Speaking Skill free essay sample

Some speaking situations are partially Interactive, such as when gluing a speech to a live audience, where the convention Is that the audience does not interrupt the speech. The speaker nevertheless can see the audience and judge from the expressions on their faces and body language whether or not he or she is being understood. Some few speaking situations may be totally non-interactive, such as when recording a speech for a radio broadcast . Micro-skills Here are some of the micro-skills involved in speaking.The speaker has to: renounce the distinctive sounds oaf language clearly enough so that people can distinguish them. This includes making tonal distinctions. 0 use stress and rhythmic patterns, and intonation patterns of the language clearly enough so that people can understand what is said. 0 use the correct forms of words. This may mean, for example, changes in the tense, case, or gender. 0 put words together in correct word order. We will write a custom essay sample on Speaking Skill or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Use vocabulary appropriately. Use the register or language variety that is appropriate to the situation and the allegations to the conversation partner.C] make clear to the listener the main sentence constituents, such as subject, verb, object, by whatever means the language uses. 0 make the main ideas stand out from supporting ideas or information. Make the discourse hang together so that people can follow what you are saying. Speaking Skill By Jan_Anton There are three kinds of speaking situations in which we find ourselves: interactive, partially interactive, and 0 non-interactive Interactive speaking situations include face-to-face conversations and telephone alls, in which we are alternately listening and speaking, and in which we have a partner. Some speaking situations are partially interactive, such as when giving a speech to a live audience, where the convention is that the audience does not interrupt the speech. The speaker nevertheless can see the audience and Judge from 0 pronounce the distinctive sounds oaf language clearly enough so that people can 0 use vocabulary appropriately. 0 use the register or language variety that is appropriate to the situation and the relationship to the conversation partner.

10 Tips Every Freshman needs to Know for Back to School Season by EssaySupply.com

10 Tips Every Freshman needs to Know for Back to School Season 10 Tips To Know Before School Season As you get ready to begin your first year of college, there are probably dozens of things you have done to prepare yourself. You’ve most likely shopped for dorm room furnishings, purchased a new laptop for studying and entertainment, taken a tour of the classroom, introduced yourself to your new dorm mate, and more. Hopefully, you are as prepared as you can be. However, if you aren’t feeling as confident about the start of the school year as you should be, don’t worry. We have compiled a list of ten tips for new college freshmen that you won’t hear in any orientation. 1. Create an Open and Honest Relationship with Your Roommate Here is the deal. Unless something extreme happens, you and your roommate will be together for one semester at a minimum before your RA will even entertain the thought of making a move. Try getting together and setting up a few ground rules around issues such as visitors, cleaning, and food. Then, agree to approach each other honestly when there are issues and avoid being passive aggressive. 2. Grades Aren’t Everything Here’s a shocking revelation. Many of your future employers will care less about your GPA. They’ll care that you graduated. They’ll care about research projects, whether or not you’ve been published, internships, work experience, and relevant activities. So, study hard, but take the time to be a well-rounded student. 3. Party Wisely Let’s be realistic. You will go to parties. Just be safe and use some common sense. Go to parties with friends and leave with friends. Make sure there is one person in the group that will not be drinking. Don’t binge drink or accept drinks from anybody you do not trust explicitly. Leave enough time in your schedule for sleep and studying. 4. Scope out Places Near Campus that Serve food all Night Every college student needs a go-to diner, cafà ©, or greasy spoon to hit late at night when they have the munchies. These are great places to go for a burger, a cup of coffee, or just a quiet late night study spot. 5. Say Hi to Your Professors If you have questions, a comment on a lecture, or a concern about an upcoming assignment stop by your instructor’s office. They will be more than happy to hear from you. If you have nothing to say, just pop your head in the door to say hello. 6. It’s okay to Befriend Upper Classmen This isn’t high school where upper classmen would never lower themselves to hang with a ‘frosh’. Friendships in college tend to be founded around common interests, not grade level or age. 7. There are more ways to get Help than you are told You have many options for getting help with school work on campus. This is great, but sometimes that help isn’t what you need. If you need real help with writing assignments, look into a service like where you can buy essay online that are custom written and quality-guaranteed. 8. Print Everything the Night Before The biggest mistake you can make is to finish your homework and then plan to print it out before class. It is almost guaranteed that you will run into problems. Leave yourself plenty of time to get things printed out. Also, don’t forget to upload your writing assignments to turnitin.com or your instructor’s web portal. 9. Find a Place to Study Outside of your Room Your dorm room has your roommate, visitors, and a ton of electronics. Then, there’s also the temptation to sleep or clean. Find a nice quite spot on or off campus to do your studying. 10. Keep Healthy Snacks on Hand You won’t always have time to get a proper meal. Carry healthy snacks to munch on during the day, and you won’t be tempted to pig out at night.

