Twain’s problematic ending of Huck Finn

The adventures of Huckleberry Finn is known as one novel that has brought controversy from the time it was published in the year 1884 (Pearl par 1). It was banned in major public libraries many referring to it as â€Å"trash. † Currently, many regard it as a classical American novel though others still critic it in one area or the other. It is a novel from where â€Å"all modern literature† was derived and modern scholars and critics now treats it as great work of art in America (Pearl par. 1). Perhaps the greatest irony is that though it received great criticism, of all the MT’s novels, it is the one that sold most immediately when it was published. Hunk Finn, as it is commonly referred to, is set in the Mississippi river town of St. Petersburg, Missouri and the various locations along that river through Arkansas (SparkNotes, screen 21). The major conflict in the novel is portrayed as the main character (protagonist), Huck struggles with a society (antagonist) that is trying to civilize him. The conflict is also intensified as Hunk deals with Jim who is a black slave; since Hunk must decide whether to reject Jim and please the society or protect him and follow his conscience. This essay shows that Twain’s ending of the novel betrays the true subject of the work. The novel ends with the three boys Huck, Tom and Jim escaping from a shed where they had been surrounded by about fifteen farmers guarding Jim, the black slave (Twain 361). They make a hole in the wall to escape but as they does, Tom makes some noise and what follows is the shooting that leaves a bullet in Tom’s leg who portrays himself a hero. However, Huck and Jim are concerned about the condition of the leg and upon Jim’s suggestion; they go to look for a doctor. This only worsens things for Jim who is captured by the locals and is chained as they bring Tom home on a mattress accompanied by the doctor. By this time Huck has already run home having left the two boys alone. The locals have decided to hang Jim though no one does it as they are afraid of compensating the slave owner. They are therefore left with no other option than to treat Jim roughly until the time when the doctor comes and saves him by explaining that it is him who in fact saved Tom’s leg from deteriorating by nursing him (Twain 377). When Tom however learns that Jim was still in chains, he reveals to them that in fact Jim had already been set free thus was no longer a slave. This allows the reader to glimpse the character trait of Tom. Though he had known all along that Miss Wanton who had died two months earlier had set Jim free in her will, he did not say it because he felt that they needed to device a good plan to rescue Jim. If he had said it earlier, Jim could not have gone through the sufferings that he had experienced. Huck arrived and on enquiring from Tom what he would do if Jim was freed; he replied that he planned to repay Jim for all his troubles and sending him off as a hero. And he said, what he had planned in his head from the start, if we got Jim out all safe, was for us to run him down the river on the raft, and have adventures plumb to the mouth of the river, and then tell him about his being free, and take him back up home on a steamboat, in style, and pay him for his lost time, and write word ahead and get out all the niggers around, and have them waltz him into town with a torchlight procession and a brass-band, and then he would be a hero, and so would we (Twain 387). The Phelpses and Aunt Polly release Jim and feed him on hearing that he helped the doctor to nurse Tom. He is also given forty dollars as a payment for all his troubles (Twain 387). Tom and Huck are not through with their adventure and plan to go for another one to the Indian territories. Huck thinks that Pap had taken all the money but it is Jim who informs him that in fact the dead man he had seen in a floating house was Pap (a cruel and drunk father). It is clear that though the writer of the novel was initially heading to the right direction in his writing, he â€Å"looses focus† (it may have been intentionally) as he comes to end of the novel in the way he presents the relationship between Huck and Jim. All along, the two boys had been together passing through hardships and challenges during their adventure. They are seen doing different things together; for example have to hide the inheritance of the Silk sisters in a coffin away from the greedy â€Å"King† and â€Å"Duke. Huck even comes to a time when he had to decide whether to give the remaining Gherkin (food) from his provisions to Jim or take it himself (Paine Par. 20). Therefore every reader expects Huck’s emotional attachment with Jim to grow. However when Tom appears, a different picture is portrayed with Huck remaining quiet when, they endanger Jim’s life by not telling Phelpses that Jim had already been released by the former Slave master and instead decides to device a plan as part of their adventure. When Jim goes to get the doctor, Huck leaves and runs to his uncle’s place leaving