Zoe’s Tale PART II Chapter Fifteen

The next several months were very tiring. Early mornings: physical conditioning. â€Å"You are soft,† Hickory said to me and Gretchen the first day. â€Å"Despicable lies,† I said. â€Å"Very well,† Hickory said, and pointed to the tree line of the forest, at least a klick away. â€Å"Please run to the forest as quickly as you can. Then run back. Do not stop until you return.† We ran. By the time I got back, it felt like my lungs were trying to force themselves up my trachea, the better to smack me around for abusing them. Both Gretchen and I collapsed into the grass gasping. â€Å"You are soft,† Hickory repeated. I didn't argue, and not just because at the moment I was totally incapable of speaking. â€Å"We are done for today. Tomorrow we will truly begin with your physical conditioning. We will start slowly.† It and Dickory walked away, leaving Gretchen and me to imagine ways we were going to murder Hickory and Dickory, once we could actually force oxygen back into our bodies. Mornings: school, like every other kid and teen not actively working in a field. Limited books and supplies meant sharing with others. I shared my textbooks with Gretchen, Enzo, and Magdy. This worked fine when we were all speaking to each other, less so when some of us were not. â€Å"Will you two please focus?† Magdy said, waving his hands in front of the two of us. We were supposed to be doing calculus. â€Å"Stop it,† Gretchen said. She had her head down on our table. It had been a hard workout that morning. â€Å"God, I miss coffee,† she said, looking up at me. â€Å"It would be nice to get to this problem sometime today,† Magdy said. â€Å"Oh, what do you care,† Gretchen said. â€Å"It's not like any of us are going to college anyway.† â€Å"We still have to do it,† Enzo said. â€Å"You do it, then,† Gretchen said. She leaned over and pushed the book toward the two of them. â€Å"It's not me or Zoe who has to learn this stuff. We already know it. You two are always waiting for us to do the work, and then just nodding like you actually know what we're doing.† â€Å"That's not true,† Magdy said. â€Å"Really? Fine,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Prove it. Impress me.† â€Å"I think someone's morning exertions are making her a little grumpy,† Magdy said, mockingly. â€Å"What's that supposed to mean?† I said. â€Å"It means that since the two of you started whatever it is you're doing, you've been pretty useless here,† Magdy said. â€Å"Despite what Gretchen the Grump is hinting at, it's the two of us who have been carrying the two of you lately, and you know it.† â€Å"You're carrying us in math?† Gretchen said. â€Å"I don't think so.† â€Å"Everything else, sweetness,† Magdy said. â€Å"Unless you think Enzo pulling together that report on the early Colonial Union days last week doesn't count.† â€Å"That's not ‘we,' that's Enzo,† Gretchen said. â€Å"And thank you, Enzo. Happy, Magdy? Good. Now let's all shut up about this.† Gretchen put her head back down on the table. Enzo and Magdy looked at each other. â€Å"Here, give me the book,† I said, reaching for it. â€Å"I'll do this problem.† Enzo slid the book over to me, not quite meeting my gaze. Afternoons: training. â€Å"So, how is the training going?† Enzo asked me one early evening, catching me as I limped home from the day's workout. â€Å"Do you mean, can I kill you yet?† I asked. â€Å"Well, no,† Enzo said. â€Å"Although now that you mention it I'm curious. Can you?† â€Å"It depends,† I said, â€Å"on what it is you're asking me to kill you with.† There was an uncomfortable silence after that. â€Å"That was a joke,† I said. â€Å"Are you sure?† Enzo said. â€Å"We didn't even get around to how to kill things today,† I said, changing the subject. â€Å"We spent the day learning how to move quietly. You know. To avoid capture.† â€Å"Or to sneak up on something,† Enzo said. I sighed. â€Å"Yes, okay, Enzo. To sneak up on things. To kill them. Because I like to kill. Kill and kill again, that's me. Little Zoe Stab Stab.† I sped up my walking speed. Enzo caught up with me. â€Å"Sorry,† he said. â€Å"That wasn't fair of me.† â€Å"Really,† I said. â€Å"It's just a topic of conversation, you know,† Enzo said. â€Å"What you and Gretchen are doing.† I stopped walking. â€Å"What kind of conversation?† I asked. â€Å"Well, think about it,† Enzo said. â€Å"You and Gretchen are spending your afternoons preparing for the apocalypse. What do you think people are talking about?† â€Å"It's not like that,† I said. â€Å"I know,† Enzo said, reaching out and touching my arm, which reminded me we spent less time touching each other lately. â€Å"I've told people that, too. Doesn't keep people from talking, though. That and the fact that it's you and Gretchen.† â€Å"So?† I said. â€Å"You're the daughter of the colony leaders, she's the daughter of the guy everyone knows is next in line on the colony council,† Enzo said. â€Å"It looks like you're getting special treatment. If it was just you, people would get it. People know you've got that weird thing you have with the Obin – â€Å" â€Å"It's not weird,† I said. Enzo looked at me blankly. â€Å"Yeah, okay,† I said. â€Å"People know you've got that thing with the Obin, so they wouldn't think about it if it was just you,† Enzo said. â€Å"But the two of you is making people nervous. People wonder if you guys know something we don't.† â€Å"That's ridiculous,† I said. â€Å"Gretchen is my best friend. That's why I asked her. Should I have asked someone else?