3 Hit Rammstein Songs Translated From German

3 Hit Rammstein Songs Translated From German Rammstein is a famous German band whose music is best described as dark, heavy rock. They are somewhat political and often take on social issues in their songs and that has led to controversy. Whatever your take on Rammsteins political views, the bands lyrics are also a lesson in German. If you are studying the language, you might find these lyrics and the English translations to three of their most popular songs helpful. An Introduction to Rammstein Rammstein was formed in 1993 by six men who grew up in East Germany  and were all born after the Berlin Wall went up. They took their name from the American Ramstein air base near Frankfurt (adding an extra m). The bands members are  Till Lindemann (b. 1964), Richard Z. Kruspe-Bernstein (b. 1967), Paul Lander (b. 1964), Oliver Riedel (b. 1971), Christoph Schneider (b. 1966), and Christian Flake Lorenz (b. 1966). Rammstein  is a unique German band in that it has managed to become popular in the English-speaking world by singing almost exclusively in German. Most other German artists or groups (think the Scorpions or Alphaville) have sung in English in order to reach the English-language market or they sing in German and remain virtually unknown in the Anglo-American world (think Herbert Grà ¶nemeyer). Yet, Rammstein has somehow turned their German lyrics into an advantage. It certainly can become an advantage for learning German. Rammenstein Albums Herzeleid  (1995)Sehnsucht  (1997)Live aus Berlin  (1998, also a  DVD)Mutter  (2001)Lichtspielhaus  (2003, DVD)Reise, Reise  (2004) The Controversy That Surrounds Rammstein Rammstein has also stirred up controversy on their road to fame.  One of the most famous incidents occurred in 1998. It involved their use of clips from the work of the Nazi  filmmaker  Leni Riefenstahl  in one of their music videos. The song, Stripped, was a cover of a  Depeche Mode song and the films used spurred protests against what some saw as a glorification of Nazism. Even before that well-publicized incident, their lyrics and images had given rise to the criticism that the band has neo-Nazi or far-right tendencies. With German lyrics that are often far from politically correct, their music was even linked to the Columbine, Colorado school shooting in 1999. Some British and American radio stations have refused to play Rammstein songs (even if they dont understand the German lyrics). There is no real evidence that any of Rammsteins six eastern German musicians themselves hold such right-wing beliefs. Yet, some people are either a little naive or in denial when they claim that Rammstein has done nothing to lead people to suspect the band of fascist leanings. The band itself has been a bit coy in their claims of why would anyone accuse us of such things? In light of some of their lyrics, they really should not pretend to be so innocent. The band members themselves have admitted they intentionally make their lyrics ambiguous and full of double entendre (Zweideutigkeit). However... we refuse to join those who totally reject artists for their supposed or actual political views. There are people who wont listen to Richard Wagner  operas because he was antisemitic (which he was). For me, the talent evident in Wagners music  rises above other considerations. Just because we condemn his antisemitism doesnt mean we cant appreciate his music. The same goes for Leni Riefenstahl. Her former Nazi connections are undeniable, but so is her cinematic and photographic talent. If we choose or reject music, cinema, or any art form only for political reasons, then we are missing the point of art. But if youre going to listen to Rammsteins lyrics and their meaning, dont be naive about it. Yes, you can learn German through their lyrics, simply be aware that those lyrics may have offensive overtones of a political, religious, sexual,  or social nature that people have a right to object to. Keep in mind that not everyone is comfortable with lyrics about sadistic sex or the use of the f-word - even if its in German. If Rammsteins lyrics make people think about issues from fascism to misogyny, then thats for the good. If listeners also learn some German in the process, so much the better. Amerika Lyrics Album: â€Å"Reise, Reise† (2004) Amerika is a perfect example of Rammsteins controversial style and it is also one of their best-known songs worldwide. The lyrics include both  German and English and it includes countless references about how America reigns over world culture and politics- for good or bad. As you can tell by the last verse (recorded in English, so no translation is needed), this song was not written with the intent of idolizing America. The music video is filled with clips of American influence throughout the world and the overall feel of the song is rather dark. German Lyrics Direct Translation by Hyde Flippo Refrain:*Were all living in America,America is wunderbar.Were all living in America,Amerika, Amerika.Were all living in America,Coca-Cola, Wonderbra,Were all living in America,Amerika, Amerika. Refrain:Were all living in America,America is wonderful.Were all living in America,America, America.Were all living in America,Coca-Cola, Wonderbra,Were all living in America,America, America. Wenn getanzt wird, will ich fhren,auch wenn ihr euch alleine dreht,lasst euch ein wenig kontrollieren,Ich zeige euch wies richtig geht.Wir bilden einen lieben Reigen,die Freiheit spielt auf allen Geigen,Musik kommt aus dem Weien Haus,Und vor Paris steht Mickey Maus. When Im dancing, I want to lead,even if you all are spinning alone,lets exercise a little control.Ill show you how its done right.We form a nice round (circle),freedom is playing on all the fiddles,music is coming out of the White House,and near Paris stands Mickey Mouse. Ich kenne Schritte, die sehr ntzen,und werde euch vor Fehltritt schtzen,und wer nicht tanzen will am Schluss,wei noch nicht, dass er tanzen muss!Wir bilden einen lieben Reigen,ich werde Euch die Richtung zeigen,nach Afrika kommt Santa Claus,und vor Paris steht Mickey Maus. I know steps that are very useful,and Ill protect you from missteps,and anyone who doesnt want to dance in the end,just doesnt know that he has to dance!We form a nice round (circle),Ill show you the right direction,to Africa goes Santa Claus,and near Paris stands Mickey Mouse. This is not a love song,this is not a love song.I dont sing my mother tongue,No, this is not a love song. * This refrain is used throughout the song, at times it is only the first four lines. In the last refrain, the sixth line is replaced with Coca-Cola, sometimes WAR,. Spieluhr (Music Box) Lyrics Album: Mutter (2001) The Hoppe hoppe Reiter phrase, repeated often in Spieluhr comes from a popular German nursery rhyme. The song tells the dark story about a child who pretends to be dead and is buried with a music box. It is the music box song that alerts people of the childs presence. German Lyrics Direct Translation by Hyde Flippo Ein kleiner Mensch stirbt nur zum Scheinwollte ganz alleine seindas kleine Herz stand still fr Stundenso hat man es fr tot befundenes wird verscharrt in nassem Sandmit einer Spieluhr in der Hand A small person just pretends to die(it) wanted to be completely alonethe small heart stood still for hoursso they declared it deadit is buried in wet sandwith a music box in its hand Der erste Schnee das Grab bedeckthat ganz sanft das Kind gewecktin einer kalten Winternachtist das kleine Herz erwacht The first snow that covered the gravewoke the child very gentlyin a cold winter nightthe small heart is awakened Als der Frost ins Kind geflogenhat es die Spieluhr aufgezogeneine Melodie im Windund aus der Erde singt das Kind As the frost flew into the childit wound up the music boxa melody in the windand the child sings from the ground Refrain:*Hoppe hoppe Reiterund kein Engel steigt herabmein Herz schlgt nicht mehr weiternur der Regen weint am Grabhoppe hoppe Reitereine Melodie im Windmein Herz schlgt nicht mehr weiterund aus der Erde singt das Kind Refrain:*Bumpety bump, riderand no angel climbs downmy heart does not beat any longeronly the rain cries at the graveBumpety bump, ridera melody in the windmy heart does not beat any longerand the child sings from the ground Der kalte Mond in voller Prachthrt die Schreie in der Nachtund kein Engel steigt herabnur der Regen weint am Grab The cold moon, in full magnificencehears the cries in the nightand no angel climbs downonly the rain cries at the grave Zwischen harten Eichendielenwird es mit der Spieluhr spieleneine Melodie im Windund aus der Erde singt das Kind Between hard oak boardsit will play with the music boxa melody in the windand the child sings from the ground Hoppe hoppe Reitermein Herz schlgt nicht mehr weiterAm Totensonntag hrten sieaus Gottes Acker diese Melodieda haben sie es ausgebettetdas kleine Herz im Kind gerettet Bumpety bump, ridermy heart does not beat any longerOn Totensonntag** they heard thismelody from Gods field [i.e., a cemetery]then they unearthed itthey saved the small heart in the child * The refrain is repeated after the next two verses and again at the end of the song. *  *Totensonntag  (Dead Sunday) is a Sunday in November when German Protestants remember the dead. Du Hast (You Have) Lyrics Album: Senhsucht (1997) This Rammstein song plays on the similarities of the conjugated forms of the verbs  haben  (to have) and  hassen  (to hate). It is a good study for anyone learning the German  language. German Lyrics Direct Translation by Hyde Flippo Dudu hast (hat)*du hast mich(4 x)du hast mich gefragtdu hast mich gefragtdu hast mich gefragt,und ich hab nichts gesagt Youyou have (hate)you have (hate) me*(4 x)you have asked meyou have asked meyou have asked meand I have said nothing Repeats twice:Willst du bis der Tod euch scheidettreu ihr sein fr alle TageNein, nein Repeats twice:Do you want, until death do you part,to be faithful to her for all your daysNo, no Willst du bis zum Tod der Scheide,sie lieben auch in schlechten TagenNein, nein Do you want until the death of the vagina,to love her, even in bad timesNo, no * This is a play on two German verbs:  du hast  (you have) and  du haßt  (you hate), spelled differently but pronounced the same way. The German  lyrics are provided for educational use only. No infringement of copyright is implied or intended. The literal, prose translations of the  original German  lyrics by Hyde Flippo.

The Masterpiece in Public Enemys Hip Hop Track Essay

The Masterpiece in Public Enemys Hip Hop Track - Essay Example The essay "The Masterpiece in Public Enemy’s Hip Hop Track" discusses the Public Enemy’s Hip Hop Track â€Å"Fight the Power†, one of the greatest musical works in history. The track features a hard, intense sound – one that is clearly different from the other hip-hop songs produced earlier. Produced in June 1989 as a single, at the request of Spike Lee, the track was to be used as the theme song to the movie ‘Do The Right Thing’. The movie focused on the racial tension that was then being experienced in Brooklyn, New York and in the rest of the United States of America. Contrary to what the title of the song literally suggests, â€Å"Fight the Power† was not about fighting the authorities that reigned at the time but rather it had all to do with fighting the abuse of powers by them. The abuse of power by white authorities led to oppression and violation of human rights. This song came at a very significant point in the history of the black people in America. Because after the Civil War of the 1960s that were believed to have ended racism, the song revealed the situation on the ground. It was believed that racism did not exist in the 1980s - a notion that is very far from the truth as racism had only taken another form. During the 80s, racism hurt mor e because most of the black people knew their rights and still experienced its harsh effects. According to the song, being black made one an enemy of the public. If a crime was committed in the U.S. during the 80s, the first suspects were the African Americans. Accusations against people were simply based on their race. The blacks were effectively considered to be guilty until proven innocent in spite of the fact that the law stated that one is innocent until proven guilty. The song urged people to talk against racism and make use of their right to freedom of speech (Lyrics Depot par. 1). The song noted that it was time to do the right thing; talk against all forms of racism. The right to freedom of speech for the black community had long been a foreign concept. The song urged the blacks to fight for their constitutional right to be respected unto death. The lyrics of the song state that â€Å"Our freedom of speech is freedom or death† (Lyrics Depot par. 1). The song also vie wed everybody as equal regardless of race, age and neighbourhood. The song â€Å"Fight the Power† addresses the issue of Blacks’ history. For a long time, it had been assumed in the U.S. that Blacks did not have a history, this in spite of the fact that they had been in existence for a long time. The heroes that were being recognized in one way or another and their pictures featuring on the stamps are the very ones that the Blacks could not relate with. In the song, one example of such heroes is Elvis who was considered to be the king of rock and roll (Lyrics