his friend. So then I crept into a lumber-pile to get some sleep; and next time I waked up the sun was away up over my head! I shot out and went for the doctor's house, but they told me he'd gone away in the night some time or other, and warn't back yet. Well, thinks I, that looks powerful bad for Tom, and I'll dig out for the island right off. So away I shoved, and turned the corner, and nearly rammed my head into Uncle Silas's stomach! (Twain 367). The other problem arises because though the novel’s subject is directed to the theme of freedom, at the end Jim who is supposed to be free is not still free. This can be attributed to the mistake that Tom made though intentionally. Jim, who has been technically free for all that time they were in the adventure, is still bound in chains, first in the home of Phelpses before the escape and then by the locals who captured him when he went to bring the doctor who would treat Tom. It is ridiculous that Miss Wanton can not set Jim free when she is alive and has to wait till she dies and does it in her will. Old Miss Watson died two months ago, and she was ashamed she ever was going to sell him down the river, and said so; and she set him free in her will. â€Å"(Twain 383) In conclusion, it is clear that the work of Mark Twain was based on the theme of racism, slavery and freedom thus different readers can critic it using different views. The plot flows smoothly from the beginning but the problem arises in the ending as the reader is left wondering why there is no development in Huck’s character -who is the protagonist and who is supposed to develop in all areas as the plot develops.

The History of Chemical Explosives

The History of Chemical Explosives An explosion can be defined as the rapid expansion of a material or device that exerts a sudden pressure on its surroundings. It can be caused by one of three things: a chemical reaction that occurs during conversion of elemental compounds, a mechanical or physical impact, or a nuclear reaction on the atomic/subatomic level. Gasoline exploding when ignited is a chemical explosion brought about by the sudden conversion of a hydrocarbon to carbon dioxide and water. The explosion that occurs when meteor strikes the earth is a mechanical explosion. And a nuclear warhead explosion is the result of the nucleus of a radioactive substance, like plutonium, suddenly splitting apart in an uncontrolled fashion. But it is chemical explosives that are the most common form of explosives in human history, used both for creative/commercial and destructive effect. The strength of a given explosive is measured that the rate of expansion it exhibits during detonation. Lets look briefly at some common chemical explosives. Black Powder It is unknown who invented the first explosive black powder. Black powder, also known as gunpowder, is a mixture of saltpeter (potassium nitrate), sulfur, and charcoal (carbon). It originated in China around in the ninth century and was in wide use throughout Asia and Europe by the end of the 13th century. It was commonly used in fireworks and signals, as well as in mining and building operations. Black powder is the oldest form of ballistic propellant and it was used with early muzzle-type firearms and other artillery uses. In 1831, William Bickford an English leather merchant invented the first safety fuse. Using a safety fuse made black powder explosives more practical and safer. But because black powder is messy explosive, by the end of the 18th century it was replaced by high explosives and by cleaner smokeless powder explosives, such as what is currently used in firearm ammunition. Black powder is categorized as a low explosive because it expands and subsonic speeds when it detonates. High explosives, by contract, expand as supersonic speeds, thereby creating much more force. Nitroglycerin Nitroglycerin is a chemical explosive that was discovered by Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero in 1846. It was the first explosive developed that was more powerful than black powder, Nitroglycerin is a mix of nitric acid, sulphuric acid, and glycerol, and it is highly volatile. Its inventor, Sobrero, warned against its potential dangers, but Alfred Nobel adopted it as a commercial explosive in 1864. Several serious accidents, however, caused pure liquid nitroglycerin to be widely banned, leading to Nobels eventual invention of dynamite. Nitrocellulose In 1846, Chemist Christian Schonbein discovered nitrocellulose, also called guncotton, when he accidentally spilled a mixture of potent nitric acid on a cotton apron and the apron exploded as it dried. Experiments by Schonbein and others quickly established a means of manufacturing guncotton safely, and because it had a clean, explosive power almost six times greater than black powder, it quickly was adopted for use as means for propelling projectiles in weapons.   