17 Free Online Academic English Writing Courses

17 Free Online Academic English Writing Courses If you are an English language learner and getting ready to enter into university, getting up to speed on your academic writing will mean the difference between success and struggle in your academic pursuits. However, youre in luck, as there are several free online academic English writing courses available that offer students like you a chance to brush up on your skills in your own time and without paying a dime.A Beginners Guide to Writing in English for University Study - In this five-week course provided by the University of Reading (via FutureLearn), you will learn how to write using academic English in preparation for university study. The course was developed to help students learn the basics of writing in English for academic purposes, including the stages of essay writing. Aimed at non-English speakers with a minimum level of IELTS 4.5 or equivalent, you should know some English before taking this course.Adjectives and Adjective Clauses - In this four-week course provided by the University of California, Irvine (via Coursera), you will learn how to make your writing more interesting through writing adjectives and adjective clauses. In the first module, you will review what adjectives (and adjective phrases) are and how to use them correctly in English. In the second module, youll learn about adjective clauses, what they look like, and how to use them correctly to make your sentences more complex. In the final module, youll learn the different ways to use adjective clauses in academic writing.Advanced Writing - In this four-week course provided by the University of California, Irvine (via Coursera), you will learn to raise your level of academic writing in preparation for college-level work. Specifically, you will learn to plan and write a more sophisticated argumentative essay; identify plagiarism and explain how to prevent it; read and analyze several articles to form your own opinion on a topic; make connections between several articles; form thes is statements from your readings; and use sources effectively when writing an essay. While youll have access to all the instructional videos and handouts by taking the free version of this course, youll need to enroll in the paid version to receive peer feedback and take quizzes.Conjunctions, Connectives, and Adverb Clauses - In this four-week course provided by the University of California, Irvine (via Coursera), you will learn about the different types of conjunctions in English and how to use them and punctuate them in sentences. You will also learn how to join ideas with correct grammar and punctuation, including transition words and prepositional phrases, complex sentences, and adverb clauses. Finally, youll learn a more advanced way to write complex sentences by reducing the adverb clauses. Each of these lessons will help you write academic English more fluently.English Composition - In this eight-week course provided by Arizona State University (via edX) as part of the Glob al Freshman Academy (GFA), you will learn how to communicate your ideas clearly through English writing. Specifically, you will learn to develop ideas effectively for a variety of purposes, audiences and occasions through completing several major written projects. Furthermore, you will learn how to craft your writing to meet the needs of specific audiences for specific purposes; how to make decisions about what to include and not include in your writing; how to use invention, research, drafting, revising, and editing in your writing; to use various formats and stylistic choices, including genre conventions; and how to use diverse technologies to write more effectively and efficiently.English Composition I - In this ten-week course provided by Duke University (via Coursera), you will learn college-level writing by reading carefully, writing effective arguments, understanding the writing process, engaging with others ideas, citing accurately, and crafting powerful prose. Throughout t he course, you will also learn how to summarize, analyze, question, and evaluate written and visual texts; argue and support a position; recognize audience and disciplinary expectations; identify and use the stages of the writing process; identify characteristics of effective prose; apply proper citation practices; and discuss applying your writing knowledge to other writing occasions.English Grammar and Style - In this eight-week course sponsored by The University of Queensland (via edX), you can learn key concepts and strategies in grammar and style to help enhance your writing. The course offers instruction in grammatical principles, word usage, writing style, sentence and paragraph structure, and punctuation. Video interviews with distinguished grammarians, along with quizzes and writing activities, assist students build their English writing skills.Getting Started with Essay Writing - In this four-week course provided by the University of California, Irvine (via Coursera), yo u will learn about the three types of academic essays and how to improve your writing skills when writing each type. The course covers how to create effective thesis statements for your essays; how to plan and write compare/contrast, cause/effect, and argument essays; and how to write well-developed body paragraphs. While the lectures and practice activities are available for free, students must enroll in the paid version to take the quizzes and receive feedback on writing assignments.Grammar and Punctuation - In this four-week course offered by the University of California, Irvine (via Coursera), you will learn the basics of writing academic English for studying in an American university. It includes video lectures, readings, practice exercises, and quizzes, although the free version does not offer peer feedback and graded quizzes. By the end of the course, you will know how to identify the correct verb tenses to use, use commas effectively, utilize several different sentence type s, and write more effectively in English.How to Write an Essay - In this five-week course provided by the University of California, Berkeley (via edX), you will be introduced to academic writing for English learners by learning essay development, grammatical correctness, and self-editing. The course covers basic grammar terminology and understanding; writing effective sentences and paragraphs; introductions and conclusions; strategies for writing longer texts; and thesis statements. It is provided in partnership with the U.S. Department of State.Introduction to Research for Essay Writing - In this four-week course provided by the University of California, Irvine (via Coursera), you will learn the steps involved in planning, outlining, and writing a research paper. Some topics covered include how to choose appropriate research topics for your classes, how to find source material for research papers, how to avoid plagiarizing, and how to take and organize notes in the process of you r research. You will also learn how to use an appropriate academic tone and language in your writing, along with how to document sources by creating a list in MLA format.Perfect Tenses and Modals - In this four-week course provided by the University of California, Irvine (via Coursera), you will learn about important intermediate verb tenses, including present perfect, present perfect progressive, past perfect, and past perfect progressive. The course also covers common modal verbs used in English. Although it is designed for learners who already have a basic understanding of English grammar, it will help you become a better academic writer.Preparing for College: Writing Proficiency - This self-paced course provided by Parkland College (via Canvas Network) is third in a series of four courses that are aimed at helping students improve their scores on placement tests while preparing for college-level courses. The focus of this course is on writing skills, along with links to pract ice tests to help students identify problem areas and supplemental help for students who need it.Scribble: Writing for New Writers - In this 13-week course provided via OpenLearning, you will learn the process of writing- from simple paragraphs to more complex writing structures. The courses eventual aim is to prepare you for research writing. Designed for students who are studying English and are preparing to soon enter a university, this course will help you brush up on some basic skills such as sentence and paragraph creation, along with proper English structure and forms of writing.Tricky English Grammar - In this four-week course provided by the University of California, Irvine (via Coursera), you will learn about tricky issues in English grammar that can confuse even the most astute student. This includes tricky nouns, articles, and quantifiers; when to put a or the in front of a noun; when to put nothing in front of the noun; using gerunds and infinitives correctly; making requests and asking for permission; some word forms that cause confusion; and phrasal verbs and collocations.Verb Tenses and Passives - In this four-week course provided by the University of California, Irvine (via Coursera), you will review the verb tenses that you learned in beginning English classes and learn about a few tenses you may not know very well. It covers 12 of the English verb tenses and passive verb forms, along with how to blend these tenses, which is what native speakers frequently do. Overall, this course will help you improve your fluency in written and spoken academic English. While the free version of this class gives you access to all of the instructional videos and handouts, you will need to enroll in the paid course to receive peer feedback and take quizzes.Writing in English at University - In this four-week course provided by Lund University (via Coursera), you will learn to understand the conventions of academic writing in English along with the various components of the academic writing process. The course is divided into four modules:Writing in English at university: An introduction;Structuring your text and conveying your argument;Using sources in academic writing; andThe writers toolbox: Editing and proofreading.The course consists of video lectures, reading assignments, and reflective self-assessment questions, along with peer review exercises that provide students with an opportunity to interact with their peers also taking the course.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Bio

