Tuesday, November 26, 2019

A Quiz About Hyphenating Phrasal Adjectives

A Quiz About Hyphenating Phrasal Adjectives A Quiz About Hyphenating Phrasal Adjectives A Quiz About Hyphenating Phrasal Adjectives By Mark Nichol One of the most frequent mechanical errors in writing is the omission or misuse of hyphens when two or more words are used to modify a following noun. In the sentences below, remedy the absence or abuse of hyphens in the phrasal adjective and compare your revision to mine: 1. â€Å"He’s one of the world’s best known zoologists.† As is, the sentence implies that among known zoologists, he’s one of the best. But what it means is that among the world’s zoologists, he one of the best known, so that two-word phrase is a phrasal adjective and should be hyphenated before the noun zoologists: â€Å"He’s one of the world’s best-known zoologists.† 2. â€Å"The increasingly high on its own supply movie studio has once more delved into its library.† This sentence suffers from the same error as the previous one, multiplied several times. The words in the phrase â€Å"high on its own supply† must be linked like railroad cars for the statement to make sense: â€Å"The increasingly high-on-its-own-supply movie studio has once more delved into its library.† (Increasingly, because it is an adverb, not an adjective, doesn’t have a ticket for this train.) 3. â€Å"A lot can happen during a three or four day holiday weekend.† Again, a lack of connective tissue is the fault here; the solution is suspensive hyphenation. The object refers to a holiday weekend that might last three days or four days, but it’s not necessary to repeat day. It is, however, imperative to hyphenate such a construction as follows: â€Å"A lot can happen during a three- or four-day holiday weekend.† 4. â€Å"Whatever happened to the catalogs of yore, like the four-inch thick Sears tome?† Incomplete hyphenation muddles this sentence, which implies that an artifact known as a thick Sears tome has four inches. The intended meaning, however, is that the Sears tome is four inches thick, so that three-word phrase describing its size must be linked into one unit: â€Å"Whatever happened to the catalogs of yore, like the four-inch-thick Sears tome?† 5. â€Å"Behind-the-scenes, he repeatedly employed procedural technicalities to undermine proposals.† Freestanding common phrases that are also often employed as phrasal adjectives and thus frequently seen with hyphens are often mistakenly hyphenated; the first three words in this sentence, however, require hyphens only if they collectively modify a noun (â€Å"behind-the-scenes plotting†): â€Å"Behind the scenes, he repeatedly employed procedural technicalities to undermine proposals.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Words for Facial ExpressionsA While vs Awhile5 Ways to Reduce Use of Prepositions

Friday, November 22, 2019

The First Review of Van Goghs Paintings

The First Review of Van Gogh's Paintings The very first art critic to review Van Goghs paintings was Albert Aurier (1865-1892), and it happened during Van Goghs Lifetime. Aurier was a painter himself, as well as an art critic. Aurier was passionate about Symbolism, then an emerging art movement. His review, Les Isolà ©s: Vincent van Gogh, was published in January 1890, on pages 24-29 of the magazine Mercure de France. This was a magazine read at the time by everyone with an interest in modern art.1 In it, Aurier aligned Van Goghs art with the nascent Symbolist movement and highlight[ed] the originality and intensity of his artistic vision.2 In his review Aurier described Van Gogh as the only painter he knew who perceives the coloration of things with such intensity, with such a metallic, gem-like quality, his work as intense and feverish, his brushstrokes as fiery, very powerful, his palette as dazzling, and said his technique matched his artistic temperament: vigorous and intense. (Full review, in French.) Aurier also published a shortened version under the title Vincent van Gogh in L’Art Moderne on 19 January 1890.4. Vincent van Gogh wrote a letter3 to Aurier in February 1890 to thank him for the review. Thank you very much for your article in the Mercure de France, which greatly surprised me. I like it very much as a work of art in itself, I feel that you create colors with your words; anyway, I rediscover my canvases in your article, but better than they really are - richer, more significant. Van Gogh then goes on to deprecate himself: However, I feel ill at ease when I reflect that what you say should be applied to others rather than to me and right at the end he gives instructions about how Aurier would do well to varnish the study hed sent him. Source:1. History of the Publication of Van Gogh Letters, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam2. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Vincent van Gogh, Metropolitan Museum of Art3. Letter to Albert Aurier by Vincent van Gogh, written either 9 or 10 February 1890. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam4. Notes to Letter 845 from Jo van Gogh-Bonger to Vincent van Gogh, 29 January 1890. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Effect of Unethical Behavior Article Analysis Essay

Effect of Unethical Behavior Article Analysis - Essay Example ituations are critical to be accurately identified and resolved to avoid any fraudulent activities like exploitation of financial statements, inside trading, kickbacks, etc by the companies and to make them abide by the accounting laws. As like modesty and ethics, obedience is also top of the list trait taught to younger generation by the elder ones. They are tamed to obey the authorities: parents in the beginning, later teachers and ultimately the Boss! One of the traps employees mostly fell into is â€Å"follow what your boss is saying†. They are pressured by the boss to behave in an un-ethical manner and tamper the numbers to overestimate company’s value. The most damaging trait found in many people, whether they are aware of it or not is the inability to work with patience and view any problem or judgment from different angles. They want definite answers and jump to conclusions based on the first thing that comes to their minds. Strict work conditions such as time stress, fatigue, and etc work as a fuel to fire. Under such circumstances the employees are at high risk of taking short cuts and behave unethically by ignoring and not fully analyzing the facts. Many a time’s exploitation of the financial facts is done in greed to gain benefits for the individual, company or for both. There might be some large percentage of shares involved for the individual from the benefit the company as a whole will receive because of the unethical activities. Where else sometimes, the employee has to â€Å"cook the books† out of his own interest as it’s for company’s benefit. In any case it is done as to gain benefit without pointing a gun at someone and without anyone getting hurt. The white collar nature of this crime makes it very tempting for individuals and companies. Over estimating company’s ROI (return over investment), Equity, Etc involves ample interest of company’s owners. This provides them with the opportunity to attract more investors to invest in

