THE TWEED RING Essays - William M. Tweed, Tammany Hall,

THE TWEED RING THE TWEED RING In the late 1840s, a man named William Tweed rose to the eyes of the public by being a volunteer fireman. From a shady beginning, Tweed worked his way up slowly and securely. Later that century, he became an elected official for the city council for New York in 1852. In 1854, Tweed was elected into the U.S House of Representatives. Even though he was a rep. in the house, his main concern was local and state concerns. He remained active in Tammany hall which was a powerful democratic organization. He was the leader so he had plenty of power to spare. Tweed gathered a multitude of men that controlled the citys finances. They gave jobs and dispensed contracts for political power and bribing power. These men he gathered depleted 30-200 million into personal accounts. No historian could say how much was actually depleted. One of Tweeds men John T. Hoffman was inaugurated into governorship of New York. Because tweed had so many ties, he controlled the police, the court houses and most of the newspapers in New York. Even though he was a democrat, he put limits on the republicans salaries. Even though Tweed was also a leader of Tammany hall, the two organizations didnt see eye to eye. Tweed won an important victory in the state legislature in 1870 when a new city charter was approved. This change vastly increased the power of Tweed's small group as they acquired billings for city work that was never performed, concocted phony legal agreements and a variety of kickback schemes. How he kept up with the times and reconstructions was a mystery. Popular support of the Ring was maintained with charity and other gifts to the voters. Tweed was prosecuted and was sent to prison for forgery and larceny.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act essays

Sarbanes-Oxley Act essays The fraudulent misrepresentations of several public companies financial positions have recently been brought into the public eye. The large bankruptcy of WorldCom and the similar conspiracies at Enron and HealthSouth made it clear that something had to be done to avoid such schemes. These scams were not only deceiving trusting investors, but also harming the good names of accountants everywhere. In an effort to prevent such occurrences, the Securities and Exchange Commission formed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. This legislation alone has completely transformed the U.S. security regulations (New Financial Rules 2004, 1). The Sarbanes-Oxley Acts objective is to strengthen public companies guidelines for financial reporting, internal controls, and auditing standards. In doing so, fraudulent activities will be caught regularly and future scams can possibly be deterred. The Sarbanes-Oxley act ultimately places more accountability on CEOs, CFOs, audit committees, and also independent auditors. It entails the verification that each company has satisfactory internal controls and that guidelines for financial reporting are established. All in all, the act aims to ensure near accuracy in reporting of financial statements (New Financial Rules 2004, 1). Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is a main focus for many organizations. It calls for the yearly report of a corporation to include (1) a statement from management testifying to their answerability as to having a satisfactory internal control system and bylaws for financial reporting; and (2) managements year end assessment of the internal control and financial reporting procedures. A companys auditor is also required to evaluate and attest to the assessment mention previously. Compliance with Section 404 is a main concern of many businesses, because it is this compliance that will be extremely costly (New Finan...

Robert Benchley on How to Avoid Writing

Robert Benchley on How to Avoid Writing Humorist Robert Benchley describes the sort of commitment that not writing demands. It took me fifteen years to discover that I had no talent for writing, Robert Benchley once said. But I couldnt give it up because by that time I was too famous. In truth, Benchley had a great talent for writing- comic essays, for the most part, and theater criticism. But as Benchley was quick to admit, he had an even greater talent for not writing: The secret of my incredible energy and efficiency in getting work done is a simple one. I have based it very deliberately on a well-known psychological principle and have refined it so that it is now almost too refined. I shall have to begin coarsening it up again pretty soon.The psychological principle is this: anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isnt the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment.(How to Get Things Done in Chips off the Old Benchley, 1949) A master procrastinator, Benchley is remembered for his work at The New Yorker magazine in the 1930s- and even more for his deadline-defying high jinks at the Algonquin Round Table. Like many of us, Benchley maintained a strict writing regimen, which involved postponing work until the last possible minute. In How I Create, he described the sort of commitment that not writing calls for: Very often I must wait weeks and weeks for what you call inspiration. In the meantime I must sit with my quill pen poised in the air over a sheet of foolscap, in case the divine spark should come like a lightning bolt and knock me off my chair on to my head. (This has happened more than once.) . . .Sometimes, while in the throes of creative work, I get out of bed in the morning, look at my writing desk piled high with old bills, old gloves, and empty ginger-ale bottles, and go right back to bed again. The next thing I know it is night once more, and time for the Sand Man to come around. (We have a Sand Man who comes twice a day, which makes it very convenient. We give him five dollars at Christmas.)Even if I do get up and put on part of my clothes- I do all my work in a Hawaiian straw skirt and bow tie of some neutral shade- I can often think of nothing to do but pile the books which are on one end of my desk very neatly on the other end and then kick them one by one off to the floor with my free foot.I find that, while working, a pipe is a great source of inspiration. A pipe can be placed diagonally across the keys of a typewriter so that they will not function, or it can be made to give out such a cloud of smoke that I cannot see the paper. Then, there is the process of lighting it. I can making a pipe a ritual which has not been equaled for elaborateness since the five-day festival to the God of the Harvest. (See my book on Rituals: the Man.)In the first place, owing to 26 years of constant smoking without once calling in a plumber, the space left for tobacco in the bowl of my pipe is now the size of a medium body-pore. Once the match has been applied to the tobacco therein the smoke is over. This necessitates refilling, relighting, and reknocking. The knocking out of a pipe can be made almost as important as the smoking of it, especially if there are nervous people in the room. A good smart knock of a pipe against a tin wastebasket and you will have a neura sthenic out of his chair and into the window sash in no time.The matches, too, have their place in the construction of modern literature. With a pipe like mine, the supply of burnt matches in one day could be floated down the St. Lawrence River with two men jumping them. . . .(from No Poems, or Around the World Backwards and Sideways, 1932) Eventually, of course- after sharpening pencils, making out schedules, composing a few letters, changing typewriter ribbons, relighting his pipe, building a book shelf, and clipping pictures of tropical fish out of magazines- Benchley did get down to work. If youd welcome some advice on how to skip all the preliminaries, see Writers on Writing: Overcoming Writers Block  and Writing Rituals and Routines: Advice on How to Become a More Disciplined Writer. .

