Attack Prevention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Attack Prevention - Essay Example he information in the computer is not secure, this is because it is susceptible to people who hack the software’s and access the information .The ones responsible for hacking the computer today, are believed to have bad intentions of manipulating other peoples information stored in the computer. The core reason for the article is to inform home users on how criminals are on rise to involve them in fraud and data theft with an aim of getting wealth through their criminal activities of hacking other peoples software’s. The article refers from an article that is online from Cyber Media India Online Ltd, that claims that home users are always at high risk due to poor security measures in place and thus become victims at all times. It also suggests on the use of malicious code as a way of attacking desktop software’s and web browsers. The article also offers some techniques on how the home users can put home security measures to curb malicious networks and application dealings (Chou, 2014). The page was written by an organization and the author is unclearly identified and I think the identification of the author to miss is purposeful. The author of the article is affiliated to the organization because he/she has written on the topic related to the aim of the organization which is to inform the public about the criminal acts by the hackers of software’s. The page where the article is written does not give a link that is blank for one to comment or ask questions regarding the article (Chou, 2014) This is a scholarly site and the author is writing towards achieving the goals of the site but not to sell the information. The article tries to inform about various mechanism that can be used as prevention measures to avoid fraud and theft of data. It is very easy to identify a specific point of view in this article. The site targets the scholars and at the same time, the general public. The main objective of the site is to inform and educate both the general public

Technology and Management Functions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Technology and Management Functions - Essay Example Secure Call Management was basically a call center operation prior to acquiring the Image Project. As a call center technology played a huge role as well in the day to day operations. The manager of the call center would utilize satellite image transfer to create virtual meetings with salespeople across national and international boundaries. The wireless internet service the company utilized for its requirements of communication with field employees allow anyone to connect to the internet from any remote location. When the iPhone came out on June 29, 2007 it was suggested that they could replaced the current practice due to its smart phone capabilities, but using a laptop computer was more practical because the iPhone inter phase did not allow for a professional to work efficiently (Timesonline, 2007). When the image project started the team was given an open space. We had to build the infrastructure necessary from scratch. The project manager utilized the designing software, Alibre Cad, to create the facilities layout. The twelve members of the team received a PDA that displayed the design. We had to build 150 small office modules for the workers. It took us approximately four to complete the construction project. Whenever there were any minor design changes the PDA which were connected to the company wi-fi system would enable us to see the changes and change our work specifications accordingly. The next stage of the project was the installation of the computers. The firm bought 200 new dell computers. The project manager showed us a delivery confirmation slip that he retrieved from the UPS website. It said the computers would arrive at 12:10 P.M. on a Sunday. Good news for us it meant we would get paid some good overtime on a Sunday for our work. The computers arrived on time. T he manager was able to accelerate work because he had information he obtained thanks to technological advancements that were not available in the past. We had installed all the

Negative Effects of Childhood Obesity

Negative Effects of Childhood Obesity Stella Badalyants Abstract The purpose of this research paper is to inform about negative effects of childhood obesity. Children’s choices in foods are largely influenced by media and commercial advertising. Obesity has become a growing health concern at a very young age. Cultural differences including national history showed to have an effect on weight in children. Overweight children not only suffer from serious physical health issues but also with psychological problems brought on by teasing in school. Other factors like race, family background and age showed to make a difference in body weight. Parental supervision is important to prevent this growing desease, including television monitoring and consumption of foods high in sugar and fats. Childhood obesity has been one of the most serious medical health conditions for both children and adolescents. It occurs when a BMI or body mass index is 20 percent greater than normal which is when a child is above the normal weight to height ratio. In the past several decades a spike in overweight and obese children occurred in Western nations. Countries like Canada, Germany, Israel, Greece, Ireland and New Zealand have all become victims to this disease. With U.S. leading the way at 32 percent of overweight children and 17 percent of whom are obese (Berk, 2012, p.417). In 1995, health-care costs associated with excess weight were $51.6 billion or 5.7 % of the total U.S. health care expenses. Also, excess weight decreases productivity and leads to loss of work time (Peralta-Alva, et al., 2005).Childhood obesity has even spread to China, where 20 percent of children are overweight and 7 percent are obese, a percentage that was almost none existent one generation prior to this gener ation. In high populated cities obesity in children rose to 10 percent. Additionally, a Chinese culture belief that extra body weight shows prosperity and health has contributed to an alarming number of growth in obesity. It was carried over from centuries ago when famine caused numerous amounts of deaths. Childhood obesity also paves the way for future health problems as adults such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, not to mention emotional and social difficulties. Obesity can also lead to poor self-esteem and depression; as well as a leading factor to severe complications including stroke, kidney failure, and circulatory problems that heighten the risk of blindness and amputations. Many psychologists also believe that weight bias can be contributing to obesity. Children who are overweight or obese tend to be vulnerable to negative comments and more prone to being victims of bulling. Classmates are common critics of obese children, and school is usually the setting where weight-based teasing and victimization happens. Psychologists also have done studies which showed that negative opinions about overweight children begin as early as age 3 to 5 in the preschool age. Preschoolers consider their overweight peers are mean and less wanted playmates compared to non-overweight children. When poled for their opinion, many children viewed over weight kids as stupid, ugly, lazy and have little to no friends. The