Write up Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Write up - Essay Example fasalt and marble schiet which according to Erickson were formed through heat and pressure that made them to melt miles below the sea level (Erickson 59). The rain energy played a leading role in transporting these grains. The age of this fountain formation is 300 million years and its height is approximately 10000 feet high. At the Morrinson, there were the lyons and lykins formations that were formed about 251 million years ago. With respect to color the formations comprise of green, gray and maroon clay stone as well as mudstone. This formation was necessitated by movement and deposition of grains. There is also the presence of fossil deposits including dinosaur bones. This is exemplified by their wavy layers of muddy limestone that is indicative of stromatolites. The movement of the grains is attributed to rain energy that is also responsible for the weathering process. Their size according to Erickson is 400 feet thick (Erickson 59). With respect to the period of formation, it is a bit difficult to tell because this is largely depended on the kind of sediment carried in suspension as well as how well this is deposited. A walk through the Dakota formation offered useful insights regarding sandstone formation. In this, there was a continuity of various sandstone beds located at distinct spots along the road. Also, there were different sedimentary structures. These variations in the layers imply that the process of formation is continuous and not static. Notably, each layer was formed during a specific period with the bottommost layer having been formed earlier than the topmost layer. This shows that the process of deposition is continuous and being experienced even today. This is because the rain energy that necessitated previous depositions is still being experienced in the region. This structure also offers useful information about the deposition rate experienced in distinctive years. Notably, the layers differ considerably in size. This shows that the

Google Car Essay Example for Free

Google Car Essay Google Car: In the paper, the point of view will be Google’s. Questions that will be answered in the paper including but not limited to the economical and technical viability for Google to produce Google car in a large scale, reasons that Google will succeed or fail, the best strategy for Google to adopt. For the industry analysis, Porter’s five forces (Appendix 1) will be used to explore the environment of the automobile industry and if Google will be able to enter the industry and produce automobiles on its own. The financials of Google will also be analyzed to prove if it is economically capable of investing enough capitals in the system and manufacturing automobiles. A SWOT analysis and discussion of the competitive advantages of Google will also be included to examine the internal capability of Google. Since the idea of a Google Car was introduced, the reviews have been polarized. here are plenty of positive comments about Google Car. Google’s strong and enormous database, especially data on maps is greatly applauded and trusted to be useful and essential in developing the driverless car. On the other hand, there are skeptics who question Google’s ability to produce the automobiles because car building requires certain expertise that Google does not have. In addition, pressures from automobile manufactures, unions and insurance companies might hinder the certain legislations of manufacturing driverless cars to be approved by Congress. The actions that Google should take to rebut the doubts that public and critics have about the functions, utility, safety, etc. about the car will also suggested in the paper. The most crucial question that the paper will try to answer is what is the optimal strategy that Google should do with Google Car. There are many possible outcomes including allying with an automobile manufacturer, purchasing a manufacturer, selling the technology of its driverless car system to interested manufacturers. All three strategies will be discussed and one final solution will be suggested for Google. Sources: 1. Muller, Joann. â€Å"Will Google Kill The Auto Industry? No, And Heres Why†. Forbes.com, January 25th, 2013. Accessed April 2nd,2013. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=00fae55e-c3c5-4b78-bd6e-326f38265257%40sessionmgr10vid=2hid=23bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bthAN=85142822 2. Academic Minds (2012). Automotive Industry Analysis-GM,DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, Ford, Honda. Accessed November 27th, 2012 from: http://academicmind.com/unpublishedpapers/business/management/2004-11-000aaa-automotive-industry-analysis.html 3. IBIS World (2012). IBIS World-Car and Automotive Manaufacturing. Accessed November 26th, 2012. http://clients1.ibisworld.com/reports/us/industry/default.aspx?entid=826 4. Investopedia (2012). The Industry Handbook: Automobiles. Accessed November 26th, 2012. http://www.investopedia.com/features/industryhandbook/automobile.asp#axzz2D0aOFEIL 5. Helft, Miguel, â€Å"Larry Page looks ahead†. Fortune, 00158259, 1/14/2013, Vol. 167, Issue 1. Accessed on March 29th, 2013. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=dac8d930-8af3-40fa-91e3-71f73362d61a%40sessionmgr111vid=2hid=121bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bthAN=85623367 6. Brown, Alan S. â€Å"Google’s Autonomous car applies lessons learned from driverless races†. Mechanical Engineering. Feb. 2011. Accessed 29th March,2013 http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=405dc68c-19c8-4554-addd-6e6b7371c8fa%40sessionmgr11vid=6hid=10 7. Higgins, Tim. â€Å"Will driverless cars become the new road rage?† Bloomberg Businessweek. December 1st, 2011. Accessed on 1st April. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/will-driverless-cars-become-the-new-road-rage-12012011.html 8. Brown, Jerry. â€Å"California legalizes driverless cars† Electronics Weekly. October, 2012. Accessed 1st April. 2013. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=405dc68c-19c8-4554-addd-6e6b7371c8fa%40sessionmgr11vid=5hid=10bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bthAN=82337032 9. Knapp, Alex. â€Å"Nevada passes regulations for driverless cars†. February, 2012. Accessed 1st April. 2013 http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=405dc68c-19c8-4554-addd-6e6b7371c8fa %40sessionmgr11vid=5hid=10bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bthAN=71870057 Appendix 1: Preliminary Industry Analysis A. Competitive dynamics within the industry The automobile manufacturing industry t is often considered as an oligopoly, where there is a medium to high industry concentration and only a handful of key players exist: Toyota, General Motors, Ford Motor, Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group and Honda (IBIS World 2012). â€Å"Automakers compete primarily on the basis of price, fuel economy, reliability, styling and utility† (IBIS World 2012). B. Bargaining power of suppliers Due to the numerous parts that are required to produce an automobile, there are many suppliers in the supplying business and they are quite segmented, thus the bargaining power of suppliers in the automobile industry is extremely low. C. Bargaining power of customers In the automobile industry, customers hold medium amount of power. Consumers account for a significant or almost all of the industry’s outputs and revenues, and there is low cost involved in switching, the companies have to accommodate their tastes and needs. There are numerous factors that can alter their buying decision: brands, appearances, quality, functions, environmental effects and prices. Due to different demographics of the consumers, the manufacturers have to produce various models with people’s different needs. D. Threat of New Entrants The threat of new entrants is low because there are high barriers to enter the industry. First of all, in order to be able to compete in the automobile industry, a company has to produce massively to achieve large economies of scales to make products accessible and competitive, and since it requires enormous amount of specialized and sophisticated capitals and manufacturing facilities and experienced workforce to mass-produce, there is a huge amount of upfront cost (Academic Minds 2012). In addition, not only the manufacturing startup cost is high, the cost of research and development View as multi-pages

Leaders Born Or Made Theology Religion Essay

Leaders Born Or Made Theology Religion Essay Many ask the question, are leaders born or made. Vince Lombardi stated leaders arent born, they are made. They are made by hard effort, which is the price all of us must pay to achieve any goal which is worthwhile. His quote suggests individuals are not born with the skills, gifts, or expertise needed to be a leader but with hard work, education, and experience an individual can become a leader. Aubrey Malphurs suggested leaders can be born and made. In her book, Being Leaders, Aubrey Malphurs (2003) speaks of a leaders possession of God giving capabilities (innate traits or abilities) and developmental capabilities (knowledge, skills, and emotions) and how combined they make up the leaders total capabilities (pp. 75-87). Malphurs book speaks mainly leadership in the church, but the information provided can be applied to any context. She defined leadership and built upon that definition by addressing the various components that comprise leadership. Several audits were provided to allow me to determine my strengths and weaknesses in relation to leadership. This leadership audit analysis is a summary of the results from the audits and inventories taken. Christian Leader Audit Christian leaders are Christian leaders outside of as well as inside the Christian community (Malphurs, 2003, p.13). A Christian leader can work in any context. They are able to guide, direct, and influence other individuals or groups in accomplishing a desired goal while bringing glory to God. Malphurs (2003) discussed eight core distinctives of Christian leadership, the second being committed to Christ. The Christian leader audit evaluates the strength of an individual as a Christian leader by assessing their level of trust, commitment, and faith in Christ. I scored a nine which indicates I am a strong Christian leader. The church and Christianity have been a major part of my life. I have a trusted relationship with Christ, I am committed, the Bible is the source of truth for everything that I believe, and I try my best each and every day to display Godly character. Servant leadership is something