LEE Kathryn IndivAssignment

Woven Fang came from an average family and was studying in one of the top independent girls' schools in Singapore. She seemed like an average 1 6-year- old girl going through normal teenage girl problems, or so everyone thought. This essay describes the experiences and problems faced by Woven in her final year of secondary school. To understand Hoovers case better, theoretical background and research will be applied to explain her experiences and problems. Finally, some strategies and solutions will be proposed as resolutions to the issues presented.Background – Woven's Story Woven's parents migrated from Taiwan to Singapore and raised their four children in Singapore. Her brother and two sisters were 12, 10 and 7 years Older than her respectively. Her father, Mr.. Fang, was a businessman and traveled for long periods of time due to work. When he was in Singapore, he did not meddle in the affairs of his children, leaving his wife to take care of all their needs. As the younges t of four children and also because of the age gap between Woven and her older siblings, she was given extra care and attention by her mother.She also turned out to be the brightest, making it onto top primary and secondary schools in Singapore. Compared to Woven, her older siblings were a letdown to Mrs.. Fang, as they did poorly in school. Faced with problems from her other children, Mrs.. Fang placed extremely high hopes on Woven, dictating most of Woven's life and making most of the decisions. In Sec 4, Woven started losing weight drastically. Despite the drastic weight loss, Mrs.. Fang refused to admit that there was anything wrong with her daughter. Finally, Woven was so thin that Mrs.. Fang had to bring her to a doctor for fear that her life was in jeopardy.She was admitted into the capital and diagnosed with anorexia nervous. Only during the numerous counseling sessions did Woven's problems surface. Woven admitted that she face problems in school. First, although Woven had b een consistently doing well in school, she felt pressurized by the competitive environment she was in, where good grades were emphasized. On top of that was the pressure she felt from her mother to do well in school, especially as her mother often lamented to her about her siblings' failures and cautioned her not to turn out like them. Second, her schoolmates were all particularly concerned about weight and size.Although she was of an average height of 1. Mm and an average weight of keg, her classmates teased her about being chubby looking. As a result, Woven began to doubt her intelligence as well as her appearance and eventually, she stopped eating. As her weight started to drop and she became thinner, Woven finally felt in control Of something in her life – her actions actually produced results and this egged her on to lose more weight until she ended up in hospital. With a better understanding of her problems, the doctors treated her for anorexia and sent her for counseli ng at the same time.After a couple of months in the hospital, she was allowed to go home when her weight increased slightly. However, this was not the end of her problems. Woven was forced to return to school where she would face her classmates again. She was worried about her appearance, grades and studies. Although the counselor suggested taking the rest of the year off from school and repeating Sec 4 again the next year, Mrs.. Fang refused as she felt it was very embarrassing. At that point in time, Mrs.. Fang still refused to admit that her daughter was going through a very serious problem in terms of mental and physical health.Back in school, Woven tried to catch up with her peers in her school work. However, she felt as if they were constantly staring at her. Although they did not say anything, she knew that they knew about her hospitalizing and about her eating disorder, making her feel all the more conscious about herself and her appearance. Unable to take the demands of sch ool work and the ogling of her school mates, Woven returned to her old ways of not eating or vomiting what she ate. Although Woven is currently going through counseling her problems are far from being over.Analysis – Applying Theoretical Background / Empirical Research to Woven's Case According to Frontbenchers bacteriological theory of development, Woven's Microsystems would have very powerful environmental influences on her development. In Woven's case, it can even be said that her mother would perhaps have the greatest influence on Woven's personal development, as her mother would have spent the most amount of time with her since she was born (Gene and Chukka, 2010). Mr.. Fang's absence as a father figure in Woven's life was an uninvolved parenting style, thus making Mrs..Fang the most influential person in Woven's life. She had an authoritarian parenting Tyler as she often stressed for Woven to do well and often made decisions on her behalf in both school and home domains . As a result, Woven ended up worrying about pleasing her mother and felt like she had a lack of control over her own life (Gene and Chukka, 2010). Naught and Chicest (2002) believe that authoritarian parents are â€Å"rigid and unresponsive† and â€Å"in extreme cases their children have low self-esteem and use aggressive coping behaviors†. This was true in Woven's case. Mrs..Fang's parenting style also affected Woven's identity development, as suggested by Banding (1991). Parents are important figures in adolescents' identity development and poor communication between parents and adolescents lead to less positive identity development (Contracts, 2007). Marcia (1980) postulated a theory of identity formation, in which an individual can take on one of four identity commitments. Applying Marcia's concept of identity commitment to Woven, it is likely that Woven is a foreclosed individual, who has clear commitments which are internalized by her mother.Her commitments were not self-chosen and it is believed that no other alternatives were seriously considered (Mishmash, 2005). According to Kroger (1993), it was observed that identity-foreclosed adolescents â€Å"evidenced the highest levels of authoritarianism and socially stereotyped thinking, obedience to authority, external locus of control, and dependent relationships with significant others†. In line with this, Cote (2009) believes that adolescents are led to being identity-foreclosed by autocratic parents who control behavior without giving the adolescent a chance to express opinions. Therefore, it is likely that Mrs..Fangs authoritarian parenting style resulted in her being an identity-foreclosed individual. Erosion's theory of personality development proposed eight developmental Stages (Erikson, 1968, 1980). In his theory, an adolescent approaches identity formation (the fifth stage) ‘With a sense of self as an autonomous, active and competent agent in a relatively secure worldâ € , only if the earlier four stages have developed well (Mishmash, 2005). Woven may not have developed a sense of self as an autonomous agent as a child and thus was hindered by feelings of shame, self-doubt and inferiority in her adolescent years (Mishmash, 2005).Identity formation is such a challenging process that any robbers encountered in earlier development are likely to increase the chances of negative outcomes. Woven's parents are not the only ones to have a huge impact on her development. The people she meets every day in school are also part Of her Microsystems. As her peers and her teachers are involved in Woven's immediate settings, they have enormous influence over her development as an individual as well (Gene and Chukka, 2010).The influence of Woven's peers on her would come in three forms – attitudes and values, social development and emotional support (Ginsberg, Babes, & Spaniard, 2006; Rubin, Bouzoukis, & Parker, 2006). This explains why Woven was especia lly affected by her peers about both studies and weight issues. The standards maintained by her peers about these issues would become very important to her and thus Woven was likely to conform to her peer standards of achieving good grades and being thin.Through the influences of her peer group, her self-concept and self-esteem would be affected as well. There are many factors that can influence an adolescent female's self-esteem. The decline in self-esteem during adolescence may be due to physical hangers due to puberty, an increase in academic expectations and demands, and insufficient support by the school and parents (Contracts, 2009). These were all likely factors that influenced the decline in Woven's self-esteem over her secondary school years.A vicious cycle in which declining self-esteem affected her academic performance which then affected her academic self- concept which again influenced her self-esteem is likely to have occurred. As a result of her declining self-esteem, her grades took a downturn and she lost her self-worth as an individual, wanting to conform to norms set by her peers instead. It is probable that Woven's academic, social and physical self- concept interacted with her sense of identity, which then influenced her self- esteem negatively (Gene and Chukka, 2010).More support for this is provided by Harder (2006) who found that persistent low self-esteem usually leads to other more serious problems including low academic achievement, depression and eating disorders. It is evident from Woven's actions and behavior that she was going through a period of emotional turmoil. Some researchers might consider this normal because adolescence is often described as a time of emotional turmoil (Hall, 904). However, at the end Of the day, most adolescents do make it through these difficult and moody times to develop into competent adults.In spite of this, Woven has exhibited signs of emotional stress, through her anorexic behavior, falling grades, failing self-esteem and consciousness with how her peers view her as a person. As the onset of Woven's problems occurred in late adolescence, it can be inferred that it was environmental experiences that contributed to her emotional turmoil. Research suggests that emotional fluctuations in early adolescence are related