American Literature Questions Essay Example for Free

American Literature Questions Essay 21. The leader of the Irish National Theater Movement in the early 20th century was ______. A. W. B. Yeats B. Lady Gregory C. J. M. Synge D. John Galworthy 22. T. S. Eliots most popular verse play is ______. A. Murder in the Cathedral B. The Cocktail Party C. The Family Reunion D. The Waste Land 23. The American writer ______ was awarded the Nobel Prize for the anti-racist In- truder in the Dust in 1950. A. Ernest Hemingway B. Gertrude Stein C. William Faulkner D. T. S. Eliot 24. Hemingways second big success is ______ , which wrote the epitaph to a decade and to the whole generation in the 1920s, in order to tell us a story about the tragic love affair of a wounded American soldier with a British nurse. A. For Whom the Bell Tolls B. A Farewell to Arms C. The Sun Also Rises D. The Old Man and the Sea 25. With the publication of ______ , Dreiser was launching himself upon a long career that would ultimately make him one of the most significant American writers of the school later known as literary naturalism. A. Sister Carrie B. The Titan C. The Genius D. The Stoic. 26. Henry James is generally regarded as the forerunner of the 20th -century â€Å"stream -of-consciousness†novels and the founder of ______. A. neoclassicism B. psychological realism C. psychoanalytical criticism D. surrealism 27. In 1849, Herman Melville published ______ ,a semi-autobiographical novel, con- cerning the sufferings of a genteel youth among brutal sailors. A. Omoo B. Mardi C. Redburn D. Typee 28. As a sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,______ marks the climax of Mark Twains literary activity. A. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn B. Life on the Mississippi C. The Gilded Age D. Roughing It 29. Realism was a reaction against ______ or a move away from the bias towards romance and self- creating fictions, and paved the way to Modernism. A. Romanticism B. Rationalism C. Post-modernism D. Cynicism 30. When World War II broke out,______ began working for the Italian government, engaged in some radio broadcasts of anti- Semitism and pro- Fascism. A. Ezra Pound B. T. S. Eliot C. Henry James D. Robert Frost 31. In 1915 ______ became a naturalized British citizen, largely in protest against Americas failure to join England in the First World War. A. Henry James B. T. S. Eliot. C. W. D. Howells D. Ezra Pound 32. What Whitman prefers for his new subject and new poetic feelings is â€Å"______ ,† that is, poetry without a fixed beat or regular rhyme scheme. A. blank verse B. free rhythm C. balanced structure D. free verse 33. The American woman poet ______ wanted to live simply as a complete independent being, and so she did, as a spinster. A. Emily Shaw B. Anna Dickinson C. Emily Dickinson D. Anne Bret 34. The Birthmark drives home symbolically ______ point that evil is a mans birthmark, something he was born with. A. Whitmans B. Melvilles C. Hawthornes D. Emersons 35. The Financier ,The Titan and The Stoic written by ______ are called his â€Å"Trilogy of Desire†. A. Henry James B. Theodore Dreiser C. Mark Twain D. Herman Melville 36. Disregarding grammar and punctuation,______ always used â€Å"i† instead of â€Å"I† in his poems to show his protest against self-importance. A. Wallace Stevens B. Ezra Pound C. Robert Frost D. E. E. Cummings 37. Though Robert Frost is generally considered a regional poet whose subject matters mainly focus on the landscape and people in ______ , he wrote many poems that investigate the basic themes of mans life in his long poetic career. A. the west B. the south C. New England D. Alaska 38. Most critics have agreed that Fitzgerald is both an insider and an outsider of ______ with a double vision. A. the Gilded Age B. the Rational Age C. the Jazz Age D. the Magic Age 39. In the American Romantic writings,______ came to function almost as a dramatic character that symbolized moral law. A. fire B. water C. trees D. wilderness 40. The desire for an escape from society and a return to ______ became a permanent convention of the American literature. A. the family life B. nature C. the ancient time D. fantasy of love 21. The Renaissance marks a transition from ______ to the modern world. A. the old English B. the medieval C. the feudalist D. the capitalist 22. The great political and social events in the English society of neoclassical period were the following EXCEPT ______. A. the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660 B. the Great Plague of 1665 C. the Great London Fire in 1666 D. the Wars of Roses in 1689 23. With the scarlet letter A as the biggest symbol of all, ______ proves himself to be one of the best symbolists. A. Hawthorne B. Dreiser C. James D. Faulkner 24. The author of Leaves of Grass , a giant of American letters, is ______. A. Faulkner B. Dreiser C. James D. Whitman 25. In Tender is the Night, ______ traces the decline of a young American