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

Beatles - Essay Example A simple percussion that is consistent throughout does not dominate but simply backs the moderate tempo of the song. However, the changing progressions and phrasing throughout the song gives the illusion of a changing tempo and time signature. The instrumentation is built on top of a bass line that is an "Oom pah" sound reminiscent of a military march or civic band. In the first half of the song, this is accompanied with a strummed acoustic guitar that compliments the percussion. In the last verse, Harrison introduces a picked instrument, probably a 12 string guitar, that plays counter melody and gives the song a Mediterranean or Eastern sound not unlike the sitar used in later works. "Girl", like many of the songs on the album, was mixed with all the vocals on one channel and the instruments on the other. This was a move toward greater use and experimentation in the studio. Many of the elements of "Girl" would be expanded on and would show up on their subsequent recordings.

A Discussion of Obamacare Essay Example for Free

A Discussion of Obamacare Essay Over the course of my paper I shall discuss the piece of legislation known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, more informally known as Obamacare. The issue currently debated with this piece of legislature focuses on its constitutionality, its purpose as a tax hike, and whether or not it should be passed. Is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act unconstitutional? From what I have studied in the article â€Å"Is Obamacare unconstitutional? †, at debatetopics. net, and from what I know of the act, I would say that it is certainly unconstitutional. Does the act serve as a tax hike? According to â€Å"Voters consider ObamaCare a tax hike, poll shows† at foxnews. com, it does. Should the Patient Protection and Affordable Care act be passed? From everything I have learned of the act and from what knowledge I have gained from â€Å"Patterson: State leaders should refuse to allow Obamacare to localize† at masnbc. com, I personally would not allow the act to pass. The act is unconstitutional as it was passed under a false premise. It was upheld as constitutional by justifying the individual mandate as a tax. However, it would never have been passed if it had been upfront in regards to creating a new personal tax. The means used to justify the act as constitutional are inconsistent with the original wording of the bill and therefore unconstitutional. The act is also passed under a false premise as it creates a new tax and is therefore a tax bill. Those living in the country illegally are exempt from buying health insurance and get it for free. Those individuals who are currently considered â€Å"entitled† and receive government aid are also exempt. These illegal immigrants and entitled persons will receive free healthcare and the rest of the country will have to pay for it. The act is also unconstitutional in regards to the individual mandate itself. It is not up to the government to make its citizens purchase health insurance, nor should they pay for the health insurance of others. It is up to no other person to give a given individual anything. There should never a case in which one group of people is forced to care for others because those others refuse to do anything with themselves and their lives. The act is clearly unconstitutional as it forces the average United States citizen to purchase a service from a private firm or be penalized for not doing so. The fine attached to not purchasing health insurance is also only considered constitutional under Congress power to tax. A main way of denying Obamacare is to refuse to establish state-level health exchanges. Exchanges are basically government sanctioned cartels where only a few government approved insurers can sell government approved health insurance, including all subsidies, exemptions and mandates that they apply. When agreeing to establish an exchange, a given state agrees to operate a massive government program which would be run according to federal rules and mandates. The federal government would control the doctors and providers allowed, the health insurance plans and benefits, the subsidies and exemptions. The state would do the work of the federal government and bear the cost of the program and would also act as an IRS enforcer as it would be required to give the names and taxpayer identification numbers of people who have changed employers and lost coverage as well as those who have terminated their coverage or simply choose not to purchase insurance. On top of all of this, the state would be responsible for enforcing the individual mandate. Overall, the Patient Protection and affordable care act is unconstitutional, serves a tax hike and should not be passed under any circumstance. Bibliography: â€Å"Is Obamacare Unconstitutional? †,2012, â€Å"Voters consider ObamaCare a tax hike, poll shows†,2012, â€Å" Patterson: State leaders should refuse to allow Obamacare to localize†,2012,

Nora Helmer in Ibsens A Doll House Essay -- A Doll’s House Essays

In 1879, Henrik Ibsen published the play A Dolls House. However, to much of his displeasure the portrayal of the third act was considered erroneous to critics and audiences of that time frame. This controversy centered on the play’s conclusion in Nora's decision to leave her marriage and abandon her children. Critics labeled this decision appalling and unrealistic, since at that time in history no true woman would ever make such a choice. This uproar forced Ibsen to write a second ending where Nora instead decides that the children need her more than she needs her freedom. Thus, leaving critics and audiences contently satisfied. Since then, though times have changed and ideas and beliefs of the past have been altered, maybe the critics had it right about Nora’s departure. Perhaps Ibsen’s original ending is better left unsaid. Therefore, other than the alternative ending that Ibsen produced, how might the character of Nora deal with the situation at hand differently, based on what can be determined about her from the text? For starters, how about confronting the title of the story? Just who is the Doll? Many may claim that the doll is automatically Nora, for the reasons that she has been molded by her father and then toyed around with by her husband. To those individuals, Nora may seem like she is the victim, the poor little girl who can not comprehend who she is, the sweet â€Å"sky-lark† who had to leave her family for the findings of her true inner being†¦Or on a different note, Nora is the master and the controller of all that is functioning in the Helmer household. Although her husband, Torvald, may refer to her as a sky-lark, squirrel, or singing bird, it can be viewed in the text that Nora does not object to these remarks but r... ...a man who loves her and abandoning her children. Point in taking: Nora served no sense of accomplishment and only declared her egotism in a single selfish act. In the end, Nora’s greatest strength became her greatest weakness and it lead to her vindicated defeat. If only Nora used her powerful gift of control to step up to society instead of blocking it out, would she been able to save herself, her family, and her characters reputation as a feminine heroine, instead of a controversial role. But perhaps the controversy over Nora’s character is what we cherish so deeply because it is beyond our understanding. The idea that she is someone who is eternally captivating but can never fully be defined completely. Works Cited Kennedy, X.J. and Gioia, Dana. Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. New York: Pearson Longman, 2006. 778-843. Nora Helmer in Ibsen's A Doll House Essay -- A Doll’s House Essays In 1879, Henrik Ibsen published the play A Dolls House. However, to much of his displeasure the portrayal of the third act was considered erroneous to critics and audiences of that time frame. This controversy centered on the play’s conclusion in Nora's decision to leave her marriage and abandon her children. Critics labeled this decision appalling and unrealistic, since at that time in history no true woman would ever make such a choice. This uproar forced Ibsen to write a second ending where Nora instead decides that the children need her more than she needs her freedom. Thus, leaving critics and audiences contently satisfied. Since then, though times have changed and ideas and beliefs of the past have been altered, maybe the critics had it right about Nora’s departure. Perhaps Ibsen’s original ending is better left unsaid. Therefore, other than the alternative ending that Ibsen produced, how might the character of Nora deal with the situation at hand differently, based on what can be determined about her from the text? For starters, how about confronting the title of the story? Just who is the Doll? Many may claim that the doll is automatically Nora, for the reasons that she has been molded by her father and then toyed around with by her husband. To those individuals, Nora may seem like she is the victim, the poor little girl who can not comprehend who she is, the sweet â€Å"sky-lark† who had to leave her family for the findings of her true inner being†¦Or on a different note, Nora is the master and the controller of all that is functioning in the Helmer household. Although her husband, Torvald, may refer to her as a sky-lark, squirrel, or singing bird, it can be viewed in the text that Nora does not object to these remarks but r... ...a man who loves her and abandoning her children. Point in taking: Nora served no sense of accomplishment and only declared her egotism in a single selfish act. In the end, Nora’s greatest strength became her greatest weakness and it lead to her vindicated defeat. If only Nora used her powerful gift of control to step up to society instead of blocking it out, would she been able to save herself, her family, and her characters reputation as a feminine heroine, instead of a controversial role. But perhaps the controversy over Nora’s character is what we cherish so deeply because it is beyond our understanding. The idea that she is someone who is eternally captivating but can never fully be defined completely. Works Cited Kennedy, X.J. and Gioia, Dana. Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. New York: Pearson Longman, 2006. 778-843.

