A christmas carol :: essays research papers

Charles Dickens believed it was up to him to inform the people of Britain of the social problems occurring around Britain. While Dickens was a young man, he suffered from poverty along with his mother and father. His father was imprisoned for dept and Charles wanted to become a social reformer. Dickens used these problems as themes for his book ‘A Christmas Carol’. These themes involve poverty, pollution and a changing of ways. Dickens used Scrooge, the main character in the book at first to show how current society was at the time and then at the end, after the visits from the three ghosts, how the society could be. At the start of the book Scrooge is anti-social, greedy and extremely selfish. I believe this is how Britain was at the time. Then, after the visits from the three ghosts scrooge changed and I think that that is what Dickens wanted Britain to do. The first of the three spirits is the ghost of Christmas past. It had the body of someone elderly, but was surprisingly youthful and powerful. The ghost is described as ‘a strange figure- like a child; yet not so much like a child as like an old man’. It held a brimmed cap, evidently an extinguisher for its head, from which jetted a clear, pure stream of light. This stream of light symbolises that Christmas is a happy time and should be full of light and joy. On the other hand, the extinguisher cap that the spirit was holding was made by people like Scrooge, who use the cap to hide the light of Christmas. The second spirit is the ghost of Christmas Present. It is a great giant, dressed in a green and surrounded by piles of food. The spirit has a garment, which hangs loosely on him that shows his capacious breast. I believe that this is supposed to show how free and open the spirit is. Another similarity to his openness is his hair. This is described as, ‘dark-brown curls were long and free’ this makes the spirit seem to be totally natural and genuine. The spirit is made to seem kind and cheerful. There are a few phrases suggesting this such as, ‘its open hand’, also it is portrayed as having an antique scabbard with no sword in it which shows that the spirit wanted peace. This proves the spirit is gentle and caring.

Earth the Ailing Planet Essay

For more than a hundred years, human beings have been excavating mountains and building roads for faster transportation. When the forests and mountains are destroyed, natural waterways are also disrupted. In today’s modern world, there is mass production of goods for daily consumption. The sprawling cities, high-rise buildings, cars, and electric appliances of modern society demand a tremendous amount of natural resources. Besides the depletion of resources, much pollution and waste are created in the process of manufacturing. The universe is a composite of the four elements of earth, water, fire, and air. When the earth element i. e. soil or land falls out of balance, earthquakes result; when the air element i. e. air current falls out of balance, hurricanes and typhoons arise; when the water element i. e rivers and oceans falls out of balance, downpours and floods occur. In recent years, there have been many natural disasters, showing us the imbalance of the four elements. Natural disasters are occurring all around the world. This is very worrying. When closely examined, all the various disasters can be linked to our destruction of the Earth. To change the world, we must begin by transforming hearts and minds. Given the environmental problems facing our world today, we must not only change attitudes but also lifestyles. We should have a grateful heart toward our planet. As each of us is consuming resources and contributing to pollution, we must always think about how to conserve resources. If we lead a simpler life, we will help reduce the amount of garbage and protect our environment, thus improving the quality of life on Earth. It is a simple concept, but if we all put it into practice, the impact can be profound and far-reaching. Living on this planet, our fate is intertwined with the health of our planet. Let us always remember that we coexist with the Earth.

Four stages of the learning cycle Essay

During our final chapter, we discussed the four stages of the learning cycle. The four stages of transformational learning are as follows: recognizing a significant problem, confronting it intensely, finding a solution, then integrating a new perspective and a new set of assumptions into ones’ life pattern. I think that a lot of times people go through life not realizing when they have a problem. Therefore, acknowledging your problem is most definitely the first step in learning from it. When you realize that there is a problem, you must confront the problem head on to find a solution. Once you have found a solution, you need to incorporate it into your life. These four stages are important in any learning experience. The transformational experience that I will use for my example is very personal. I used to be in a very abusive marriage. My marriage was damaging to me as a person, and damaging to my children because it prohibited me from making anything of myself. I would always make excuses for my lack of productivity, stating that I couldn’t do anything with my life because my husband wouldn’t let me. Finally, in 2011, I realized that I was wasting my life. The only thing that my daughter was ever going to learn from me, was how to let someone else run there life and impact her choices. We would never have had a normal life! When I realized what I was doing to myself and to my kids, I knew that I had a significant problem. I confronted the problem, and I was very intense about it. I tried marriage counseling, personal counseling, and biblical counseling. I tried talking with my ex, and I sought advice from many people whom I really believed could help. After exhausting my resources, I knew that the only logical solution was to take my children out of the abusive situation and start from scratch. I chose to go first to the police for help, and then to battered women’s shelter. The women’s shelter helped us to move away and start over. I have now been away from him for a little over two years, and I am in my first healthy relationship. By integrating my new perception, I was able to go farther in the past year than I ever did in all of the years of my former relationship. I am now a business owner, I am in school, and I am getting married to a wonderful man who loves me and my children. My children now get to grow up in a loving family and a healthy environment. I am now able to say with confidence that I am doing my best to be an example for them. This was most definitely a transformational learning experience for me. I think that in my experience the main stage that applied in my life, was the integration stage. It is often easier to recognize a problem, and even to find a solution, than it is to follow through on change. Often times the follow through is not so simple. There were numerous times during that relationship where I knew the problem, and the solution was apparent, however I didn’t believe in myself to integrate the solution it into my life. I believe that truly integrating a new perspective, and changing your assumptions is a very difficult stage to master. I am glad that I was able to make it through that final stage, and to become the person I am today. I still have a long way to go, but I am proud to be so far from who I once was.