Articles Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Articles - Article Example Besides, it provides ample examples on emphasis given to the strategy of multinationals in enhancing the profits of the company. In the introductory section, the article provides a bird’s eye view on multinational companies, its decision making process, factors that influence the decision making process and foreign markets. In the first part, the article deals with the various factors that influence decision making process of multinational companies which seek entry into foreign markets. In addition, the article tests the validity of the framework used in decision making by undertaking firm level research by an empirical method that focuses on the micro as well as the macro factors. Summing up, the learning from the article is about how multinationals often make choices that are driven by top-down approaches rather than bottom-up approaches. The article is definitely useful for anyone seeking to understand the rationale behind why multinationals choose to enter specific markets and why they ignore some other markets. In conclusion, the article is definitely worth reading and adds to the literature that is available on the entry modes of multinationals and particularly to those in the third world countries. The article makes very relevant points about the nuts and bolts of decision making when it comes to entry into foreign markets. The article is an important contribution to the existing literature on how multinationals base their decisions on which markets to enter and the factors that go into this decision making process. For instance, the entry strategy of multinationals into a specific market might be dictated by considerations of geography and to counter completion from its international rivals. This is the strategy that the cola majors, Coke and Pepsi use to enter specific markets and the entry mode is often dictated by factors that include the

Ted Bedley & Constructivism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ted Bedley & Constructivism - Assignment Example HAs the paper outlines, based on the constructivist checklist, one can conclude that Bedley is able to meet the requirements of a constructivist teacher. Multiple perspectives were achieved by grouping the students and encouraging them to discuss among themselves about reaching a consensus. Every student is given a chance to give his opinions and suggestions. Student-directed goals are clear from the start, with Bedley acting as the coach. The activity that Bedley initiated, particularly the group discussion is a venue for knowledge construction and collaboration. Alternative viewpoints are reached through the small group discussions and through the class discussion. According to Jonassen, â€Å"constructivist learning environments emphasize authentic tasks in a meaningful context rather than abstract instruction out of context†. This characteristic is definitely present in Bedley’s class. He emphasized that each student is to perform a task but still work within the group. Constructivism emphasizes a learning method that is active and not passive. Obviously, Bedley’s style of teaching is active. The students are able to have new learning experiences which they incorporate with their previous understandings of the topic on consensus. They come up with possible rewards if consensus is reached by the class. Clearly, one can conclude the Bedley’s manner of teaching is one of constructivism.