I try to display in the workplace and the church. In order to practice servant leadership, you must be willing to serve. As a leader I am willing to help out in any way that I can. An area that I continue to pursue growth in is leading by the power of the Holy Spirit. I want to increase my reliance on Him in leading and guiding my workers as we strive to be a better unit and in our work with families and children. I want to be sure all I do is to glorify God so that I my workers will see the Godly character in me and strive to do the same. Let your light so shine before me, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 5:16, KJV). Servant Leadership Servant leadership is the humble service of others based on our love for them (Malphurs, 2003, p. 34). One of our purposes in life is to serve God by serving others, because by serving others we are serving God. Servant hood requires us to be humble, selfless servants who seek to help others with love. The servant leader audit evaluates an individuals level of servant hood. I scored a 23 and my score indicates I am a strong servant. I entered the social work field because of my strong desire to help people. I get satisfaction from seeing families eliminate the barriers hindering them from improving their situations and ensuring children are placed in safe, nurturing, environments. In completing this assessment I found majority of the statements to be true. Malphurs (2003) mentioned four characteristics of a servant leader: humility, service, focus on others, and love (p. 34). In my work as a supervisor I truly believe I display all four characteristics. Humility is very important to me in leadership. I have never been fond of leaders who exploit their authority. I work with fellow supervisors who are quick to call attention to the fact that they are the supervisor, even outside the workplace. As a supervisor, I want my workers to be comfortable coming to me and not see me as a domineering individual but as someone they can trust and depend on to help them out. Some areas I want to continue to progress in as a se rvant leader are bringing out the best in others and to lead in such a way that people see me as someone who is willing to help others become all that God wants them to be. For we are Gods handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good work, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10. NIV). Credibility Leaders must conduct themselves in ways that let people see them as credible or trustworthy. The credibility of a leader consists of having a unity between ideas, promises, actions, and achieving. Malphurs (2003) spoke of eight ingredients that contribute in various ways to building leadership credibility: character, competence, clarity of direction, communication, conviction, courage, composure, and care (pp. 56-66). The credibility audit determines the strength of the leaders credibility by examining the eight ingredients mentioned by Malphurs. I scored an eleven which shows I have high leadership credibility. Credibility or trustworthiness is very important to me. Credibility can make or break you especially as a leader. There is a saying, if youre going to talk the talk you have to walk the walk, which simply means back up what you say with action or do what you say you are going to do. As a supervisor, my workers are constantly watching what I do, listening to what I say, and determining if I have done what I said I was going to do. I communicate with my workers about what is happening and they trust me to be truthful and to share things with them. They know that I truly have their best interests at heart. They also understand there are some things, as a leader, I may not be able to share with them due to confidentiality. As I read the credible leader chapter of Malphurs book, I found that I must realize as a leader I will make mistakes and it is okay. I have always been a person who seeks perfection in all that I do. I want to do my best in whatever task I set out to tackle. Malphurs (2003) stated even the best leaders make mistakes (p. 67). Although we may make mistakes that can affect our credibility, we must realize there are steps that can be taken to regain it. Admitting the mistake, accepting consequences, and acting to correct the situation will allow us to regain trust and credibility when it is lost. Spiritual gifts All Christians possess a spiritual gift that is to be used to glorify God and to build up His kingdom. Many are not aware of their spiritual gifts or may feel they dont have one. Malphurs (2003) defines a spiritual gift as a unique, God given ability for service (p. 77). The spiritual gift inventory allows the leader to identify the gifts they were given and suggest ministries in which they may be effective. My highest scoring gifts were faith, giving, help, mercy, and administration. I found the spiritual gift inventory to be interesting and I was anxious to see my highest scoring gifts. Honestly, initially I was concerned that leadership was not higher on my list because I currently serve in a leadership role. As I reflected on my higher scoring gifts I realized that these gifts are essential for great leadership. My highest score was the gift of faith. I truly seek to grow in this area daily. I have learned through various trials and tribulations that