Sequences on SAT Math Complete Strategy and Review

Sequences on SAT Math Complete Strategy and Review SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips A series of numbers that follows a particular pattern is called a sequence. Sometimes, each new term is found by adding or subtracting a certain constant, sometimes by multiplying or dividing. So long as the pattern is the same for every new term, the numbers are said to lie in a sequence. Sequence questions will have multiple moving parts and pieces, and you will always have several different options to choose from in order to solve the problem. We’ll walk through all the methods for solving sequence questions, as well as the pros and cons for each. You will likely see two sequence questions on any given SAT, so keep this in mind as you find your perfect balance between time strategies and memorization. This will be your complete guide to SAT sequence problemsthe types of sequences you’ll see, the typical sequence questions that appear on the SAT, and the best ways to solve these types of problems for your particular SAT test taking strategies. What Are Sequences? You will see two different types of sequences on the SATarithmetic and geometric. An arithmetic sequence is a sequence wherein each successive term is found by adding or subtracting a constant value. The difference between each termfound by subtracting any two pairs of neighboring termsis called $d$, the common difference. 14, 11, 8, 5†¦ is an arithmetic sequence with a common difference of -3. We can find the $d$ by subtracting any two pairs of numbers in the sequence, so long as the numbers are next to one another. $11 - 14 = -3$ $8 - 11 = -3$ $5 - 8 = -3$ 14, 17, 20, 23... is an arithmetic sequence in which the common difference is +3. We can find this $d$ by again subtracting pairs of numbers in the sequence. $17 - 14 = 3$ $20 - 17 = 3$ $23 - 20 = 3$ A geometric sequence is a sequence of numbers in which each new term is found by multiplying or dividing the previous term by a constant value. The difference between each termfound by dividing any neighboring pair of termsis called $r$, the common ratio. 64, 16, 4, 1, †¦ is a geometric sequence in which the common ratio is $1/4$. We can find the $r$ by dividing any pair of numbers in the sequence, so long as they are next to one another. $16/64 = 1/4$ $4/16 = 1/4$ $1/4 = 1/4$ Ready...set...let's talk sequence formulas! Sequence Formulas Luckily for us, sequences are entirely regular. This means that we can use formulas to find any piece of them we choose, such as the first term, the nth term, or the sum of all our terms. Do keep in mind, though, that there are pros and cons for memorizing formulas. Prosformulas provide you with a quick way to find your answers. You do not have to write out the full sequence by hand or spend your limited test-taking time tallying your numbers (and potentially entering them wrong into your calculator). Consit can be easy to remember a formula incorrectly, which would be worse than not having a formula at all. It also is an expense of brainpower to memorize formulas. If you are someone who prefers to work with formulas, definitely go ahead and learn them! But if you despise using formulas or worry that you will not remember them accurately, then you are still in luck. Most SAT sequence problems can be solved longhand if you have the time to spare, so you will not have to concern yourself with memorizing your formulas. That all being said, it’s important to understand why the formulas work, even if you do not plan to memorize them. So let’s take a look. Arithmetic Sequence Formulas $$a_n = a_1 + (n - 1)d$$ $$\Sum \terms = (n/2)(a_1 + a_n)$$ These are our two important arithmetic sequence formulas. We’ll look at them one at a time to see why they work and when to use them on the test. Terms Formula $a_n = a_1 + (n - 1)d$ This formula allows you to find any individual piece of your arithmetic sequencethe 1st term, the nth term, or the common difference. First, we’ll look at why it works and then look at some problems in action. $a_1$ is the first term in our sequence. Though the sequence can go on infinitely, we will always have a starting point at our first term. (Note: you can also assign any term to be your first term if you need to. We’ll look at how and why we can do this in one of our examples.) $a_n$ represents any missing term we want to isolate. For instance, this could be the 4th term, the 58th, or the 202nd. So why does this formula work? Imagine that we wanted to find the 2nd term in a sequence. Well each new term is found by adding the common difference, or $d$. This means that the second term would be: $a_2 = a_1 + d$ And we would then find the 3rd term in the sequence by adding another $d$ to our existing $a_2$. So our 3rd term would be: $a_3 = (a_1 + d) + d$ Or, in other words: $a_3 = a_1 + 2d$ If we keep going, the 4th term of the sequencefound by adding another $d$ to our existing third termwould continue this pattern: $a_4 = (a_1 + 2d) + d$ $a_4 = a_1 + 3d$ We can see that each term in the sequence is found by adding the first term, $a_1$, to a $d$ that is multiplied by $n - 1$. (The 3rd term is $2d$, the 4th term is $3d$, etc.) So now that we know why the formula works, let’s look at it in action. Now, there are two ways to solve this problemusing the formula, or simply counting. Let’s look at both methods. Method 1arithmetic sequence formula If we use our formula for arithmetic sequences, we can find our $a_n$ (in this case $a_12$). So let us simply plug in our numbers for $a_1$ and $d$. $a_n = a_1 + (n - 1)d$ $a_12 = 4 + (12 - 1)7$ $a_12 = 4 + (11)7$ $a_12 = 4 + 77$ $a_12 = 81$ Our final answer is B, 81. Method 2counting Because the difference between each term is regular, we can find that difference by simply adding our $d$ to each successive term until we reach our 12th term. Of course, this method will take a little more time than simply using the formula, and it is easy to lose track of your place. The test makers know this and will provide answers that are one or two places off, so make sure to keep your work organized so that you do not fall for bait answers. First, line up your twelve terms and then fill in the blanks by adding 7 to each new term. 4, 11, 18, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___ 4, 11, 18, 25, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___ 4, 11, 18, 25, 32, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___ And so on, until you get: 4, 11, 18, 25, 32, 39, 46, 53, 60, 67, 74, 81 Again, the 12th term is B, 81. Sum Formula $\Sum \terms = (n/2)(a_1 + a_n)$ Our second arithmetic sequence formula tells us the sum of a set of our terms in a sequence, from the first term ($a_1$) to the nth term ($a_n$). Basically, we do this by multiplying the number of terms, $n$, by the average of the first term and the nth term. Why does this formula work? Well let’s look at an arithmetic sequence in action: 10, 16, 22, 28, 34, 40 This is an arithmetic sequence with a common difference, $d$, of 6. A neat trick you can do with any arithmetic sequence is to take the sum of the pairs of terms, starting from the outsides in. Each pair will have the same exact sum. So you can see that the sum of the sequence is $50 * 3 = 150$. In other words, we are taking the sum of our first term and our nth term (in this case, 40 is our 6th term) and multiplying it by half of $n$ (in this case $6/2 = 3$). Another way to think of it is to take the average of our first and nth terms${10 + 40}/2 = 25$ and then multiply that value by the number of terms in the sequence$25 * 6 = 150$. Either way, you are using the same basic formula. How you like to think of the equation and whether or not you prefer $(n/2)(a_1 + a_n)$ or $n({a_1 + a_n}/2)$, is completely up to you. Now let’s look at the formula in action. Kyle started a new job as a telemarketer and, every day, he is supposed to make 3 more phone calls than the day previous. If he made 10 phone calls his first day, and he meets his goal, how many total phone calls does he make in his first two weeks, if he works every single day? 413 416 426 429 489 As with almost all sequence questions on the SAT, we have the choice to use our formulas or do the problem longhand. Let’s try both ways. Method 1formulas We know that our formula for arithmetic sequence sums is: $\Sum = (n/2)(a_1 + a_n)$ But, we must first find the value of our $a_n$ in order to use this formula. Once again, we can do this via our first arithmetic sequence formula, or we can find it by hand. As we are already using formulas, let us use our first formula. $a_n = a_1 + (n - 1)d$ We are told that Kyle makes 10 phone calls on his first day, so our $a_1$ is 10. We also know that he makes 3 more calls every day, for a total of 2 full weeks (14 days), which means our $d$ is 3 and our $n$ is 14. We have all our pieces to complete this first formula. $a_n = a_1 + (n - 1)d$ $a_14 = 10 + (14 - 1)3$ $a_14 = 10 + (13)3$ $a_14 = 10 + 39$ $a_14 = 49$ And now that we have our value for $a_n$ (in this case $a_14$), we can complete our sum formula. $(n/2)(a_1 + a_n)$ $(14/2)(10 + 49)$ $7(59)$ $413$ Our final answer is A, 413. Method 2longhand Alternatively, we can solve this problem by doing it longhand. It will take a little longer, but this way also carries less risk of incorrectly remember our formulas. As always, how you choose to solve these problems is completely up to you. First, let us write out our sequence, beginning with 10 and adding 3 to each subsequence number, until we find our nth (14th) term. 