Negative effect of Computer on Children Essay

Topic sentence: Regular use of computer can have negative effect on children. Cause 1: Danger of headache and vision problem * exposer to screen bright light * effect on vision and head Cause 2: long use of computer deprived children from outdoor activities -gain weight and obesity Cause 3: Use of computer may lead children to topics that are beyond their imagination -unreal world -world created by technology In conclusion, excessive use of computer may cause overweight, headache, and vision problem. Regular use of computer can have some negative effects on children. First, children who use the computer for a long time may be at the danger for developing headache and vision problem. According to Anttila (2002), â€Å"It is often observed to tense and tender in children with headache.†(p.17).Second, most of children gain weight when they use computer for a long time because they are deprived from outdoor activities. In addition, Burke, Beilin, Durkin, Hougton and Cameron (2006) reveals that â€Å"television viewing and computer use are widely considered to contribute to the current increase in overweight and obesity in children †¦to fatness in most reported studies.†(Television, computer use, physical activity, diet and fitness in Australian adolescents, p.1) One of the most serious negative effects of computer on children is the exposure to topics that are beyond their understanding .Furthermore, Peter Mansbride points out that â€Å"the simplicity of the past is gone, replaced by a realism easily created by the latest technology† (The bloody bad games, para.1).In conclusion, excessive use of computer may cause overweight, headache, and vision problem. References 1. Tornoe,B.&Skov,L.(2012) Computer animated relaxation therapy in children between 7 and 13 years with tension-type headache: A pilot study.37(1),35- 44,10p. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=71671677&site=ehost-live&scope=site 2. Burke,V.,Beilin,L.Durkin,K.stritzke,W.G.K.,Houghton,S.&Camron , C.A. (2006) Television, computer use, physical activity, diet and fatness in Australian adolescents.1(4)248-225,8p. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=23220041&site=ehost-live&scope=site 3. Mansbridge,P.(2003)The bloody bad games,116(50)20-20.2/3p. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=11642732&site=ehost-live&scope=site