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Social welfare,democracy and government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Social welfare,democracy and government - Essay Example The social welfare, democracy and government are all intensely connected aspects of a society and a country. The welfare of the country and its citizens are always the topmost priority of any democracy or government. Britain being a democratic country has a prolonged history of social welfare policies and strategies. The country has extensive social welfare policies to cater to the well being of its citizen and communities. â€Å"After war every where in Europe showed a grave needs for social welfare :broadly speaking social-democratic policies were initiated even by conservative and Christian-democratic governments, while social democrats became parties of government in most European states†(Shaw,1999). However, during these years a major shift has occurred in the socio –economic structure of the country which led to a new paradigm to the social welfare concept. Britain is a country with multi – cultural backgrounds and requires a well co--ordinate and structure d social policies and plans to show justice to the society. 2 –According to Smith (1986)â€Å"Historians have engaged in pro-longed debate how far political theories influenced the actual structure of social policies. As most of its history social-policy making in Britain has been closely linked to a wider context of political, social and economic ideas†. A big part of contributing to the welfare of the nation is giving equal rights to all the social groups in the country .The rights of the citizens to vote and select the right representative to govern the country should be an unbiased and unfair fact. The right to vote is the major foundation and strong principle of any democratic government. A democracy to be a successful one, should allot a substantial voting power to all the social groups of the country. As per (Hannemann, 2003) â€Å"In almost all democratic national elections an individual vote cannot change the election outcome. The fact that many individuals n evertheless participate voluntarily in such elections suggests that people do care about democracy as such†. The main reason for the appreciation for the right to vote is that, it gives the citizens of a country a upper hand in the decision making process of the nation. However, with all this well planned social policies and democratic government, there are still many social groups who are devoid of their basic right of the democratic government. A country like United Kingdom has various social groups like youngsters, women, senior citizens, disabled, asylum seekers and prison inmates. Among all of these, asylum seekers and prison inmates are the one which is most undermined in regard to voting rights. According to (Guardian News,2010)â€Å"Prisoners are to get the right to vote as the government is poised to throw in the towel in a long-running legal tussle with the European court of human rights, it emerged today. It is understood that the coalition is to confirm that it is ready to change the law to remove the voting ban on more than 70,000 inmates of British jails†. I) Right to vote an integral part of the democracy Democracy is a form of government which gives exclusive rights to its citizens in the governing of the country as well as bestows other supreme rights to its people. As per (Deth,2009) â€Å"Modern societies are confronted with a number of virtually unsolvable problems. Particularly prominent are complaints and grievances about the increase of social egoism and isolation, declining feelings of solidarity and community, a public withdrawal from the ‘dirty’ realm of politics, the raise in ‘minor’ forms of criminality, and the decrease of social and political engagement – to mention only a few examples†. Britain having a well defined social welfare structure is not justifiable in concern with the real active voting right. Many minorities and under privileged are stolen of their right to vote, ev en being a genuine part of the country. Generally in a democratic nation, an adult crossed the age of

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Reading and Books Essay Example for Free