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34, 37, 40, 43, 46, 49 Now, we can either add them up all by hand$10 + 13 + 16 + 19 + 22 + 25 + 28 + 31 + 34 + 37 + 40 + 43 + 46 + 49 = 413$ Or we can use our arithmetic sequence sum trick and divide the sequence into pairs. We can see that there are 7 pairs of 59, so $7 * 59 = 413$. Again, our final answer is A, 413. Only one more formula to go. Almost there! Geometric Sequence Formulas $$a_n = a_1( r^{n - 1})$$ (Note: while there is a formula to find the sum of a geometric sequence, but you will never be asked to find this on the SAT, and so it is not included in this guide.) As with the first arithmetic sequence formula, this formula will allow you to find any number of missing pieces, including your 1st term, your nth term, or your $r$. And, as always with sequences, you have the choice of whether to solve your problem longhand or with a formula. Method 1formula If you’re one for memorizing formulas, we can simply plug in our values into our equation in place of $a_n$, $n$, and $r$ in order to solve for $a_1$. We are told that Mr. Smith has 1 dollar 5 days later, which would be the 6th day (meaning our $n$ is 6), and that the ratio between each term is $1/4$. $a_n = a_1( r^{n - 1})$ $1 = a_1({1/4}^{6 - 1})$ $1 = a_1({1/4}^5)$ $1 = a_1(0.00097656)$ $1/0.00097656 = a_1$ $1024 = a_1$ So the 1st term in the sequence is 1024, which means that Mr. Smith starts with $1024 on Monday morning. Our final answer is 1024. Method 2longhand Alternatively, we can, as always, solve them problem by hand. First, set out our number of terms in order to keep track of them, with our 7th term, $1, last. ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, 1 Now, because our ratio is $1/4$ and we are working backwards, we must multiply each term by 4. (Why? Because ${1/{(1/4)} = 1 * 4$, according to the rules of fractions). ___, ___, ___, ___, 4, 1 ___, ___, ___, 16, 4, 1 And, if we keep going, we will eventually get: 1024, 256, 64, 16, 4, 1 Which means that we can see that our 1st term is 1024. Again, our final answer is 1024. As with all sequence solving methods, there are benefits and drawbacks to solving the question in each way. If you choose to use formulas, make very sure you can remember them exactly. And if you solve the questions by hand, be very careful to find the exact number of terms in the sequence. It can be all too easy to accidentally find one term more or fewer if you’re not carefully labeling or otherwise keeping track of your terms. I'm preeeeetty sure it's not a proper math formula unless mystery variables and exploding test tubes are involved somehow. Typical SAT Sequences Questions Because all sequence questions on the SAT can be solved without the use or knowledge of sequence formulas, the test-makers will only ever ask you for a limited number of terms or the sum of a small number of terms (usually 12 or fewer). As we saw above, you may be asked to find the 1st term in a sequence, the nth term, the difference between your terms (whether a common difference, $d$, or a common ratio, $r$), or the sum of your terms (in arithmetic sequences only). You also may be asked to find an unusual twist on a sequence question that combines your knowledge of sequences or your knowledge of sequences and other SAT math topics. For example: Again, let us look at both formulaic and longhand methods for how to solve a problem like this. Method 1formulas We are told that the ratio between the terms in our sequence is 2:1, successive term to previous term. This means that our common ratio is 2, as each term is being multiplied by 2 in order to find the next term. (Note: if you are not familiar with ratios, check out our guide to SAT ratios.) Now, we can find the ratio between our 8th and 5th terms in a few different ways, but the simplest waywhile still using formulasis simply to reassign our 5th term as our 1st term instead. This would then make our 8th term become our 4th term. (Why the 4th term? The 5th and 8th terms are 3 spaces from each other5th to 6th, 6th to 7th, and 7th to 8thwhich means our 1st term must be 3 spaces from our new nth term1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd, 3rd to 4th). Once we’ve designated our 5th term as our 1st term, we can use the strategy of plugging in numbers and assign a random value for our $a_1$. Then we will plug in our known values of $r$ (2) and $n$ (3) so that we can find our $a_n$. Let us call $a_1$ 4. (Why 4? Why not!) $a_n = a_1( r^{n - 1})$ $a_4 = 4(2^{4 - 1})$ $a_4 = 4(2^3)$ $a_4 = 4(8)$ $a_4 = 32$ So the ratio between our 4th term and our 1st term (the equivalent of the ratio to our 8th term and our 5th term) is: $32:4$ Or, when we reduce: $8:1$ The ratio between our 8th term and our 5th term is $8:1$ Our final answer is C, $8:1$. As you can see, this problem was tricky because we had to reassign our terms and use our own numbers before we even considered having to use our formulas. Let us look at this problem were we to solve it longhand instead. Method 2longhand If we choose to solve this problem longhand, we will not have to concern ourselves with reassigning our terms, but we will still have to understand that there are 3 spaces between our 8th and our 5th terms (8th to 7th, 7th to 6th, and 6th to 5th). Since we used the technique of plugging in our own numbers last time, let us use algebra for our longhand method. We know that each term is found by doubling the previous term. So let us say that our 5th term is $x$. ___, ___, ___, ___, x, ___, ___, ___ This would make our 6th term $2x$. ___, ___, ___, ___, x, 2x, ___, ___ And we can continue down the line until we get: ___, ___, ___, ___, x, 2x, 4x, 8x This means that our ratio between our 8th term and our 5th term is: $8x:x$ Or, in other words: $8:1$ Our final answer is, again, C, $8:1$. Again, you always have the choice to use formulas or longhand to solve these questions and how you prioritize your time (and/or how careful you are with your calculations) will ultimately decide which method you use. Now let's take a look at our SAT sequence question strategies. Tips For Solving Sequence Questions Sequence questions can be somewhat tricky and arduous to work through, so keep in mind these SAT math tips on sequences as you go through your studies: 1) Decide before test day whether or not you will use the sequence formulas Before you go through the effort of committing your formulas to memory, think about the kind of test-taker you are. If you are someone who loves to use formulas, then go ahead and memorize them now. Most sequence questions will go much faster once you have gotten used to using your formula. However, if you would rather dedicate your time and brainpower to other math topics or if you would simply rather solve sequence questions longhand, then don’t worry about your formulas! Don’t even bother to try to remember themjust decide here and now not to use them and save your mental energy for other pursuits. Unless you can be sure to remember themcorrectly, formulas will hinder more than help you on test day. So make the decision now to either memorize your formulas or forget about them entirely. 