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Bio Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is an American politician and former community organizer. Her embrace of democratic socialism and economic, social, and racial justice  issues earned her a large following among fellow progressive millennials, which propelled her to a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Her ascent is noteworthy because she defeated the fourth-highest ranking Democrat in Congress and became the youngest woman elected to the House. Fast Facts: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Occupation: Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New YorkNickname: AOCBorn: Oct. 13, 1989, in Bronx County, New York City, New YorkParents: Sergio Ocasio (deceased) and Blanca Ocasio-CortezEducation: B.A. in Economics and International Relations, Boston UniversityKnown For: Youngest woman elected to Congress. She was 29 when she took office in January 2019Interesting Fact: Ocasio-Cortez worked as a waitress and bartender before running for CongressFamous Quote: â€Å"Where did I get off? I mean, I’m going to tell people that I, as a waitress, should be their next congresswoman?† Early Life Ocasio-Cortez was born in New York on Oct. 13, 1989, to Sergio Ocasio, an architect raised in South Bronx, and Blanca Ocasio-Cortez, a native of Puerto Rico who cleaned houses and drove a school bus to help the family pay the bills. The couple met when he was visiting family in Puerto Rico; they married and moved to a working-class neighborhood in New York City. Both parents had been born into poverty and wanted their daughter and son, Gabriel Ocasio-Cortez, to have more prosperous childhoods. The family eventually relocated from New York City to a wealthy suburb, Yorktown Heights, where they lived in a modest home and sent Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to a mostly white high school, where she excelled. Ocasio-Cortez graduated from Yorktown High School in 2007 and entered Boston University, initially studying biochemistry. She got her first taste of politics by volunteering to make phone calls for Democrat Barack Obamas successful 2008 presidential campaign. Her life changed dramatically, though, when her father was diagnosed with lung cancer while she was at college. Ocasio-Cortez said her fathers death her sophomore year forced her to put all of her energy into school. The last thing my father had told me in the hospital was ‘Make me proud,’ she said in an interview with The New Yorker. I took it very literally. My G.P.A. skyrocketed.† After her fathers death, Ocasio-Cortez shifted gears and began studying economics and international relations. She graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from Boston University in 2011. By that time she had also stepped back into politics, working part-time through college in the Boston office of U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, the so-called liberal lion and surviving member of the Kennedy political dynasty. The 2016 Campaign and a Career in Politics After college, Ocasio-Cortez worked as a waitress and bartender. She became involved in politics at the national level in the 2016 Democratic primaries, when she canvassed for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the Democratic Socialist who unsuccessfully sought the presidential nomination against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. After Sanders lost, like-minded Democratic Socialists began recruiting candidates to run for the House and Senate as part of an effort called Brand New Congress. In the fall of 2016, as Republican Donald Trump was heading toward a stunning electoral upset over Clinton, Ocasio-Cortezs brother sent an application to the group on her behalf, and her campaign for Congress was born. Like Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez supports such proposals as free public college and guaranteed family leave. A marcher holds a sign that say, If Youre Scared of Me, You Are The Problem with an image of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Democratic of the 14th congressional district of the House Of Representatives in front of Trump International Hotel during the Womans March in the borough of Manhattan in NY on January 19, 2019. Ira L. Black - Corbis / Getty Images In the June 2018 Democratic primary, Ocasio-Cortez soundly defeated U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley, who had amassed a great deal of influence not just in his district but among his partys congressional leadership over two decades. Ocasio-Cortez went on to defeat a Republican, college professor Anthony Pappas, in the fall election to take the seat representing New York states solidly Democratic 14th Congressional District, which is centered in New York City and covers parts of the Bronx and Queens boroughs. Nearly half the residents of the district are Hispanic, and fewer than 20 percent are white. At age 29, she became the youngest woman to win a House seat. The youngest person elected to Congress was William Charles Cole Claiborne of Tennessee, who was 22 when he began serving in 1797. Democratic Socialist Ideology Ocasio-Cortez has championed economic, social, and racial justice in the House. In particular, she has taken on the issues of wealth disparity and the treatment of undocumented immigrants in the United States. She proposed taxing the wealthiest Americans at income-tax rates of as much as 70 percent; called for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Homeland Security agency that arrests and deports people living in the United States illegally; and pushed for the elimination of for-profit prisons. U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks as Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) (R) and other Congressional Democrats listen during a news conference in front of the U.S. Capitol February 7, 2019 in Washington, DC. Sen. Markey and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez held a news conference to unveil their Green New Deal resolution. Alex Wong / Getty Images Her most ambitious policy proposals were contained in the so-called Green New Deal, which she said is designed to combat climate change by shifting the energy portfolio in the United States away from fossil fuels to all renewable sources such as wind and solar within 12 years. The Green New Deal also proposed non-energy moves such as a job guarantee program to assure a living wage job to every person who wants one,† as well as universal health care and a basic income. Much of the new spending to fund those programs would come from higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans. Many political observers have suggested that Ocasio-Cortez- whose campaign was funded by small donors and not corporate interests, and whose agenda sets her apart from the establishment members of the Democratic Party- has replaced Sanders as the de facto leader of the left. Sources Remnick, David. â€Å"Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs Historic Win and the Future of the Democratic Party.† The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 17 July 2018, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/07/23/alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-historic-win-and-the-future-of-the-democratic-party.Chappell, Bill, and Scott Neuman. â€Å"Who Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez?†Ã‚  NPR, NPR, 27 June 2018, www.npr.org/2018/06/27/623752094/who-is-alexandria-ocasio-cortez.ï » ¿Wang, Vivian. â€Å"Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: A 28-Year-Old Democratic Giant Slayer.†Ã‚  The New York Times, The New York Times, 27 June 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/06/27/nyregion/alexandria-ocasio-cortez.html.The Intercept. â€Å"A Primary Against the Machine: A Bronx Activist Looks to Dethrone Joseph Crowley, the King of Queens.†Ã‚  The Intercept, 22 May 2018, theintercept.com/2018/05/22/joseph-crowley-alexandra-ocasio-cortez-new-york-primary/.

