The Script Writing of Ancient China

Ancient China is one of the places where writing appears to have developed independently, along with Mesopotamia, which developed cuneiform, and Egypt and the civilization of the Maya, where hieroglyphs developed. The earliest examples of ancient Chinese writing come from oracle bones at Anyang, a Shang Dynasty capital, and contemporary bronze inscriptions. There may have been writing on bamboo or other perishable surfaces, but they have, inevitably, disappeared. Although Christopher I. Beckwith thinks the Chinese may have been exposed to the idea of writing from Steppe nomads, the prevalent belief is that China developed writing on its own. Since the oracle bones belonging to the Shang dynasty were discovered, it is no longer doubted by sinologists that Chinese writing is an autochthonous and very ancient invention of the Chinese.... The Use of Writing in Ancient China, by Edward Erkes. Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 61, No. 3 (Sep., 1941), pp. 127-130 Origins of Chinese Writing The Cambridge History of Ancient China, by Michael Loewe and Edward L. Shaughnessy, says the likely date for the earliest oracle bones is about 1200 B.C., corresponding with the reign of King Wu Ding. This speculation is based on the earliest reference to the origins of writing, which dates to the 3rd century B.C. The legend developed that a scribe of the Yellow Emperor invented writing after noticing bird tracks. [Source: Francoise Bottero, French National Center for Scientific Research Chinese Writing: Ancient Indigenous Perspective.] Scholars in the Han Dynasty thought the earliest Chinese writing was pictographic, meaning the characters are stylized representations, while the Qing thought the first writing was of numbers. Today, the earliest Chinese writing is described as pictographic (picture) or zodiographic (graph of the name of the thing), words that for non-linguists mean similar things. As the writing of the ancient Chinese evolved, a phonetic component was added to the pi ctographic, as is true of the paired writing system of the Maya. Names of the Chinese Writing Systems Ancient Chinese writing on oracle bones is called Jiaguwen, according to AncientScripts, which describes the characters as pictographic. Dazhuan is the name of the script on Bronze. It may be the same as the Jiaguwen. By 500 B.C. the angular script that characterizes modern Chinese writing had developed in the form called Xiaozhuan. Bureaucrats of the Qin Dynasty used Lishu, a script still sometimes used. Pictographs and the Rebus During the Shang Dynasty, the writing, which was pictographic, could use the same graphic to represent homophones (words with different meanings that sound the same). Writing could be in the form of what is called a rebus. The rebus example AncientSites lists is two pictures together, one of a bee, and one of a leaf, to represent the word belief. Over time, signs known as determinative symbols were added to clarify the homophones, phonetic symbols were standardized, and symbols were put together to form new words. Chinese and the Sino-Tibetan Language Family Writing and spoken language are different. Period. The cuneiform of Mesopotamia was used to write a variety of languages, including languages from the Indo-European and Afro-Asiatic families. As the Chinese conquered their neighbors, their writing was exported to neighboring countries where it was applied to the indigenous languages. This is how the Japanese came to use Kanji. The spoken language of Chinese is thought to be a member of the Sino-Tibetan language family. This connection between Chinese and Tibetan languages is made on the basis of lexical items, rather than morphology or syntax. However, the similar words are only reconstructions of Old and Middle Chinese. Ancient Chinese Writing Implements According to Erkes (above), the usual objects used in writing were a wooden stylus, to write on wood with lacquer, and the brush and ink (or some other liquid) used to write on oracle bones and other surfaces. Inscriptions also produced Chinese scripts by means of tools that removed rather than wrote on surface material. Suggested Appreciation Activities for Chinese Writing Ancient writings seem so much more artistic than modern computer-generated script or the scrawls most of us now use when we need to leave a handwritten note. To appreciate the elegance of the ancient Chinese writing system, observe and try to emulate it: Try writing letters with a brush and ink.Compare the characters in a column of Chinese writing with Japanese Kanji -- preferably for the same text (possibly something connected with their shared religion of Buddhism)Look at old Chinese characters and rewrite them, then copy them without the determinatives. (The AncientScripts site has samples to work from.)