Reading and Books Essay Despite the vast, growing and active educational reforms continuously being modified and implemented in today’s Philippine Educational System such as MTB – MLE and K+12 education curriculum, there are still 6. 2 million Filipino youth who does not receive proper and formal education in the classroom, which includes the Out – of – school children and youth. Specifically, according to the 2010 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS) of the National Statistics Office (NSO) released November 2011, one out of eight Filipinos aged between 6 and 24 is an out- of- school youth(OSY). Current estimates further indicate that 7. 8 million Filipinos or 16. 2% of the population are not functionally literate. About 3. 9 million of them are out of school youth. The Philippine government defines an out –of- school youth (OSY) as someone who is not attending formal education and/or not gainfully employed in the case of youth 18 to 24 years old who have not finished college or even a technical vocational course. The government further explains that the primary reasons for these out of school youth for not attending school is poverty and lack of personal interest. On the other hand, out- of- school youth are vulnerable people who have special needs too. Nobody can deny the hard fact that education is still an extremely important factor for bringing change in the lives of these individuals. It has universally been recognized as the most powerful instrument and pre – requisite for gearing up the socio – economic development of a nation. This is why investment in education is considered to be so vital for human resource development and enhancement of the quality of manpower. In the history of humankind, there is an established fact that a certain level of literacy in population is an essential pre – requisite for precipitating the process of development in a country. It is emphasized therefore that the most active part in the socio – economic development of any country or region always consists of the adolescents. Moreover, many people have a misleading impression of the abilities and capacities of â€Å"out – of – school youth†. It is generally assumed that this group needs to re – do and re – learn the most basic literacy skills. Hence, they are marginalized and ostracized. In fact, out – of- school youths do have some experience of learning within the formal system. In addition, many of them have gained rich learning experiences from their environment and culture. Thus, basic literacy does not necessarily mean teaching literacy in its most basic forms. However, the acquired skills and knowledge need to be recognized, tapped into and enhanced. Out- of- school youths may have failed to complete their education in the formal system due to various reasons, such as socio – economic or health issues, urbanization, teacher – teaching factors or curriculum problems but UNESCO still has enumerated and emphasized the basic literacy for out – of- school youth development which involves the acquisition of the basic skills needed to cope with the complex and technological world, including IT and computer skills, communication skills listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing, critical thinking and many others. Moreover, developing the literacy of OSY’s is a complex process, which involves enhancing the knowledge and capacities that they have gained over the years and providing them with access to challenging learning opportunities. The Philippines through the initiative of the Bureau of Alternative Learning System formerly called the Bureau of Non – formal Education (BNFE) is responsible for contributing to the improvement of the poor including the out – of school youth and drop outs through literacy and continuing education programs. Its aim is to focused basic services to the more disadvantaged sections of the population to improve their welfare and contribute to human resource development. This was done to respond to the need of a more systematic and flexible approach in reaching all types of learners outside the formal school system. The Alternative Learning System (ALS) is a parallel learning system that provides a viable alternative to existing formal education instruction. It encompasses both non – formal and informal sources of knowledge and skills. Certification of learning for out – of –school youth and adults , aged 15 years and over, who are unable to gain from the formal school system and who have dropped out of formal elementary and secondary education , is ensured through the Alternative Learning System Accreditation and the Equivalency (ALS A E) System. The system of certification is done through successful completion of the ALS and A E test at two learning levels – elementary and secondary. Those who pass the test have to undergo counseling to explore their oppurtunities, be it a return to the formal school system or the option to enter the world of work. (UNESCO Bangkok, 2009). The ALS eSkwela program has five main learning strands: Communication skills, critical thinking and problem solving, sustainable use of resources and productivity, development of self and a sense of community, and expanding one’s world vision. Since ALS is a module-based learning system, students come in on a set time and choose a module to read. A quiz is given after each module to test their learning. Instead of teachers, facilitators are always present to answer any questions and sometimes lecturers would discuss a certain module. Apart from the major aim and objective of the system, the ALS Project was conceived to respond to many grassroots learning needs and at the same time fulfill the following key social development objectives of EFA: †¢Functional Literacy: Current estimates indicate that there are 7. 8 million Filipinos or 16. 2% of the population who are not functionally literate. About 3. 9 million of them are out of school youth. †¢Family Literacy: Many parents want to develop functional reading, writing and numeracy skills and knowledge so that they can help their children do their homework. †¢Community Participation: †¢ Continuing Education: Many people who have obtained literacy skills and want to continue learning should be given the means and tools to return to formal schooling or go on learning on their own. †¢Empowerment: Out-of-school youth and adults living in economically depressed communities need to develop communication, problem solving, critical thinking, and learning-to-learn skills and competencies which will directly help them raise their standard of living and improve their quality of life. Functional basic education should empower them with better health practices, better food, increased income, improved family life, more direct civic and community participation and more opportunities for wider life choices. It is noted that the ALS learning modules constructed by SEAMEO Innotech experts are freely chosen, used and read by the students. It is true therefore that through the skill called reading, any idea or module given to them are enlightened. On the other hand, observations show that are still many problems and issues encountered along the Reading performance and proficiency of the out – of – School Youth which includes vocabulary, comprehension, study skills and others. Even the (UIS, 2011) stated a very alarming issue that seven hundred and seventy-five million adults all over the world cannot read. Many of these OSY’s too are unemployed, underemployed adn lacks basic English language literacy skills specially reading and writing. In addition, UNESCO also emphasized that the basic English literacy skills development is too considered as a means of widening the experiences of learners and allowing them to communicate effectively in their everyday life as well as in their future lives as responsible citizens and professionals. Accordingly, woven into the framework of the basic English Literacy skills is also the development of critical thinking skills. Thinking critically would mean grasping the complexity of the world and questioning how others think in order to clarify and improve one’s own understanding. Although, schools and learning institutions clearly neglect the development of critical thinking, there is much evidence to show that students’ reading and writing abilities are linked to their ability to question facts and information. Literacy is briefly defined as the â€Å"ability to read and write†. When we think of literacy, we think of reading. But being able to read does not mean someone is necessarily a literate person. In the 21st century, literacy encompasses the skills youth and adults need to be functional in the society, including numeracy and reading and writing skills. Most learning is dependent to reading. As the learner advances in the educational ladder, more complex reading skills are required of him. Effective reading requires from an individual the ability to locate keywords in a sentence, locate the topic sentence in a paragraph and understand and interpret what is read. Reading, therefore is an important skill a child must developed in order to cope to the very fast, changing and difficulties the world offers. Of many skills it is cited that it is one of the first skill a literate person must acquire. Likewise, there were many studies and projects that responded to the many goals of ALS and UNESCO in general, specifically along the communication skills strands. One of which is the Project EASE. This study made use of a Reading Comprehension and writing composition test to assess the basic communication skills of the students. Unfortunately, there were only few qualifiers for the said program the rest did not qualify. Most of the non – qualifiers came from the lower sections where the pressure to earn was much stronger. The non – qualifier was given another chance. They were administered with an alternative cloze type of comprehension test carefully made by the SEAMEO Innotech experts. The program such as EASE was pronounced. (add facts) Another is a study on the Attributes of High School Student – qualifiers in the Accreditation and Equivalency Program (AEP) which was done as Basis for a proposed Action Program by Rarang in (1999). The study made use of the public high school students in the fourth congressional district of Pangasinan during the school year 1997 – 1998. The study was done for the purpose of creating appropriate action programs that could increase the probability of prospective PEPT examinees to qualify for promotion or year level acceleration. The result of the study revealed that out of the 86 respondents who took the 1997 PEPT only four qualified for the acceleration or promotion to the next higher level in high school. Furthermore, the research made use of the Descriptive Method with a pre and post enrollment attributes of the student – qualifier in the AEP as data gathering instrument. It was found out that there was more male drop – outs that females and their dropping age ranged from 13 to 17 years old and that before the respondents dropped out from school, the last level they completed was Grade VI. The findings of the study also revealed that the main reason for the learners dropping out is due to financial difficulty. They also vary in their performance in the last year level they attended with 89. 13% as the highest average grade and the lowest grade at 68. 25%. More so, the study discovered that the contributory factor in the acceleration and promotion of the students to the next level are their reading activities done during their free time like reading magazines, newspapers, books, pocketbooks and even their old notes. Accordingly, reading is the most important factor in achieving promotion and acceleration. Many reading researches have shown that learners and OSY’s reading skills literacy performance is always at risks. Firstly, in the second Readership Survey made by SWS survey commissioned by NBDB floated all over the Philippines revealed that reading has slightly declined in our country. Only 92 percent of the 1,200 respondents say that they read, down to two percent from the first Readership survey done in 2003. In the literacy field, comprehension is primarily identified as the goal of (Duke Pearson, 2002; Duke, Pearson, Strachan, Billman, 2011). While many agrees comprehension is of utmost importance, many still argue that in this many classroom context, focusing on students’ fluency did not limit students’ development as readers, particularly for those who were asked to read aloud. The findings of this study also pointed out the importance of teachers examining the learners own perceptions about reading and reading instruction (Edwards, Martin, Protacio, Razali,2010). Furthermore, (Biancarosa Snow, 2006; Joftus, 2002) exclaimed that even among students who do graduate from highschool, inadequate reading skills are a key impediment to success in postsecondary education (American Diploma Project, 2004). Students who struggle with reading of ten lack the prerequisites to take academically challenging coursework that could lead to more wide reading and thus exposure to advanced vocabulary and content ideas (Au, 2000). The 2006 report by ACT, Inc. , Reading Between the Lines: What the ACT Reveals About College Readiness in Reading, describes even more troubling trends. Only 51% of students who took the ACT test in 2004 were ready for college-level reading demands (ACT, Inc. , 2006). The reading skill levels of the out-of-school youth population have remained  low, especially in comparison to the rising skill demands of employers. Although this report cannot summarize the changing qualifications, a number of indicators suggest a serious shortfall between the skills of out-of-school youth and job requirements. Dropouts and other out-of-school youth are reported to be unable to attain basic levels of math and reading proficiency are certainly much higher. White Paper further explains that young people leaving the educational system at 16, or more likely 19, must at least have the requisite literacy and communication skills to be employable and to be effective in life. Since reading is linked to writing, students write about what they read. Young and adults who are behind in reading and writing simply have not had as much experience reading and writing as young adults who are proficient readers and writers. Moreover, out – of- school youth who are behind have also not leaned the strategies that proficient readers and writers use to understand text and communicate their ideas in writing. This means that explicitly the strategies that proficient readers and writers use and providing guided practice are the keys to improving these skills. It has been proven that Out – of- school youth possess a broad repertoire of knowledge and skills that simply needs to be recognized, tapped into and enhanced in order for their abilities to improve. Indeed, there is a need to place a greater emphasis on developing and enhancing quality English language literacy skills training, programs and instructional materials for Out – of – School youth development. The conception of the ALS program or the Alternative Learning System is a great endeavor that caters to the needs and improvement of Out –of-School youth in the City Schools Division of Dagupan City. The ALS DEpED Dagupan City Division is one with the government in the active fulfillment of its task to reach and educate the OSY’s in the City. In fact, there have been many OSY’s who benefited from the program. Latest report says that ALS students in Region I show positive interest in this endeavor. Dagupan City Schools Division is composed of five Districts. From all over the city, there have been many Out – of –school youth coming from the 31 barangays of the city who enrolled in the said program. With the initiative of teachers and volunteers who facilitates the program, the actual teaching and learning is collectively done with the help of the module based learning materials. Furthermore, in the case study conducted by the Accreditation and Equivalency System of the Non – Formal Education Project clearly encourages service providers like educational institutions to identify and make use of variety of enriching materials both print and non – print in addition to the prescribed NFE and A E Learning modules provided by the SEAMEO – INNOTECH. With the encouragement of the BNFE or the ALS calling to different service providers to respond and create instructional materials that the OSY’s can benefit, the researcher will study on the present Reading Comprehension Skills Levels of the Dagupeno OSY’s particularly on the Reading Comprehensions Skills Level of the ALS students presently registered and attending the regular Eskwela ALS program in the City schools division of Dagupan during the calendar year 2013– 2014 and envisions to create a Self – Learning Reading Material that will better improve and enhance the Reading Comprehension and in general proficiency of the ALS learners. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM This study aims to analyze the Reading Comprehension Skills Level of ALS students in the city schools division of Dagupan. Specifically, it will answer the following questions: 1. What is the performance of the ALS students in the reading Comprehension Test in terms of the: a. Total scores they will obtain from the Reading Comprehension Test? b. Specific scores they will obtained in the following reading Comprehension levels: Literal Reorganizational Inferential Evaluational Appreciational? 2. What is the extent of performance of the ALS students in the reading Comprehension test in terms of: a. Total scores they will obtain from the Reading Comprehension Test? scores they will obtained in the following reading Comprehension levels: Literal Reorganizational Inferential Evaluational Appreciational? 3. What instructional material will be proposed to address the reading comprehension inadequacies of the ALS students? SUBJECTS The subjects of the study will be the ALS students of the city schools division of Dagupan enrolled in the five districts of the division. There is a total of 447 ALS students in the division and they will be randomly selected from among the districts of the division. The respondents of the study will be elementary drop – outs, secondary drop – outs, non- passer of previous ALS AE Test/s, Learners/Completers of the ALS programs and Youth and adult drop – outs. RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS/ Assumptions The study will be anchored on the following assumptions: 1. The total test scores and the scores in the specific skills areas of the ALS students will reflect their reading comprehension performance. 2. The ALS students’ responses to the items in the test must truthful and accurate SCOPE AND DELIMITATION The study will be conducted to determine the reading comprehension performance and skills of the ALS students of the city schools division of Dagupan during the S. Y. 2013 – 2014. The respondents of the study will be elementary drop – outs, secondary drop – outs, non- passer of previous ALS AE Test/s, Learners/Completers of the ALS programs and Youth and adult drop – outs in general. A constructed Reading Comprehension Test will be used as instrument in gathering data pertinent to the study. The Reading Comprehension test will be carefully validated, tabulated and interpreted to arrive at accurate and precise results that will help as basis for the creation of a self- learning reading material for ALS students. Definition of Terms The following terms are carefully defined in the context of the study to provide a common understanding and frame of reference between the researcher and the readers: Reading both a process and a product and it involves bringing the individual’s entire life experiences and thinking patterns to understand what the writer has written (Aukerman, 1981). Reading Comprehension refers to the ability to understand text read by means of constructing meaning with the use of some clues in the text and the schema or background knowledge of the reader about the text. Reading Comprehension Abilities, also referred to as reading comprehension skills, refer to the five(5) reading levels (Toffelson, as cited by Tuvera, 1993) of reading comprehension, which include (1) Literal Level;(2) Reorganizational Level; (3) Inferential Level; (4) Evaluational Level; and (5) Appreciational Level. Specific Comprehension Skills refers to the specific skills that make up the different reading levels. Literal level of reading refers to the reading level that enables the students to recognized and/or recall details, main ideas, sequences, comparison, cause and effect relationships, character traits and recall author’s organization and explicitly stated information in the reading selection (Toffelson, as cited by Tuvera, 1993). Reorganizational level of reading refers to the reading level that enables the student to classify or group, outline or specify, summarize and synthesize text that has been read (Toffelson, as cited by Tuvera, 1993). Inferential Level of reading refers to the reading level that enables the student to infer supporting details which require the making of a hypothesis on an information that might have been included in the text; infer the main idea; infer a sequence which requires the student to make a hypothesis about what might have occurred in addition to the already explicitly stated events and making a hypothesis in events beyond completion of the text. Other skills also included are inferring, comparison, cause and effect relationships, charater traits,  author’s organization, figurative language and predicting outcomes (Toffelson, as cited by Tuvera, 1993). Evaluational level of reading refers to the reading level that enables the student to make a judgment of reality and fantasy and judgment between fact and opinion (Toffelson, as cited by Tuvera, 1993). Appreciational level of Reading refers to the reading level that enables the student to have emotional response to the text and determine an author’s purpose, mood, tone and point of vies (Toffelson, as cited by Tuvera, 1993). Performance is defined as a manner of functioning: the manner in which something or someone or somebody functions, operates, or behaves (Microsoft Encarta 2006. 1993 – 2005 Microsoft Corporation). In this study, it refers to the number of correct answers of the ALS students an all the specific levels of the reading comprehension test to reflect the students’ reading comprehension abilities. Extent of Performance refers to the reading comprehension abilities of the students based on a scale of scores to describe the level of reading comprehension of the ALS students. The scale will consists of three (3) levels: High , for scores equivalent to 75 percent – 100 percent; Moderate, for scores equivalent to 50 percent – 74 percent; and Low, for scores equivalent to at most 49 percent of the total point and of their points in the different specific reading comprehension skills areas. Total Scores obtained refers to the raw scores of the students which will correspond to the number of the correct answers of the ALS students in the reading comprehension test. Specific scores obtained refers to the raw scores of the learners in the different specific skill areas which correspond to the number of correct answers of the students in the specific skill areas. Self – Learning Reading Activities are activities involving processes which will enhance the reading performance and improve the five levels of reading comprehension of the ALS students . It also encourages students to gain more interest in reading with the aid of the designated activities. Analysis refers to the process of categorizing the performance of the students in the reading comprehension test in its totality and in the specific reading skills according to the extent of their performance. Out – of School Youth ALS ALS Learners ALS Implementers Conceptual Framework The objective of all readers should be comprehension of what they read. Comprehension is understanding. Understanding involves abilities to explain, interpret, apply, have perspective, empathize, and have self – knowledge (Wiggins and Mctighe,1998). Reading is both a process and a product ant it involves bringing the individual’s entire life experiences and thinking patterns to understand what the writer has written (Aukerman, 1981). When good decoders have problems with comprehension, they need help in developing language proficiency and listening comprehension. Teachers can help them develop the corresponding skills by combining vocabulary and comprehension strategy instruction with encouragement to enhance their reading of different materials Dymock, 1993). Reading comprehension can be effected by background knowledge. This concept is proved that when readers possess rich prior knowledge about the topic of a reading material, they often understand the reading material better than readers with low prior knowledge. That said, readers couldn’t always relate their world knowledge to the content of a text because they are not able to, even when they possess knowledge relevant to the information it presents. Often, they do not make inferences based on prior knowledge unless the inference are absolutely demanded to make sense of the text (Mckoon % Ratcliff, 1992). The study is anchored on the core concept that reading difficulties encountered by learners can be addressed by an appropriate learning material in the form of a self – learning reading material which will address their difficulties to be assessed using the reading comprehension test. Research Paradigm Figure 1. Paradigm of the study Figure 1 above illustrates the prerequisites in the development of a Self – Learning Reading Materail to improve the reading comprehension ability of ALS learners in the city schools division of Dagupan. CHAPTER II Review of Related Literature and Studies This chapter presents studies and literature which are seen to be significant that can give light to the completion and conduct of the research. FOREIGN Educational research has become a global enterprise, with researchers recognizing the need to be aware of educational practices in other countries. Burbules (2002) notes that this international context makes possible the sharing of knowledge and experience gained in relation to reform and evaluation in different countries. Recent studies show that seven hundred and seventy-five million adults cannot read (UIS, 2011). According to the study conducted by Glewwe and Kremer, (2006 ) a major factor in the poor reading problem is the poor quality of public schools in developing countries. Many peoples understanding of the educational production function, however, is still limited. Providing resources to schools with no other inputs rarely improves overall student performance and that if resources are paired with a larger array of inputs, students’ test scores do improve, he exclaimed. Unfortunately, the exact kind of additional support is necessary to make additional resources effective. For reading in particular, a number of studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of large comprehensive changes. Banerjee et al. (2007) studies an Indian remedial education program. The intervention itself causes students’ reading skills to improve, but because the intervention changes the educational environment along multiple dimensions – additional teachers, new pedagogical methods, new curriculum, changes to organization of the classroom, and additional resources – it is impossible to identify which components are necessary. In addition, a Case Study of Reading Instruction in a Philippine Classroom was also conducted by Protacio and Sarroub, (2013) where the reading practices in a public and high-achieving 6th grade English classroom in the Philippines were used as subjects of the study. The study utilized a four resources model, the different roles that students assume in this classroom was also clearly discussed. The students in the class are describe mainly as code breakers and text users and have limited opportunities to assume the other two roles of the four resources model. The study also provides a different view of reading, specifically a view of a culture of reading wherein higher status is given to oral reading performance rather than comprehension. The results of the study further revealed that reading is perceived as an oral performance activity by Filipino students because reading aloud is used frequently to negotiate the lack of resources in Philippine public schools. Comprehension does not matter as much to these students; rather, they are concerned with how they are perceived as oral readers in English, which is their second language. The case study findings provide a different view of reading, specifically a view of a culture of reading wherein higher status is given to oral performance rather than comprehension or fluency. The data also reveals that the predominant emphasis on oral performance satisfies only two roles or family of practices in the â€Å"four resources model of reading†: code breakers and text users. All of the students in the pilot section were not afforded opportunities by the teacher to fully engage with the four resources, as the class focused mostly on oral recitation as the main indicator for reading well. Students in this class infrequently assumed the role of meaning-makers and text analysts (Luke Freebody, 1999; Underwood, Yoo, Pearson, 2007). Instead, both students and teacher privileged correct pronunciation and reading correctly aloud—getting the accent right determined who the best students were in the class. Though, Philippine literacy scholars have commented on the emphasis on performance and reading aloud. Maminta (1982) discusses how reading as a subject was relegated to the background as the curriculum emphasized speech improvement with most of the class time being spent on pattern drills, mimicry, and memorization. Even though Maminta’s article focuses on speech improvement as being the emphasis three decades ago, it seems that it still characterizes classroom practice in the Philippines today. In the pilot section, the students themselves seemed to be the ones placing the emphasis on speech improvement. In the literacy field, comprehension is primarily identified as the goal of reading (Duke Pearson, 2002; Duke, Pearson, Strachan, Billman, 2011). While many agrees that comprehension is of utmost importance, many still argues that in this classroom context, focusing on students’ fluency did not limit students’ development as  readers, particularly for those who were asked to read aloud. What we do feel strongly about is the importance of providing all students opportunities to assume the role of readers in this classroom by giving all students a chance to read aloud in class. However, we noticed that, sadly, this was not the case. The findings of this study also point to the importance of teachers examining their own perceptions about reading and reading instruction (Edwards, Martin, Protacio, Razali,2010). Moreover, Reading fluency is the point at which beginning readers rely less on the phonemic decoding to recognize individual words and begin to recognize whole words, allowing for an increase in reading speed and comprehension. Meyer and Felton (1999), for example, define fluency as â€Å"the ability to read connected text rapidly, smoothly, effortlessly, and automatically with little conscious attention to the mechanics of reading, such as decoding. † Also, a study on the Effective Reading Programs for Middle and High School synthesized by Slavin, Cheung, Groff and Lake was published in 2009. This is a collection of many reading programs that systematically reviewed research on the achievement outcomes of four types of approaches to improving the reading of middle and high school students: specifically on the (1 ) reading curricula, (2) mixed-method models (methods that combine large and small-group instruction with computer activities), (3) computer-assisted instruction, and (4) instructional-process programs (methods that focus on providing teachers with extensive professional development to implement specific instructional methods). The collective synthesized study found out that students who enter high school with poor literacy skills face long odds against graduating and going on to postsecondary education or satisfying careers.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Fermi National Accelerator :: physics proton accelerator