abortion4 essays

abortion4 essays Abortion, one of the most controversial issues debated today, can easily be broken down into two distinct viewpoints: those who support abortion and those opposed to abortion. Pro-life and Pro-choice viewpoints are at the complete opposites of the spectrum and argue every issue from murder to morals and values to violence. In the two articles about abortion, "Abortion Is a Selfish choice," and "Abortion Is Not A Selfish Choice," each side argues their case and justifies their position. The first article "Abortion Is a Selfish Choice," acknowledges that those who choose abortion are acting in their own self-interest while the opposing article, "Abortion Is Not a Selfish Choice," argues that the fundamental issue in the abortion debate is the right of women to make their own decisions about reproduction. Both viewpoints provide reasons to question ones own strongly held opinions. According to the authors of Opposing Viewpoints, "Careful examinations of others views can lead to t he readers understanding of the logical inconsistencies in their own opinions, perspectives on why they hold an opinion, and the consideration of the possibility that their opinion requires further evaluation" (Bender and Leone, 11). Both articles provide extensive examinations over selfishness and abortion and from my own experiences with abortion I believe it is a selfish choice. In the first article, "Abortion Is a Selfish Choice," Mother Teresa argues the position that those who choose abortion are making a selfish choice. Mother Teresa states that "Abortion destroys ones ability to love because people who choose abortion do so to avoid the hurt that unselfish love of their children would require" (48). In the article, there are three key points that Mother Teresa stresses. First, she acknowledges "Breaking the Peace," then "Abortion Leads to Violence," and finally "Adoption, Not Abortion." In these three subtopics, ...

Cellulose Essay Example

Cellulose Essay Example Cellulose Essay Cellulose Essay Discuss in my forum What is Cellulose? What is Cellulose and how is it used in food? By Bethany Moncel, About. com Guide Ads: Cellulose Foods with Starch Carbon Fiber Manufacturer Starch Oil and Water Cellulose is sometimes made from cotton. Photo by Kimberly Vardeman Ads Carbon Fiber Production www. harperintl. com Energy Efficiency Lower Operating Costs for Optimized Manufacturing Carbon Fabrics www. hindoostantech. com Carbon Woven and Unidirectional 3K-50K Plain, Twill SatinLipids for Research www. larodan. com We provide unique ranges of lipids for research, i. e Labelled Lipids See More About low-carb kitchen science food terminology Cellulose is a molecule comprised of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and is found in the cellular structure of virtually all plant matter. This organic compound, which is considered the most abundant on earth, is even excreted by some bacteria. Cellulose provides structure and strength to the cell walls of plants and provides fiber in our diets. Al though some animals, such as ruminants, can digest cellulose, humans cannot.Cellulose falls into the category of indigestible carbohydrates known as dietary fiber. In recent years, cellulose has become a popular food additive due to its unique chemical and physical properties when combined with water. Although cellulose can be found in most plant matter, the most economical sources for industrial cellulose are cotton and wood pulp. How is Cellulose Used in Food? Fiber Supplement With rising awareness about fiber intake, cellulose has become one of the most popular food additives. Adding cellulose to food allows an increase in bulk and fiber content without a major impact on flavor.Because cellulose binds and dissolves into water, it is often added to increase the fiber content of drinks and other liquid items when the gritty texture of regular fiber supplements would be undesirable. Calorie Reducer – Cellulose provides a lot of volume or bulk in food but because it is indige stible to humans, it has no caloric value. For this reason, cellulose has become a popular bulking agent in diet foods. Consumers who eat foods with a high cellulose content feel full physically and psychologically without having consumed many calories.Thickening/Emulsifying The gelling action of cellulose when combined with water provides both thickening and stabilizing qualities in the food to which it is added. Cellulose gel acts similarly to an emulsion, suspending ingredients within a solution and preventing water from separating out. Cellulose is often added to sauces for both the thickening and emulsifying action. The thickening power of cellulose also allows for more air to be whipped into products like ice cream, or whipped topping.Cellulose allows for the production of thick and creamy food items without the use of as much fat. Anti-caking – Cellulose’s ability to absorb moisture and coat ingredients in a fine powder make it the ingredient of choice for anti -caking applications. Shredded and grated cheeses, spice mixes, and powdered drink mixes are just a few of the many food items that take advantage of cellulose as an anti-caking agent. Forms of Cellulose Cellulose can be found on ingredient lists under a variety of names, depending on which form is used.Although cellulose has the same molecular structure regardless of the source (wood pulp, cotton, or other vegetable matter), how the molecules are bonded together and whether or not they are hydrated creates different â€Å"forms† of cellulose. Powdered cellulose is the most widely used in food products and is the form of choice for anti-caking applications. Cellulose gum or cellulose gel, which are hydrated forms of cellulose, are often used in sauces or other wet items like ice cream and frozen yogurt. Cellulose may also be found on ingredient lists under the names carboxymethyl cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, or MCC.

