Naked and Free in The Awakening :: Chopin Awakening Essays

Naked and Free in The Awakening The Awakening, by Kate Chopin seems to fit neatly into twentieth century ideals. Chopin addresses psychological issues that must have been difficult for people of the late nineteenth century to grasp. Just as Edna died a premature death, Chopin's book died too. The rejection of this book, at the time, ironically demonstrates the pressure many women must have felt to conform to society. Chopin shows the reader, through Edna Pontellier, that society restricts women the right to individuality. This restriction by society can be seen in the clothing Victorian women wore during the time. For example, we see clothing used as an important metaphor in the story. Victorian women's clothing was extremely confining, much like their life. The clothing can be seen as a type of "cage" which is apparent when we see Edna and Adele walking to the beach in chapter seven. Adele wore a veil, "doe skin gloves, white gauntlets ... was dressed in pure white, with a fluffiness of ruffles that became her" (478). Adele was the ideal of beauty. Edna, on the other hand, "wore a cool muslin that morning ... a white linen collar and a big straw hat" (478). We learn that "a casual and indiscriminating observer ... might not cast a second glance" (478) towards Edna. The fact that Edna was simply dressed showed her non conformity towards society's standards. When the two women get to the beach, Edna removes her collar and unbuttons her dress at the throat. Her decision not to wear all the garments is a hint at the rebellion to come. Another obvious example of the symbolism of clothing is seen at the end of the novel when Edna removes all of her clothing before committing suicide. Chopin writes that when Edna was "there beside the sea, absolutely alone, she cast the unpleasant, prickling garments from her, and for the first time in her life stood naked in the open air" (558). Edna seems to be removing her final restrictions before finding her freedom in death. This last rebellion against society seems to give Edna her final "awakening". This awakening can be seen when Chopin writes, "She felt like some new born creature opening its eyes in a familiar world that it had never known" (558).

Human Relations Essay

1 In your opinion, do supervisors of entry-level workers rely more on soft skills or hard skills to accomplish their work? Explain. In my opinion, supervisors of entry-level workers rely more on soft skills than hard skills in order to accomplish their work. My reasoning in this is that â€Å"soft skills† often equate to â€Å"people skills†, or developed communication skills. When supervising entry-level workers, such â€Å"soft† skills in communication and working with people will be more beneficial to the supervisor than the technical knowledge or transferable skills referred to as â€Å"hard† skills. When supervising entry-level workers, the supervisor does not actually need advanced technical knowledge or skills relative to the job. Entry-level workers will not have, or necessarily need to learn, such skills and information from the supervisor. Instead, it is most important that the supervisor uses â€Å"soft† skills to maintain open communication channels to understand and respond to worker concerns and needs. 2 Why do people need soft skills in an era of high technology? People need soft skills in an era of high technology for several reasons. Technology is often a tool rather than a tutor or teacher; therefore, human help will always be necessary when workers and individuals are learning to operate new technology. I.T. support staff need to have soft skills in order to carry out their jobs, which involve dealing with people as well as dealing with technology. 3 Discuss two (2) ways that interpersonal skills related to the digital age are demonstrated while interacting with large numbers of people, as well as groups. Interpersonal skills relating to the digital age are demonstrated while  interacting with large numbers of people in several ways. From social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, most people have developed the skill and awareness of â€Å"broadcasting† information or opinions to a large audience. Also though such social media, most people have developed an awareness of privacy filters – for example, in their use of digital technology they may choose to share certain information with a smaller subset of the entire group. 4 How might you improve your effectiveness as a team player in terms of people-related team activities? Discuss three (3) ways. I could improve my effectiveness as a team player by being a more active listener, consistently (i.e., listening attentively to everyone’s contribution instead of periodically â€Å"zoning out† when a certain person is speaking). I could also initiate, as the team members meet for the first time, sharing of each individual’s preferred gender pronouns – if PGPs are uniformly shared at the outset, and this creates a safe atmosphere and dynamic for any gender-nonconforming individuals in the team. Finally, I could make a concerted effort to default to a dynamic of trust, and remind myself that – even if a team member is expressing opinions or taking actions I disagree with – they almost certainly have best intentions.