there are many things beyond my control and total dependence on God is the only way to endure and progress. I find myself striving to do things in the will of God. Giving and helping were also high scoring spiritual gifts in my inventory. The spiritual gift of help would explain the strong desire I have always had to go into a profession in which I would be able to help others. My current job allows me to help individuals in various ways. I am able to help those who cant have children foster or adopt and help those who had their children removed from their home to get the services they need to be reunified with their families. I find great joy in my job. I would also consider myself a giver of money, time, and talent. Ive noticed that even in my season of struggling financially God continues to bless me to be a lender and not a borrower. In the giving of my time, I am a very loyal and dependable person. If I say I am going to do something, unless some extenuating circumstances arise I will do just that. Mercy was another high scorer. I believe it corresponds with the desire to help others and being a giver. As an individual who possess the spir itual gift of mercy, I am genuinely sympathetic, empathetic, and compassionate about others and how they feel. Natural gifts A natural gift, or talent, is an inherited or natural ability to do something. Unlike spiritual gifts, natural gifts can be possessed by believers and nonbelievers and usually given at birth. Natural gifts can be flourished with practice and training, but spiritual gifts can only flourish as we grow in God. The natural gifts and abilities indicator allowed me to observe the vocations and occupations that I have the strongest interest in. The highest vocational interests were social work and teaching and the occupational interests were social worker, teacher, and counselor. Teaching has been an interest of mine since I was a little girl. I vividly remember playing school with my doll babies and my chalkboard. I obtained an Associates degree in Early Childhood and transferred to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington to obtain my Bachelors. An assignment for one of my courses was to go to a local school and work with a youth one on one who was having difficulty. This experience allowed me to see that teaching in a classroom was not for me. It was discovered the child had ADHD. To see the child initially display the behaviors associated with the disorder and then to see him slow down to the point that he couldnt function a whole day at school and had to leave at 12:00 every day was too overwhelming. I realized that I would have a class of approximately 20 children and there would be children with ADHD and etc. that I would not be able to give that one on one attention to. Even though this experience led me to obtaining my Bachelors in Psychology a nd enter into the field of social work, I still have the opportunity to teach. I train individuals who are interested in being foster and adoptive parents and I love it. I truly believe I have a natural gift to teach or train. A natural talent I possess that was not mentioned in the natural gifts and abilities indicator is the gift of budgeting. In my current position as foster care supervisor I have to manage money on a daily basis. The gift indicator allowed me to see that I am using my natural talents everyday in my current field of work. Passion Passion refers to a strong emotion about something. Malphurs (2003) states passion focuses on what the leader feels strongly and cares deeply about (p.78). Individuals motivated by passion and desire tend to be more satisfied in their jobs. This satisfaction could lead to better job performance and less stress. The passion audit allows an individual to identify their passions. My passion appears to be the strong desire to help others, particularly children. My passion for helping others, especially children, gives me great satisfaction in the job that I do. The protection of children from physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and dependency is my motivation. My goal in this field is to ensure that a child resides in a loving, nurturing, and safe environment. I am there to help and assist the parents and caretakers who are not able to provide such an environment due to barriers. I do believe there are times when an individuals desire to do something is diminished because of restraints. For example, as social workers in the child protective services unit, we have a passion for protecting children and helping families seek the resources they need to provide a safe environment. However, sometimes we seem to get so bogged down with the paperwork and other tedious aspects of the job that our passion seems to dwindle away. The paperwork is definitely necessary but sometimes overwhelming. We have a huge turnover rate because people come to wor k in the field to help others but find there is much more required that they did not necessarily think the position entailed (court involvement, documentation, paperwork/forms, and etc.). I sometimes find myself getting so caught up in the logistics that I tend to forget what motivates me to do what I do. My passion is to help others, especially children. Character Audit Character, referred to as soul work, is the sum total of a persons distinct