children are then poled again at elementary school age and their opinions only get worse with reports that obese peers are selfish, dishonest, socially isolated, and are prone to teasing. The issue has become so common that research now informs us that based on a child’s weight we can predict if they will be victims of bulling due to their weight. (Griffiths, Wolke, Page, Horwood, 2006). Preconception of overweight children can damage the psychological state and increase exposure to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and poor body image. Consequently, obese youth that are being victimized by their classmates are more likely to have suicidal thoughts than those overweight students who are not bullied. Also, having to deal with humiliation about weight only increases the possibility of participating in unhealthy eating habits as well as lower levels of physical activity. Recent research has found that gilt of being overweight is associated with greater calorie intake, lower energy outflow, and over all less weight loss in adults seeking weight loss treatment (Carels et al., 2009). Obesity has been influenced by many factors, especially those in demographic and social-economic nature. Agricultural efficiency improvements have taken place due to decrease in trade barriers which has led to lower service prices. Fast-food chains are all offering fries, burgers and soft drinks at low costs. U.S. has spent $7.3 billion in advertisement for food in 1999, $765 million of that was spent on advertising gum and candy. Advertisement for soft drinks were at $549 million and snacks were at a somewhat low of $330 million (Story et al., 2004). High fructose corn syrup has been linked to childhood obesity in many studies. The fact that soft drinks are pumped full of high fructose corn syrup only adds to the problem. Innovations in technology have been a blessing and a curse, on one hand efficiency and productivity has increased in jobs that require labor, however those same labor saving gadgets decrease the amount of effort put into the job, therefore decreasing the amount of calorie burn per activity. Technology such as television, computers and dishwashers have all been created to save time and provide entertainment, but overuse of these tools has led to a much more serious issue. Biking and walking among Americans has decreased drastically, on the other hand, driving has increased as a source for transportation. Even short trips to the store or park have been largely dominated by vehicle transportation. Children have started losing a large amount of exercise time due to increased time spent playing video games and watching television. Cooking and preparing food has become substantially easier, this has led to more meal consumption among Americans, which is another major reason for increased weight in both children and adults. The average American home had 0% microwave ovens in the 1960’s, today over 80% of households owns one (US DOE, 2006). Patterns of food consumption have changed all together, people are now consuming more carbohydrates and fats than ever before. Ownership of television sets have also increased from as low as 10% in the 1950’s to nearly 100% today (Nielson Media Research, 1995). Which of course led to increase in time spent watching T.V. Many studies in the past have calculated endless data on changes of eating habits, level of activity and income changes in U.S. However a study by Tangel Chang, James M. Barrett and Stephen A. Vosti tests the importance of each factor in the rise of body weight. Although the study is not limited to only children, the results are certainly eye opening to future consequences. Factors such as gender, ethnic background and family income are all associated with weight. Studies show that some groups are at a greater risk of becoming overweight than others. Those include women, children, non-whites, those who are not college graduates and the lower class (Chang, Barrett, Vosti, 2006, p. 14). In addition, being born in the U.S. did not have the same effect on weight and waist size as it did on body mass index (BMI). This shows that those born in the U.S. have a higher BMI but not physical height. There are a number of areas that need to be emphasized to reverse the problem. Watching televis ion and engaging in other seated activities, such as playing video games, have proven to be an issue. There has also been a correlation between abdominal obesity, like waist circumference, waist to hip ratio, waist to height ratio, and serious risk factors among children like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease develop as they reach adulthood (Freedman et al., 0, p.38). Another detailed study held from 2011 to 2012 had similar results. Participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey study were 9120 people who were measured in weight and height. About half of the group, 5181 people, were adults age 20 or above, 584 were infants and toddlers. The result revealed that 31.8 percent of children were overweight, of which 16.9 percent were obese. There was no difference in obesity occurrence between boys and girls in 2011 to 2012. However there were race and age differences. Non- Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black and Hispanic youth all had a higher probability of obesity than non-Hispanic Asian youth. Also non-Hispanic white youth had lower obesity frequency than non-Hispanic black and Hispanic youth. Over 8 percent of 2 to 5 year olds were obese as compared to 17.7 percent of 6 to 11 year olds and 20.5 percent of 12 to 19 year old youth. Additionally, there were 13.9 percent of teenagers age 12 to 19 with a BMI of greater than or eq ual to 30, which meets the definition of obesity in adults (Ogden, PhD, Carroll, MSPH, Kit, MD, Flegal, PhD, 2014, p.3-4). Food choices that children make have largely been influenced by the media, with television advertising targeting infants and toddlers. Many studies have focused on explaining how advertisement of fast foods, sugary snacks and many other foods with high amounts of fat, sodium and sugar are contributing to childhood obesity. Due to the high amount of hours children spend watching television, children are highly exposed to the growing number of food advertisements, which lead to unhealthy food choices. To add to the issue there is less physical activity as most of their free time is spent watching television. Extensive research has proven that time spent watching television and obesity have a direct correlation. Obesity is increased by 2 percent for every extra hour spent watching television, children that spend more than four to five hours watching television are at a higher rate of obesity than those who only watch two or less hours. (Arnas, 2006). As the appeal to children grow in fo od advertising, so do the requests by children for those advertised foods, as do the actual purchases of those foods by the parents. A fact that also seems to be overlooked is that children now have televisions in their rooms, as high as thirty percent of children age 0 to 3 and 43 percent of children 4 to 6 years of age (Connor, 2005). It is a significant factor in the likelihood of overweight children. The nutritional value of major advertised foods for children are nowhere near the recommended dietary guidelines. Parents and pediatricians seem to overlook the advertising message children are exposed to on a daily basis. The market teams