The Blue Sword CHAPTER TEN

Harry had trouble falling asleep that night; she listened to the gentle sound the water made walking down the three stone steps, and often she stretched out her hand to touch the hilt of the blue sword that lay beside her, carefully laid upon a small carpet of blue and green and gold that she had found in a corner of a hall on her way back to her mosaic palace after the feast. She had appropriated it, rolled it up, tucked it under her arm, and glared at the woman of the household who was conducting her. The woman dropped her eyes, but did not seem unduly disturbed. Who would grudge a damalur-sol a little rug? Harimad-sol thought airily. But each time she touched the blue sword it was as if a shock ran through her, and she listened to the quiet night, hearing the echoes of sounds that had rung themselves to silence hundreds of years ago. Her restlessness made Narknon grumble at her, although the cat did not offer to leave the bed and sleep elsewhere. At last Harry tucked her hands firmly beneath her chin and fell asleep, and in her sleep she saw Aerin-sol again, and Aerin smiled at her. â€Å"Gonturan will do well for you, I think, child, as she did well for me. You can feel it in the way she hangs in your hand, can you not?† Harry, in her dream, nodded. â€Å"Gonturan is far older than I am, you know; she was given me with the weight of her own years and legend already upon her. I never knew all she might lead her bearer into – and as it was, I learned more than enough. â€Å"Gonturan has her own sense of honor, child. But she is not human, and you must not trust her as human; remember it. She is a true friend, but a friend with thoughts of her own, and the thoughts of others are dangerous.† Aerin paused, and the dream began to fade; her face was pale, and half imagined, like a cloud on a summer's dawn, with her hair the sunrise. â€Å"What luck I had, may it go with you.† Harry woke up, and found the sword gleaming blue in a light that seemed to come from the blue mosaic walls, from the blue stone in the hilt, even from the silver water of the stream. Several days passed, while some of the Riders went forth on errands; but the newest Rider did not. She spent long hours in the mosaic palace, staring at the air, which hung, or so it seemed to her, like tapestry around her; and in that tapestry was woven all of history – her own, her Homeland's, as well as Damar's. Sometimes she saw a little bright shimmer like someone tossing back a fire-red mane of hair; and sometimes she saw the glint of a blue jewel – but that was no doubt only some chance reflection from the glossy walls around her. But most of all, she slept. Mathin had been right about the sorgunal. For several days she was content to sleep, and waken to do nothing in particular, and sleep again. Narknon enjoyed it as much as she did. â€Å"I'm sure Mathin did not put any of that stuff in the porridge,† Harry said to the cat; â€Å"there's no excuse for you.† On the fourth morning Mathin came to her, and found her pacing from fountain to fountain and from wall to wall. â€Å"This is not a cage to enclose you, Hari,† he said. She turned, startled, for she had been deep in her thoughts and had not heard his approach. She smiled. â€Å"I have not felt caged. I have †¦ slept a great deal, as you warned me. It is only today I have begun to †¦ think again.† Mathin smiled in return. â€Å"Is it so ill, this thinking?† â€Å"Why am I a Rider?† she replied. â€Å"There is no reason for Corlath to make an Outlander girl, even the laprun minta, a Rider. Riders are his best. Why?† Mathin's smile twisted. â€Å"I told you, long ago – long ago, more than a week since. It is a good thing for us to have a damalur-sol. It is a good thing for us to have something to look to, for hope. Perhaps you do yourself too little honor.† Harry snorted. â€Å"Has a laprun ever been made a Rider before?† Mathin took a long time to answer. â€Å"No. You are the first to bear that burden.† â€Å"And an Outlander at that.† â€Å"You Outlanders are human, for all of that – as the Northerners are not. It is not impossible that some Outlander might have †¦ a Gift, kelar, like ours, as you do – for you do. There is something in you we recognize, and we know it is there, for Lady Aerin has chosen you herself. Corlath makes you a Rider to †¦ to take advantage of whatever it is you carry in your Outlander blood that has made you Damarian, even against your will.† Harry slowly shook her head. â€Å"Not against my will. At least not any more. But I do not understand.† â€Å"No; nor do I. Nor even does Corlath. He – † Mathin stopped. Harry looked sharply at him. â€Å"Corlath what?† The faint smile drifted across Mathin's face again. â€Å"Corlath did not steal you of his own free will. His kelar demanded it.† Harry grinned. â€Å"Yes; I had guessed, and once he told me – something of the sort. I saw dismay on his face often enough, those early days.† Mathin's face was expressionless when she raised her eyes again to his. â€Å"You have not seen dismay there for a long day since.† â€Å"No,† she agreed, and her eyes went involuntarily to the mosaic walls around her. Mathin said, â€Å"You are a token, a charm, to us, Daughter of the Riders and Rider and Damalur-sol.† â€Å"A mascot, you mean,† Harry said, but without bitterness; and still she looked at the mosaic walls. She asked timidly, not certain of her own motives, â€Å"Does Corlath have no family? I see here, in the castle, the people of the household, and the – us – Riders, but no one else. Is it only that they are cloistered – or that I am?† Mathin shook his head. â€Å"You see all there is to see. In Aerin's day the king's family filled this place; some had to live in the City, or chose to, for privacy. But kings in the latter days †¦ Corlath's father married late, and Corlath is his queen's only surviving child, for she was a frail lady. Corlath himself has not married.† Mathin smiled bleakly. â€Å"Kings should marry young and get heirs early, that their people may have one thing less to worry about. There has been no one in generations whose kelar is as strong as Corlath's; it is why the scattered folk along our borders and in the secret hearts of our Hills, who have acknowledged no Damarian king for many years, rally now to Corlath. Even where he does not go himself his messengers are alight with it.† After Mathin left her, Harry thought of taking another nap, but decided against it. Instead she rode out on Sungold, Narknon deigning to accompany them. She found at the back of the stone castle and beyond the stone stables a practice ground, stepped into the sides of the Hill, for those wishing to practice horsemanship and war. It was deserted, as though the menace of the Northerners was too near to permit of practice. But she jogged slowly around the empty field, Sungold stepping up or down as they came to each edge, and decided to practice anyway: she who was laprun victor, who had never held a sword till a few weeks ago, who was suddenly a Rider: she felt, a little wildly, that she needed all the practice she could get. She was wearing Gonturan, a little self-consciously, but she had felt somehow that it would be impolite to leave her behind. She unsheathed her and wondered if the ancient sword had ever been used to hack at straw figures and charge at dangling wooden tiles. She galloped Tsornin over poles laid on the ground, piles of stone and wooden logs, and up and down turfed banks, and over ditches. She felt a little silly; but Tsornin made it plain that he enjoyed it all, whatever it was and however humble, and Gonturan always struck true. Harry took Tsornin back to his stable and put him away with her own hands, studiously ignoring the brown-clad groom who hovered near her. Hers was the first human face she had seen since she rode out. The stables were on the same scale as the castle: large and grand, the loose-boxes the size of small fields. There were over a hundred stalls – Harry lost count when she tried to multiply them out in her head – in the barn Sungold was quartered in, and two other barns as big stood on either side of it. Sungold's stable was nearly full; sleek curious noses were thrust out at them as they left and returned. Harry saw no other men or women of the horse; they must reappear at some point, she thought, to tend the horses. Unless Hill horses can be trained to take care of themselves – it wouldn't surprise me. The silence was uncanny. Tsornin's hoofs had echoed around the practice field; and when she thanked the brown woman and said no, she needed nothing, her voice sounded strange in her ears. Over the next few days she rode out again and again, and spent some hours slaying straw men with the Dragon-Killer's sword, and then some hours riding out from the stone ring of the castle, and into the stone City, down the smooth roads. She saw mostly women and young children, but even of them there were rarely more than a few. The women watched her timidly, and smiled eagerly if she smiled at them first; and the children wanted to pet Sungold, which he was good enough to permit, and Narknon, who usually eluded them; and sometimes they brought her flowers. But the City was as empty as the castle was; there were people, but far fewer than its walls might hold. Some of this, she knew, was because the army was massing elsewhere – on the laprun fields, before the City; messengers came and went swiftly, and the gathering of forces hung heavily in the air. But most of it was because, as the king's family had dwindled, so had the king's people; there were few Damarians left. She thought again of the mounting strangenesses of her recent life; and she wished, if she was to be given to Damar, as apparently she was, that she would be given no more long pauses of inaction in which to brood about it all. One of the young women who had assisted her at her bath brought her food, in the blue front room with the fountain, or outside in the sunshine where the other fountain played; and she managed to convince her and the other women sent to wait upon her that, at least as long as there were no more banquets requiring special preparations, she might bathe herself. For three more days she slept and watched the shimmering of the air and rode Tsornin and played with Narknon. There was a friendship between the horse and the hunting-cat now, and they would chase one another around the obstacles of the practice field, Narknon's tail lashing and Sungold with his ears back in mock fury. Once the big cat had hidden behind one of the grassy banks, where Harry and Sungold could not see her; and as they rode by she leaped out at them, sailing clean over Sungold and Harry on his back. Harry ducked and Sungold swerved; and Narknon circled and came back to them with her ears back and her whiskers trembli ng in what was obviously a cat laugh. And Harry polished Gonturan and tried not to brood, and looked often at the small white scar in the palm of her hand. But with all her inevitable musings she found that a certain peace had come to her and made its way into her heart. It was not like anything she had known before, and it was only on that third day that she found a name for it: fate. Yet she wished that the business of war were not so all-consuming, that she might have someone to talk to. On the fourth day when the woman came with her afternoon meal, Corlath came with her; and evidently he was expected, although not by Harry, for there were two goblets and two plates on the tray, and far more food than she could eat alone. She was sitting on the flagstones beside the fountain in the sunshine, watching the prisms that the falling drops threw into the air; and Narknon was washing Harry's face with her razored tongue, and Harry was trying not to mind. She was trying not to mind with such concentration that she did not realize till she looked up, still dazzled by tiny intricate colors, that he was there; and she remained sitting, blinking up at him, as the woman set down her tray and retired. â€Å"May I eat with you?