Vertebrate Success in the Urban Environment

Vertebrate Success in the Urban Environment Dr Giles Johnson Lay Abstract Despite urban expansion causing an overall decrease in the number and variety of animals that inhabit a given area, some vertebrate species have made a success of urban living. Using the red fox, the Norway rat, the rock dove, and the peregrine falcon as case studies, this review analyses the resources and features that allow these animals to thrive in human settlements; and in turn how living in such environments affects them. The literature provides evidence of the ample food that urban centres provide for vertebrates, primarily in the form of waste. In the case of the peregrine falcon, the arrival of the pigeon has provided a source of prey. The living requirements of each species differed due to differences in size, reproductive behaviour and the ability to fly. Living in urban environments has dramatic effects on these species; changes in social behaviour and reproduction contribute to more efficient exploitation of the resources available. We argue that a flexible strategy in t erms of behaviour and diet is fundamental to urban success in vertebrates. Knowledge in this area may provide the means to better control populations, curbing the spread of pest species and encouraging desirable species into urban centres. Scientific Abstract Despite the homogenising effect of urban expansion on species richness some vertebrates have successfully colonised the urban niche. Using Vulpes vulpes, Rattus norgevicus, Columba livia, and Falco peregrinus as case studies, this review analyses the resources available to these species and in the strategies employed to better exploit them. Urban centres provide ample food for vertebrates primarily in the form of human waste. In the case of F.peregrinus the establishment of colonies of C.livia provides a constant prey source encouraging expansion into urban centres; providing an example of secondary succession. Differences in size and behaviour as well as terrestrial and aerial lifestyles result in different living requirements and thus preference in urban density. Living in urban environments also exerts pressures on these species. Spatio-temporal changes in resources specifically result in changes in social behaviour as well as reproductive behaviour and physiology as an adaptive r esponse. We argue that plasticity in response to diet, behaviour and physiology are fundamental to urban vertebrate success. We suggest further research into whether such responses are genotypic or phenotypic. Better understanding of such phenomena may provide humans with better means to manage urban ecology. Introduction A 2014 report on urbanisation by the UN found 54% of the global population lived in urban centres at the time, meaning for the first time in human history more people live in urban than rural environments. This figure compares to 30% in 1950 with a projection to reach 66% by 2050. These trends are encouraged by both migration and an expected rise in the population from 7.2 billion to 9.6 billion by 2050 (UN, 2014). Despite urbanisation being attributed to threatening 8% of terrestrial species (Mcdonald et al., 2008) and having a homogenising effect on biodiversity (Clergeau et al., 2006), Angold et al. (2006) state that wildlife can indeed prosper in the urban environment. Although, Mckinney et al. (2006) correctly point out that some urban adaptable species tend to dominate the urban niche and spread globally resulting in biotic homogenisation. This review is concerned with vertebrate species that dominate the urban environment; assessing both the causes of such success and observin g the effects that urban life has upon these species. The introduction will define urbanisation and address both the potential negative and positive effects on overall biodiversity and on individual species. The body of this review will use two mammal and two bird species as case studies focusing on food, shelter, group behaviour, and reproduction as indicators of how species exploit the urban niche, and how in turn urban life can cause changes in these species. Jones and Leather (2012) define an urban area as a human settlement with a population greater than 10,000, characterised by a mosaic of land uses including residential, commercial, industrial and infrastructural with occasional green spaces. Moller et al. (2009) define urbanisation as the conversion of natural habitats into areas partly covered by buildings, heavily fragmented and with a high level of edge effects. Bateman and Fleming (2012) argue that urbanisation is difficult to define and will not only vary from region to region, but also exists on a scale with cities offering the most extreme of disturbed anthropogenic altered environments, through to towns and villages as well as infrastructure and parkland. It is often difficult to quantify the direct impact of urbanisation on an ecosystem due to urban centres usually predating modern ecological analysis, but, although caution should be taken with estimation, studies that compare urban systems to undisturbed natural ecosystems can provide some insight. One such study by Brook et al. (2003) assessed the impact that potential habitat loss in Singapore had on local biodiversity since the British colonised the region in 1819. The analysis combined historic documentation on land clearance and development with evidence of recent extinctions in the area. They calculated that 95% of the rainforest habitat had been cleared, estimating that the figure for overall biodiversity loss could be at minimum 28% with a vertebrate extinction rate between 34-43%. They further highlight the bleak outlook for wildlife in the region with 77% of local wildlife currently threatened. A recent study by Newbold et al. (2015) analysed the impact of land use on loca l biodiversity. The findings suggest that local richness, rarefied richness and abundance decrease as the intensity of human interference and population density increases, attributes all associated with urbanisation. These analyses draw attention to the impact that habitat loss caused through urban development can have on animal biodiversity. Destruction of habitat can also cause habitat fragmentation; the process of a habitat breaking apart and becoming increasingly isolated (Fahrig, 2003). Haddad et al. (2015) analysed data collected from over 35 years from several biomes globally and various fragment sizes. They found that fragmentation reduced biodiversity by between 13-70% with the effect greatest on the smallest and oldest fragments. The size and scale of this study provides strong evidence for such effects. Fragmentation can also exert genetic effects on a population by creating barriers through which genetic information cannot easily flow (Templeton et al., 1990). The smaller and more genetically isolated these populations are the greater likelihood the population will go extinct (Slatkin, 1977). Behavioural and morphological effects have also been observed in fragmented populations. The work of Hill et al. (1999) on the butterfly Hesperia comma in the South Downs found that individuals residing in more isolated f ragments tended to invest in larger flight muscles; a trait associated with increased dispersal distances, whereas individuals in less fragmented habitats tended to invest less in flight muscles and more in larger reproductive organs. Despite the negative impact on biodiversity there are opportunities in the urban ecosystem for animals that can take advantage. Anthropogenic food sources in the form of refuse (Gardner-Santana et al., 2009), spillage (Murton, 1972), and cultural feeding practices (Doncaster and Macdonald, 1990) all provide ample food supply for urban populations. Although buildings and infrastructure can cause fragmentation and mortality risk (Bateman and Fleming, 2012), the patchwork mosaic of commercial, residential and green spaces provides a variety of potential homes for animals (Angold et al., 2006). Once initial colonisation has taken place, the dramatic reduction in competition and abundance of resources allows a niche shift, contributing to a rapid establishment (Diamond, 1970). Despite the potential benefits, urban environments are still one of the most challenging for animals to live in due to the high level and wide range of anthropogenic disturbances; mostly in the form of development a nd traffic (Bateman and Fleming, 2012). This review will make the