behind these advertisements design them to intentionally influence children’s preference and consumption in foods. Dr. Susan Connor conducted an eye opening study on the most popular channels watched by children. In her research results, Disney Chanel had the least amount of advertisements, totaling 26 for the 5 hours that it was recorded. Of those, 17 were Disney products and 9 were of McDonald’s. PBS led second with a total of 65 advertisements, of which 39 were focused on fast food. The highest of the three was Nickelodeon, having 283 advertisements in the 5 hours, of which 41% were of fast foods such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Chuck E. Cheese. Additionally, 41 percent was used to advertise sugary cereal, 14 percent went for snacks and 4 percent to frozen treats (Connors, 2005). A large amount of fun, excitement, bright colors and actions are incorporated into children’s advertisements. Snack food advertisements are promoted as cool, uniquely shaped, brightly colored and yummy tasting. Fast food advertisements use the appeal of the latest toys as a selling point. Overall, the actions and the energy of children featured in the commercials are laughing, giggling, playing, high energy, excitement and activity. Based on the social cognitive theory, children learn to model their behaviors on what is shown by the media, including the models in their present social environment (Dixon et al, 2007). As presented by the social cognitive theory, it is expected for children that are exposed to certain patterns of eating habits modeled on television are to adopt them as their own. Positive association towards junk food as advertised on television, such as the perception that those foods are consumed by other children their age, reported to have increased the consumption of such junk food (Dixon et al., 2007). Same concept applies to advertisements of nutritious foods, positive association to healthy, nutritious alternatives can increase appeal to children. Increasing the frequency of healthy food advertisements versus fast food commercial can also promote a healthier option when faced with opposite choices. Encouraging an active lifestyle has shown to improve weight numbers. Tendency of obesity seems to lean towards women and children, so programs that encourage movement and exercise instead of television and video games are especially valuable. Those who struggle with being overweight can take on activities that emphasize muscle building, which showed to be very beneficial towards weight loss. Previous diet results showed that based on total caloric intake, it is more important to watch how much each type of food is being eaten rather than focus on the whole level of intake. Areas to focus on would be sugar and fat. A variety filled diet of fruits, vegetables, healthy carbohydrates and proteins is a good habit to develop. Children and women are especially prone to obesity, so encouragement in eating healthier foods are especially beneficial to preventing the development of the disease. It was also found that it becomes increasingly difficult to lose weight as we age, so starting health y eating habits at an early age can help continue the healthy lifestyle into adulthood, therefore preventing the development of obesity. Best treatment for obesity currently available are multi-layered lifestyle changes that focus on dietary interventions and promotions of physical activity. Furthermore, involvement of family members is a key feature of effective interventions, especially in cases of multifaceted interventions where trained experts in disciplinary teams are needed. The intensity of such an intervention should depend on the degree of obesity as well as the child’s age. In addition, parents should be sure to take their children to routine pediatric visits, during every visit a health care professional measures the weight and height of the child and assess for any unnecessary weight gain based on height. The doctor should also take into account any factors, like the child’s rate of weight gain and parents’ weight status. Health care professionals such as pediatricians and primary care doctors are viewed by parents as authorities of their child’s health. Therefore it is their p rofessional duty to make parents aware of their child’s excess weight early to allow time for prevention and intervention. Children who consume a variety of high nutrient rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, and whole grains are less likely to be overweight and obese. Child care facilities should provide meals that are high in nutrient content so as to be consistent with the healthy diet the parents have set at home, as well as ensuring that children have access to healthy foods and portions appropriate for their age. Government agencies should put high efforts into affordable nutritional meals for families in local communities, by making the most of their participation in the federal nutrition assistance programs. The federal government should also set up nutritional guidelines for children under two years of age, as it is important to start good habits at a very young age. Parents should monitor how much time a child spends per day watching television, versus how many hours they spend doing outdoor physical activities. Parents and childcare providers should also focu s on promoting healthy sleep schedules, evidence suggests that short duration of sleep is a risk factor for obesity. Yet another reason why parents need to limit television and video games, especially at night. References Arnas, Yasare. The effects of television food advertisement on children’s food purchasing requests. Pediatrics International. 2006; 48, 138-145. Carels, R.A., Young, K.M., Wott, C.B., Harper, J., Gumble, A., Oehlof, M.W., Clayton, A.M. (2009). Weight bias and weight loss treatment outcomes in treatment-seeking adults. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 37, 350-355. Chang, T., Barrett, J. M., Vosti, S. A. (2006). The Physical, Social, and Cultural Determinants of Obesity: An Empirical Study of the U.S. Connor, Susan, PhD. Food-related advertising on preschool television: Buidling brand recognition in young viewers. Pediatrics. 2005; 118, 1478-1485. Freedman, D. S., Kahn, H. S., Mei, Z., Grummer-Strawn, L. M., Dietz, W. H., Srinivasan, S. R., Berenson, G. S. (0). Relation of body mass index and waist-to-height ratio to cardiovascular disease risk factors in children and adolescents: the Bogalusa Heart Study1-4. Griffiths, L.J., Wolke, D., Page, A.S., Horwood, J.P. (2006). Obesity and bullying: different effects for boys and girls. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 91, 121-125. Nielson Media Research, 1995 Ogden, PhD, C. L., Carroll, MSPH, M. D., Kit, MD, B. K., Flegal, PhD, K. M. (2014). Prevalence of Childhood and Adult Obesity in the United States, 2011-2012 Cynthia L. Ogden, PhD; Margaret D. Carroll, MSPH; Brian K. Kit,MD, MPH; Katherine, 311(8), 3-4. Peralta AA Pere Gomis, P, The macroeconomics of obesity in the United States, Macroeconomics 0503014, Economics WPA, revised 28 Mar 2005 Story, M and French, S, â€Å"Food Advertising and Marketing Directed at Children and Adolescents in the US, Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act., 2004; 1:3. U.S. Department of Energy http://www.energy.gov/ Berk,L.E. (2012). Chapter 11. In Infants and children: Prenatal through middle childhood (p.417). Boston: Pearson Allyn Bacon.