† â€Å"You could have,† Enzo said. â€Å"Like who?† I said. â€Å"Like me,† Enzo said. â€Å"You know, your boyfriend.† â€Å"Yeah, because people wouldn't talk about that,† I said. â€Å"Maybe they would and maybe they wouldn't,† Enzo said. â€Å"But at least I'd get to see you every once in a while.† I didn't have any good answer to that. So I just gave Enzo a kiss. â€Å"Look, I'm not trying to make you feel bad or guilty or whatever,† Enzo said, when I was done. â€Å"But I would like to see more of you.† â€Å"That statement can be interpreted in many different ways,† I said. â€Å"Let's start with the innocent ones,† Enzo said. â€Å"But we can go from there if you want.† â€Å"And anyway, you see me every day,† rewinding the conversation just a little. â€Å"And we always spend time together at the hootenannies.† â€Å"I don't count doing schoolwork together as time together,† Enzo said. â€Å"And as much fun as it is to admire how you trained Hickory to imitate a sitar solo – â€Å" â€Å"That's Dickory,† I said. â€Å"Hickory does the drum sounds.† Enzo gently put a finger to my lips. â€Å"As much fun as it is,† he repeated. â€Å"I'd rather have some time for just you and me.† He kissed me, which was pretty effective punctuation. â€Å"How about now?† I said, after the kiss. â€Å"Can't,† Enzo said. â€Å"On my way home to babysit Maria and Katherina so my parents can have dinner with friends.† â€Å"Waaah,† I said. â€Å"Kiss me, tell me you want to spend time together, leave me hanging. Nice.† â€Å"But I have tomorrow afternoon free,† Enzo said. â€Å"Maybe then. After you're done with your stabbing practice.† â€Å"We already did stabbing,† I said. â€Å"Now we're on to strangulation.† Silence. â€Å"Joke,† I said. â€Å"I only have your word for that,† Enzo said. â€Å"Cute.† I kissed him again. â€Å"See you tomorrow.† The next day training went long. I skipped dinner to head to Enzo's parents' homestead. His mother said he'd waited around, and then headed over to Magdy's. We didn't talk to each other much the next day during school. Evenings: study. â€Å"We have reached an agreement with Jerry Bennett to allow you to use the information center in the evenings twice a week,† Hickory said. I suddenly felt sorry for Jerry Bennett, who I had heard was more than a little terrified of Hickory and Dickory, and probably would have agreed to anything they asked just so long as they left him alone. I made a mental note to invite Bennett to the next hootenanny. There's nothing to make an Obin look less threatening than to see one in front of a crowd, bobbing its neck back and forth and making like a tabla drum. Hickory continued. â€Å"While you are there, you will study the Colonial Union files of other sentient species.† â€Å"Why do you want us to learn about them?† Gretchen asked. â€Å"To know how to fight them,† Hickory said. â€Å"And how to kill them.† â€Å"There are hundreds of species in the Conclave,† I said. â€Å"Are we supposed to learn about each of them? That's going to take more than two nights a week.† â€Å"We will be focusing on species who are not members of the Conclave,† Hickory said. Gretchen and I looked at each other. â€Å"But they're not the ones planning to kill us,† Gretchen said. â€Å"There are many trying to kill you,† Hickory said. â€Å"And some may be more motivated than others. For example, the Rraey. They recently lost a war with the Enesha, who took control of most of their colonies before they were themselves defeated by the Obin. The Rraey are no longer a direct threat to any established race or colony. But if they were to find you here, there is no doubt what they would do.† I shuddered. Gretchen noticed. â€Å"You okay?† she asked. â€Å"I'm fine,† I said, too quickly. â€Å"I've met the Rraey before.† Gretchen looked at me strangely but didn't say anything after that. â€Å"We have a list for you,† Hickory said. â€Å"Jerry Bennett has already prepared the files you have access to for each species. Take special note of the physiology of each race. This will be important in our instruction.† â€Å"To learn how to fight them,† I said. â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"And to learn how to kill them.† Three weeks into our studies I pulled up a race who were not on our list. â€Å"Wow, they're scary-looking,† Gretchen said, looking over my shoulder after she noticed I had been reading for a while. â€Å"They're Consu,† I said. â€Å"They're scary, period.† I handed my PDA over to Gretchen. â€Å"They're the most advanced race we know about. They make us look like we're banging rocks together. And they're the ones who made the Obin what they are today.† â€Å"Genetically engineered them?† Gretchen asked. I nodded. â€Å"Well, maybe next time they can code for personality. What are you looking at them for?† â€Å"I'm just curious,† I said. â€Å"Hickory and Dickory have talked to me about them before. They're the closet thing the Obin have to a higher power.† â€Å"Their gods,† Gretchen said. I shrugged. â€Å"More like a kid with an ant farm,† I said. â€Å"An ant farm and a magnifying glass.† â€Å"Sounds lovely,† Gretchen said, and handed back the PDA. â€Å"Hope I never get to meet them. Unless they're on my side.† â€Å"They're not on a side,† I said. â€Å"They're above.