Billy Baines Middle School Essay

Billy Baines Middle School (BMS) is located in Fort Bend ISD, in Missouri City, TX. Its school teaches sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. BMS opened in August 2006 and was named after Mr. Billy Baines. Mr. Baines was hired in 1959 as the first African American principal and he served Fort Bend ISD for thirty years. BMS has approximately 1,400 students with an average 18:1 student-to-teacher ratio. BMS is a diverse school with equal distribution by gender and ethnicity. African Americans, Caucasians, and Hispanics are predominating ethnic groups at BMS. Special Education at BMS consists of two classrooms. I had the pleasure of observing Ms. Wheeler’s class. Her class has four male students: Deonte, Samuel, Jonathan, and Cody. Deonte is an African American boy who appears to be about 16 years old, about 6’4†. Deonte shows characteristics comparable to Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Samuel is an African American boy who is about 5’2† and roughly 13 years old. He shows characteristics comparable to Mental Retardation, and Language Impairment. Jonathan is a Hispanic boy about 15 years old, 5’ 6†, and shows characteristics comparable to Mental Retardation and Speech Impairment. Cody is a 5’1† Asian American boy who is left handed and very active in the classroom. Cody shows characteristics comparable to severe Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and a delay in learning. Teachers spend an average of four years being taught to teach, however each student learns differently and there are about a dozen ways to impart knowledge. Students use an array of techniques to learn information, some use music, others learn by doing, or by using a visual aid to assist in learning. Teaching has truly become an art because there are many ways that students learn and process information. Teachers spend hours planning lessons that use each of our multiple intelligences. Howard Gardner introduced the multiple intelligence theory in 1983, and leads educators to think that humans have a wide range of cognitive abilities. By using many methods of instruction teachers can keep students engaged in the learning process. Ms. Wheeler’s class although engaged, was not fully attentive at all times. Her students had a difficult time staying on task. Ms. Wheeler was able to redirect students and keep them motivated. Ms. Wheeler motivated student with rewards for good behavior, correct answers, and following instructions. She also keeps a high level of enthusiasm, by using statements like â€Å"this is neat† or â€Å"this is an exciting thing†. Ms. Wheeler spends time planning assignments that will accommodate each student and their learning style. She uses different instructional methods to keep her students engaged in learning, such as group activities and centers. She does not use a great deal of lecture because students easily get distracted. Ms. Wheeler also uses the many tools in her classroom to accommodate the class. For example, many students are only able to read at a kindergarten reading level, so when the class read about the Ryder Cup Golf she used the SMART Boardâ„ ¢. The students who could read took turns reading while others followed along, some words would have small pictures above them that represented the word. After the class had finished reading she played an audio clip of the reading to review. Ms. Wheeler also used the multiple intelligence theory in her teaching, she taught students to brush their teeth and wash their hands after eating lunch, and this uses logical-mathematics intelligence. She also taught students by using the musical intelligence she had a music therapist come by to teach students how to use music to remember things they are learning in class. Ms. Wheeler’s class is located in room 1105, the front door reads â€Å"Welcome to Ms. Wheeler’s class†. Ms. Wheeler’s class has a welcoming and safe feeling even before you walk into the classroom. Walking into her classroom the first thing you see is the centers arranged around the room. Her classroom is connected to the other special education classroom by the bathroom and kitchen area. Ms. Wheeler’s class is bare with little on the walls. She believes that posters and art causes distractions to her students. Although, it is hard to teach students who are easily distracted, Ms. Wheeler accepts the distractions in a positive manner. She can get task with her students for a moment and find ways to easily transition back to the task at hand. For example, Ms. Wheeler was teaching about the life cycle of a butterfly and Deonte asked her whom she spent her weekend with. Ms. Wheeler replied that she spent it with her cat. In order to get back to the task at hand she told a story about her cat playing in the garden, and they saw a caterpillar. Her transitions between topics work well for her students. Ms. Wheeler’s students also show her a lot of affection; she kindly and professionally returns the affection. Samuel loves high-fives and hugs, while Cody likes fist pumps. Much of the affection shown in the class is done after a task or during transition periods. Ms. Wheeler quizzes her students after each completed task. She typically puts a worksheet up on the SMART Boardâ„ ¢ and calls on students to come to the board and answer one of the questions on the board. Also during centers the teacher or teacher’s aide will ask many questions to make sure the student understands the assignment. When students succeed Ms. Wheeler always praises them with kind remarks. Ms. Wheeler’s class was at most times chaotic. Her class follows little rules and behavior varies between students. Ms. Wheeler does remind students often to use inside voices and to pay attention. However, because the students are all special needs students you cannot punish them for behavior that is