psychiatrist whose marriage to a beautiful and wealthy patient drains his personal energies and corrodes his professional career. A. Dreiser B. Faulkner C. Fitzgerald D. Jack London 26. Melville is best known as the author of his mighty book, ________, which is one of the world’ s greatest masterpieces. A. Song of Myself B. Moby Dick C. The Marble Faun D. Mosses from an Old Manse 27. The theme of Henry James’ essay â€Å"______† clearly indicates that the aim of the novel is to present life, so it is not surprising to find in his writings human experiences explored in every possible form. A. The American B. The Europeans C. The Art of Fiction D. The Golden Bowl 28. During WWI, ______ served as an honorable junior officer in the American Red Cross Ambulance Corps and in 1918 was severely wounded in both legs. A. Anderson B. Faulkner C. Hemingway D. Dreiser 29. In order to protest against America’ s failure to join England in WWI, ______ became a naturalized British citizen in 1915. A. William Faulkner B. Henry James C. Earnest Hemingway D. Ezra Pound 30. Robert Frost described ______as â€Å"a book of people,† which shows a brilliant insight into New England character and the background that formed it. A. North of Boston B. A Boy’s Will C. A Witness Tree D. A Further Range 31. We can easily find in Dreiser’ s fiction a world of jungle, and ______ found expression in almost every book he wrote. A. naturalism B. romanticism C. transcendentalism D. cubism 32. As an active participant of his age, Fitzgerald is often acclaimed literary spokesman of the ______. A. Jazz Age B. Age of Reason C. Lost Generation D. Beat Generation 33. From the first novel Sister Carrie on, Dreiser set himself to project the American values for what he had found them to be: ______ to the core. A. altruistic B. political C. religious D. materialistic 34. The 20th -century stream- of- consciousness technique was frequently and skillfully used by ______ to emphasize the reactions and inner musings of the narrator. A. Hemingway B. Frost C. Faulkner D. Whitman 35. With the help of his friends Phil Stone and Sherwood Anderson, ______ published a volume of poetry The Marble Faun and his first novel Soldiers’ Pay. A. Faulkner B. Hemingway C. Ezra Pound D. Fitzgerald 36. The Sun Also Rises casts light on a whole generation after WWI and the effects of the war by way of a vivid portrait of â€Å"______. † A. the Beat Generation B. the Lost Generation C. the Babybooming Age D. the Jazz Age 37. Within her little lyrics Dickinson addresses those issues that concern ______, which include religion, death, immorality, love and nature. A. the whole human beings B. the frontiers C. the African Americans D. her relatives 38. H. L. Mencken, a famous American critic, considered ______ â€Å"the true father of our national literature. † A. Hamlin Garland B. Joseph Kirkland C. Mark Twain D. Henry James 39. In his poetry, Whitman shows concern for ______ and the burgeoning life of cities. A. the colonists B. the capitalists C. the whole hard -working people D. the intellectuals 40. In 1837, ______ published Twice Told Tales, a collection of short stories which attracted critical attention. A. Emerson B. Melville C. Whitman D. Hawthorne 21. The work ________ by William Blake is a lovely volume of poems, presenting a happy world, though not without its evils and sufferings. A. Songs of Innocence B. Songs of Experience C. Poetical Sketches D. Lyrical Ballads 22. The plays known as â€Å"the Lawrence trilogy† are all the following EXCEPT ________. A. A Collier’ s Friday Night B. Lady Chatterley’ s Lover C. The Daughter in Law D. The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyed 23. Greatly and permanently affected by the ________ experiences, Hemingway formed his own writing style, together with his theme and hero. A. mining B. farming C. war D. sailing 24. â€Å"The dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only one -eighth of it being above water. † This â€Å"iceberg† analogy about prose style was put forward by ________. A. William Faulkner B. Henry James C. Ernest Hemingway D. F ·Scott Fitzgerald. 25. In Go Down, Moses, ________ illuminates the problem of black and white in Southern society as a close- knit destiny of blood brotherhood. A. William Faulkner B. Jack London C. Herman Melville D. Nathaniel Hawthorne 26. In Death in the Afternoon ________ presents his philosophy about life and death through the depiction of the bullfight as a kind of microcosmic tragedy. A. William Faulkner B. Jack London C. Ernest Hemingway D. Mark Twain 27. William Faulkner once said that ________ is a story of â€Å"lost innocence,† which proves itself to be an intensification of the theme of imprisonment in the past. A. The Great Gatsby B. The Sound and the Fury C. Absalom, Absalom! D. Go Down, Moses 28. Walt Whitman believed, by means of â€Å"________,† he has turned poetry into an open field, an area of vital possibility where the reader can