† he said, and Harry thought that he seemed ill at ease. â€Å"Of course,† she said. â€Å"I would – er – be honored.† She pushed Narknon's head away and started to scramble to her feet, but Corlath dropped silently down beside her, so she settled back again, grateful that her bones decided not to creak. He gave her a plate and took his own; and then sat staring into the fountain much as she had done, and she wondered, watching him, if he felt any of the queer peacefulness that crept into her with the same looking; and if he would call it by the name she had discovered. â€Å"Eight days,† she said, and his eyes drew back from the water spray and met hers. â€Å"Eight days,† she repeated. â€Å"You said less than a fortnight.† â€Å"Yes,† he replied. â€Å"We are counting the hours now.† He made a swift sweeping motion with his right hand, and Harry said suddenly: â€Å"Show me your hand.† Corlath looked puzzled for a moment, but then he held his right hand out, palm up. There was one short straight pale mark across it, obviously new; and many small white scars; she didn't have to count them to know there would be eighteen of them, the still-fresh – and longest – cut a nineteenth. She studied the hand a moment, cupping it in her own, not thinking that she was poring over a king's hand; then she looked at her own right palm. One tiny straight line looked back at her. He closed his hand and rested it on his knee. â€Å"They don't fade,† Harry said. â€Å"The old ones don't disappear.† â€Å"No,† said Corlath. â€Å"It is the yellow salve, before we make the cut; it is made of an herb called korim – forever.† She studied her own palm again for a moment. The scar cut through the lines a fortune-teller would call her life line and her heart line; and she wondered what Damarian fortune-tellers might see in her hand. She looked up at Corlath, who absently put a piece of bread in his mouth and began to chew; he was staring into the fountain again. He swallowed and said: â€Å"There is a story of one of my grandfather's Riders: the Northern border was restless then – but only restless, and this man had gone North to see what he might learn. But they caught him, and recognized him as from Damar; but he knew they would find him a little before they did, and he slashed his hand that they might not find the mark and hold him for ransom – or torture; for the Northerners, if they wish, can torture with a fine prying magic that no mind can resist.† Harry thought: If the Northerners know about the Riders' mark, they must be a bit slow not to wonder about a spy caught with a cut-up hand. Corlath continued after a moment: â€Å"He had traveled dressed as a merchant, so when he knew they would find him he freed his horse and sent it home, and took off his boots, and began to climb the near-perpendicular face of one of the Hills that is the boundary between our land and theirs. When they found him he was half mad with sunstroke and his hands and feet were as tattered as autumn leaves. They decided they had not caught a prize at all, and after they had beaten him a bit, they let him go. He finished climbing the mountain with his hands and feet, because he remembered that much of what he was doing; and just over the summit, just inside the border of Damar, his horse was waiting for him, and she took him home. He recovered from the sunstroke, but he never held a sword again.† Harry swallowed a lump of bread that didn't want to go down, and there was silence for a bit. â€Å"What happened to the mare?† she said at last. â€Å"Your Tsornin's dam is a daughter of his mare's line,† Corlath said, but it was as if he were tracing some thought of his own. â€Å"The mare lived till she was almost thirty, and dropped a foal every year till the last. Many of our best riding-horses are descended from her.† Corlath looked at her, coming back from wherever he had been. â€Å"That mare's line is called Nalan – faithful. You can see it in Tsornin's pedigree.† Harry asked lightly: â€Å"And is there a name for the line of the kings of Damar?† Corlath said, â€Å"My father's name, and his father's, and mine, is Gulkonoth: stone.† Harry looked at his right hand resting quietly on his knee. He paused and added as if inconsequentially, â€Å"There are other names for the king. One of them is Tudorsond. Scarred hand.† â€Å"Does the korim scar the foreheads of the household, and the faces of the hunt and the horse as well?† And Corlath said, â€Å"Yes.† There was a silence again, and Harry wondered how many other questions she might be able to gain answers for. She said, â€Å"Once in the mountains before the trials, Mathin said to me that he could teach me three ways of starting a fire, but that you knew a fourth. He would not tell me what the fourth was.† Corlath laughed. â€Å"I will show you one day, if you wish. Not today. Today it would give you a headache.† Harry shook her head angrily, her feeling of contentment gone. â€Å"I am tired of having things only half explained. Either I am damalur-sol, when it is convenient, or I am to be quiet and sit in a corner and behave till it is time to bring me out and show me to the troops again. Did you choose Mathin to teach me because he is close-mouthed?† Corlath looked a little abashed, and Harry guiltily remembered how much Mathin had told her, although – she defended herself – it was not enough. Never enough. But she could not help remembering his answer when she had asked him why he had been chosen for her training. â€Å"I chose Mathin because I thought he would teach you best; there are none better than he, and he is patient and tireless.† And kind, thought Harry, but she would not interrupt when she might learn something. â€Å"We of the Hills – I suppose we are all, as you say, close-mouthed; but do you think you have learned so little of us?† And Corlath looked at her – wistfully. â€Å"No,† she said, ashamed of herself. There was a pause, and she said, â€Å"Could you perhaps, please, tell me why Mathin would not tell me any of the legends about the Lady Aerin? They are a part of your lives that all of you share – and it is her sword you have given me – and the legends, why, there are a few sung even at the spring Fairs in the west, where Outlanders can hear them.† Corlath tapped his fingers, one-two-three, one-two-three, on the brim of the fountain. â€Å"Aerin is a part of your destiny, Harimad-sol. It is considered unlucky to †¦ meddle with destiny. Mathin would feel that he was doing you a disservice, speaking much of Aerin to you, and I – I find, now, that I feel the same.† Tap-tap-tap. â€Å"If you had grown up †¦ here, you would have heard them. But you did not. And if you had, perhaps you would not now be what you are. â€Å"I am sorry.† He turned and looked at her. â€Å"If – after we have met the Northerners, and the gods have decided between us, if you and I are left alive, I will tell you all the stories I know of Aerin Dragon-Killer.† He tried to smile. â€Å"I even can sing a few.† â€Å"Thank you.† Corlath's smile became more successful. â€Å"There are a very great many of them – you may not wish to hear them all.† â€Å"I do wish to hear them all,† said Harry firmly. Corlath took his hand away from the stone brim and began to shred a chunk of bread into fragments on his plate. â€Å"As for the first question,† he said, â€Å"watch.† He blinked a few times, closed his eyes, and a shudder ran through him; then he opened his eyes again and gave a hot yellow glare to the little heap of bread crumbs, which burst into flame, crackled wildly for a few minutes, and subsided into black ash. â€Å"Oh,† said Harry. Corlath looked up; his eyes were brown. They stared at one another. Harry found herself saying hastily, in a voice that was a little too high-pitched, â€Å"What is this place – here – ?† and she jerked her eyes away, and waved to the mosaic walls. â€Å"I have seen nothing else like it anywhere in the City.† Corlath shook his head. â€Å"Nor will you.† He got slowly to his feet, and looked around, and cupped his scarred hand under the fountain, and drank from it. â€Å"My father built it for my mother just after he married her. She was fond of the color blue – and I think he wanted to tell her that he did not mind that she would never carry the Blue Sword, the greatest treasure of his family, the woman's sword.† He looked down at her inscrutably, but his eyes did not focus on her. Then he turned and left her, going through the door into the castle. Two days later the army rode away from the City. Corlath and his Riders rode together down the highway from the castle to the gates of the City, with men and women of the household and the hunt and horse, and pack horses behind them; and the people of the City lined the streets and silently watched them go, although many raised their hands to their foreheads and flicked the fingers as they rode by. Harry had not seen so many before; some were refugees from northern Damarian villages, and farmers from the green lands before the Bledfi Gap. And they rode down to the plain where the army Harry had not seen, for she had not left the City since she rode into it, lay before them; and behind her she heard a sound no Damarian had heard in generations: the City's stone gates closing, heavily, mournfully. Tsornin was restless. Now, with the ranks upon ranks of the Hill army drawn up upon it, the plain looked like some other place than the plain where Harry and Tsornin had fought with blunt staves and sword points. Tsornin was too well bred to do more than fidget slightly in place; but his shoulder, when she ran her hand down it, was warmer than the morning air deserved. The muscles under the golden skin were hard; she felt that if she rapped her knuckles against his shoulder ridge it would ring like iron. She stood, a little awkwardly, in the group of Riders, only a little way into the plain from the end of the City highway. They were on a little rise of land, so they looked out and down over the rest of the company, and Harry felt unnecessarily conspicuous. â€Å"Why couldn't you be liver chestnut or something?