qualities, good and bad that reflect who he or she is and affects what he or she does (Malphurs, 2003, p.80). The manner in which an individual interacts with and treats others displays who they are. A persons character can also be determined by the way they react or respond to situations. The womens character audit for ministry determines the overall strength of the leaders character. I scored a 21 indicating I am a leader of strong character who will prove credible to followers. A saying goes, you measure a persons character by how they act when no one is watching, and by the choices they make when they believe no one will ever know (Myatt, 2009). As a leader and an individual I seek to uphold a character that portrays my morals, beliefs, values, and knowledge, skills, and emotions. This is an area I continue to develop in. I have recently been experiencing some suffering in my personal life, suffering that I have seen tear others down. But God has allowed me to continue to grow and build my character and trust in Him. As a believer in Christ I know suffering will come and it comes to build our character and relationship with god. Suffering brings about patience, patience creates character and character brings about hope. I have found the experience of suffering is Gods way of showing is how we react in situations, which shows us where our heart really is. This experience can show us where we need to seek guidance and growth. Our character consists of our hu mility, passion, credibility, knowledge, skills, and so much more. Â  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV). Conclusion Leaders are born and made. There are some God given capabilities (spiritual and natural gifts) that leaders receive at birth or when they are born again in Christ that can bring strength to a leadership role. Malphurs (2003) states a leaders gifts provide them with special abilities needed to carry out their ministry so leasers would be wise to know what their spiritual and natural gifts are and what gifts are needed to lead in their specific area of service (p.78). Leaders also possess God given capabilities they werent born with and that can be improved over time. Malphurs 92003) named at least four developed capabilities a leader must possess: character, knowledge, skills, and emotions (p. 80). Malphurs book, Being Leaders, allowed me to conclude you dont have to be born a leader. Leaders can be made with hard work, increased knowledge, skills, and with faith in God. The audits and inventories allowed me to assess my strengths and weaknesses in leadership. The information obtained will enable me to build upon my strengths and continue to develop my weaknesses. The gifts or talents the Lord blessed me with at birth (passion to work with children and the temperament) enabled me to lead in my current workplace and the skills, knowledge, and training I have received and continue to receive has allowed me to become more effective.

M-16 :: essays research papers

The development of the M16 rifle began with the research conducted at John Hopkins University in September of 1955. Research was conducted to question infantrymen, who fought in Korea, about their battle experiences as they pertain to firing their weapon. It was found that 95% of their firing was within 300 yards. Also, there were just as many lethal hits from un-aimed shoots as from aimed ones (it so happens that most of the interviewed were soldiers of the US Army, which may explain the inaccuracy). This information led the military to the conclusion that a .22 caliber rifle capable of selective fire would be most conducive to current battle tactics. The small caliber provides more control, and selective fire would enable a soldier to better control their RPM. With this information the military went to Eugene Stoner, a Marine Corps Veteran who started to design rifles after being decommissioned, and asked him if he was interested in designing a weapon based on their research. This was one of the better decisions that Uncle Sam made; get a Marine to make a rifle that even Army boys can shoot. The requirements for the new weapon were that it had to weight less than 6 pounds loaded, it had to be a .22 caliber, it had to be selective fire capable and it had to be able to penetrate a steel helmet out to 500 meters. The rifle the military was using up to that date, the M14, was a heavy, .308 caliber, selective fire capable rifle. The benefits of a large caliber like the .308 NATO, which are longer range and greater penetration, were no,longer needed for close combat. The rifle has actually some major disadvantages (other than the fact that it weighed about as much as a bicycle). Due to its large caliber, when fired in full-automatic mode, the rifle recoils so much, that only the first one or two bullets hit the target. Secondly, the large caliber means that the ammunition itself is quite heavy and large compared to an M16 round. This proved to be very heavy for the individual carrying the weapon. Its large size and heavy weight make it difficult for soldiers to use during combat situations. The M-14 isn’t all bad, though, it could literally blow somone’s head off, if you could hit him. It was very popular among soldiers due to its great reliability, It could be compared to an old t ruck; loud, powerful, but damn hard to live with.