2) Write your values down and keep your work organized Though many calculators can perform long strings of calculations, sequence questions by definition involve many different values and terms. Small errors in your work can cause a cascade effect and one mistyped digit in your calculator can throw off your work completely. Even worse, you won’t know where the error happened if you do not keep track of your values. Always write down your values and label your terms in order to prevent a misstep somewhere down the line. 3) Keep careful track of your timing No matter how you solve a sequence question, these types of problems will generally take you more time than other math questions on the SAT. For this reason, most sequence questions are located in the last third of any particular SAT math section, which means the test-makers think of sequences as a â€Å"high difficulty† level problem. Time is your most valuable asset on the SAT, so always make sure you are using yours wisely. If you feel you can (accurately) answer two other math questions in the time it takes you to answer one sequence question, then maximize your point gain by focusing on the other two questions. Always remember that each question on the SAT math section is worth the same amount of points and you will get dinged if you get a question wrong. Prioritize both your quantity of answered questions as well as your accuracy, and don’t let your time run out trying to solve one problem. If you feel that you can answer a sequence problem quickly, go ahead! But if you feel it will take up too much time, move on and come back to it later (or skip it entirely, if you need to). No matter which method you choose to use, trust that you'll find the one that best suits your needs and abilities. Test Your Knowledge Now let’s test your sequence knowledge with real SAT math problems. 1) 2) What is the sum of the first 10 terms in the arithmetic sequence that begins:13, 21, 29,... 450 458 474 482 490 3) Answers: 200, E, 2035 Answer Explanations: 1) The number of squirrels triples every three years, so this is a geometric sequence. As always, we can either count longhand or use our formulas. Let’s look at each way. We first need to count how many times three years has passed between 1990 and 1999. Including the year 1990 and the year 1999, there are 4 terms for every 3 years between 1990 and 1999. 1990, 1993, 1996, 1999 This means that 1999 is our 4th term and 1990 is our 1st term. Now let’s plug in our values into our formula. $a_n = a_1( r^{n - 1})$ $5400 = a_1(3^{4-1})$ $5400 = a_1(3^3)$ $5400 = a_1(27)$ $200 = a_1$ Our first term is 200. There were 200 squirrels in 1990. Alternatively, we can simply find the number of squirrels in 1990 by counting by hand. Again, we need to find the number of groups of 3 years between 1990 and 1999, inclusive. 1990, 1993, 1996, 1999 Now, let us plug in our known value for 1999 and find the rest of our terms by dividing each term by 3. ___, ___, ___, 5400 ___, ___, 1800, 5400 And so on, until you get: 200, 600, 1800, 5400 Again, our first term is 200. There were 200 squirrels in 1990. 2) We are asked to find the sum of this arithmetic sequence, which means we can either use our formula or count our sequence by hand. Method 1formulas First, we need to determine our common difference, $d$, in the sequence. To do so, let us subtract one of our neighboring pairs of numbers. $21 - 13 = 8$ Before we can find our sum, however, we must find our $a_10$. This means we need to use our first arithmetic sequence formula: $a_n = a_1 + (n - 1)d$ $a_10 = 13 + (10 - 1)8$ $a_10 = 13 + 72$ $a_10 = 85$ Now that we know our $d$ and our $a_10$, we can plug in our values to find our sum. $(n/2)(a_1 + a_n)$ $(10/5)(13 + 85)$ $(5)(98)$ $490$ Our final answer is E, 490. Method 2counting If you do not want to remember or use your formulas, you can always find your answer by counting. First, we must still determine our $d$ by subtracting our neighboring terms: $29 - 21 = 8$ Now, we can find the value of all our terms by continuing to add 8 to each new term until we reach our 10th term. 13, 21, 29, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___ 13, 21, 29, 37, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___ 13, 21, 29, 37, 45, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___ And so on, until we finally get: 13, 21, 29, 37, 45, 53, 61, 69, 77, 85 Now, we can either add them up individually ($13 + 21 + 29 + 37 + 45 + 53 + 61 + 69 + 77 + 85 = 490$), or you can, find your pairs of numbers, beginning from the outside in. We can see that there are 5 pairs of 98, so $5 * 98 = 450$ Our final answer is E, 490. 3) Because the price of our mystery item raises by $2 every year, this is an arithmetic sequence. Again, we have multiple ways to solve this kind of problemusing formulas, or counting longhand. Method 1formulas $a_n = a_1 + (n - 1)d$ $100 = 10 + (n - 1)2$ $100 = 10 + 2n - 2$ $100 = 8 + 2n$ $92 = 2n$ $n = 46$ Now, we know that 100 is the price at our 46th term, but this is not the same thing as 46 years from 1990. Remember: the number of terms from the 1st is always 1 fewer space than the actual count of the term. For instance, the 1st term in a sequence is 4 spaces from the 5th term and 5 spaces from the 6th term. Why? 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd, 3rd to 4th, 4th to 5th. We can see it takes 4 total spaces to go from the 1st term to the 5th. For our price problem, our $n$ is 46, which means that the year will be $46 - 1 = 45$ actual spaces away from our starting term. So: $1990 + (46 - 1)$ $1990 + 45$ $2035$ The price will be $100 in 2035. Method 2counting Because each new term is determined by adding 2, it will take us a long time to get from 10 to 100. We can speed up this process by first finding the difference between the 1st and last term: $100 - 10 = 90$ And then we can divide this difference by the common difference, $d$: $90/2 = 45$ It will take 45 years to get to the price to raise to $100. 45 years after 1990 is: $1990 + 45$ $2035$ Again, the price will be $100 in 2035. Yeah! You toppled those sequence questions! The Take Aways Though sequence questions can take some little time to work through, they are usually made complicated by their number of terms and values rather than being actually difficult to solve. So long as you remember to keep all your work organized and decide before test-day whether or not you want to spend your study efforts memorizing, and you’ll be able to tackle any number of sequence questions the SAT can throw your way. As long as you keep your values straight (and don’t get tricked by bait answers!), you will be able to grind through these problems without fail. What’s Next? Now that you've taken on sequences and dominated, it's time to make sure you have a solid handle on the rest of your SAT math topics. The SAT presents familiar concepts in unfamiliar ways, so check out our guides on all your individual SAT topic needs. We'll provide you with all the strategies and practice problems on any SAT math topic you could ask for. Running out of time on SAT math? Not to worry! Our guide will show you how to maximize both your time and your score so that you can make the most of your time on test day. Don't know what score to aim for? Follow our simple steps to figure out what score is best for you and your needs. Looking to get a perfect score? Check out our guide to getting a perfect 800 on SAT math, written by a perfect-scorer! Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math strategy guide, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Entelodon (Killer Pig) - Facts and Figures

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Chinese nurse-client relationship Essay The Chinese perspective of nursing Nursing is to understand the health status and concerns of a person, to devise interventions with appropriate health knowledge and skills. There are four Chinese characteristics of epistemic concerns. Qing (? ) is emotion. Li (? ) and zhi (? ) means knowing what is good and right in practice through scientific or systematic studies respectively. Xing (? ) is action. The chinese perspective of nurse To nurse, Chinese people generally argree that the role of the nurses is to report their conditions rapidly to doctors. A Confucian principle of hierarchical relationship between doctor and nurses shows that nurses should know their place, defer to their superiors anf know when to call doctors. Solution to chinese implication Some Chinese cultures like belief, value, attitudes and taboos may act as barriers of clients and nurses. It can be tackled by reminding the nurse to be cultural sensitive in caring process. For instances, nurses may consider characteristics of Chinese people. Chinese always avoid the word dead which is a symbol of unauspicious. They can tacit communication approach like euphemism which is indirect words using the end of life. Nurses may apply therapeutic communication strategies: -To be client-focused, problem-oriented and situational based -Classified as supportive-expressive, analytic and consultative -Directive and educationally focused The Chinese culture is conflicts between Chinese culture and health belief of western medicine. To solve it, we nurses acknowledge of culturally specific nature of problem. Another Chinese culture is the tradition perceive problem as family affairs. To solve it, we nurse can build up nurse-client relationship with strong bond of trust by more communication.