allow his own imagination to play. A. free verse B. strict verse C. regular rhyming D. standardized rhyming 29. Herman Melville’s second famous work, ________, was not published until 1924, 33 years after his death. A. Pierre B. Redburn C. Moby-Dick D. Billy Budd 30. In 1920, ________ published his first novel This Side of Paradise which was, to some extent, his own story. A. F ·Scott Fitzgerald B. Ernest Hemingway C. William Faulkner D. Emily Dickinson 31. Unlike his contemporaries in the early 20th century, ________ did not break up with the poetic tradition nor made any experiment on form. A. Walt Whitman B. Robert Frost C. Ezra Pound D. T. S. Eliot 32. While Mark Twain seemed to have paid more attention to the â€Å"life† of the Americans, ________ had apparently laid a greater emphasis on the â€Å"inner world† of man. A. William Howells B. Henry James C. Bret Harte D. Hamlin Garland 33. At the age of eighty -seven, ________ read his poetry at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy in 1961. A. Robert Frost B. Walt Whitman C. Ezra Pound D. T. S. Eliot 34. Of all Herman Melville’s sea adventure stories, ________ proves to be the best. A. Typee B. Redburn C. Moby – DickD. Omoo 35. Man is a â€Å"victim of forces over which he has no control. † This is a notion held strongly by ________. A. Robert Frost B. Theodore Dreiser C. Henry James D. Hamlin Garland 36. With the publication of ________, Theodore Dreiser was launching himself upon a long career that would ultimately make him one of the most significant American writers of the school later known as literary naturalism. A. Sister Carrie B. The Titan C. An American Tragedy D. The Stoic 37. Nathaniel Hawthorne was affected by ________’s transcendentalist theory and struck up a very intimate relationship with him. A. H. W. Longfellow B. Walt Whitman C. R. W. Emerson D. Washington Irving 38. Among the following writers ________ is generally regarded as the forerunner of the 20th -century â€Å"stream of consciousness† novels and the founder of psychological realism. A. T. S. Eliot B. James Joyce C. William Faulkner D. Henry James 39. Walt Whitman wrote down a great many poems to air his sorrow for the death of President ______, and one of the famous is â€Å"When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’ d. † A. Washington B. Lincoln C. Franklin D. Kennedy 40. The Marble Faun by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a romance set in______, is concerned about the dark aberrations of the human spirit. A. France B. Spain C. England D. Italy [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic]

The concepts of Leadership and Management

The concepts of Leadership and Management In recent years, there has been ongoing debate as to whether or not there is an obvious distinction between the concepts of Leadership and Management (McCartney Campbell, 2006).Although leadership and management are vital to organisations many theorist argue that both terms are profoundly different and that both exist as two separate entities (Bennis Nanus ,2003; Hughes, Ginnett Curphy ,2002; Shriberg, Shriberg Kumari, 2005 ; Zaleznik, 1977, cited by McCartney Campbell, 2006 ). Bennis Nanus (2003) argues that managing is to bring about, to accomplish, to have charge of or responsibility for and to conduct, whereas leading is to influence and provide direction (p.20). Bennis Nanus (2003) asserts that Managers are people who do things right and leaders are people who do the right things (p.20). Hence, the connotation can be interpreted as an association between efficiency and effectiveness, vision and rational and finally innovation and logic (Sampson Daft, 2009). Although Benn is Nanus (2003) statement is mostly true there appears to be an indistinguishable region, due to the fact that leading is considered as one of the four functions of management and that leaders occasionally use certain managerial skills to achieve personal and organisational goals. This essay will provide linkages between theoretical arguments of both Leadership and Management first by providing a theoretical definition on both terms followed by a well developed argument on the basis of whether or not both terms are distinct or that one paradigm is a subset of the other (Koontz, 1964, as cited in McCartney Campbell, 2006). Numerous management texts often define management as a set of activities directed at an organisations resources with the aim of achieving organisational goals in an efficient and effective manner (Griffin, 2002, p.7, as cited in McCartney Campbell, 2006). Sampson Daft (2009) describe leadership as the ability to influence people to the attainment of organisational goals through interpersonal relationships that co-exists between leaders and followers. Colvard (2003) argues that although managers provide leadership and vice versa, managers do not perform the unique functions of leaders. Similarly, Bennis Nanus (2003) emphasised that leaders