Narrow streets Essay Example for Free

Narrow streets Essay Dickens shows us that although Louisa and Tom have been repressed and behave dutifully, they still have normal, natural feelings. Louisa is even allowed to express a little of her resentment and rebellion in her reply to her fathers remonstrations when caught watching the circus. This is shown again when Dickens describes the incident when Bounderby asks Louisa for a kiss. Even Tom is described as sulkily remonstrating with her but it is made clear that Louisa is the stronger character. In these ways Dickens takes us below the factual surface of the incidents and we glimpse the childrens true feelings for a moment. How does Dickens want readers to react to his description of Coketown in Ch. 5?  We are introduced to Coketown in the most emotive language. Once again the very name gives the smoky, smelly picture of COKE-town. The adjectives and comparisons he chooses are, like Gradgrind and Bounderby, overbearing and filled with a feeling of all-pervading grimness and practicality. He uses metaphor to connote the fires of hell (serpents of smoke, melancholy madness) and the theme of monotony and unrelenting repetition is continued through his description of the motion of machinery and the lay-out of the town. Once again repetition of the word fact, often ironically, gives the feeling of flatness and unnatural lack of human interest or feeling in the town. This leads the reader to feel a horror of this evil smelling place in which so many poor, working people are not only emotionally repressed, but also physically crushed tightly together in narrow streets. The opening pages are a social comment on the difference between the abject monotony and poverty of the people working in the mills and the relative comfort of their employers. He uses heavy irony and humour in describing the activities of the people of the town drawing a parallel between their degree of choice and their financial status. While the self-righteous wealthy citizens can indulge themselves in worthy, self-righteous activities such as church going and tea-parties, the listless poor, exhausted by their daily toil, would get drunk and took opium. However, living in Coketown, both sets of people are constrained to deny any natural feelings or enjoyment, as life was pragmatic, monotonous and based on Facts (with a capital F). Then suddenly, amidst all this pragmatic boredom, he introduces a band of cheerful, caring, visiting travellers in the form of the circus entertainers; people who have not been choked by the Coketown utilitarian ethic. Dickens professes ironic amusement at their simplicity and sentimentality whilst collusively encouraging the reader to join with him in valuing these humanitarian precepts. What have you learned about Mr Bounderby in Chs. 4 and 5?  From his initial appearance Dickens shows us that Mr Bounderby is somewhat like Mr Gradgrind; he first appears (namelessly) at Gradgrinds side in the schoolroom. Later, when the children are discovered peeping through the circus tent, Gradgrind admonishes What would Mr Bounderby say several times to emphasise the impression that Bounderby is disapproving, self-righteous and opinionated yet holds a position of social power. Dickens tells us that he is a rich man, a banker, merchant, manufacturer and what not and by this last expression (and what not) mocks the pompousness of these occupations. He uses irony in inflated like a balloon and Bully of humility to reduce Bounderby to nothing of any value. The words given to Bounderby are always simultaneously self-deprecating and yet self-congratulatory as he continually reminds us of his humble beginnings, beginnings that Dickens allows him to exaggerate beyond any possibility of belief. The adjectives applied to Bounderby are even more cold and hard than those used to describe Gradgrind and we are left with an impression of complete heartlessness. Thus, through the devices of irony, exaggeration, metaphor and emotive, derogatory adjectives we understand that Bounderby is a bounder in every sense; dishonest, self-interested pompous, self-absorbed and not to be trusted. Above all he believes, as does Gradgrind, in the sole value of facts and lacks any natural human feelings

Sports, Athletes, and Weight Loss: Health Concerns Essay -- Health Nut

Weight Loss by Athletes and Health Concerns Waking up, sophomore Mike Fumagalli would peel off the garbage bags and layers of clothing he had worn to bed the night before hoping to "sweat away" some extra weight. Throughout the day, he would ask teachers to use their trashcans and would spit constantly. Sometimes, he would even cut his hair or sit in a sauna, all to lose a couple more pounds. Many people may wonder why someone would go to such extreme measures just to lose a few pounds. For Fumagalli, the answer was simply: "Everyone likes to win. That's why you cut weight." "Cutting weight" is a term that refers to a wrestler's attempt to lose a certain amount of weight in order to compete in a particular weight category in wrestling competitions. Some wrestlers choose to lose weight so they can find a spot on the team, said Keith Healy, varsity wrestling coach of the nationally ranked team at Smallville High School. Since only a certain number of slots are open per weight class, a wrestler may be beat out of a spot at one weight but perhaps can drop down to a lower weight where more openings are available. Junior Sean Randich said that cutting weight also could be important because as one moves down in weight classes it is easier to win. A common weight-loss method among the athletes is to wrap their body in garbage bags during exercise to maximize sweat loss, said Randich. He added that while the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) prohibits this method, it is still commonly practiced. JT wrestling coach "Mac" McLaughlin said that although he could not control what athletes did at home, at practice, garbage bags are not allowed. He added that most of his wrestlers, in fact, wear onl... ... children's bodies," said Haas. McLaughlin said that he tells parents, "If your kid looks like he's getting tired, souped out, stop." Healy also consults parents about their child's weight loss and said that before any wrestler on his team makes the decision to cut a large amount of weight, he first consults the parents. "Because of cutting weight, my mom doesn't like the whole sport," said Fumagalli. He said that while his mom was supportive in helping him cut weight by doing such things as making salads, she drew the line when he began to get sick. Fumagalli, who said he frequently cut weight in junior high, said he lost 12 pounds before this season but stopped when he started to get light-headed and dizzy. "There is a fine line between determination of sport and health," said Fumagalli. "Strength is more important than losing two pounds."