† she whispered to Tsornin, who bowed his golden head. A new helm fitted closely down over her bound-up hair, and there were new boots on her legs, with tops that rolled up and lashed into place for battle; and she felt Gonturan hanging expectantly at her knee. Ten days were not enough to accustom herself to being a Rider, however hard she had driven herself and Tsornin round the lonely practice fields with their stiff wooden silhouettes of enemy swordsmen; and while the Riders themselves – particularly one or two: Mathin, and the merry (for a Rider) young Innath – closed ranks around her and accepted her as one of them, she could not believe that they did not themselves wonder, a little, about her presence among them. Sungold blew impatiently and began to dig a hole with one front foot. She booted his elbow with her toe and he stopped, but after a moment he lowered his head and blew again, harder, and she could feel him shifting his weight, considering if she might let him dig just a small hole. She looked around: the other horses were showing signs of stress as well. Mathin stood next to her; Windrider, although rock still, unlike the younger Tsornin, wore a dark sheen of sweat down her flank. Corlath's Fireheart was standing on his hind legs again; the king could bring him down as he chose, but Harry rather thought the horse was expressing the mood of both of them. Narknon, so far as Harry could see, was the only one of their company who remained undisturbed. She sat in front of Sungold, just beyond the reach of pawing forefeet, and washed her chest and combed her whiskers. They marched west. They crossed the low but steep ridge of mountains between the City and the desert plain that stretched far away, up to the back door of the Outlander Residency in Istan. They retraced Harry and Mathin's route, going in single endless file through the narrow paths; and they came to the desert edge at the end of the second day. Beyond the ridge they turned north. All the spies – those still living, for the North had caught a few – that Corlath had sent out in the last several years had come back in the last few months, in a rush, all with the same word: the waiting was over, the Northerners were moving. The last man of them had returned not six days before; it had taken him so long because they knew about him, and he had dodged and fled and scrambled to get away from their creeping tracking magic. His tale was that their army was only days behind him, and that it was many thousands strong. He had delayed and delayed to take a fairer tally of the total; and yet, he said, even as the army marched south, hundreds and more hundreds appeared as if out of the air to march with it. Out of the air, Harry thought, and wondered if the phrase was more than just a manner of speaking. She had been included in the council of Riders that heard the man's tale; and the candlelight seemed to cast more shadows when he was through. Yet there was no thing to be done; the army that would stand for Damar was already gathered; the plans to face the Northerners were already laid. Of the Northerners' dread captain no spy was sure; no Damarian dared get that close, for the uncanny way he was said to smell foreign blood. There were hundreds of mounted men and women now following Corlath's word; and as they rode with the eastern Hills at their right hand, they looked a great many. A few hundreds more would join as the southern army made its way to the wide plain before the Gap. But that was all. Innath, riding at her elbow, said conversationally, â€Å"Less than half of the Northern army will be mounted; and not many of them will be riding horses; and very few of their horses will match the poorest of ours. One can double our tally at least, just for our horses; for they are Damarians and will fight for Damar as fiercely as we human beings, for all that we are the only ones who talk about it.† â€Å"Yes,† said Harry, her voice only a little muffled. Noontimes they stopped briefly, loosening girths to let the horses breathe, and eating bread and dry meat and water. At night they camped behind ridges of shale and scrub, and lit fires enough to boil the terrible dry meat to a slightly more edible consistency, and rolled up in their blankets to sleep where they sat. A few of the hunting-cats and a dozen dogs were with them; but they could not spare the time at present to use them. Narknon continued at Harry's heels and, as she had done once before, began hunting on her own, and brought back some of her grisly victories to lay at Harry's pillow. As the days passed and Mathin's stew pot became generally known as the only one reliably containing fresh meat, it grew very popular. The nights were clear and quiet, and the weather-casters among them promised no sudden windstorms; the edges of the Damarian Hills were known for their unpredictable weather, where mountain storms bottled up by the steep slopes might suddenly find their way to the flatter lands where they could rage and riot as they chose. Corlath was not trying to strike at once for the center of the northern mountains and the Bledfi Gap. After the Hill army crossed the narrow range behind which the City lay, they worked their way around the curve of the mountains, trotting through the sandy sour grass and broken rock at their feet. At first this made them ride almost due north, then in an increasing arc to the west; and the sun moved across the sky before them. Often in the mornings when the mist was still lying around them, trailing from the mountains' shoulders into their camp, a little group of riders, or even a solitary figure on horseback, would loom up at them from nowhere; but Corlath always seemed to be expecting them, and they always knew what to say to the guards that they might pass; and in this way the army a little swelled its ranks. Occasionally Harry heard a woman's voice among the strangers, and this made her glad; and often she'd rub a finger over the blue gem in the hilt of Gonturan and think of the sword no man could carry. Mathin said to her once: â€Å"We did not think to see so many women – few have fought with us within any man's memory, although in Aerin's day it was different. But I think many fathers are letting their daughters join us who had not thought to till they heard of Harimad-sol, and that Gonturan went to war again.† Many of these women she met; particularly after Mathin had spoken to her, for then she began to feel a little uneasily responsible for them. Senay she saw several times – and saw too that she was wearing a sewn-together sash as if she were proud of it. Harimad-sol asked the names of the women when she had a chance, and they answered gravely; and they often gave her the back-of-hand-to-forehead gesture of respect, and none ever asked her her name, even when she was not carrying Gonturan and ought to look – she thought – like any other disheveled soldier. Most of those who came thus late to join Corlath's army did not carry a sword, and wore no sash; these were men and women who had spent their lives in their own villages, on their own farms and in their own shops, and had never attended laprun trials, nor felt the lack that they had not. One evening they rode into a hollow where nearly a hundred strangers, all mounted, and with several pack horses and hunting-beasts besides, waited for them; and Corlath rode forward with a great hearty cry of welcome, a sound nearer happiness than any Harry had heard from him since they began their march north. A rider at the head of the group rode to meet him, and they seized each other by the shoulders while their horses bumped uneasily together and rolled their eyes at each other. A third man then detached himself from the new group and joined Corlath and his friend. â€Å"Murfoth and his son, Terim,† said Mathin in Harry's ear. â€Å"Murfoth was one of the old king's friends, though he's not much more than ten years older than our king. He might have been a Rider, had he wished, but he chose instead to stay at home and look after his lands; and a good job he's made of it too. Some of our best horses now come from him, and grain to feed many more.† â€Å"We Riders,† said Innath from her other side, â€Å"as you may have noticed, tend to be fourth sons or otherwise penniless – or incurable wanderers like Mathin here – but Murfoth now, when he comes to ride with his king, can bring eighty men with him.† Innath's voice, for all its careless pride, sounded almost wistful. Harry found herself remembering her father's words to her – it seemed decades ago: â€Å"You haven't a penny, you know.† Terim was Harry's age, and when he and his father came to sit at the king's fireside he came to her and sank down beside her, folding up his long legs as all the Hillmen did. She looked at Terim and he looked at her; his look was eager and a little, to her embarrassment, reverent. â€Å"I was First at my laprun trials three years ago,† he said; â€Å"but when I took my turn against Corlath my sash was on the ground before I had a good grip on my sword.† He thumped the hilt of his sword, which jangled as it bit into the ground. â€Å"My father gave me Teksun here anyway, he said no one ever got a grip on a sword against Corlath. You did, though.† His eyes shone in the firelight. Harry ran a meditative finger over the careful seam in her sash, which she had put in under Mathin's promised tutelage. â€Å"I didn't know it was he – I never thought. And he allowed me to cross swords with him; and when I realized how much of it was allowing, I got †¦ mad.† She paused. â€Å"I was surprised too.† She frowned, remembering the awful headache she'd had for most of that day, and then the more awful sick lurch that seemed to start behind her eyes, where the headache was, and quiver all the way through her body, when she saw the face behind the scarf she had just removed. No one had called her baga for the cut at the corner of Corlath's mouth, though. She met the boy's eyes somewhat ruefully and said, â€Å"It wasn't as pleasant an experience as you might think.† Terim gave a little snort of laughter and said, â€Å"Yes, I believe you,† and Harry looked across to where Corlath sat with Terim's father and found him watching her. She wondered if he had heard what she had just said.