TNT In 1863, TNT or Trinitrotoluene was invented by German chemist Joseph Wilbrand. Originally formulated as a yellow dye, its explosive properties were not immediately evident. Its stablity was such that it could be safely poured into shell casings, and in the early 20th century it came into standard usage for German and British military munitions. Considered a high explosive, TNT is still in common use by the U.S. military and by construction companies around the world.   Blasting Cap In 1865, Alfred Nobel invented the blasting cap. The blasting cap provided a safer and dependable means of detonating nitroglycerin. Dynamite In 1867, Alfred Nobel patented dynamite, a high explosive that consisted of a mixture of three parts nitroglycerine, one part diatomaceous earth (ground silica rock) as an absorbent, and a small amount of sodium carbonate antacid as a stabilizer. The resultant mixture was considerably safer than pure nitroglycerine, as well as being much more powerful than black powder. Other materials are now used as the absorbent and stabilizing agents, but dynamite remains the premier explosive for use in commercial mining and construction demolition. Smokeless Powders In 1888, Alfred Nobel invented a dense smokeless powder explosive called ballistite. In 1889, Sir James Dewar and Sir Frederick Abel invented another smokeless gunpowder called cordite. Cordite was made of  nitroglycerin, guncotton, and a petroleum substance gelatinized by addition of acetone. Later variations of these smokeless powders form the propellant for most modern firearms and artillery. Modern Explosives Since 1955, a variety of additional high explosives has been developed. Created mostly for military use, they also have commercial applications, such as in deep drilling operations.  Explosives such as nitrate-fuel oil mixtures or ANFO and ammonium nitrate-base water gels now account for seventy percent of the explosives market. These explosives come in various types including: HMXRDXHNIWONC

Exclusion Restrictions in Instrumental Variables

Exclusion Restrictions in Instrumental Variables In many fields of study, including statistics and economics, researchers rely on valid exclusion restrictions when they are estimating outcomes using either instrumental variables (IV) or exogenous variables. Such calculations are often used to analyze the causal effect of a binary treatment. Variables and Exclusion Restrictions Loosely defined, an exclusion restriction is considered valid so long as the independent variables do not directly affect the dependent variables in an equation. For example, researchers rely on randomization of the sample population in order to ensure comparability across the treatment and control groups. At times, however, randomization is not possible. This may for any number of reasons, such as lack of access to suitable populations or budgetary restrictions. In such cases, the best practice or strategy is to rely on an instrumental variable. Simply put, the method of using instrumental variables is utilized to estimate causal relationships when a controlled experiment or study is simply not feasible. Thats where valid exclusion restrictions come into play.   When researchers employ instrumental variables, they rely on two primary assumptions. The first is that the excluded instruments are distributed independently of the error process. The other is that the excluded instruments are sufficiently correlated with the included endogenous regressors. As such, the specification of an IV model states that the excluded instruments affect the independent variable only indirectly.   As a result, exclusion restrictions are considered observed variables that impact treatment assignment, but not the outcome of interest conditional on treatment assignment. If, on the other hand, an excluded instrument is shown to exert both direct and indirect influences on the dependent variable, the exclusion restriction should be rejected. The Importance of Exclusion Restrictions In simultaneous equation systems or a system of equations, exclusion restrictions are critical. The simultaneous equation system is a finite set of equations in which certain assumptions are made. Despite its importance to the solution of the system of equations, the validity of an exclusion restriction cannot be tested as the condition involves an unobservable residual. Exclusion restrictions are often imposed intuitively by the researcher who must then convince of the plausibility of those assumptions, meaning that the audience must believe the researcher’s theoretical arguments that support the exclusion restriction. The concept of exclusion restrictions denotes that some of the exogenous variables are not in some of the equations. Often this idea is expressed by saying the coefficient next to that exogenous variable is zero. This explanation may make this restriction (​hypothesis) testable and may make a simultaneous equation system identified. Sources Schmidheiny, Kurt. Short Guides to Microeconometrics: Instrumental Variables.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Schmidheiny.name. Fall 2016.University of Manitoba Rady Faculty of Health Sciences staff. Introduction to Instrumental Variables. UManitoba.ca.

