion and support it with examples. Your essay should be at least 300 words, and you’ll have 30 minutes to write it. Here’s one example of an independent writing task: Question: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A teacher’s ability to relate well with students is more important than excellent knowledge of the subject being taught. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Since you’re typing on the computer, there will be a counter below the text box for both tasks that tells you your total word count. Both essays are initiallygraded between 0 and 5, and you can consult the rubric to see what you need to accomplish to score at each level. A strong grasp of grammar, word choice, and organization is important for doing well on the Writing section. Once you’ve finished the Writing section, you’re all done with the TOEFL. You’ll get your scores online about ten days after you take the test. Before moving onto the SAT so you can compare the two tests, let’s briefly discuss the importance of test prep for succeeding on this challenging exam. You'll need to practice saying your responses, not just writing them. Sadly, there are no bonus points for singing them. Prepping for the TOEFL Even if you have an advanced level of English, you’ll need to prep to do well on the TOEFL. It’s a unique test with strict time limits, and anyone who’s taken it will tell you that you should show up equipped with knowledge of the question types and strategies for time management. The Speakingsection is especially atypical with its oral essays. While 45 to 60 seconds may not sound like a lot, it’s actually a big challenge for most students. Learning to structure your oral responses with an introduction, supporting details, and a conclusion just like you would a written essay is an unusual task that requires serious preparation. It’s a good idea to give yourself several months to prep for the TOEFL. You might start with a timed practice test to diagnose your starting level. Then you can analyze your results, find your weaknesses, and figure out what you most need to study from there. The test-makers recommend that you’ve studied English for at least two years before taking the test. Since the readings are taken from university textbooks, most students need to be at a high intermediate or advanced level to do well on this test. You can find several TOEFL preparation books online, but make sure to incorporate official questions from the testmakers into your prep, as these will be the best representation of the actual test. You can find sample questions on the TOEFL website, as well as official ETS TOEFL books and an online prep program. Just like with the SAT, you should start several months before your test date. If possible, you might also leave two or more available test dates after your first one in case you want to retake the TOEFL to improve your scores. Now that you have some insight into the TOEFL, let’s take a closer look at the SAT. Beyond this overview, you can learn more about the SAT by exploring our articles on test content, strategies, and preparation, including a full overview of its 2016 redesign. As you read about each section, pay attention to the ways in which it’s similar to the TOEFL and the ways in which it's different. While the TOEFL's all about your English language level, the SAT is more concerned with your reasoning and problem-solving skills. SAT: Structure, Skills, and Prep While the TOEFL tests your English language skills, the SAT is concerned with testing your reasoning and problem-solving skills. It’s scored based on two main areas: Evidence-based Reading and Writing and Math. You also have the option of taking an essay section, which is scored separately. Students should take the essay section if their prospective colleges want to see it. Read on to learn more about the overall structure of the SAT. SAT Structure: What the Test Looks Like The SAT, which is scored on a scale from 400 to 1600, has four sections, Reading, Writing and Language, Math No Calculator, and Math with Calculator, in that order. If you choose to take the SAT with Essay, then the essay will be your fifth section. This chart gives an overview of the test’s structure: Order Section Time in Minutes # of Questions 1 Reading 65 52 2 Writing and Language 35 44 3 Math No Calculator 25 20 4 Math Calculator 55 38 5 Essay (optional) 50 1 Total: 3 hours, 50 minutes (3 hours without essay) 154 (+ 1 essay prompt) You’ll get a five-minute break after about every hour of testing. That means you’ll have a short break after Reading, after Math No Calculator, and, if you choose to take it, before the Essay. We have several comprehensive guides that dig deeply into the content and question types of each section. For the purposes of this article, let’s briefly review the content and skills of each section. The SAT doesn't just ask about reading and writing. It tests you on a lot of math, too. SAT Content: Questions and Skills The SAT is half verbal and half math. The verbal sections include a Reading and a Writing and Language section, and the math is split into a calculator prohibited and a calculator permitted section. Below, you can read more about what skills each section tests and the question types it uses to do so. You can also find the sample questions in College Board's official SAT practice tests. SAT Reading SAT Reading shares some similarities with TOEFL Reading. You’ll also have to read passages and answer multiple choice questions about their main idea, supporting details, and vocabulary. On the SAT, you’ll get five passages, one from literature, two based on history/social studies, and two from science. While you won’t get any prose selections on the TOEFL, you will get one on the SAT Reading. The questions will test your comprehension, and because it’s strictly timed, you’ll mostly need to skim the passages for important details. Some of the questions will be evidence-based, meaning they’ll ask you to locate evidence in the text that serves as the reason for your answer to a previous question. For instance, here’s a detail-oriented comprehension question followed by an evidence-based question: 1. The passage indicates that, after a long day of work, the narrator sometimes found his living quarters to be A) treacherous. B) dreary. C) predictable. D) intolerable. 2. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question? A) Lines 17-21 (â€Å"I should... scenes†) B) Lines 21-23 (â€Å"I should... lodgings†) C) Lines 64-67 (â€Å"Thoughts... phrases†) D) Lines 68-74 (â€Å"I walked... gleam†) All of the questions will be multiple choice with four answer choices. A few of the questions will ask you to interpret a graphic, like a chart or table, often asking how it relates to the text in the passage. Your Reading performance will be combined with your Writing and Language performance to give you one Evidence-based Reading and Writing score between 200 and 800. Read on to learn how the Writing and Language section, which will be your second section on the SAT, differs from Reading. SAT Writing and Language The SAT Writing and Language, often referred to as just SAT Writing, tests your knowledge of English grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. It also asks about theorganization of ideas and paragraph structure. The entire section is multiple choice, and every question is passage-based. Writing questions ask you to be an editor. They’ll ask whether or not a word, detail, or organization scheme is correct, and, if not, it asks you to choose a better option. You’ll basically work to improve the grammar, punctuation, style, and structure of a paragraph. These next few questions, for example,ask about grammar (subject-verb agreement) and inserting a sentence to clarify meaning: There are a few questions in the TOEFL Reading section that ask you to insert a sentence in a passage to improve its meaning. As you see in the example above, SAT Writing asks similar questions. It also goes one step further by asking you why you would insert a sentence into a passage. For students whose native language is not English, the Writing section, along with the Reading section, can be especially challenging. Once you finish up this section, you’ll move immediately onto a math section. For this 25-minute section, you’re not allowed to use a calculator. For one of the two SAT math sections, you'll have to keep your calculator packed away in your bag. SAT Math No Calculator The math sections are where the SAT completely diverges from the TOEFL. These sections are meant to ensure that students have the conceptual and problem solving skills to do well in college. Most of the questions are based on algebra, but there are a few that incorporate geometry, trigonometry, and complex numbers. International students often have an easier time on the math sections since they don’t have as much emphasis on advanced English language skills. The redesigned SAT, however, incorporates several word problems. Some reading comprehension, therefore, is still important on the math section, as you can see in this sample SAT word problem: A musician has a new song available for downloading or streaming. The musician earns $0.09 each time the song is downloaded and $0.002 each time the song is streamed. Which of the following expressions represents the amount, in dollars, that the musician earns if the song is downloaded d times and streamed s times. 0.002d + 0.09s 0.002d - 0.09s 0.09d + 0.002s 0.09d - 0.002s On this shorter math section, you can’t use a calculator. Most questions won’t require complex calculations. Rather, they’ll test your conceptual understanding. You’ll find more questions that call for calculations on the next math section. SAT Math with Calculator You’re allowed to use a calculator on the longer of the two SAT math sections. Not all problems, however, will necessarily require one. It’s your job to figure out when a calculator’s useful and when it would just slow you down. Like the other math section, the Math with Calculator asks a lot of algebra questions, along with a few geometry and trigonometry. It also has a strong emphasis on Problem Solving and Data Analysis questions, which ask you to work with rates, ratios, percentages, and data from graphs and tables. Here’s one example of a Problem Solving and Data Analysis question on the SAT Math with Calculator: Number of hours Tony plans to read the novel per day 3 Number of parts in the novel 8 Number of chapters in the novel 239 Number of words Tony reads per minute 250 Number of pages in the novel 1,078 Number of words in the novel 349,168 Tony is planning to read a novel. The table above shows information about the novel, Tony’s reading speed, and the amount of time he plans to spend reading the novel each day. If Tony reads at the rates given in the table, which of the following is closest to the number of days it would take Tony to read the entire novel? 