generally carried out a different organisational purpose than that of managers, as leaders required different sets of skills to meet organisational goals. In contradiction to Colvard and Bennis Nanuss statements , Caldwell (2003) claims that in current times innovation is as much essential in management as in leadership, as managers no longer pe rform their traditional role of directing and controlling work procedures but act more often as facilitators (Kirton 1980; Kanter 1989) . In recent years there has been much written on the difference between leadership and management (Sampson Daft, 2009). One of the many viewpoints suggested is that both management and leadership require distinct skill sets that vary from one another to such a degree that they are unlikely to become uniform (Zaleznik, 1977, cited in McCartney and Campbell, 2006). Often the Distinctions between management and leadership are associated with power, personal history, motivation and even empowerment. Contemporary leadership texts maintain their position in regards to the differences argued between both concepts, with references to Benniss quote. An alternative notion on leadership and management is that one paradigm is a subset of the other, therefore signifying the ability of an individual to possess both leadership and managerial skills. Koontz (1964) implied that managers possess leadership skills even though it accounts for small fraction in the functions of a manager. In contrast, Bennis and Nanus (1985) considered leadership as being the most comprehensive concept of the two by presenting it as the preferred alternative to management. Many other theorists believe that leadership and management are complimentary skill sets that are both necessary for organisational success (Kotter, 1990). Russells (2001) described individuals who possessed both sets of skills as leader-manager. As there are many perspectives, it appears that the debate concerning whether leadership and management skills are distinct interpersonally or whether they can coexist intrapersonally has not yet been fully resolved (Yukl, 2002). Both Zaleznik (1998) and Kotter (1990) emphasises that leadership and management may be similar and yet very distinct. Managers set up and account for whereas leaders establish direction. Managers control while leaders motivate. Managers produce high standards and consistency in a specified timeframe. Leaders produce the potential for dramatic change and possibly even failure (Kotter, 1990). The vast amount of research on the issue of the difference between the concepts and leadership and management indicate that leaders manage and sometimes managers lead (Bass, 1990). There is more to leadership than managing and vice versa as leadership is a small quantity in the functions of managment. Leaders and managers may be differentiated by attitudes, goals and values. Generally many leadership theorists argue that the functions of leaders and managers are theoretically different .However the two concepts occasionally blended, but act as two different functions. Kotter (1995) distinguishes management as the process by carrying out structured procedures and policies as method of dealing with change. The main difference argued in the distinction between leaders and managers is related to source of power and the amount of conformity it creates within the followers (Sampson Daft, 2009). Sampson Daft (2009) classify power as the ability to influence the behaviour of others (Mintzberg, 1983; Pfeffer, 1981) (p.554). In general there are five sources of power, legitimate, reward, coercive, expert and referent, which can subsequently be further divided to position and personal power (French Raven, 1960, as cited in Sampson Daft 2009). Management power comes from organisational structure by promoting stability and resolving problems in order to fulfill their task and achieve organisational goals (Zaleznik 1977; Sampson Daft 2009).leadership power, however , comes from the personal sources and interests of the leader (Sampson Daft 2009) .Legitimacy of managers depends upon employee acceptance, whereas legitimacy of a leader depends on the reception of their subordinates (Bass 1990). The great man theory focuses on leaders who have achieved a level of greatness (Kakabadse and Kakabadse, 1999). This theory presumes that a great man or individual possess the essential skills to perform as a leader. Many theorist have investigated the behaviour of leaders and how this impacts on leadership effectiveness (Yukl, 2006), the function of leadership (Shamir, 1995), as well as on contingency approaches (Baker, 2007; Fiedler, 1967). It is believed that the behaviour of a leader, rather than their personal traits determines leadership effectiveness as well as the overall achievement of organisational goals (Sampson Daft, 2009). The focus of recent research has shifted from personality traits toward the behaviour displayed by leaders. Different