I Wish to Pursue Structural Engineering :: Graduate Admissions Essays

I Wish to Pursue Structural Engineering A simple bridge truss was the first structure I ever analyzed. The simple combination of beams that could hold cars, trains, and trucks over long spans of water fascinated me. Having the tools to analyze the loads on the truss further increased my interest in structures. I encountered the bridge in a textbook for my first engineering class. Knowing that the professor, Mr. Paul Davids, was a tough teacher, I asked him for the textbook so I could study and get ready for the class over the summer. Just arrived from Belize, I was determined to succeed. In class we learned about forces on simple members and then we put the members together to form a simple truss. At this point I had almost decided that structural engineering was the career for me. From there the class just took off: We went on to frames, distributed loads, considered friction; basically we were incorporating real world considerations into structural members. I loved the practical, problem solving aspects of the field. At UC my classes were even more advanced. In my analysis and design classes, I especially enjoyed studying steel design because we not only learned the use of the load resistance factor design but also applied that knowledge -- I designed a four-story building. The professor was a practicing engineer, and he always related the subject to real life steel structures he had engineered, for example, the SB Medical Centre, an all steel building with a base isolated campus. This is the kind of project on which I would like to work, designing the structure and considering how the building will respond to ground motion. After two quarters of structural analysis, I had come as close as possible to analyzing real world structures. Looking back I realize, I had learned great tools for structural analysis, but my "tool box" was still inadequate. I lacked a very important tool: finite element analysis. According to my professor, finite element analysis has revolutionized structural an alysis. Although I liked my classes, my internship experiences really confirmed my interest in structural engineering. While working at Caltrans as a student volunteer, I reviewed computer grading output for streets under construction.

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 8~9

8 The Humiliation of the Pilot As a Passenger Once on the plane, Tucker unfolded the letter from the mysterious doctor and read it again. Dear Mr. Case: I have become aware of your recent difficulties and I believe I have a proposition that will be of great benefit to us both. My wife and I are missionaries on Alualu, a rather remote atoll at the north-western tip of the Micronesian crescent. Since we are out of the normal shipping lanes and we are the sole medical provider for the people of the island, we maintain our own aircraft for the transport of medical supplies. We have recently procured a Lear 45 for this purpose, but our former pilot has been called to the mainland on personal business for an indefinite time. In short, Mr. Case, given your experience flying small jets and our unique requirements, we feel that this would be a perfect opportunity for us both. We are not concerned with the status of your license, only that you can perform in the pilot's seat and fulfill a need that can only be described as dire. If you are willing to honor a long-term contract, we will provide you with room and board on the island, pay you $2,000 a week, as well as a generous bonus upon completion of the contract. As a gesture of our sincerity, I am enclosing an open airline ticket and a cashier's check for $3,000 for traveling expenses. Contact us by e-mail with your arrival time in Truk and my wife will meet you there to discuss the conditions of your employment and pro vide transportation to Alualu. You'll find a room reserved for you at the Paradise Inn. Sincerely, Sebastian Curtis, M.D. [email protected] Why me? Tuck wondered. He'd crashed a jet, lost his job and probably his sex life, was charged with multiple crimes, then a letter and a check arrived from nowhere to bail him out, but only if he was willing to abandon everything and move to a Pacific island. It could turn out to be a good job, but if it had been his decision, he'd still be lingering over it in a motel room with Dusty Lemon. It was as if some combination of ironic luck and Jake Skye had been sent along to make the decision for him. Not so strange, he thought. The same combination had put him in the pilot's seat in the first place. Tuck had grown up in Elsinore, California, northeast of San Diego, the only son of the owner of the Denmark Silverware Corporation. He had an unremarkable childhood, was a mediocre athlete, and spent most of his adolescence surfing in San Diego and chasing girls, one of whom he finally caught. Zoophilia Gold was the daughter of his father's lawyer, a lovely girl made shy by a cruel first name. Tuck and Zoo enjoyed a brief romance, which was put on hold when Tuck's father sent him off to college in Texas so he could learn to make decisions and someday take over the family business. His motivation excised by the job guarantee, Tuck made passing grades until his college career was cut short by an emergency call from his mother. â€Å"Come home. Your father's dead.† Tuck made the drive in two days, stopping only for gas, to use the bathroom, and to call Zoophilia, who informed him that his mother had married his father's brother and his uncle had taken over Denmark Silver-ware. Tuck screeched into Elsinore in a blind rage and ran over Zoophilia's father as he was leaving Tuck's mother's house. The death was declared an accident, but during the investigation a policeman informed Tuck that although he had no proof, he suspected that the riding accident that killed Tuck's father might not have been an accident, especially since Tuck's father had been allergic to horses. Tuck was sure that his uncle had set the whole thing up, but he couldn't bring himself to confront his mother or her new husband. In the meantime, Zoophilia, stricken with grief over her father's death, overdosed on Prozac and drowned in her hot tub, and her brother, who had been away at college also, returned promising to kill Tucker or at least sue him into oblivion for the deaths of his father and sister. While trying to come to a decision on a course of action, Tucker met a brace of Texas brunettes in a Pacific Beach bar who insisted he ride back with them to the Lone Star state. Disinherited, depressed, and clueless, Tucker took the ride as far as a small suburban airport outside of Houston, where the girls asked him if he'd ever been nude skydiving. At that point, not really caring if he lived or died, he crawled into the back of a Beechcraft with them. They left him scraped, bruised, and stranded on the tarmac in a jockstrap and a parachute harness, shivering with adrenaline. Jake Skye found him wandering around the hangars wearing the parachute canopy as a toga. It had been a tough year. â€Å"Let me guess,† Jake said. â€Å"Margie and Randy Sue?† â€Å"Yeah,† Tucker said. â€Å"How'd you know?† â€Å"They do it all the time. Daddies with money – Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Petroleum. Hope you didn't cut up that canopy. You can get a grand for it used.† â€Å"They're gone, then?† â€Å"An hour ago. Said something about going to London. Where are your clothes?† â€Å"In their car.† â€Å"Come with me.† Jake gave Tucker a job washing airplanes, then taught him to fly a Cessna 172 and enrolled him in flight school. Tucker got his twin-engine hours in six months, helping Jake ferry Texas businessmen around the state in a leased Beech Duke. Jake turned the flying over to Tuck as soon as he passed his 135 commercial certification. â€Å"I can fly anything,† Jake said, â€Å"but unless it's helicopters, I'd rather wrench. Only steady gig in choppers is flying oil rigs in the Gulf. Had too many friends tip off into the drink. You fly, I'll do the maintenance, we split the cash.