Tsar Nicholas II in Russia Essay - 718 Words

Russia was a rural country that once had regime. The majority of Russia was profoundly poor and the few that were rich were extremely wealthy. Their last ruler had been Tsar Nicholas II who was not a natural leader; in fact most people could describe him as a reluctant and feeble monarch. Russia suffered numerous revolutions and defeats in wars under the regime. As a result their country was damaged, economically and socially. Russia was poverty stricken particularly in the countryside where the peasants lived. There were food shortages and a demand for land from the peasants. By 1900 industrialisation took its toll and many peasants moved from the country side to work in factories. Still there was unhappiness: workers demanded better†¦show more content†¦The Tsar lost most if not all support and the Government seemed merely incompetent. Four years after the Tsar was overthrown on March 15th 1917 Russia was still in despair and underwent numerous revolutions and civil war wi th a Provisional (temporary) Government. This Government chose to continue the war and failed to deal with the land and food issues of Russia. They felt threatened by the Petrograd Soviets who spoke of the change the people wanted and were evidently supported by the soldiers and workers. Many revolutionary groups had emerged. There were the Marxists, Social Democratic Party and the Social Revolutionaries. They all believed that a revolution would rise because of the exploitation in the urban industries as the government did not protect the workers as well as the common discontent of the peasants. The Social Democratic Party divided into two factions: the Mensheviks and Bolsheviks. The Mensheviks were the minority and believed that co-operating with other opposition groups would improve the lives of the working class. The Bolsheviks were the majority and believed in seizing power at the right time. The Bolsheviks were determined to overthrow the Provisional Government under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin. The Research Task is about the two economic policies, War Communism and the New Economic Policy (NEP), that Lenin put into place and why he felt the need to replace War Communism with the NEP. It also explores whether the policies were aimed atShow MoreRelatedTsar Nicholas II Of Russia1923 Words   |  8 PagesTsar Nicholas II of Russia: An Emperor Unfit to Rule Ravaged Russia At the end of the nineteenth century, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia reluctantly took command of an empire overflowing with revolutionaries who were seeking change in response to hardships that their nation was facing. His timid personality, coupled with his lack of political education and military experience, made him unfit to calm the war-fueled chaos that would soon envelop Russia. Nicholas’ series of unfortunate, unprepared andRead More Nikolai Aleksandrovich Romanov: The Last Tsar of Russia1611 Words   |  7 PagesRomanov, the last standing Tsar of Russia officially known as Tsar Nicholas II, autocrat of Russia. Nicholas II was born on 18th May, 1868 in Tsarskoe Selo, Russia. Nicholas II was the eldest son of Alexander III and his Empress Marie Romanova. Nicholas was eldest of six children. He had three younger brothers, Alexander, George, Michael and two younger sisters, Xenia and Olga. Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until his abdication on 15 March 1917, his reign saw imp erial Russia go from being one of theRead MoreHow Far Was Nicholas Ii Responsible for His Own Downfall?1510 Words   |  7 PagesHow far was Nicholas II responsible for his own downfall? 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The background of the Revolu tion started with many political groups emerging in the 1800s and 1900s (Marxists, Liberals, Nationalists, and Peasant socialists being the most notable). Then, the Marxists split, forming Lenin and the Bolsheviks. On top of new political groups emerging, a slow in economy, a losing effort in wars, and the â€Å"Bloody Sunday† massacres also created unrest in Russia. Also, the constant losses in war and slow economyRead MoreGeorge Orwell s Animal Farm1463 Words   |  6 Pagesthroughout the novel is concerned. Tsar Nicholas II led Russia into failure in the Russo-Japanese war as well as World War I and allowed the shootings of over one thousand protesters on Bloody Sunday; these actions inspired Orwell to create a representation of tsar Nicholas II in the character Mr.Jones who is known for being drunk and forgetful. Tsar Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia was born on May 18th 1868 to the tsar Alexander III in Krasnoye Selo. Nicholas II is known in Russian history

A Simple Heart Essay Example For Students