† â€Å"Above is a side,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Not our side,† I said, and switched the PDA back to what I was supposed to be reading. Late evening: everything else. â€Å"Well, this is a surprise,† I said to Enzo, who was sitting on my doorstep as I came back from another thrilling night at the information center. â€Å"I haven't seen you too much recently.† â€Å"You haven't seen much of anybody recently,† Enzo said, standing up to greet me. â€Å"It's just you and Gretchen. And you've been avoiding me since we broke up the study group.† â€Å"I'm not avoiding you,† I said. â€Å"You haven't been going out of your way to look for me,† Enzo said. Well, he had me there. â€Å"I don't blame you for it,† I said, changing the subject a little. â€Å"It's not your fault Magdy threw that fit of his.† After several weeks of increased sniping, things between Magdy and Gretchen finally reached toxic levels; the two of them had a shouting match in class and Magdy ended up saying some fairly not forgivable things and then stomping off, Enzo trailing behind. And that was the end of our little band. â€Å"Yeah, it's all Magdy's fault,† Enzo said. â€Å"Gretchen's poking at him until he snapped didn't have anything to do with it at all.† Already this conversation had gone twice to places I didn't want it to go, and the rational part of my brain was just telling me to let it go and change the subject. But then there was the not quite rational part, which was suddenly getting really annoyed. â€Å"So are you hanging out on my doorstep just to dump on my best friend, or is there some other reason you dropped by?† Enzo opened his mouth to say something, and then just shook his head. â€Å"Forget it,† he said, and started to walk off. I blocked his path. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"You came here for a reason. Tell me what it is.† â€Å"Why don't I see you anymore?† Enzo said. â€Å"Is that what you came here to ask me?† I said. â€Å"No,† Enzo said. â€Å"It's not what I came here to say. But it's what I'm asking you now. It's been two weeks since Magdy and Gretchen did their thing, Zoe. It was between the two of them, but I've hardly seen you since then. If you're not actually avoiding me, you're faking it really well.† â€Å"If it was between Gretchen and Magdy, why did you leave when he did?† I said. â€Å"He's my friend,† Enzo said. â€Å"Someone had to calm him down. You know how he gets. You know I'm his heat sink. What kind of question is that?† â€Å"I'm just saying it's not just between Magdy and Gretchen,† I said. â€Å"It's between all of us. You and me and Gretchen and Magdy. When was the last time you did anything without Magdy?† â€Å"I don't remember him being there when we spend time together,† Enzo said. â€Å"You know what I mean,† I said. â€Å"You're always following him, keeping him from getting hit by someone or breaking his neck or doing something stupid.† â€Å"I'm not his puppy,† Enzo said, and for that minute he actually got a little angry. Which was new. I ignored it. â€Å"You're his friend,† I said. â€Å"His best friend. And Gretchen is mine. And right now our best friends can't stand the sight of each other. And that leaks into us, Enzo. Let me ask you, right now, how do you feel about Gretchen? You don't like her very much, do you?† â€Å"We've had better days,† Enzo said. â€Å"Right. Because she and your best friend are at it. I feel the same way about Magdy. I guarantee you he feels the same way about me. And Gretchen isn't feeling very friendly to you. I want to spend time with you, Enzo, but most of the time, both of us are a package deal. We come with our best friends attached. And I don't want the drama right now.† â€Å"Because it's easier just not to bother,† Enzo said. â€Å"Because I'm tired, Enzo,† I said, spitting out the words. â€Å"Okay? I'm tired. Every morning I wake up and I have to run or do strength exercises or something that tires me out right after I've gotten out of bed. I'm tired before the rest of you are even awake. Then school. Then an entire afternoon of getting physically beat up in order to learn how to defend myself, on the chance some aliens want to come down here and kill us all. Then I spend my evenings reading up on every single race out there, not because it's interesting, but just in case I need to murder one of them, I'll know where its soft spots are. I hardly have time to think about anything else, Enzo. I am tired. â€Å"Do you think all of this is fun for me? Do you think it's fun for me not to see you? To spend all my time learning to hurt and kill things? Do you think it's fun for me that every single day I get my nose rubbed in the fact there's a whole universe out there just waiting to murder us? When was the last time you thought about it? When was the last time Magdy thought about it? I think about it every day, Enzo. My time is spent doing nothing but. So don't tell me that it's just easier for me not to bother with the drama. You have no idea. I'm sorry. But you don't.† Enzo stared at me for a minute, and then reached over to wipe my cheeks. â€Å"You could tell me, you know,† he said. I laughed a small laugh. â€Å"I don't have time,† I said. That got a smile from Enzo. â€Å"And anyway, I don't want you to worry.† â€Å"It's a little late for that,† Enzo said. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said. â€Å"It's all right,† he said. â€Å"I miss it, you know,† I said, wiping my own face. â€Å"Spending time with you. Even when it meant spending time with Magdy. I miss having the time to really talk to you. I miss watching you fail at dodgeball. I miss you sending me poems. I miss all of it. I'm sorry that we've gotten mad at each other lately, and that we didn't do something to fix it. I'm sorry and I miss you, Enzo.