Benefits of having a personal disaster kit Essay

Benefits of having a personal disaster kit - Essay Example In other words, if you fail to coordinate precautionary measures prior to the occurrence of a disaster, you are prepared to handle the consequences. In cases like these, it is important to be prepared as being prepared can make a difference between life and death. In a disaster medical assistance is also often slowed, as emergency crews must focus on the victims of the disaster. Banks and other businesses might be closed, affecting a family's ability to withdraw money to pay bills and buy groceries Possessions are not hard to replace, as many people keep insurance on their property and tangible goods. The emotional toll of natural disasters is much more devastating. The death of a loved one may be the worst-case scenario but it's not the only lasting emotional effect victims experience. Whole communities may be displaced, separating friends and neighbors; victims face anxiety and depression as they wonder if it could happen again. In extreme cases, they may experience post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). (Cited from ehow.com) Life throws the unexpected at us every day. It is difficult to predict how a disaster will be. The effects of a disaster can be lessened if preparations are made ahead of time. One of the most important steps to being prepared for a disaster is having a personal disaster kit. Your personal disaster kit should include; water, food, first aid supplies, clothing and bedding, tools and emergency supplies and special items such as medication. Water should be stored in plastic containers such as soft drink bottles and store at least three gallons of water per person to serve for at least a three day period. Store at least a three day supply of non-perishable food items, food for infants and spices, vitamins or stress foods. It is far better to select foods that are compact and light weight such as ready to eat canned meats, fruits, vegetables and canned juices. Your disaster kit should also include a first aid kit. This kit should include; ban dages and pins, sterile adhesive bandages, roller bandages, sterile gauze, cleansing soaps and agents and non-prescription drugs like antacid, anti-diarrhea and pain killers. Paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, emergency preparedness manuals, battery operated radio with extra batteries, plastic storage containers, waterproof matches, flash lights stored with batteries inserted backwards, toilet paper, personal hygiene products, plastic garbage bags and household chlorine bleach are also among the many essentials for your personal disaster kit. It is important to store your kit in a convenient place with smaller versions of it in your car. Ensure all items are kept in air tight plastic bags. Finally replace the stored food and water in your kit every six months. Every year people are affected by disasters. Lives are lost, property is destroyed and personal effects lost to the unforgiving aftermath of both natural and man-made disasters. The saddest part of such devastation is th at most of it could have been averted with the proper preparation. Being prepared does not mean that one won't incur any loss, however, if one prepares properly, it can save lives, homes and personal affects. Proper preparation can also make recovery and dealing with insurance companies and government entities exponentially easier. Once a disaster

A Rise in Officially Authorized Economic Prospects and the Crime Rate Research Paper

A Rise in Officially Authorized Economic Prospects and the Crime Rate - Research Paper Example In the majority of cases, murder is committed by someone the sufferer is familiar with. Serial killers, who mostly choose victims at the ‘dictates of chance’ with no obvious reason have been identified to â€Å"become overcome with the urge to kill† (Lily et al, 2010), similar to the addict who wants his fix. It has been an observation that this situation is an outcome of both genetic as well as environmental aspects. This is a psychological sickness at work. Early caution symptoms take account of arson and brutality towards animals. â€Å"Crime costs the United States billions of dollars every year† (Williams & McShane, 2009). Costs appear not just from lost belongings, remunerations and health care expenditures, but the huge amount of cash syphoned into the detention centre. Legal costs are an additional aspect when talking about crime. One must consider all the wages remunerated to legal representatives as well as public advocates, in addition to the utility bills for courtrooms. Possibly, the major expenditure is reimbursing the law enforcement agencies all over the nation to fight crime to have safe streets. The death sentence has not been shown to act as prevention for crime, although it does convey the message indicating that it means business. â€Å"It is hard to say how many inmates get more out of prison other than hooking up with fellow criminals and learning new ways to commit crimes† (Tibbetts & Hemmens, 2009). Individuals who would really like to amend have the most excellent shot; how ever, not all jails have self-enhancement plans.

A Perspective on the Influence of College Clubs Essay Example for Free

A Perspective on the Influence of College Clubs Essay College clubs have been a part of university life since the very first fraternities and sororities were created. If the student so chooses, he or she can make college an experience to remember by joining a club. They range from things like journalism and math to sports such as soccer or lacrosse. People who join these clubs tend to have a background in the topic or at the very least, an interest in learning about it. There is a club for everything you can think of, and if there isn’t, it is not that hard to start one. Clubs in college, although similar to those in high school, are quite different in the types of people and the variety of cultures brought together by the sheer size and caliber of a college. The importance and benefits of college clubs cannot be numbered, not just for the students but also for the community. Though there are myriad benefits to joining a college club, some have brought up possible problems with joining or being able to join clubs. Academically speaking, college clubs have interfered with a student’s productivity, particularly in the areas of homework and studying. This leads into the economic issues with college clubs; students sometimes have trouble being able to pay fees to join clubs that they would like to join and therefore can be deprived of the experience simply because of financial issues. Finally the social perspective: some sociologists have been led to the conclusion that college clubs have, in several cases, caused social problems for students because of the connections people unknowingly make between a club name or topic and a preconceived notion about what it may concern. These arguments, while valid, do not outweigh the benefits derived from joining clubs. Joining a club during your freshman year of college is a great way to meet people who have similar interests. Finding friends in college can be difficult. College clubs can help change that because they bring together people from different cultures and backgrounds and create a common ground where they can discuss their ideas about a certain topic in a safe environment without having to worry about being ridiculed. College clubs are a way for people to establish their own socioeconomic status, or SES, within the campus and dictate their values. Depending on the clubs available, people join the ones that will most suit them and create a reputation just by the clubs they join. The various options come with various consequences and outcomes during and after college. Marybeth Walpole, an Assistant Professor at Rowan University, has discovered that the clubs one joins have been proven to shape the way one progresses through college, and, in some cases, completely alter the way one views the world after college. John Foubert and Lauren Grainger explored the psychological development of students in their freshman year and those in their senior year and the differences between the two. They found that students who get involved during their freshman year show more development over the course of the four year period and are more likely to continue to join clubs and find ways to involve themselves on campus. Clubs have a very influential and positive impact on both the students that participate in them and the campus, or community, where they take place. Research on college clubs has been tested and revealed several interesting facts about the correlation between academic performance and being part of a club. In general, taking part in a club has little to no effect on doing well academically in school. This generalization, taken from the statistical analysis of a collection of survey responses conducted by Myrnell L. Martin, a graduate of Missouri West, is applied with the knowledge that most clubs are non-academic and instead support extra-curricular activity. Many believe that clubs can interfere with homework and study time in a student’s life. This can be true if the student is unorganized and is unable to manage a schedule. With this in mind, a club can therefore act as a tool to help the student manage time more wisely. For most college students, participation in a club allows the student to have a basis on which he or she can create a schedule and arrange their daily lives. Homework and studying should not take a backseat to clubs but certainly does not have to as long as the students takes into account the amount of work that must be done both for the club and outside of the club. This concept, of successful time management, learned by the student because of joining a club in college, can then be applied outside of college in the working world. Joining a club can quite possibly cost a lot, depending, of course, on the club. Clubs whose fees are higher generally have smaller group and a much more developed program. Most clubs only require a few dollars out of pocket, perhaps twenty-five dollars at most, at the very beginning for small purchases here and there. Those clubs that don’t require any fees are usually the most populated and will have a greater chance of bringing people from very diverse backgrounds together. Although clubs may charge fees, many clubs will have payment options or even sponsorships from various third parties. This is truly beneficial for students who are stretched to the limit financially, especially at expensive universities. Paying for club participation is usually a sign of quality, and leads to an enriched environment in which the student can take more away from the experience. When clubs charge a fee, it means they have either activities planned for the club or possibly some food and paraphernalia throughout the year. While having to pay for a club does not sound like the most exciting thing in the world for college students, it will most likely to lead to a more rewarding experience and more enjoyment from that club. College clubs have their place on campus, and are often widely recognized as important contributors to the campus as a whole. In special cases, clubs have developed into organizations that play a major part in the goings-on on campus. These include student governing organizations and the like which have developed because students take an interest in government and ruling ideals which help these students later on in life because they learn about the democratic process in a hands-on environment, as well as leadership skills that can be applied across the board. Clubs have a history of improving campus life and involving students in societal projects to better the community. Edward Hartshorne conducted research in this field and discovered that college is the ideal place for continuous club organizations and their universal impact on the campus. He reasons that each student’s impact spans for an approximate seven year â€Å"generation,† where there are the three years ahead of the student as a freshman and then the three years behind the student as a senior. This provides for a perpetuation of ideas through normal contact which results in a link that can span for as long as the club or organization decides to continue. This continuation of clubs and ideas transforms into a sort of â€Å"college culture†, described by Hartshorne as the upholding of certain social â€Å"norms†, which were established long before each generation arrived and will continue to endure after that generation departs. I, myself, am currently involved in Cal Poly Club Lacrosse as well as Formula SAE, and feel I am better for it. It allows me to escape from the academic side of college and do physical exercise in a manner that suits me. I love playing lacrosse and though I find it hard to make the time commitment I have always been able to push myself to make time in my schedule for everything I need to get done. Club lacrosse helps me to organize myself because it creates a time pressure situation where I must manage my time wisely and complete the homework necessary before I plan time for myself. Although I have had less time to do the things I want to do, such as hang out with friends, I still am able to do these activities, just in moderation. However, I accomplish more because I strive to do better so that I don’t have to stress out over the small things. Lacrosse has also been an outlet for me to find new friends on campus which I can rely on because I know that lacrosse is important for them as well. Formula SAE allows me to utilize what I’ve learned in school and apply it to real life situations by designing a racecar to compete against other schools. I have learned a lot from both the club experience and the other members of the club. This club also allows me to spend time with other engineers who are interested in cars. Clubs have definitely made a difference in my life at Cal Poly and I’m that they can do the same for all college freshmen.