PreACT Practice Tests Where to Find Them and How to Prep

PreACT Practice Tests Where to Find Them and How to Prep SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Getting ready to take the PreACT? Then you might be wondering whether you should prep for it- and what resources you can use. Is there a PreACT practice test you can take? What kinds of PreACT resources does ACT, Inc. offer? Keep reading to learn why it’s a good idea to lightly prep for the PreACT, and get a comprehensive list of the best PreACT practice tests and materials you can use in your studying. Why You Should Prep for the PreACT The PreACT was created to act as an ACT practice test for 10th graders. Because your PreACT score does not count toward any grades and is not reported to colleges, you’re generally not expected to prep too hard (if at all) for the exam. That said, it can be a good idea to do some light prep, especially if your ultimate goal is to achieve a high score on the ACT. The PreACT is very similar to the ACT in content and form, so preparing for it essentially gives you a head start on ACT prep. As a result, you might not need to study as hard for the ACT when you take it the following year as an 11th grader. Most importantly, however, prepping for the PreACT is simply a great way to familiarize yourself with the ACT. Since you'll take the PreACT as a 10th grader, you'll learn early on what to expect on the ACT and can thus reduce the pressure you'll likely feel when taking the ACT for the first time. Now that you know why it’s a smart idea to prep a little for the PreACT, what are the best resources you can use in your studying? Let's start with the best of the best: official ACT, Inc. materials. Official PreACT Practice Tests Unfortunately, there are no official PreACT practice tests. In fact, the ACT, Inc. website doesn’t offer any PreACT prep material whatsoever (such as practice questions or content guides). Instead, all it has are some general PreACT-related PDFs and PowerPoints detailing things like the format of the test and why sophomores should take it. The likely reason for this lack of PreACT practice materials is that ACT, Inc. doesn’t want students to feel the need to prep extensively for the PreACT. (Remember, the PreACT is simply a practice test for the ACT, so your score won't count for anything!) Another probable reason is that, because ACT, Inc. already provides test takers with so many materials for the ACT, there’d be no point in making separate PreACT resources. In terms of free ACT materials, ACT, Inc. offers a wide variety of questions and tests- which you can also use for your PreACT prep. But before you use any of these to study for the PreACT, make sure you’re aware of the three main differences between the PreACT and ACT. These are as follows: The PreACT is shorter than the ACT: While the ACT is about three to three and a half hours long (depending on whether you take the optional Writing section), the PreACT is a mere two hours and 10 minutes long. The PreACT is easier than the ACT: Because the PreACT targets 10th graders and the ACT targets 11th and 12th graders, the PreACT uses a slightly easier difficulty than the ACT does. Consequently,the maximum score on the PreACT is 35, compared with 36 on the ACT. The PreACT does not have an essay section:Unlike the ACT, which offers an optional essay section,the PreACT does not contain any such section. Now let’s take a look at the official ACT resources you can use for your PreACT prep, as well as how to use them effectively. Rule #1 for using these resources effectively: don't accidentally feed them to your shredder. Free Official ACT Practice Tests At present, there are six official, full-length ACT practice tests available for free online. Since the ACT hasn’t changed much over the years, all of these tests should be helpful for your studying: ACT Practice Test 2018-19 (Form 74FPRE) ACT Practice Test 2015-16 (Form 72CPRE) ACT Practice Test 2014-15 (Form 67C) ACT Practice Test 2011-12 (Form 64E) ACT Practice Test 2008-09 (Form 61C) ACT Practice Test 2005-06 (Form 59F) The reason a few years are missing from these tests is that ACT, Inc. uses the same practice test for a few years before it releases a new one. For example, the 2015-16 practice test is the exact same as the 2016-17 and 2017-18 practice tests. In order to use these practice tests effectively, take themas if you were taking the real ACT. This means you'll need to take each test in a quiet place without any distractions. Also, it's important to take the entire test in one sitting.This way, you'll get a more accurate reflection of your scoring ability and can begin building up your stamina for both PreACT and ACT test day. Finally, be sure to time yourself in accordance with official ACT time limits.Because the ACT is longer than the PreACT is and contains slightly harder questions, these practice tests will be a little more challenging than the actual PreACT will be. But this isn't a bad thing- in fact, it means you'll be extra prepared for the PreACT! Free