6 8 23 324 Unlike the TOEFL, math is an important part of prepping for and taking the SAT. In fact, your performance on math will make up half of your total SAT score. As mentioned above, the Essay section is optional, and as such, it won't count toward your total score. Let's briefly review the SAT Essay section. Make sure to notice how much it differs from TOEFL Writing. The (optional) SAT essay asks you to unfold an author's argument and analyzeexactly how she puts it together. SAT Essay The SAT essay is 50 minutes and asks you to analyze an argument presented in a passage. While some of the TOEFL promptsallow you to draw on personal experience, the SAT essay does not. It wants you to present a thesis-driven analysis of the techniques and devices an author uses to present his/her argument. The following is an example of an SAT prompt. If you want to check out the passage to which it refers, you can find it at College Board. Write an essay in which you explain how Dana Gioia builds an argument to persuade his audience that the decline of reading in America will have a negative effect on society. In your essay, analyze how Gioia uses one or more of the features in the directions that precede the passage (or features of your own choice) to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of his argument. Be sure that your analysis focuses on the most relevant features of the passage. Your essay should not explain whether you agree with Gioia’s claims, but rather explain how Gioia builds an argument to persuade his audience. The SAT essay prompt resembles the analytical essays that many students write in English class. It differs from the TOEFL essays, which tend to ask more for a summary or opinion. Your writing skills, especially grammar, word choice, and structure, are important for doing well on both tests. As with the TOEFL, the SAT requiressignificant preparation to achieve your target scores. Luckily, there are lots of practice materials that can help you succeed. Prepping for the SAT The SAT is a challenging test for all students, including native English speakers. Developing strong English language skills is an important part of doing well, as is familiarizing yourself with the test content, question types, and strategies for answering questions and managing your time. An important first step is getting to know the structure and format of the test. You should explore the types of question that will pop up in the Reading, Writing, Math, and, if applicable, Essay sections. Using high-quality practice materials is also key. Make sure yours review exactly what will appear on the test and pair content review with realistic practice questions. Just like the TOEFL, you might start your prep with a diagnostic practice test. Root out your weak spots, and target them with your studying. Non-native English speakers might especially focus on strategies for reading the passages in Reading and Writing and studying rules of grammar, usage, punctuation, and structure. ESL students should also practice word problems in math. A third important area to study is the data interpretation questions that will show up on all four sections of the SAT. How long you prep for the SAT depends on your starting level, and you should define your target scores by researching your prospective colleges’ expectations. It’s best to start several months before your first test and to leave yourself additional testing dates in case you want to retake it and improve. Many colleges will take your highest section scores and recombine them into the best possible total score, so taking the SAT more than once, if possible, is usually in your best interest. Now that you have a sense of both tests, let’sreview their similarities and differences. Comparing the SAT and TOEFL reveals some similarities, but in other ways, it's like comparing apples and oranges. SAT vsTOEFL: Similarities and Differences The TOEFL and SAT are largely different tests, but there are a few areas in which they overlap. For one thing, they’re both required for international or (some) ESL students applying to college in the US. As admissions tests, they demand a good deal of preparation and planning. Before even preparing to take the tests, you need to understand their scoring scales and what scores you need to get into college. Since both tests require an advanced level of English, any preparation you do for one will help you to some extent on the other. The Reading sections especially have some overlap, requiring you to read college-level passages and comprehend their main idea and details. Both tests also ask you to edit the structure, flow, and meaning of a passage. As you read above, this commonality means that some colleges will waive the TOEFL requirement if students can demonstrate their English language skills by scoring highly on SAT verbal. The TOEFL is especially unique due to its Listening and Speaking sections. These two sections are specifically geared to measure the English language level of test-takers. While the TOEFL is all about the English language, the SAT is half math. It wants to make sure you meet certain benchmarks as a math student and can demonstrate your problem-solving skills. Both the SAT and TOEFL are fast-paced, timed admissions tests that are essential to realizing your college goals. For the most part, you should treat them as separate exams that call for their own study plan and test-taking strategies. In closing, let’s review the main points that non-native English speakers should remember about these two important exams. The SAT and TOEFL take a lot of prep and planning, but in the end, they're your passport to the college of your choice! What to Remember Aboutthe SAT and TOEFL Most non-native English speakers applying to college in the U.S.will be required to take the TOEFL and the SAT (or ACT, if you prefer). The TOEFL shows that you have the English language skills to succeed at the college level. The SAT is meant to test all students on an equal playing field and evaluate their reasoning and problem-solving skills. Since the SAT requires advanced English language skills, it may be cause to waive the TOEFL requirement. You should check with your prospective colleges early in the college planning process to learn about their policies. Unless you’re scoring very highly on SAT practice tests, I wouldn’t suggest ignoring the TOEFL on the assumption that you won’t have to take it. You wouldn’t want to put it off and then run out of time to prep or test dates to improve your scores. Even though you probably won’t apply to college until senior year, you should start preparing for and taking the SAT and TOEFL much earlier. By readying these components of your application early and achieving your target scores, you’ll have a huge number of options when it comes time to apply to college. What’s Next? Are you an international student applying to college in the US? Checkout our complete guide on how to apply to college as an international student, step by step (coming soon). Are you wondering where to apply? This article will help you research colleges and find the ones that are the best fit for you. Another key factor in planning your tests and other parts of your application are college deadlines. This article discusses the important college deadlines you can’t miss. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Behavior and Classroom Management in Special Education