† Another six months and Jake was offered a job by the Mary Jean Cosmetics Corporation. Jake took the job on the condition that Tucker could copilot until he had his Lear hours (he described Tuck as a â€Å"little lost lamb† and the makeup magnate relented). Mary Jean did her own flying, but once Tucker was qualified, she turned the controls over to him full-time. â€Å"Some members of the board have pointed out that my time would be better spent taking care of business instead of flying. Besides, it's not ladylike. How'd you like a job?† Luck. The training he'd received would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and he'd gotten most of it for free. He had become a new person, and it had all started with a bizarre streak of bad luck followed by an op-portunity and Jake Skye's intervention. Maybe it would work out for the better this time too. At least this time no one had been killed. 9 Cult of the Autopilot: A History Lesson The pilot said, â€Å"The local time is 9:00 A.M. The temperature is 90 degrees. Thank you for flying Continental and enjoy your stay in Truk.† Then he laughed menacingly. Tuck stepped out of the plane and felt the palpable weight of the air in his lungs. It smelled green, fecund, as if vegetation was growing, dying, rotting, and giving off a gas too thick to breathe. He followed a line of passengers to the terminal, a long, low, cinderblock building – nothing more really than a tin roof on pillars – teeming with brown people; short, stoutly built people, men in jeans or old dress slacks and T-shirts, women in long floral cotton dresses with puff shoulders, their hair held in buns atop their heads by tortoiseshell combs. Tuck waited, sweating, at one end of the terminal while young men shoved the baggage through a curtain onto a plywood ramp. Natives re-trieved their baggage, mainly coolers wrapped with packing tape, and walked by the customs officer's counter without pausing. He looked for a tourist, to see how they were treated, but there were none. The customs officer glared at him. Tucker hoped there was nothing illegal in his pack. The airport here looked like a weigh station for a death camp; he didn't want to see the jail. He fingered the roll of bills in his pocket, thinking, Bribe. The pack came sliding through the curtain. Tucker moved through the pall of islanders and pulled the pack onto his shoulders, then walked to the customs counter and plopped it down in front of the officer. â€Å"Passport,† the officer said. He was fat and wore a brass button uniform with dime store flip-flops on his feet. Tuck handed him his passport. â€Å"How long will you be staying?† â€Å"Not long. I'm not sure. A day maybe.† â€Å"No flights for three days.† The officer stamped the passport and handed it back to Tucker. â€Å"There's a ten-dollar departure fee.† â€Å"That's it?† Tucker was amazed. No inspection, no bribe. Luck again. â€Å"Take your bag.† â€Å"Right.† Tucker scooped up the pack and headed for an exit sign, hand-painted on plywood. He walked out of the airport and was blinded by the sun. â€Å"Hey, you dive?† A man's voice. Tuck squinted and a thin, leathery islander in a Bruins hockey jersey stood in front of him. He had six teeth, two of them gold. â€Å"No,† Tucker said. â€Å"Why you come if you no dive?† â€Å"I'm here on business.† Tucker dropped his pack and tried to breathe. He was soaked with sweat. Ten seconds in this sun and he wanted to dive into the shade like a roach under a stove. â€Å"Where you stay?† This guy looked criminal, just an eye patch short of a pirate. Tucker didn't want to tell him anything. â€Å"How do I get to the Paradise Inn?† The pirate called to a teenager who was sitting in the shade watching a score of beat-up Japanese cars with blackened windows jockeying for position in the dirt street. â€Å"Rindi! Paradise.† The younger man, dressed like a Compton rapper – oversized shorts, football jersey, baseball cap reversed over a blue bandanna – came over and grabbed Tucker's pack. Tuck kept one hand on an arm strap and fought the kid for control. â€Å"You go with him,† the pirate said. â€Å"He take you Paradise.† â€Å"Come on, Holmes,† the kid said. â€Å"My car air-conditioned. Tucker let go of the pack and the kid whisked it away through the jostle of cars to an old Honda Civic with a cellophane back window and bailing wire holding the passenger door shut. Tuck follow him, stepping quickly between the cars, each one lurching forward as if to hit him as he passed. He looked for the driver's expressions, but the windshields were all blacked out with plastic film. The kid threw Tuck's pack in the hatchback, then unwired the door and held it open. Tucker climbed in, feeling, once again, com pletely at the mercy of Lady Luck. Now I get to see the place where they rob and kill the white guys, he thought. As they drove, Tuck looked out on the lagoon. Even through the tinted window the blue of the lagoon shone as if illuminated from below. Island women in scuba masks waded shoulder deep; their floral dresses flowing around them made them look like multicolored jellyfish. Each carried a short steel spear slung from a piece of surgical tubing. Large plastic buckets floated on the surface in which the women were depositing their catch. â€Å"What are they hunting?† Tuck asked the driver. â€Å"Octopus, urchin, small fish. Mostly octopus. Hey, where you from in United States?† â€Å"I grew up in California.† The kid lit up. â€Å"California! You have Crips there, right?† â€Å"Yeah, there's gangs.† â€Å"I'm a Crip,† the kid said, pointing to his blue bandanna with pride. â€Å"Me and my homies find any Bloods here, we gonna pop a nine on 'em.† Tucker was amazed. On the side of the road a beautiful little girl in a flowered dress was drinking from a green coconut. Here in the car there was a gang war going on. He said, â€Å"Where are the Bloods?† Rindi shook his head sadly. â€Å"Nobody want to be Bloods. Only Crips on Truk. But if we see one, we gonna bust a cap on 'em.† He pulled back a towel on the seat to reveal a beat-up Daisy air pistol. Tuck made a mental note not to wear a red bandanna and accidentally fill the Blood shortage. He had no desire to be killed or wounded over a glorified game of cowboys and Indians. â€Å"How far to the hotel?† â€Å"This it,† Rindi said, wrenching the Honda across the road into a dusty parking lot. The Paradise Inn was a two-story, crumbling stucco building with a crown of rusting rebar beckoning skyward for a third floor that would never be built. Tuck let the boy, Rindi, carry his pack to an upstairs room: mint green cinder block over brown linoleum, a beat-up metal desk, smoke-stained floral curtains, a twin bed with a torn 1950s bedspread, the smell of mildew and insecticide. Rindi put the pack in the doorless closet and cranked the little window air conditioner to high. â€Å"Too late for shower. Water come on again four to six.† Tuck glanced into the bathroom. Mistake. An exotic-looking or ange thing was growing on the shower curtain. He said, â€Å"Where can I get a beer?† Rindi grinned. â€Å"We have lounge. Budweiser, ‘king of beers.' MTV on satellite.† He cocked his wrists and performed a gangsta rap move that looked as if he'd contracted a rhythmic cerebral palsy. â€Å"Yo, G, we chill with the phattest jams? Snoop, Ice, Public Enemy.† â€Å"Oh, good,† Tuck said. â€Å"We can do a drive-by later. How do I get to the lounge?† â€Å"Down steps, outside, go right.† He paused, looking concerned. â€Å"We have to shoot out driver's side. Other window not go down.† â€Å"We'll manage.