patterns of behaviour were grouped together and labeled as styles. The best known theory was Blake and Moutons leadership Grid .The leadership grid measured a leaders concern for people and the task at hand. the model consist of five major management styles; team management whereby set tasks are accomplished by committed workers. Secondly Club style management is when the primary focus is shifted from being task oriented to worker orientated. Authority compliance management happens when the primary focus is on efficiency in operations/productions. Middle of the road management is a style that reflects an even amount of concern on the task at hand as well as the concern for the works. Lastly , Impoverished management occurs when managers arent concerned with the task as well as the workers, taking a laissez- faire approach . This theoretical approach is often effectiv e in allowing managers to consider different actions or methods in reaching organisational goals.   In contrast, contingency leadership theories focus on the application and effectiveness of leadership styles to the different operating environments that can be found in the workplace (Sampson Daft, 2009). The contingency approach assumes the leadership behaviour is dependent on a wide variety of chance events or situations. This approach is used to identify the conditions of a task, managerial job and person as parts of a complete management situation and attempt to integrate them all into a solution which is most appropriate for a specific circumstance (Sampson Daft, 2009). Frederick Fiedlers contingency model emphasises the importance on leadership style, position power and the situation in which that leader operates. Fiedler associates the effectiveness of a leader as by assessing group situations. Fred Fiedlers Contingency Model also expects that the success of leaders will depend upon their characteristics (Sampson Daft, 2009). Path- Goal theory concentrates on leaders providing rewards individual accomplishment of objectives by illustratively providing a path to the achievement goals and the removement of barriers.   There are four primary styles of leadership styles in the path- goal theory. Firstly is supportive leadership occurs when leaders sympathises with the workers needs. Directive leadership is the situation in which leaders set out the performance goals by providing specific guidelines to allow subordinates towards the achievement of organisational goals. Thirdly, achievement oriented leadership occurs when leaders emphasises the importance of achievement of difficult tasks whereby employees are awarded according to their achievements .lastly participative leadership occurs when leaders consult with sub ordinates about work and the path in which to take to resolve problems. Leaders should adopt a style with which they complement the organisational situation to ensure that both the work is compl eted within the set period of time. Recent work on leadership has begun to distinguish leadership as something more than just the ability to influence and motivate people (Sampson Daft, 2009). Research has found that some leadership approaches are more effective than others. These types of leadership are catogorised as transformational and transactional leadership. Transformational leadership occurs when leaders broaden their horizons in order to fulfill organisational goals and the needs of employees .Burns (1977) argued that it was possible to distinguish between transactional and transforming leaders. Bass (1985) suggested transactional forms can be drawn upon and transformed. Thus, resulting in transformational leadership being efficient in the accomplishment of organisational goals

Reviewing The Novel No Name Woman English Literature Essay

Reviewing The Novel No Name Woman English Literature Essay Kingston and Tan, both of stereotypical immigrant background, use their memories of deceased mother to build credibility in their respective articles. In Tans Mother Tongue, major themes of language and identity throughout the essay revolves around how the mothers past lives in china affect their daughters lives in this country; just as the daughters childhood experiences effect their identities and adult lives. Likewise, Kingston uses a similar approach by introducing the mother character early on in the essay, with the narrators mother telling her a story which she must never repeat about the aunt she never knew. However, unlike Tans descriptive approach on mother-daughters daily lives, Kingston focuses on the clear parallel between her aunts tragedy and her own deprivations as the daughter of immigrants: the repression of sexuality, individuality, and generational shame. Despite their differences, the power of the spoken and written word is the common theme which gave birth to its relative themes in both respective articles. Being a talk-story meant to be kept silence, No Name Woman is written instead of