Official ACT Practice Questions If you’re looking for individual practice questions instead of practice tests, ACT, Inc. also offers a ton of sample ACT questions on its website. You’ll get the following number of questions for each ACT section: 75 ACT English questions 60 ACT Math questions 48 ACT Reading questions 40 ACT Science questions Altogether, these sample questions form a complete ACT practice test (plus eight extra Reading questions). This is equal to aboutone and a half PreACT tests. What’s nice about this resource is that you can easily skip around to focus on certain sections should you want to target specific skills for the PreACT. Although you can also use these sample questions as a full-length practice test, note that they aren’t available on paper- just online- which will make your practice less realistic. Furthermore, be aware that ACT, Inc. sets up these questions in a slightly bizarre format in which you are shown the correct answers after you answer only a handful of questions. This setup makes it difficult to take the whole test in one sitting (and nearly impossible to use official ACT time limits). Paid Official ACT Practice Tests Aside from the free materials above, ACT, Inc. offers some paid ACT practice tests for those who'd like to squeeze in more official ACT/PreACT practice: The Official ACT Prep Guide 2019-2020:This is the most recent version of the ACT's official prep book. It includes five complete practice tests, as well as 400 additional online questions (some of which are reused from the free resources above).While you won’t get much content help with this guide, it’s an excellent resource for additional practice tests. It costs about $23 on Amazon. ACT Online Prep Program: This official online program offers onecompletely unique, full-length ACT practice test.The actual prep part of the program isn’t that helpful, so it’s best to use this just for the practice test. The program costs $39.95. These next resources are as free as this escaped chicken feels. Free Unofficial PreACT Practice Tests Similar to how there are no official PreACT practice tests, there are no unofficial PreACT practice tests available for free online.Because the PreACT is a practice ACT and is so similar to the ACT, most test-prep companies and websites see no point in creating separate PreACT practice tests. So what can you use instead? Luckily, there are tons of free unofficial ACT practice tests you can use for PreACT prep. As is the case with all prep materials, some of these practice tests are good quality, and some aren’t so great. Therefore, it's best toprioritize official ACT materials. In addition, remember that since these are ACT practice tests- not PreACT tests- you can expect there to be more questions that are a little harder than what you’ll see on the PreACT. Below are our picks for the best unofficial ACT practice tests you can use in your PreACT prep, as well as tips for using each resource effectively. Ivy Global Ivy Global’s ACT practice test is by far one of the most realistic unofficial ACT tests available for free online. Visually, it looks almost identical to an official ACT practice test. Unlike other unofficial tests, which are typically only available online, this resource is a downloadable PDF, meaning that you can take it on paper- just as you will for the actual PreACT and ACT. Pros Most questions are very similar to those you’ll see on the ACTin terms of both quality and difficulty. The test is completely free to download and use- you don’t need to make an account or provide any personal information in order to access it. Because the test is a PDF, you can print it out and take it on paper- the same way you’ll take the PreACT (and eventually ACT). This ensures you’ll have realistic test-taking practice. Cons There are no answer explanations for the test; instead, all you get isan answer key (which is included with the test). This lack of guidance makes it difficult to determine exactlywhy you got certain questions wrong. How to Use This Resource Effectively Because this resource is one of the best unofficial ACT practice tests out there, I recommend taking it in its entirety as you would with an official practice test. Again, you'll want torecreate a realistic test-taking setting bytaking it ina quiet room and following all official ACT time limits. Finally, remember that this test still isn't as good as an official practice test, so only take it once you’ve exhausted all official ACT resources. Kaplan Kaplan- a pretty big name in the test-prep world- offers one free full-length ACT practice test when you sign up for an account on their website. This test is only offered on certain dates and at specific times, so check that the time you choose works with your schedule before registering. Pros Kaplan is known for having somewhat easier ACT practice questions and generally targets those who are new to the test. While this would be a con for those prepping for the ACT, it’sa huge plus for those prepping for the PreACT. Because the PreACT is supposed