Brexit: Causes and the Future of Britain

Brexit: Causes and the Future of Britain Abstract A referendum was held on June 23rd 2016, to decide whether the United Kingdom (UK) should leave or remain as a part of the European Union (EU). This vote is commonly referred to as Brexit merging words Britain and Exit. The 4 nations of the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) voted to leave the EU. This paper explores the reasons for the Brexit, its global implications, the current situation and what lies ahead. Keywords:   Referendum, United Kingdom, Brexit, European Union. On June 23rd 2016, a referendum was held to decide whether the UK should leave or remain as a part of the EU, also known as Brexit. The 4 nations of the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) participated in the referendum with leave winning by 51.9% to 48.1%, with almost 30 million people voting (Hunt A. & Wheeler B., 2017). To understand the reasons for the referendum and why the UK voted to leave the EU, a brief history of the relationship between the UK with the EU is studied. The reasons to vote for and against Brexit as also analyzed, along with its global consequences. Finally, the current situation and how much of the Brexit has been implemented is discussed. European Union and its History with the United Kingdom After the end of the Second World War, the European nations wanted to end the frequent and costly wars between neighbors. In 1957, Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands signed the Treaty of Rome, establishing the European Economic Community (EEC), or ‘Common Market’. (European Union, n. d., para 2). EEC was formed with the goal of economic cooperation between the European nations. The 1960s improved the economy of the EEC members as they started trading without charging custom duties when they traded with each other. On January 1 1973, Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom joined the EEC. Greece became the 10th nation in 1981, followed by Spain and Portugal five years later. In 1986, Single European Act was signed, with the intent of allowing free flow of trade across EU borders, creating the ‘Single Market’. (European Union, n. d., para 5). The Maastricht Treaty in 1993 established the European Union (EU), of which the EEC was a main component. The EU was formed with the goal of unifying Europe’s nations under one united foreign policy, common citizenship rights, trade rights and a single currency, called euro. (Pruitt S., 2016). Although the UK became a part of the EU in 1973, the relationship between the UK and the EU has been a turbulent one. The UK applied first applied for EEC membership in 1963. But France’s President Charles de Gaulle vetoed its application, on the worry that English would replace French as the main language of the community. But in 1973, UK was finally allowed into EEC under Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath. (The Telegraph, 2016). But within two years, UK was on the verge on leaving the EEC. In 1975, UK voted on the referendum to whether stay or leave the EEC. 67 percent voted to remain in the EEC. Tension again began in 1984, when UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher wanted to reduce British payments to the EEC budget. At that time, the UK was the third poorest country of the EEC, but was paying a lot more to the budget due to its lack of farms. At that time, farm subsidies made up 70 percent of total expenditure. The UK, due to its relatively few farms, got a very small share of the farm subsidies. Margaret Thatcher with her tough talks managed to reduce Britain’s contribution to the EEC from more than 20 percent to about 12 percent. The UK also had issues with the EU regarding France’s ban of British beef during â€Å"mad cow† disease outbreak in the late 90’s, to the decision to allow British chocolates to be sold to rest of Europe in 2000, after a 27-year long dispute. Decision to vote for Brexit In 2011, David Cameron became the first UK prime minister to veto a EU treaty. This was done to protect London’s financial sector and stop a levy on banks. In 2013, he made a speech where he outlined the challenges faced by EU and committed to renegotiate UK’s membership with the EU. At the same time, a lot of support began among British people for the UK Independence Party (UKIP), which held a hard stance with the EU. An ongoing migrant crisis and an economic unrest in the Eurozone increased anti-Europe sentiments. With the increasing support for the UKIP, David Cameron made a pledge in 2013 that if the Conservatives were in power after the 2015 election, there will be an in/out referendum. (Wright O. & Cooper C., 2016) . After coming to power after the election, Cameron promised the vote by end of 2017. He continued his renegotiation with the EU and had managed to make new deals for Britain, which he said was a strong basis to back a Remain vote. To remove the EU vote from holding headlines in the political agenda, David Cameron set an early referendum date of 23rd June, 2016. Reasons for and against Brexit After the decision for the referendum date was taken, a lot of polarizing took place for both sides of the vote-leave or remain. Campaigns for both leave and remain had contrasting opinions of the issues at large. Views for both leave and remain campaign regarding the important issues are discussed below. Main issues of Brexit A lot of arguments for the leave campaign was based on the fact of economic freedom of the UK from the EU, control of UK border from the migrant crisis and trade deals. Arguments of remain was that the vision of the leave campaign lacked convincing detail. (Buttonwood, 2016). Economic Issues The leave campaign had the view that the UK’s links with the EU meant that it cannot make individual trade links with emerging markets like China or India. Leaving the EU would allow UK to diversify its trade deals. However, the remain campaign pointed the fact the 44 percent of UK’s export goes to the other EU countries. Leaving the free-trade agreement of the EU would hurt UK’s economy and leaving EU would be counterproductive. Remain also argued that leaving the EU will hurt the banking industry in UK as trading advantages of being inside the EU helps the banks make profit. The leave campaign rubbished those fears and believed that London would remain a financial capital outside of EU, and banks would still want to be based in UK due to low tax rates. Immigration and Jobs People for the leave campaign had the view that the UK cannot control their border as long they remained a part of EU. EU gives freedom of movement to other EU citizens and an automatic right to live in the UK. (Smith-Riley B., 2016). The immigration crisis also triggered very polarized views. EU had the belief that aiding the refugees was a moral obligation. (Mauldin J., 2016). But people who wanted UK to leave EU had the viewpoint that immigration was a national issue and each country should have their own say on whom they want to enter their country. Remain campaign were of the view that leaving would not solve the migration crisis, but simply shift border control from France to the UK. Regarding jobs, nearly 2.5 million people are employed in UK due to EU trade, which gives freedom of movement for EU citizens. The remain campaign held the view that closing the borders would result in loss of some of those jobs, raising unemployment in the country. Also, businesses may invest less in the UK as they may have to pay high taxes for import and export, outside of â€Å"free trade†. The leave campaign was of the view that the job loss claims were exaggerated. In fact, jobs may flourish in the UK if they can provide better incentives to new businesses like low corporation tax. Defense and Sovereignty Issues People for the leave campaign had the belief that the UK may have to contribute to a EU army to fight against terrorism and other threats. Such a contribution would take away funds and independence from UK’s own military. Remain campaign argued that countries working together would give the best chance to the EU to counter terrorism threats from ISIS and other countries which wants to undermine the EU. Many people who supported the notion of leaving the EU believed that multinational organizations take away control from the individual nations. There was growing mistrust between the countries, coupled with a simultaneous rise in nationalism. There were calls for further economic integration after the euro crisis, which was opposed by the euro sceptics. Remain campaign argued that in this age of globalization, countries must have common economic goals to sustain a healthy economy benefiting everyone. They argued that it is better to remain a part of EU and help