During the early 1950's there was a need for a new large accelerator facility in the United States, therefore a group called MURA (Midwestern Universities Research Association) was formed by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission specifically to take on this enormous task. By the early 1960's the accelerator research panel had made several recommendations about the accelerator project. The panel reccomended that four things needed to be constructed to get the project under way. What the panel had suggested was that a super high current accelerator be constructed, a proton accelerator of approximately 200 GeV ( this would be Fermilabs original main ring) be constructed, storage rings needed to be constructed and a design study for an approximately 800 GeV machine needed to be formed. On November 21, 1967 President Lyndon Johnson signed a bill allowing the go ahead of the Fermi National Accelerator and by early 1968 congress approved funding to build the laboratory. In 1967 the Fermilab cost $243 million with an additional $120 million in 1983 to complete the Tevatron. The site chosen by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission was just outside Chicago Illinois in a small town called Weston, Illinois. The first person chosen to take on the complicated task of running the Fermilab was Founding Director Robert R. Wilson, and from the outset Robert committed the laboratory to firm principles of scientific excellence, esthetic beauty, stewardship of the land, fiscal responsibility and equality of opportuniy (Fermi website, http://www.fnal.gov/pub/contact/index.html). What excactly does the Fermilab do you ask? Well in the simplest terms possible the lab studies the tiniest building blocks of matter to learn and understand more about the forces involved in holding them together and the forces that separate them, otherwise known as particle physics. To study these subatomic particles the scientist must smash them together in order to see what comes flying out. One of the most interesting parts about the Fermilab is the immense size of the equipment used to carry out the experiments. The Tevatron is the highest energy particle accelerator in the world. It is located 30 feet below the surface and has a circumference of approximately four miles. The Tevatron uses accelerators that help add energy to the subatomic particles so that they can travel around the four-mile loop 50,000 times a second at a speed of 99.9999 % of light. To help study the collisions there are two collider detectors ( CDF and DZero), each about the size of a four story building.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity Essay

Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity People of different religions are in contact with each other every day, and do not even realize it. Here in the United States there is a compilation of many religions. Three major religions not only in the United States, but also throughout the world are Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity. There are many differences, and few similarities when comparing Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity. Not only are the backgrounds of these religions similar and different, but so are the practices that they still live out to this day. Hinduism originated between 4000 and 2000 BC. Hinduism believes in Karma, â€Å"you reap what you sow,† and reincarnation. Reincarnation is the belief that after death, the soul can come back to earth in another body. The Hindu trinity is the Brahma, Vishnu, and the Shiva, which are the three aspects of the same divine being. There are four goals in the life of a Hindu. They are Kama, Artha, Dharma, and Moksha. These mean the fulfillment of certain desires, wealth, religious duties, and not wanting things. The cow and the bull are both considered sacred and should not be slaughtered. So Hindus are forbidden from eating beef. There are many festivals affiliated with the Hindu religion, because they believe it keeps them close to their gods. At least once a month, there is a Hindu festival, where they celebrate their diversity. Islam is the second largest religion in the world, and the fastest growing religion in the world. Islam is the belief in the Judeo-Christian God. Muslims are monotheistic, and believe in the five pillars of Islam. The five pillars are the Shahada, Salat, Zakat, Sawm, and the Hajj. The Shahada means testimony, Salat is for prayer, Zakat is for giving, Sawm is for fasting, and Hajj means pilgrimage. According to Muslims, Muhammad was a cornerstone of Islam, and he was god’s messenger. For Muslims, the pig is an unclean animal, and is forbidden to eat unless prepared in accordance with prescribed rules. Intoxicating drinks and substances are prohibited. Christianity is a major world religion that adapted over 2000 years ago. It is the belief that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God. The major text of Christianity is the Bible. The Bible concludes of an Old and a New Testament, and is a compilation of books. Christians have many ways of religious practices. There are festivals and feasts, which are usually celebrated on holidays. The communal worship takes place on Sundays and other days of the week in which people from the church come together for rituals. The last is private worship, which is used when one is alone, where they can engage in prayer, devotions, and spiritual practices. Islam is a religion founded by a prophet. In contrast, Hinduism is a group of religious traditions, established over a period of time. In Hinduism personalities do not count as much as the divine law or the dharma. So in Islam the message of Islam is far more important than the person of Muhammad himself. Unlike Christianity, Muslims do not worship their prophet. Unlike Islam, Hinduism is strictly monogamous. Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam all share similarities and differences. Unlike Hinduism, Christianity and Islam share the belief of only one god. Hindus have a god for fire, death, water, etc. The practices of Christianity and Islam are sometimes in groups, while Hinduism is practiced alone. All three religions believe in the efficacy of prayer. But Hinduism and Islam believe in the importance of remembering and reciting the names, words, and deeds of god, for inner purification. Unlike Islam and Christianity, Hinduism has the choice of an intervener between god and a person, such as a priest or a guru for assistance. Intimate relationships are not approved of in Islam and Hinduism. Dating is considered both irreligious and immoral. In these two religions along with Christianity, premarital sex is considered immoral also. In conclusion all three religions share that they believe in an afterlife, and strive for immortality. For all religions death is a normal and natural thing that leads to an eternal life. Christianity and Islam are closer together then Hinduism. Mostly Europeans adopted Christianity along with Islam in the 18th and 19th centuries. This means that both Christianity and Islam have been influenced in some ways by the European culture. The Europeans have pulled Christianity and Islam close together while the Europeans have never influenced Hinduism, which makes Hinduism different from the other two religions.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Labrouste and Ledoux