A Simple Heart Essay A Simple Heart by Gustav Flaubert fallows the life and times of a servant girl named Felicità ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. The protagonist is a hardworking, good-hearted, poor and uneducated woman named Fà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½licità ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. The duration of A Simple Heart has a common theme of loss. Through her experiences we learn that loss is ineveitable, even if you do nothing wrong. The positive is the redemption to her losses is an angelic afterlife. We see the protagonist constantly have to face abandonement of a beloved character several times. The author suggests a beautiful redemption to her life, as her faith and goodness is saved by her beloved parrot was portrayed as a pure and loving character and receives a deserved end to her life. The story begins with serving as a hardworking and diligent servant for Madame Aubain. She is a good and caring servant, and even gets along with Madame Aubain, who isnt easy to work with. Her present state becomes surprising for the reader when they are told of her traumatizing past. At a young age both her mother and father die, she is also separated from her sister and left to fend for herself. She is taken in as working hand on a farm where is abused and eventually evicted due to a false crime. She was very young and that must have left a deep wound to her. Another occupation on a farm is given to her, which is where she meets Theodore and begins a romance with him. Theodore even proposes marriage. One evening when she goes to meet him, she is met by a friend of his, who tells her Theodore has decided to marry someone who can pay to keep him from being drafted into the army. This seems like the saddest of her losses because Theodore had shown the feeling of finally being loved and taken it away. She leaves the farm and is hired by Madame Aubain. In spite of her past losses she continues her life and loves, yet there are even more losses she faces. The children of Madame Aubain, Paul and Virginie are sent off to school far away so she begins to focus on the. Fà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½licità ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ feels abandoned by the children who she clearly loved and the reader is shown the depth of her sensitivity as she was deeply distraught by her absence could not settle to anything, lost her sleep, and, to use her own words, was eaten up inside. (Flaubert 32) She becomes close with her nephew Victor, who soon leaves her as well, bound by ship for Cuba. She soon receives a letter of his death from her brother in law. This deeply disturbs her because she was always worried something like that would happen. Virginie soon dies from a lung disease and keeps vigil by the body for two nights and prepares it for burial. This shows her deep devotion bravery for the child, even though she is once again abandoned by another person she is still strong. A few years later Fà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½licità ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ becomes increasingly fascinated by a parrot given to Madame Aubain. She becomes attached to the bird so when it disappears she loses her hearing for the search of it. When her parrot disappears, her frantic efforts to find him prove fruitless, although the bird comes back on his own. Toward the end, she is physically diminishing, growing smaller, becoming deaf. She hears, literally and figuratively, only the voice of the parrot, and the parrot can only repeat empty phrases. The little circle of her ideas grew narrower and narrower. (Flaubert 46) Thus her small world becomes ever smaller. The theme that loss is inevitable, become the one theme as her death approaches. .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c , .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c .postImageUrl , .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c , .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c:hover , .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c:visited , .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c:active { border:0!important; } .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c:active , .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u9d2d2e347a8d32c1c4f1d0b33293170c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Anais Nin Biography EssayThrough all the loss and despair that Fà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½licità ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ has she remains loving and goodness. Despite a life of hard work, repeated disappointment, and the gradual loss of everyone dear to her, she is unwavering in her faith. As she grows older, the stuffed parrot becomes her Holy Spirit in the form of a dove that she sees in religious paintings and stained-glass windows. Her redemption is her vision of the heavens opening and the Holy Ghost descending upon her in the form of a giant parrot, and she dies smiling. The parrot is symbolism for the vehicle through which Fà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½licità ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ experiences divinity. Felicite was never formerly educated on religion and her faith to church began with her being required to accompany her young charge to her religion classes. Her devotion can be perceived as random and conditional, because she first upon it as a result of hearing stories of familial country life. Her devotion to the church is not based on an embrace of its beliefs: Of doctrines she understood nothing did not even try to understand. (Flaubert 25) So even though her belief in the church is provisional her belief in god is concrete. She is heavily devoted to the parrot who becomes god for her, he is her holy spirit. She dies smiling while her faith is saved by the parrot. Felicite is a woman who was good and never sinned, yet she faced loss and despair because it was inevitable. Felicites seems like one filled with despair yet it all comes back to the same cycle of life. This just goes to show us that life comes full circle. She was pure, and her capacity to love is her wealth and at the end her faith is saved. Even though she was so different the other characters of the text, she too passes away at the end, ending her simple life.