case that in this shifting environment a high level of behavioural, physiological and morphological plasticity contributes greatly to a species success. The four case studies were selected with three criteria in mind. First a sufficient body of literature to allow for detailed comparison. Second to provide insight into the effects urbanisation has on urban vertebrates. Third species were selected that offer specific challenges to society such as pest or endangeredÂÂ   species. The four vertebrate case studies analysed in this paper are the red fox, Vulpes vulpes; the Norway rat, Rattus norgevicus; the urban pigeon or rock dove, Columba livia; and the peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus. V.vulpes was selected due to the the well documented comparison between both its urban and rural ecology and behaviour. C.livia is another well studied urban species with a long urban history; originally being kept as a source of protein throughout the middle ages (Murton et al., 1972). The ecology R.norgevicus is less well studied. This is surprising as it isone of the most ecologically destructive vertebrates (Higgins et al., 2015), regarded amo ng the most numerous and pervasive of urban pests (Feng et al., 2012), and known to harbour many zoonotic pathogens (Himsowrth et al., 2013) making it an important topic for study. C.livia also presents similar problems, befouling public spaces through defecation, the fine particles of which are loaded with zoonotic pathogens creating a risk to public health (Hetmanski et al., 2010). F.peregrinus Is a particularly interesting case of an urban success story as they also represent one of the great conservation management success stories of the last century. In the Midwest it now exclusively resides in urban centres where it was extirpated following the population crash during the 50s and 60s (Caballero, 2016). Understanding what makes these species successful could potentially help with population control of dangerous pest species such as the Norway rat and the pigeon. Understanding the factors that contribute to these species success may also allow us to build environments that encourage desirable animals, such as the peregrine and the fox, as well as creating opportunities for less successful species.This review will analyse the traits that allow successful vertebrates to exploit the anthropogenic resources available, primarily in the form of food and shelter. It will also cover the behavioural and reproductive effects that the urban environment exerts upon these groups. Resources: Food Contesse et al. (2004) found that 85% of households in Zurich had anthropogenic food accessible to foxes. There is a vast array of literature that supports the claim that V.vulpes exploits such sources. Doncaster and Macdonald (1990) analysed the diet of the fox population in Oxford finding that a majority of 37% of the average annual food intake was scavenged, a result reflected by Contesse et al. (2004) in the city of Zurich where it reached 50%. Interestingly, in both studies this figure fluctuates in response to seasonal variation. Doncaster and Macdonald (1990) found scavenging was highest during the winter when other food sources were lower, and lowest during the late summer/autumn when seasonal fruits were abundant. This flexibility in diet is reflected in studies of V.vulpes in rural environments. One study in southern England found two thirds of the diet comprised of game, withÂÂ   mostly rodents and fruit making up the remainder (Reynolds and Tapper, 1995). Whilst anot her found that for foxes inhabiting mountainous regions in the Czech Republic rodents made up the majority, supported by varying quantities of beetles, ungulates, plant matter and fruit depending on the season (Hartova-Nentichova et al., 2010). In the urban context Contesse et al. (2004) note that the more extreme urban environments, such as the city centre, were associated with increased levels of dietary scavenge. Baker and Harris (2007) suggest opportunistic feeding a factor in the successful colonisation of the urban niche and these studies support such a claim. Pickett et al. (2001) propose that the increased quantity and continuous source of food in the form of human food waste as well as the cultural practice of feeding urban wildlife has a positive impact on the fox population. Further to this, Contesse et al. (2004) calculated that the surplus of refuse removed food as a limiting factor for the fox population in Zurich which has resulted in a large and increasing population . Unlike the Zurich fox population food is usually determines carrying capacity for urban rat populations (Higgins et al., 2015). This is possibly due to the varying lengths of time these populations have been established. V.vulpes colonised the UK in the 1930s (Doncaster and Macdonald, 1990) and Zurich in the 1980s (Contesse et al., 2004) whilst the commensal rat population has potentially lived alongside humans for thousands of years (Feng et al, 2014). An opportunistic generalist, R.norgevicus occupies urban centres and feeds primarily on refuse (Gardner-Santana et al, 2009). Schein and Orgain (1953) calculated that one third of anthropogenic refuse is a suitable food source for rats providing a constantly replenishing food source in urban areas. The Norway rat is so well adapted to urban life that it is rarely found in the wild, suggesting they require humans to survive (Feng and Himsworth, 2014). Although dietary flexibility has contributed to the colonisation of the urban niche t he suggestion that this species are now completely dependent upon it for survival might imply a lack of flexibility once established. A comparative study by Murton and Westwood (1966) found the rural population of C.livia nesting on the cliffs at Farnborough head fed on a variety of grains, legumes weed seeds and some small invertebrates; the ratios of which fluctuated in response to the agricultural season. The diet of the population in Leeds consisted primarily of bread but also fruit cake and commercial seed mix provided by the public. However, much of the produce found in the rural population was also present in the urban population. Murton and Westwood (1966) attributed this to the public but a study by Rose et al. (2006) provides further insight. The study analysed the spatio-temporal use of the urban habitat of C.livia in the city of Basel. They found that there were three different foraging strategies employed: 1) in the streets, squares and parks near the home site 2) In agricultural areas surrounding the city 3) on docks and railway lines in the harbour. Most individuals stayed within 0.3km of their nesti ng site in the city with only 7.5% of the population flying to the agricultural and dock sites which were over 2km away. It was found that these foraging strategies were only employed in conjunction with foraging near the home site suggesting they were secondary strategies when access to local sources was restricted. Evidence that urban pigeons employ a flexible foraging strategy. Ali et al. (2013) suggests that the worldwide urban pigeon population has boomed due to the continuous supply of anthropogenic food compared to seasonal fluctuations in rural environments. Interestingly, this population boom has potentially aided the colonisation of the urban niche and the recovery of the peregrine falcon. A study by Drewitt and Dixon (2008) analysed the diet of peregrines in three British cities: Bristol, Bath and Exeter. They found that pigeons and other doves comprised 47% of the peregrine diet making up the majority of the peregrine diet; reflecting figures from a study in Warsaw 32% (Rejt, 2001). Both studies observed seasonal fluctuations in the proportion of pigeon taken. Drewitt and Dixon (2008) noted that during the starling breeding season juveniles can make up 19% of the peregrine diet, whilst Rejt (2001) recorded a drop to 10-19% of pigeon in the diet during the migration season and exceeding 50% over the harsher winter months. It is thought that the coun tershading present on migrating birds which is beneficial in natural light is maladaptive in the artificial glare of the city lights allowing the peregrines to take advantage (Ruxton et al., 2004). TheseÂÂ   studies provide evidence for a flexible, opportunistic feeding strategy. Interestingly from an ecological perspective, the urban pigeon forming the base prey for urban peregrines (Cade and Bird, 1990) suggests secondary succession occurring