Two Faces in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essay -- Scarlet Letter e

The Scarlet Letter:   Two Faces  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude without finally becoming bewildered as to which may be true†. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, this quote applies to the two main characters of the novel. It applies to Arthur Dimmesdale in a literal way; he clearly is not the man that he appears to be, and the guilt that goes along with such deception consumes his entire life. The quote also applies to Hester Prynne, but in quite a different way because it was not her choice to wear the â€Å"face† that she was forced to wear.   The mark of the scarlet letter on her bosom determined how others perceived her and, in turn, how she was expected to perceive herself. At first, Hester did not consider the sin that she committed as blasphemous and horrible as the people of Boston did, but she was forced to wear the â€Å"face† of a sinner. Neither Hester or Arthur could live their lives concealing their true emotions. Arthur literally could not live with it, while Hester changed the way she felt on the inside to correspond to her guilty external image. At the court house, when Arthur Dimmesdale was pleading for Hester to reveal the name of the man with whom she had an affair, it was clear that a part of him actually wanted everyone to know that it was he who was the guilty one. Be not silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him; for, believe me, Hester, though he were to step down from a high place...better were it so, than to hide a guilty heart through life†¦(47). When this plea is made, it appears to be quite ironic. The man who participated in the sin is trying to convince his accomplice to do him in. However, this ... ...t with the sin in a completely different way not only because she was a different person, but because there was no additional weight of a secret that went along with the sin. Instead of trying to figure out her identity, the way Arthur had, and clinging onto the belief that what she had done was not a sin, she allowed herself to surrender and believe what the rest of society believed at that time. The people of Boston saw adultery as a sin, and there was no way that any good or love could come out of it. When Arthur's character is tested, he struggles to find the answer but is unable to, and literally dies trying. Hester, on the other hand, does not give such a noble attempt, but rather chooses, whether consciously or not, to go along with society’s views of adultery. Works Cited: Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Exams Are a Necessary Evil Essay

Exams! Exams! Exams! Exams are the dreaded word that plagues you during student life. As an adult who is done and dusted with this nightmare, you may look back more often than once wondering if all that stress and trauma was after all worth the while. For starters let’s take a step back and analyze what skills one is expected to acquire during the course of education. Well the skills that are used in everyday life, the skills that allow one to get a job and succeed in their field of choice are surely the skills that one should acquire in the formative years. In this case logic, analytical ability, memory, communication skills and interpersonal skills will probably top the list of most people. Of course there is also the actual knowledge which needs to be tested! What skills do exams test? Now though exams are a mode of testing, the manner in which the test is administered can decide what skills are actually tested. The regular ones requiring long winded answers test your memory and perseverance coz surely you must work hard to cram all that stuff into your head and then retain them long time to put them down on paper. In the more objective format of exams, it can be argued that logic and analytical ability is tested. Upside of exams Structure is probably the biggest upside of exams. When you know you have exams around the corner you make a serious attempt to actually stop fooling around and make good use of your time to actually study. They help you deliver results under pressure. Memory is certainly sharpened and they can also make you very competitive. This is arguably a great virtue in today’s world. Downside of exams You forget what you cram and write. Then why bother! This is the age old argument which works against exams. The wise are known to argue that education must cause a student to think, become inquisitive and have an unquenchable thirst to seek knowledge. It is well known that the human brain has an expiry dated storage space for information and hence pundits believe that we need to create an ambience where we nurture genuine students of  knowledge who are passionate about learning. Exam centricity takes away the joy of learning since it is a closed approach; not many excel in the format though they may be inherently very intelligent and it also does not nurture passion of learning but actually serves to detract from that stated objective. Also there are those scores of cases which point at psychological and physical trauma such as illness and depression owing to unwarranted stress levels. Man evolves with time and so will the educational system and the methodology of testing. While in the short to midterm, exams are here to stay, there may be a day when a bold patriarch chooses to shun this process and allow students to flourish in a non-threatening environment which sustains the process of natural learning. There are already a few examples of such forms in modern day society and it will not be surprising that these voices gather momentum with the years to come!