to hormonal changes at that time, whereas in late adolescence, teenagers are more emotionally settled by then, displaying fewer worries and less moodiness (Hooper, 1980).As such, it is likely that the people around her affected Woven's emotional development. Emotional stress is usually the result of conflicts that adolescents have with their parents and these conflicts often happen because adolescents want to make independent choices which are usually not in line with what their parents have in mind for them (Child Development Reference). Interventions – Resolutions to Woven's Case The following strategies and interventions are believed to help Woven irately.A lthough there are many factors that contributed and led to Woven's current problems, the main cause of her problems seems to be her mother. This is because her mother would have had the most influence over Woven's development from a child and into her adolescent years. Therefore, tackling Mrs.. Fangs parenting style and the mother-daughter relationship is the foremost important issue. A successful intervention on this relationship will also affect Woven's formation of her own identity and self-esteem positively.With this as a base to build on, it will be easier to tackle the issues about Woven's peers and how she views herself as a result of her relationship with them. It is suggested that competent adolescent development is most likely to occur when adolescents have parents who carry out the following actions (Contracts, 2007). For Woven's case, Mrs.. Fang should avoid the tendency to be too controlling and allow Woven to make her own decisions about school and what she wants to do . Instead of trying to control Woven's life, Mrs..Fang should monitor her development and try to understand Woven's cognitive and constitutional development. She should also show more constructive says of dealing with problems and conflict because studies have shown that reprimanding only serves to increase the parent-child gap. In addition, both parent and child should come together to discuss ways to help Woven (Contracts, 2007). Woven's parents are also advised to take on a democratic instead of autocratic role. They would encourage Woven to participate in family decision making, thus fostering identity-achievement in her.This would be the most desirable outcome for Woven's self-identity as Kroger (1993) observed that â€Å"identity-achievement individuals showed the highest levels of go development, moral reasoning, internal locus of control, self-certainty and self-esteem, performance under stress on a concept attainment task, and intimacy in interpersonal relationships† (Mishmash, 2005). In line with the study conducted by Campbell, Adams, & Dobson (1 984), healthy identity formation of an individual is developed by family relationships that are both individuated and connected.A family atmosphere which promotes individuality and connectedness is lacking in Woven's life. She needs to have her own individuality, where she can have her own point of IEEE and develop her own communication pattern to express herself. At the same time, her family environment should promote connectedness, where emotional affection among family members is promoted. This suggests that Woven should be allowed to develop her own point of view, while her parents work on building the relationships within the family.A combination of connectedness and individuality in the parent-adolescent relationship forms the base from which Woven can explore her widening social world (Campbell, Adams, & Dobson, 1984). To further support the reasons why Woven's parents have to change their ren ting style, it is believed that the â€Å"fit† between â€Å"parents' style Of interaction and the interactive style and needs of the child† forms the foundation to a healthy emotional development of the child (Child Development Reference). Therefore, it is apparent that parents do play a vital role in their children's emotional development.To salvage the relationship they have with their daughter and to prevent Woven from sinking further in her own problems, it is highly recommended that both Mr.. And Mrs.. Fang undergo counseling to understand how their actions as parents have a great impact on their daughter. Both parents and Woven should also attend parent and child counseling sessions where the counselor is able to take on a mediator role and help to bridge the gap between them. Although Woven's parents are accountable for the bulk of her problems, the school environment she was in was very unhealthy as well.School-wide programmer which focus on self-image and sel f-esteem ought to be implemented to educate Woven and her peers on such issues. It is also necessary to educate them on the perils of eating disorders which could have damaging and dangerous consequences on their lives, as it affects their hysterical and mental health. In conclusion, Woven went through a difficult and trying period growing up, which led to some impairment in her development as an adolescent, especially in the identity and emotional development aspects.This was largely caused by the context of her development, which includes her immediate family members, in particular, her mother, as well as her peers and school environment. However, appropriate interventions and strategies could assist Woven in fixing some of these problems. The proposed interventions and strategies would not solve Woven's problems overnight but it is imperative hat they are implemented to kick-start Woven's road to recovery. (2495 words) References Banding, D. (1 991 The influence of parenting styl e on adolescent competence and substance use.

Passive Voice Definition and Examples

Passive Voice Definition and Examples In traditional grammar, the term passive voice refers to a type of sentence or clause in which the subject receives the action of the verb. For example, A good time was had by all. Contrast with active voice. The most common form of the passive in English is the short passive or agentless passive: a construction in which the agent (that is, the performer of an action) is not identified. For example, Mistakes were made. (In a long passive, the object of the verb in an active sentence becomes the subject.) See the discussion of the passive gradient in Examples and Observations below. Often the passive voice is formed by using the appropriate form of the verb to be (for example, is) and a past participle (for example, formed). However, passive constructions arent always made up of be and a past participle. For example, see the discussion of the get-passive. Though many style guides discourage use of the passive, the construction can be quite useful, especially when the performer of an action is unknown or unimportant. Passive constructions can also enhance cohesion. Examples and Observations Last week our dogwood tree was struck by lightning.Pandora, from Greek mythology, was given a box with all the worlds evils in it.(Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture, 2008)It is believed that in the elementary school a class of fifteen pupils for one teacher gives better results than either a class of three or a class of thirty.(Psychological Foundations of Educational Technology, ed. by W.C. Trow and E.E. Haddan, 1976)[Fern] found an old milking stool that had been discarded, and she placed the stool in the sheepfold next to Wilburs pen.(E.B. White, Charlottes Web, 1952)America was discovered accidentally by a great seaman who was looking for something else . . .. America was named after a man who discovered no part of the New World. History is like that, very chancy.(Samuel Eliot Morison, The Oxford History of the American People, 1965)Her bones were foundround thirty years laterwhen they razedher building toput up a parking lot.(Maya Angelou, Chicken-Licken. Oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well, 1975) In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.(Douglas Adams, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, 1979)Fiction was invented the day Jonas arrived home and told his wife that he was three days late because he had been swallowed by a whale.(attributed to Gabriel Garcia Marquez)The young gentleman was later seen by me in front of the gare Saint-Lazare.(Raymond Queneau, Passive. Exercises in Style, 1947) In Defense of the Passive Voice The proportion of passive verbs varies with the type of prose: scientific prose, for instance, may show far more passives than narrative prose. But to point this out is not to denigrate scientific writing. The difference merely reflects the different natures of content, purpose, and audience. . . . Not only is the passive voice a significantly frequent option in modern prose, but it is also often the clearest and briefest way to convey information. . . . Indiscriminate slandering of the passive voice ought to be stopped. The passive should be recognized as a quite decent and respectable structure of English grammar, neither better nor worse than other structures. When it is properly chosen, wordiness and obscurity are no more increased than when the active voice is properly chosen. Its effective and appropriate use can be taught. (Jane R. Walpole, Why Must the Passive Be Damned? College Composition and Communication, 1979) True Passives, Semi-Passives, and the Passive Gradient The statistic from corpus analyses that four-fifths of passive sentences in texts occur without the agentive by-phrase makes a nonsense out of deriving passives from actives. In the active subjects are obligatory; there can be no active sentences without a subject. So where do all these passives with no agent come from whereby the agent is unknown? Not from an underlying active, obviously. It is common practice to assume a dummy subject in such cases, equivalent to someone, i.e. underlying My house was burgled is the sentence Someone burgled my house. But that is stretching a point beyond credibility. . . . [Randolph] Quirk et al. [in A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language, 1985] attempt to get over this problem by presenting a passive gradient and the notion of semi-passive, exemplified by the following sentences: (33) This violin was made by my father.