in the urban environment; with the pioneer species C.livia allowing the establishment of F.peregrinus. These four case studies not only highlight the variety of food sources available to urban species but also provide insight in the type of feeding strategy enables species to exploit this niche. Although diet and preference might vary, a generalist opportunistic approach strategy is favoured, suited to the often constant but highly varied anthropogenic food types available. Resources: Places to Live Throughout the year V.vulpes rest in lays, structures that provide the fox with shelter, situationally (Doncaster and Macdonald, 1990). However, during the breeding season red foxes require open ground to construct breeding dens, due to this they prefer less dense residential areas where open ground provides suitable sites (Doncaster and Macdonald, 1990). In comparison the requirements of R.norgevicus are minimal, being smaller in size and less particular in regards to breeding sites. All that is needed is adequate harborage and a nearby food source, typically refuse (Gardner et al., 1948). Rats will burrow in soil, use abandoned structures, and even climb buildings and make nests from anthropogenic materials (Gardner et al., 1948). As a result rats thrive in run down neighbourhoods where there are more abandoned and neglected properties that provide harbourage (Himsworth et al., 2013). Although these two species require both refuge and food, differences in size and breeding behaviou r results in different requirements. As a consequence the fox faces greater restriction. Although birds face similar problems the spatial differences in habitat mean birds are less affected by fragmentation (Fahrig, 2003). A study by Ali et al., (2013) on the ecology of C.livia in Islamabad found pigeons to be present on bridges, tall buildings, as well as in semi urban spaces such as parks and gardens. Interestingly, population density increased around urban centres and decreased around semi-urban spaces showing a clear bias to extreme urban environments. The human environment also provides suitable nesting sites for F.peregrinus, with urban peregrines roosting on the tallest buildings in an urban space (Cade and Bird, 1990). It could be suggested that tall man-made structures such as skyscrapers mimic the cliff side habitat of these species allowing successful colonisation to occur. Effects: Range and Group Behaviour The urban environment is characterised by high level of disturbance. Construction, demolition and changes in human population all contribute to fluctuations in the spatial distribution of resources (Doncaster and Macdonald, 1990). In response to this we see high levels of plasticity in fox social behaviour (Doncaster and Macdonald, 1991; Baker et al., 1998). The home range of urban foxes is dramatically reduced usually extending for less than 100ha (Doncaster and Macdonald, 1991), whilst in rural individuals it can exceed 2000ha (Contesse et al., 2004). This is associated with increased resources over a smaller area which also results in increased population density (Doncaster and Macdonald, 1991). Interestingly, this has implications for the social behaviour of urban foxes. Red foxes are usually solitary animals that form pairs during the breeding season, but in urban settings live in groups of three to five (Doncaster and Macdonald, 1991). This is best explained by the spatio-tempo ral variation in the availability of resources in the anthropogenic environment which impacts both individual benefit and defence costs potentially leading to group formation (Doncaster and Macdonald, (1991); Baker et al., (1998). The spatial distribution of resources in towns and cities is such that with only two members the perimeter cannot be fully defended whilst the amount of resources within a territory are often abundant enough to promote group formation (Donacaster and Macdonald, 1991). These changes in social structure show high levels of behavioural plasticity which has potentially aided the expansion of the red fox into the urban niche. There are interesting parallels to draw between urban rat and fox populations, particularly in relation to range and social behaviour. The home range of urban rats is typically small; consisting of narrow strips between the animals harbourage and its food supply (Davis, 1953). Gardner-Santana et al. (2009) proposed that the range of urban rats is much smaller in urban environments, ranging from 25-150m (Davis, 1953), compared to those of rats in rural environments, which range from 260-2000m (Taylor and Quy, 1978). Feng et al. (2014) suggest that range is dependent on the availability of suitable harborage and food sources as well as pressure from conspecifics. This is comparable to the reduction in fox range which was attributed to a high density of anthropogenic resources in the urban environment. Like the red fox, urban rats also exist in larger colonies than their rural counterparts although, unlike foxes, they lack co-operative behaviour (Feng et al., 2014). In fact, the increas ed population density and fierce competition often results in increased levels of aggression (Feng et al., 2014). There is also evidence that spatio-temporal distribution of resources affects group size and behaviour in C.livia. Murton et al. (1972) noted that the flock size of C.livia was directly related to the quantity of daily food spillage, unlike in the closely related wood pigeon, C.palambus, where seasonal food supply dictates flock size. Murton also observed that pigeonsociety exists in hierarchical structure with some birds occupying the centre of the flock and having preferential access to the best feeding spots. Despite differences in social structure, the changes in range and group living in the fox, rat and pigeon offer insight into the effects that urban living can exert upon the behaviour of species. It could be suggested that the plastic nature of these behaviours has contributed to the success of these animals in the urban niche. Questioning whether such effects stem from the environment working on established plasticity within the genotype or whether such changes are the resul t of natural selection would provide an interesting topic for further study. Effects: Reproduction and Population Due to their high fecundity, even in urban environments with an abundant resources, food usually determines the carrying capacity of the urban rat population. A sexually mature female can produce five litters per year with 4-8 pups per litter (Margulis, 1977). The work of Ziporyn and McClintock (1991) noted that females living in groups often establish oestrus in synchrony, observing that when this occurred 80% of pups would survive compared to asynchronous breeders. These co-ordinated events result in population booms (ibid) which maintains the numerous population. Glass and Herbert (1988) also noted that urban rats grow faster and reach sexual maturity sooner than their rural counterparts, suggesting the abundance of anthropogenic resources as a cause. Understanding when these booms occur could help humans better control urban rat populations. The effect of increased resources on rats draws parallels with the population dynamics of C.livia. Hetmanski et al. (2010) found that the size of a pigeon population in an urban environment was linked not only to the size of the urban environment but also with the density of the human population, suggesting a correlation with increased anthropogenic resources. Murton et al. (1972) noted that due to the copious food supply there is little migration resulting in nest sites remaining occupied all year and rarely becoming available. This change in behaviour meant that two thirds of the pigeon population failed to breed potentially decreasing the effective population size. Further to this, there is evidence that males carry an allele that lengthens the breeding season and increases fertility (Murton et al., 1973) suggesting there is a selective advantage for remaining sexually active for longer. Changes in reproductive strategy in urban F.peregrinus have been attributed to the speed of its recovery since the population crash in the 50s/60s. A study by Kauffman et al. (2003) compared the survival rate of rural and urban peregrines in California. During the first year it was found that urban young had a 65% chance of survival compared to 28% in rural individuals. Caballero et al. (2016) also found that the urban clutch size tends to be