How British Cultural History Influenced Jk Rowling’s Hp Series Essays

How British Cultural History Influenced Jk Rowling’s Hp Series Essays How British Cultural History Influenced Jk Rowling’s Hp Series Essay How British Cultural History Influenced Jk Rowling’s Hp Series Essay How British cultural history influenced JK Rowling’s HP series JK Rowling’s choice of settings, quest and battles in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is closely connected with cultural history of Britain. These elements influence Rowling’s narrative much more than the average reader would think. Throughout the next paragraphs in this paper I will support my thesis that JK Rowling used British cultural history facts as an inspiration for her book. With that in mind JK Rowling made her book so realistic that readers digest her story easy and with ease and joy. To begin, let’s talk about the location of the novel. I’m sure that readers at one point asked themselves â€Å"Why London and England? † It’s not just coincidence; it is because the author has grown up under strong historic, patriotic influence of Britain and their huge role in WWII in resisting Nazi-Germany’s plans of conquering the world. England was the only nation in Europe that successfully fought the Nazis and was not defeated. With such a background setting, writing a book with such a thematic focused on the everlasting battle between good and evil in England was a natural choice. If we go back to WWII and Nazi Germany we can find many elements that are related to the novel. One of the main points of Adolf Hitler’s ideology was that the German race has roots to the Aryan race with pure blood and that this fact will make them better than the rest of the world. This ideology has a clear connection with the theories of Voldemort and his followers. The Death Eaters’ treatment of Mudbloods and others direct relates to the treatment that the Nazis regime gave to Jews, Slavs and any other nations they thought to be less worthy then the German race. This is the best place to quote JK Rowling when she fallowed Harry to the Ministry of Magic and says, â€Å"He examined it beneath the Invisibility Cloak. Its pink cover was emblazoned with a golden title: MUDBLOODS and the Dangers They Pose to a Peaceful Pure-Blood Society. (249)† The author represents and dresses them in the black that directly relates to what the Nazis used for their elite troops called SS. Just to be sure and clear with history facts, regular German army was called Wermacht and they wore green brown uniforms. But SS elite troops were only for chosen ones, dressed in the black and easy to recognize by skull and crossbones insignia on their hats and uniforms. Hitler’s closest personal guards were made from handpicked SS soldiers with clear German blood, brainwashed and ready to follow any order from their leader. This black color is associated with death, cold and darkness. People already have prejudices of what this color stands for and that is a reason why the author chooses this sense to guide readers in right directions. Because this black and suspicious color reader expect something bad to happen and automatically will question if their actions have any support in ethical and moral grounds. These guided directions from author will bring readers to the conclusion that all people deserve to be treated in same way with respect if they wish to receive the same treatment and respect. Based on all this facts I believed that JK Rowling choose same color as Nazi-German’s SS troops and the Hitler’s ideology from WWII to represent evil in already â€Å"known† color and ideology that Death Eater’s stand for. At very beginning of the novel we witness Harry’s attempt to run away from Dursleys home before his seventeenth birthday and the end of his mother’s protective spells. Harry and his followers faced air battle against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. I believe that Rowling chose this kind battle because she was very well aware of great importance this kind of battle has for England. Just to refresh our memory I need to say little bit a more about this battle. In fact, plans for a German invasion, named Operation Sea Lion, were in the works. The key to this plan was the establishment of German air superiority over southern England and the English Channel. That task fell to Goering and his Luftwaffe. What ensued would be the worlds first strategic bombing campaign and the worlds first battle entirely decided in the air, the Battle of Britain. Young pilots were dying daily in those fights showing a high moral and ethical values in time of crisis and making enormous psychological impact on rest of population. Rowling did a great job with bringing the readers into the battle. We see how serious the situation is with so many friends willing to sacrifice their lives in order to keep Harry alive for the final battle with the evil Voldemort. In every war there are losses, and they are present in novel when Harry lost his owl Hedwig and Mad-Eye in this opening battle. But life goes on and they have to continue their mission. This was one more fact to support my thesis of how JK Rowling used British history for inspiration in her work. Another very interesting point is trough the character Snape Severus and his role in everything that is happening in and around Hogwarts. Up to the very end of novel readers are not sure what to think about Snape. They share many question with Harry and one of them is, â€Å"Why Dumbledore trusted Snape so much? † And then at the very end he reveals his secret to the readers so they will see Snape in different light. Snape represents a double agent almost as a double spy like ones back in WWII, ones that risk their life for greater good. He played his role as a Death Eater so good that he tricked even Lord Voldemort and kept his secret for all this time, even in the middle of the final battle. Isn’t that example of heroic sacrifice similar to the spy’s from WWII when they valued the greater good more than theirs lives? I’m aware that is very hard to prove this statement, simple because there is no country that will reveal all details about their double agents assignments and private life. If we look at Snape as a mysterious person living a strange life and then take into consideration fact that there were nobody close to him to know his secrets and demons from past and understand his actions, that is only one thing from WWII that he remind me of. It is the Enigma Code Machine made by Germany. Secret machine used for the encryption and decryption of secret messages. British and American code breakers were able to decrypt code and use messages for their advantage. In my eyes Snape looks and act very much like this machine with Death Eaters but on another side he gave all information to the Dumbledore. To show how situation in novel is complex, Rowling needed more mystery around Snape character and that was best done in a way that I already explained. Unexpectedly Snape will earn a lot of sympathy for his actions based on everlasting and never returned and completed love, which makes him a tragic character. Dumbledore’s Army† looks very much like the freedom resistance against Nazis in Europe during WWII. Yes again theme from WWII that Rowling incorporated in novel and use it to make picture of resistance more realistic. Freedom resistance was very strong in a France and rest of the Europe and actually helped allies to fight against Nazi-Germany. Network of resi stance helped many that escaped labor camps of to hide allies’ survived pilots taken down by Nazis. This resistance all over Europe was very active and not limited only on adults but attracted youth also. Freedom resistance from WWII brought people from different classes of society, genders and age groups together for one great cause, to protect freedom and defeat tyranny. I believe that based on these facts Rowling decide to make it more realistic and to organize Hogwarts students, their families and even Dumbledor’s brother in the resistance against Lord Valdemort. We have very interesting meeting and discussion of Harry and Dumbledore’s Army in room of requirement: â€Å"We haven’t come back to stay,† said Harry, rubbing his scar, trying to soothe the pain. There’s something important we need to do-â€Å" â€Å"What is it? † â€Å"I-I can’t tell you. † There was a ripple of muttering at this: Neville’s brows contracted. â€Å"Why can’t you tell us? It’s something to do with fighting You-Know-Who, right? † â€Å"Well, Yeah-â€Å" â€Å"Then we’ll help you. â€Å"The other members of D umbledore’s Army were nodding, some enthusiastically, other solemnly. A couple of them rose from their chairs to demonstrate their willingness for immediate action (580). † Very complicated and hard experience for young souls also many sacrifices and losses but not for nothing as those in WWII This is my another argument that support thesis of JK Rowling using British historical facts to made book more accessible and realistic to readers. I start with defending my statement with fallowing arguments, location choice of JK Rowling, opening battle, than Nazi ideology and their favorite color, mysterious Snape-Enigma and to finish with Dumbledore’s Army. With all these facts presented in this paper I believe that is more clear now to readers how JK Rowling used British cultural history as a proven recipe success for her Harry Potter series.

Blood and Blood Product Safety and the Role of Government

One million Americans are infected with HIV. One in six of these people do not know that they are infected. In the 1980s, about 8,000 hemophiliacs were infected with HIV and hepatitis due to blood supply infections. Companies that sell drugs used to manage blood coagulation of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Disease Control Center (CDC), Government, National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF), and hemophilia patients I know that the factor is contaminated. Either way, due to the high price of these products, they still sell it. The health of the United States depends on blood and technology. Blood and blood products play an important and irreplaceable role in medicine. Every year 5 million people receive erythrocytes, blood coagulation factors, or blood transfusions from plasma products. Traditionally, the technical aspects of blood have long been dedicated to improving blood safety, collection and storage. The system is not perfect, and some experts have expressed concern that r eaction to Jika is too slow and too cautious. Finding the right balance between speed and accuracy is always a problem and it is worth reviewing in future articles. However, from the viewpoint of winter of 2017, we can see that confirmed case of infection by transfusion has not been confirmed in the United States. In the past Prior to blood transfusion, many measures were taken to ensure the quality, compatibility and safety of blood products. In 2012, 70% of countries formulate domestic blood policies, 62% of which enact specific laws covering transfusion safety and quality. Blood transfusions usually use blood sources: themselves (autologous blood transfusion) or other people (allogeneic or allogeneic transfusions). The latter is more general than the former. To use other people's blood, you need to donate blood first. Blood is most often injected intravenously into whole blood and collected with anticoagulants. In developed countries, donors are usually anonymous to recipients, b ut products in blood banks can always be individually tracked through donation, testing, separation of ingredients, storage, and delivery to recipients throughout the cycle .

An urban precedent explaining why your choice of city illustrates Essay

An urban precedent explaining why your choice of city illustrates appropriate qualities necessary in a sustainable city - Essay Example The central theme of the Cliff City project is ‘green’ architecture, meaning that it firmly lays emphasis on sustainability and preservation of surrounding ecology. Apart from the usual urban provisions for a library, pub and cafà ©, the project features such innovations as roof-top gardens and has equipment installed for tapping wind and solar energy. Examples such as these not only point the future direction of urban architecture, but also expose the deficiencies of conventional methods of design and construction that was insensitive to the demands of the environment. For example, urban planners throughout the twentieth century paid very little attention to how their constructions will interact with the enveloping environment. The design of Cliff City project near Portland, Dorset breaks away from this tradition, in that it sees architecture as an organic enterprise. It is also informed by the drawbacks of traditional styles of architecture, as it attempt to incorpora te remedial measures toward preservation of organic world. In this respect, the Cliff City stands as a near-perfect model for the perusal of urban planners. Planet Earth is already being damaged by industrial effluents, over-exploitation of water resources, alarming levels of toxic pollutants like carbon monoxide and the phenomenon of Global Warming. In the backdrop of humanity’s appalling record at preserving the natural environment, projects such as the Cliff City, serve as ideal examples of how urban architecture should to be approached in the future. Cliff City’s more relevant today than at any time in the past, as planet earth is confronted with problems of over-population, increased urbanization, genetically modified seeds in agriculture, rising sea levels, etc. A good starting point for mitigating this precarious situation would be the adoption