(34) This conclusion is hardly justified by the results.(35) Coal has been replaced by oil.(36) This difficulty can be avoided in several ways.- - - - - - - - - - -(37) We are encouraged to go on with the project.(38) Leonard was interested in linguistics.(39) The building is already demolished.(40) The modern world is getting more highly industrialized and mechanized.(41) My uncle was/got/seemed tired. The dotted line indicates the break between real passives and semi-passives. Those above the line are real passives, those below the line are increasingly remote from the ideal passive with a unique active paraphrase, and are not real passives at allthey are semi-passives. (Christopher Beedham, Language And Meaning: The Structural Creation of Reality. John Benjamins, 2005) Rise of the Get-Passive The passive in English is usually formed with the verb to be, yielding they were fired or the tourist was robbed. But we also have the get passive, giving us they got fired and the tourist got robbed. The get-passive goes back at least 300 years, but it has been on a rapid rise during the past 50 years. It is strongly associated with situations which are bad news for the subject- getting fired, getting robbed- but also situations that give some kind of benefit. (They got promoted. The tourist got paid.) However, the restrictions on its use may be relaxing over time and get-passives could get a whole lot bigger. (Arika Okrent, Four Changes to English So Subtle We Hardly Notice Theyre Happening. The Week, June 27, 2013) When to Use the Passive Voice in Journalistic Writing Lauren Kessler and Duncan McDonald [in When Words Collide, 8th ed., Wadsworth, 2012] offer two situations in which the passive voice must be used. First, passive voice is justified if the receiver of the action is more important than the creator of the action. They use this example: A priceless Rembrandt painting was stolen from the Metropolitan Museum of Art yesterday by three men posing as janitors. In this case, the Rembrandt should remain the subject of the sentence even though it receives the action. The painting is obviously more importantmore newsworthythan the three men who stole it.Kessler and McDonalds second reason for using passive voice is if the writer has no choice. Thats when the writer does not know who what the actor, or the creator of the action, is. The example they use: The cargo was damaged during the trans-Atlantic flight. Air turbulence? Sabotage? Was the cargo strapped in properly? The writer doesnt know, so the voice must be passive. (Robert M. Knight, A Journalistic Approach to Good Writing: The Craft of Clarity, 2nd ed. Iowa State Press, 2003) Evasive Uses of the Passive Voice: Mistakes Were Made [W]hen [New Jersey Governor Chris Christie] said mistakes were made, did he know he was quoting Nixon press secretary Ron Ziegler, or did that particular obfuscatory use of the passive voice just pop into his head? (Katha Pollitt, Christie: A Bully’s Bully. The Nation, February 3, 2014)Mistakes were made. I didnt make them. (Chief of Staff and later Secretary of State Alexander Haig, Jr., on the Watergate scandals, January 1981)We did not achieve what we wished, and serious mistakes were made in trying to do so. (President Ronald Reagan, regarding the Iran-Contra affair, January 1987)Clearly, no one regrets more than I do the appearance of impropriety. Obviously, some mistakes were made.† (Chief of Staff John Sununu, when caught using government military aircraft for personal trips, December 1991)Mistakes were made here by people who either did it deliberately or inadvertently. (President Bill Clinton, when it was discovered that he had invited the countrys senior bankin g regulator to a meeting with the Democratic Party’s senior fund-raiser, January 1997) I acknowledge that mistakes were made here. (Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, regarding the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, March 2007)We have not passed that subtle line between childhood and adulthood until we move from the passive voice to the active voicethat is, until we have stopped saying It got lost, and say, I lost it. (Sidney J. Harris, On the Contrary, 1962)

What Is the SSAT Expert Guide to the 3 Levels

What Is the SSAT Expert Guide to the 3 Levels SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you interested in going to private school? If so, you might need to take the SSAT to get in. But what is the SSAT? It'san admissions test that independent schools throughout the U.S. and the world use to assesstheir prospective students. The testis available in three levels, so students in elementary, middle, and high school can take it. This comprehensive guide will go over each level of the SSAT so you can learn all about its purpose, structure, and questions. You’ll also find six usefultips for test prep. To start, let’s go over the purpose of the test. What Is the SSAT and Who Takes It? The SSAT is designed for students in grades 3 through 11 who are seeking admission to private schools. It’s available in three levels: elementary for students in grades 3 and 4, middle for students in grades 5 through 7, and upper for students in grades 8 through 11. Students take the test according to their current grade, not the one to which they’ll be applying. If you’re in 7th grade, for instance, you'd take the middle level test, not the upper level one. Similarly, 4th graders applying to 5th grade would take the elementary level, not the middle level. Since you’ll have to wait several weeks for your score report, you should take the test well ahead of any school application deadlines. Students can take the test more than once on variousSaturdays throughout the school year. If you need to arrange a different testing date, then you can set up a â€Å"Flex Test.† Unlike the regularly scheduled SSAT tests, you can only take one Flex Test per year. For most students, the most convenienttesting center will bea nearby private school. There are independent schools that administer the SSAT in countries all over the world. You can find the full list of private elementary, middle, and high schools that give the teston its official website. The SSAT, like the SAT for colleges, is just one piece of a student’s private school application. Along with strong grades and extracurriculars, the student should aim to present competitive test scores. With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at what the SSAT tests at all three levels. The SSAT offers three delicious levels for elementary, middle, and high school students. What Does the SSAT Test? Questions and Skills Despite their differences, all levels of the SSAT share the same goal, to measure your verbal, quantitative, and reading comprehension skills. The verbal sections of the testask about vocabulary, verbal reasoning, and relationships between ideas. The quantitative sections will ask you to solve problems with mathematical concepts. Finally, the reading sections present passages and ask questions about their content. All three levels of the SSAT also have a writing section. This section is unscored, but your written response will be sent to score recipients. This means that admissions officers might read your response and use it as a sample of your writing skills. Younger students answer a creative writing prompt, while older students have a choice between writing a story or a more traditional essay. Now that you have a general answer to the question of what the SSAT is, let’s take a closer look at each level, starting with elementary. All of the sample questions are borrowed from the official website. SSAT: Elementary Level The elementary level is geared toward students in grades 3 and 4. The test at this level is unique since it’s further divided into sublevels, one that’s slightly easier for third graders and one that’s a bit more advanced for fourth graders. Both tests, though, share the same format and structure. The elementary level SSAT lastsone hour and 50 minutes and has a math, verbal, reading, and writing section. You can see the complete structure in the chart below. Section Number of Questions Time Math 30 30 Verbal 30 20 Break - 15 Reading 28 30 Writing 1 prompt 15 Total: 89 110 minutes (1 hour, 50 minutes) With this overall structure in mind, let’s take a closer look at each individual section, starting with Math. Elementary Level Math Section The Math section features all multiple choice questions that ask about a variety of concepts. They might involve addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. You couldbe asked to put numbers in order from least to greatest, or vice versa. You’ll also encounter some basic geometry, measurement, and graphs. The fourth-grade version of the test may also have a question or two about angles. Below are a couple of sample questions fromthe math section of the elementary level test. The first is a word problem testing comprehension and multiplication while the second is straightforward subtraction. 1. The Smith family drove 300 miles every day for 4 days. How far did they drive on their trip? 75 miles 304 miles 600 miles 1200 miles 1500 miles 2. 