† Tuck flipped the kid a dollar and left the room, proud to be an American. An unconscious island man marked the entrance to the lounge. Tuck stepped over him and pushed his way through the black glass door into a cool, dark, smoke-hazed room lit by a silent television tuned to nothing and a flickering neon BUDWEISER sign. A shadow stood behind the bar; two more sat in front of it. Tuck could see eyes in the dark – maybe people sitting at tables, maybe nocturnal vermin. A voice: â€Å"A fellow American here to buy a beer for his countryman.† The voice had come from one of the shadows at the bar. Tuck squinted into the dark and saw a large white man, about fifty, in a sweat-stained dress shirt. He was smiling, a jowly yellow smile under drink-dulled eyes. Tuck smiled back. Anyone that didn't speak broken English was, at this point, his friend. â€Å"What are you drinkin', pardner?† Tuck always went Texan when he was being friendly. â€Å"What you drink here.† He held up two fingers to the bartender, then held his hand out to shake. â€Å"Jefferson Pardee, editor in chief of the Truk Star.† â€Å"Tucker Case.† Tuck sat down on the stool next to the big man. The bartender placed two sweating Budweiser cans in front of them and waited. â€Å"Run a tab,† Pardee said. Then to Tuck: â€Å"I assume you're a diver?† â€Å"Why would you assume that?† â€Å"It's the only reason Americans come here, other than Peace Corps or Navy CAT team members. And if you don't mind my saying, you don't look idealistic enough to be Peace Corps or stupid enough to be Navy.† â€Å"I'm a pilot.† It felt good saying it. He'd always liked saying it. He didn't realize how terrified he'd been that he'd never be able to say it again. â€Å"I'm supposed to meet someone from another island about a job.† â€Å"Not a missionary air outfit, I hope.† â€Å"It's for a missionary doctor. Why?† â€Å"Son, those people do a great job, but you can only get so much out of those old planes they fly. Fifty-year-old Beech 18s and DC3s. Sooner or later you're going into the drink. But I suppose if you're flying for God†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I'll be flying a new Learjet.† Pardee almost dropped his beer. â€Å"Bullshit.† Tuck was tempted to pull out the letter and slam it on the bar, but thought better of it. â€Å"That's what they said.† Pardee put a big hairy forearm on the bar and leaned into Tuck. He smelled like a hangover. â€Å"What island and what church?† â€Å"Alualu,† Tuck said. â€Å"A Dr. Curtis.† Pardee nodded and sat back on his stool. â€Å"No-man's Island.† â€Å"What's that mean?† â€Å"It doesn't belong to anyone. Do you know anything about Micronesia?† â€Å"Just that you have gangs but no regular indoor plumbing.† â€Å"Well, depending on how you look at it, Truk can be a hellhole. That's what happens when you give Coke cans to a coconut culture. But it's not all that way. There are two thousand islands in the Micronesian crescent, running almost all the way from Hawaii to New Guinea. Magellan landed here first, on his first voyage around the world. The Spanish claimed them, then the Germans, then the Japanese. We took them from the Japanese during the war. There are seventy sunken Japanese ships in Truk's lagoon alone. That's why the divers come.† â€Å"So what's this have to do with where I'm going?† â€Å"I'm getting to that. Until fifteen years ago, Micronesia was a U.S. protectorate, except for Alualu. Because it's at the westernmost tip of the crescent, we left it out of the surrender agreement with the Japanese. It kind of got lost in the shuffle. So Alualu was never an American territory, and when the Federated States of Micronesia declared independence, they didn't include Alualu.† â€Å"So what's that mean?† Tuck was getting impatient. This was the longest lecture he'd endured since flight school. â€Å"In short, no mother government, no foreign aid, no nothing. Alualu belongs to whoever lives on it. It's off the shipping lanes, and it's a raised atoll, only one small island, not a group of islands around a lagoon, so there's not enough copra to make it worth the trip for the collector boats. Since the war, when there was an airstrip there, no one goes there.† â€Å"Maybe that's why they need the jet?† â€Å"Son, I came here in '66 with the Peace Corps and I've never left. I've seen a lot of missionaries throw a lot of money at a lot of problems, but I've never seen a church that was willing to spring for a Learjet.† Tuck wanted to beat his head on the bar just to feel his tiny brain rattle. Of course it was too good to be true. He'd known that instinctively. He should have known that as soon as he'd seen the money they were offering him – him, Tucker Case, the biggest fuckup in the world. Tuck drained his beer and signaled for two more. â€Å"So what do you know about this Curtis?† â€Å"I've heard of him. There's not much news out here and he made some about twenty years back. He went batshit at the airport in Yap after he couldn't get anyone to evacuate a sick kid off the island. Frankly, I'm sur-prised he's still out there. I heard the church pulled out on him. Cargo cults give Christians the willies.† Tuck knew he was being lured in. He'd met guys like Pardee in airport hotel bars all over the U.S.: lonely businessmen, usually salesmen, who would talk to anyone about anything just for the company. They learned how to make you ask questions that required long windy answers. He'd felt sympathetic toward them ever since he'd played Willie Loman in Miss Patterson's third-grade class production of Death of a Salesman. Pardee just needed to talk. â€Å"What's a cargo cult?† Tuck asked. Pardee smiled. â€Å"They've been in the islands since the Spanish landed in the 1500s and traded steel tools and beads to the natives for food and water. They're still around.† Pardee took a long pull on his beer, set it down, and resumed. â€Å"These islands were all populated by people from somewhere else. The stories of the heroic ancestors coming across the sea in canoes are part of their reli-gions. The ancestors brought everything they need from across the sea. All of a sudden, guys show up with new cool stuff. Instant ancestors, instant gods from across the sea, bearing gifts. They incorporated the newcomers into their religions. Sometimes it might be fifty years before another ship showed up, but every time they used a machete, they thought about the return of the gods bearing cargo.† â€Å"So there are still people waiting for the Spanish to return with steel tools.† Pardee laughed. â€Å"No. Except for missionaries, these islands didn't get much attention from the modern world until World War II. All of a sudden, Allied forces are coming in and building airstrips and bribing the islanders with things so they would resist the Japanese. Manna from the heavens. American flyers brought in all sorts of good stuff. Then the war ended and the good stuff stopped coming. â€Å"Years later anthropologists and missionaries are finding little altars built to airplanes. The islanders are still waiting for the ships from the sky to return and save them. Myths get built around single pilots who are supposed to bring great armies to the islands to chase out the French, or the British, or whatever imperial government holds the island. The British outlawed the cargo cults on some Melanesian islands and jailed the leaders. Bad idea, of course. They were instant martyrs. The missionaries railed against the new religions, trying to use reason to kill faith, so some islanders started claiming their pilots were Jesus. Drove the missionaries nuts. Natives putting little propellers on their crucifixes, drawing pictures of Christ in a flight helmet. Bottom line is the cargo cults are still around, and I hear that one of the strongest is on Alualu.† â€Å"Are the natives dangerous?† Tuck asked. â€Å"Not because of their religion, no.† â€Å"What's that mean?† â€Å"These people are warriors, Mr. Case. They forget that most of the time, but sometimes when they're drinking, a thousand years of warrior tradition can rear its head, even on the more modernized islands like Truk. And there are people in these islands who still remember the taste of human flesh – if you get my meaning. Tastes like Spam, I hear. The natives love Spam.