Applying Social Anthropology to Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily

Literature has always served as a great resource for documenting the past. Despite its fictional qualities, its ability to represent people of a specific generation makes it a valuable instrument to help social anthropologists characterize societies.In particular, William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily provides details about the Southern American people in the early 1900s. Reflecting on the story’s characterization and angle of narration, readers can easily come up with a view of Southern people’s attitudes and values.Certain attitudes and values are reflected in the story as it focuses on a single major character, Miss Emily Grierson. Born in an aristocratic family in the early 1900s, Miss Emily is bound to submit to strict family rules and traditions that her society imposes, one of which is giving utmost respect to her father, who raises her up on his own.Pictured as a woman with very strong attachment and dependence on her father, Miss Emily finds it too difficu lt to move on after the death of the old man. Such implies the importance the Southerners gave their family, especially their parents, but also reveals the drawbacks of authoritarian parenthood practiced in those times.With her father as her only guide, Emily is treated with preciosity (West 193). This makes her believe that she is different from other girls, and that no man truly deserves her. This mindset greatly affects the way she relates with others, especially with men. Her father’s restriction on her, which is mainly due to the social standing they try to maintain, severely affects Miss Emily’s view of life and relationship.As the story suggests, preciosity leads to a psychological imbalance, which is made worse by the loss of her father. Her refusal to bury her father, her murder of Homer, and the years she spent sleeping with the latter’s cadaver suggest a distorted mentality and family orientation.In Littler (cited in Akers), Faulkner himself expressed sympathy towards his character. This explains the reason why he created Miss Emily’s character.Having observed the effects of aristocratic family system, Faulkner attempts to make his readers feel ridiculous about Miss Emily’s fate, thus implying the need to revisit certain family values practiced during his time. However, while his attempt to provide social criticism may arouse sympathy towards women like Miss Emily, it may also cause readers to ridicule the characters and the society they live in considering the story’s angle of narration.Narrated by limited-seeing narrator, the story suggests bias on the part of Miss Emily and even the townspeople. Beginning with the protagonist’s funeral, the narrator may be assumed to be of younger age than Miss Emily. If the story begins with Miss Emily’s childhood, readers may be led to believe that the narrator is Miss Emily’s contemporary. However, since it highlights not only the funeral but also the gothic elements (Littler, cited in Akers) in Miss Emily’s life, one may be inclined to believe that a lesser attachment exists between the narrator and the main character, despite Faulkner’s expression of sympathy towards women like Miss Emily.As the narrator comments, Miss Emily has been â€Å"a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town.† This statement supports the view that more than sympathy, Miss Emily’s character is looked upon with contempt and ridicule. Notably, the narrator highlights events leading to Miss Emily’s fall and the town’s discovery of her insanity. The respect that the people once had is suddenly lost along with the death of her father.This means that the people paid respect to Miss Emily and made her a â€Å"duty and a hereditary obligation† owing to what her father has done for the people, and not because of the way she conducts herself in society or how people feel genera lly about others. Although divided into five parts, the story presents three timelines namely, the remote past, the immediate past and the present. The remote past hints on how Miss Emily is raised in seclusion and is made to believe that no one is worthy of her.The immediate past includes her father’s death, Homer’s disappearance, Miss Emily’s purchase of a rat poison, her refusal to pay land taxes, and the foul smell from her house that the people complain about. These two timelines present ideas that could lead readers to a contemptuous reaction towards Miss Emily’s character. Moreover, the present time where the people find â€Å"a long strand of iron-gray hair† further suggests the anomaly in Miss Emily’s life, making her look more horrible and loathsome.Considering the angle of narration, it is more conclusive that readers would see Miss Emily’s characterization in a negative view. The events leading to her tragic end portray Mi ss Emily in a negative manner, thus soliciting a negative reaction from the readers and implying how the narrator feels about the main character.However, it is equally important to consider that the shift in timelines suggests change in the way people regard Miss Emily. It should be noted that the Old Grierson’s death is what brings Emily to her downfall and the decrease in the amount of respect she gets from the neighbors. This change in the people’s treatment of a once respected figure mirrors the way Southerners value family reputation and tradition.As the narrator reveals, the people respect Miss Emily for what her father has done for the community. Honoring people’s contribution to society is a sign of respect still demonstrated by the Southern American society until now. However, in the case of Miss Emily, questions regarding her morality and seclusion also lead the people to feel otherwise.