Despotism: Political Philosophy and 14th Century Essay

The Renaissance developed a new and unique form of politics referred to as Despotism. Despotism is a form of government in which a single entity rules with absolute power. The single ruling entity may be an individual, as in an autocracy, or it may be a group, as in an oligarchy. The great Renaissance historian John Addington Symonds refers to the 14th and 15th Centuries in Italy as the â€Å"Age of the Despots. † It was under the tyrannies, in the midst of all the wars and revolutions, that the Italians were given the chance to develop their peculiar individuality. This individuality determined the qualities of the Renaissance and affected Europe as a whole. Italy, due to their unique form of politics, was able to lead the way in the education of Western races, and was the first to distinguish Classical and Medieval life. The conditions that led to this new form of Political government were distinctive to Italian urban life. By the 14th Century, Italy was divided into many principalities surrounding city-States. The cities were an integral part of life in Italy due to commerce, and Italians were the first to reap the benefits of new and increasing trade due to their favorable geographic position in the Mediterranean Sea. Because there was a constant political and class struggle in the cities, Italy lacked a central authority of power. In cities such as Florence, Pisa, and Milan, the age-old rival between Pope and Emperor played itself out. The Guelph party supported the Pope, while the Ghibbiline party supported the Emperor. Civil wars were fought in the cities and ended with a despotism system of ruling, either with an oligarchy or an autocracy. The forming of these authorities was crucial, because peace is essential for trade, and the surplus wealth from commerce is what led to the growth or art and literature, which began the Renaissance. The despots, who were the powerful rulers during despotism, were not from traditional dynasties, and therefore they reached their positions of power in various other ways. Some were appointed by the Holy Roman Emperor to assert his rule, as was the case for the Visconti of Milan in the 14th Century. Other despots were hired soldiers, who later became rulers of the cities they were hired to protect, as was the case for the Sforzas in Milan in the 15th Century. Some despots were elected Mayor of their towns, some controlled their town’s elections- as the Medici family in Florence did, and some despots ruled solely because they were the sons and nephews of Popes. Due to their various ways of gaining power, the despot was usually not from a traditional dynasty, and therefore they did not have the traditional loyalty of the people. Each despot had to gain the loyalty of the people either through a winning personality, or by being clever in the political game. The Despotic court had to set its own rules, which were eventually written down in the Book of the Courtier, which became the guide book for the courts of Early Modern Europe. The most important and the most influential work dealing on Despotism is Machiavelli’s The Prince, and Machiavelli is considered by some to be the father of modern Power Politics. The Italian Renaissance was essentially a mind-set, a collection of powerful attitudes and beliefs. The development of despotism pacified the country from the chaos of their constant civil wars, and allowed them peace, which was essential for trade. As commerce reopened, people began traveling freely, and the level of education began to rise as well as the amount of books that were read. This soon led to an overwhelming growth of literature and art, of which the Renaissance is famous for.