larger, with an average clutch size reaching 4-5 in urban environments compared to 3 in rural. This effect has resulted in a population boom with populations in the UK and Germany already exceeding pre-crash levels (Rejt, 2001) Although the mechanisms differ, there is a clear pattern for increased fecundity in urban populations of these species contributing to their success. Conclusions The case studies discussed provide evidence of the opportunities available to vertebrates with the means to take advantage of them. Despite different needs, the human habitat offers ample shelter for vertebrates, with rats and foxes occupying spaces determined by their size and behaviour whilst man-made structures mimicking the natural habitat of peregrines and pigeons offer nesting sites. Anthropogenic waste and cultural practice supplies foxes, rats and pigeons with an abundant food supply that, although fluctuates spatio-temporally in relation to human rhythms, does not suffer the same seasonal fluctuations which characterise the rural environment. This combines with the opportunistic generalist nature that characterises these species allowing them to take advantage of such resources. Consequentially, there are marked changes in behaviour with determined by the change in urban resource distribution. This has resulted in increased group size and co-operation in V.vulpes; alteration in flock size relating to daily opposed to seasonal resource fluctuations in C.livia; and larger more aggressive colonies of R.norgevicus. Peregrines also benefit from a constant food supply in the form of the anthopogenically supported pigeon population; an example of secondary succession of the urban environment. They exhibit opportunistic behaviour in both the species they hunt and their potential use of skyscrapers as hunting aids. The argument for a degree of behavioural plasticity allowing these species to take better advantage of such resources is well supported but questions are still to be answered on whether such changes are a result of natural selection or are phenotypic responses to changes in environment. Similar questions also arise when considering the effects the urban environment has on reproduction. Although the mechanisms differ, we see a pattern of increased fecundity across the case studies. Increase in fledgeling success in F.peregrinus is easily explained by ecological factors, but the change in peregrine clutch size and the increased growth and approach to sexual maturity in R.norgevicus are less easily determined. The identification of an allele in C.livia that extends the breeding season suggests a genetic cause in this instance. However, each case should be considered independently and these situations open up a multitude of questions in relation to whether cases of behavioural and physiological plasticity is related to the genotype or phenotype of an organism. There are surprising gaps in the literature and areas that appear to be poorly replicated. Reviews on urban rats comment on the lack of ecological understanding of R.norgevicus. From a utilitarian perspective this is counterintuitive considering the risk it poses ecologically, economically, and to public health. Conversely, the literature on urban foxes is both extensive and varied, perhaps denoting the popularity of this animal in the public mind. From a practical perspective this information is perhaps less useful although the cultural impact of urban wildlife should not be dismissed or undervalued. The projected increase of urbanisation highlights the importance of understanding both the traits of successful species and qualities of the environment that encourage vertebrate success. Such information can provide us with the means to better manage urban populations. In regards to pest species this could aid efforts to control and minimise their success, whilst better planning could attract not only current successful species but also edge species into the urban environment. References Ali, S., Rakha, B., Hussain, I., Nadeem, M. Rafique, M. (2013). Ecology of Feral Pigeon (Columba livia) in Urban Areas of Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Zoology, 45(5), 1229-1234. Angold, P., Sadler, J., Hill, M., Pullin, A., Rushton, S., Austin, K., Small, E., Wood, B., Wadsworth, R., Sanderson, R. Thompson, K. (2006). Biodiversity in urban habitat patches. Science of the Total Environment, 360(1-3), 196-204. Baker, P. Harris, S. (2007). Urban mammals: what does the future hold? An analysis of the factors affecting patterns of use of residential gardens in Great Britain. Mammal Review, 37(4), 297-315. Baker, P., Robertson, C., Funk, S. Harris, S. (1998). Potential fitness benefits of group living in the red fox, Vulpes vulpes. Animal Behaviour, 56, 1411-1424. Bateman, P. Fleming, P. (2012). Big city life: carnivores in urban environments. Journal of Zoology, 287(1), 1-23. Brook, B., Sodhi, N. Ng, P. (2003). Catastrophic extinctions follow deforestation in Singapore. Nature, 424(6947), 420-423. Caballero, I., Bates, J., Hennen, M. Ashley, M. (2016). Sex in the City: Breeding Behaviour of Urban Peregrine Falcons in the Midwestern US. Plos One, 11(7). Cade, T. BIird, D. (1990). Peregrine falcons, Falco peregrinus, nesting in the urban environment a review. Canadian Field-Naturalist, 104(2), 209-218. Clergeau, P., Croci, S., Jokimaki, J., Kaisanlahti-Jokimaki, M. Dinetti, M. (2006). Avifauna homogenisation by urbanisation: Analysis at different European latitudes. Biological Conservation, 127(3), 336-344. Contesse, P., Hegglin, D., Gloor, S., Bontadina, F. Deplazes, P. (2004). The diet of urban foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and the availability of anthropogenic food in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. Mammalian Biology, 69(2), 81-95. Davis, D. (1953). The

Analysis of a Survey Essay -- Truth Honesty Essays

Analysis of a Survey As children, most of us were probably taught the basic lessons of life. Our families tried to instill in us a sense of right and wrong, good versus bad. One of the first lessons we were taught was that of honesty. A related concept of honesty is truth. Truth is a concept we understand as children but eventually learn to manipulate as adults. The dictionary states that honesty "implies a refusal to lie, steal or deceive in any way." However, formal definitions of both truth and honesty contain similar phrases, that is, adherence to or dealing with facts. The terms may or may not be interchangeable, but they are similar in that their foundations are rooted in fact. Telling the truth usually means dealing with the consequences. Sometimes this moment of reckoning is instantaneous. Lying has its consequences as well, but for the most part, these can be postponed to a later date and time. I presume this is one of the reasons why we lie in the first place. As adults, I believe that the vast majority of us have twisted or stretched the truth at one time another in order to serve ourselves better. Is this right or wrong? This line of thought triggered contemplation on one of life's mysteries--is honesty truly the best policy? Many of my friends and colleagues were aware that I had been coping with a situation where people were lying to me. In my case, the consequences were devastating and these people knew I had been extremely hurt and angry. However, in related conversations regarding these circumstances, I was astounded to learn that not everyone shared my opinion that lying was wrong. I had a difficult time accepting this notion but these people insisted that there were times when it was better not to t... .... The difficulty here would be in making the questions as non-threatening as possible. If a respondent felt uncomfortable with the survey, the results could be skewed. I also feel that additional queries would provide the data necessary to make more thought provoking assumptions and analysis. Nevertheless, I found that conducting this survey was an educational experience and one I would not mind repeating. I feel that truth and honesty are closely intertwined. I believe that if you are honest, whether it be with yourself or another person, the truth will come out. I discovered through this survey that things are sometimes not as obvious as they may seem. More importantly, I saw that honesty is something that often must be measured and weighed before being presented. Though I prefer honesty to lies, I can understand how it could throw equilibrium out of balance.