The Clashing of Wills

Conflict between generations is a common them to many novels. In the novel†Bread Givers†, by Anzia Yezierksa, the clashing of wills of two generations is one major theme. We see clashes through culture, generations, community, religion,generations, and many others. The most prominent clash of wills is that of the protagonist Sara with her father Moisha or Reb Smolinsky. Some may say that these two characters clash because of their differences. Others might say that it their similarities that cause the clash between them both. It seems that it is a combination of their similarities and their differences that cause their clash and, in fact, binds them closer than At the beginning of the novel we learn that Sara†s father has nick named her blood and iron recognizing the fact that she has a strong will. It is Sara†s strong will that causes the most of the conflict with her and her father. Sara gets her strong will and drive from her father. She is not like her sisters who follow the cultural expectations of early marriage, but she, instead, has greater ambition for her life. Sara plans to get an education which is not in her fathers plan for her life. Reb wants Sara to marry like her other sisters, and live a â€Å"holy† life according to the Torah. Sara†s will to educate herself, and Reb†s will to have Sara married is what causes the conflict in their relationship. Like Sara†s blood and iron will, Reb also is driven for his daughters to live their life according to the Torah. It is the strong will of these two characters that cause their connection. While Reb is bound to the laws and traditions of the Torah, Sara is bound to the drive to be educated or make herself a better, more successful person. One incident that exemplifies the strong will of both these characters is found at the beginning of the novel. The rent collector for the landlord comes to the apartment to collect rent, but Reb does not have the money. The two argue and Reb finally hits the collector, who is Jewish, and shouts, â€Å"I†ll teach you respect for the Holy Torah† (p. 18). Reb is then taken off to jail for assault. Then Sara decides since none of her sisters are bringing in enough money, that she would go out and make some. She buys a some fish for twenty five cents and then hit the street to sell them for double what she paid. We see by this that Reb has an iron will when in comes to his religion and the Torah, while Sara has a will to make herself a better and successful person. He strives for religious perfection while Sara strives Sara follows the orders of her father until she reaches her breaking point in the unsuccessful business he buys. Sara walks out on her mother and father, leaving behind all connections to her old life. This is her chance to start out in the world to attain her goal. This is a difficult thing for a girl to do in that time and place. She would face many bumps on her road, the greatest being resisting the old world that her family is bound to. While her sisters question her actions, they praise her for getting away from their father. Her sister Bessies says, â€Å"Thank God you had the courage to break away† (p 142). Bessie is praising her for not letting her father marry her off as he did her and his other two daughters. A long time after leaving the home Reb goes to visit Sara in her small apartment. The sight of her father is something she had longed for so she was happy to see him. She thought he would understand her because, as she says, â€Å"He had given up worldly success to drink the wisdom of the Torah† (p. 202). When in fact he came to chastise her for not accepting a marriage proposal. He feels this is her only chance to live a holy life and get into heaven. After her continued refusal and argument with her father Reb responds with, â€Å"I disown you. I curse you. May your name and your memory be blotted out of this earth† (p. 208). Sara had hoped for recognition, and even identification with her sacrifice while her father came only to shun her sacrifice. Her lifestyle, although much like his, was against his religious beliefs. This is a point were we see how the similarities between the two is what is breaking them apart. Sara says to her father, â€Å"All my selfishness is from you† (p. 206). Just like her father, Sara had given up her life to attain success through an education, but it is the education of her father that divides them. Reb sacrificed and educated himself in the Torah that tells him that a women is to be in the home. Sara is also sacrificing but, to her father, her sacrifice in sacrilege to their religion. Sara has an overwhelming will to educate herself in order to make herself a person. She sacrifices just about everything in her life in order to attain her goal of becoming a school teacher. She is willing to live alone, work and starve herself nearly to death, and give up all things other girls her age covet like going out on dates or wearing make-up. She address the sacrifice she makes within herself to her college dean, Sara says, â€Å"Why is it that when a nobody wants to get to be somebody she†s got to make herself terribly hard, when people like you who are born high up can keep all their kind feelings and get along so naturally well with everybody?†, (p. 231). Sara know that she had to become somebody else in order to attain her goal. She sees that she has to become â€Å"hard† in order to be a success. We see also in Reb a sacrifice. He has to sacrifice a life of frivolous living. He has dedicated himself to his religion, as Sara has dedicated herself to education. He acknowledges the fact that he has an obligation to live a model life. Some may say he was selfish in his dedication. This selfishness may be true but it was a selfishness that took a lot of dedication. Most could never live their lives to the letter of any law. Reb lived his life as a living example of what the Torah intended life to be. Whether we agree with it or not, his dedication is to be commended. We see that Sara and her father share many traits. They are both selfish to the cause of their own education. They both hold an intense dedication to what they set their minds to. So much so that it exceeds their need for anything else. They also have an intense connection to the tools of their dedication, in other words, their books. After Sara turns down a suitor she says, â€Å"I seized my books and hugged them to my breast as thought they were living things.