Exceptions in the Rules of Hyphenation

Exceptions in the Rules of Hyphenation Exceptions in the Rules of Hyphenation Exceptions in the Rules of Hyphenation By Mark Nichol After thumbing through the dictionary or perusing a usage guide, you’d think that the trend in American English and, to a lesser extent, in British English is to omit hyphens from words consisting of a prefix attached to the root word. But reality begs to differ. Mail sent from nonprofit organizations invariably features the word non-profit in the upper right-hand corner, where a stamp would normally be placed. (By contrast, the US Postal Service, on its Web site, correctly styles the term nonprofit but the Internal Revenue Service employs the hyphen, as do many such organizations.) Commercial Web sites and product catalogs invite customers to plan ahead, using the word pre-order, though the dictionary listing is preorder. And many print or online references to peace movements feature the term anti-war, despite the designation of the standard form in virtually all writing resources as antiwar. So, why do descriptivist and prescriptivist handbooks alike exhort readers to close the gap, when so many people who use the English language to communicate in writing ignore or are ignorant of the authorities’ citations? The natural trend in associating words or parts of words is to first combine them in open compounds, later hyphenate them as they become more established, and finally convert them into closed compounds when familiarity is thoroughly achieved (though many compounds remain open or hyphenated long after these evolutionary stages seem overdue). But most writers seemingly a majority of amateurs and definitely too many professionals don’t pay attention to such details, though the standard is easily ascertained by a glance in a dictionary or another resource. The exceptions to the preponderance of closed prefixes are relatively few and more or less simple. Retain a hyphen in the following cases: When the root word is a proper noun (post-Depression) or a number (pre-1914) When the prefix precedes an existing prefix (non-self-governing) When the prefix precedes a proper open compound (â€Å"pre-Civil War†) in such a case, the symbol should technically be an en dash, to help clarify that pre- modifies â€Å"Civil War,† not just the word it is actually attached to, but many publications, print and online, use a simple hyphen When two instances of the letter i or the letter a are adjacent (anti-intellectual, extra-action), or another combination of letters could hamper reading (pro-labor and many other pro- constructions) When a prefix is repeated (anti-antibody) When suspensive hyphenation is employed (â€Å"over- and understimulation†) Also, some people find it awkward to close up co- and a word starting with c (they prefer co-chair to cochair), with o (co-owner is preferred to coowner), or even with any word (coworker, instead of co-worker, annoys many writers). In addition, there are isolated illogical exceptions. For example, why close up reentry but hyphenate de-emphasis? And an otherwise superfluous hyphen is often inserted to distinguish homographs (as with re-count, â€Å"to tally again,† as opposed to recount, â€Å"to narrate†). Some writers ignore this seemingly overcautious strategy, though a clear context doesn’t necessarily obviate it. (Sometimes, the distinction does seem unnecessary: How many people write recreate as the verb form of recreation compared to using the prevalent usage, meaning â€Å"to create again†? But, oddly, the dominant homograph is given the hyphenated form.) Despite this apparent multitude of deviations from the norm, there is a norm: An overwhelming majority of prefixes are closed. But if you’re ever in doubt, just consult your dictionary. 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 Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Spelling Test 15 Brainstorming Strategies for Writers20 Names of Body Parts and Elements and Their Figurative Meanings

Kotter#5,6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kotter#5,6 - Essay Example In this step, Kotter (4-12) emphasizes to delegate the powers, authority and autonomy to direct the change efforts in order to reshape a new behavior, replacing the old behavior. On the other hand, Haddad (98-99) has focused more on feasibility, effectiveness and benefits of participatory design while implementing a strategic change. If participation is encouraged from those who are directly going to be affected by change implementation, that change program will fulfill their needs more appropriately rather than implementing such a change in which employees participation is overlooked. This bottom lime strategy clearly resembles with that of fifth step of Kotter (4-12) which puts more weight on â€Å"empowering others to act in the vision†. I agree with points raised by Kegan and Lahey (49-59) to understand the concept why people won’t change, simply because of the 180-degree difference in their stated commitments and competing commitments. However, if these behaviors are identified and appropriately confronted with the participation of employees, the implementation of strategic change will be far more convenient for the organizations. The analysis of Beer and Nohria (13-23) outlines the two mindsets of managers in dealing with the change. These mindsets are formulated as Theory E and Theory O by Beer and Nohria (13-23). Those managers who have the mindset of Theory E, investigates the Economic value of everything which they find in the organization’s culture. These managers toil hard to maximize the wealth of shareholder as their ultimate goal of success. On the contrary, Theory O believers have the standpoint of developing the capabilities of the organization. If the combined effects of both these theories are analyzed, these effects are closely related to the sixth step of Kotter (4-12) which involves short-tem wins.