Natl – the Cane Farmers

Case: â€Å"Nghe An Tate & Lyle Sugar Company (Viet Nam)† Question : Are farmers likely to convert to sugar cane ? The farmers who lived within 50 kilometers of the sugar mill are likely to convert to sugar cane in term of economic return and other benefits. – Economic return: Net returns to farmers per Hectare from growing Sugar cane is high. From Exhibit 9 with norminal cash flow of a crop life cycle ( 4 years), the total rerurn of one hectare is 6,900 (000’VND) and net present value is 3,841 (000’VND) with nominal discount rate 13. 3%/year.Compare to coffee and rubber, sugar cane need only one year to revenue. Compare with other crops ( pineapple, coffee, rubber †¦), Sugar cane can get highest economics from exhibit 10 as below: Unit: Dong per hecta | Sugar |Pineapple |Coffee |Rubber |Peanuts |Peanuts |Peanuts | |   |  cane | | | |and Maize |& peanuts |and Rices | |Number of years |420 |420 |420 |420 |420 |420 |420 | |Planting years |105 |140 | 168 |120 |0 |0 |0 | |Typical years |315 |280 |252 |300 |420 |420 |420 | |Revenue |2,835,000 |3,955,000 |4,536,000 |3,000,000 |2,856,000 |4,032,000 |4,080,300 | |Total Costs |2,110,500 |3,255,000 |5. 21,100 |3,097,500 |3,696,000 |3,864,000 |3,906,000 | |Total net return |724,500 |700,000 |-485,100 |-97,500 |-840,000 |168,000 |174,300 | |Return per year |1,725 |1,667 |-1,155 |-232 |-2,000 |400 |415 | | Note: 420 is lowest common multiple of crop life cycle (4,3,10,28) and assume that time value of money is ignored (no discount to present value). From exhibit 11, Net return from Cane also get highest net present value for period from 1998 to 2015 with nominal discount rate 13,3% per annum and opportunity cost of labor is $1. 0/day: NPV Cane +82,894; NPV pineapple +19,617; NPV coffee +2,438; NPV rubber -13,557, NPV combo A -34,515; NPV combo B +6,902, NPV combo C -2,158 (US$ in thousand). – Other benefits: One of three parts of NATL’s development plan is an outreach progra m to help local farmers to convert to cane production which means that their sugar cane will have more added value because cane production can sell with higher price and the farmers can use their products. The company expected to employ 725 people, provided n-house traning so many members of the farmer family can be come workers, educated ones can also become staffs. This will creat many good affects to the local farmers. The project would need roughly 300 lorries during the harvest season so some farmers can borrow money from local banks to buy new hauliers to transport cane to the factory. With many benefits as above, before converting to sugar cane the local farmers need to understand/know the risks of converting. The first risk is to avoid converting too much from the beginning of the project. The factory will reach full capacity by the 2002/2003 harvesting season, so for the period from 1998 to 2002, the numbers of hactares convert to cane need to increase arcordingly. – Second risk is related to the NATL’s complex payment system, with the first installment, approximately 75% of the total, would be made within 14 days of delivery and the rest would be made at the end of the season with adjustment for sugar content and market price.The local farmers seem to familiar with simple full payment upon delivery even though with lower price, many poor farmers can have enough cash for their daily life and no effected by adjustment with the old payment method. With these analysises, the famers will have much more benefits, some related risks can be considered and controlled so I believe that they will convert to sugar cane.

Study of Goudy Oldstyle essays

Study of Goudy Oldstyle essays This typeface is an old style type. The aspects that show this are the angle of the weight stress on rounded forms, the shape and style of the serifs, and the angle of the top serifs on the lowercase letter forms. Old style typesets are influenced by carved Roman capitals for the uppercase letter forms and fifteenth- century humanistic writing styles for the lowercase.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Goudy is a serif typeface. It has thin tapered serifs. These serifs are considered bracketed. A bracketed serif is unified to the stroke with a tapered, curved line. The bracketed serif invokes a humanistic feel in the type. It looks like a stroke made by the hand of a writer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The typeset does not seem to follow a strict geometry. Because the upper and lowercase letter forms are derived from different sources they appear to have different geometries .While the uppercase letters look like circles and squares, the lowercase letters are more rectangular in nature but share the circular   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  The typeface has a highly contrasting, tapered stroke in the upper and lowercase letter forms. The finishing stroke in several of the letter forms ( a, i, j, r, t ) is a high contrasting, upward angled, diamond shaped stroke. The rounded forms also have a tapered finishing stroke that adds the continuity of the typeset.   To add to the humanistic quality of the type the designer omitted almost every hard angle in the uppercase letters giving areas where two strokes meet a soft corner of edge. In the lowercase letters, hard angles were omitted and softened wherever possible. The type also carries a left-angled stress.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though this is a very well put together typeface there are several idiosyncrasies within the type.   The first is the length of the ascenders and descenders. Many typesets have ...

How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer

How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The maximum score on the ACT is a 36. Out of the 1.8 million students who take the test every year, only about 1,000 get the highest possible ACT score. This elusive perfect score places you at the top of millions of high school students and can be a big boost to your college applications. I scored a perfect score on the ACT. Most of the advice out there about how to get a perfect score comes from people who didn't get perfect scores. In this exclusive article, I'll be breaking down exactly what it takes, and the techniques I used to get a perfect score. Quick Disclaimer Let me start with a disclaimer: I'm a humble person, and I don't like talking about my accomplishments without good reason. I know a lot of you are looking to score the highest ACT score possible, so I've written this guide to help you get there. So whatever I say here, please take it as advice from a mentor eager to help, not as a braggart strutting his stuff. (Even if you're not aiming for a perfect score, you're going to find this helpful). Another disclaimer: I co-founded the company PrepScholar- we create online ACT/SAT prep programs that adapt to you and your strengths and weaknesses. I want to emphasize that you do NOT need to buy a full prep program to get a great score. If you follow the principles below and are very driven, you'll do just fine. I do believe that PrepScholar is the best ACT program available right now, especially if you find it hard to organize your prep and don't know what to study. I'll refer to decisions we made in creating the program to flesh out principles I discuss below. What It Takes to Get a 36 on the ACT At the top end of the scoring range, the ACT is not forgiving. You need to aim for perfection. Because the ACT uses Composite scores, what you need to aim for is a 35.5 average or higher. This means you can get two 35's and two 36's, or one 34 and three 36's. If you get even one 33, you're already not going to get a perfect ACT score. What does it take to get a 36 in each section? This varies a little from test to test, as each test has different difficulty levels. I studied the scoring charts of five practice tests, and here are the conclusions: In English, you can miss 0 questions. This means a full raw score of 75.If you miss 1 question, you always got a 35. In Math, you can miss 0 questions or 1 question.Two practice tests let you miss 1 question to keep a 36. The other three tests gave a 35 if you missed 1 question. In Reading, you can miss 0 questions. In one practice test only, you could miss 2 questions- this test likely contained an abnormally difficult passage. In Science, you can miss 0 questions.In all five practice tests, missing a single question brought your Science score down to a 35 or even a 34. Here's a sample score chart from an official ACT: Essentially, you need to aim for perfection during your prep. If you're consistently missing 1 or more questions on each section, you're not performing consistently enough to be safe for a 36. We'll go into more detail about this below. If you want to confirm my statements here, check out the ACT score charts for official practice tests. One last question to answer before my actual advice on how to get a 36 on the ACT: But Wait...Are You Just Smart? Will This Advice Work for Me? You may have heard about perfect