† (p. 201). Reb also shows his connection to his books in dedicating a room in the small apartment just for them. Imagine, this family is crammed into a tiny apartment without room for light even, and he dedicates a room entirely to his books. We see that they both have a connection to learning that is stronger than any other. We see that the greatest divide in Sara and Reb†s relation as a reflection of the expected gender roles. Reb†s religious belief says that a women†s place is in the home and that being unmarried is sinful. A complete women to Reb is a married one while to Sara a complete women is an educated on. Reb wanted Sara married over anything else, while Sara wanted her education over anything else. They both had their own best interest at hear. Reb wanted his daughter to marry to secure a place in heaven, and Sara wanted an education to secure her place in the world. It is towards the end of the novel that we see how Sara and her father are so closely related. It is maybe at this time that Sara sees the connection as well. She comes to see how her father, like herself, had to make himself hard in order to obtain his goal of religious perfection. She says of her father, â€Å"In a world where all is changed, he alone remained unchanged-as tragically isolated as the rocks† (p. 296). She now sees how her father had to isolate and make himself hard in order to be the man he is. Sara sees that through education she is a person, and now sees that for her father to be a person he had to be the religious person. They say that opposites attract and we must, therefore, assume that likes repel. I think this is what we see with Sara and her father. They are essentially the same yet there outlook on life is different. They share a similar drive it is just their ideals that are different. Sara acknowledges that her connection would be there for the rest of their lives in the last passage of the book. She says, â€Å"I felt the shadow still there over me. It wasn†t just my father, but the generations who made my father whose weight was still upon me† (p. 297). Sara realizes that she is who she is because of her father, and he is the way he is because those who came before him. It is the burden we all bare with our families. We argue because we are so connected, and are essentially cut from the same cloth. Maybe this is why similar poles repel, it is because we see in our reflection what we don†t like in the reflection.

The Complete Guide to AP Environmental Science FRQs

The Complete Guide to AP Environmental Science FRQs SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips AP Environmental Science is one of the most popular AP classes, but it has the lowest average score among test takers. In fact, more than half of students who take the exam don’t pass it.Oftentimes, the hardest part of the exam is the free-response section which students struggle with because they aren’t sure what to expect or what information graders are looking for.Fortunately, this guide can help. I’ll go over each type of AP Environmental Science FRQ, give sample problems and explanations, and end with tips you should follow in order to get your best score. What’s the Format of the AP Environmental Science Free-Response Section? On the day of the AP exam, your test will have two sections. First, you will have 90 minutes to answer 100 multiple-choice questions, then you’ll move onto the free-response section. Here's the format of the free-response section: 90 minutes total No calculator allowed Includes four questions: 1 document-based question The document-based question will give you a document or an excerpt from a document and ask you questions based on information it contains. The document can be a newspaper article, brochure, or something similar. 1 data set question This question will include data you must analyze and interpret. The data may be in a table, graph, chart, or stated within the question. Parts of the question will require calculations; parts will not. 2 synthesis and evaluation questions These are similar to the document-based question, except they won’t include outside documents. They sometimes include graphs or tables, however, you won’t be expected to do calculations for these types of questions. The free-response section is worth a total of 40% of your score. Most questions are worth 9-11 points, but each question is weighted equally, so each of the four questions will be worth 10% of your final score. In the free-responsesection, you’re expected to show reasoning and analytical skills, as well as the ability to synthesize information from multiple sources into coherent essays. AP Environmental Science FRQExamples Below are each of the three types of free-response questions you’ll see on the AP exam. For each question, I’ll go through the answer step-by-step so you can see how points are earned. Document-Based Question You’ll know the document-based question because it is typically the first question asked and it’ll have that â€Å"torn piece of paper† graphic you see above.Fortunately, compared to many other AP tests, the documents on AP Enviro exams tend to be quite short and there’s only one, so you should be able to read through it quickly.In this case, it looks like the document is part of an article from the Fremont Examiner that was printed in May 2013. Part A: Part A is worth four points: You’ll earn a point for each of the two activities you list and a point for each of the two explanations you give on how the activity alters sediment flow. In order to earn the full four points, the two activities must be reasonable human activities that can alter natural sediment flow, and your explanations must accurately explain how each activity would change the flow of sediment. There are a lot of different answers you could put; here’s a sample answer: Activity 1: Building Dams. Effect on flow of sediments: Building dams could block the flow of sediments from upstream, which would then decrease the sediment downstream of the dam and potentially starve the coast of nutrients. Building dams can also prevent flooding that would allow sediment to be deposited on the floodplain as well as decrease increase flow velocity which can increase erosion downstream. Activity 2: Water Extraction. Effect on flow of sediments: Overuse or over pumping of water can reduce river flows, which in turn decreases the sediment load to the Gulf. Note that you don’t have to write complete paragraphs for every question. It’s enough to clearly label the different parts of your answer and give a thorough explanation. Part B: Part B is worth two points, one point for each description. (Be aware that they’re asking for ecological impacts, not economic impacts). A potential answer could be: 1. Loss of coastal habitats that certain plant and animal species need to survive 2. Increased flooding of coastal wetlands due to the loss