922 − 157 = 753 765 776 835 1079 After the 30-minute math section, students will start on a20-minute verbal section. Elementary Level Verbal Section The verbal section asks two main types of questions: vocabulary questions and analogy questions. It tests vocabulary by presenting a word and asking you to choose its synonym from five options. The questions feature words from various subjects, including science, technology, and social studies. Here’s an example of a typical vocabulary question that asks you to choose the presented word’s synonym. COOPERATE: join help delay finish support Analogy questions ask test-takers to make comparisons between two words or phrases. The relationship might be that of synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, or part to whole, to give just a few examples. The words may also fall into similar categories or share certain characteristics. Here’s an example of a typical analogy question. Minute is to hour as men is to our week is to day cow is to milk month is to year man is to woman The third and fourth grade tests share the same kind of questions, but, just as in the math section, the fourth grade test may be slightly more advanced. Simply put, the fourth grade test may feature more advanced vocabulary. Moving onto the third section, read on to see how the elementary SSAT tests reading comprehension. Elementary Level Reading Section On the Reading section, you’ll get seven short passages of poetry, prose, fiction, or nonfiction. After each passage, you’ll answer four multiple choice questions about what the passage’s mean. The questions might ask you to summarize the main idea, to locate specific information, or to define words in context. The slightly more advanced fourth grade test may additionally feature questions that ask about theme. Below is an example of a typical nonfiction passage, followed by a question about the main idea and a word in context. A hiker’s foot dangling from a boat sets the crocodile in motion. When saltwater crocodiles sense food, it can start a "feeding frenzy." Crocs race in from all directions. They go wild, attacking all within reach, including humans. They have been known to jump out of the water and attack humans or dogs on land. Crocodiles are highly territorial, especially females with babies. It is not wise to approach baby croquettes. They may look cute and harmless, but they are not. Smaller freshwater crocodiles might attack if bothered. A camper poked what he thought was a sleeping crocodile with a stick. Suddenly the crocturned and bit off his leg. 1. This passage is primarily about hiking safety rules the dangers of fishing why crocodiles attack dangers of baby crocodiles different kinds of crocodiles 2. In line two, "frenzy" most closely means race time calm furor mental illness After Reading, students will move onto the last section, Writing. Elementary Level Writing Section This final section asks students to write a story based on a picture. The prompt reminds students to make sure their story includes a beginning, middle, and end. Remember that this writing sample isn’t scored, but schools will receive a copy of it. Below is an example of a Writing prompt on the elementary level test. Look at the picture and tell a story about what happened. Make sure your story includes a beginning, a middle, and an end. Once students finish the Writing section, they’ll be all done with the test! Cheer up, melancholy knight. The SSAT also has a test for the middle ages. SSAT: Middle Level If you’re in grade 5, 6, or 7 applying for grades 6, 7, or 8, then you’ll take the middle level SSAT. The middle level test is much longer than the elementary level at three hours and five minutes. Its Writing section, while still unscored, comes at the beginning of the test. It also features an unscored experimental section with 16 multiple choice questions. The chart below shows the full structure of the middle level test. Section Number of Questions Time Writing 1 25 minutes Break - 5 minutes Math 25 30 minutes Reading 40 40 minutes Break - 10 minutes Verbal 60 30 minutes Math 25 30 minutes Experimental 16 15 minutes Total: 167 3 hours, 5 minutes Likethe Writing section, the experimental section is unscored. It will ask six verbal, five reading, and five math questions to test out material for future tests. Now that you have a sense of the test’s overall structure, let’s examine each individual section in more detail, just as we did with the elementary level above. First up is Writing. Middle Level Writing Students taking the middle level SSAT will choose from one of two creative prompts. Based on one of two â€Å"story starters,† they’ll write a story in 25 minutes. Below are typical instructions for the Writing section, followed by two story starters. Directions: Schools would like to get to know you better through a story you tell using one of the ideas below. Please choose the idea you find most interesting and write a story using the idea as your first sentence. Sample Topics: The classroom was empty. I looked into its eyes and suddenly... Again, the story is unscored, but score recipients will get a copy of the response. The next section, however, is definitely scored. After a five-minute break, students will continue on to the Math section. Middle Level Math The Math section asks you to solve problems that fall into four main conceptual categories: number concepts and operations, algebra, geometry/measurement, and data analysis/probability. Number concepts and operations involve addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, arithmetic word problems, ratios, percentages, estimation, sequences, rational numbers, and frequencies. Algebra includes algebraic word problems, line equations, patterns, absolute value, and exponents. Geometry/measurement asks about area and circumference of circles, area and perimeter of polygons, volume, properties of triangles, parallel and perpendicular lines, coordinate geometry, and slope. Finally, data analysis/probability involves interpreting tables and graphs, trends, inferences, and probability. Below are a couple sample problems from the math section of the middle level test. Both fall into the number concepts and operations skill area. 1. In a class of 25 students, 8 received a grade A on a math quiz. What percent of the students did not receive an A? 8% 25% 32% 68% 78% 2. An elevator is on the first floor. It goes up 8 floors, then down 5 floors, and then up 4 floors. What is the final position in terms of the first floor? 3rd floor 4th floor 5th floor 7th floor 8th floor Since students in grades 5 through 7 take the middle level test, some may find this section easier than others. Younger students might need to learn new concepts before taking the SSAT, while older students likely have had more more experience with the tested concepts in school. After Math, you’ll move immediately onto Reading. Middle Level Reading The 40-minute Reading section contains passages of 250 to 350 words taken from literary fiction, humanities, science, and social studies. These passages might be narrative or argument-based. The multiple choice questions ask about main idea, details, words and phrases in context, along with the author’s purpose, attitude, and tone. They might also ask you to make inferences, evaluate arguments, or make predictions. The following is a sample passage taken from literary fiction. The first question is detail-oriented, while the second asks you to make an inference. Little Jim was, for the time, Engine Number 36 and he was making the run between Syracuse and Rochester. He was fourteen minutes behind time, and the throttle was wide open. As a result, when he swung around the curve at the flower bed, a wheel of his cart destroyed a tulip. Number 36 slowed down at once and looked guiltily at his father, who was mowing the lawn. The doctor had his back to the accident, and he continued to pace slowly to and fro, pushing the mower. Jim dropped the handle of the cart. He looked at his father and at the broken flower. Finally, he went to the tulip and tried to stand it up, but it would only hang limply from his hand. Jim could not repair it. He looked again toward his father. 1. According to the passage, Jim's father was a (A) farmer(B) doctor(C) gardener(D) train engineer(E) business executive 2. Jim apparently thought that when his father saw the broken flower his reaction would be one of (A) fear(B) anger(C) curiosity(D) amusement(E) indifference As you can see, a strong grasp of vocabulary is important for doing well on the Reading section. Vocabulary comes directly into play in the next section, the 60-minute verbal. Middle Level Verbal The verbal section tests your understanding of vocabulary and of the relationships between words and ideas with synonym and analogy questions, just like the verbal section in the elementary level. Synonym questions simply present you with a word and ask you to choose its closest synonym, as in the following example. EGREGIOUS: (A) trivial(B) hidden(C) flagrant(D) fragrant(E) contagious Analogy questions ask you to recognize the relationship between two words or phrases, like synonym, antonym, cause/effect, and part/whole. The following, for instance, shows two antonyms. Translucent is to opaque as light is to (A) sun(B) dull(C) lamp(D) candle(E) darkness As you can tell, the elementary level and middle level SSAT are very similar in terms of skills tested and question types. The similarities continue into the upper level test, which simply incorporates more advanced material for older students. Read on for its full structure, along with a breakdown of each individual section. Are you hoping to attend a private high school? If so, you'll be taking the upper level SSAT. SSAT: Upper Level The upper level testis geared toward students in grade 8 to 11 who are applying to private high schools. It has the same structure as the middle level test, but again, it features more advanced material. This chart shows the test’s format as a whole. Section Number of Questions Time Writing 1 25 minutes Break - 5 minutes Math 25 30 minutes Reading 40 40 minutes Break - 10 minutes Verbal 60 30 minutes Math 25 30 minutes Experimental 16 15 minutes Total: 167 3 hours, 5 minutes The experimental section asks six verbal, five reading, and five math questions. These questions are unscored and are just given to test out material for future tests. As with the other levels, your response in the writing section is unscored but will be sent to your score recipients. Read on to see what kind of prompts you’ll get in the Writing section. Upper Level Writing Students get two prompts in the writing section and choose just one to answer. One prompt is creative while the other is a more traditional essay question that asks for your personal opinion. Below are the typical directions for the writing response, followed by two sample topics. Remember, you only have to answer one! Directions: Schools would like to get to know you better through an essay or story using one of the two topics below. Please select the topic you find most interesting and fill in the circle next to the topic you choose. Sample Topics: 1. If you could do something over again, what would it be and why? 2. He couldn't believe they wanted his help. Even though this section’s unscored, you’ll want to make sure your response is clear, organized, and features strong grammar and syntax. Admissions officers will likely use it to evaluate your writing. After writing your story or essay, you’ll move on to the Math section. Upper Level Math The concepts that the upper level math section tests match those on the middle level. The questions will just be more complex and advanced. To review, the skill areas are number concepts and operations, algebra, geometry/measurement, and data analysis/probability. Number concepts and operations questions involve addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, arithmetic word problems, ratios, percentages, estimation, sequences, rational numbers, and frequencies. Algebra might involve algebraic word problems, line equations, patterns, absolute value, or exponents. Geometry/measurement asks about the area and circumference of circles, area and perimeter of polygons, volume, properties of triangles, parallel and perpendicular lines, coordinate geometry, and slope. Data analysis/probabilityquestions ask you to interpret tables and graphs, find trends, make inferences, and calculate probability. The following are two official â€Å"number concepts and operations† questions. 