Henri Labrouste and Claude Ledoux were French architects during the 18th and 19th centuries and are pioneers of modern architecture. Henri Labrouste was born in 1801 and was the product of the renowned Ecole des Beaux Arts School of Architecture. He believed that architecture should reflect society, and his work reflects the rationalism and technical aspects of industrial society. His work also embodies the ideals of writer Victor Hugo, who believed that architecture is a form of communication, like literature, and that in the beginning phases of construction it expressed the generalization of society and social commonalities. Claude Ledoux was born in 1736 and was one of the earliest exponents of neoclassical architecture. He gained architectural relevance after marrying the daughter of someone who worked for the royal court and was offered a job for the courts Water and Forestry Department. He was considered a utopian architect and had some very modern ideas about industrial production, urban planning, and territorial intelligence. Henri Labrouste was one of the first architects to master using iron structure in an aesthetically pleasing way. Iron had already been used in structures like train stations, but never in a formal interior environment, as in a library. One example of his skillful use of iron is in the library, Bibliotheque Ste. Genevieve, where he incorporated past masonry construction practices with iron. He kept the huge arches of past churches, but instead of using heavy stones he used iron trusses for support. With this new design, the exterior walls no longer had to hold all of the forces from the arches, and the iron supports could simply rest on top of the walls. The walls were also modified with the use of iron by essentially applying reinforcement bars encased with plaster to make thinner walls, that had just as much strength as previous thicker walls. Since the new iron arches are so strong, Labrouste was able to take pieces out to create a design and pattern out of the support itself. Even the connections between the arch and columns or walls were made to look decorative and light while keeping a strong connection, which he also did in Bibliotheque Imperiale, but with domes rather than barrel vaults. In another one of his libraries, he Bibliotheque Nationale de France, he once again used massive arches and domes of antiquity, but manages to make the dome look very light by inserting oculi and supporting it by thin, reinforced columns. The dome is made from plaster, but has a web of steel to allow for it to be thinner and to support the massive openings that are covered in glass. Unlike Bibliotheque Ste. Genevieve, he hides almost all of t he steel structure so that it looks like a feat of engineering and design to have such a large dome that is so thin and supported by such thin columns. Labrouste was on the forefront of integrating new technology with past materials and design concepts. Rather than using new materials like Labrouste, Claude Ledoux used new ideas to establish a new architectural language. He designed many tollhouses around the walls of Paris through his connection to the royal court. Many of them resembled Greek and Roman temples but had new elements that gave them a modern look. He travelled to England in 1769 and became very familiar with Palladio and since then usually used a cubic style with a broken portico that allowed any structure to look important. He built several homes during his time in England, including the King’s mistress, who became a good connection for Ledoux in later years. In his work, Barriere des Bons-Hommes, he simplifies architecture down to its purest form by essentially placing a large cube on stilts, much like later architect Le Corbusier did in his Villa Savoye. One of Ledoux’s most notable works was the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans where he explored the concept of an ideal community. He located the community near a forest, rather than a source of salt water because it would be more efficient to transport water than wood for the furnaces. It was constructed in 1775 and was intended to be a multi-phase project, but after 1778 construction stopped with only the first phase complete. The design still functioned as intended with a central building for the controllers that was between the two furnaces and had a view of all of the housing. All of the buildings would act independent from one another but were still placed in a logical order to allow for maximum efficiency, such as the placement of the blacksmiths near the furnaces. The perfectly circular design was also intended to evoke the harmony of the ideal city. Ledoux was one of the first architects to design such thought out communities and maximize efficiency through the use of architecture and explore the concept of a self-sustaining utopian society. As he put, â€Å"unfortunate is the one who fails to see in reality what he is being made to see, who is unable to imagine,† showing how ahead of his time he was with his concept of designing ideal societies. Claude Ledoux and Henri Labrouste were two of the most important neoclassical architects because of their innovative thoughts and designs. Labrouste successfully experimented with the use of iron to innovate his designs and change the way buildings were built forever. Through the simplification of design and studying of geometries, Ledoux pioneered the concept of utopian communities and maximizing resources and efficiency. Ledoux and Labrouste were at the forefront of modernity and their concept of design are still used and perfected to this day.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Free Essays on Psychopathic Serial Killers