change the rules from inside, rather than leave it altogether and have no say in any new decision makings. What happened on June 23rd 2016? How did UK vote? On June 23rd 2016, over 33 million people of the UK countries of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland cast their vote to either leave or remain in the EU. Leave won by 51.9% to 48.1%. But the voting pattern was different in the 4 countries. While England and Wales voted to leave the EU, Scotland and Northern Ireland voted remain. But the overall vote count had leave have more votes than remain. A breakdown of the vote for leave and remain for the individual countries is given below. Figure 1. Voting pattern for Brexit of the 4 UK countries- in percentages (Hunt A. & Wheeler B., 2017) There was a political fallout as the immediate result to vote for Brexit. Scotland, who had decided to vote to remain in the EU, were forced to leave as the UK voted as a whole. Scotland wanted to go for another referendum to vote and decide whether to remain as a part of the UK, or gain independence and apply to the EU as an independent nation. Prime Minister David Cameron, who led the remain campaign, announced to resign from his position. Theresa May was appointed as the new Prime Minister of UK on 13th July 2016. From the beginning, she was firm in her decision that no attempts should be made by UK to remain as a part of EU or to rejoin it after Brexit. On the other hand, Eurosceptic leaders celebrated as they strongly wanted to withdraw from European Union, or diminish the scope of EU’s legislative influence. There was a political uproar throughout the whole country because people plunged into the phase of uncertainty that could not only affect the global political situation, but also could impact the world economy. Economic & Global impact European single market is a trade bloc, that enables free trade between 28 countries (including UK) that come under the European union. This single market not only enables easy navigation of goods and services between the member countries, and easement of several trading barriers, but also boosts economic growth, helps in effective governance of trade practices, and improves the overall standard of living in the member countries. Brexit will not only hinder smooth trade practices but will also affect the financial markets. Currency Turbulence â€Å"Just a day after Brexit, it had been seen that pound fell sharply against euro. On June 24th, the pound fell to a 31 year low against the dollar.† (Allen K. and Monaghan A., 2016). Sterling also fell against euro. This weaker status of pound against euro brought tension among holidaymakers, tourists, and exporters because pound could then fetch lesser returns and made trading more competitive. Tourists from UK couldn’t travel Europe as comfortably like before as they got lesser money’s worth after Brexit. Reduced Trade The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, popularly known as OECD, which is an association for developed nations, has stated that Brexit would bring a â€Å"major negative shock† in UK. France, Germany and Italy are the stronger members of European Union. They are also key trading allies of UK. But now due to Brexit there will be reduction of trade with these countries due to stringent regulatory policies and lesser labor mobility. UK cannot easily access the European single market. By 2020, GDP would be over 3 percent smaller than otherwise in the U.K.† (Rafal Kierzenkowski et. al., 2016) Domino Effect UK has been the first state to withdraw membership from EU. Since no other state has withdrawn the membership from EU, this could frame a pattern or design that will enable the other member states to increase their momentum of membership withdrawal from EU. In fact, after Britain’s exit from EU, Alternative for Germany (AfD) chairman Bjorn Hocke said I know the German people want to be free of EU slavery.† On the other hand, there can be a different outlook towards exit. â€Å"For instance, Scotland might leave the U.K. to become a stand-alone nation within the EU (like the Republic of Ireland).†Ã‚  (Geewax M., 2016). In a nutshell, Brexit will keep bringing rippling effect that will not only bring disruption in political front or obstruction in the flow of labor, capital and commerce; but will also increase Euroscepticism among the present member states of EU. Brexit’s influence on various industries Housing and commercial property The unreliability and unpredictability of the market after the referendum’s result came out, freaked out the Investors, which also affected the commercial property sector. Estate agents were more affected than house builders. As per Anthony Codling, an analyst at Jefferies, housing sector would be comparatively less affected because government helped the first-time buyers with financial aids. In fact, demand for houses would be vigorous but the cost of construction would keep rising. Building shares kept declining and the most affected housebuilders were Taylor Wimpy, Barkley and Baratt. In FTSE 100, they lost more than 4% in addition to their land securities. (Inman P. and Farrell S., 2016) Retail Retail sector was badly hit, which was already going through a lot of pressure. In fact, before the voting results were even declared, an atmosphere of uncertainty was creeping up. The shopping habits of majority of consumers took a different path. They stopped spending on things that do not come under necessary products. For example, the fashion sales declined drastically and saw the biggest drop in their sales for seven years. As most of the fashion retailers purchase their raw materials from Asia and pay them in dollars, they have been affected more due to the drop in the value of pound.   But some companies have benefitted as well. We know that deflation is the situation in which the supply of money in an economy gets diminished. During this time the purchasing power of money is greater. So, Brexit would help to bring relief to Britain’s supermarkets, which couldn’t earn their desired revenues in last two years due to the deflationary environment. Also, FTSE 100 index is currently at 7343.08 compared to 6338.10 on the day of referendum. This index basically depicted many companies which earned in dollars and not in pounds in UK. Hence, when there was a decline in the value of the pound compared to dollar, their returns multiplied. Telecom â€Å"Vodafone’s announcement that it could  move its headquarters out of the UK  brought one of the most striking impacts of the referendum on corporate Britain.†Ã‚  (Rhiannon B. et. al., 2016).    Since EU has a pivotal role in regulating the telecom sector, Brexit has already put forward many questions against Britain’s own telecom industry. A Spanish telecom company called Telefonica also began their assessment and evaluation of their UK based subsidiary company named O2. An attempt was made to sell O2 to Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison, but that unfortunately got hindered due to concern over competition. Later in October 2016, Telefonica has also renounced their plan of listing O2 in the London Stock Exchange due to the tumult created by Brexit. Also, there could have been rise in the momentum of Vodafone’s merger with the company called Liberty Global, which had taken over British cable group Virgin Media in 2013 to branch out into Europe’s cable market. But due to the turmoil created by Brexit, the valuation of Virgin Media had significantly dropped. Insurance Insurance companies had to mandatorily comply with Solvency II directive of European Union Law. This rule aims in harmonizing EU insurance regulation. Solvency II consists of three pillars, viz., pillar 1, pillar 2 and pillar 3. Pillar 1 states the quantitative requirements and resources that insurance companies need to maintain for meeting the liabilities. Pillar 2 deals with risk management structure, which helps to foresee risk against which capital must be held. Pillar 3 deals with transparency and disclosure of risk and meeting the capital requirements. Lord Turnbull, the former civil service head who served as a board member of Prudential, believed that Brexit would help the global companies who wanted to disassociate themselves from the complex directive of Solvency II. Also, after Brexit investors were in dilemma because of its harm on balance sheets and regular business operations. That’s why insurers had to struggle to minimize the immediate problem of share price fluctuations. Legal & General’s stock declined substantially by 30pc in two days, before it reassured shareholders that its solvency and cash generation were retaining properly. (Williams C., 2016) Energy National Grid and SSE have both urged the Government to ensure Britain