1. Which number represents one thousand four hundred and thirteen thousandths? 1,400.13 1,400.013 1,400.0013 10,400.13 100,400.13 2. Find the missing number in the sequence: ___, 29, 35, 41, 47 22 23 24 25 26 After the math section, you’ll move onto Reading. Upper Level Reading The Reading section features narrative or argument-based passages of 250 to 350 words each. They’re taken from literary fiction, humanities, science, and social studies. The subsequent multiple choice questions might ask you to recognize the passage’s main idea, locate details, make inferences, derive the meaning of words or phrases, determine the author’s purpose or tone, evaluate opinions, or make predictions. The following sample question features a passage taken from literary fiction. The questions ask you to interpret a detail and describe the passage as a whole. We had a consuming desire to see a pony rider, but somehow or other all that passed us streaked by in the night, and so we heard only a whiz and a hail, and the swift phantom was gone. But now the driver exclaims: "Here he comes!" Every neck is stretched and every eye strained. Away across the endless dead level of the prairie a black speck appears. Soon it becomes a horse and rider, rising and falling, sweeping nearer and nearer, and the flutter of hoofs comes faintly to the ear. Another instant a whoop and hurrah from our upper deck, a wave of the rider's hand, but no reply, and man and horse burst past our excited faces and go winging away like a belated fragment of a storm! 1. At the driver's call, the people became more eager puzzled hysterical frightened disappointed 2. This passage can best be described as an account of an event a news article a research study an epic poem an advertisement While the reading section tests your vocabulary with words in context questions, the verbal section tests your vocabulary with synonym and analogy questions. Upper Level Verbal If you’ve read about the elementary and middle level verbal sections, then you should be familiar with its question types. The upper level verbal section is no exception and similarly features synonym and analogy questions. The following, for example, is a synonym question; it wants you to choose the answer that most closely matches the presented word in meaning. INCOGNITO: lost replaced concealed uncovered distinguished This next analogy sample question wants you to recognize the relationship between the presented words and then find that same relationship between words in the answer choices. In this case, an epidemic occurs when a disease becomes widespread. Similarly, a famine occurs when hunger becomes widespread. The relationship between the words in answer choice A matches the relationship between epidemic and disease. Epidemic is to disease as famine is to hunger creative is to creation persuasion is to composition mountainous is to climb ache is to gluttony So there you have it, the structure of each level of the SSAT and a breakdown of each section, writing, math, reading, and verbal, with official sample questions. Before considering how you can prep for this important test, let’s go over what you need to know about how the testis scored. Aim for a high percentile to stay ahead ofthe bell curve! How Is the SSAT Scored? Your SSAT score report will tell you how you did on each scored section - verbal, math, and reading - as well as your total score, or the sum of your section scores. You’ll also get percentiles that show how your performance compares to that of other test-takers. Each level is scored on a different scale.Section scores for the elementary level range from 300 to 600. For the middle level, sectionscores range from 440 to 710. Finally, scores for each section range from 500 to 800 for the upper level. Level Minimum Score by Section Maximum Score by Section Elementary 300 600 Middle 440 710 Upper 500 800 As there are three sections per test, verbal, math, and reading, your total scores representyour three section scores added together. Level Total Minimum Score Total Maximum Score Elementary 900 1800 Middle 1320 2130 Upper 1500 2400 At all levels, you’ll get one point for every correct answer, zero for skipped answer, and a deduction of  ¼ point for wrong answers. While you may have personal goals for your SSAT scores, you can also set target scores based on what you need for admission to your private school of choice. Many private schools release data on the average SSAT scores of accepted students. You can research this information and set your target scores above the average. Once you have your goal in mind, you’ll need to prep to achieve those scores. As with the SAT and ACT for college, studying and taking practice tests are important for doing well on the SSAT. Read on for a few tips for preparing effectively for the test. Preparing for the SSAT: 6 Tips Even though the SSAT is a skill-based, rather than content-based test, it still calls for a good deal of studying. Prepping with high-quality materials is a key part of achieving your target scores and getting into your private school of choice. Below are six tips to guide your studying. First, you should consider how much you need to study and when you plan to take the test. 1. Design a Study Schedule and Test-Taking Timeline How much do you need to study? How much time do you have? When do you plan to take the test? All of these are questions you should ask yourself as you start to plan your SSAT prep. The SSAT is offered on eight Saturdays from September to June, and you can take it as many times as you want. If none of the offered test dates work for you, then you might be able to arrange a Flex Test. Remember that you can only take one Flex Test per year. You might take the testfor the first time months ahead of your private school application deadlines so you have the opportunity to take it again if you want higher scores. If your application deadlines are in the winter, for example, you could take your first SSAT in the spring. That way, you have a second opportunity to test the following fall. Once you set your first test date, consider how long you have to study. Ideally, you have at least three to four months to prepare. The best way to meet your studying goals is to build prep into your routine by setting aside specific time each day or week. By designing a study plan and test-taking schedule several months before your first deadline, you can ensure that you have plenty of time to prepareso you can achieve your target scores. Time yourself when you take practice tests so you can get used to the rhythmof the SSAT. 2. Take Lots of Practice Tests and Reflect on your Results The SSAT is a unique test; chances are, you’re not accustomed to answering dozens of synonym and analogy questions anywhere else(to give one example). As a unique test, it’s critical for you to get familiar with its structure, format, and question types. Reading through this guide’s a great first step. Then you should set aside time to take practice tests, especially under simulated testing conditions - time yourself, find a quiet environment, etc. Make sure your materials are high-quality and specific to the level that you’ll be taking. After you take timed practice tests, score your tests and carefully go over your results. Figure out why you got a question wrong. Were you fuzzy on a specific concept? Did you make a careless error? Did you run out of time? By rooting out the reason behind your mistake, you can figure out what to do about it. You may need to review concepts in geometry or try time management strategies for skimming the passages. By pinpointing and addressing your errors, you can fill in any gaps and see improvement the next time. You might begin with a diagnostic practice test to gauge your starting point. Then you could stagger practice tests throughout your prep to measure your progress and readjust your study plan if need be. 3. Study Vocabulary and Word Relationships As you noticed above, all three levels test your verbal skills in the same way, with questions about synonyms and analogies. Studying level-specific vocabulary is an important part of your SSAT prep. Rather than just focusing on the traditional vocab term + definition list, you should look at groups of words with similar meanings. Your prep materials should have vocabulary lists for your level of the test. You can also find vocab lists on the website Quizlet, or even upload your own for review with interactive games. To master analogy questions, make sure your prep materials break down the different relationships that can appear. Some of these might be synonym, antonym, part to whole, or cause/effect. By studying these relationships and pairing them with practice questions, you should be able to recognize the relationship when you answer analogy questions on the test. For the verbal section of the SSAT, don't just study the meanings of words, but also their relationships with each other. 