relative of their mental or physical disability. The instructor utilizes individualized learning objectives; she uses centers as a way to have one on one instructional time with her students. Each of her students are on different academic levels, so one on one time with her students is vital to the education progression of her students. Based on the progression of her students it is sometimes necessary to make adjustments to their individualized education program (IEP) and individualized schedules. In conclusion, observing Ms. Wheeler’s class has taught me about how to teach students who have any disability and how to individualize education even within the general education. My time in Ms. Wheeler’s class was spent only observing. Fort Bend ISD does not allow much interaction with their special needs students, because they want to keep their students on their adapted schedules. The theory behind this is the children are able to transition between school and home easier. My experience in Ms. Wheeler’s class has taught me the importance of patience when working with young students. It also taught me how important it is to have a student teacher meeting with each of my students and address their weaknesses and strengths. This will help me in making sure each student is succeeding to the best of their ability. I also have decided that when I begin teaching, I will use a large array of teaching strategies to accommodate the different learning style of all students. My desired degree is Education, Math fourth to eighth grade and in my classroom I can use an overhead or SMART Boardâ„ ¢ to allow students a chance to â€Å"student teach†. I can also use personal white boards for rapid math games. Observing middle school special education has confirmed to me that I could not teach special education. Those who can teach these exceptional children in my opinion must have a special quality to handle the demand of their jobs. It takes an exceptional teacher to teach these amazing children. However, I have decided teaching middle school is where I will be most effective. For a long time I believed that teaching elementary was always the way to go, but allowing students to take action in their own education is a future goal of mine. The only way I can see this vision come to pass is by teaching students old enough to take charge of their actions yet young enough to mold. Nelson Mandela once said, â€Å"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. † I want to teach the new generation that taking charge of their education will change the world around them.

Miscellaneous essays

Miscellaneous essays Perhaps more often than men, women in movies are depicted as being constrained by societal expectations even as they are expected not to be boringly ordinary; In the films Queen Margot, Camille Claudel, Children of Paradise and Breathless, different leading actresses take on different parts. What these movies have in common are their portrayal of societies limits on women and at the same time, how women seem able to go around these limitations. Queen Margot is set in 16th century, a time of political deception and religious persecution. Margot, in an effort to end the hostilities between two religious groups, is married to the opposition. Margot has no love or interest in her new husband, and despite her marriage vows, she finds a lover in La Mole. The significance of Margots role in this film is how it portrays women at that time. Needless to say, her character was a bit on the promiscuous side. Not only was she sleeping with her brothers, but she was practically sleeping with anyone. This depicts a very non-representational view of women at that time. Although society at that time would frown upon actions taken by Margot, she found ways to live accordingly. At the same time, she had a reasonable amount of power. It is hard to categorize her with other women because she was royalty, but either way her brothers seemed to have the upper hand. Since ancient times, women artists have been creating alongside their male counterparts. Many of these women were highly successful during their lifetimes, yet have been omitted from art historical documentation. In the movie Camille Claudel, Camille is always in her counterpart/lovers shadow. A logical explanation why is because of the fact that she is a woman. Camille was seen as a "disgrace" to her society. She was not doing something that was accepted out of women. One part in the movie, she is act...

Big Picture Questions in ACT Reading Whats the Main Point

Big Picture Questions in ACT Reading What's the Main Point SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips On ACT Reading, you'll encounter questions that ask you to be able to read large amounts of text and distill them down; we call these "big picture" questions here at PrepScholar. Big picture questions can ask about the entire passage, a series of paragraph, or even just one paragraph (as opposed to "little picture" questions, which will ask for specific information). Being able to answer these types of questions will prove very useful for college/university, where professors will expect you to use these skills with even more dense and academic writing. What are â€Å"big picture† questions on ACT Reading, and what are the best ways to approach answering them? I’ll start by discussing the two primary types of big picture questions you’ll encounter on the ACT, along with common ways the ACT will ask you about each. After that, I’ll give you some strategies to answer both types of questions, illustrated with examples from prose fiction and academic writing. feature image credit: The Bigger Picture by F Delventhal, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. Type 1: Main Point Questions First of all, what is the main point of a passage or paragraph? For Social Science, Humanities, and Natural Science passages, the main point is the central argument. It's a little more complicated for Prose Fiction or Literary narrative, since they don’t always have central arguments; for these passage types, the main point is often the central conflict and its implications. If you're stumped, it can also sometimes help to think of the main point of a Prose Fiction/Literary Narrative passage as a short summary of what happens, or even the â€Å"moral of the story.