Psychopathic Serial Killers Theodore R. Bundy He confessed to the brutal murders of 28 women, all of them young and good-looking. All were white, thin, single, wearing slacks at the time of disappearance, had hair that was long and parted in the middle and they all disappeared in the evening. He prowled for them in college campuses, sororities or state parks. He strangled them or broke their skulls with a crowbar, raped and sodomized them, sometimes with objects. A handsome and athletic man, he was very attractive and convincing for his victims. He was an honors student of psychology at the Washington University and was in love with nice women twice before becoming a psychopath. After being arrested and sentenced to prison due to the accusations of one of his victims who was able to escape his attack, he ran from prison twice and continued his killing spree, before being caught, sentenced to death and executed in the electric chair, in 1984. His total tally was probably more than 36. Jeffrey Dahmers The Milwaukee Cannibal A handsome and well-educated man, he was one of the worst serial killers in the history of the USA. A homosexual, he tortured and killed young boys, made sex with their bodies, dismembered them and collected several parts. He also cannibalized several of them. Twenty-one victims were his probable tallies. Declared insane, he was committed to several consecutive sentences of life imprisonment, but was killed shortly afterwards in the prison by two inmates. Albert Fish One of the most ghoulish and perverse of all serial killers of history, Fish was a frail-looking old man when he was arrested. He had a terrifying story to tell. A sado-masochist who had a bizarre behavior of self-flagellation and sticking needles in his body, as well as religious delusions, he declared: "I always had a desire to inflict pain on others and to have others inflict pain on me. I always seemed to enjoy everything that hurt.... Free Essays on Psychopathic Serial Killers Free Essays on Psychopathic Serial Killers Psychopathic Serial Killers Theodore R. Bundy He confessed to the brutal murders of 28 women, all of them young and good-looking. All were white, thin, single, wearing slacks at the time of disappearance, had hair that was long and parted in the middle and they all disappeared in the evening. He prowled for them in college campuses, sororities or state parks. He strangled them or broke their skulls with a crowbar, raped and sodomized them, sometimes with objects. A handsome and athletic man, he was very attractive and convincing for his victims. He was an honors student of psychology at the Washington University and was in love with nice women twice before becoming a psychopath. After being arrested and sentenced to prison due to the accusations of one of his victims who was able to escape his attack, he ran from prison twice and continued his killing spree, before being caught, sentenced to death and executed in the electric chair, in 1984. His total tally was probably more than 36. Jeffrey Dahmers The Milwaukee Cannibal A handsome and well-educated man, he was one of the worst serial killers in the history of the USA. A homosexual, he tortured and killed young boys, made sex with their bodies, dismembered them and collected several parts. He also cannibalized several of them. Twenty-one victims were his probable tallies. Declared insane, he was committed to several consecutive sentences of life imprisonment, but was killed shortly afterwards in the prison by two inmates. Albert Fish One of the most ghoulish and perverse of all serial killers of history, Fish was a frail-looking old man when he was arrested. He had a terrifying story to tell. A sado-masochist who had a bizarre behavior of self-flagellation and sticking needles in his body, as well as religious delusions, he declared: "I always had a desire to inflict pain on others and to have others inflict pain on me. I always seemed to enjoy everything that hurt....