† â€Å"Spam? You're kidding.† â€Å"Nope. That's what Spam stands for: Shaped Protein Approximating Man.† Tucker smiled, realizing he'd been had. Pardee let loose an explosive laugh and slapped Tuck on the shoulder. â€Å"Look, my friend, I've got to get to the office. A paper to put out, you know. But watch yourself. And don't be surprised if your Learjet is actually a beat-up Cessna.† â€Å"Thanks,† Tucker said, shaking the big man's hand. â€Å"You going to be around for few days?† Pardee asked. â€Å"I'm not sure.† â€Å"Well, just a word of advice† – Pardee lowered his voice and leaned into Tucker conspiratorially – â€Å"don't go out at night by yourself. Nothing you're going to see is worth your life.† â€Å"I can take care of myself, but thanks.† â€Å"Just so,† Pardee said. He turned and lumbered out of the bar. Tuck paid the bartender and headed out into the heat and to his room, where he stripped naked and lay on the tattered bedspread, letting the air conditioner blow over him with a welcome chill. Maybe this won't be so bad, he thought. He was going to end up on an island where God was a pilot. What a great way to get babes! Then he looked down at his withered member, stitched and scarred as if it had been patched from the Frankenstein monster. A wave of anxiety passed through him, bringing sweat to his skin even in the electric chill. He realized that he had really never done anything in his adult life that had not – even at some subconscious level – been part of a strategy to im-press women. He would have never worked so hard to become a pilot if it hadn't been for Jake's insistence that â€Å"Chicks dig pilots.† Why fly? Why get out of bed in the morning? Why do anything? He rolled over to bury his face in the pillow and pinned a live cockroach to the spread with his cheek.

Life Changing Decisions Essay

Many women in modern society make life altering decisions on a daily basis. Women today have prestigious and powerful careers unlike in earlier eras. It is more common for women to be full time employees than homemakers. In 1879, when Henrik Ibsen wrote â€Å"A Doll’s House†, there was great controversy over the outcome of the play. Nora’s walking out on her husband and children was appalling to many audiences centuries ago. Divorce was unspoken, and a very uncommon occurrence. As years go by, society’s opinions on family situations change. No longer do women have a â€Å"housewife† reputation to live by and there are all types of family situations. After many years of emotional neglect, and overwhelming control, Nora finds herself leaving her family. Today, it could be said that Nora’s decision to leave her husband is very rational and well overdue. In Ibsen’s â€Å"A Doll’s House†, there are many clues that hint at the kind of marriage Nora and Torvald have. It seems that Nora is a type of doll that is controlled by Torvald, and Nora is completely dependent on him. His thoughts and movements are her thoughts and movements. Nora is a puppet who is dependent on its puppet master for all of its actions. The most obvious example of Torvald’s physical control over Nora can be seen in his teaching of the tarantella. Nora pretends that she needs Torvald to teach her every move in order to relearn the dance. The reader knows that this is an act, but it still shows her complete submissiveness to Torvald. After he teaches her the dance, he says, â€Å"When you were dancing the tarantella, chasing inviting—my blood was on fire† (Ibsen II. 445), but she quickly shows that it is not her own choice by pleading â€Å"Please! I don’t want all this† (II. 447). This shows that Torvald is more interested in Nora physically than emotionally. He feels that it is one of Nora’s main duties as his wife to physically pleasure him at his command. Torvald is not only demanding mentally and physically, but also financially. He does not trust Nora with money. He feels that she is incapable and too immature to handle a matter  of such importance. Torvald sees Nora as a child. She is forever referred to as his little â€Å"sparrow† or â€Å"squirrel†. On the rare occasion that Torvald does give Nora some money, he worries that she will waste it on candy, pastry or something else of Childish and useless value. He shows his concern for his money when he ask Nora if is his â€Å"little spendthrift [has] been wasting money again† (I. 11). Nora’s duties, in general, are restricted to caring for the children, doing housework, and working on her needlepoint. But overall, Nora’s most important responsibility is to ple ase he husband Torvald. This makes her role similar to that of a slave. The problem in â€Å"A Doll’s House† does not lie with Torvald alone. Though he does not help the situation, he is a product of his society. In his society, females were confined in every way imaginable. Everything that women did had to have their husband’s approval, whether it delt with money, business, or anything else of significance. At times, they could not even speak their true thoughts or feelings without a harsh reprimanding. In this society, wives were to be seen and not heard. Throughout the drama, Nora keeps referring to â€Å"the wonderful.† This â€Å"wonderful† is what Nora expects to happen after Krogstad reveals the truth of her forgery of her father’s signature. She expects Torvald to stick up for her and offer to take the blame for the crime upon himself. She feels that this will be the true test of his love and devotion. However, Torvald does not offer to help Nora, in fact, he belittles her by saying â€Å"you may have ruined all my happiness. My whole future—that’s what you have destroyedà ¢â‚¬  (III. 451). This is where Torvald makes his grave mistake. Nora realizes that Torvald places both his social and physical appearance ahead of the wife whom he says he loves. This heartbreaking revelation is what finally prompts Nora to walk out on Torvald. He tries to reconcile with Nora, but she explains to him that she has â€Å"waited patiently for eight years,† (III. 456) for things to get better for her. Nora has been treated like a child all her life, by both Torvald and her father. Both male superiority figures not only denied her the right to think and act the way she wished, but they also placed a limit on her own happiness. Nora describes her feelings as â€Å"always merry, never happy† (III). When Nora finally slams the door and leaves, she is not only slamming it on Torvald, but also on everything else that has happened in her past which curtailed her growth into a mature woman. In today’s society,  many women are in a situation similar to Nora’s. Although many people have accepted women as being equal, there are still those in modern America who are doing their best to suppress the feminist revolution. Torvald is an example of men who are only interested in their appearance and the amount of control they have over a person. These are the men that are holding society down by not caring about the feelings of others. But Torvald is not the only guilty party. Nora, although very submissive, is also very manipulative. She makes Torvald think he is much smarter and stronger, but in reality, she thinks herself to be quite crafty as far as getting what she wants. However, when the door is slammed, Torvald is no longer exposed to Nora’s manipulative nature. He then comes to the realization of what true love and equality are, and that they cannot be achieved with people like Nora and himself together. When everyone finally views males and females as equals, and when neither men nor women overuse their power of gender that society gives them, is when true equality will exist in the world. Work Cited Ibsen, Henrik. â€Å"A Doll’s House†. The Bedford Introduction to Literature: Fifth Edition.Ed. Michael Meyer. Pg. 1483-1542. Print.