† Questions that ask you about the main point are not asking about the topic, or theme, of the writing, but are instead looking for something more specific. The main point should answer the question, â€Å"so what’s the author’s point in this paragraph/passage?† in a short sentence. Identifying Main Point Questions It’s usually pretty clear when you’re being asked about the main point of a passage. The wording will go something like the following (all extracted from and modified from actual SAT questions): â€Å"Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?† â€Å"The primary focus of lines 65-92 is..." "The author’s main purpose in lines 54-69 is to show..." â€Å"The main theme of this passage concerns the...† â€Å"The main idea of the first paragraph is that the music of the video game Portal...† Main Point Questions: Examples Let’s take an example from a paper I wrote during graduate school (minus footnotes). I’ll even include introductory material, similar to what you might find on the ACT. This paragraph is excerpted from the paper â€Å"‘This was a triumph:’ Narrative and dynamic uses of music in Portal† by Laura Staffaroni ( ©2013 by Laura Staffaroni). This paper was written as the final assignment for a Research and Materials class. In general, because Portal is a puzzle game, it might be expected to lack a strong narrative; this, however, is not the case. While the gameplay is focused on the solving each level’s puzzle, you are also provided with tantalizing bits of story in the form of dialogue spoken to you by GLADoS, the AI directing the â€Å"tests.† Bits of the story are revealed over the course of the game in this way, picking up with the introduction of secret rooms with writing on the walls and the adorable but deadly turrets. So what’s the main point of this paragraph? If you just go with what the topic is, then your answer might be something like â€Å"games,† or even â€Å"the video game Portal.† *buzzer* EHHHHHH. WRONG. Remember, the main point should be able to answer the question "What's the author's point in this paragraph?" The answer to that question will be something like "The author is arguing that [main point]." So "the video game Portal" doesn't even make sense as an answer - "The author is arguing that the video game Portal" is not a complete sentence, which means "the video game Portal" cannot be the main point of this paragraph. Here's my short answer for what I think the main point of that paragraph is: Portal is a puzzle game that also has a narrative. This successfully answers the question "what is the author's point in this paragraph?" in a way that makes sense: the author is arguing that Portal is a puzzle game that also has a narrative. I will go into strategies for how to extract this information from a paragraph or passage in a little bit. For now, let’s take a look at another example, this time from prose fiction. This paragraph is excerpted from the short story â€Å"Writer’s Block† by Laura Staffaroni ( ©2009 Laura Staffaroni). This story was written as an assignment for a Creative Writing class. Emma gave her friend a glare that conveyed both her disbelief and annoyance. Really, sometimes Rachel could be a bit melodramatic, as shown by, oh, EVERYTHING she had just said and done. If anyone had trouble writing, it was her, Emma. When given a prompt, Rachel’s pen would start racing back and forth across the page like a ping-pong ball on a string, going to the right right right AND back to the left, where the metaphorical paddle awaited. Meanwhile, Emma would be sitting with her pen pushed into the paper, hoping for a few sentences or paragraphs in half an hour. It just didn’t seem fair. Now Rachel was worried about writing? It was probably a ploy, some kind of act she was putting on, so that when she ended up producing a three-page story in the space of fifteen minutes everyone would feel especially awed. What’s the main point, or primary focus, of this paragraph? If you go with â€Å"theme,† your answer might be along the lines of â€Å"jealousy,† or â€Å"writing.† Again, this is not specific enough to be correct. The answer to the question "What's the main point of this paragraph?" should be able to give a person who hasn’t read the paragraph a good idea of what goes on in it, not just what it’s about. So what’s the focus of this paragraph? Again, that can be answered with just a short statement: Emma’s jealousy of Rachel’s ability to write a lot quickly. What about the main point? The main point is that Emma is jealous of Rachel's ability to write a lot quickly. 1961 Triumph TR3A by The Car Spy, used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Cropped from original. Type 2: Perspective Questions Rather than asking about â€Å"what happened†, perspective questions ask â€Å"what is the perspective, attitude, or point of view of the [person, narrator, author], shown in this [paragraph, series of paragraphs, passage]?