How to Improve Your English Pronunciation

How to Improve Your English Pronunciation One of the most important aspects of learning English is pronunciation. Without clear pronunciation, it is difficult to make yourself understood. First, start by learning individual sounds. After that, focus on the music of the language. You might be surprised by the following statement: Pronouncing every word correctly leads to poor pronunciation! Good pronunciation comes from stressing the right words- this is because English is a time-stressed language. In other words, some words- the content words- receive more focus, whereas other words- function words- are less important. Difficulty: Hard Time Required: Varies Here's How to Improve Your Pronunciation: Start by  learning individual sounds. These are called phonemes.  Use minimal pairs to practice individual vowel sounds. Minimal pairs are words in which only one sound changes. For example, pop - pep - pip - pap  changes the vowel sound. Using minimal pairs helps you isolate a sound to really focus on the small changes in sounds between vowels.  Learn pairs of consonants that are voiced and voiceless and practice through minimal pairs. For example,  f / v  the f sound is voiceless and the v voiced. You can recognize the difference between voiced and voiceless by placing a finger on your throat. Voiced sounds vibrate, whereas voiceless sounds do not vibrate. These pairs include: b / p - z / s - d / t - v / f - zh / sh - dj / ch.Learn the difference between pure vowels and diphthongs such as the oi sound in boy or aee sound in tray.  Learn the following rules concerning pronunciation: English is considered a stressed language while many other languages are considered syllabic. In other languages, such as French or Italian, each syllable receives equal importance (there is stress, but each syllable has its own length). English pronunciation focuses on specific stressed words while quickly gliding over the other, non-stressed, words. Stressed words are considered content words: Nouns e.g. kitchen, Peter- (most) principal verbs e.g. visit, construct- Adjectives e.g. beautiful, interesting- Adverbs e.g. often, carefully Non-stressed words are considered function words: Determiners e.g. the, a- Auxiliary verbs e.g. am, were- Prepositions e.g. before, of- Conjunctions e.g. but, and- Pronouns e.g. they, she. Try It for Yourself Read the following sentence aloud: The beautiful mountain appeared transfixed in the distance. Now, read the following sentence aloud: He can come on Sundays as long as he doesnt have to do any homework in the evening. Notice that the first sentence actually takes about the same time to speak well! Even though the second sentence is approximately 30% longer than the first, the sentences take the same time to speak. This is because there are five stressed words in each sentence. Exercise: Write down a few sentences, or take a few example sentences from a book or exercise.First underline the stressed words, then read aloud focusing on stressing the underlined words and gliding over the non-stressed words. Youll be surprised at how quickly your pronunciation improves! By focusing on stressed words, non-stressed words and syllables take on their more muted nature.When listening to native speakers, focus on how those speakers stress certain words and begin to copy this. More Tips toImprove Pronunciation Remember that non-stressed words and syllables are often swallowed in English.Always focus on pronouncing stressed words well, non-stressed words can be glided over.Dont focus on pronouncing each word. Focus on the stressed words in each sentence.