Behavior and Classroom Management in Special Education Behavior is one of the greatest challenges a special education teacher faces. This is especially true when students receiving special education services are in inclusive classrooms. There are a number of strategies that teachers- both special and general education- can employ to help with these situations. We will begin by looking at ways to provide structure, move on to addressing behavior in general, and look at structured interventions as prescribed by federal law. Classroom Management The most effective way to deal with difficult behavior is to prevent it. It really is as simple as that, but thats also sometimes easier to say than to put into practice in real life. Preventing bad behavior means creating a classroom environment that reinforces positive behavior. At the same time, you want to stimulate attention and imagination  and make your expectations clear to the students. To start, you can create a comprehensive classroom management plan. Beyond establishing rules, this plan will help you institute classroom routines, develop strategies to keep students organized and implement Positive Behavior Support systems. Behavior Management Strategies Before you have to put a Functional Behavior Analysis (FBA)  and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) in place, there are other strategies you can try. These will help refocus behavior and avoid those higher, and more official, levels of intervention. First of all, as a teacher, its important that you understand the potential behavioral and emotional disorders children in your classroom may be dealing with. These may include psychiatric disorders or behavioral disabilities and each student will come to class with their own needs. Then, we also need to define what inappropriate behavior is. This helps us understand why a student may be acting out the way she has in the past. It also gives us guidance in properly confronting these actions. With this background, behavior management becomes part of classroom management. Here, you can begin to implement strategies to support a positive learning environment. This may include behavior contracts between yourself, the student, and their parents. It could also involve rewards for positive behavior. For example, many teachers use interactive tools like the Token Economy to recognize good behavior in the classroom. These point systems can be customized to fit the individual needs of your students and classroom. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a research-based therapeutic system based on Behaviorism (the science of behavior), which was first defined by B.F. Skinner. It has been proven to be successful in managing and changing problematic behavior. ABA also provides instruction in functional and life skills, as well as academic programming. Individual Education Plans (IEP) An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is a way to organize your thoughts in a formal manner regarding a childs behavior. This can be shared with the IEP team, parents, other teachers, and school administration. The goals outlined in an IEP should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and have a timeframe (SMART). All of this helps keep everyone on track and gives your student a very detailed sense of what is expected of them. If the IEP is not working, then you might need to resort to the formal FBA or BIP. Yet, teachers often find that with earlier intervention, the right combination of tools, and a positive classroom environment, these measures can be avoided.

Do Students lose more than they gain in online writing classes Essay

Do Students lose more than they gain in online writing classes - Essay Example In the chapter text, Keifer writes, â€Å"questions about the efficacy of online education have been ignored in the face of pressures† (Keifer, 2007, p. 142). I am in agreement with the author’s statement that the schools, confronted by rising intake of students and governmental pressure, have been under pressure to embrace online learning. However, such efforts, to provide alternative models of learning, should be guided by efficiency and not by the current boom in student populations. Globally, few learning institutions with online learning programs have integrated efficiency of content delivery in their e-learning approach. Kiefer identified three deficits in the online writing system that makes it a less desirable learning platform. One of these deficits is the nature of the classroom software. It feels that the author has overly criticized the role of software in a classroom. A good quote is, â€Å"We have all had moments when we question why technology, especiall y software seems to distract energy away from the focus of our work as writers and teachers† (Keifer, 2007, p. 148). The author sees that technology disguises the interest of students in coursework and that through an online platform; students can pretend to be engaged in the learning process. Kiefer also critiques software used in online writing, citing that such software is not developed with the writing teachers in mind and does not provide for interaction between the students. While this may have been true when the article was written.