† These questions are a little different from main point questions (and occur less frequently than main point questions), but since answering them requires you to synthesize large amounts of information down into one central point, perspective questions are still big picture questions. It's a subtle distinction, but it is important to make a note of whether a question is a main point or perspective question, particularly if it is asking about a paragraph, rather than the whole passage. Why? Because it's entirely possible that a single paragraph is from a particular character/person's point of view, and that person's opinion may differ from the objective reality presented in the rest of the passage. Identifying Perspective Questions Here are a couple examples of how a perspective question might be phrased on the SAT: "The passage is written from the point of view of..." "Based on the passage, which of the following statements best describes the overall attitude of the narrator?" Perspective Questions: Examples Let’s use the example of my paper on Portal again. This paragraph is excerpted from the paper â€Å"‘This was a triumph:’ Narrative and dynamic uses of music in Portal† by Laura Staffaroni ( ©2013 by Laura Staffaroni). This paper was written as the final assignment for a Research and Materials class. In general, because Portal is a puzzle game, it might be expected to lack a strong narrative; this, however, is not the case. While the gameplay is focused on the solving each level’s puzzle, you are also provided with tantalizing bits of story in the form of dialogue spoken to you by GLADoS, the AI directing the â€Å"tests.† Bits of the story are revealed over the course of the game in this way, picking up with the introduction of secret rooms with writing on the walls and the adorable but deadly turrets. Question: â€Å"The passage is written from the point of view of...† Correct answer: This passage is written from the point of view of†¦a dispassionate narrator describing a component of Portal’s gameplay. True. The narrator doesn't appear to have particularly strong feelings about Portal, and the excerpt describes an aspect of the gameplay (that you get bits of story through dialogue). Incorrect answer: This passage is written from the point of view of†¦GLADoS, the AI. No. The passage mentions GLADoS, but isn’t written from her POV. Incorrect answer: This passage is written from the point of view of†¦a narrator unhappy that Portal is different from all other puzzle games. No. The narrator mentions that Portal is a puzzle game, but doesn’t mention that it is different from all other puzzle games, nor does the narrator seem unhappy about this. Here's a prose fiction example, again using the passage from before: This paragraph is excerpted from the short story â€Å"Writer’s Block† by Laura Staffaroni ( ©2009 Laura Staffaroni). This story was written as an assignment for a Creative Writing class. Emma gave her friend a glare that conveyed both her disbelief and annoyance. Really, sometimes Rachel could be a bit melodramatic, as shown by, oh, EVERYTHING she had just said and done. If anyone had trouble writing, it was her, Emma. When given a prompt, Rachel’s pen would start racing back and forth across the page like a ping-pong ball on a string, going to the right right right AND back to the left, where the metaphorical paddle awaited. Meanwhile, Emma would be sitting with her pen pushed into the paper, hoping for a few sentences or paragraphs in half an hour. It just didn’t seem fair. Now Rachel was worried about writing? It was probably a ploy, some kind of act she was putting on, so that when she ended up producing a three-page story in the space of fifteen minutes everyone would feel especially awed. Question: â€Å"Based on the passage, which of the following statements best describes the overall attitudes of Rachel and Emma?† Correct answer: Emma does not believe Rachel’s anxiety is real. True: Emma thinks that Rachel's worrying about writing is an an "act [Rachel is] "putting on", which means it is not a real emotion. Incorrect answer: Rachel likes writing, while Emma doesn’t. Possibly true, but not directly supported by anything in the paragraph. Incorrect answer: Rachel is manic and exuberant, while Emma is depressed and calm. Again, maybe true, but not apparent from this paragraph alone. Warning: Main Point and Perspective ≠  Function Warning by Stefano Brivio, used under CC BY 2.0. Main point and perspective questions are different from function questions. Instead of asking "what's the point," function questions usually ask "what does this [line, sentence, paragraph] DO?" Rather than asking "What is the perspective from which the author is arguing her point?" (a perspective question), you'll be asked questions about the author’s purpose: â€Å"why is the author writing this?† Example: "The main idea of the first paragraph is..." You can translate this to "What does this paragraph say,† a main point question. Compare to: "Which of the following best describes the way the fifth paragraph (lines 48–54) functions in the passage as a whole?" You can translate this to "What does this paragraph do," a function question. On the other hand, sometimes main point questions can masquerade as function questions. Take this example (1): "1. In terms of the passage as a whole, one of the main functions of the third paragraph (lines 13-19) is to suggest that... A. ER’ s successes in various professional pursuits helped prepare her to take action in the political world.B. ER had avoided the political spotlight in her personal pursuits.C. ER had competing and conflicting interests during her first year as first lady.D. while ER had many personal accomplishments, little could have prepared her for life as the first lady." Even though the question has the word "function" in its wording, it is actually asking about the main idea of the paragraph. How can you tell? Compare the above question to a similarly-worded function question (2): "2. The function of the first paragraph in relation to the passage as a whole is to: A. orient the reader to the subject of longitude by explaining how longitude is determined at sea.B. explain the political significance of developing an accurate way of determining longitude.C. establish that longitude calculations are necessary to determine time