spoken; Mother Tongue revolves around the narrator and her mothers spoken English, and again, is written instead of spoken. Stylistically, No Name Womans distinctive accomplishment lies within the cross boundaries between genres, dictions, styles, between fact and fiction. The narrator makes radical leaps in time and space, spanning over 100 years of Chinese-American history, combining Chinese myth, family history, and American individualism and rebelliousness. On the other hand, being a significant part of Tans childhood, the limitation in language of Tans mother has more or less influence over her writing style. She criticises her past attempt to create wittily crafted sentence that could prove her mastery over the English language, That was my mental quandary in its nascent state. A terrible line, which I can barely pronounce. This explains the lack of imaginative detail, metaphor and personal musings in Mother Tongue, in which was exerted strongly in Kingstons work. However, it is the simplicity of Tans language that evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth without the extr avagance of time leaping, non-linear talk-stories to reveal the same emotions, ideas or a simple truth both authors wish to impact on the readers themselves. It is clear that both Tan and Kingston are reaching out to other Chinese-Americans who share their feelings of displacement and frustration. So easy to read., a verdict given by Tans mother upon completion on readings of Tans work, highlights the purpose of Tans essay in increasing the awareness of language in family, home, peer, and work communities: allowing English literatures not only accessible to mainstream Americans, but also the minorities of limited English comprehension. Being a product of the sixties, No Name Woman contains traces of the civil right and womens liberation movements of that time, where Kingston proposes: Women in the old China did not choose. Some man had commanded her to lie with him and be his secret evil she obeyed him. However, it is her struggle to make sense of her mothers story according to her mothers traditional Chinese code of beliefs, that she shares her questions and concerns directly to Chinese-Americans: Chinese-Americans, when you try to unde rstand what things in you are Chinese, how do you separate what is peculiar to childhood, to poverty, insanities, one family, your mother who marked your growing with stories, from what is Chinese? What is Chinese tradition and what is the movies? Having to state that, as an immigrant story for a nation of immigrants, both Kingston and Tans work are nevertheless intended as well for a mainstream audience. The lives Kingston and Tan have to battle through are interesting ones. The opening words of The Woman Warrior set the tone for much of the rest of the memoir, You must not tell anyone, my mother said, what I am about to tell you In fact, after being silence all her life, Kingston becomes a rebellion of sorts by breaking the silence and asserts power over those who have held her back. Such form of rebellious nature is nevertheless expressed in Tans Mother Tongue as she breaks stereotypic cycle surrounding Asians, Fortunately, I happen to be rebellious in nature and enjoy the challenge of disproving assumptions made about me. However, such depiction of unique experience in literature, as present in both Kingston and Tans work, can arguably be deemed reprehensible for its threat to distort Chinese-American reality. As the subject is forbidden, Kingston knows nothings about her aunt beyond the broad details of the story. This presents us with a dichotomy of the ambiguous nature of talk- story a blend of the real and fantasies. Similarly, Tan makes generalisation of the English spoken in other Asian-American families, not to mention her emphasise on math and science, in which Tan describes as what happened to me, not what happened to every Asian-American. The confusion and ambivalence they feel as the author, who were once the listeners, parallel ours. However, just as Kingston writes of No Name Woman: Unless I see her life branching into mine, she gives me no ancestral help, it enables readers to make allowances for Kingston and Tans reinterpretation of mothers word from their own American perspective, thereby encouraging readers too to alter ideas from each article according to their own perspectives. I believe that each of us was Amy Tan, or Maxine Hong Kingston, in some point of our lives. Whether it is through silence, or through talking, reading both authors pieces is like having a prophetic, riddle-like dream: one cannot help but to be drawn into its stories by their distinctive writing style, concepts of cultural language and identity, and its reflection on the readers themselves. With this comes an important point: sometimes we must be far away from home, or to be separated from our roots somehow, in order to realize and appreciate what we really have.