4. Review Tested Math Concepts The math section of the SSAT can be challenging, especially for younger students who haven’t studied as advanced concepts as their older counterparts who are taking the same test. You should make sure your study materials explain all the concepts you’ll need to know. Algebra on the upper level test, for instance, can be broken down into lots of subtopics, includingword problems, line equations, and exponents. If there are concepts that you’ve never encountered, then you may study them from books or find a tutor who can teach them to you. As a younger student, you shouldn’t have to score in as high a percentile as an older student. Still, though, you don’t want to be taking the test and come across problems that look totally unfamiliar. As you review each concept, pair it with lots of related practice questions. While it’s useful to review each rule individually, remember that some questions may require you to combine concepts in order to solve them. The math section may be closely aligned with what you’re doing in math class. The problems are probably more typical to your homework and class tests than the questions in the verbal section, for instance. Still, though, make sure to study with realistic SSAT practice questions so you can get used to their wording and format. 5. Read Widely and Often How can you study for the reading section? To some extent, all of the reading you’ve done over your lifetime will help you on this section. While you’ve developed your reading comprehension skills over the long-term, you can still take a specific approach to this section. First, keep in mind that the reading section tests you on works from various genres, including literary fiction, nonfiction, and argument-based writing. Reading fiction will help, but you should also practice reading articles from areas like science and social studies. As you read, take notes on essential elements like main point, keydetails, and tone. Beyond taking the time to really engage with and analyze a work, you should hone your ability to read quickly and with purpose. Practice your ability to skim a work for its main point and important details. The test is timed, so you need to be able to gather important points under time limits. The more you practice time management strategies with practice SSAT reading sections, the more efficient you’ll become. While math, reading, and verbal skills will get you far, you also want to have some tried-and-true test-taking strategies up your sleeve. 6. Be Strategic with Your Time and Guessing Finally, you should go beyond studying math concepts and vocabulary to develop test-taking and time management strategies. You’ll only get about a minute or less to read, consider, and answer each multiple choice question. The more you practice and try different tactics - like skimming passages or process of elimination - the more efficient you’ll become. Taking timed practice tests will also help you get accustomed to each section’s time limits and how to allocate your time well. As mentioned above, scorers take  ¼ point off for every wrong answer. If a question totally stumps you, then you might consider skipping it. If you can confidently eliminate at least one answer choice as wrong, though, then you might benefit from guessing. The best way to do well on the SSAT is to develop solid quantitative, verbal reasoning, and reading comprehension skills. Since it’s a timed standardized test, though, practicing various test-taking and time management strategies is a useful approach too. In closing, let’s review the key points to remember about this private school admissions test. To Sum Up†¦ If you’ve made it this far in the guide, then you should have a good sense of the structure and skills tested across all three levels of the SSAT. Students in grades 3 through 11 can take the elementary, middle, or upper level of the testto apply to independent schools. The SSATis skills-based and seeks to measure your verbal, math, and reading skills. Each level also includes a writing section, which is unscored but will be available to admissions officers that you indicate as score recipients. The SSAT features similar question types at all three levels, with the upper levels incorporating more advanced concepts and vocabulary. The scoring systems are different, though, so you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the scale, as well as your prospective schools’ expectations, to set your target scores. Once you have a goal in mind, you should set aside time for several months to prepare. The earlier you start, the more time you’ll have to get ready. Plus, you might benefit from retaking the test once or twice to improve your scores. By planning early and studying with high-quality SSAT materials, you’ll see improvement and make progresstoward your target scores. While the SSAT is just one piece of your private school application, it can go a long way toward making you a strong candidate for your school of choice! What's Next? Want more help with SSAT prep? Check out our SSAT study tips and complete collection of SSAT practice tests. One of the best ways to improve your test scores is to analyze your mistakes. This guide explains how to reviewyour errors on practice tests so you can make big improvements for next time. Are you a younger student considering taking the SAT? Before you decide, check out these guides on whether or not you should take the SAT as a 7th grader, 8th grader, or 9th grader. Did you know that test scores are just one piece of your private school applications? You should also show admissions officers who you are and what you're interested in through your extracurricular activities. Check out this comprehensive list to explore hundreds of extracurricular activities! Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Business Sustainability Performance †Free Samples to Students

The main purpose of strategic operations management is to help and support the business organizations to increase the overall performance. In order to achieve strategic operations successfully, the business organizations need to consider efficiency and flexibility. The strategic operations management consists of competitive business approaches and moves to ensure successful business performance. This helps the organizations to define the mission and vision of the business by setting accurate objectives and implementing and executing suitable strategies. The fact that everything is done strategically, defines the success of the operations management. This report emphasizes on identifying and analyzing the operations of the organization named Tindo Solar by considering the value chain of the organization. The report also includes the inbound and outbound logistics of the company and its effect on the customers. Tindo Solar is a solar panel manufacturing company based in Adelaide, Australia. Tindo Solar is a national company that designs and manufactures solar panel products strictly based on the Australian conditions. The products manufactured by the company are of superior-quality due to which the products are highly preferable among the customers. The solar panels manufactured by the company require minimal maintenance thereby, making the products cost-effective for the customers. Due to technological advancements, the company has incorporated the latest features in the solar panel products. Therefore, the solar panel products manufactured by Tindo Solar are highly automated and technologically advanced. By considering the present market trend, the company has made required amendments and inclusions in terms of technology in the products. As a result, the solar panels by Tindo Solar are highly preferable within the market and the customers. Moreover, the company provides various service o ptions to the customers such as easy finance and installation along with the installation charge as low as $2000. Furthermore, the company provides more than 20 years as guarantee period thereby, making it more reliable for the customers[1]. In order to run a business successfully, it is essential for the business organizations to conduct certain operations strategically. This helps in maintaining the track of the various strategic activities conducted for successful business operations. Settings goals timely and the ability of the business organizations to manage the vicissitudes of the daily operations of the business highlight the backbone of the business[2]. Therefore, effective management of the daily operations of Tindo Solar includes managing finances, operation planning, protection of business, benchmarking, supply chain management, management leadership, organizational design and business sustainability[3]. Finance management is a crucial aspect of for Tindo Solar, as this provided opportunity for appropriate financial resource management. Financial management is concerned with the acquisition, financing and management of assets thereby, resulting in the success of the business[4]. The business organizations fail to utilize its complete potential for growth and expansion without proper administration and effective utilization of finance. The main factors of financial management include investment decision, financing decision and dividend decision[5]. Therefore, Tindo Solar need to manage the finance of the company to conduct business successfully. By strategically conducting the investment decision, Tindo Solar will be able to determine the total amount of assets required retention by the organization. Secondly, Tindo Solar needs to manage the supply chain effectively as this will allow the organization for effective management of network planning, inventory control, distribution strategies, outsourcing and procurement[6]. The supply chain of Tindo Solar will help the organization to integrate the stakeholders from the supplier to the customers. This will also help Tindo Solar in promoting mutual sharing of information among the channel members thereby, helping planning and monitoring of the processes[7]. Co-operation among the channel members are essential for effective management of supply