in two different places at once. D. introduce a discussion of how knowledge of Earth’s position relative to the Sun was gained in the process of advances in timekeeping. " The difference is in both the wording of the question and in the answer choices presented. If you reduce the questions down to their basic strucutre, example 1 asks "what does this paragraph SUGGEST (what does this paragraph say)?" By contrast, example 2 asks "What is this paragraph's FUNCTION (what does this paragraph DO)?" The answer choices are also telling: function questions often have answer choices in the form of "verb a noun" (in this case, "orient the reader," "explain the political significance," "establish that longitude calculations are necessary," and "introduce a discussion"). Main point questions, on the other hand, have answer choices that answer the question "what's the point?" For more on the distinction between big picture and function questions, check back soon for my ACT Reading function questions article. Now that you know what big picture questions are, though, how do you go about answering them? Strategies For Answering Big Picture Questions The strategy you use to answer big picture questions depends on how you read the passage. If you have enough time to read each passage in full and answer questions afterwards without feeling rushed, then you should be trying to figure out the main point and author perspective as you read. You can do a quick check to see if there will be any questions about it first, but even if there aren’t any questions that directly ask you about the main point, it can be helpful in answering other questions (more on that later). If you read the questions first, you may be able to get a sense of what the big picture is just by the questions asked. If you skim the passage, then attack questions, you should focus on just the key information the first time through But how do you know what the key information is? Read on to find out! Check The Introduction and Conclusion For questions about non-Prose Fiction/Literary Narrative passages, chances are that if the author’s done a good job, the main point and perspective should be clear in the conclusion, if not the introduction as well. This can, of course, be true for Prose Fiction/Literary Narrative passages as well, but since it isn’t as essential to the construction of a successful piece of prose fiction or literary narrative, an author won't always structure her writing that way. When finding the main point of a single paragraph, on the other hand, this rule gets a little fuzzy. Sometimes there will be direction-changing words in the middle of the paragraph that are essential to understanding the main point - words you might miss if you only focus on the introduction and conclusion sentences. Last sentences also often try to take the argument a step beyond what has been discussed in the article, placing it in a broader context. Still, the introduction and conclusion can be helpful as places to start. If the introduction and conclusion seem to contradict each other, that is a clear sign that you need to dig deeper into the passage/paragraph to find the main point. Use Key Words It makes intuitive sense that you’d want to note where the author says things like â€Å"important† or â€Å"significant† – those things probably are important (or even significant). You can also uncover key information, however, by paying attention to words and phrases that signal changes of direction, like â€Å"in contrast,† â€Å"while,† â€Å"however,† and so on; because the information associated with these words contrasts with what came before, it often is important. Key words can help you get to the meat of the issue by helping you avoid the trap of just reading the first sentence of a paragraph and assuming that is what it will be about. Let's take yet another look at my Portal paper for an example of this. In general, because Portal is a puzzle game, it might be expected to lack a strong narrative; this, however, is not the case. While the gameplay is focused on the solving each level’s puzzle, you are also provided with tantalizing bits of story in the form of dialogue spoken to you by GLADoS, the AI directing the â€Å"tests.† Bits of the story are revealed over the course of the game in this way, picking up with the introduction of secret rooms with writing on the walls and the adorable but deadly turrets. The beginning sentence of this paragraph basically says that Portal doesn’t have a strong narrative. The â€Å"however† later on in that same sentence should catch your eye....however, as should the following sentence that starts with â€Å"While†, because they indicate that something in contrast to the opening statement is being presented. Don't ever abandon a paragraph without double-checking for contrast words.  ©2013 Laura Staffaroni. Answer In Your Own Words If you come across a question that asks you a big picture question, try to formulate the answer using your own words before you look at the test's answer choices, relying only on what you read in the passage or paragraph, not on things that COULD BE true but aren’t supported. Then, when you go to look at the answer choices, see which one best matches the answer you came up with in your own words. If you use this strategy, however, you have to be careful not to oversimplify when you answer the question in your own words. Remember, the central argument is the specific point the author is making, not a general topic or theme. Use as few words as possible to write down your version of the answer – after all, you don’t want to waste too much time on something that won’t be graded – while still being precise. It can be a tough balance to maintain at first, but practice makes it easier. Putting Strategies To Use: A Final Big Picture Example Let’s end by taking a look at the conclusion paragraph