The Civil Reserve Air Fleet :: essays research papers

Abstract The Civil Reserve Air Fleet is a partnership between the Department of Defense and commercial airlines where the airlines contractually commit a portion of their aircraft and crews to be used by the Department in the event of any level of military conflict. These aircraft can be â€Å"called up† and required to respond quickly to provide airlift support to the Department of Defense. There are minimum required levels of participation in order for the airlines to be eligible, and in turn they receive peace time business including passenger and cargo movement approximately in proportion to their commitment level. The program is divided into three segments which include varying amounts and sizes of aircraft that serve specific purposes. There are also three levels of activation depending on the severity of the conflict, which also require different amounts and sizes of aircraft. This program has been in place for nearly 53 years, and has become an essential partnership required fo r an effective United States military. The following pages are an investigation various aspects of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet such as its purpose, history, and effectiveness. The Civil Reserve Air Fleet   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) is a network of select aircraft from several commercial airlines that are all committed in various amounts to the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide airlift resources when the capability of U.S. military aircraft is exceeded. This system is designed so that these carriers can provide military cargo movement and troop transportation to anywhere in the world on short notice in the event of a military conflict. In order for airlines to join the CRAF, they must commit at least 30 percent of their long-range passenger fleet and 15 percent of their long-range cargo planes (Fact Sheet, 2004). These aircraft must also be U.S. registered, capable of over water operations, and have at least four complete crews assigned for each aircraft (Fact Sheet, 2004). Airlines that participate in CRAF have provided vital support to our military since the Korean War (Graham, David, 2003). The Persian Gulf War was the first official activation of th e CRAF, where two thirds of the troops and one quarter of the air cargo was moved by commercial airplanes (Graham, 2003). Though not officially activated, the CRAF is currently supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, providing nearly double the amount of aircraft that the DoD has estimated for its most demanding war strategies. This paper will provide a brief explanation of the purpose of the CRAF, its history, the effectiveness of the program, and a quick look towards the future of the CRAF.

The Controversy of Standardized Testing Essays -- Standardized Testing

The Controversy of Standardized Testing â€Å"No issue in the U.S. Education is more controversial than (standardized) testing. Some people view it as the linchpin of serious reform and improvement, others as a menace to quality teaching and learning† (Phelps). A tool that educators use to learn about students and their learning capabilities is the standardized test. Standardized tests are designed to give a common measure of a student’s performance. Popular tests include the SAT, IQ tests, Regents Exams, and the ACT. â€Å"Three kinds of standardized tests are used frequently in schools: achievement, diagnostic, and aptitude† (Woolfolk 550). Achievement tests can be used to help a teacher assess a student’s strengths and weaknesses in a particular subject. Diagnostic tests are typically given to elementary school students when learning problems are suspected. Aptitude tests are designed to predict how a student will perform in the future. For example, the SAT predicts performance in the fi rst year of college. Standardized tests give educators a standard measure or â€Å"yardstick† because such a large number of students across the country take the same test. These tests are used to tell how well school programs are doing or to give a picture of the skills and abilities of students. Standardized tests; however, are problematic at all ages and levels of schooling. Standardized aptitude tests measure students’ abilities to learn in school, how well they are likely to succeed in future education. Rather than measuring knowledge of subjects taught in school, these tests measure a broad range of abilities or skills that are considered important to succeed in school. The classroom setting and teacher are the key to assessment. â€Å"Pressure to produce higher scores leads teachers to focus on material that will be covered by the tests and to exclude everything else. The curriculum is thereby narrowed, which means that some subjects are ignored. Within those that are taught, lower order thinking skills are emphasized. As a result, test scores get inflated while real learning suffers† (Phelps). Performance based assessment guarantees an increased understanding of the growth of individual child. Such understanding reduces the need for currently used standardized tests. Standards for Education and Psychological Testing (American Psychological Association) states the ... ... tests are counterproductive. Meaning that instead of leading to stronger academic achievement, it is said to interfere with teaching and learning. Teachers should use test results to improve their instruction, not to justify lower expectations or to stereotype students. Bibliography: Works Cited American Psychological Association. Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, 1985 Goodwin, W.L., and Driscoll, L.A. Handbook for Measurement and Evaluation in Education. San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass, 1980 Phelps, R.P. â€Å"Why Testing Experts Hate Testing.† Fordham Report, Jan. 1999: Available online: http://www.ed.excellence.net/library/phelps.htm Sacks, P. Standardized Minds: The High Price of America’s Testing Culture and What we Can do to Change it. Cambridge, Mass.: Perseus Books, Feb. 2000: Available online: http://www.fairtest.org.k12/psacks.html Wiseman, D.L., Cooner, D.D., and Knight, S.L. Becoming a Teacher in a Field-Based Setting: an Introduction to Education and Classrooms. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1999 Woolfolk, A. Educational Psychology. Needham