of beaches and barrier islands For this answer, you don’t even need to give complete sentences. For the free-response section, don’t add a lot of fluff to your answers thinking it’ll raise your score. Graders are looking for specific points, and the easier you make it to find your answers, the easier they’ll be able to award you points. Part C: Part C has three different parts within it; let’s break them down one by one. (i)This part is worth two points, and you get them just by listing two environmental impacts fertilizer has on the Gulf of Mexico’s marine ecosystem.Potential answer: Increased algae growth and lower dissolved oxygen (ii)This is almost the same as the above question, except now you’re listing economic instead of environmental impacts.Potential answer: decreased property values and increased seafood prices due to lower seafood supply. (iii)For the final part of this question, worth one point, you have to give a strategy to reduce the flow of nutrients into the Mississippi River (besides reducing fertilizer).Potential answer: Add green roofs to reduce runoff. As you’ve probably noticed, document-based questions are pretty straightforward and can usually be answered in a few words or a sentence or two. The key is to pay attention to exactly what the question is asking, going into enough depth to completely answer the question, and making it easy for graders to find each of your answers to the different parts of the question. Make it easy for the graders to find your answers. Data Set Question This is when you'll need to do some calculations. As a reminder, no calculator is allowed on this exam. The good news is that this means that the calculations you’ll need to complete will likely be much simpler than those of other AP science exams. Typically, you’ll only need to complete simple algebraic expressions to solve the problem. Part A: For the first part of this question, worth two points, you don’t need to do any calculations; you just need to list two pollutants that fit the description in the question. Examples: fertilizers, animal feces, pesticides, gasoline, road salts, etc. Part B: Here’s where you’ll complete your first calculation. You can earn one point for correctly setting up the question (so be sure to show your work!) and one point for the correct answer. This is a basic volume question. To answer it, you’ll need to know that the volume of a rectangular solid (which is roughly the shape of most parking lots) is length * width * height. From the question, we know that length= 200m and width=100m, and since we’re calculating based on a 5cm rainfall, width = 5cm. However, these measurements don’t all have the same unit! Before we calculate volume, we have to convert 5cm to meters. 5cm * (1m/100cm)= 0.05m Since there are 100 cm in a meter, this is a pretty simple calculation, but don’t be tempted to skip it and just writedown .05m. Be sure to show your work! If you don’t, you won’t get the maximum number of points. Now that we have all the pieces of info we need, with the correct units, we can plug those numbers into the volume equation: V= 200m * 100m * .05m = $\1000m^{3}$ Part C: You’ll need to complete another volume calculation for this part. This question wants to know the volume of runoff for the entire community, not just the parking lot. As in Part B, this question is also worth two points, one for correctly setting up the question and one for giving the correct answer. We’ll still use our handy V=lwh equation to find the volume of a rectangular solid. We know that the area of Fremont (so length * width) is $\10km^{2}$ , which we’ll need to convert to $\m^{2}$ $\10km^{2}$ * ($\1,000,000m^{2}$/1 $\km^{2}$) = $\10,000,000m^{2}$ We know that height is still .05m, based on part B, so now we can plug our numbers into the volume equation. V = $\10,000,000m^{2}$ * .05m = $\500,000m^{3}$ But, we’re not done yet! Remember, only 20% is covered by impervious surfaces, which we are told to assume are the only areas that generate runoff.So, first, we have to figure out the area of impervious surfaces in Fremont. This just involves finding 20% of Fremont’s total volume: $\500,000m^{3}$ * 0.2= $\100,000m^{3}$ Part D: Part D is worth one point, and, to get that point, you have to give the correct answer with your work shown.This is another question about volumes, but you don’t need to calculate any volumes this time, you just have to do some simple addition and subtraction. Since the treatment plant can treat up to $\10,000m^{3}$ of sewage and storm water a day, and it receives $\5,000m^{3}$ of sewage daily, the runoff that bypasses the plant is the amount of total runoff plus the $\5,000m^{3}$ of regular sewage minus the $\10,000m^{3}$ that would get treated. Runoff that bypasses the plant = Total runoff + $\5,000m^{3}$ - $\10,000m^{3}$ We calculated runoff from the parking lot and the community in part c ($\100,000m^{3}$), so we just need to plug that value in. Runoff that bypasses the plant = $\100,000m^{3}$ + $\5,000m^{3}$ - $\10,000m^{3}$ = $\95,000m^{3}$ Part E: Possible answers: Create wetlands to absorb storm water Install rain barrels and cisterns to collect storm water Install green roofs or rooftop gardens to use storm water Part F: To earn part F’s one point, you must give an environmental problem that occurs when there are extensive paved areas. Possible answers: Erosion caused by flooding or excess runoff Habitat destruction caused by the removal of vegetation Hopefully this sewer is better-prepared for storm water than Fremont's sewer system is. Synthesis and Evaluation Question As a reminder, there are two synthesis and evaluation questions on each AP exam. Here's an example of one: Part A: You can earn up to two points, one for each characteristic. Possible answers:Complex food webs, greater genetic diversity, large number of different species Part B: Part B is worth four points, one point for each activity you provide (up to two) and one point for correctly explaining how each activity results in a loss of biodiversity. Note that you’ll have to use your answers forthis part to come up with your answer for part C, so you may want to take that into account when you’re thinking about which activities to list. This is part of the reason why skimming through the entire question before you begin answering can be very helpful! Possible answers: Activity 1: Logging/deforestation. Explanation: Reduces habitat for many species and causes habitat fragmentation. Activity 2: Introduction of invasive species. Explanation: Displaces native species. Part C: Here you can earn two points, one for each reasonable solution you give for the activities you listed in part