of my Portal paper and seeing if we can extract the main point from it, using some of the strategies I mentioned above. This paragraph is the conclusion of the paper â€Å"‘This was a triumph:’ Narrative and dynamic uses of music in Portal† by Laura Staffaroni ( ©2013 by Laura Staffaroni). The paper was written as the final assignment for a Research and Materials class. Overall, the music of Portal tends to fit more within a narrative framework than it does the ideal of interactivity. The use of an ambient musical soundtrack, silences, musical dialogue, non-ambient music for dramatic effect and underscoring of characters’ psychological states, and thematic music for narrative continuity and as a way to transition in and out of the game world all serve narrative purposes. Yet, like many other current game music composers, the composers of Portal created a paradigm wherein â€Å"the music and sound effects are responding to the needs of the game and the gameplayer† by creating tracks like â€Å"Procedural Jiggle Bone† that are able both to loop back into themselves and to move on to other tracks without a problem. This dichotomy confirms that the best way to analyze the music in Portal is not by applying any one analytical schema to it, but instead to assess what the most important elements of the game are and decide from there wh at methods of analysis are most appropriate. Perhaps the way music functions in Portal is best summed up by Whalen’s description of how music should function in general when it comes to digital games: â€Å"By simultaneously enriching the worlds of video games and assisting the player’s navigating the syntagmatic structure of video games, music is essential to the semantic operations of a video game as an interactive story.† If the music in Portal did not both provide narrative structure and respond to each player’s interaction with the game, it would not have been nearly as engaging and successful a game. Whew, that’s a lot of words. Where should I start if I want to figure out the main point of the paragraph? Step 1: check out intro and conclusion sentences: Intro: â€Å"Overall, the music of Portal tends to fit more within a narrative framework than it does the ideal of interactivity.† Conclusion: â€Å"If the music in Portal did not both provide narrative structure and respond to each player’s interaction with the game, it would not have been nearly as engaging and successful a game.]† Do these sentences support each other or contradict each other? My thinking: First sentence says music in Portal fits better with narrative framework than interactivity (whatever I meant by that); last sentence says music in Portal has both narrative structure and interaction parts. Hmm. Better go deeper to double check. Step 2: Look for direction words. Here's a sentence that begins with "yet," a direction word: â€Å"Yet, like many other current game music composers, the composers of Portal created a paradigm wherein â€Å"the music and sound effects are responding to the needs of the game and the gameplayer† by creating tracks like â€Å"Procedural Jiggle Bone† that are able both to loop back into themselves and to move on to other tracks without a problem.† Yikes. This is saying that the composers for Portal’s music did†¦something†¦to make music that could loop and also go on to other tracks. This is sort of contradicting the opening sentence (responding to the needs of the game is interactive, but the opening sentence says the game isn’t interactive). Also, that seems way too detailed to be a main point. Are there any other direction words? Aha, next sentence! "but instead": â€Å"This dichotomy confirms that the best way to analyze the music in Portal is not by applying any one analytical schema to it, but instead to assess what the most important elements of the game are and decide from there what methods of analysis are most appropriate.† [bolding mine] This says you shouldn’t just analyze Portal in one way, which seems to support the conclusion sentence. Good sign. Step 3: Answer in your own words. My thoughts: Main point is that music in Portal is used in both narrative and interactive ways (can’t just go with one or the other). Time to look at the actual answer choices... The main idea of the last paragraph is that the music in Portal: A. was a key factor in the game’s success B. occurs as a way of maintaining narrative continuity C. can be analyzed from a narrative or interactivity perspective D. results entirely from interactions between player and game My thoughts: A: could be true, but not really what this paragraph is about B: true, but that’s not the main idea C: true, and that’s close to how I phrased the main idea D: no, that’s entirely wrong. So the answer must be C. (and so it is) August 25th "The Big Picture We've Done It_I'm a World Record Holder!" by Amanda Slater, used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Cropped from original. In Conclusion... Big picture questions require being able to scan a text and sum up â€Å"what’s the point.† Knowing the main point or perspective of a paragraph, series of paragraphs, or passage can be useful for answering other types of questions, especially function and author technique questions; on occasion, knowing the main point/perspective can also be helpful for little picture, vocab-in-context, and inference questions as well. No matter how you approach the passage, use the strategies of checking intro/conclusion, looking for key words, and coming up with the main point in your own words to help you answer main point and perspective questions. What’s Next? Are these strategies fine in theory...but in real life, you always run out of time when reading (especially on the ACT)? Discover how to avoid that terrible fate here. Want more in depth guides like this? Check out our articles on other ACT Reading skills types, starting with vocab-in-context questions! What are the other types of questions you’ll find on the ACT Reading, and what’s the best way to read the passage to answer them? We have ways of making you...read the passage effectively. Find out what's actually tested on ACT Reading here. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Reading lesson, 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:

Evaluate for<< V for Vendetta>> Essay

Evaluate for> - Essay Example In the essay we read of an individual who stepped up toward there game eventually risking his own life  so the citizens that he represents would have the said freedom that was deserved. In the essay, we evaluated the V for Vendetta text by looking into aesthetic and practical criteria such as plot, characters, visual, costumes, music, directing, dialogue, entertainment values, acting abilities, or specific skills demonstrated by the characters. When a subject matter is evaluated, the audience should be provided with an overall claim, supporting evidence, and concluding based recommendations. Therefore in summary form, this essay evaluate the V for Vendetta movie based on character traits, lessons depicted and quotes used. In 1603, aman known as V decided to destroy their parliament through use of Gunpowder Plot. In this movie, Director James McTeigue portrays how the Britain regime was corrupt and full of dictatorship. However, a freedom fighter called V decided to bring this totalitarian Government into the heels by using gunpowder. In the process, Chancellor Adam Sutler known as John Hurt decided to take power and ended up instilling fear on the London’s citizen so that they can know who is in power and therefore not judge him on corruption deeds. However, the main character in the movie known as v is heard saying that â€Å"Remember, remember the Fifth of November,† meaning that at that day, the London based citizens should take to streets and protest against their regime without fear or contradiction (Criteria for Great Movie 2014). Before sending his message on live based television, the chancellor faced a lot of challenges among them killings occurred with doctors who were in the detention based center where William Rookwood changed his name to V.V decided to take revenge against the doctors and the government because of the killings and torture of great Britain people. On his mission, V meets a

Landscape regeneration project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Landscape regeneration project - Essay Example Landscapes are usually taken for granted and become so much a part of everyday life that they go unnoticed, till something happens to disturb the placidity. A landscape is never static; as cultures evolve, the concept and ideas underlying the definition of landscape also change. Landscapes contain myriad aspects, those of family history, familiar landmarks, historic buildings, art and antiques, plants and animals. Concerns with regard to landscape conservation are so widespread and growing so fast that it becomes extremely difficult to define a landscape. Most interpretations of the landscape reflect personal and collective self interest - things valued as mine or ours. Societies may be modest about what they are but are always proud of what they were. The Environment Act of 1995 places a duty on National Park Authorities aimed at 'conserving and enhancing natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Park' and 'promoting opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of areas by the public'. National policy explicitly defines 'heritage' as ancient archaeological remains, sites and historic structures, and thus largely conceives of landscape in terms of the role it plays as a setting or backdrop for these remains, structures or sites. The time-depth this framing brings with it is clear: 'heritage' is to be defined more closely in line with the impressions it has of the past, as opposed to the impressions it may leave in the present. As such, the idea of heritage, and thus landscapes, as a process in itself is overlooked (Ross, 1995). In recent years, the world's waterfronts have provided a particular focus for culture led regeneration. Marshall (2001, p. 3) describes the waterfront as space "in the city which allows expressions of hope for urban vitality". "These waterfront redevelopment projects speak to our future, and to our past. They speak to a past based in industrial production, to a time of tremendous growth and expansion, to social and economic structures that no longer exist. . . ." (Marshall, 2001, p. 5). In this paper, we revisit the regenerative development work carried out in Newcastle-Gateshead Quayside and the West End to discover whether the stated objectives of the project have actually been achieved and to examine how the new developments have achieved different results in localities adjacent to each other. Landscape and Regeneration The meaning of the English word landscape both encompasses framed views of specific sites and the scenic character of whole regions; it applies equally to graphic and textual images as to physical locations (Daniels and Cosgrove: 1989). Landscape holds a broad intellectual scope as a theoretical concept across the arts humanities, and social sciences. It is easy to theorise and redefine landscape into distinct parcels of 'culture', 'history', 'environment', 'prehistory', 'associations' and 'nature' (Cosgrove, 1998, Olwig, 2002, Corner: 1999, Smith: 2003, Bender: 1993), but what and how does one combine these to define a landscape that takes all these within its ambit. How a person interprets a landscape depends upon the individual's background, knowledge and experience. The opinion of the 'expert' and that of the 'common man' on the street may, and is most likely to, be substantially different as to what represents the landscape of a