† â€Å"Thank you,† Enzo said. â€Å"You're welcome,† I said. We stood there for a minute, looking at each other. â€Å"You came here to break up with me, didn't you,† I said, finally. â€Å"Yeah,† said Enzo. â€Å"Yeah, I did. Sorry.† â€Å"Don't be,† I said. â€Å"I haven't been a very good girlfriend.† â€Å"Yes you have,† Enzo said. â€Å"When you've had the time.† Another shaky laugh from me. â€Å"Well, that's the problem, isn't it,† I said. â€Å"Yes,† Enzo said, and I know he was sorry he felt he had to say it. And just like that my first relationship was over, and I went to bed, and I didn't sleep. And then I got up when the sun came up and walked out to our exercise area, and started everything again. Exercise. School. Training. Study. A very tiring time. And this is how my days went, most days, for months, until we had been at Roanoke for almost an entire year. And then things started happening. Fast.

Design Theories in education

Design Theories in education Introduction Almost every characteristic of people’s daily lives involves problem solving and learning. Whether they are working, playing games, studying or engaging in any activity, people are always continually applying or adding to their ever-expanding pool of knowledge. Learning starts at birth and it ends when one dies.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Design Theories in education specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It takes place everywhere i.e. in schools, home, at work e.t.c. Learning refers to the act of acquiring knowledge through such aspects as socialization and observation. Morrison, Ross, Kemp (2001), in their studies stated that for learning to be carried out effectively, there must be some key elements which include the learner, the teacher and the information to be learned. There are many different types of design theories that use the tenets of learning theories to build effective instruction. I nstruction design theories usually describe how instructions are organized with an aim of achieving objectives. Design theories are perspective theories in that, they enable a teacher or an expert to select and organize instructional events to enhance the learning process. The basis of design theories is on how people learn (Morrison, Ross, Kemp, 2001, p. 62-83). The following essay is concerned with educational design theories. The essay focuses on how the design theories can help improve the constructed responses in reading on the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination (WKCE). The Wiggins’s theory of backwards design The Backward Curriculum design was developed by Wiggins and McTighe. The Backward Curriculum Design is based on the notion that the design process should first identify the set objectives to be achieved and then work backwards to create instruction. This approach to curriculum design is completely different with the traditional approach which first ident ifies what topic requires to be covered. It departs from the common approach in that, the teacher starts with the end in determining the curriculum instead of starting with a textbook. The Backward design has three main stages. The first stage identifies the desired results. According to this theory, the teacher has the role of identifying the course objectives, as well as the enduring understanding i.e. the learning that should be covered over long-term.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Question format which focuses on the line of inquiry is used in identifying the desired learning. Benchmarks or state standards are used in determining the desired learning. The second stage is the assessment of the desired results and outcomes. This stage aims at defining the forms of assessment that best demonstrates the students’ understanding and skill. There are three types of ass essments i.e. performance task, criteria referenced assessment and unprompted assessment. The third stage determines the sequence of learning experience that is ideal for the students. The Backward design can help improve the constructed responses in reading on the WKCE because it has the effect of delaying the selection of teaching as well as other instructional strategies until the last stage of the process (Moore, 2005, P.45). Gagne’s nine events of instruction Gagne’s nine events of instruction is a learning theory that was developed by Robert Gagne. Each of Gagne’s nine events is meant to boost the learning process or to ensure that learning takes place effectively. Information processing learning theory is the main basis of these events and is key in the success of every event. According to this theory, the first presentation of the instruction is supposed to motivate the learner. The event thus, has the role of focusing the learners on the goals to be acc omplished. Learning cannot take place effectively without focusing on the tasks. Some of the methods that are used for gaining the attention of the students include presenting discrepant events. It can improve the constructed response in reading in that, the teachers can gain the attention of learners through actions that makes them to focus on the tasks to be learned (Mastrian, McGonigle Mahan,2011,P.97). The second event is informing the learner about the objective to be accomplished. The learner should be provided with the learning outcomes. This plays an important role in enabling the learner to know his or her instructional destination. The learner is able sort out the necessary materials from a list (Briggs, 1991, P.199-206).