In Canadian History There Are Many Famous People. In My Mind One Reall

In Canadian history there are many famous people. In my mind one really stands out among the rest. His name is Terry Fox and he is one of the greatest athlete to run on the face of this planet. Terry discovered he had cancer and then decided to run across Canada. He was a brave man who would take what the world through at him. Running across Canada was his way to show the world that he was not going out with out a fight. Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg Manitoba on July 28 1958 Terry was raised in port Coquintlam, British Columbia. He was very athletic from a young age. When he was in grade eight Terry was rated nineteen out of nineteen on his basketball team. For that first season he was on the court for approximately one minute. This did not affect Terry and did not let it get to him, fore just two years later Terry was the starring player on his team. By the time he graduated he became one of two athletes to receive the schools highest athletic award. Terry knew that aches and pains are common in athletes lives. At the end of his first year of university there was a new pain in his knee. One morning Terry woke up to see that he could no longer stand up. A week later Terry found out that it was not just an ache he had a malignant tumor; his leg would have to be cut off six inches above the knee. Terrys doctor told him that he had a chance of living but the odds were fifty to seventy percent. He also said that he should be glad it happened now fore just 2 years ago the chance of living was fifteen percent. The night before his operation a former coach brought Terry a magazine featuring a man who ran a marathon after a similar operation. Terry didnt want to do something small if he was going to do something he was going to do it big. I am competitive Terry said, Im a dreamer. I like challenges. I dont give up. When I decided to do it, I knew it was going to be all out. There was no in between Terrys sixteen month follow up he saw all the young people suffering and getting weak by the disease. He never forgot what he saw and felt burdened to thoughts that died to run this marathon. He was one of the lucky one in three people to survive in the cancer clinics. Terry wrote asking for sponsorship I could not leave knowing that these faces and feelings would still be here even though I would be set free of mine, somewhere the hurting must stop and I was determined to take myself to the limit for these causes. Terry got back into sports and joins a wheelchair basketball team. He took on his new challenge as he usually had. Terry made himself strong by pushing his wheel chair. He would push himself along the sea wall of Stanley Park in Vancouver or find a steep mountain of a log road and would go to his hands bled. Two years after Terry stated his training to run, so nobody could see him he ran his first half-mile in the dark. For fifteen months of training and after running 3159 miles his stump was raw and bleeding. Terry ran 101 days everyday he ran 23 miles a day and only stopped for Christmas because his mother asked him. Terry was always determined. One day when his artificial leg broke he hitchhiked home and fixed his leg and ran another 5 miles. He told his mother about his journey to run across Canada his mother told him he was crazy but when she told his father he simple asked When? Terry received his sponsorship and on April 12 1980 he dipped his artificial leg in the Atlantic ocean of the coast of St. Johns Newfoundland, there he began to run the greatest Adventure of his life, I loved it, Terry said. I enjoyed myself so much and that was what other people couldnt realize. They thought I

How to Get Into an Ivy League School

How to Get Into an Ivy League School If you are hoping to attend one of the Ivy League schools, youre going to need more than good grades. Seven of the eight Ivies made my list of the most selective colleges in the country, and acceptance rates range from 6% for Harvard University to 15% for Cornell University. Applicants who are admitted have earned excellent grades in challenging classes, demonstrated meaningful involvement in extracurricular activities, revealed leadership skills, and crafted winning essays. A successful Ivy League application is not the result of a little effort at application time. It is the culmination of years of hard work. The tips and strategies below can help make sure your Ivy League application is as strong as possible. Develop the Foundation for Ivy League Success Early The Ivy League universities (and all universities for that matter) will consider your accomplishments in 9th through 12th grades only. The admissions folks will not be interested in that literary award you got in 7th grade or the fact that you were on the varsity track team in 8th grade. That said, successful Ivy League applicants build the foundation for an impressive high school record long before high school. On the academic front, if you can get into an accelerated math track while in middle school, this will set you up to complete calculus before you graduate from high school. Also, start a foreign language as early as possible in your