Disabled Veterans

Many societies in the world have divisions in lives. In such societies and especially the United States, the divisions are based on inequality in many opportunities which has persisted for long even after a number of policies and strategies to end apartheid and racial segregation. Many efforts have been made to ensure equality and to have women and disabled people considered in opportunities such as employment. In the past, women were discriminated and, men occupied all the positions at workplace.The blacks were discriminated in education and at workplace such that no black could practice as a doctor or other profession simply because they were black. Many movements have been developed to limit various types of discrimination, and currently the women's movement is working hard to ensure equal participation of women and men with equal opportunities. Other groups such as lesbians and gays are also fighting to get equal right.The Disabled Veteran Affirmative Action Program plan was esta blished to ensure increased employment opportunities for disabled and qualified veterans (OPM, 2006). Affirmative actions are being used as a way of enhancing equality. They give preferential treatment to some groups of people, usually the women, minority groups and the disabled. Affirmative programs considers these people to have been disadvantaged in their past or currently, where by they aim compensating them for their past discrimination, or offering equal opportunities in the present society.This is achieved by recommending a higher population of the disadvantaged in an opportunity against the majority population, or by considering a feature which favors the disadvantaged group. Affirmative actions are being used in many organizations and work places, and it has raised an issue, on whether the disabled veterans should be given preferential treatment over more qualified candidates. The concurrent sections of this paper shall give my arguments towards the issue, setting out both deontological and utilitarian considerations.Arguments The affirmative action considers compensatory justice. In it's accordance, the disabled veterans will gets a job over most qualified people in the same field as a way of compensation. In the society, there are many people who are trained, qualified and who rare in the process of training in various fields. Just as the old veteran trained and were given the opportunity to practice in the trained field those who have trained and the ones training expect similar opportunities to practice.This means that when the disabled veterans are given the chance to practice in the competitive market, the qualified and able people will be locked out of the opportunity which will not have solved the issue of discrimination in such case what the affirmative action will have dome is a reverse discrimination where by a physically able and qualified person will be denied a chance to work despite the fact that he or she can perform better than the di sabled veteran. Affirmative actions consider having a large group of disadvantaged people included in the program.Use of quotas does not end discrimination as the affirmative programs views them they they exclude some the unconsidered or rather the majority group. For example, when large number of Asians are included in the program, Black Americans and the Americans will be discriminated from the program. California superior court encourages the state to use affirmative actions programs which are expected to facilitate fair employment practices and stop use of quotas and denial of opportunities on the basis of gender or race.To emphasis on the use of program, programs which used quotas for contracts between the state and business owned by women, minority and disabled were struck down. In such case the the program (Charles, 1999, pp. 48). With the use of the quotas the award of state contracts would continually favor, and have contracts with the businesses owned by the minority, disa bled and minority while discriminating the businesses owned by people in the majority group.When the state made law to have fifteen percent of the states contracts for businesses owned by women, minority and disabled veterans the court could not accept the laws on the basis that the law would promote discrimination of the majority group. The affirmative action favors the poor and gives them the priority over the rich. The program recommends favoring the disabled veterans over the healthy and physically able people with same or even more qualification.The affirmative programs should ensure equal recruitment of all individuals in the society regardless of their physical ability. All people need to get similar education opportunities to create a pool of qualified people in the community. When providing jobs or employments qualification should be the only consideration to ensure that no individual is discriminated. As long as education is provided in an equal measure, choosing from qual ification becomes the fairest method (Hurst, 2007). The disabled, or disadvantaged people have few chances of getting the required qualification.For example children from rich families which are represented by the majority have access to all materials and apparatus require through out their education and learning course. They have computers, attend the schools with the required and effective learning programs. Such children have all the time for their studies because their needs and requirements are catered for by their rich parents or guardians, unlike children from poor background who need who are expected to work for longer time at the expense of their studies to meet their basic needs.Poor children learn and live in pathetic environment, and in schools with inadequate facilities. The children from rich and the poor background will be assessed by same assessors and tests without a favor to either child. This means that the child who had appropriate facilities and learning environ ment will perform better than the poor child. The knowledge of the two children varies, since the poor are limited to further learning or training. This means they are likely to have little or no knowledge concerning the job they are being given.This means that when employment is provided on the basis of the physically disabled or disadvantages people in the society, the ones with little or no qualifications will be given the chance, causing reverse discrimination. The unqualified or semi-qualified individuals will be given positions they do not deserve and since they are not qualified in the field, they fail to carry out the required duties and subsequent failure in their roles, organization and the entire society.The affirmative action programs considers empowering the minority, the disabled veterans and women to take lead in various projects programs, organizations and the society. The California superior court upheld and implemented programs to identify discrimination with no re gard to race and gender preferences. According to the programs, the state agencies were to identify areas within the state where women disabled veterans and the minority were not utilized well, and aimed at enhancing their utilization (Charles, 1999, pp. 48).Well they can be empowered through these and other means but when the minority, the disabled or women are given the opportunity to lead the people being lead resent them. They are resented not because of their minority, disability or inferiority, but because they are preferred against the other people in the society. Resented individuals develops a negative attitude towards other people, and since they are discriminated or rather excluded from participating in various activities in the society, bad morals develops. Conclusion Although disabled veterans need preferential treatment over the physically well people, a lot need to be considered.Although that is the target of the affirmative action programs, the preference and especia lly in employment should be based on individual's qualification, skills, and experience. This this organizations and employers can get the best for best performance and output, without discrimination. The only way to get best employees, fairly is based on their qualification. The affirmative action programs should find other way of implementing compensatory justice, rather than job as the compensation because some of them are not qualified, or their disability limits them from effective performance.The affirmation programs enhances discrimination through collectiveness. The qualified are denied opportunities because they bare socially or politically dominant. The past social and economic status of individuals should not be considered when giving preferential treatments as the affirmative program does, rather the current status should be used. When individuals are preferred because of their social group instead of their qualification, their accomplishments are degraded (George, 2001, pp. 40).