students who just rolled out of bed, strolled to the ACT test center, and scored the highest possible ACT score without any prep. This was not me. Some people like the ones above may in fact exist, but they're rare.In high school, I was naturally stronger at math- I participated in math and science competitions- and I could reliably get 800's on the SAT math section (I focused my prep for the SAT). But my reading and writing needed work. When I started off, I consistently got in the 700 range. Now, this is already pretty high, but it wasn't enough for Ivy League schools and other colleges I wanted to go to. I just wasn't that accustomed to the ACT reading passages and the types of questions they asked. It took a lot of hard work for me to learn how the ACT works, how it tries to trick students, and how to find a strategy that worked for myself so I could reliably get top scores.My co-founder at PrepScholarhad a similar story. Since I'm older, I also have the benefit of seeing whether my methods worked over time, or just on the ACT. Emphatically, the principles below have worked throughout my academic career. Here's another example. As an undergraduate in college, I planned to attend medical school, so I had to take the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test). In my view, this is a much harder test than the ACT. It covers many more topics: general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, biology, and verbal reasoning. Furthermore, you're competing with pre-med students across the nation, people who are naturally driven and dying to get into medical school, not just average high school students. When I started studying for the MCAT, I scored around the low 30's. The test was scored out of 45 and was curved very aggressively. Again, this was already well above average, but it wasn't enough for the top medical schools I was going for. So I worked hard. I put in the time, covered all the subjects I needed to know, and was ruthless about my prep. In the very end, I scored a 44: As the testing organization notes, this is in the 99.9 percentile rank, with 0.0% achieving this score (this figure is rounded). I had multiple medical advisers tell me that they had never seen a score this high before, and there might indeed be fewer than 3 people per year- or none at all- who get a 44.Scoring this high definitely helped me get into the MD-PhD program at Harvard Medical School and MIT. I wish I were talented enough to get these test scores naturally without hundreds of hours of hard work. That would be the cooler thing to say. But it wasn't true for me, and it probably won't be true for you either. With this foundation laid, here's the meat of what I want to say: What Do You Need to Do to Get a Perfect 36 ACT Score? In broad strokes, it takes a lot of hard work, a lot of smart work, and some amount of luck. But this isn't helpful. Let's dig deeper. You have to want it. Really, really want It. You need the drive to push yourself. You need to put ACT prep as one of your top priorities in life, overcoming watching YouTube or hanging out at the mall. In the darkest of days, when you take a practice test and drop 3 points inexplicably, and your parents are freaking out, and you're worried you're never getting into Harvard, you need the inner fire to not fall into a rut. Instead, you need to pull yourself up and calmly rip apart your mistakes so you don't repeat them. People don't often mention motivation when talking about test prep, but in my view this is one of the most important pieces that differentiate successful people from not, in all aspects of life. It's much more important than just being smart. Make a list of all the reasons you want to get a perfect score. Write them down. Stare at them when you lose energy or motivation. Want to get into Harvard or an Ivy League school? Want to make up for a bad GPA? Want to prove to your parents that you can beat their expectations? Want to compete with your friends?Want to show up your 3rd grade teacher who said you would never amount to anything? That's all good. Anything that drives you from within is a valid reason to work hard. In my personal case, beyond the academic benefits, I thought the ACT was a dumb test that was impeding my life. I was angry at test writers who devised tricks to fool students. I approached it like a video game- the ACT was a boss that I needed to dominate. Plus, my brother had a near-perfect score, and I wanted to one-up him. Write down all the reasons you want a perfect score and use it to motivate yourself every study session. Exclusive Blog Bonus: We've written a popular free guide on 5 tips to improving your ACT score by 4+ points. Get a free download here. Step 1: Do High-Quality Practice and Avoid Low-Quality Materials The ACT is a weird test. It's unlike tests that you've taken throughout school. There's a specific format to each section, and it tests concepts in ways that are likely different from what you've studied in school. It also tends to trick you with lots of bait wrong answers, and if you're not careful, you'll continue to fall for these. To excel at this test, you need the highest-quality practice materials. Because the ACT has questions that are twisted in a particular way, you need to train in exactly the way they're twisted so you learn the patterns. As we've said before, by far the best practice material comes directly from the ACT in the form of official ACT practice tests. We include these tests in our ACT prep program at PrepScholar. Just like the mantra about your diet and body, what you put in is what you get out. Trash in, trash out. If you train yourself on questions that aren't anything like what the ACT writes, you're going to learn the wrong patterns. Using bad materials is like training for baseball by playing tee-ball. Yes, if you spend 1000 hours practicing tee-ball, you'll be a pro at hitting a ball off a stick. But when someone pitches a real baseball at you, you're going to get super confused and likely end up striking out. This is what you're doing if you study with bad materials. To be frank, most of the books available on the market are trash. They have a lot of questions, but they're written by people who aren't truly experts on the test. This means the questions don't test concepts in the same way; the answers are sometimes ambiguous; the questions don't trick you in the same way the ACT does. When I was studying, I devoured every ACT practice test I could find. I took over 15 full-length practice tests and was ruthless about finding my mistakes, as I'll talk about soon. Now, a major weakness of the ACT practice tests is that their explanations aren't very good (and sometimes nonexistent). If you don't know how to teach yourself from your mistakes, you may need supplemental materials focused on a single section. Generally, books rated 4.5 stars and above on Amazon are pre-vetted to be pretty good (read here for my reviews of the best ACT prep books). In my company PrepScholar, we hired only ACT full-scorers and 99 percentile scorers to write all our questions. You need to have mastered the test to really understand the intricacies of how the ACT works. We turned away applicants who scored below a 33 since they really don't understand the test well enough. We then triple-checked all our content for quality and resemblance to the real ACT test so that our students have the best possible prep materials. Collect good prep materials and study using only these. Step 2: Focus on Quality First, Quantity Second Now you have a lot of materials, whether it's through PrepScholar or prep books. Some students focus hard on getting through every single page of every book they have. They might not know why they're studying what they're studying, but at least they sure put in a lot of time and effort! This is the wrong idea. You don't want to pound your head against the wall and use a brute force approach. Improving your ACT score is about quality first, and quantity second. It's so tempting to just focus on getting work done, because that's the easy part. "Mom, I'm studying hard, I did 10 practice tests this week!" Great- you probably didn't have any time to review your mistakes, and I bet your score didn't improve from test to test. Understanding your weaknesses, as we discuss below, is what takes real energy and insight, and it's what really works. Think about it this way- let's say you're learning to throw a football with a perfect spiral. You can pick up a football and, by trial and error, if you throw it 1,000 times, you'll make some progress. Now imagine you have New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady standing by your side. You throw the ball once, and he corrects your technique. Angle your leg back this way, have your hand follow a certain motion, and follow through. You try again, and it's way better. In throwing 50 balls this way, I'm certain you'd end up doing better than 1,000 by yourself. I'm not suggesting that Tom Brady in this analogy is a tutor, and that you must have a tutor. You can