Tame Valley Essay

Tame Valley Essay Tame Valley Essay OVERVIEW OF THE COMPANY The Tame Valley has a wide variety of habitats that host a rich diversity of wildlife and rare species. This regionally important river corridor is also a vital north-south migration route, providing essential resting and feeding places for hundreds of migrating birds. The Tame Valley is recognised as a key place for large area conservation and partnership working, and part of a ‘Living Landscape’. The Partnership is led by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and supported by 18 organisations, which includes government agencies, local councils, non-governmental organisations and charities. The Tame Valley Wetlands Partnership was awarded development funding of 1.7million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to progress the Tame Valley Wetlands Landscape Partnership Scheme (TVWLPS) – a large, landscape-scale scheme with local people, the River Tame and the area’s wealth of heritage at its heart. The scheme began in the second half of 2014 and it will run for four years. The scheme will officially launch with a new fresh brand in March 2015. To create a wetland landscape, rich in wildlife and accessible to all, this will be achieved by taking a landscape-scale approach to restoring, conserving and reconnecting the physical and cultural landscape of the Tame Valley. By re-engaging local communities with the landscape and its rich heritage, a sense of ownership, understanding and pride will be nurtured to ensure a lasting legacy of restoration and conservation. To achieve this vision, four aims have been identified, which reflect the four themes of the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Landscape Partnership funding stream, as well as the overarching aims of the Partnership. The four principal aims are to: 1. Conserve, enhance and restore built and natural heritage features in order to improve the fragmented and degraded landscape of the Tame Valley. Emphasis will be given to linear features such as the River Tame and its floodplain, the canal corridor and historic hedgerows. 2. Reconnect the local community with the Tame Valley landscape and its heritage by engaging and involving people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities with their local green spaces, sites of heritage interest and the conservation and restoration of these places. Emphasis will be given to engaging hard-to-reach groups, community-led initiatives and delivering events and activities. 3. Improve access and learning for local people – both physical access on and between sites and intellectual access on and off site through a range of resources. This includes development of the ‘Tame Way’, themed trails, and a Gateway to the Tame Valley interpretation centre and website. 4. Provide training opportunities for local people by offering taster sessions, short courses, award schemes and certificates in a range of heritage and conservation topics, in order to increase the skill and knowledge levels within the local population and provide a lasting legacy. Currently, the organization has 35 different projects categorised under four different programmes. All the projects will run in the next 4 years, year 1 having started in 2014-2015. Programme A – Creating and restoring built and natural heritage A2: Turret Restoration. Project Aim is to improve the condition and appearance of this structure, to ensure that it remains in a good condition and stays visually and structurally sound into the future. It will be running in Year 3, but the duration has not been mentioned yet. Programme B – Increasing community participation B1: Heritage Events. Project Aim is to deliver an engaging programme of events (the delivery of one major heritage event a year - in years 2,3 and 4), focussing on natural heritage and traditional heritage skills. It will run from Year 2 to 5 (between 2015 and 2018). B3: Environmental Volunteering. Project Aim is to engage local volunteers in the management and restoration of sites of natural heritage interest within the TVWLPS area. Year 1 to

Pinecone Fish Facts and Information

Pinecone Fish Facts and Information The pinecone fish (Monocentris japonica) is also known as the  pineapple fish, knightfish, soldierfish, Japanese pineapple fish, and dick bride-groom fish. Its distinctive markings leave no doubt as to how it got the name pinecone or pineapple fish: it looks a bit like both and is easy to spot. Pinecone fish are classed in the Class Actinopterygii.  This class is known as ray-finned fishes because their fins are supported by sturdy spines.   Characteristics Pinecone fish grow to a maximum size of about 7 inches but are usually 4 to 5 inches in length. The pinecone fish is bright yellow in color with distinctive, black-outlined scales. They also have a black lower jaw and a small tail. Curiously, they have a light-producing organ on each side of their head. These are known as photophores, and they produce a symbiotic bacteria that makes the light visible.The light is produced by luminescent bacteria, and its function is not known. Some say that it may be used to improve vision, find prey, or communicate with other fish. Classification This is how the pinecone fish is scientifically classified: Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: ActinopterygiiOrder: Beryciformes  Family: Monocentridae  Genus: Monocentris  Species: japonica Habitat and Distribution The pinecone fish are found in the Indo-West Pacific Ocean, including in the Red Sea, around South Africa and Mauritius, Indonesia, Southern Japan, New Zealand, and Australia. They prefer areas with coral reefs, caves, and rocks. They are commonly found in waters between 65 to 656 feet (20 to 200 meters) deep. They may be found swimming together in schools. Fun Facts Here are a few more fun facts about the pinecone fish: It is popular in tropical aquariums because of its unique appearance. Despite that popularity, the pinecone fish is known to be hard to keep.They eat live brine shrimp and are more active at night. During the day, they tend to hide more.There are four species of pinecone fish:  Monocentris japonica, Monocentris meozelanicus, Monocentris reedi,  and  Cleidopus gloriamaris.  They are all members of the Family  Monocentridae.They are usually a yellow or orange color with scales outlined in black.  Ã‚  The fish are considered on the more expensive side, making them less common in home aquariums. Sources Bray,  D. J.2011,  Japanese Pineapplefish,  , in Fishes of Australia. Accessed January 31, 2015.Monocentris japonicaMasuda, H., K. Amaoka, C. Araga, T. Uyeno and T. Yoshino, 1984. The fishes of the Japanese Archipelago. Vol. 1. Tokai University Press, Tokyo, Japan. 437 p., via FishBase. Accessed January 31, 2015.  Mehen, B. Weird Fish of the Week: Pinecone Fish. Practical Fishkeeping. Accessed January 31, 2015.

Lifes Graetest Miracle Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lifes Graetest Miracle - Lab Report Example Life’s greatest miracle is a very informative film that expounds on the basic concept of cell division in human beings. It also provides details on the main stages in the development of the fetus. The main approach taken by Nova in this film focuses on both entertaining and teaching the interested audience. Despite its antireligious philosophy in the opening sentence, the film gives quality science explanation for the great number of science enthusiast. As the cell division progressively takes place in the female’s body, there is a perfect creation of an embryo. There is a closed reaction of the feminine gender on the verge of pregnancy. The change of eating habits is eminent alongside morning sickness. The documentary further illustrates on the embryo’s different stages of development. There is a clear perception on formation of blood vessels in the earliest three weeks. A large brain, a primitive backbone, and the eyes form in four weeks. The cells also turn on genes to transform the growing embryo into the appropriate gender. In this case, X chromosome embryo forms a girl while Y forms a boy. All through the imagery techniques of the photographer, there is an indication of monthly stages of embryo’s development right from the bones, legs, hands amongst other parts. This growth begins in the fourth month up to the final moments of the contraction of the uterus ready for the birth process. In this educational documentary, there is a sharp and extraordinary video presentation quite different from any other theoretical film. The detailed, bright and vivid colours give the right indication of the obstructive view in the real miracle of life. Its Dolby track surrounding makes it one of the few unique science documentaries. The films sound portrays imperative robustness with additional bass, which constitutes its outstanding nature. The plain truth is that