Average AP Scores for Every AP Exam

Average AP Scores for Every AP Exam SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Taking an AP class this year? You might be wondering about average AP scores or what good AP scores are for certain classes. Or if you are thinking about taking AP exams in the future, you might want to know which exams have the highest passing rates. In this post, we will break down the average score for each AP test, as well as the average passing rate. We will also show you how to interpret this info and how to use it to make decisions about your schedule. Average AP Score by Test Instead of giving you an overall average score for all AP tests, we will show you the average score for every AP exam. We break it down by test because every AP test is different. It’s important to know the average score for whichever test you are taking or thinking about taking. We will also explore how you can use this info- and learn why the exams with the highest passing rates are not the easiest! But first, the data. The table contains the national average scores for each AP exam from 2018. Remember that AP exams are scored from 1 to 5, with 3 and higher considered passing rates. We have sorted the exams from highest average scoreto lowest. Take a look: AP Test Average Score Chinese Language 4.31 Calculus BC 3.74 Japanese Language 3.70 Spanish Language 3.69 Studio Art Drawing 3.65 Physics C EM 3.60 Physics C Mechanics 3.55 Studio Art 2-D Design 3.48 Spanish Language (Standard) 3.45 French Language 3.32 German Language 3.31 Economics - Micro 3.21 Computer Science A 3.18 Music Theory 3.18 Research 3.17 French Language (Standard) 3.16 Seminar 3.15 Italian Language 3.14 Psychology 3.14 Gov. and Politics - Comparative 3.12 Computer Science Principles 3. Studio Art 3-D Design 3. Chinese Language (Standard) 3.06 Spanish Literature 3.06 Calculus AB 3.05 Art History 3.04 Physics 2 2.97 German Language (Standard) 2.96 Economics - Macro 2.96 Latin 2.94 Japanese Language (Standard) 2.89 European History 2.89 Italian Language (Standard) 2.88 Statistics 2.88 Biology 2.87 English Language 2.83 Chemistry 2.80 World History 2.78 Human Geography 2.72 Gov. and Politics - US 2.70 United States History 2.66 Environmental Science 2.63 English Literature 2.57 Physics 1 2.36 Via College Board. Check out the link for a complete distribution of scores for each AP exam. Want to get a perfect 5 on your AP exam and an A in class? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. One very important fact to note is that high average scores don't correspond to the easiest exams! Chinese, Calculus BC, Japanese, and Spanish Language are the AP tests with the highest average scores, but they are all known to be quite difficult. Also note that native speakers, or students with experience living abroad, tend to take the AP language exams, which inflates their average scores (for the average of those who learned in a classroom, check the "Standard" score). Furthermore, some of the tests with the lowest averages are often regarded as some the easiest APs- Human Geography, Environmental Science, and US Government. So why are their passing rates so low? This is because freshmen and sophomores might take these as their first-ever AP classes. Even though the content is easier than, say, Calculus, all AP exams are tough and could be hard for a younger student to do well on. It’s also possible that students simply don’t study enough for the â€Å"easier† exams because they underestimate them. All AP tests are difficult, even if some are easier than others. To sum up, the average score can say more about the students taking the exam than the exam itself. Don’t sign up for BC Calculus just because the average score is super high. And by the same token, don’t avoid AP Environmental Science because the average score is relatively low. Focus on your own strengths and interests when signing up for AP classes! What's a Good AP Score? Beyond the basic averages, it’s helpful to have some context about what a "good" AP score is. A score of 3 or higher is generally considered good, because that means you passed the exam! A 4 is considered very good, and a 5 is especially impressive since it is the highest score. Also keep in mind that every college sets its own policy about AP credit. Some schools only give credit for scores of 4 or 5. Check the AP credit database to find out the AP credit policy for schools you're interested in. But with that in mind, let’s look at which 2019 AP exams have the highest passing rates- a.k.a. rates of scores over 3. We also note the percentage