remains in the EU’s internal energy market (IEM) that will enable them to perform smooth trading of electricity and gas between UK and the European countries. (Williams C., 2016). Since EU laid an easy pathway for UK to make smooth dealing in regards to receive the utilities and benefits of energy sector, Brexit would bring disruption in the whole process that ran with a continuous synergy. Therefore, the UK consumers will now have to incur more costs for energy consumption because UK’s exit from EU could lead to 500 million pounds rise in the cost of procuring energy as a resource. Transport Airline industry has also been badly hit due to Brexit. Sterling’s sharp depreciation has brought perplexity in the aviation sector because this decline in the value of sterling would reduce the demand to travel. This drop in the value would make traveling more expensive. EasyJet has already speculated that they will have less passengers to travel during summer months, and this uncertainty has forced them to rethink whether they should carry on their business in UK or not. Positive Aspects Pounds weakness would increase tourism in UK. People from all around the world can visit and spend comparatively more than what it used to be before. UK’s hospitality industry can flourish more. Big touristy attractions like Madame Tussauds or Legoland can gain more foot traffic. Even the renowned restaurants and pubs can get more customers. Current Scenario of Brexit’s Implementation Theresa May, the current Prime Minister of the UK has stated that she will trigger Britain’s exit from the EU by end of March, 2017 and begin the two years of negotiations. To begin the negotiations, she must invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, and decide on what deals the UK will make with the EU. According to the deals to be made, people are terming it as either a â€Å"hard† Brexit or a â€Å"soft† Brexit.   Article 50 None of the states have ever left European Union; Britain was the first to do so. This has created a lot of turmoil in global economy. The rules for withdrawal or exit is mentioned in Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon. Lisbon Treaty aimed to make EU more transparent and efficient in functioning. It was a treaty that was agreed by the head officials of EU member countries. But since UK has left the EU, Prime Minister Theresa May would trigger Article 50 by the end of March 2017. Though the decision of the referendum was taken in a day, the process of leaving EU will be time consuming. After Article 50 is triggered, no directives or rules of EU that exercise control over its member states, will be applied to Britain. Britain and EU will then become two individual parties to any contracts or agreements, and will have to take every decision through bargains and negotiations. Many economists believe that creating future trade relationships or agreements on crucial policies like immigration or trade tariffs between UK and EU countries can become more difficult and burdensome. Figure 2. Steps to be taken for UK to leave the European Union (Hunt A. & Wheeler B., 2017) Hard and Soft Brexit A hard Brexit will be an arrangement where the UK will surrender its full access to the single market and customs union along with the EU. (Sims A., 2016). The trade relationship will be based initially on the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. Going for a hard Brexit will give the UK full control of its border, and decide on trade deals on its own. A soft Brexit on the other hand will mirror the current deals the UK has with the EU as much as possible. It will lose having a seat on the European Council, but may keep access to the open trade market of the EU. The leave campaign members are more inclined towards going for a hard Brexit approach, while the remain campaign wants to take the path of a soft Brexit. However, both approaches come with their own pros and cons. International Trade Secretary, Liam Fox, has said a hard Brexit approach would benefit the UK by making it a global trading nation. (Sims A., 2016). However, leaving the open market may subject the British goods and services to tariffs, as well as increase bureaucratic checks on goods. If the UK decides to go for a soft Brexit, London’s position as a financial hub may be kept intact if the UK decides to allow the EU rule of free movement of European nationals to work and settle in the UK. Supreme court ruling The latest update of Brexit’s implementation is the Supreme court ruling. Justices ruled that Prime Minister Theresa May cannot use the privilege to trigger  Article 50  of the Lisbon Treaty and begin the two-year process of negotiating the UKs separation from its EU partners. (Telegraph Reporters, 2017). Britain’s Supreme court has also ruled out that the UK government must hold vote in the Parliament before beginning the process of annulment. (Greene Allen R. & Dewan A., 2017). Though UK Government was dissatisfied with this new ruling but they would abide by it. Jeremy Wright, Attorney General of England and Wales, told reporters that they would agree to court’s ruling but would also take every measure to implement Brexit. Theresa May is playing the key role in enacting Brexit and she looks forward to execute all the plans by the end of March 2017, in association with all who voted for leaving EU. References   (1) Hunt, A. & Wheeler, B. (2017) Brexit: All you need to know about the UK leaving the EU. Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32810887 (2) European Union. (n. d.) The history of European Union. Retrieved from:   https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/history_en#1945_-_1959 (3) Pruitt, S. (2016) The history behind Brexit. Retrieved from: http://www.history.com/news/the-history-behind-brexit (4) The Telegraph. (2016) Britain’s 40-year relationship with the EU. Retrieved from:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/16/britains-40-year-relationship-with-the-eu/ (5) Wright, O. & Cooper, C. (2016) Brexit: What is it and why are we having an EU referendum? Retrieved from: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/what-is-brexit-why-is-there-an-eu-referendum-a7042791.html (6) Buttonwood. (2016) Eu Referendum- The arguments for voting remain. Retrieved from: http://www.economist.com/blogs/buttonwood/2016/06/eu-referendum-2 (7) Smith-Riley, B. (2016) Leave or remain in the EU? The arguments for and against Brexit. Retrieved from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/16/leave-or-remain-in-the-eu-the-arguments-for-and-against-brexit/ (8) Mauldin, J. (2016) 3 Reasons Brits voted for Brexit. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnmauldin/2016/07/05/3-reasons-brits-voted-for-brexit/#1c8d5991f9d6 (9) Allen, K. & Monaghan, A. (2016) Brexit fallout- the economic impact in six key charts. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jul/08/brexit-fallout-the-economic-impact-in-six-key-charts (10) Kierzenkowski, R., Pain, N., Rusticelli, E. & Zwart, S. (2016) The economic consequences of Brexit- A taxing decision. Retrieved from: http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/economics/the-economic-consequences-of-brexit_5jm0lsvdkf6k-en (11) Geewax, M. (2016) Circle June 23. A vote that day in the U.K. could affect your wallet. Retrieved from: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/06/10/481424109/circle-june-23-a-vote-that-day-in-the-u-k-could-affect-your-wallet (12) Inman, P. and Farrell, S. (2016) Pound hits 31-year low after disappointing service sector data. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jul/05/pound-hits-31-year-low-after-service-sector-data (13) Rhiannon, B., Dakers, M. & Martin, B. (2016) UK firms mull moves in wake of Brexit. Retrieved from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/06/29/uk-firms-mull-moves-in-wake-of-poll/ (14) Williams, C. (2016) What does Brexit mean for the key parts of the UK economy? Retrieved from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/07/02/what-does-brexit-mean-for-the-key-parts-of-the-uk-economy/ (15) Sims, A. (2016) What is the difference between hard and soft Brexit? Everything you need to know. Retrieved from: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-hard-soft-what-is-the-difference-uk-eu-single-market-freedom-movement-theresa-may-a7342591.html (16) Telegraph Reporters. (2017) Brexit ruling: The Supreme Court judgement in full. Retrieved from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/24/brexit-ruling-supreme-court-judgment-full/ (17) Greene Allen, R. & Dewan, A. (2017) Brexit ruling: UK Supreme Court gives parliament Article 50 vote. Retrieved from: http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/24/europe/brexit-article-50-supreme-court-ruling/