school district, and stick with it. This will put you on track to take an Advanced Placement language class in high school, or to take a dual enrollment language class through a local college. Strength in a foreign language  and completing math through calculus  are both important features of the majority of winning Ivy League applications. You can get admitted without these accomplishments, but your chances will be diminished. When it comes to extracurricular activities in middle school, use them to find your passion so that you begin ninth grade with focus and determination. If you discover in middle school that drama, not soccer, is what you truly want to be doing in your after school hours, great. Youre now in a position to develop depth and demonstrate leadership on the drama front when youre in high school. This is hard to do if you discover your love of theater in your junior year.   This article on college preparation in middle school can help you understand the numerous ways in which a strong middle school strategy can help set you up for Ivy League success. Craft Your High School Curriculum Thoughtfully The most important piece of your Ivy League application is your high school transcript. In general,  youll need to take the most challenging classes available to you if you are going to convince the admissions folks that you are prepared to succeed in your college coursework. If you have a choice between AP Calculus or business statistics, take AP Calculus. If Calculus BC is an option for you, it will be more impressive than Calculus AB. If you are debating whether or not you should take a foreign language in your senior year, do so (this advice assumes that you feel you are capable of succeeding in these courses). You should also be realistic on the academic front. The Ivies dont, in fact, expect you to take seven AP courses in your junior year, and trying to do too much is likely to backfire by causing burn out and/or low grades. Focus on core academic areas- English, math, science, language- and make sure you excel in these areas. Courses such as AP Psychology, AP Statistics, or AP Music Theory are fine if your school offers them, but they dont carry the same weight as AP Literature and AB Biology.   Also keep in mind that the Ivies recognize that some students have more academic opportunities than others. Only a small fraction of high schools offer a challenging International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. Only larger, well-funded high schools can offer a wide breadth of Advanced Placement courses. Not all high schools make it easy to take dual enrollment courses at a local college. If youre from a small rural school without many academic opportunities, the admissions officers at the Ivy League schools take your situation into consideration, and measures such as your SAT/ACT scores and letters of recommendation will be even more important for evaluating your college readiness. Earn High Grades Im frequently asked which is more important: high grades or challenging courses?  The reality for Ivy League admissions is that you need both. The Ivies will be looking for lots of A grades in the most challenging courses available to you. Also keep in mind that the applicant pool for all of the Ivy League schools is so strong that the admissions offices are often not interested in weighted GPAs. Weighted GPAs play an important and legitimate role in determining your class rank, but the reality is that when  admissions committees are comparing students from around the world, they will consider whether or not that A in AP World History is a true A or if it is B that was weighted up to an A. Realize that you dont need straight A grades to get into the Ivy League, but every B on your transcript is lessening your chance  of admission. Most successful Ivy League applicants have unweighted GPAs that are up in the 3.7 range or higher (3.9 or 4.0 is more common).   The pressure to earn straight A grades can sometimes cause applicants to make bad decisions when applying to highly competitive colleges. You should not  write a supplemental essay explaining why you got a B in one course in your sophomore year. There are, however, a few situations in which you should explain a bad grade. Also keep in mind that some students with less-than-stellar grades get admitted. This can be because they have an exceptional talent, come from a school or country with different grading standards, or have legitimate circumstances that made earning A grades extremely challenging. Focus on Depth and Achievement in Your Extracurricular Activities There are hundreds of endeavors that count as extracurricular activities, and the reality is that any of them can make your application shine if you have demonstrated true depth and passion in your chosen activity. This article on the best extracurricular activities shows how any given activity, when approached with enough commitment and energy, can become something truly impressive. In general, think of extracurriculars in terms of depth, not breadth. A student who acts a minor role in a play one year, plays JV tennis one spring, joins yearbook another year, and then joins Academic All-Stars senior year is going to look like a dabbler with no clear passion or area of expertise (these activities are all good things, but they dont make for a winning combination on an Ivy League application). On the flip side, consider a student who plays euphonium in County Band in 9th grade, Area All-State in 10th grade, All-State in 11th grade, and who also played in the school symphonic band, concert band, marching band, and pep band for all four years of high school. This is a student who clearly loves playing her instrument and will bring that interest and passion to the campus community.   