of students who get a 5, the highest score. Exam Name Passing Rate (3+) 5 Rate Studio Art: Drawing 91.1% 20.8% Spanish Language and Culture 89% 24.9% Chinese Language and Culture 88.3% 57.2% Studio Art: 2-D Design 86.4% 21% Calculus BC 81.5% 43.2% Physics C: Electricity Magnetism 81.1% 35.9% Seminar 80.7% 6.8% French Language and Culture 76.7% 15.5% Research 76.2% 10.8% Japanese Language and Culture 75% 38.2% Computer Science Principles 72.7% 13.6% Spanish Literature 71.9% 9.1% Physics C: Mechanics 71.1% 34.6% German Language and Culture 70.5% 18.4% Studio Art: 3-D Design 70.1% 10.1% Computer Science A 69.9% 27% Microeconomics 68.4% 22.2% Gov. and Politics - Comparative 66.2% 22.2% Biology 64.6% 7.1% Italian Language and Culture 64.6% .8% Psychology 64.4% 20.2% Art History 63.9% 12% Physics 2 63.5% 12.6% Music Theory 63.4% 20.9% Latin 63.1% 13.1% Statistics 59.2% 14.5% European History 58.4% .7% Calculus AB 58.3% 18.9% Macroeconomics 57.9% 17.6% World History 56% 8.7% Gov. and Politics - United States 55.2% 12.9% English Language and Composition 55.1% 10.1% Chemistry 54.6% 10.7% United States History 54.3% 12.1% English Literature and Composition 50.1% 6.2% Environmental Science 49.6% 9.5% Human Geography 49.1% 10.7% Physics 1 44.6% 6.2% Source: College Board. For language rates, "Total" includes all students, while "Standard" includes only those students who didn't indicate they speak this language at home or spent more than four weeks studying it abroad. Again, note that some of the toughest exams- like Chinese and BC Calculus- have very high passing rates. Notice also the exams with very low 5 rates (below 10%), including Physics 1, English Literature, and Environmental Science. It will look especially impressive if you can earn a 5 on these tests! So Which AP Classes Should You Take? The goal of taking an AP class is to get a good grade in it and also pass the AP test. Doing both these things will show colleges that you can handle college-level material, and scoring high enough on the AP test can help you get college credit. You want to take AP classes you think you'll do well in. However, be careful about signing up for exams based on their average scores alone. As we saw above, some of the toughest exams (like Physics, AB and BC Calculus, and many of the foreign languages) have the highest passing rates, and some of the easiest exams (like Environmental Science and Human Geography) have the lowest passing rates. This means you shouldn't sign up for AP classes based on just their passing rates. Do some research before signing up for an AP class and make sure it’s the right fit for you. Ask older classmates how difficult they've found certain AP classes. Also, think about your own academic strengths and the classes you enjoy the most. If you love math and have always been good at it, you can probably score well on an AP Calculus exam even though they're known for being difficult. Also be careful not to overload yourself! If you cram too many AP classes into your schedule, it will be harder to pass the exams. Finally, note that these are the national averages. The passing rates for different subjects could be very different at your school. If you want to find out the passing rates for these classes at your school, talk to your guidance counselor and they can help you find that info. For example, some teachers have passing rates for their AP classes above 90%. If you have a teacher like that at your school, and they teach an AP subject you are interested in, you will likely have a very high chance of passing. One last word of advice: check out our scoring guide to see how AP scores are calculated to help you develop a target raw score to help you pass. Understanding how the exam is scored is a very important step in preparing for AP tests. What's Next? Learn about what AP Exams are like and how to avoid fatigue. Check out our guide on AP test length for exclusive tips! Want help deciding which AP classes will be easiest for you to take? We will show you which factors to consider to find the easiest AP classes for your schedule. Trying to decide between the ACT and SAT? Read our guide to decide which is best for you- and learn why it’s best to just focus on one test. Get tips on the SAT from our 1600 Full Scorer- you can also put the same techniques to use when studying for AP exams, especially the multiple choice sections! Get advice on writing SAT and ACT essays. If you’re going for perfection, you can even learn how to write a perfect SAT essay or a perfect ACT essay. 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:

Academia and Text Matching Software Essay Example for Free

Academia and Text Matching Software Essay ? Critically evaluate the use of text matching software as an aid to developing good scholarship practice Introduction Academic dishonesty such as plagiarism has been a major factor in education that has affected students’ success and academic achievements in recent years. Plagiarism according to Park (2003) is the act of appropriating or copying another person’s work and passing them on as one’s idea without acknowledging the original source. Park (2003) noted that plagiarism is a growing problem and has been a misuse of the writings of another author, their ideas, hypothesis, theories, research findings and interpretations. Furthermore studies by Chao, Wilhelm and Neureuther (2009) emphasised that the rising trend of plagiarism among students can be attributed to several factors such as academic literacy, language competence and the technological advancements in the world today in terms of high speed internet facility available in hostels and computer labs. These factors according to Chao, Wilhelm and Neureuther (2009) has enhanced the ability of students to plagiarise a whole assignment by obtaining papers on the internet relating to their assignments which is as easy as copying and pasting. Park (2003) stated that students have different perceptions towards plagiarism. He noted that students view plagiarism as a minor offence which is different from cheating in exams. He further discovered that plagiarism could be unintentional (ibid). This is because some students possess a mental illusion in which they believe they have produced something from their own perspective while infact they are reproducing something which they have read from another author. The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate the effect of text matching software as an aid to developing good scholarship practice. This paper will begin by briefly describing what good scholarship practise is. In addition the use of text matching software for detecting good scholarship practice will be critically discussed and a conclusion will be made based on the evaluation. Good scholarship practice can be referred to as a formal study which involves academic learning and achievement. It involves acknowledging where information used to support ideas in a particular context is gotten and citing the sources (Locke and Latham, 2009). Britag and Mahmud (2009) pointed out that different strategies whichinclude the use of electronic software tools such as turnitin have been derived for detecting plagiarism with the intent of allowing students’ take responsibility of their learning and also work hand in hand with their tutors in the drafting stages of their assignments. According to Britag and Mahmud (2009) manual detection of plagiarism is difficult because it is time consuming and this is the reason why some tutors are reluctant in pursuing potential cases of plagiarism. However both the manual method of plagiarism detection and the electronic text matching method should be employed (Britag and Mahmud, 2009). Scaife (2007) argued that the electronic text matching software is not the solution to eliminating plagiarism because the software only focuses on text matching of paper under review with documents (journals, articles, e-books and conference papers) found on the internet or which has been previously submitted and this is a limitation because the only detection are focused on electronic materials without considering some non-electronic paper based documents which could still be plagiarised. Walker (2010) stated that with the development of text matching software such as the turnitin plagiarism detection was made easier, however he emphasised that the turnitin detection software is not 100 per cent efficient, it merely identifies and matches materials present in a document uploaded to turnitin website to materials available on the internet. Walker (2010) describes the electronic text matching software as a tool only suitable for detecting word for word or direct plagiarism in electronic form and the refined ones from the paper based sources are not easily detected. Moreover Carroll and Appleton (2001) argued that the turnitin is just an option for measuring plagiarism and that alone cannot be used as a basis for judging good scholarship practice. In addition Carroll and Appleton (2001) insist that the use of electronic software for detecting plagiarism requires human application and interpretation and that using turnitin alone as a medium for plagiarism detection is not proficient. According to Barrett and Malcolm (2006) the electronic text matching software (turnitin) only indicates possible plagiarism without any certainty, it is left to the tutor to determine the extent to which the writer has plagiarised or included some sources in the paper without acknowledging where they were acquired. In conclusion the concept of plagiarism cannot be overemphasised. It has become a factor that has affected good academic scholarship practice and has  created an avenue for educators to develop methods for detecting and dealing with plagiarism. The development of the electronic detection software such as the turnitin has enhanced the detection of plagiarism however it cannot be relied upon completely because it is not effective. In addition it is important to understand that the best way to detect plagiarism is to use both the manual method which involves educators and the use of electronic text matching software such as turnitin. Students could also be assisted in understanding the criteria for academic writing such as the code of conducts which requires them to acknowledge any source from where data is derived when writing academically. References Barrett, R. & Malcolm, J. (2006) ‘Embedding plagiarism education in the assessment process’, International Journal for Educational Integrity, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 38-45. Bretag, T. and Mahmud, S. (2009) ‘A model for determining student plagiarism: Electronic detection and academic judgement. ‘, Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 50-60. Chao, C. , Wilhelm, W. J. , Neureuther, B. D. (2009. ) ‘A Study of Electronic Detection and Pedagogical Approaches for Reducing Plagiarism’, The Delta Pi Epsilon Journal, Vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 31-42. Carroll, J. and Appleton, J. (2001), Plagiarism: A good practice guide, Oxford: Oxford Brookes University. Locke, E. A, Latham, G. P (2009) ‘Has Goal Setting Gone Wild, or Have Its Attackers Abandoned Good Scholarship? ‘, The Academy of Management Perspectives, Vol. 23, No. 1, pp.  17-23. Park, C. (2003). ‘In Other (People’s) Words: plagiarism by university students—literature and lessons’, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol. 28, No. 5, pp. 472-488. Scaife, B (2007) IT Consultancy Plagiarism Detection Software Report for JISC Advisory Service. [Online].

Please ansewr questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Please ansewr questions - Assignment Example from being burden to their parents, or churches or to the society and on the contrary contribute to the clothing and feeding of many thousands within the country. Fifthly it would help reduce the cost of maintaining the children aged 1 year and above. At the same time the gentlemen of fortune in the kingdom will enjoy the refined taste of meat while the money collected from the sale will circulate thereby encouraging growth and manufacturing. 2. The act of bringing up children for sale to the rich to be used as meals either in occasions like feasts is seen as vain, idle and visionary thoughts. The levying tax on the absentees at 5 shillings a pound, rejecting instruments and materials which encourage foreign luxury, being a bit cautious of selling the country and its conscience for nothing, Encouraging a spirit of honesty, industry and skill into shopkeepers who if it was resolved to vend items from local producers would merge and manipulate the price of commodities, keeping off animosity and factions such as killing each other every time a problem comes up, teaching landlord to observe patience with tenants, curing the expense of vanity, pride, gaming and idleness among the women. 3. The author decided to present himself this way to prove how bad things are usually carried out in the name of helping the poor by the rich people. How they abuse the poor to get comfort and luxury. They come up with schemes that have a negative effect at the end of the day while it is assumed to be of good and helpful. 4. The irony is seen where Swift shows how important he wants to make the children useful to the common wealth via starting a scheme to help them not undergo suffering after the age of one. It turns ironical because, the kids are fed to grow big faster and look healthy so that they can be sold to the wealthy families for meal and at good prices. He therefore says that the money collected will put the economy a step ahead. 5. The argument is seen logical as