Online Marketing †Grocery Retailing Business Essay

â€Å"With household internet access continuing to increase, the customer base for online grocery shopping is widening, while other technological innovations such as the advent of smart phones is further benefiting the market† (Source: â€Å"Global Market Review of Online Grocery Retailing† report available at www.MarketResearch.com). The grocery retailing industry has many opportunities inherent in it for online marketing, and the competitive advantages that it would provide. While local brick-and-mortar storefronts will always be necessary – due to the perishable nature of many items, the bulk and expense of shipping groceries and the occasional need to purchase something immediately – there are ways in which the internet can be leveraged to add to consumer convenience and increased profits. Providing online shopping is a possibility for grocery retailers. It’s very different than dry-goods retailers such as books, music, shoes and apparel – or services being marketing such as travel. â€Å"To date, sales of food and drinks over the internet have yet to make the same impact observed in other parts of the consumer goods industry, most notably books, clothing and electronic items such as computer equipment† (Source: â€Å"Global Market Review of Online Grocery Retailing† report available at www.MarketResearch.com). One way to leverage the internet – and I have seen this at my local ShopRite – is to purchase groceries online and pick them up at the local store. The shopper clicks on the items they want in an online virtual market, which are then gathered by a â€Å"personal shopper† in the store. The shopper then drives over to the market, pays at the customer service counter near the front of the store, from which an associa te will even wheel the cart out and load the bags into their vehicle. The potential is also there for personalization. By tracking online purchases, a profile can be developed with shorter lists of preferred items from which selections can be made. There could be a â€Å"standard template  order† (bread, milk, eggs, etc.) or whatever the consumer buys on a regular basis – which could provide a starting point, then be tweaked or added to by the consumer depending on their needs at any particular time. The system could become so sophisticated so as to proactively tell a consumer of an upcoming discount or sale price on an item. In this form of integrated marketing, For example, I’m entering an order and going to put an item on there that I usually buy. The smart technology has already prepared an item profile, and can tell me that it is going on sale in a few days, in case I want to wait to take advantage of the lower price. It could also inform me of a manufacturer’s coupon I may not be aware of – and send me to that supplier’s website for a printable or scannable coupon. Online shopping can reach more customers. Perhaps there are elderly, handicapped or other shut-ins for whom it is inconvenient to shop in a grocery store. So maybe they let a relative do their shopping, which would be at the store of the relative’s choosing. Now, the consumer can bring their business to the store of their own choosing, and simply ask someone to pick it up. Or perhaps they can drive, just not walk around the store. This could also increase the order size, since someone will be pushing it around the store and loading it into their vehicle for them. The opportunity also exists for a store to provide or arrange for delivery service to the consumer’s home. Increasing customer loyalty is another way in which grocery retailers can utilize online marketing to increase business. Many stores already have store cards with store discounts and coupons attached to them, as well as incentive goals to be reached with benefits attached. With online marketing, all of this information can be tracked. The coupons that print at the register and many people throw away or misplace, can now all be stored virtually and in one convenient place to be accessed when needed. The removal of expired coupons could also be automated. The opportunities for marketing in this space are vast, and we have only scratched the surface.

How does Chaucer’s portrait of Alison add to the interest of the poem? Essay

Alison is married to the carpenter. The carpenter is the total opposite of Alison. He is old and it is likely that she finds him boring and unattractive, which explains why she has an affair. The Carpenter realises that she is not that much in love with him, and is jealous as a result of it, â€Å"Jalous he was, and held hir narrwe in cage. † There is a sense of doom for John the Carpenter. It seems too good to be true that an old man like him should have such a beautiful wife. It is obvious something is going to happen to take her from him. In the description of Alison, Chaucer shows the difference between Alison and the carpenter. We know the carpenter is old, but the continuous portrayal of Alison makes us more convinced with every line that the two are note suited. â€Å"She was wild and young and he was old. † She is obviously very attractive, she presents herself well and she is youthful. We know that if Alison had any choice then she would not be married to this old carpenter, but back then, marriages were often arranged. The second man in love with Alison is hende Nicholas. Nicholas is a student of astronomy, who is lodging at the Carpenter’s inn. Nicholas is also young and much more suited to Alison that the Carpenter is. He declares his love for Alison in a way that is not too courtly, â€Å"And prively he caught her by the quaint. † This is not a very romantic way to court someone. You would not expect Alison to accept, but after much persistence from Nicholas, â€Å"Lemmen, love me all atones or I wol dien! † she agrees to meet with him. Alison warns him it must be a great secret â€Å"Ye moste been full derne as in this cas,† and Nicholas swears he will not say a word. This is not the type of love in stories like the Knight’s Tale. They are simply attracted to each other, making it closer to lust than love. There is a lot of description of Absolon, the parish clerk who is also in love with Alison. The description is a very feminine one, describing his fancy clothes â€Å"His rode was red† â€Å"Curl was his hair. † Chaucer seems to be mocking Absolon, making fun of his ways, and embarrassing him in the end. By mocking Absolon, Chaucer is mocking courtly love as Absolon represents this. He goes to Alison’s window every night and sings to her and reads her his poems, but every time he is rejected. Alison does not treat Absolon very well either. Absolon is a very jolly and gay character, but he is miserable and woebegone when Alison does not return his feelings. He sings to her and sends her cake and spices, but still Alison has no love for Absolon. â€Å"He n’hadde for his labour but a scorn! † After all the work he puts in to get Alison to fall in love with him, he is scorned. At the end of the story, both Alison and Nicholas at laughing at Absolon after the cruel trick they play on him. There is a lot of humour in the Miller’s Tale. This is to be expected from the description of the Miller in the general prologue, as it tells us he is fond of dirty stories and jokes. Love that is not returned can always be made humorous in such stories. We laugh at the carpenter because he actually thinks that a beautiful young girl like Alison would be in love with him. She makes a fool out of the carpenter in two ways. The first being her affair with Nicholas, which shows us she does not love him, even though he is very much in love with her, â€Å"This Carpenter had wedded a new wif, Which that he loved more than his lif. â€Å"