be your own Tom Brady, and we discuss below how to do that. But you need to make sure you get the most out of your studying and make it as efficient as possibleto have a chance at a perfect ACT score. You need your own ACT Tom Brady. Step 3: Be Ruthless About Understanding Your Mistakes When you're actually studying, this is by far the most important way you'll succeed over other students. Every mistake you make on a test happens for a reason. If you don't understand exactly why you missed that question, you will make that mistake over and over again. If you're performing at the 32 level, you're missing around 10% of the questions. This means you have some consistent errors that are holding back your score. This is what you need to do: On every practice test or question set that you take, mark every question that you're even 20% unsure about. When you grade your test or quiz, review every single question that you marked, and every incorrect question. This way even if you guessed a question correctly, you'll make sure to review it. In a notebook, write down the gist of the question, why you missed it, and what you'll do to avoid that mistake in the future. Have separate sections by subject and sub-topic (english- grammar rule vs rhetorical skill, math- numbers vs algebra vs geometry, etc.) It's not enough to just think about it and move on. It's not enough to just read the answer explanation passively. You have to think hard about why you specifically failed on this question. By taking this strict, regimented approach to your mistakes,you'll now have a running log of every question you missed, and your reflection on why. Everyone who wants to get to a 36 on a section has different weaknesses from you. It's important that you discover for yourself what those are. Now, what are some common reasons that you missed a question? Don't just say, "I didn't get this question." Always take it one step further- what specifically did you miss, and what do you have to improve in the future? Here are some examples of common reasons you miss a question, and how you take the analysis one step further: Content: I didn't have the skill or knowledge needed to answer this question. One step further:What specific skill do I need to learn, and how will I train this skill? Incorrect Approach: I knew the content, but I didn't know how to approach this question. One step further:How do I solve the question, and is there a general rule that I need to know for the future? Wrong Guess:I was stuck between two answer choices, and I guessed wrong. One step further: Why could I not eliminate one of the last answer choices? Knowing the correct answer now, how I can eliminate it? Does this suggest a strategy I can remember for the future? Careless Error: I misread what the question was asking for or solved for the wrong thing One step further:Why did I misread the question? What should I do in the future to avoid this? Does this seem hard? It is- you have to think hard about why you're falling short and understand yourself in a way that no one else can. But few students actually put in the effort to do this analysis, and this is how you'll pull ahead. By the end of my studying, I had notebooks filled with practice questions that I'd missed, and when eating breakfast I could thumb through them to review them, like flashcards. Each mistake understood brought me closer to a perfect ACT score. Adopt a no-mistake-left-behind policy toward your mistakes. Letting one slip through can mean you make the same mistake on your real ACT. No excuses when it comes to your mistakes. Step 4: Find Patterns in Your Weaknesses, and Drill Them to Perfection Now that you're collecting mistakes in a notebook, you'll be able to start finding patterns to your weaknesses. This might be a content area- like problems with math circle problems, or a specific grammar rule. Or it might be a personal habit of yours, like misreading the passage or eliminating the wrong answer. Focusing on your weaknesses is important because you have a limited amount of time to study, and you need to spend that time on the areas that will get you the biggest score improvement. I've worked with students who just love drilling their strong points because it's comfortable. Of course, this is a waste of time- you have to confront your demons and pick at where you're weak, which is uncomfortable and difficult. I kept track of my mistakes in an Excel spreadsheet. I found, for example, that I consistently missed Reading passage questions about inferences because I was reading too far into what the author was saying. I then focused on drilling those specific types of questions until I had developed my own strategy for solving the questions. As another example, you might find that you get confused by certain ACT vocabulary. The ACT doesn't test vocabulary nearly as much as the SAT does, but it tends to use the same words over and over again. We've compiled the most important ACT vocabulary you need to know, with a guide on the best way to memorize vocab words. Depending on your area of weakness, you may need to search online for resources for that content area, or use a high quality book, as I mentioned above. In our PrepScholar program, we detect your weaknesses andautomatically organize your quizzes by skill so that you can focus on learning and not on the higher-level activities of analyzing your own progress. By the way, a quick side point- be suspicious of any content-level strategies that promise you results. By content-level, I mean strategies that tell you how you must solve a type of question. At your level, you need to focus on what works best for you. For example, people approach reading passages differently. Some read the passage first, then answer questions. Some skim questions first, then go back to the passage. I know what works best for me, but that's not necessarily what works best for you. What you will have to do is aggregate strategies for your weaknesses, then test them out yourself to see if they work for you. Specific strategies for each weakness is out of scope of this article, but we'll post examples later- make sure you subscribe to our blog to get the most recent updates. Find the weak link in your chain. Step 5: Eliminate Careless Errors These types of mistakes are by far the most frustrating. You know the content, you know how to solve it, but because of a misreading of the question, you miss a point from your raw score. This can already disqualify you from a 36 in every single section. In my own ACT, I made careless errors because I was trying to finish early and save time for the end, so I would rush through questions too quickly. I hated myself every time I made a careless error. But when I focused on the two things below, I was able to claim back my lost points. #1: Double check that you're answering the right question. The ACT is designed to ask you tricky questions.You might find the area of the square, but the question actually asks for the perimeter. To eliminate this, always underline what the question asks you to solve for. Don’t stop your work until you solve for the correct thing. Another strategy is to write what the question is looking for in your scratch area. For example, if it asks for seconds instead of minutes, write â€Å"= ____ seconds† and circle it before you start your work. This might sound like extra work, but how you defeat careless errors is by having a reliable, failproof system. #2: For English, a common careless error is choosing "(A) NO CHANGE"in sentence error questions.Whenever this happens, make sure you double check the other answer choices to make sure that NO CHANGE is absolutely the best answer choice. You should check especially for grammar rules that are easy to overlook, like Subject-Verb Agreement and Misplaced Modifier. By analyzing your mistakes, you'll be able to find patterns in grammar rule weaknesses that you have. You can then build your own system for grammar rules that you often miss- for example, for Subject-Verb Agreement, identify the subject and the verb, and then make sure they match. Watch out for the banana peel of the ACTs- careless errors. Step 6: Get Fast Enough to Always Double Check Your Answers Now that you’re aiming for a top score, you need to finish each section ahead of time to give yourself time to double check your answers. A good rule of thumb is to finish the section with at least 5 minutes to spare. As you get better at the ACT, this will be easier to accomplish since you’ll solve each question in less time. The ACT has pretty intense time pressure- more than the SAT. Where on the SAT I reliably finished each section with five to ten minutes to spare, on the ACT I was often left with just five. But with this time, I would mark any questions that I felt I had to return to and double-check. I had enough time to review all my answers at least once. The real time-killers are questions you get stuck on. It’s very easy to get sucked into a question for five minutes, frustrated that the ACT is taking a point away from you. Avoid this