Show That You Are a Good Community Member The admissions folks are looking for students to join their community, so they clearly want to enroll students who care about community. One way to demonstrate this is through community service. Realize, however, that there is no magic number here- an applicant with 1,000 hours of community service may not have an advantage over a student with 300 hours. Instead, make sure you are doing community service that is meaningful to you and that truly makes a difference in your community. You may even want to write one of your supplemental essays about one of your service projects. Earn High SAT or ACT Scores None of the Ivy League schools are test-optional, and SAT and ACT scores still carry a bit of weight in the admissions process. Because the Ivies draw from such a diverse pool of students from around the world, standardized tests truly are one of the few tools the schools can use to compare students. That said, the admissions folks do recognize that financially advantaged students have an advantage with the SAT and ACT, and that one thing these tests tend to predict is a familys income. To get a sense of what SAT and/or ACT scores youre going to need to get into an Ivy league school, check out these graphs of GPA, SAT and ACT data for students who were accepted, waitlisted, and rejected: Brown  | Columbia  | Cornell | Dartmouth | Harvard | Penn | Princeton | Yale The numbers are rather sobering: the great majority of admitted students are scoring in the top one or two percentiles on the SAT or ACT. At the same time, youll see that there are some outlying data points, and a few students do get in with less-than-ideal scores. Write a Winning Personal Statement Chances are youre applying to the Ivy League using the Common Application, so youll have five options for your personal statement. Check out these tips and samples for the Common Application essay options, and realize that your essay is important. An essay that is riddled with errors or focuses on a trivial or clichà © topic could land your application in the rejection pile. At the same time, realize that your essay doesnt need to focus on something extraordinary. You dont need to have solved global warming or saved a bus full of 1st-graders to have an effective focus for your essay. More important than what you write about is that you focus on something important to you, and that your essay is thoughtful and self-reflective.   Put Significant Effort Into Your Supplemental Essays All of the Ivy League schools require school-specific supplemental essays in addition to the main Common Application essay. Dont underestimate the importance of these essays. For one, these supplemental essays, much more than the common essay, demonstrate why you are interested in a specific Ivy League school. The admissions officers at Yale, for example, arent just looking for strong students. They are looking for strong students who are truly passionate about Yale and have specific reasons for wanting to attend Yale. If your supplemental essay responses are generic and could be used for multiple schools, you havent approached the challenge effectively. Do your research and be specific. The supplemental essays are one of the best tools for demonstrating your interest in a specific university.   Be sure to avoid these five supplemental essay mistakes. Ace Your Ivy League Interview Youre likely to interview with an alum of the Ivy League school to which you are applying. In truth, the interview isnt the most important part of your application, but it can make a difference. If you stumble to answer questions about your interests and your reasons for applying, this can certainly damage your application. Youll also want to make sure that you are polite and personable during your interview. In general, Ivy League interviews are friendly exchanges, and your interviewer wants to see you do well. A little preparation, however, can help. Be sure to think about these 12 common interview questions, and work to avoid these interview mistakes. Apply Early Action or Early Decision Harvard, Princeton, and Yale all have a single-choice early action program. Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, and Penn have early decision programs. All of these programs allow you to apply to just a single school through the early program. Early decision has additional restrictions in that if you are admitted, you are obligated to attend. You should not  apply early decision if you are not 100% sure that a specific Ivy League school is your top choice. With early action, its fine to apply early if theres a chance you will later change your mind. If youre on target for Ivy League admission (grades, SAT/ACT, interview, essays, extracurriculars), applying early is the best tool you have for improving your chances significantly. Take a look at this table of early and regular admit rates for the Ivy League schools.  