chain by promoting coordinated activities by Tindo Solar. Benchmarking is defined as the continuous systematic process of measuring own output or work process against the toughest competitors in the market[8]. Continuous benchmarking will help Tindo Solar to identify their strengths and weakness and work on it to sustain in the competitive market. As the use of solar panel is highly facilitated In Australia, it is essential for Tindo Solar to continuously compare and contrast their operational strategies with the best in the market. Therefore, this will help Tindo Solar to satisfy the customers better by fulfilling the needs and establishing new standards and goals[9]. Moreover, benchmarking will also motivate the employees of Tindo Solar by challenging them professionally and provide career growth. Ensuring business sustainability will allow Tindo Solar conduct business in Australia without hampering the environment but contributing towards the economy of the country[10]. Business sustainability is an integral part of the corporate risk management, as this allows the business organizations protect the environment while conducting business. Therefore, environmental sustainability for the business of Tindo Solar will provide an opportunity for the company to make responsible business decisions. Considering the nature of work done by Tindo Solar, it is already beneficial for the environment, as it is facilitating the use of solar panels within the people. Therefore, both economic and environmental aspect of the country is benefited due to appropriate business sustainability. The concept of lean product management theory is defined as the ability of the business organizations of being less wasteful along with doing things that are big for the country, its economy and the environment[11]. However, lean product management theory does not signify being cheap. Therefore, implementation of lean product management theory will help Tindo Solar to maintain the operations of the company by maintaining their profit level along with being less wasteful. The implementation of lean product management theory allowed the managers of Tindo Solar to get the value of the products to the market rapidly. The use of solar panels is highly preferable among the Australian population. Based on the increasing demand for the use of solar panels among the population, the managers of Tindo Solar has served the market. The company began its operation in 2003 and since then has been able to grow their business and customers base successfully. The organization has even opened its branches in Melbourne since the organization began conducting business. The use of this theory has helped Tindo Solar to penetrate the market into the half. Market penetration helped Tindo Solar in working towards the goal instead of building arbitrarily. According to the theory, the managers of Tindo Solar are able to explore the problems rather than emphasizing solely on the requirements. After evaluating the market, the managers came to know about the requirement of the customers. The customers were also encountering issues in terms of maintaining electricity and paying huge bills. Therefore, the company was able to explore the problems of the customers and gather to required features for solving the problem. The company started manufacturing and installing solar panels for the customers thereby, ensuring both solar and environmental help. The company also emphasized on spreading awareness among the people regarding the diverse application of solar panels along with low maintenance and fewer electricity bills. Ensuring business sustainability will allow Tindo Solar conduct business in Australia without hampering the environment but contributing towards the economy of the country[12]. Business sustainability is an integral part of the corporate risk management, as this allows the business organizations protect the environment while conducting business. Therefore, environmental sustainability for the business of Tindo Solar will provide an opportunity for the company to make responsible business decisions. Considering the nature of work done by Tindo Solar, it is already beneficial for the environment, as it is facilitating the use of solar panels within the people. Therefore, both economic and environmental aspect of the country is benefited due to appropriate business sustainability. The demand of using solar power panel in Australia has increased over the years due to the adverse environmental impact of the conventional electricity system[13]. The heating and cooling machines and systems contribute adversely towards the environment. Therefore, ensuring business sustainability will allow Tindo Solar to manage financial, environmental and social opportunities and obligations appropriately. It has been seen that in order to progress and compete, the business organizations are undertaking strategies without considering the adverse environmental impact. Global warming is one of the biggest examples of such negligence[14]. One of the sustainable business strategies undertaken by Tindo Solar is that the company has taken the initiative of going green with the commercial solar panel in Adelaide and Melbourne[15]. According to the rules and policies of the Australian Government, it is important for the organizations to produce energy from renewable resources[16]. The main motive of Tindo Solar is to produce residential and commercial energy to the people from sunlight. The company installs solar panels on the roofs and ground of the premises in such a way that direct sunlight falls on the panels. The photons of the sunlight then reach the panels and the photovoltaic tubes help in transferring it into useable energy. The use of solar panels for both commercial and residential is beneficial for the environment. The use of solar panels are beneficial are it is one of the renewable producers of energy. Solar panels can be used in all parts that receive sunlight[17]. The use of solar panel as the source of energy completely mitigates the chances of power or electricity cut. Moreover, solar panels can be used as long as sunlight is present in the environment. Therefore, this is a sustainable business approach used by the Tindo Solar that is beneficial for the country, its people and the environment. The solar panels provided by Tindo Solar have diverse applications but low maintenance costs thereby, making the use extremely profitable and beneficial for the environment and the company. The customers using solar panels only need to keep the panels clean and has no other maintenance costs[18]. Moreover, Tindo Solar provides a warranty period of more than 20 years for the products they install thereby, m aintaining sufficient environmental, social and financial sustainability. In this report, it can be concluded that Tindo Solar needs to implement strategic operations management for conducting business successfully. Tindo Solar energy is a solar company based in Adelaide, Australia. It is important for the company to manage the strategic operations in terms of financial management, benchmarking, supply chain and sustainability appropriately. The use of lean product management theory will help the organization to maintain the operational management of the product. The use of this theory helped Tindo Solar to manufacture products with huge benefit but not cheap. Moreover, Tindo Solar has a sustainable approach towards the environment of the country, as the company primarily emphasizes on the manufacturing of solar panels and installing them. This is a huge initiative undertaken by the company, as the solar panels have diverse applications and low maintenance costs. In addition to, the company also provides more than 20 years of warranty on their products the reby, ensuring financial and social sustainability. Amigoni, Francesco, et al. "Competitions for benchmarking: task and functionality scoring complete performance assessment." IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine 22.3 (2015): 53-61. Azevedo, Susana G., et al. "Influence of green and lean upstream supply chain management practices on business sustainability." IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 59.4 (2012): 753-765. Bansal, Pratima, and Mark R. DesJardine. "Business sustainability: It is about time." Strategic Organization 12.1 (2014): 70-78. Christiansen, Ulrik, Annemette Kjà ¦rgaard, and Rasmus Koss Hartmann. "Working in the shadows: Understanding ERP usage as complex responsive processes of conversations in the daily practices of a Special Operations Force." Scandinavian Journal of Management 28.2 (2012): 173-184. Christopher, Martin. Logistics & supply chain management. Pearson UK, 2016. Gao, Jijun, and Pratima Bansal. "Instrumental and integrative logics in business sustainability." Journal of Business Ethics 112.2 (2013): 241-255. Hepsà ¸, Vidar, et al. "Integrated Environmental Monitoring in Daily Operations." SPE Intelligent Energy International. Society of Petroleum Engineers, 2012. Kayser, Mark Andreas, and Michael Peress. "Benchmarking across borders: electoral accountability and the necessity of comparison." American Political Science Review 106.3 (2012): 661-684. Matta, Andrea, et al. "Modelling home care organisations from an operations management perspective." Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal 26.3 (2014): 295-319. Ng, Anthony C., and Zabihollah Rezaee. "Business sustainability performance and cost of equity capital." Journal of corporate finance 34 (2015): 128-149. Poksinska, Bozena, Dag Swartling, and Erik Drotz. "The daily work of Lean leaders–lessons from manufacturing and healthcare." Total Quality Management & Business Excellence 24.7-8 (2013): 886-898. Slawinski, Natalie, and Pratima Bansal. "Short on time: Intertemporal tensions in business sustainability." Organization Science 26.2 (2015): 531-549. 'Solar For Business' (Tindosolar.com.au, 2017) accessed 31 August 2017 Stadtler, Hartmut. "Supply chain management: An overview." Supply chain management and advanced planning. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2015. 3-28. 'Tindo Solar –' (Tindosolar.com.au, 2017) accessed 31 August 2017.