temptation. Follow this rule: if you’ve spent 30 seconds on a question and can’t see how you’re going to get to the answer, circle the question, and skip it. You’ll have time at the end to come back to it. For now, you need to work on the other questions.How do you double check effectively? It varies between sections. For math, you should try to re-solve the question quickly in a different way. For some questions, you’ll be able to plug the answer back in. For others, you’ll just need to check your steps you took the first time around.For English, confirm that the answer choice fixes the original grammatical error. Again, for NO CHANGE answer choices, make sure you aren't missing something in the question.For Reading, confirm that there is no other bette r answer choice than the one you picked. For passage questions, make sure you rule out three incorrect answers. For Science, make sure you calculated correctly (if it's a calculation question), or that you're reading the right graphs on the test. It's easy to mix up Figure 2 and Figure 3 when you're moving fast. As you get better at the test, you'll have more time left. Aim for at least five minutes left after each section, and use that time to doublecheck your answers. Step 7: Don't Get Inside Your Own Head During the Test If you're vying for a perfect 36 score, you'll face pressure during the test. You know how little room for error there is. This means that if you're having trouble with a question, it's easy to psyche yourself out. "Oh no! I'm having trouble with this math question. If I don't get this right, my 36 in math is gone!" This will make you nervous, which makes you even less likely to answer the question, which makes you more nervous, and so forth. This vicious spiral can suck you down for the rest of the test. Controlling your mental status is important during the test. Just like a pro athlete or performer, you need to be confident about your skills. You already put in a ton of work, and you've learned most of what the ACT has to throw at you. The last thing you want to do now is ruin more of the test. So it's a single question you're unsure about- this doesn't affect your performance on any other question. Try your best and clear your head, then move on. Stay calm during the test, even if you get confused on a question. Does All of This Really Work? I can say from personal experience that these are the principles that I used to excel in academics. If you follow these principles for your own classes and in college, you'll do an amazing job. I would also be hard-pressed to find any top scoring student who doesn't agree whole-heartedly with the advice above. This advice also works if you're not aiming for a 36. If you want to improve from a 24 to a 30, you can use these principles to power your learning. These principles also work in life. As a startup founder, I adhere to lean principlesto constantly analyze where my weaknesses are, how to build them, and how to focus on what's really important for our company. While the ACT tests specific skills that you may not use in everyday life, the process of preparing for it can teach you a lot about yourself, your limits, and your ambitions. This sounds a little hokey, but take it from this old man, you can learn a lot about yourself. Finally, keep in mind that you don't need a 36 to get into top colleges! A 34+ will make you more than competitive for top schools, like the Ivy League. If you get a 34, your time is better spent building up the rest of your application than eking out a few more points. Quick Plug:I've mentioned my company PrepScholar a few times. If you agree with what I say above, you'd like my course. I designed our ACT course around the principles above, knowing that most students don't have the energy or expertise to diagnose their own weaknesses. PrepScholar automatically figures out what you need to work on and focuses your learning by drilling your weak skills. It also builds in motivational features so you're up to date on your progress and commit to more study time. Check out our ACT program here. What's Next? Now that you've learned how to get a perfect score on the ACT, the hard work is ahead. Check out our guides on getting a 36 on each of the ACT sections: English, Math, Scienceand Reading. If you liked this article, you'll also like our logistics articles on choosing the best test dates and the best test locations. Every detail matters. If you missed the link above, here's the ACT vocabulary you must know. Finally, check out our online ACT prep program.We have a 4+ point money back guarantee: if you finish our course and don't improve by 4 points, you get all your money back, no questions asked. Try our program with a 5-day free trial today:

Exporting by states in the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Exporting by states in the United States - Essay Example A state of Ohio has a mandate to employ its citizen in the labor market. Export trade creates job opportunities, and that contributes positively to expansion in GDP of a state. An increase in a country’s GDP results in an increased per capita income hence a general improvement in the welfare of the citizens. Ohio would formulate favorable foreign policies to attract foreign currency. A country may export its products to those countries with competitive prices. The State of Ohio would focus on those states, which offer highest prices for same products. Commodities with relatively favorable returns in the local market need no export. Goods have different cost of production and attract different revenue, therefore if export trade is not profitable, it is null and void strategy for a firm. Some countries prohibit importation of certain commodities thus can only trade locally Sen, Sunanda. "International trade theory and policy: A review of the literature." Levy Economics Institute of Bard College, Working Paper No. 635. November 2010.

The Parable of the Watchful Servants Term Paper

The Parable of the Watchful Servants - Term Paper Example (c) Do you detect any particular structural pattern? (example: parallelism with other books of the Bible or is you passage a stand-alone passage etc.) (d) Has your passage come through the editorial process? What changes have been made? Explain why possible changes have been made?   (e) What are the theologically important words in your passage? Do these words evoke any other parts of the Bible? Are these words used in a new way by the author of this passage? What does the word or words mean?   (f) What does this passage say about a relationship with God?   What questions might this passage have addressed in the community for which it was originally addressed?   Context The passage which proceeded from the Parable of the Watchful Servant pertains to the Parable of Rich Fool. This verse in Luke 12: 13-21 forewarned believers not to covetous to mundane and material abundance because God is not interested about how much wealth was reaped from this world but how much spiritual we alth one was able to nurture. Didn’t it was clearly pronounced when he asked â€Å"what profit a man if he earns the whole world but loses his own soul (Mark 8:36)?† The parable of the Watchful Servant was also connected to the succeeding paragraph which explicated the need for those enriched to care for those who are deprived as enshrined in Luke 12: 22-29. The verses ask the rich to not just enjoy once abundance in life by eating, party-making and merrying but rather by engaging in a more meaningful act of sharing such abundance to those who are hungry, deprived and impoverished. Such mundane richness is neither the measure of man’s person nor of Christian’s value. Man should transcend the richness reaped from for mundane causes and must rather prepare his soul with values to please God because He will not be fascinated to recognize the possessions generated from the earth which always corrupt the person and his spirit. The biblical text called on the f ollowers to treasure those that could permeate him to enjoy the Kingdom in heaven. Thus, the passage encourages those who earned more to give alms and to share because life is more than the flesh and more than just meat. It’s therefore primordial to â€Å"seek first the Kingdom of God because all things shall be added unto you (Luke 12:31).† The Parable of the Watchful Servant is followed by the verses on The Unfaithful Servant (Luke 12:41-48) and I quote: Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?  And the Lord said,  who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?  43  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.  Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.  But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the m enservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;  The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut  him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.  And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.  But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more (Luke 12:41-48).  Ã‚