You are four times more likely to get into Harvard by applying early than applying with the regular applicant pool. Yes- four times more likely.   Factors That You Cant Control Everything Ive written about above focuses on factors that you can control, especially if you start early. There are, however, a couple factors in the Ivy League admissions process that are outside of your control. If these factors work in your favor, great. If they dont, dont fret. The majority of accepted students do  not  have these advantages. First is legacy status. If you have a parent or sibling who attended the Ivy League school to which you are applying, this can work to your advantage. Colleges tend to like legacies for a couple reasons: they will be familiar with the school and are likely to accept an offer of admission (this helps with the universitys yield); also, family loyalty can be an important factor when it comes to alumni donations. You also cant control how you fit into the universitys efforts to enroll a diverse class of students. Other factors being equal, an applicant from Montana or Nepal is going to have an advantage over an applicant from New Jersey. Similarly, a strong student from an under-represented group will have an advantage over a student from a majority group. This may seem unfair, and its certainly an issue that has been debated in the courts, but most selective private universities operate under the idea that the undergraduate experience is enriched significantly when the students come from a wide range of geographical, ethnic, religious, and philosophical backgrounds. A Final Word Perhaps this point should have come first in this essay, but I always ask Ivy League applicants to ask themselves, Why the Ivy League? The answer is often far from satisfactory: family pressure, peer pressure, or just the prestige factor. Keep in mind that there is nothing magical about the eight Ivy League schools. Of the thousands of colleges in the world, the one that best matches your personality, academic interests, and professional aspirations is very likely  not  one of the eight Ivies.   Every year youll see the news headlines heralding that one student who got into all eight Ivies. The news channels love to celebrate these students, and the accomplishment is certainly impressive. At the same time, a student who would thrive in the bustling urban environment of Columbia would probably not enjoy the rural location of Cornell. The Ivies are remarkably different, and all eight are not going to be a great match for a single applicant. Also keep in mind that there are hundreds of colleges that deliver exceptional educations (in many cases better undergraduate educations) than the Ivies, and many of these schools will be much more accessible. They may also be more affordable since the Ivies do not offer any merit-based financial aid (although they do have excellent need-based aid).   In short, make sure you truly do have good reasons for wanting to attend an Ivy League school, and recognize that failure to get into one is not failure: you are likely to thrive at the college you do choose to attend.

Cyber Terrorism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Cyber Terrorism - Research Paper Example Even though the benefits from a common global cyber system are many, the vulnerability of such a system cannot be overlooked. Due to the inclusion of millions of people, proper vigilance on their activities becomes impossible. Thus, the high probabilities of occurrence of cyber crimes exist. This vast database of information comprising of profiles and strategies of companies, details of financial deals between banks or even highly confidential facts about government organizations may at any time be exploited to serve the malicious motives of â€Å"cyber criminals and espionage agencies† (â€Å"Cyber Attack†) â€Å"Cyberterrorism is the convergence of terrorism and cyberspace. It is generally understood to mean unlawful attacks and threats of attacks against computers, networks and the information stored therein, when done to intimidate or coerce a government or its people in furtherance of political or social objectives†. (Gordon and Ford, 4) An attack that causes harm to people or property and leads to mass fear can be considered as cyber terrorism. Examples of this may be attacks that result in water contamination, plane crash, physical injury or death, explosions or massive loss to property or infrastructure. However, attacks that lead to the disruption of trivial services or activities cannot be labeled as cyber terrorism. In the month of April of 2007, Estonia was paralyzed by a series of such attacks that completely rattled the economy. A host of important websites including the Banking sector, the Business sector and the Government sector were targeted by these cyber attack s. Ultimately, it resulted in the collapse of virtual linkages between most of the towns and cities of Estonia and the rest