Market Opportunities for Soft Drink Companies Essay

Companies in the soft drink manufacturing industry are facing intense competition from the domestic and foreign brands,resulting in rising promotional costs and sinking profit margins. The consumers are going for real â€Å"value† for their money ,choosing drinks with better health value. Acurrent ban on sales of carbonates shows in the trend analysis given below:- {draw:frame} COMPANY GROWTH RATE Our company has shown a declining growth rate due to change in value perception and behavioural differences of consumers due to governmental bans all over the country. A public clarification would help us change the consumer perception. We need to make our core value based products to be fresh and relevant. We also need to sharpen our focus in this industry for maximum effect. {draw:frame} The trends of our own product offerings in the market are shown in the graph as below. Here we can notice a declining trend. {draw:frame} This declining trend can also be seen as a loss of our market segment to healthier drink options like fuit juices and water . It is quite evident in the graph given below:- {draw:frame} High sales volume in the water drinking segment and health juice segment shows that customer want better value and there perception is based on the changes in the microenvironment brought about by our competitors. There is a possibility of high â€Å"customer churn† in the future as our company’s sales decline. A 5 percent reduction in the customer defection rate can increase profits by 25 percent to 85 percent. According to the expectancy value model we ned to look into altering the beliefs about our brand which is effected by physical risk perceptions. Here we are seeing intense segment rivalry in our eange of products. Also there is lower entry barrier. The companies point of view needs to be visible on active information search. A customer’s decision to be loyal or defect from buying our products depends upon the large number of small encounters of the company which should lead to memorable customer experience.

Elphaba from “Wicked” by Gregory Maguire Essay

Analyze the Main CharacterThe main character named Elphaba, in the novel Wicked, raises the debate to whether evil is inherited genetically or developed by social injustice. Elphaba, having been born with a pale green skin tone and razor sharp teeth was automatically rejected by society at birth. As she grew older she developed a vast knowledge of the world around her which led her desire to be influential towards the greater good. Even though her intentions were genuinely efficacious she was labeled wicked due to the narrow views on eccentricity throughout society. This is the conflict in which Elphaba was to succumb in order to fulfill her desire to better the world. Elphaba was born a munchkinlander to the reverend of a unionist church and the daughter of a wealthy family. Even though she was born to a promising background she was destined for failure due to birth defects. Elphaba was born with green skin and razor sharp teeth because of a green elixir in which her mother ingested in large quantities during the pregnancy. These abnormal traits caused even the narrow minds of her parents to have distaste for her; her parents were afraid of her at first but later learned to love her for she had become an extremely kind and loving person. She was born with a negative connotation to her name which could possibly dampen her future. Despite the constant badgering and scrutinizing due to her irregularities Elphaba developed a mind of phenomenal capacity. Her father spent much time tutoring her in her younger years and teaching her to love knowledge. With this love for knowledge she excelled in public schooling and was accepted with full decoration to attend Shiz University. Wishing to attend Shiz to develop her brain she was soon discovered to be that of a witch with potential to develop amazing powers. She was then lead on by the head mistress madam Morrible to pursue her powers and then later to engage in a meeting with the wizard of Oz. Now, having developed a great magical ability, Elphaba was to meet the wizard who she thought could be able to help her fulfill her desire to better the world. To her surprise, it was revealed that the wizard had no power at all  and with the help of madam Morrible planned to use Elphaba as the power in order to fuel his own dictatorship. Elphaba quickly rejected the wizards’ proposal and went into hiding promptly. In doing so the wizard persuaded society that she was wicked because of her abnormal looks and that she was capable of destroying their Land of Oz. Society surged against Elphaba killing everyone and everything she ever loved. This drove Elphaba to lose all control and use her divine magical powers to harm the society that rejected her. This could be considered the point in which Elphaba fulfilled her title as â€Å"wicked.†Elphaba was born to abnormal looks with a kind heart but later became wicked because of the cruel behavior of society. If she were only given the chance to prove her intentions she may have succeeded in improving the status of the world. But due to the evil intentions of the wizard her life was thus written as the wickedest of them all.