b. Possible answers: Activity 1: Logging/deforestation. Solution: Replant trees; engage in selective cutting. Activity 2: Introduction of invasive species. Solution: Create checkpoints for agricultural inspections; create stricter laws on the import of exotic species. Part D: To earn the one point for part D, you need to correctly describe a naturally occurring factor that could lead to a loss of biodiversity. Possible answers: Wildfires can wipe out small populations Hurricanes/tsunamis can destroy estuaries and coastal ecosystems Droughts can cause some species to lose their food sources Part E: Part E is worth two points, one for each ecological benefit you list. Possible answers: Greater control of pest species Water filtration by intact ecosystems More source material for evolution Here's a pest you'd probably like to control. Tips for Solving AP Enviro Free-Response Questions The AP Environmental Science FRQs often trip students up, and, for most questions, the average score is 30-40%. Below are some tips you should keep in mind while studying as well as when you’re taking the test to help you improve your chances of scoring well on this section. 1. Figure OutHow Long You Want to Spend on Each Question Before You Begin You will have 90 minutes to complete the entire free-response section, which gives you about 22 minutes per question.However, you don’t need to spend exactly the same amount of time on each question. In fact, you can divide your time between the four essays any way you want. Some people spend longer on the data set question due to the calculations involved, while others find that the quickest question and take longer to answer questions that require complete sentences or paragraphs.You may spend 15 minutes on one question and close to a half-hour on another. The best way to learn which questions take you longer is to complete a lot of practice problems, which we’ll discuss in the next section. Once you’re comfortable with each type of free-response question, you can go into exam day knowing about how long you want to spend on each question. Also, you absolutely don’t have to answer the questions in order. When you start the section, give them a quick look-through and decide which one you’d like to answer first. A lot of people choose to start with the question they are most confident with so that they’ll (hopefully) have extra time at the end for questions they find trickier. 2. Be Comfortable Solving Equations Without a Calculator AP Environmental Science is the only AP science exam where you cannot use a calculator for the free-response section, which includes the data set question.As you saw above, none of the calculations you’ll need to do are particularly tricky, but if you’re slow at mental math, you could waste a lot of time you’ll need to complete the three other questions in this section. Once again, the best way to prepare for this is to practice. Complete plenty of data set practice problems without a calculator so that you get used to quickly doing math by hand.You don’t want all your hand-earned knowledge to be wasted come test day when you find yourself struggling to solve equations. 3. Keep Your Units Straight My final tip also applies primarily to the data set question. As you saw in the sampleproblem, questions often includemultiple types of units. The sample problem had centimeters, meters, and kilometers.Making a careless error and reading â€Å"5cm† as â€Å"5m† will cost you points on the exam. When you take the test, be sure to pay attention to every unit that you see. Circle or underline the units if you have to in order to make them stand out.Also, you should be a pro at converting between units. You don’t want to waste time trying to remember how many meters are in a kilometer; it should be something you know off the top of your head. Now, even after you’ve become a unit expert, don’t forget to show your work when you convert from one unit to the next. Even if the process of going from meters to kilometers seems ridiculously obvious to you and doesn’t seem like it warrants being written out, do it anyway! Typically, half the points you earn on calculation problems are from showing your work, so don’t let a bit of laziness lower your score. How to Practice Free-Response Questions After reading this far, you now know all the basics of the AP Environmental Science free-response section.However, the way to really conquer the test and get a high score is to become an expert! How can you do that? The best way is to complete lots of practice problems. On their website, the College Board has links to all the previously given free-response questions for exams from 1999-2015.That means you have dozens of official free-response questions to look over and practice.Because there are so many free-response problems, you can begin completing practice problems a few months into your class (say around November) and continuing up until the AP exam. At the beginning of the year, when you’re still learning a lot of the course material, you can read through the questions to find the ones that focus on topics you’ve already covered.In order to get the most of these practice problems, use a timer and give yourself the same timing limitations the real exam will have. Also, no calculator! Conclusion The free-response section of the AP Environmental Science exam is often challenging for students, but becoming familiar with it can go a long way to helping you get a higher score. The free-response section contains four questions: 1 document-based question 1 data set question 2 synthesis and evaluation questions You’ll have 90 minutes to complete this section, and it’s worth 40% of your total score. Also, no calculators are allowed. To maximize your chances of doing well keep these three tips in mind: Figure out how long to spend on each question before you begin Be comfortable solving equations without a calculator Keep your units straight Also, remember to complete lots of practice problems so you’ll feel confident and prepared on the day of the exam. What's Next? Want some more practice materials for AP Enviro? We've got 'em! Check out our guide with links to every AP Environmental Science practice test and quiz available online (coming soon). Now you know what the free-response section will be like, but how do you review for AP Enviro? Our guide walks you through each step of creating a study plan that will pinpoint what you need to study. Wondering when you should start studying for AP Enviro and other AP exams?In our guide, we help you figure out exactly when you need to start cracking open those review books. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: