Hybrid Car Battery Life and Replacement Costs

Hybrid Car Battery Life and Replacement Costs It is expensive to replace hybrid batteries- it can cost in the neighborhood of $3,000 for a full hybrid battery replacement. But on the other hand, hybrid batteries have proven themselves to be extremely reliable. And as long as they are not abused and the vehicle charging control system operates effectively, they can be- not unrealistically- expected to last for nearly the life of the vehicle. Manufacturers are providing generous battery warranties (generally about 8-10 years and 80,000 to 100,000 miles), but as with most warranted components, they are designed to last well beyond the coverage period. It would not be unreasonable to expect the life of a battery pack to exceed 150,000 miles. Something to keep in mind: as more hybrids take to the roads, reclaimed batteries from out-of-service (wrecked) cars will become more available at steep discounts.

Nothing wrong with Hopefully as Modal Adjunct

Nothing wrong with Hopefully as Modal Adjunct Nothing wrong with Hopefully as Modal Adjunct Nothing wrong with Hopefully as Modal Adjunct By Maeve Maddox My 2009 edition of the Associated Press Stylebook has this to say about hopefully: It means in a hopeful manner. Do not use it to mean it is hoped, let us hope or we hope. The 2012 edition of the AP Stylebook reverses that dictum. Professional writers who follow that guide may now use the word to mean â€Å"it is hoped,† â€Å"we hope† and â€Å"let us hope† without opprobrium. It’s gratifying that AP has finally acknowledged that hopefully can be used as a modal adjunct as well as a manner adjunctespecially as English speakers have been using it that way for at least eighty years. Used as a â€Å"manner adjunct,† an adverb answers the question â€Å"how?† about a verb, as in â€Å"He saw her clearly.† Used as a â€Å"modal adjunct,† an adverb modifies the entire sentence, as in â€Å"Clearly, he saw her at the coffee shop.† Here the word doesn’t tell â€Å"how† he saw, but thatwithout any doubthe saw her. Because the AP change of attitude has stirred such fury among so many, I wanted to see what Fowler had to say about hopefully in his landmark work Modern English, published in 1926. He had nothing to say about hopefully, but plenty about the misuse of the verb hope. Hopefully is absent also from Horwill’s Modern American Usage (OUP, 1935). According to an article by Geoffrey Pullum in the Chronicle of Higher Education, usage specialist Wilson Follett (1886-1963) started the trouble with hopefully, calling its modal use â€Å"unEnglish and eccentric.† Although Strunk had made no mention of the despicable use of hopefully in the original version of Elements of Style, and although editor and expander E.B. White did not think to include it in his 1959 revision, he inserted it with an emotional note in the 1972 revision: Such use is not merely wrong, it is silly. it offends the ear of manywho do not like to see words dulled or eroded, particularly when the erosion leads to ambiguity, softness, or nonsense. I suspect that this testy note in the over-venerated Elements has had a lot to do with spreading Follett’s prejudice. William Safire, who wrote a respected column on language for the NY Times Magazine from 1979 until his death in 2009, at first rejected, but then accepted the modal use of hopefully; he was called â€Å"a lousy quitter† for his trouble. Both the OED and Merriam-Webster include definitions for the modal use of hopefully. The earliest recorded use in the OED is dated 1932; M-W notes that an 18th century (1702) example has been found in a book written by Cotton Mather. OED warns that â€Å"many writers avoid it.† M-W says that the word still has â€Å"a few die-hard critics,† but concludes that â€Å"most usage commentators have by now come to realize that it is entirely standard.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Compared "to" or Compared "with"?3 Cases of Complicated HyphenationEpidemic vs. Pandemic vs. Endemic

RYAN AIR THE LOW FAIR AIRLINES Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

RYAN AIR THE LOW FAIR AIRLINES - Case Study Example On the one hand, in August 2006, an Air Transport World magazine reported that Ryanair was the most profitable airline in the world, based on its operation and net profit margins, and on a per-airplane and per-passenger basis (Higgins 2007: 2). In November 2006, the company announced new record half-year bottom line of â‚ ¬329 million for the first half of fiscal 2007 (Higgins 2007: 2). Furthermore, traffic increased by 23 per cent to 22.1 million passengers, while yield jumped by 9 per cent as total revenues increased by 33 per cent to â‚ ¬1.256 billion (Higgins 2007: 2). In addition, even as fuel costs increased by 42 per cent to â‚ ¬337 million, Ryanair’s after-tax margin increased by 1 point to 26 per cent (Higgins 2007: 2). Ryanair expects high demand in the future, so it plans to expand routes and its fleet. On the other hand, Ryanair faces legal battles and acquisition challenges for its Irish rival, Aer Lingus (Higgins 2007: 1). Ryanair also faces stiff opposi tion for its union-busting policies and long working hours and low salary, although it claims the opposite (Higgins 2007: 6). There are, additionally, environmental challenges that threaten to impinge on Ryanair’s low-cost, no-frills business model. These environmental threats can increase operational costs. This paper analyses the case of Ryanair. It evaluates Ryanair’s strategy compared to competitors, by analysing its low-cost business model through the stakeholder approach analysis. It also determines the key internal and external issues of Ryanair. Furthermore, it evaluates O’Leary’s leadership using the transformational leadership framework. Finally, it examines the sustainability of Ryanair’s future strategies. 2. Evaluation of Ryanair’s strategy compared to competitors Ryanair’s business strategy compared to competitors will be analysed using the stakeholder approach. 2.1 Stakeholder approach The society, in general, is becomi ng more concerned of the role that business plays in managing stakeholder relations and responding to the environment. Many customers also prefer to deal with companies that actively reduce their ecological footprints (Rueda-Manzanares, Aragon-Correa, and Sharma 2008: 188). Similarly, shareholders, as well as financial and insurance companies, seek to lessen liabilities associated with environmental risks that come from corporate operations, such as pollution and harmful human health effects. The European Union has, in response, as well as the United Kingdom (UK) passed environmental regulations, sanctions, fines, penalties and legal costs for companies that are not operating in an environmentally responsible manner (Henriques and Sadorsky 1996 cited in Rueda-Manzanares et al. 2008: 188). These political institutions recognise that stakeholders clearly know their rights and responsibilities and are willing to generate partnerships and networks that can result to win-win situations. Companies that neglect crucial stakeholder relationships, however, may compromise competitiveness in the long-run, particularly now in a globalised world, where stakeholder interests matter (Rueda-Manzanares et al. 2008: 188). Stakeholder theory has rise amidst the public clamour for corporate governance and business ethics (Elms et al. 2010: 405). The theory can be rooted from the integration of business strategy and ethics and gained greater attention from management scholars for the past fifteen years (Damall, Henriques, and Sadorsky 2009 cited in

Process Improvement Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Process Improvement Plan - Essay Example Control Chart for Laundry Process Graph between Sorting Time and Days days Control Chart in the above graph between sorting time and days of the week reflects declining trend of time in laundry over the days. Descriptive Statistics of the Laundry Plotting of days on x-axis and sorting time in seconds on the vertical axis is the basis of control charts. CL in the above graph shows the control limit whereas UCL denotes Upper CL and LCL refers to Lower CL within the range of 3?. PIP Steps for Laundry Process through SPC SPC provides statistical measurement of laundry process to apply controls in planning of the laundry process from analytics of data. PDSA cycle consists of the step to apply process improvement plan: (PDSA Cycle, 2007) Plan Variation of cloths distribution in drawer causes the variation in timing of sorting as evident in times measured for sorting in different weeks. Manual measurement of sorting also causes a change in sorting time as it is always approximate. Type of c loth changes in summer or winter season affects the processing time of sorting cloths. Do Segregation of cloths in bins through quick-sorter can minimize the sorting time. It will improve consistency of timings. I will apply appropriate labels on drawers to put clothes in the right bin. Applying labels further assist in arranging cloths in bins and reducing sorting time if clothes are labeled in categories of denim, cotton, delicate, etc. If I can place right cloths in the right category, it will reduce effort of sorting at the time of laundry. Study Study of laundry process for the weeks of observation provides steps of improvement. Control chart further provide insight regarding the impact of changes in laundry process. I study process and impact of changes across six weeks to apply corrective and preventive measurements to optimize the process of laundry for clean clothes in minimum time. Act Chase, Jacobs, & Aquilano (2006) suggest targeting for the next bottleneck after standar dizing the process through reduction in bottleneck. Seasonal Factors affecting the Laundry Process Seasonal factors affect the sorting time of the laundry process as people wear different kind of cloths in winter, summer, or rain. Woolen cloths consume more time in operation of laundry than cotton cloths. Winter season also reduce agility of person that can indirectly affect the timing of laundry. Control Chart Excel is a useful tool for control chart that assists in data driven improvement through applying controls on the process. DMAIC (Define, measurement, analysis, improvement, and control) provides steps for improvement of quality (Chase, Jacobs, & Aquilano, 2006). The six week process of data collection and control measurement of laundry process sets the plan for continuous improvement across the week. Control Limits Aslup and Watson (1993) define the control limit of quality through application of empirical rules between the mean and standard deviation of collected data. The CL refers to mean of the data in the control chart and 3? deviation measures the upper and lower control limit of the chart (Chase, Jacobs, & Aquilano, 2006). Statistical distribution of data dispersion for normal population is shown in the following figure: (Chase, Jacobs, & Aquilano, 2006) 90% Confidence Interval (CI) follows the mathematical formula of ? - z*?/vn to ? + z*?/vn in which significant level is 0.10. Critical value of z for a significant level 0.10 = 1.645

Logic and perception to knowledge Essay Example for Free

Logic and perception to knowledge Essay Knowledge is a theoretical or practical understanding of information, in a particular subject. In order to obtain this understanding; one may use the various processes. Perception and logic are both tools for acquiring knowledge. Without the invaluable tools of logic and perception, in many cases, the conclusions, understandings, interpretations and lessons gained through knowledge may be unattainable. Perception is defined as a mental consciousness, a way of intuitive understanding, regarding, or interpreting knowledge. Perception is broken down into two methods, subjective and objective. From this, we can see the value of perception as it creates a connection from information to knowledge. Humans use perception to interpret knowledge from ones individual perspective using emotion, and opinion. Perception is crucial for determining an individuals knowledge of the subject at hand. Perception allows for various interpretations of a piece of information as each individual has different insights on a single subject. This is valuable in the world of obtaining knowledge as it creates contradictions between individuals perceptions which leads to further exploration within a subject and thus bringing out all perceivable conclusions from the subject. For example, in the world of business, people meet and discuss a topic and draw conclusions as each party perceives the idea at hand. This is essential for proving knowledge and portraying the concept to others and thus exploiting the importance and value of perception to knowledge. Logic is defined a way of thinking or explaining something and enables one to take information and employ it as useful knowledge. From the definition itself, we can see the link from logic to knowledge as it has great value in understanding information. Logical thought is broken down into two methods; induction and deduction. The base of deductive logic is comprised of part A, B, and C. Fundamentally; all information processed trough deductive logic goes through this process. If A and B are true, then C must be true. For example, if two pieces of information are presented, A: All people are mortal, and B: I am a human, and this is processed through logical deduction, one can determine that C: I am mortal. This process is employed through more complex information; however it is extremely important and valuable in creating knowledge from information. The other form of logic is induction. Induction is comprised of simple methodology, but it often creates a degree of uncertainty. New knowledge through induction is created by taking past events and occurrences and creating new knowledge. For example if every time I walk through Middle Inglis, no body is ever there, I can, using inductive logic deduce that no one lives there. I have taken past occurrences and processed them through logic and determined new information. Logically, I have determined that in order to create or realize new knowledge using facts and information, one must employ the various tools to do so. As, new knowledge is constantly desired, the value and use of perception and logic is ubiquitous.

Hop Frog as a Love Story Essay -- Hop Frog Essays

Hop Frog as a Love Story "Hop Frog", by Edgar Allan Poe, is a short story in which the title character, after enduring much abuse by the king, gets revenge in the end. Hop Frog is not only the king's jester, but is also a handicapped dwarf. The king perpetually berates Hop Frog and plays practical jokes on his poor jester. At one point, king and his seven ministers summon Hop Frog before them so that he may give them ideas for an upcoming masquerade. The king forces him to drink wine (which Hop Frog always has an adverse reaction to drinking) and becomes very upset at him. Hop Frog is saved only by the intercession of Trippetta, a woman from Hop Frog's own land and his only true friend. Trippetta succeeds, but only after suffering great humiliation at the hands of the king. Nevertheless, Hop Frog gives the eight an idea for their masquerade disguises. After tarring them, covering them with flax, and chaining them together, they have the rough appearance of eight orangutans, and Hop Frog leads them into the m asquerade. Here his vengeance plot unfolds, as he hoists the into the air and sets them on fire. He then makes his escape, probably with Trippetta and the two are never seen again. But this story is not just about escape from oppression. Instead, it is a love story, because Hop Frog’s entire course of action was inspired only by his love for Trippetta.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hop Frog had suffered through years of torment at the hands of the king. To begin with, Hop Frog was kidnapped from his own land and sent as a captive to the king. Hop Frog was made to suffer verbal abuse for his physical shortcomings and sufferings.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For example, he was given the insulting nickname of "Hop Frog", though ...through the distortions o... ...e being abused himself, but when his love is mistreated, something just snaps. His cool plot is created solely to avenge the injustice done upon Trippetta. If Hop Frog only wished to escape or to have revenge for his own trials, he would have just killed the king. But instead, he kills the king (committer of the injustice) and the ministers (who all laughed at the humiliation of Trippetta). He does so in a public forum so as to humiliate them in the way they humiliated his love. After inflicting his vengeance on these men, Hop Frog escapes with his love and they disappear from the kingdom. One can only assume that they returned to their homeland, but wherever they did go, they went there together. This truly is a love story. Works Cited: Poe, Edgar Allen. "Hop-Frog." Collective Works of Edgar Allen Poe. Ed. Thomas Ollive Mabbott. Massattusetes: Harvard, 1978.

Chapter 21 The House-elf Liberation Front

Harry, Ron, and Hermione went up to the Owlery that evening to find Pigwidgeon, so that Harry could send Sirius a letter telling him that he had managed to get past his dragon unscathed. On the way, Harry filled Ron in on everything Sirius had told him about Karkaroff. Though shocked at first to hear that Karkaroff had been a Death Eater, by the time they entered the Owlery Ron was saying that they ought to have suspected it all along. â€Å"Fits, doesn't it?† he said. â€Å"Remember what Malfoy said on the train, about his dad being friends with Karkaroff? Now we know where they knew each other. They were probably running around in masks together at the World Cup†¦.I'll tell you one thing, though, Harry, if it was Karkaroff who put your name in the goblet, he's going to be feeling really stupid now, isn't he? Didn't work, did it? You only got a scratch! Come here – I'll do it -â€Å" Pigwidgeon was so overexcited at the idea of a delivery he was flying around and around Harry's head, hooting incessantly. Ron snatched Pigwidgeon out of the air and held him still while Harry attached the letter to his leg. There's no way any of the other tasks are going to be that dangerous, how could they be?† Ron went on as he carried Pigwidgeon to the window. â€Å"You know what? I reckon you could win this tournament, Harry, I'm serious.† Harry knew that Ron was only saying this to make up for his behavior of the last few weeks, but he appreciated it all the same. Hermione, however, leaned against the Owlery wall, folded her arms, and frowned at Ron. â€Å"Harry's got a long way to go before he finishes this tournament,† she said seriously. â€Å"If that was the first task, I hate to think what's coming next.† â€Å"Right little ray of sunshine, aren't you?† said Ron. â€Å"You and Professor Trelawney should get together sometime.† He threw Pigwidgeon out of the window. Pigwidgeon plummeted twelve feet before managing to pull himself back up again; the letter attached to his leg was much longer and heavier than usual – Harry hadn't been able to resist giving Sirius a blow-by-blow account of exactly how he had swerved, circled, and dodged the Horntail. They watched Pigwidgeon disappear into the darkness, and then Ron said, â€Å"Well, we'd better get downstairs for your surprise party, Harry – Fred and George should have nicked enough food from the kitchens by now.† Sure enough, when they entered the Gryffindor common room it exploded with cheers and yells again. There were mountains of cakes and flagons of pumpkin juice and butterbeer on every surface; Lee Jordan had let off some Filibuster's Fireworks, so that the air was thick with stars and sparks; and Dean Thomas, who was very good at drawing, had put up some impressive new banners, most of which depicted Harry zooming around the Horntail's head on his Firebolt, though a couple showed Cedric with his head on fire. Harry helped himself to food; he had almost forgotten what it was like to feel properly hungry, and sat down with Ron and Hermione. He couldn't believe how happy he felt; he had Ron back on his side, he'd gotten through the first task, and he wouldn't have to face the second one for three months. â€Å"Blimey, this is heavy,† said Lee Jordan, picking up the golden egg, which Harry had left on a table, and weighing it in his hands. â€Å"Open it, Harry, go on! Let's just see what's inside it!† â€Å"He's supposed to work out the clue on his own,† Hermione said swiftly. â€Å"It's in the tournament rules†¦.† â€Å"I was supposed to work out how to get past the dragon on my own too,† Harry muttered, so only Hermione could hear him, and she grinned rather guiltily. â€Å"Yeah, go on, Harry, open it!† several people echoed. Lee passed Harry the egg, and Harry dug his fingernails into the groove that ran all the way around it and prised it open. It was hollow and completely empty – but the moment Harry opened it, the most horrible noise, a loud and screechy wailing, filled the room. The nearest thing to it Harry had ever heard was the ghost orchestra at Nearly Headless Nick's deathday party, who had all been playing the musical saw. â€Å"Shut it!† Fred bellowed, his hands over his ears. â€Å"What was that?† said Seamus Finnigan, staring at the egg as Harry slammed it shut again. â€Å"Sounded like a banshee†¦Maybe you've got to get past one of those next, Harry!† â€Å"It was someone being tortured!† said Neville, who had gone very white and spilled sausage rolls all over the floor. â€Å"You're going to have to fight the Cruciatus Curse!† â€Å"Don't be a prat, Neville, that's illegal,† said George. â€Å"They wouldn't use the Cruciatus Curse on the champions. I thought it sounded a bit like Percy singing†¦maybe you've got to attack him while he's in the shower. Harry.† â€Å"Want a jam tart, Hermione?† said Fred. Hermione looked doubtfully at the plate he was offering her. Fred grinned. â€Å"It's all right,† he said. â€Å"I haven't done anything to them. It's the custard creams you've got to watch -â€Å" Neville, who had just bitten into a custard cream, choked and spat it out. Fred laughed. â€Å"Just my little joke, Neville†¦.† Hermione took a jam tart. Then she said, â€Å"Did you get all this from the kitchens, Fred?† â€Å"Yep,† said Fred, grinning at her. He put on a high-pitched squeak and imitated a house-elf. â€Å"‘anything we can get you, sir, anything at all!' They're dead helpful†¦get me a roast ox if I said I was peckish.† â€Å"How do you get in there?† Hermione said in an innocently casual sort of voice. â€Å"Easy,† said Fred, â€Å"concealed door behind a painting of a bowl of fruit. Just tickle the pear, and it giggles and -† He stopped and looked suspiciously at her. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Nothing,† said Hermione quickly. â€Å"Going to try and lead the house-elves out on strike now, are you?† said George. â€Å"Going to give up all the leaflet stuff and try and stir them up into rebellion?† Several people chortled. Hermione didn't answer. â€Å"Don't you go upsetting them and telling them they've got to take clothes and salaries!† said Fred warningly. â€Å"You'll put them off their cooking!† Just then, Neville caused a slight diversion by turning into a large canary. â€Å"Oh – sorry, Neville!† Fred shouted over all the laughter. â€Å"I forgot – it was the custard creams we hexed -â€Å" Within a minute, however, Neville had molted, and once his feathers had fallen off, he reappeared looking entirely normal. He even joined in laughing. â€Å"Canary Creams!† Fred shouted to the excitable crowd. â€Å"George and I invented them – seven Sickles each, a bargain!† It was nearly one in the morning when Harry finally went up to the dormitory with Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Dean. Before he pulled the curtains of his four-poster shut. Harry set his tiny model of the Hungarian Horntail on the table next to his bed, where it yawned, curled up, and closed its eyes. Really, Harry thought, as he pulled the hangings on his four-poster closed, Hagrid had a point†¦they were all right, really, dragons†¦. The start of December brought wind and sleet to Hogwarts. Drafty though the castle always was in winter. Harry was glad of its fires and thick walls every time he passed the Durmstrang ship on the lake, which was pitching in the high winds, its black sails billowing against the dark skies. He thought the Beauxbatons caravan was likely to be pretty chilly too. Hagrid, he noticed, was keeping Madame Maxime's horses well provided with their preferred drink of single-malt whiskey; the fumes wafting from the trough in the comer of their paddock was enough to make the entire Care of Magical Creatures class light-headed. This was unhelpful, as they were still tending the horrible skrewts and needed their wits about them. â€Å"I'm not sure whether they hibernate or not,† Hagrid told the shivering class in the windy pumpkin patch next lesson. â€Å"Thought we'd jus' try an see if they fancied a kip†¦we'll jus' settle 'em down in these boxes†¦.† There were now only ten skrewts left; apparently their desire to kill one another had not been exercised out of them. Each of them was now approaching six feet in length. Their thick gray armor; their powerful, scuttling legs; their fire-blasting ends; their stings and their suckers, combined to make the skrewts the most repulsive things Harry had ever seen. The class looked dispiritedly at the enormous boxes Hagrid had brought out, all lined with pillows and fluffy blankets. â€Å"We'll jus' lead 'em in here,† Hagrid said, â€Å"an' put the lids on, and we'll see what happens.† But the skrewts, it transpired, did not hibernate, and did not appreciate being forced into pillow-lined boxes and nailed in. Hagrid was soon yelling, â€Å"Don panic, now, don' panic!† while the skrewts rampaged around the pumpkin patch, now strewn with the smoldering wreckage of the boxes. Most of the class – Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle in the lead – had fled into Hagrid's cabin through the back door and barricaded themselves in; Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, were among those who remained outside trying to help Hagrid. Together they managed to restrain and tie up nine of the skrewts, though at the cost of numerous burns and cuts; finally, only one skrewt was left. â€Å"Don' frighten him, now!† Hagrid shouted as Ron and Harry used their wands to shoot jets of fiery sparks at the skrewt, which was advancing menacingly on them, its sting arched, quivering, over its back. â€Å"Jus' try an slip the rope 'round his sting, so he won hurt any o' the others!† â€Å"Yeah, we wouldn't want that!† Ron shouted angrily as he and Harry backed into the wall of Hagrid's cabin, still holding the skrewt off with their sparks. â€Å"Well, well, well†¦this does look like fun.† Rita Skeeter was leaning on Hagrid's garden fence, looking in at the mayhem. She was wearing a thick magenta cloak with a furry purple collar today, and her crocodile-skin handbag was over her arm. Hagrid launched himself forward on top of the skrewt that was cornering Harry and Ron and flattened it; a blast of fire shot out of its end, withering the pumpkin plants nearby. â€Å"Who're you?† Hagrid asked Rita Skeeter as he slipped a loop of rope around the skrewt's sting and tightened it. â€Å"Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter,† Rita replied, beaming at him. Her gold teeth glinted. â€Å"Thought Dumbledore said you weren' allowed inside the school anymore,† said Hagrid, frowning slightly as he got off the slightly squashed skrewt and started tugging it over to its fellows. Rita acted as though she hadn't heard what Hagrid had said. â€Å"What are these fascinating creatures called?† she asked, beaming still more widely. â€Å"Blast-Ended Skrewts,† grunted Hagrid. â€Å"Really?† said Rita, apparently full of lively interest. â€Å"I've never heard of them before†¦where do they come from?† Harry noticed a dull red flush rising up out of Hagrid's wild black beard, and his heart sank. Where had Hagrid got the skrewts from? Hermione, who seemed to be thinking along these lines, said quickly, â€Å"They're very interesting, aren't they? Aren't they. Harry?† â€Å"What? Oh yeah†¦ouch†¦interesting,† said Harry as she stepped on his foot. â€Å"Ah, you're here. Harry!† said Rita Skeeter as she looked around. â€Å"So you like Care of Magical Creatures, do you? One of your favorite lessons?† â€Å"Yes,† said Harry stoutly. Hagrid beamed at him. â€Å"Lovely,† said Rita. â€Å"Really lovely. Been teaching long?† she added to Hagrid. Harry noticed her eyes travel over Dean (who had a nasty cut across one cheek). Lavender (whose robes were badly singed), Seamus (who was nursing several burnt fingers), and then to the cabin windows, where most of the class stood, their noses pressed against the glass waiting to see if the coast was clear. â€Å"This is o'ny me second year,† said Hagrid. â€Å"Lovely†¦I don't suppose you'd like to give an interview, would you? Share some of your experience of magical creatures? The Prophet does a zoological column every Wednesday, as I'm sure you know. We could feature these – er – Bang-Ended Scoots.† â€Å"Blast-Ended Skrewts,† Hagrid said eagerly. â€Å"Er – yeah, why not?† Harry had a very bad feeling about this, but there was no way of communicating it to Hagrid without Rita Skeeter seeing, so he had to stand and watch in silence as Hagrid and Rita Skeeter made arrangements to meet in the Three Broomsticks for a good long interview later that week. Then the bell rang up at the castle, signaling the end of the lesson. â€Å"Well, good-bye, Harry!† Rita Skeeter called merrily to him as he set off with Ron and Hermione. â€Å"Until Friday night, then, Hagrid!† â€Å"She'll twist everything he says,† Harry said under his breath. â€Å"Just as long as he didn't import those skrewts illegally or anything,† said Hermione desperately. They looked at one another – it was exactly the sort of thing Hagrid might do. â€Å"Hagrid's been in loads of trouble before, and Dumbledores never sacked him,† said Ron consolingly. â€Å"Worst that can happen is Hagrid'll have to get rid of the skrewts. Sorry†¦did I say worst? I meant best.† Harry and Hermione laughed, and, feeling slightly more cheerful, went off to lunch. Harry thoroughly enjoyed double Divination that afternoon; they were still doing star charts and predictions, but now that he and Ron were friends once more, the whole thing seemed very funny again. Professor Trelawney, who had been so pleased with the pair of them when they had been predicting their own horrific deaths, quickly became irritated as they sniggered through her explanation of the various ways in which Pluto could disrupt everyday life. â€Å"I would think,† she said, in a mystical whisper that did not conceal her obvious annoyance, â€Å"that some of us† – she stared very meaningfully at Harry- â€Å"might be a little less frivolous had they seen what I have seen during my crystal gazing last night. As I sat here, absorbed in my needlework, the urge to consult the orb overpowered me. I arose, I settled myself before it, and I gazed into its crystalline depths†¦and what do you think I saw gazing back at me?† â€Å"An ugly old bat in outsize specs?† Ron muttered under his breath. Harry fought hard to keep his face straight. â€Å"Death, my dears.† Parvati and Lavender both put their hands over their mouths, looking horrified. â€Å"Yes,† said Professor Trelawney, nodding impressively, â€Å"it comes, ever closer, it circles overhead like a vulture, ever lower†¦ever lower over the castle†¦.† She stared pointedly at Harry, who yawned very widely and obviously. â€Å"It'd be a bit more impressive if she hadn't done it about eighty times before,† Harry said as they finally regained the fresh air of the staircase beneath Professor Trelawney's room. â€Å"But if I'd dropped dead every time she's told me I'm going to, I'd be a medical miracle.† â€Å"You'd be a sort of extra-concentrated ghost,† said Ron, chortling, as they passed the Bloody Baron going in the opposite direction, his wide eyes staring sinisterly. â€Å"At least we didn't get homework. I hope Hermione got loads off Professor Vector, I love not working when she is†¦.† But Hermione wasn't at dinner, nor was she in the library when they went to look for her afterward. The only person in there was Viktor Krum. Ron hovered behind the bookshelves for a while, watching Krum, debating in whispers with Harry whether he should ask for an autograph – but then Ron realized that six or seven girls were lurking in the next row of books, debating exactly the same thing, and he lost his enthusiasm for the idea. â€Å"Wonder where she's got to?† Ron said as he and Harry went back to Gryffindor Tower. â€Å"Dunno†¦balderdash.† But the Fat Lady had barely begun to swing forward when the sound of racing feet behind them announced Hermione's arrival. â€Å"Harry!† she panted, skidding to a halt beside him (the Fat Lady stared down at her, eyebrows raised). â€Å"Harry, you've got to come – you've got to come, the most amazing thing's happened – please -â€Å" She seized Harry's arm and started to try to drag him back along the corridor. â€Å"What's the matter?† Harry said. â€Å"I'll show you when we get there – oh come on, quick -â€Å" Harry looked around at Ron; he looked back at Harry, intrigued. â€Å"Okay,† Harry said, starting off back down the corridor with Hermione, Ron hurrying to keep up. â€Å"Oh don't mind me!† the Fat Lady called irritably after them. â€Å"Don't apologize for bothering me! I'll just hang here, wide open, until you get back, shall I?† â€Å"Yeah, thanks!† Ron shouted over his shoulder. â€Å"Hermione, where are we going?† Harry asked, after she had led them down through six floors, and started down the marble staircase into the entrance hall. â€Å"You'll see, you'll see in a minute!† said Hermione excitedly. She turned left at the bottom of the staircase and hurried toward the door through which Cedric Diggory had gone the night after the Goblet of Fire had regurgitated his and Harry's names. Harry had never been through here before. He and Ron followed Hermione down a flight of stone steps, but instead of ending up in a gloomy underground passage like the one that led to Snape's dungeon, they found themselves in a broad stone corridor, brightly lit with torches, and decorated with cheerful paintings that were mainly of food. â€Å"Oh hang on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Harry slowly, halfway down the corridor. â€Å"Wait a minute, Hermione†¦.† â€Å"What?† She turned around to look at him, anticipation all over her face. â€Å"I know what this is about,† said Harry. He nudged Ron and pointed to the painting just behind Hermione. It showed a gigantic silver fruit bowl. â€Å"Hermione!† said Ron, cottoning on. â€Å"You're trying to rope us into that spew stuff again!† â€Å"No, no, I'm not!† she said hastily. â€Å"And it's not spew, Ron -â€Å" â€Å"Changed the name, have you?† said Ron, frowning at her. â€Å"What are we now, then, the House-Elf Liberation Front? I'm not barging into that kitchen and trying to make them stop work, I'm not doing it -â€Å" â€Å"I'm not asking you to!† Hermione said impatiently. â€Å"I came down here just now, to talk to them all, and I found – oh come on, Harry, I want to show you!† She seized his arm again, pulled him in front of the picture of the giant fruit bowl, stretched out her forefinger, and tickled the huge green pear. It began to squirm, chuckling, and suddenly turned into a large green door handle. Hermione seized it, pulled the door open, and pushed Harry hard in the back, forcing him inside. He had one brief glimpse of an enormous, high-ceilinged room, large as the Great Hall above it, with mounds of glittering brass pots and pans heaped around the stone walls, and a great brick fireplace at the other end, when something small hurtled toward him from the middle of the room, squealing, â€Å"Harry Potter, sir! Harry Potter!† Next second all the wind had been knocked out of him as the squealing elf hit him hard in the midriff, hugging him so tightly he thought his ribs would break. â€Å"D-Dobby?† Harry gasped. â€Å"It is Dobby, sir, it is!† squealed the voice from somewhere around his navel. â€Å"Dobby has been hoping and hoping to see Harry Potter, sir, and Harry Potter has come to see him, sir!† Dobby let go and stepped back a few paces, beaming up at Harry, his enormous, green, tennis-ball-shaped eyes brimming with tears of happiness. He looked almost exactly as Harry remembered him; the pencil-shaped nose, the batlike ears, the long fingers and feet – all except the clothes, which were very different. When Dobby had worked for the Malfoys, he had always worn the same filthy old pillowcase. Now, however, he was wearing the strangest assortment of garments Harry had ever seen; he had done an even worse job of dressing himself than the wizards at the World Cup. He was wearing a tea cozy for a hat, on which he had pinned a number of bright badges; a tie patterned with horseshoes over a bare chest, a pair of what looked like children's soccer shorts, and odd socks. One of these, Harry saw, was the black one Harry had removed from his own foot and tricked Mr. Malfoy into giving Dobby, thereby setting Dobby free. The other was covered in pink and orange stripes. â€Å"Dobby, what're you doing here?† Harry said in amazement. â€Å"Dobby has come to work at Hogwarts, sir!† Dobby squealed excitedly. â€Å"Professor Dumbledore gave Dobby and Winky jobs, sir! â€Å"Winky?† said Harry. â€Å"She's here too?† â€Å"Yes, sir, yes!† said Dobby, and he seized Harry's hand and pulled him off into the kitchen between the four long wooden tables that stood there. Each of these tables, Harry noticed as he passed them, was positioned exactly beneath the four House tables above, in the Great Hall. At the moment, they were clear of food, dinner having finished, but he supposed that an hour ago they had been laden with dishes that were then sent up through the ceiling to their counterparts above. At least a hundred little elves were standing around the kitchen, beaming, bowing, and curtsying as Dobby led Harry past them. They were all wearing the same uniform: a tea towel stamped with the Hogwarts crest, and tied, as Winky's had been, like a toga. Dobby stopped in front of the brick fireplace and pointed. â€Å"Winky, sir!† he said. Winky was sitting on a stool by the fire. Unlike Dobby, she had obviously not foraged for clothes. She was wearing a neat little skirt and blouse with a matching blue hat, which had holes in it for her large ears. However, while every one of Dobby's strange collection of garments was so clean and well cared for that it looked brand-new, Winky was plainly not taking care other clothes at all. There were soup stains all down her blouse and a burn in her skirt. â€Å"Hello, Winky,† said Harry. Winky's lip quivered. Then she burst into tears, which spilled out of her great brown eyes and splashed down her front, just as they had done at the Quidditch World Cup. â€Å"Oh dear,† said Hermione. She and Ron had followed Harry and Dobby to the end of the kitchen. â€Å"Winky, don't cry, please don't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But Winky cried harder than ever. Dobby, on the other hand, beamed up at Harry. â€Å"Would Harry Potter like a cup of tea?† he squeaked loudly, over Winky's sobs. â€Å"Er – yeah, okay,† said Harry. Instantly, about six house-elves came trotting up behind him, bearing a large silver tray laden with a teapot, cups for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, a milk jug, and a large plate of biscuits. â€Å"Good service!† Ron said, in an impressed voice. Hermione frowned at him, but the elves all looked delighted; they bowed very low and retreated. â€Å"How long have you been here, Dobby?† Harry asked as Dobby handed around the tea. â€Å"Only a week. Harry Potter, sir!† said Dobby happily. â€Å"Dobby came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir. You see, sir, it is very difficult for a house-elf who has been dismissed to get a new position, sir, very difficult indeed -â€Å" At this, Winky howled even harder, her squashed-tomato of a nose dribbling all down her front, though she made no effort to stem the flow. â€Å"Dobby has traveled the country for two whole years, sir, trying to find work!† Dobby squeaked. â€Å"But Dobby hasn't found work, sir, because Dobby wants paying now!† The house-elves all around the kitchen, who had been listening and watching with interest, all looked away at these words, as though Dobby had said something rude and embarrassing. Hermione, however, said, â€Å"Good for you, Dobby!† â€Å"Thank you, miss!† said Dobby, grinning toothily at her. â€Å"But most wizards doesn't want a house-elf who wants paying, miss. ‘That's not the point of a house-elf,' they says, and they slammed the door in Dobby's face! Dobby likes work, but he wants to wear clothes and he wants to be paid. Harry Potter†¦.Dobby likes being free!† The Hogwarts house-elves had now started edging away from Dobby, as though he were carrying something contagious. Winky, however, remained where she was, though there was a definite increase in the volume other crying. â€Å"And then, Harry Potter, Dobby goes to visit Winky, and finds out Winky has been freed too, sir!† said Dobby delightedly. At this, Winky flung herself forward off her stool and lay face-down on the flagged stone floor, beating her tiny fists upon it and positively screaming with misery. Hermione hastily dropped down to her knees beside her and tried to comfort her, but nothing she said made the slightest difference. Dobby continued with his story, shouting shrilly over Winky's screeches. â€Å"And then Dobby had the idea. Harry Potter, sir! ‘Why doesn't Dobby and Winky find work together?' Dobby says. ‘Where is there enough work for two house-elves?' says Winky. And Dobby thinks, and it comes to him, sir! Hogwarts! So Dobby and Winky came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir, and Professor Dumbledore took us on!† Dobby beamed very brightly, and happy tears welled in his eyes again. â€Å"And Professor Dumbledore says he will pay Dobby, sir, if Dobby wants paying! And so Dobby is a free elf, sir, and Dobby gets a Galleon a week and one day off a month!† â€Å"That's not very much!† Hermione shouted indignantly from the floor, over Winky's continued screaming and fist-beating. â€Å"Professor Dumbledore offered Dobby ten Galleons a week, and weekends off,† said Dobby, suddenly giving a little shiver, as though the prospect of so much leisure and riches were frightening, â€Å"but Dobby beat him down, miss†¦.Dobby likes freedom, miss, but he isn't wanting too much, miss, he likes work better.† â€Å"And how much is Professor Dumbledore paying you, Winky?† Hermione asked kindly. If she had thought this would cheer up Winky, she was wildly mistaken. Winky did stop crying, but when she sat up she was glaring at Hermione through her massive brown eyes, her whole face sopping wet and suddenly furious. â€Å"Winky is a disgraced elf, but Winky is not yet getting paid!† she squeaked. â€Å"Winky is not sunk so low as that! Winky is properly ashamed of being freed!† â€Å"Ashamed?† said Hermione blankly. â€Å"But – Winky, come on! It's Mr. Crouch who should be ashamed, not you! You didn't do anything wrong, he was really horrible to you -â€Å" But at these words, Winky clapped her hands over the holes in her hat, flattening her ears so that she couldn't hear a word, and screeched, â€Å"You is not insulting my master, miss! You is not insulting Mr. Crouch! Mr. Crouch is a good wizard, miss! Mr. Crouch is right to sack bad Winky!† â€Å"Winky is having trouble adjusting, Harry Potter,† squeaked Dobby confidentially. â€Å"Winky forgets she is not bound to Mr. Crouch anymore; she is allowed to speak her mind now, but she won't do it.† â€Å"Can't house-elves speak their minds about their masters, then?† Harry asked. â€Å"Oh no, sir, no,† said Dobby, looking suddenly serious. â€Å"‘Tis part of the house-elf's enslavement, sir. We keeps their secrets and our silence, sir. We upholds the family's honor, and we never speaks ill of them – though Professor Dumbledore told Dobby he does not insist upon this. Professor Dumbledore said we is free to – to -â€Å" Dobby looked suddenly nervous and beckoned Harry closer. Harry bent forward. Dobby whispered, â€Å"He said we is free to call him a – a barmy old codger if we likes, sir!† Dobby gave a frightened sort of giggle. â€Å"But Dobby is not wanting to, Harry Potter,† he said, talking normally again, and shaking his head so that his ears flapped. â€Å"Dobby likes Professor Dumbledore very much, sir, and is proud to keep his secrets and our silence for him.† â€Å"But you can say what you like about the Malfoys now?† Harry asked him, grinning. A slightly fearful look came into Dobby's immense eyes. â€Å"Dobby – Dobby could,† he said doubtfully. He squared his small shoulders. â€Å"Dobby could tell Harry Potter that his old masters were – were – bad Dark wizards!† Dobby stood for a moment, quivering all over, horror-struck by his own daring – then he rushed over to the nearest table and began banging his head on it very hard, squealing, â€Å"Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!† Harry seized Dobby by the back of his tie and pulled him away from the table. â€Å"Thank you. Harry Potter, thank you,† said Dobby breathlessly, rubbing his head. â€Å"You just need a bit of practice,† Harry said. â€Å"Practice!† squealed Winky furiously. â€Å"You is ought to be ashamed of yourself, Dobby, talking that way about your masters!† â€Å"They isn't my masters anymore, Winky!† said Dobby defiantly. â€Å"Dobby doesn't care what they think anymore!† â€Å"Oh you is a bad elf, Dobby!† moaned Winky, tears leaking down her face once more. â€Å"My poor Mr. Crouch, what is he doing without Winky? He is needing me, he is needing my help! I is looking after the Crouches all my life, and my mother is doing it before me, and my grandmother is doing it before her†¦oh what is they saying if they knew Winky was freed? Oh the shame, the shame!† She buried her face in her skirt again and bawled. â€Å"Winky,† said Hermione firmly, â€Å"I'm quite sure Mr. Crouch is getting along perfectly well without you. We've seen him, you know -â€Å" â€Å"You is seeing my master?† said Winky breathlessly, raising her tearstained face out of her skirt once more and goggling at Hermione. â€Å"You is seeing him here at Hogwarts?† â€Å"Yes,† said Hermione, â€Å"he and Mr. Bagman are judges in the Triwizard Tournament.† â€Å"Mr. Bagman comes too?† squeaked Winky, and to Harry ‘s great surprise (and Ron's and Hermione's too, by the looks on their faces), she looked angry again. â€Å"Mr. Bagman is a bad wizard! A very bad wizard! My master isn't liking him, oh no, not at all!† â€Å"Bagman – bad?† said Harry. â€Å"Oh yes,† Winky said, nodding her head furiously, â€Å"My master is telling Winky some things! But Winky is not saying†¦Winky – Winky keeps her master's secrets†¦.† She dissolved yet again in tears; they could hear her sobbing into her skirt, â€Å"Poor master, poor master, no Winky to help him no more!† They couldn't get another sensible word out of Winky. They left her to her crying and finished their tea, while Dobby chatted happily about his life as a free elf and his plans for his wages. â€Å"Dobby is going to buy a sweater next, Harry Potter!† he said happily, pointing at his bare chest. â€Å"Tell you what, Dobby,† said Ron, who seemed to have taken a great liking to the elf, â€Å"I'll give you the one my mum knits me this Christmas, I always get one from her. You don't mind maroon, do you?† Dobby was delighted. â€Å"We might have to shrink it a bit to fit you,† Ron told him, â€Å"but it'll go well with your tea cozy.† As they prepared to take their leave, many of the surrounding elves pressed in upon them, offering snacks to take back upstairs. Hermione refused, with a pained look at the way the elves kept bowing and curtsying, but Harry and Ron loaded their pockets with cream cakes and pies. â€Å"Thanks a lot!† Harry said to the elves, who had all clustered around the door to say good night. â€Å"See you, Dobby!† â€Å"Harry Potter†¦can Dobby come and see you sometimes, sir?† Dobby asked tentatively. † ‘Course you can,† said Harry, and Dobby beamed. â€Å"You know what?† said Ron, once he, Hermione, and Harry had left the kitchens behind and were climbing the steps into the entrance hall again. â€Å"All these years I've been really impressed with Fred and George, nicking food from the kitchens – well, it's not exactly difficult, is it? They can't wait to give it away!† â€Å"I think this is the best thing that could have happened to those elves, you know,† said Hermione, leading the way back up the marble staircase. â€Å"Dobby coming to work here, I mean. The other elves will see how happy he is, being free, and slowly it'll dawn on them that they want that too!† â€Å"Let's hope they don't look too closely at Winky,† said Harry. â€Å"Oh she'll cheer up,† said Hermione, though she sounded a bit doubtful. â€Å"Once the shock's worn off, and she's got used to Hogwarts, she'll see how much better off she is without that Crouch man.† â€Å"She seems to love him,† said Ron thickly (he had just started on a cream cake). â€Å"Doesn't think much of Bagman, though, does she?† said Harry. â€Å"Wonder what Crouch says at home about him?† â€Å"Probably says he's not a very good Head of Department,† said Hermione, â€Å"and let's face it†¦he's got a point, hasn't he?† â€Å"I'd still rather work for him than old Crouch,† said Ron. â€Å"At least Bagman's got a sense of humor.† â€Å"Don't let Percy hear you saying that,† Hermione said, smiling slightly. â€Å"Yeah, well, Percy wouldn't want to work for anyone with a sense of humor, would he?† said Ron, now starting on a chocolate eclair. â€Å"Percy wouldn't recognize a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing Dobby's tea cozy.†

Doordarshan

International Case Study Conference Case study title-â€Å"Once Upon a Time in Doordarshan† Abstract An Indianpublic service broadcaster, a division of PrasarBharti and once the only and most viewed television channel. However, later it gradually entered the declining phase which is evident from the sharp decline in viewership in homes with Cable and Satellite Television which in 2002 was just at 2. 38% for DD National . It had a modest beginning with the experimental telecast starting in Delhi on 15th of September, 1959 with a small transmitter and a makeshift studio.The regular daily transmission commenced in 1965 as a part of All India Radio. The television service was extended to Mumbai and Amritsar in 1972. Uptill 1975, only seven Indian cities had a television service and Doordarshan remained the sole provider of television in India. Television services were segregated from radio in April 1st 1976. Each office of All India Radio and Doordarshan were placed under the mana gement of two separate Director Generals in New Delhi. Finally, in 1982, Doordarshan as a national broadcaster came into existence. With the onset of private channels in 1991, Doordashan lost its sheen.Despite of the fact that it is backed by government, it can only afford to have incremental changes. Given present-day realities when every government in New Delhi uses Doordarshan as a state medium and its viewers as a incarcerated audience, one can opine that probability of things being changed is highly remote. Today we enjoy numerous channels described as General Entertainment Channels or GECs, but back then Doordarshan was the one-stop shop for news, for entertainment, for sports, for edu-informative shows, for light hearted comedies, for song and dance for everything.Though the entertainment and movie industry had attained astral heights today, but it must be mentioned that the roots and origin of entertainment came from the authentic Doordarshan. Doordarshan is now more than 50 years old and the challenge before it is to adopt the changes that have taken place in the current scenario then what it prevailed when it began its journey. As a public service broadcaster, it needs to ensure that its broadcasting is driven by sincere vision of providing accessible, diverse, independent and high-quality content to citizens.

Gambling in Victoria, Australia essays

Gambling in Victoria, Australia essays When one thinks of the Great Southern Land, one hardly associates the term Gambling Capital with our wide-open spaces and pristine coastlines. Why is it, then, that approximately 82% of adult Australians gamble - the highest current rate in the world? Gambling has become a progressively predominant, but clandestine problem in Australia, with Victoria now leading the way in being the state most heavily reliant on gambling revenue. Government figures released in this years budget show that Victoria will collect about $1.4 billion in gambling taxes this financial year, a figure that represents more than $300 for every person in the state. Similarly, gambling expenditures (losses) more than doubled per capita in real terms in Australia over the past decade. They trebled in Victoria. This, combined with the increasingly critical circumstances surrounding problem gamblers, gives rise to the question of whether the number of gambling opportunities in Victoria should be reduced. Whilst gambling comes in many forms, it is clear that poker machines are at the head of Victorias gambling problem. These destructive mechanisms have now overtaken all other forms of gambling, and in the last financial year alone, Victorians spent $6.5 million a day on poker machines, which is about nine times the amount lost in 1992-93, when poker machines were first introduced. Indeed - pokie taxes have become a crucial source of revenue for the Victorian Government. More than 11 per cent of State Government taxes come from poker machines, and it is anticipated that this will exceed $900 million this financial year (2002/3). It has been estimated that in the light of the increase in gambling expenditure, problem gamblers account for one-third of all gambling and 42 per cent of poker machine gambling. Additionally, the Productivity Commission report found that 2.3% of adult Australians have extensive gambling problems, losing more than...

Complete List of FREE SAT Math Practice Problems

Complete List of FREE SAT Math Practice Problems SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Need to study for the SAT Math section but don’t know where to start? On a budget, too? Not to worry! In this article,we've put together a comprehensive list of all the best (and free!) SAT Math study materials and guides currently available online. Note: For info on the best SAT study materials you have to pay for, check out our picks for top SAT prep books. Feature Image: Alan O'Rourke/Flickr The Importance of Using High-Quality SAT Math Materials It is incredibly important to get your study materials from the right places. The SAT is a very specific kind of test, and there are many (many!) websites and programs out there that, sadly, offer only poor-quality SAT resources. If you study using mainly inferior SAT materials, you won't get a clear sense as to how you’ll do on test day. Test prep is about assessing and improving upon your current level, but you won’t be able to do this if you get a false sense of your skills based on poor study materials. Ultimately, products and test questions that don’t accurately reflect the SAT are a waste of time. Therefore, it's best to prioritize official SAT materials. The SAT is designed by the College Board, and their free materials are by far the best place to start studying. From here, you can branch off into programs and materials that use (or closely resemble) official SAT material. Now, let's look at the best resources you can use for free official SAT Math practice questions. Ready, set, go! Top 5 Free Resources for Quality SAT Math Practice In this section, we go over the top five free resources you can use for quality SAT Math prep. #1: The College Board As the creator and issuer of the SAT, the College Board is the best place to begin for collecting your free SAT Math study materials. The official website offers full-length SAT practice tests and practice questions for all sections. Free Official Full-Length SAT Practice Tests 10 official practice tests are currently available online. Each test comes with an answer key and in-depth answer explanations to help you understand why you got questions wrong. Practice Test 1: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations Practice Test 2: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations Practice Test 3: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations Practice Test 4: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations Practice Test 5: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations Practice Test 6: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations Practice Test 7: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations Practice Test 8: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations Practice Test 9: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations Practice Test 10: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations Free Official SAT Math Practice In addition to full-length tests, the College Board offers several SAT Math practice questions (as well as sample questions for all other sections of the test). For SAT Math, there are 30 calculator-permitted questions and 18 no-calculator questions. Though it's not quite a full SAT Math section, it gives you an opportunity to get more exposure to the kind of math you'll see on test day. As you answer each question, try not to look at the correct answers right away. Instead, write your answers on a piece of paper as you take the "test." When finished, refer to the official answer explanations; this will help you understand what your strengths and weaknesses are. Old Official Full-Length SAT Practice Tests While the newest practice tests will be most useful for your prep, you can also use any of these four old (pre-2016) SAT practice tests. Most math questions on these should be helpful- just note that these days geometry is less important and data interpretation is more important. SAT Practice Test 2013-14: Questions | Answers SAT Practice Test 2012-13: Questions | Answers SAT Practice Test 2007-08: Questions | Answers SAT Practice Test 2004-05: Questions | Answers You might notice that there are some missing years (e.g,. 2005-06, 2006-07, etc.). This is because the tests for these years are repeats of the ones above. In other words, the four tests linked above are the only free SAT tests available from the past 10 years (excluding the newest ones). No need to weigh the pros and cons here- all of the resources we recommend are guaranteed to help you get a great SAT Math score! #2: Khan Academy Khan Academy is a nonprofit and partner of the College Board that offers a free online SAT prep program and practice questions. While most of the questions come from official SAT practice materials (such as those linked above), others have been created or adapted with approval from or in tandem with the College Board itself. Sign up for a free Khan Academy account to get access to SAT study questions and materials, complete with guides and explanation videos to aid your studying. #3: PrepScholar SAT Blog Here at PrepScholar, we offer tons of free resources, including detailed guides on every SAT math topic and a complete collection of our best SAT Math articles. All our guides include definitions and explanations, examples of how you’ll see the topic on the test, and real SAT practice questions with detailed answer explanations. Browse our SAT Math guides below to get started! All guides are arranged by topic. Numbers Integers (Basic) Integers (Advanced) Fractions, Ratios, and Proportions Statistics (Mean, Median, Mode) Probability Sequences // Algebra Single Variable Equations Systems of Equations Functions Coordinate Geometry Points Lines and Slopes Reflections, Translations, and Rotations Plane and Solid Geometry Lines and Angles Circles Triangles Polygons Solid Geometry Trigonometry Trigonometry Formulas The 28 Critical SAT Math Formulas You MUST Know In addition, we have strategy guides that will help you solve numerous SAT Math problems across the board: Plugging in Answers Plugging in Numbers If you find our guides and quizzes helpful, you can also sign up for a free five-day trial to our test prep program. Our program assesses your current strengths and weaknesses and adapts based on your progress. It gives you practice questions tailored to your areas of needed improvement and provides answer explanations for all questions. All our questions are based off real SAT test questions and, though the full program is not free, we guarantee your money back if you do not improve by 160 points. #4: CrackSAT.net CrackSAT is a free, unofficial SAT website offering PDFs of official SAT practice tests and an array of both official and unofficial SAT Math questions. Many of the questions on CrackSAT come from SAT prep books by well-known test-prep companies including The Princeton Review and Kaplan. Though generally solid, unofficial SAT questions can vary wildly in quality, so don't rely on only these to give you a sense of your math abilities. Rather, it's best to use this website after you've exhausted all the official SAT resources above. What's especially nice about this website is its organization: math questions are available in both multiple-choice and grid-in categories to give you the full range of math practice. You can also browse problems by concept (e.g., linear functions, exponents and radicals, etc.). #5: Ivy Global SAT Practice Tests Finally, if you want to practice math in the context of more full-length SAT practice tests, use Ivy Global's two unofficial practice test PDFs (SAT Online Practice Test 1 and Practice Test 2). These resources closely follow the format of the SAT and are both highly realistic. However, they're not perfect. Some of the questions on the Math sections are a little too easy and not as similar to those on the SAT as they could be. There are also no answer explanations, making it difficult to determine how to find the right answers for math questions you get wrong. // You've gathered all your study material ... so now what? Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! How to Use SAT Math Study Materials Effectively: 6 Tips It's just as important to know how to best utilize your SAT study materials as it is to know how to access them. These six tips will help you achieve your highest SAT Math score on test day. #1: Take a Full Practice Test in One Sitting You're probably most concerned about your SAT Math score, but it's still important to take a full SAT practice test so you can see how you'll fare on test day. Although answering one or two Math questions might not be too much of a challenge for you, in truth the SAT is a marathon- and if you aren't prepared, you'll likely be exhausted by the end of it. And exhaustion can lead anyone to make mistakes! So before you dedicate your focus to the SAT Math section, take an official SAT practice test to see how your Math score fits into the larger test-taking picture. Make sure to take the whole test in one sitting; this will help you build endurance for test day. #2: Use Proper Timing and Pace Yourself As you take SAT practice tests and any Math-specific sections, be sure to use the same time limits you'll have on test day. The chart below shows how much time you'll have on each SAT section as well as how much time you should (approximately) spend per question: SAT Section Total Time # of Questions Time per Question Reading 65 minutes 52 75 seconds Writing and Language 35 minutes 44 48 seconds Math No Calculator 25 minutes 20 75 seconds Math Calculator 55 minutes 38 87 seconds Essay (Optional) 50 minutes 1 50 minutes You'll have about 75 seconds per question on No Calculator Math section, and 87 seconds per question on the Calculator Math section. Some questions might take you less or more time, but keep practicing so that you're not consistently spending too long on a single math question. Remember that accuracy is only half the battle- you have to actually finish the questions within the time limits if you want to get a high Math score! That said, don’t worry if you run out of time while taking your first SAT practice test. This is completely normal and gives you a starting point from which you can later improve. #3: Review Your Mistakes It's one thing to take an SAT Math test, but you also need to look over your results and identify any patterns in your correct and incorrect answers. Do you tend to get the last few questions wrong on each Math section? Do function questions just seem to throw you for a loop? First, figure out what went wrong. Then, see how you can pick up some easy points and diligently target those areas in your prep. (Remember that each Math question, no matter its difficulty, is worth the same number of points!) #4: Target Your Biggest Weaknesses Once you've pinpointed patterns in the errors you make, it's time to dig deeper and examine your biggest weaknesses. Your ultimate goal will be to tailor your studying so that you can focus on improving the areas you struggle with the most. Since your overall objective is to answer as many questions as accurately as possible, you'll want to dedicate the majority of your study time to improving your weaknesses, rather than to reviewing material you already know well. Refreshing your known material again and again might make you feel productive and confident, but it doesn't do a whole lot to improve your score. Your best bet is to focus on your problem areas by practicing and expanding your knowledge base. #5: Set a Study Schedule Don’t be tempted to cram right before the test. You might have a busy schedule and feel as if your only option is to cram for the SAT, but improvement really happens over time. We generally advise giving yourself at least three to six months to study for the SAT. If you don't have a lot of time left before test day, however, don't give up! No matter how much time you've got for studying, it is possible to come up with a balanced SAT study plan. First, calculate the amount of time you have before your test date. (For example, say you've got a month before your test.) Next, assign yourself at least three full practice tests (in addition to your normal study materials) and spread them out over the course of your study schedule. If you only have a week or so before test day, this probably won’t be possible. In this case, try to fit in at least one or two practice tests wherever you can. Nothing else replicates the SAT experience like a full practice test does, so don't underestimate its importance in your prep! #6: Not Seeing Any Improvement? Get Additional Prep Help Some students prefer to do all of their SAT studying by themselves, but others work better with a little guidance. If the SAT subject matter just isn't making sense to you or you need help prioritizing your time, an SAT tutor or prep program (or both!) are excellent options to try. Both can give you that final push you need to stay focused and maximize your SAT Math score. At PrepScholar, we offer expert SAT tutoring services in addition to a fully customizable SAT prep program. For more info, read our guides on how to find the best SAT tutor for youand how much you should spend on tutoring. Targeted and careful practice, rest, and confidence: the perfect recipe for SAT success. What’s Next? Don't know where to start? Take a look at our list of all math topics on the SAT Math section, and target your weaknesses with our individual SAT Math guides. Want to know what the hardest SAT Math questions are? We've compiled a list of the 13 most challenging SAT Math questions, along with answer explanations for each. Bitten by the procrastination bug? Time running out until test day? Check out how to beat the urge to procrastinate, and learn how to balance time for your studies. Looking to get a perfect SAT Math score? Dig into our guide to getting a perfect 800 on SAT Math, written by a perfect scorer! Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math strategy guide, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial: //

The Impact of Chronic Diseases on Children and Their Families Research Paper

The Impact of Chronic Diseases on Children and Their Families - Research Paper Example incidence; moreover, although not commonly seen among children in Australia, cancer has also become one of the most common causes of death among Australian children (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2006). Other chronic illnesses seen among Australia’s school-age children include cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy. Risk factors for this disease are mostly modifiable risks which include childhood obesity, unhealthy, and lack of physical activity (Berk, 2008). These chronic conditions impact on children as well as their families because they take place at a time which is crucial to the child’s development (Slater, et.al., 2010). In some cases, care for these children often lasts a lifetime, as seen in diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (Slater, et.al., 2010). For example, Type 1 diabetes calls for lifetime care and multiprofessional medical management; moreover, self-management needs to be emphasized to the child for eventual independ ent management. It is also a costly type of care because of the prolonged nature of the disease and the prolonged treatment needed (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2006). The illness and the treatment process involved can impact negatively on the children and their families, economically, socially, as well as psychologically. As these children are still developing physically and emotionally, their care is different from the care required of chronically ill adults (Wilson, et.al., 2008). Even as the social and economic conditions of the families can also impact on a child’s overall care, it is also a crucial element in the overall outcome of chronic childhood diseases. Moreover, children who have chronic illnesses, along with their families have a high risk of experiencing psychological... This study shall then be concluded based on recommendations which nurses can implement as primary health care givers. Chronic diseases among children are significant health issues because they impact significantly on the quality of lives and on the development of children. In Australia, asthma is considered the most common chronic illness among children 0-14 years of age. In recent years, diabetes has also increased in incidence; moreover, although not commonly seen among children in Australia, cancer has also become one of the most common causes of death among Australian children. Other chronic illnesses seen among Australia’s school-age children include cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy. Risk factors for this disease are mostly modifiable risks which include childhood obesity, unhealthy, and lack of physical activity. This paper declares that Chronic diseases among children cause issues in his normal development, issues which mostly relate to delayed developmental processes. Varni, et.al.,describes how children with diabetes, GI conditions, cardiac afflictions, asthma, obesity, ESRD, psychiatric issues, cancer, and cerebral palsy manifested with an impaired health-related quality of life, as compared to healthy children. The study revealed that those with cerebral palsy manifested the most impairment, and those with diabetes presented with the best quality of life. Among parents, they expressed that cardiac afflictions, diabetes, obesity, GI diseases, ESRD, asthma, cancer, and cerebral palsy caused a decreased quality in their lives.

How has the media changed the shape of American Politics Essay

How has the media changed the shape of American Politics - Essay Example Americans no longer have to search high and low for this information; instead, they simply need to turn on any news channel or go to any news website and they are presented with all of the facts that are needed, and then some. It is because of media that more people than ever are involved in the world of politics (Rozell & Mayer, 2008), even if they are just spectators. However, media is not always a helpful, reliable tool when politics are involved. Media influences people in regard to politics by feeding them the information that its deems to be important; those in charge of media have their own agenda. This is often dependent on the news station, the individual relaying the news, or the political party of anyone involved in the broadcast (Curran, 1995). If a story is being presented by Democrats, there is a good chance that the Republican party will not be shown in a good light, and vice versa. The same holds true for issues regarding propositions or bills that are waiting to be p assed, such as the growing concern of border control along the southern states. What originally began as a method to keep Americans informed of political goings-on has long since become a battle to make one side look worse than the other, all because of the universality and bias of media.