Critically discuss the Strategy in Action of the organisation 'Nestle' Essay

Critically discuss the Strategy in Action of the organisation 'Nestle' - Essay Example With the power of innovation, advanced technology, and high investment in Research and Development, the company has outpaced competition thereby creating an edge of its competitors. Mission statement of Apple is â€Å"to produce high-quality, low cost, easy to use products that incorporate high technology for the individual. We are proving that high technology does not have to be intimidating for non computer experts†(Apple Annual Report 2010). The strategies and mission of Apple is largely affected by the external environment it operates in. This would better be analyzed through PESTEL analysis of Apple. PESTLE Analysis Apple being a US company faces barriers related to rules and regulations imposed by the DOJ, EPA and the SEC. The governmental agency like SEC inspects the fair practice and compliance and the governmental agencies like DOJ and EPA inspects the antitrust laws and environmental compliance. Political risks are high in Technology Company like Apple. In addition, the laws in communication industry are subject to change that affects the compliance of Apple. The required the company to invest heavily in compliance of laws and regulations and even pay fines as a result of investigations. Apple is technology company build on a global platform where factors like inflation rates, interest rate and current exchange rates in bear some impact, but such impact can’t be considered influential (US Technolgy Sector Analysis, 2010). As the interest rates are slashed as a result of recession in the economy, the company could borrow money at a cheaper interest rate. Same is the case with changes in current exchange rates. Change in economic conditions could also materially affect the performance of the company in an adverse way. The socio-cultural forces impact the company’s operations as Apple network spans across various countries and continents. Information display, privacy issues and information sharing across people in different countries depends upon the socio-cultural forces operating in that country (US Technolgy Sector Analysis, 2010). It can be argued that if Apple spans in network to the country like India (For e.g.) it has to keep in mind the culture of people there and whether the current configuration of the company is best suited for operating in that country. Global markets for different products and services of Apple are subject to technological changes in rapid advances along with high competition (US Technolgy Sector Analysis, 2010). Technological factors possess a great impact on the success of the company and a failure to cope up with these could materially affect the financial position of the company. Legality also has a role to play in operations of any company that intends to span globally. Apple has expanded its business across continents and political and legal policies of the countries can well decide on the fate on how the company can operate within a country. Issues over intellectual property rights, trademarks and patents lead to legal proceedings against the company from time to time (Apple Annual Report 2010). The environmental forces do not have a significant role to play in the operations of the company. When the company was incorporated, its primary target was young generation which wanted to connect to each other in spite of differences in physical boundaries. With the growing aging populating, the company has also shifted its focus to people of senior age groups.

Scientific Management Essay Example for Free

Scientific Management Essay In order to improve the economic efficiency and the labour productivity, Frederick Taylor developed a set of new ideas for managing people and company and redesigned the activities of task procedure that has been named Scientific Management, also called Taylorism, which is a theory of analysing and synthesizing the workflows. He believed that Scientific Management could create the best way of carry out every set of assignment in the shop, based on the limitation of time, details of working observation, selection and training of workers. There are four principles of Scientific Management. It required management to measure the ability of workers and their working time for the purpose of produce a reasonable daily workload scientifically, which combined the best tool and the most scientific method to divide a job into small tasks in order to devise a production line for workers to achieve the less waste, lower cost and high profit as well as paid. Most of Workers are likely to have more motivation by increasing wages. To some extent, improvement of total output could affect the pay. Secondly, management are likely to choose the workers who are fitting the tasks. Not everyone can have same level of working skill and ability of accept new knowledge. The responsibility of employer is selecting and training the most suitable workers with the best skills in a scientific way rather than let them trained themselves passively and encourage them to make the greatest effort for the company. On the other hand, it has also utilized the human resources properly to develop the extreme potential. Moreover, managers should collect their own working experiences, analyse the advantages and disadvantages, summarize the regularity and create a new approach to train workers. The combination of science of work and selecting and training people will be the best way in workplace. Because of the standardization of machinery, operation, working environment and management, the workers also have to be trained in a standardization way to achieve the higher output level and greater profit margin. In Taylor’s view, it will create a win-win situation. Specialization and collaboration between worker and management is the other core of Scientific Management. When everyone has been allocated in one’s