of the world. Immense monetary damages were incurred, the citizens had to face inconvenience and disturbances in conducting their day-to-day activities and some institutions had to be simply shut down. This incident represented the high level of vulnerability of the internet. (â€Å"Cyber Attack†) This is just one among the many incidences of cyber crimes that take place all around the world each day. The types of these crimes are as diverse as its causes and thus, produce a range of effects. Forms of Cyber Terrorism: In the 20th century, the internet has emerged as the favorite weapon of mass destruction as well as a convenient means of communication for terrorists. A research has found that the various terrorist groups and organizations make regular use of the internet and the information available on it to carry out attacks on the integrated software system and people, to communicate with the world and to plan and support the different acts of terrorism. The advantages that the global internet offers as a weapon of terrorism are manifold. Firstly, it can be accessed from any place, irrespective of the country, city or locality of a person. These days, the net can be accessed even through cellular phones. Secondly, the use of internet to carry out an attack produces quicker results, within the span of a few seconds. And, finally, the greatest advantage is that the attack cannot be traced back to the guilty as

Aerobics class in london Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aerobics class in london - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to find out opportunities provided for the community to engage in sporting activities and which groups of people the sport activities target. This paper will reveal research findings and results after visiting a community sports leisure center. Activities carried out in the center will be mentioned as well as the targeted groups and benefits of the mentioned activities. To receive accurate data, an arranged permitted interview will be conducted so as to learn more about the center. Observation and other mode of primary data collection will be discussed as well as the collection of secondary data. The center under study is central YMCA club. This club is a component of a charity organization; this makes this fitness center only one of its kind in the health and fitness sector. This club offers a center for the community members to interact in a social perspective. This therefore leads to its welcoming, friendly and warm environment as it leads to a feeling of belonging and enables members to achieve fitness and health through a wide range of activities offered. (Prasad, 6). The mission of this club: To advance the wellbeing and health of the community via the providence of fitness, sport and art- based programs. Such programs will include: positive health, older adults, performing arts, creative arts, mind and body, exercise nutrition, Y active kids, healthy living, and pre and post natal. However, the program under focus is mind and body. Under this program several concepts are practiced. The area of concern in this report is Tai Chi. This is an aerobic exercise which develops a healthy mind and body; it includes meditation as well as slow aerobic sessions. (Tucker, 7) 2. Methodology My initial visit at the Central YMCA was on 19-03-2013. I collected brochures and fliers concerning the organization at the reception desk. I walked around the facility and observed the activities taking place. I also met with the assistant coordinator and discussed my intentions as well as handed him my letter of introduction. We arranged my next visit to the center as well as the activities I was to undertake so as to facilitate the findings of my report paper. I collected more relevant information concerning the fitness facility in their website. My next visit was on 22-03-2013. I met with the assistant facilitator discussed my report paper and I was given a go ahead as well as the date and venue to collect my data. I then walked around the facility and observed the activities. On 26-03-2013, 30 random members of Central YMCA were selected by I and a group interview was conducted. This was done with permission from the management of the organization. The venue was at the board room, time 2:00- 4:00 pm. I asked the participants each question as I recorded the results. Each member answered individually. Questions asked to each member included: a. Why do you attend Central YMCA? b. Do you like the aerobic programs? c. How many att end Tai Chi? Reason for attendance? Two aerobic instructors of Central YMCA were also interviewed. The management of the organization was informed and the employees permitted to give concerned information. This took place on the 26- 03- 2013, at the boardroom, 11:30 am -12:15 pm and 6:00- 5:45 pm. Questions asked included: a. What are the opportunities provided for people to participate in aerobic fitness activities? b. What is the target group? c. Which aerobic program comprises of a majority of people? Why? d. How does the community benefit from the organization? e. How many attend Tai Chi? Reason for attendance? 3. Findings i. Primary data collected Data collected from the members was