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Design Theories in education specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Stimulating recall of prerequisite learning is the third event of Gagne’s learning th eory. According to this theory, learning is intended to build on what is already known. Learners are required to have prerequisite knowledge or skill in order to integrate them with new ones. This in turn helps to improve the constructed response in reading (Briggs, 1991, P.199-206). The fourth event of Gagne’s learning theory is presenting the stimulus material. This event of instruction presents the learners with the necessary information to be learned. The main aim of presenting materials is to ensure that the learners have basic knowledge on the tasks to be learned (Briggs, 1991, P.199-206). The other event of Gagne’s event of instruction is providing learning guidance. The main role of this event is to provide the learners with an opportunity to know what actions bring an ideal performance. Usually, learners are better placed to perform tasks on their own after observing from others. The teachers can provide learning guidance to learners by showing them all the st eps involved in solving a problem (Briggs,1991,P.199-206). Eliciting performance is the sixth of Gagne’s nine events of instruction. The learners are provided with an opportunity to test out their understanding through certain activities or questions. The learner is thus given an opportunity to practice what requires to be learned in this event (Briggs, 1991, P.199-206). Providing feedback is the seventh event of instruction according to Gagne’s nine events. Feedback is usually provided to learners in order to convey information about their accuracy or correctness of their performance (Briggs, 1991, P.199-206). The other instruction event of Gagne’s nine events is assessing performance. Assessing performance provides the learner with an opportunity to demonstrate the learning outcomes without the assistance from teachers (Briggs, 1991, P.199-206). The last event of Gagne’s nine events of instruction is the enhancement of retention and transfer. Knowledge and skills are mainly valuable if the learners can apply them at appropriate times (Briggs, 1991, P.199-206).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The four elements of teaching for understanding The standards for the four elements of teaching for understanding include the following i.e. generative topics, understanding goals, understanding performances and ongoing assessments (Reigeluth, 1999, P.108). A generative topic is concerned with the topic selection. This element requires that the learners should be presented with topics that are easily understandable and authentic. The main features of this element of teaching for understanding are that the topic should be relevant, connectible, accessible and interesting to both the learners and the teacher (Reigeluth, 1999, P.108). With regards to understanding goals, the element requires that the students should do their best to understand the learning outcome. Goals should not be ambiguous. The teacher should share goals with the learners in order to enable them to fully understand the learning outcomes (Reigeluth, 1999, P.108). Understanding performances provides the learners wit h an opportunity to prove their understanding of the learning objectives. This element of teaching for understanding enables the teacher to actively engage his or her learners (Reigeluth, 1999, P.108). The ongoing assessment is the fourth element for teaching for understanding. The main role of ongoing assessment is to provide the teachers with a forum of assessing the performance of the students and thus make improvements where necessary. Ongoing assessment should be done on regular basis and should be explicit (Reigeluth, 1999, P.108). Conclusion The best process of instruction that will ensure that students complete or even do the constructed response sections of the exam is the Gagne’s nine events of instruction. This method of instruction is ideal because it is goal driven. It is appropriate for the students as it can enable them to form a constructed response. Gagne’s nine events of instruction enhance the learning process in that; it has the ability of identifyi ng the learning outcome. Also, it identifies the events that should take place, organizes them in a sequence manner and ensures that each event includes all the relevant information for the objectives to be attained. Reference List Briggs, L. (1991). Instructional design: principles and applications. New York: EducationalTechnology. Mastrian, K, and McGonigle Mahan, W. (2011). Integrating technology in nursing education: tools for the knowledge era.Sadbury: Jones Bartlett Learning. Moore, K. (2005). Effective instructional strategies: from theory to practice. Thousand Oaks: SAGE. Morrison, G, Ross, S. Kemp, J. (2001). Task Analysis in  Designing Effective Instruction. New York: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Reigeluth, C. (1999). Instructional-design theories and models, Volume 2.London: Routledge.

Bhopal India disaster Essays

Bhopal India disaster Essays Bhopal India disaster Essay Bhopal India disaster Essay Bhopal India disaster Name: Course: Date: Bhopal India disaster The Bhopal gas leak disaster that happened in India in 1984 was recorded as one of the most disastrous accidents in the world. The location of the accident was the union Carbide pesticide plant in Madhya Pradesh. The gas leak managed to affect over 100,000 people with poisonous methyl-isocyanine particles. The scope of the gas leak was estimated to be about six kilometers from the source of the gas accident. The initial death toll stood at 2,000 people most of who worked at the plant as employees. Much later, the toll rose to 8,000 after an hour. After three days of investigation, the victims of the gas leak were estimated to be over a hundred thousand (Palit, 2010). The exact health implications of the Bhopal gas leak were not fully released until 1994 when parts of the documents were released to the public. Over 500,000 people were labeled as being gas affected with most of the victims suffering from nervous system failure, different types of cancers, kidney and liver failures (Tho mas, 2010). The pesticide plant UCIL was a branch of the Union Carbide Corporation and immediately distanced itself from the gas disaster. Eventually, the Indian government forced them to pay over $400 million in compensation for the deaths and physical injuries. The occurrence of the disaster pointed toward an increased enforcing of international standards in dealing with environmentally hazardous chemicals to avoid similar accidents in the future. The topic of controversy even after the disaster was the fact that the plants’ scientists refused to divulge any information on the nature of the gas. Warren Anderson, the managing director, was accused of homicide, but he was never tried at both the US and Indian trials. Possible causes of the gas leak accident There was a lot of confusion after the plant was closed to outsiders after allegations arose that the plant had not complied with most regulations touching on worker safety, working conditions, emergency procedures and equipment maintenance. The most significant investigation into the cause of the gas leak was done by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and revealed the following results. Water seeped into MIC storage tanks and triggered an exothermal effect that exuded large amounts of toxic gas that broke open the safety valves. There were safety scrubbers that would normally cut off any excess gas, but these were dismantled for repair when the tragedy occurred (Sheehan, 2011). The main cause of the accident was established as negligence of safety procedures. First, no valves were installed to prevent water from seeping into the MIC storage tanks. The company also did a poor job of maintaining the flaring and cooling systems of the machinery and even on the fateful day, they were not in proper working condition. At the factory, coolant units had been drained off for usage in another part of the plant and the gas flare had been off for over three months. The reason given for the low safety standard at Union Carbide branch were financial in nature and involved massive budget cuts to the safety fund. The company had also made massive errors by procuring and installing equipment that had not been approved as safe for handling toxic components (Fact Finding Mission on Bhopal, 2009). Effects of the Bhopal gas leak accident Environmental effects The Dow Chemical Company that took over the control of Union Carbide Company in 2001 reported that there were still large volumes of poisonous waste at the site of the accident. As of 2011, the site was still highly contaminated with residues of mercury and hexachlorobenzene (Sheehan, 2011). Efforts were made to seal some of the toxic wastes into open barrels, but the severe rainfall and flooding washed off the chemicals into domestic water sources such as rivers and still ponds. Research done by environmentalists revealed that the locals consumed water that contained up to 500 times more toxic material than was humanly possible to consume. This has led to mutation and extinction of various species of flora and fauna in the area (Sarangi, 2012). Efforts to mitigate the accident and avoid future similar incidents The Indian Government was highly cooperative with lawmakers to ensure that repeats of such biochemical accidents were outdated. The state passed the Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster Act as a method of ascertaining that allegations and lawsuits arising from the gas leak accident would be dealt with promptly and fairly. Within the Act, there were clauses that made such cases only adjudicated by the state. Through this act, all cases were removed from US jurisdiction and awarded to Indian courts. The agreement by UCIL to pay the $470 million was one of the results of such adjudication (Sarangi, 2012). Various stakeholders in the chemical industry globally used the Bhopal disaster as the perfect opportunity to plan to reinforce the safety regulations to deter any future lapses that would result in disasters. The Bhopal disaster proved that problems involving industrial hazards are tied to global market changes. Practical and consistent international operating guidelines for hazardous industries were proposed and ratified in international platforms such as the UN General Assembly and the European Union. These policies and norms have worked exceptionally well in measuring performance of hazardous chemical producers in India (Fact Finding Mission on Bhopal, 2009). The Bhopal incident served to change the trend and structure of industrial chemical production in India and the rest of the world. Though many lives were lost and the environment destroyed, the accident served to reinforce the authority of the Ministry of Environment and other stakeholders as well as renewing the world’s commitment at controlling the industrial activity that posed a potential threat to their well-being and that of the environment. References Fact Finding Mission on Bhopal. (2009). The Bhopal gas disaster, impacts, responses, current status, and recommendations for the future: executive summaries of studies. New Delhi: Fact Finding Mission on Bhopal Palit, A., National University of Singapore. (2010). The Bhopal tragedy verdict: Can India handle industrial disasters? Singapore: Institute of South Asian Studies. Sarangi, S. (2012). Compensation to Bhopal gas victims: will justice ever be done? Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, 9, 2 Sheehan, H. E. (2011). The Bhopal gas disaster: focus on community health and environmental effects. Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, 8, 2 Thomas, G. (2010). The Bhopal gas disaster and the poor state of occupational health and safety India. Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, 7, 4

Imperative Mood - Definition and Examples in English

Imperative Mood s in English In English grammar, the imperative mood is the form of the verb that makes direct commands and requests, such as Sit still and Count your blessings. The imperative mood uses the zero infinitive form, which (with the exception of be) is the same as the second person in the present tense. There are three major moods in English: the indicative mood is used to make factual statements or pose questions, the imperative mood to express a request or command, and the (rarely used) subjunctive mood to show a wish, doubt, or anything else contrary to fact. Etymology From the Latin, command Examples Save Ferris. (Slogan in the movie Ferris Buellers Day Off, 1986)Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. (Philo of Alexandria)Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to be always part of unanimity. (Christopher Morleys final message to friends, colleagues, and readers, published in The New York Times after his death on March 28, 1957)Go to the edge of the cliff and jump off. Build your own wings on the way down. (Ray Bradbury, Brown Daily Herald, March 24, 1995)If this is coffee, please bring me some tea; but if this is tea, please bring me some coffee. (attributed to President Abraham Lincoln)Roar, roar, roar, Henderson-Sungo. Do not be afraid. Let go of yourself. Snarl greatly. Feel the lion.(Saul Bellow, Henderson the Rain King. Viking, 1959)Touch the great artery. Feel it bound like a deer in the might of its lig htness, and know the thunderless boil of the blood. Lean for a bit against this bone. It is the only memento you will leave to this earth. Its tacitness is everlasting. In the hush of the tissue wait with me for the shaft of pronouncement. Press your ear against this body, the way you did when you were a child holding a seashell and heard faintly the half-remembered, longed-for sea. (Richard Selzer, The Surgeon as Priest. Mortal Lessons: Notes on the Art of Surgery. Simon Schuster, 1976) Let the river rock you like a cradleClimb to the treetops, child, if youre ableLet your hands tie a knot across the table.Come and touch the things you cannot feel.And close your fingertips and fly where I cant hold youLet the sun-rain fall and let the dewy clouds enfold youAnd maybe you can sing to me the words I just told you,If all the things you feel aint what they seem.And dont mind me cause I aint nothin but a dream.(lyrics by Jerry Merrick, sung by Richie Havens, Follow)Shut up, Brain, or Ill stab you with a Q-tip! (Homer Simpson of The Simpsons)Never give in  . Never give in. Never, never, never, neverin nothing, great or small, large or pettynever give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. (Winston Churchill)Get up, stand up, Stand up for your rights.Get up, stand up, Dont give up the fight. (Bob Marley, Get Up, Stand Up!)Just do it. (Nike advertising slogan) Come in, then. Dont stand staring. Close that door quick! Hustle! Dont scrape your feet on the floor. Try to look intelligent. Dont gape. (P.G. Wodehouse, Something Fresh, 1915) Pronunciation: im-PAR-uh-tiv mood

Report Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Report - Coursework Example The period is deemed to be the duration taken for one complete oscillation. The frequency can be deemed to be the number of oscillations that the pendulum can make per unit time the inverse of which is the period i.e. f = 1/T. The amplitude is the longest distance that is traversed by the pendulum in reference to its equilibrium position. The displacement causes the exertion of force that tends to restore the pendulum to its equilibrium position (Nethercott & Walton 2013). The sum vector of the gravitational force of the mass of the pendulum (mg) and the tension force (T) shown in Figure 1. They constitute the restoring force whose magnitude depends on the displacement from the equilibrium position. Therefore, the restoring force F can be calculated as The negative sign is an indication that the restoring force is in the opposite direction of the displacement. For small amplitudes, ÃŽ ¸ is small and therefore ÃŽ ¸ can be used in place of sinÃŽ ¸. Therefore, the resulting equation is The aim of this experiment is to estimate the acceleration due to gravity using a pendulum. For purposes of this experiment, the independent variable is the length of the pendulum whereas the period is the dependent variable (Bolton and Bolton 2012). The table top stand with clamp was placed on a flat working surface. The string was then passed through the pendulum bob and knotted as appropriate to hold the bob in position. The string with the pendulum attached to one end was passed through the split cork, and the length of string adjusted to 0.85m before being clamped onto the retort stand. A Vernier calipers was used to measure the diameter. The length of the string was adjusted to about .8 m. Therefore, the length of the pendulum is l = ls + r .where r is the radius of the bob. The pendulum was then displaced approximately 5Â º from its equilibrium position and left to swing back and forth. The time taken for 6 complete oscillations was recorded