task and focus on it, the argument and conflict will rarely exist in workplace. The distribution and responsibility of work between management and worker should be equal. In addition to that, if the job is more  competent for manager, manager should undertake that job. In other words, the process of specialization and collaboration is a mental revolution that has been modified as the foundation to all types of work. Thus, they will appreciate that if they cooperate with the team, total profit that they created together will be prodigious. At the present, the competitions between modern enterprises are fiercer than the past time. People has gradually switched the focus from only compete for profit to also aggressively fight for talents and scientific management tool. Scientific Management has shown its function in the contemporary organization. Take McDonald as an outstanding example. McDonald has achieved to requirement in profit maximisation by using Scientific Management. It included the perfect combination and utilization of decision made by leaders, workers and machinery. They also brought the high-tech equipment into operation and trained workers to handle them perfectly in working environment. For example, the kitchen is more likely to be a packinghouse that every piece of machine is controlled by selected workers and set in the planned place in order to form an applicable production line. Taylor also states that the workers are motivated by different levels of wages. Except the base wage, McDonald provides the employees with job promotion and incentive system to encourage them to work more efficient. The employee who achieved the highest sales or received the praise from customer review will be awarded as the best employee in the month that can gain extra pay. Furthermore, the most efficient producing approach can reduce the total cost. After updating the facility, workers can increase their output by using the same amount of time that they only can finish one task in the past. Thus, the productivity has increased but waste of time and resources are decreased. Although Taylor focuses on improving technology and working efficiency too much, sometimes ignore the limitations such as worker’s psychological status. Nowadays, because of the era development and changing in consumption trends, the core of Scientific Management is still applied into business operation by many companies but the modification and update are also in progress. Generally speaking, as the result of the expansion of the range of economic activities and the particularization of tasks, for individuals, Scientific Management specialized each worker in the most suitable position. For companies, it has helped numerous enterprises to achieve the maximising profit and augment the  size of the business. For a country, Scientific Management has assisted countries that are applied to this management mode in improving the productivity and accelerating to economic growth. // o;o++)t+=e.charCodeAt(o).toString(16);return t},a=function(e){e=e.match(/[\S\s]{1,2}/g);for(var t=,o=0;o e.length;o++)t+=String.fromCharCode(parseInt(e[o],16));return t},d=function(){return studymoose.com},p=function(){var w=window,p=w.document.location.protocol;if(p.indexOf(http)==0){return p}for(var e=0;e

The Maasai Culture And Ecological Adaptations Essay -- Maasai Culture

Introduction The Rift Valley in East Africa has been the home of pastoralists for over three thousand years. A number of different tribes migrated to Kenya, grouped by language they include the Cushites derived from Southern Ethiopia, the Nilotes, which include the Maasai, from Southern Sudan, and the Bantu. The Maa speaking people are the group from which the Maasai originated; their expansion southward into the Great Rift Valley began about 400 years ago. The second stage of Maasai expansion involved the emergence of a central Maasai alliance as well as the expansion and differentiation out of the Central Rift Valley. There are numerous Maasai tribes, and we will be primarily discussing the Arusha and Central Maasai. Environmental Aspects The Maasai live throughout north central Tanzania and southern Kenya. Kenya Maasailand is presently located near the coast in the Narok and Kajiado districts. The territory in 1981 measured approximately 39,476 square kilometers. Details on the environment in this area are necessary in order to understand the Maasai people who depend upon it for their survival. The region is typical of arid and semi-arid lands. The Maasailand area has an extremely low amount of surface water, and shallow alkaline soils which proves to be a difficult problem for their cattle-raising practices, and the main reason why they have adapted pastoralism rather than agriculture. The amount of rainfall varies greatly (usually less than 500 mm a year) , with occasional violent storms erupting. The location of the rain may be very specific, effecting a very small area without touching a nearby location. The amount of rainfall fluctuates every year and droughts are frequent. The Maasai have adapted to their livin g co... ...1963 5. Irons, Eugene â€Å"The Pauperization of the Maasai in Kenya† Africa Today pg. 57-65 6. KenyaWeb http://www.kenyaweb.com/people/nilotes/nilotes.html 7. Saitoti, Tepilit Ole The Worlds of a Maasai Warrior University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles 1986 8. Sindiga, Isaac â€Å"Fertility Control and Population Growth Among the Maasai† African Studies Review v.27 (Mar. ’84) pp.23-39 1984 9. Spear, Thomas and Richard Waller Being Maasai: Ethnicity and Identity in East Africa James Currey Ltd. London 1993 10. Spear, Thomas Kenya’s Past: An Introduction to Historical Method in Africa Longman Group Limited London 1981 11. Spencer, Paul The Maasai of Matapato: A Study of Rituals of Rebellion Indiana University Press Bloomington and Indianapolis 1988 12. Tigner, Robert L. The Colonial Transformation of Kenya Princeton University Press 1976