Credit Risk Assessment of Bank Customers using DEMATEL and Fuzzy Research Paper - 1

Credit Risk Assessment of Bank Customers using DEMATEL and Fuzzy Expert System - Research Paper Example The research is carried out using data from the Middle East Region of the Asia. Banking has become a necessity to individuals who require safe storage of their financial assets(Bilal,7). Among commercial banking various benefits, some risks are associated with them especially credit risk which requires management for any bank institution to make profits for its stakeholder and investors. Assessment of credit risk is necessary for sustainability of banking institutions especially in the Islamic realm where moral laws such as shari’ah and social justice are adopted in order to preserve customer associations, reasonable dealing, protection and precautions of staff amongst others(Bilal,7). Management of credit involves mitigating the exploitation of the risk, which is applied by including credit scoring models that serve as structures for providing credit to customers. Research has been conducted on how to evaluate credit risk with success factors being evident in the use of GA-based SVM and Rough set theory that provided effectiveness in data mining therefore contributing a positive impact on risk restructuring(Jianguo and Bai, 3). Other studies included credit risk assessment with support vector machines and hybrid neutral systems that resulted in robustness in the use of fuzzy logic in real time applications to solve problems specifically in credit risk management(Shin, Lee and Kim, 130). This paper concentrates on credit risk assessment using Dematel and fuzzy expert systems applying credit scoring models. The objective of this paper is to study consumers’ credit risks that are obtained from previous research that includes financial ratios obtained from banking balance sheets. Rules are used to determine the correlation between consumers’ financial credit risk levels and resultant financial circumstances that is improved by expert decision making that is from filtered financial ratios(Amorim, Vasconcelos and Brasil,

At the end of the play, Othello has agreed to the death of Cassio and Essay

At the end of the play, Othello has agreed to the death of Cassio and has himself killed Desdemona. In 750 words, explain how iago has managed to lead othello to this position - Essay Example Iago influences Cassio which leads the latter into dishonoring himself and insists on Roderigo to murder him. In his attempt to revenge Othello, Iago also convinces him of Desdemona's disloyalty and influences him into slaying his wife. Therefore, all through the play, Iago is involved in plotting his plans and maneuvering his revenge. Othello, by the end of the play, agrees to Iago to the death of Cassio while he himself kills Desdemona. It is mainly due to the intriguing plans of the character Iago that such tragic situations occur in the life of Othello. Iago manages to influence the other characters of the play in his natural way and his wicked designs determine the destiny of the other characters. Over the several years in the office as ensign to Othello, Iago is has achieved the trust of the general to become his most faithful advisor. It is on the basis of this unquestionable trust that the character develops all his plans and he becomes successful in persuading Othello to relegate Cassio and later to cause the downfall of the Major himself. An understanding of the plot of the play confirms how effectively Iago manipulates the other characters to believe and trust him completely and to play the roles in his revenge plot, as designed by him. Thus, he achieves the trust of his Major, and maneuvers Emily, his wife, to get hold of Desdemona's handkerchief which Othello had presented to her. Totally aware of Othello's 'tragic flaw', i.e. his jealousy, Iago manages to convince him that the handkerchief, the most valued gift of Othello to Desdemona, was in Cassio's possession. Iago then focuses on arousing Othello's jealous rage, and asks him to hide behind to listen to the conver sation between Iago and Cassio. Iago also manages to make Othello believe that the lewd conversation between Iago and Cassio about the latter's mistress, Bianca, was all about Desdemona. Therefore, Iago's success is in the plot in which he manages to manipulate facts to suit his purposes, and the resulting jealousy in the character Othello helps Iago to take his revenge on Cassio and the Major himself. The influence of this character over the characters in the play, especially Othello, is evident from the fact that everything moves according to the plot of Iago and ultimately he is given the opportunity to take his revenge. The final scene of the play illustrates how effectively this character manipulated the other characters and the situation. Therefore, his plots to take his revenge succeed when Othello slays Desdemona who was in fact guiltless of the charges by Iago. Iago is able to change the identity of Othello thanks to his intriguing skill in manipulating facts, and this change of identity caused Othello to face the ultimate tragedies of his life. In his ability to create the most effective situations for his plot, by misdirecting the other characters, Iago becomes successful in making a change in the identity of other characters, especially Othello. He is able to influence the identity and personality of other characters and is effective in completely altering the direction of the story by changing the other characters. Thus, it becomes clear that Iago, in the play's downward movement, employs his instrumental reason to influence Othello and

Beach Sediments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Beach Sediments - Essay Example Some beaches are built to great widths by sediments washed to the sea by episodic floods, gradually eroding until the next major flood replenishes the sand ("Beach Formation and Types of Beaches and Sand"). Beach sediments are delivered per year in million cubic yards through longshore transport. Different beaches have different colors and textures because of the various sediments that make them up. There are beaches made up of eroded shale cliffs, multicolored agates ground and polished by the surf, feldspar minerals, ground quartz, and even iron minerals. The various make up of the sediments determine the origin of these sand beaches which help researchers know more information about a particular coast. Mechanical sediments, also known as clastic sediments, came from the erosion of oceanic rocks formed during the earlier times. These sediments are carried by streams or waves to the place where they are deposited. Ocean sediments, especially in the form of turbidites, are usually carried over and deposited at the bottom of continental slopes ("The Columbia Encyclopedia" 42907). Chemical reactions in seawater form chemical sediments which results in the precipitation of small mineral crystals that settle to the floor of the sea and finally form a chemically pure layer of sediment somehow. Organic sediments are formed from plant or animal actions. ... There are also some traces of windblown volcanic and continental dusts found in organic sediments. Properties of Sediments Sediments have different properties which are being studied by researchers for different purposes such as coastal engineering. One property of sediments is its physical form. Sediments can be loose, fluid, hard or firm. Examples of loose sediments are sand and silt; mud is a form of fluid sediment. There are also sand forms that are firm and stiff as clay. Hard sediments are those rocks and coral pieces that can be found in some beaches. Sediments can also be classified in terms of their cohesiveness. Sediments can be cohesive, non-cohesive or mitigated. Sediments such as clay and firm sand are highly cohesive as each particle stick closely together. Mud and loose sands, as well as rocks and other loose particles, are non-cohesive. Mitigated sediments are mainly non-cohesive sediments with a little mix of clay. Non-cohesive sediment behavior in water is mainly controlled by mechanical forces. The hydrodynamics of a particle refer to its ability to remain still or become entrained if on the bed surface, or to remain in suspension or to cease movement if in motion ("Sedimentation Investigations of Rivers and Reservoirs" 7-1). The properties that crucially affect the non-cohesive particle's hydrodynamics are its size, shape and specific gravity. The behavior of cohesive sediments, on the other hand, is controlled by electrochemical forces and dependent on the particle size, sediment mineralogy, and water chemistry. Particle size is considered to be the most important property of non-cohesive sediments. The size of the particle can be defined by any of the four methods: a) Nominal diameter - with this