Boys and Girls by Alice Munro Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Boys and Girls by Alice Munro - Essay Example In â€Å"Boys and Girls†, the author highlights the story of a young girl, who had greater concern for her favorite horses, in the first person narrative. The girl, though very young, helped her father in his farming work mainly by caring for the horses. The internal conflicts of the girls start when he father decides to kill the old horse to feed his foxes. In an attempt to save the horse from death, she lets it free and waits fearfully for her father’s response on finding that she was the culprit behind the escape of the horse. The story develops from there with her little brother’s enthusiasm to get the horse chased back home with the help of a hired hunter. Most parts of the book represent the author’s concern over the societies that undermine the roles of women in active social life. As Martin comments, â€Å"it is not a funny story, but in fact, a poignant comedy† (45). In a situation of the story, when her brother tells everyone during a dinn er that the girl was the reason behind the missing of the horse, her father replies by saying â€Å"Never mind, she’s only a girl†. ... The siblings were given a room to share in the home with a number of safety instructions from their father. As Hooper reflects, â€Å"Boys and Girls returns readers to an already familiar Munro place where mother’s sphere of things is boring and repressive†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (12). The author expresses the ways in which boys enjoyed more social freedom than girls in a family. Girls had to fear almost all factors ranging from darkness to strangers in her time. When the decision making was a question before their life, it was always a conflicting situation between the prospects of parental approval and social acceptance. As Munro writes, even when she had to see the way her father shot the horse with the help of his farm hand, she only told her brother â€Å"Now, you have seen how they shoot a horse.† This expression shows the acquired numbness of the author from the experiences of her childhood in which she used to witness her father engaging in the trade of animal husbandry that involved killing of animals for money. In another context when her father says to her mother with a blood stained appearance that he had shot old Flora, the mare, her mother replied saying â€Å"Well, I don’t want to hear about it, and don’t come to my table like that.† This expression sounds the general disagreement among women with the ‘killing business’. While focusing more on the protagonist, the author can be seen to have given little significance to her name – to a great extent, it may be because of the influences of her own childhood experiences of low self esteem forced by the over preference prevailed in common families of her society. In the story, the girl is critically disregarded by her family members after the birth of her brother. She was treated

Poor Communication within a Business Research Paper

Poor Communication within a Business - Research Paper Example Effects of poor communication to a business Ideally, for any business organization to succeed proper and effective communication becomes the backbone of this achievement. The effects of poor communication stream down from the organization’s top management organs to the least level of employees. The miscommunication may overflow to consumers in that the sales team may give minimized attention to the needs of their consumers hence delivering poor service to them. Essentially, the low morale of employees, in house miscommunication, non-content customers, and poor output or performance by staff becomes the product of poor communication. I. Low morale and motivation of employees Negative morale mothers animosity and harshness among staff members if their working environment is not fulfilling. In essence, the improper articulation of organizations goals and objectives to employees by the management translates to decreased morale. Sequentially, the general output by the employee’s decreases because of this inappropriate impact. Additionally, when team members do not have access to adequate information needed in the delegation of their tasks they lack motivation as they feel the need to work extra in order to fulfill their duties (Frater, 2003). Eventually, the working environment created is one characterized by bitter moods that end up spilling to the customer. In this regard, the top management needs to establish proper communication channels between them and their team players to ensure that their customers benefit from their services. A negative cycle may develop in the business, which may attract low sales and dismal performance by the business. Th e personnel become weak in the execution of tasks and implementation of the organization goals. Mainly, the whole idea of going in to a business undertaking is making a profit. Therefore, it will prove unworthy to continue venturing in a nonprofit able venture because of reasons that are preventable. In a counter approach, a business needs to ensure that the morale levels of its staff members are intact for the continued growth of a business. II. In house miscommunication and misinterpretation Subsequently, poor communication within a business setting has the ripple effect of compromising the in house