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Natural Mosquito Repellent Recipe

Natural Mosquito Repellent Recipe Its easy to make your own natural mosquito repellent. You can control exactly what goes into the product so you wont need to worry about any unwanted chemicals. Natural Mosquito Repellent Safety There are a couple of different formulations you can use for your natural mosquito repellent. In general, what you are doing is diluting an essential oil that the mosquitoes find distasteful or which confuses them so they cant find you to bite you. The oils dont mix with water, so youll need to add them to other oils or to alcohol. Its important to use an oil or alcohol that is safe for your skin. Also, dont go overboard with the essential oils. The oils are potent and could cause skin irritation or another reaction if you use too much. If you are pregnant or nursing, do not use any mosquito repellent, natural or otherwise, until after youve gotten it cleared by your physician. Natural Mosquito Repellent Ingredients If you are making large amounts of mosquito repellent, a good rule of thumb is to mix the repellent so its 5-10% essential oil. That means you should mix one part essential oil with 10-20 parts carrier oil or alcohol. For a smaller batch use: 10-25 drops (total) of essential oils2 tablespoons of a carrier oil or alcohol The essential oils that work well against mosquitoes are: cinnamon oillemon eucalyptus oilcitronella oilcastor oil Safe carrier oils and alcohols include: olive oilsunflower oilany other cooking oilwitch hazelvodka Natural Mosquito Repellent Recipe Mix the essential oil with the carrier oil or alcohol. Rub or spray the natural insect repellent onto skin or clothing, using care to avoid the sensitive eye area. Youll need to re-apply the natural product after about an hour or after swimming or exercise. Unused natural insect repellent may be stored in a dark bottle, away from heat or sunlight.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 1

Business Environment - Essay Example (Tesco, 2011). 1. Mission, Objectives and Responsibilities of an Organization (a) The Core Mission of Tesco deals with creation of value for its customers through the rendering of quality products and services. Through the rendering of quality products and services the company aims at enhancing the loyalty parameter of the customers. Further the company also sets a mission of caring for its people in both the external and internal sphere. The internal groups of people consist of the employees of the company who by dint of their hard work makes the company succeed in a competitive business environment. External group of people are the customers and other stakeholders like suppliers and government who render due support in making the company succeed in its operations. The company believes that helping the customers in getting the right products caters to the event of repeat purchases by them. Similarly the company also works to motivate its internal people to work in a devoted manner t o fulfill customer delights. Moreover the customers and the staff are regularly contacted by the management team of Tesco to get fruitful suggestions in developing its service and product qualities. (Tesco, n.d.). The above mission of Tesco helps the company in fulfilling its stated objectives which can be underlined as follows. Tesco fulfills the needs of the customers by rendering quality products at reasonable market prices. The customers of Tesco are regularly contacted by the company for getting suggestions which would help in both product and service enhancement. Tesco also satisfies the needs of its stake holders like investors and shareholders by producing high returns on the investments made. The company also helps in quality enhancement of its employees through effective training and management policies. Tesco also maintains a strong supplier environment which aims to deliver to the company quality products at effective price ranges. Finally in total Tesco works tightly in fulfilling the responsibilities of the company to the society in a complete manner by satisfying all legal and environmental obligations. (Corporate Objectives, n.d.). (b) The giant departmental store Tesco has large group of stakeholders starting from customers, supplier groups, investors and shareholders, the different levels of staffs and the union groups to which these people belong to, the community of people who sponsor the company and whom the company sponsors and finally those who render influences on the government of the region and on the business as a whole. Tesco in a bid to cater to the customer groups have helped in creating stores which would remain open for full 24 hours every day. These stores help in catering for the buying community who fail to avail time to conduct shopping during the day owing to their busy schedules. The company also encourages the customers to conduct transactions online through their membership card which helps enhancing customer loyalty. Wh ile maintaining a relation with the supplier groups Tesco acts in a strict manner through administering, monitoring and evaluating their demands. If in turn a supplier group of the company demands an increase upon the agreed amounts and thereby tries to disturb the operations, Tesco does not wait from altering