Expanding the Security Council essays

Expanding the Security Council essays Expanding the Security Council is an issue that I was thinking about for long time. Many countries believe that they should become members of the Big Five club; they demand the expanding of the council. Countries like Japan, Germany, Italy and even some under developed countries like South Africa, Egypt, Brazil and other countries want the privileges of being permanents members of the Security Council. On the other hand, the five VETO holders will not accept some other countries to hold their powers and become equal to them in the International society. As World War Two winners: The USA, The UK, France, Russia (SU) and China (Taiwan), always have the heights hand in making international decisions by having the VETO right. They decide where to send troops, they put embargoes on other countries, they make international laws, and they always protect themselves, their alias and their friends with the right to refuse and canceling any Security Counsels decision or resolutions without even giving explanations. If any resolution conflicts with what they prefer, they always click on the key word VETO. I personally believe in expanding the Security Counsel, I believe in giving the rest of the big economical and strategic countries some extra power. Yes Russia is a winner in the war, but that was 60 years ago and it is not the Soviet Union any more. Compare the Japanese economy to the Russians today and see who has more power in the actual time. Compare between the French and the German army force. Compare between the Chinese and the Italian Human rights. The None Winners back then, are not Losers now. The Five rulers countries come from only three continents, that means that three other continents are left behind with out even one permanent representative among the international law controllers. Therefore I came up with my idea and discussed it with others on what the International s ...

Australias Involvement in the Vietnam War essays

Australia's Involvement in the Vietnam War essays The origins of the Vietnam War lie in the post World War II period when the European empires were being dismantled. The region which is now Vietnam was then part of Indo-China, part of the French empire. Revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh had led a national liberation struggle against wartime Japanese occupation (and the French colonialists) from 1941. With military and financial support from communist China, the Viet Minh made substantial gains, roundly defeating the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. Vietnam temporarily partitioned into North and South pending the outcome of peace talks. The peace talks broke down, but the struggle continued. The United States had been involved from the beginning, providing military advisors and financial assistance from the end of World War II. By 1954 they were paying for 80% of the cost of the French effort. American involvement was formalised and strengthened. Following the Gulf of Tonkin incident when US destroyers were fired upon by North Korean patrol boats, Congress authorised President Johnson to use all necessary measures to repel any armed attack on 7 August 1964. This resulted in increased bombing raids and, more significantly, an expansion of ground forces, from 23 000 in December 1964, to 316 400 by October 1966. Australias involvement began in 1962 when, in response to a request from the government of South Vietnam, Australia sent 30 military advisers to train and improve the effectiveness of South Vietnams Army. By 1965 this had been increased to 100 advisors plus six transport aircraft. That year, after a further request from the South Vietnamese Government, Prime Minister Robert Menzies decided to send a battalion of ground troops to provide support in South Vietnam. According to Menzies statement of April 29 1965, The takeover of South Vietnam would be a direct military threat to Australia and to all the countries of South and South-Eas...

NHS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

NHS - Essay Example They reviled the concept of iPhone, claiming that it is only an impractical substitute for the desktop computers and other gadgets. The idea of multi-touch screen also became the subject of objection as people found it not as accurate as the ones of previous smart phones. But Steve Jobs was not willing to pay much attention to such criticisms, and he pushed the project with enthusiasm till the finish line. He took the challenge in spite of the negative opinions of others and eventually attained success as iPhone immediately caught the imagination of the people and turned out to be the sensation in the IT market. Unlike Jobs in his legendary success story, what I had to suppress before the talent show was the risk to fail. I performed the rapping in front of the whole school a few days before the end of the camp. Writing a meaningful, even skillful piece of rap in Korean, translating it and â€Å"self-advertising† was not a difficult part of the job as I was a fervent fan of Hip-hop and everybody knew my abilities as a rapper by that time. The problem I encountered was that I had to fight the pressure coming from the scale of the show and the thought that I might not be successful. Moreover, my infirmity – forgetting the words – and the fact I failed all the show rehearsals undermined my self-confidence and I found myself in panic a night before the show. I even considered pretending being sick and avoiding the show! However I made my mind clear when I remembered the advice my father gave me once: â€Å"You won’t get tiger’s skin unless you risk entering its den†. At last, I decided to change my attitude towards the show, not to worry about the results and to do as best as I can in the given circumstances. I spent all the time practicing and thinking of the showmanship. Fortunately, that paid off as I was able to literally â€Å"steal the show† and became an â€Å"overnight star† of the camp. Oh! The

Principles of Structural Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Principles of Structural Design - Essay Example Analysis of a structural collapse involves the study of the basic architectural principles, properties and operation of the different components of the structure, as well as knowledge of different possible causes of structural failure. The Seongsu Bridge is 11th bridge constructed over the Han River in Seoul, South Korea. Construction of this cantilever bridge was set about on April 9, 1977 and completed on October 15, 1979, 2 years and 6 months later. It was a four-lane bridge with 19.4m width and 1,160.8m length [20]. It became infamous when it collapsed on October 21, 1994. The bridge collapsed early in the morning when one of its concrete slabs fell in to river due to a failure of the suspension structure. Around 07:40 hours on October 21, 1994, Seongsu Bridge connecting Seongsu-dong and Apgujeong-dong of Gangnam-gu, Seoul, collapsed. The slab (48 m) between the fifth and the sixth leg of the Bridge collapsed so 32 people died and 17 people were injured while they were on the way to office or school. Seongsu Bridge is one part of arterial road that connects the Kanan district which is residential section in the southern in Seoul City and city center of Seoul City, and its has a lot of traffic volume. The steel truss digit division where the accident occurred was the 672m length, and it was one of the suspension digits of the center part. ... In addition, Seongsu Bridge complained that it had been trembling in motion, so the authorities in Seoul City also carried out the repair work of the emergency in the night in accident the previous day. It was said that the traffic jam arose, because especially, it was for commutation attending school hour in the accident-generation, and because the rain fell, the rolling stock was crowded [20]. Cause of collapse: Various reasons can be associated with the collapse of bridge. Major of them are as listed below [19]: Bad welding of the suspension which member of the I-type cross section, which was hanging the suspension digit of the center from the steel truss, seems to be a main cause. There was visibility cutting corners between surface and splice plate of the fillet welding, so construction management and inspection method in the construction of Seongsu Bridge seemed to be remarkably slipshod. Calcium chloride, which was scattered in order to prevent the road surface freezing, chloride ingress was uppued for the cracks by poor weld or stress corrosion, and so that the corrosion of steel product might be promoted. There is a possibility to produce unexpected partial cracks in the steel surface because in the cross-sectional shape of suspension steel product, the cone angle ( the relaxation curved surface ) for easing stress concentration was insufficient. Though there is no error at the content for the design, there was some possibility that the immature construction level was not sufficiently assumed. There were no technical standards on in-service maintenance repair of Seongsu Bridge. Because of the fiscal resource constraint (budget) of Seongsu Bridge while it was in service, the periodic check was