to be a little easier than the ACT is, this lower difficulty level actually works in your favor! Along with the test itself, you’ll get a breakdown of your results and an overview of which skills and areas you could improve. This is useful for figuring out what you should focus on in your PreACT prep. Cons You have to sign up for an account, which is a little annoying, especially if you don’t plan to utilize Kaplan’s other services. The free test is only offered at certain times and on certain days, meaning there’s very little flexibility in when you can take the practice test. The practice test is offered online, so the test-taking experience won’t be that realistic (both the PreACT and ACT are given on paper, not via a computer). How to Use This Resource Effectively If you’ve already taken all official ACT practice tests and the Ivy Global one but still want additional PreACT practice, this is a helpful test to take, particularlyif you'd like to know the specific areas you should zero in on in your prep. Additionally, make sure you’ve looked at your schedule ahead of time so that nothing will interfere with the time of the free test you sign up for. If possible, try to sign up for a morning ACT practice test,since that’s the time you’ll most likely be taking the PreACT at school. I know you hate getting up early, but I promise it'll help you feel more prepared for the PreACT! The Princeton Review Like Kaplan, The Princeton Review- another popular test-prep company- offers a free online ACT practice testwhen you sign up for an account on their website. Pros The Princeton Review is known for making conceptually easier ACT questions- but this will work in your favor since the PreACT is slightly easier than the ACT is. The free practice test can be taken at any time, so it’s pretty convenient. Once you finish taking the test, you’ll get a score report that goes over your strengths and weaknesses. This information is particularly helpful if you hope to eventually score highly on the ACT as well. Cons You have tosign up for an account in order to access the free test. Doing so automatically signs you up to receive emails from The Princeton Review; however, you can disable this at any time. Because the test is an online test, you won’t get that realistic test-taking experience you’d get with a paper test. How to Use This Resource Effectively Like the Kaplan test above, I suggest taking this test only after you’ve exhausted all official ACT resources and the (unofficial) Ivy Global PDF. Since you can take this test anytime, make sure to carve out at least four hours for it (i.e., the approximate length of the ACT). Also, try to take it in the morning, as most schools administer the PreACT during the first half of the school day. Finally, don't forget to use the timed feature when you take the test; this will help you get used to the pressure of testing under time limits (recall, though, that the PreACT is shorter than the ACT). Bonus:PrepScholar’s List of the Best ACT Practice Tests For even more ACT practice tests you can use in your PreACT prep, check out our extensive guide to the best ACT practice tests.In this guide, we introduce a combination of official and unofficial resources for ACT practice tests, some of which are free and some of which aren't. We also offer a summary of each resource to give you an idea of how helpful it’ll be for your ACT (or PreACT) prep. This article shares some overlap with the resources above, so be sure to look for those you haven’t yet tried. Remember that those resources containing easier ACT questions will be more useful (and more relevant) for your PreACT prep. At the same time, it's OK to avoid any resources that mostly target high scorers on the ACT, since their questions will be much more difficult than those on the PreACT (and possibly even the ACT!). Paid Unofficial PreACT Practice Test Although there are no free unofficial PreACT resources available, there is one paid PreACT practice test resource you can use:a prep book by Mometrix called PreACT Secrets Study Guide: PreACT Test Review for the PreACT Exam. Unlike the resources above, this is an entire book that includes a ton of PreACT practice questions, in addition to a full-length PreACT practice test (finally, not an ACT practice test!). Pros Unlike the other unofficial resources above, which are all geared specifically toward the ACT, this book targets the PreACT itself. Therefore, all the guidance and questions it offers are more similar to what you’ll see on the PreACT (versus the slightly harder ACT). It’s the only resource that contains a full-length PreACT practice test (instead of an ACT practice test).So if you're looking for something similar to the actual PreACT you’ll be taking, this resource is an ideal one to use. Unlike with ACT practice tests, you don’t have to take into account any format differences such as time limits and the number of questions. Cons The overall content review is really not that great. Most of the test-taking tips and section overviews aren’t detailed enough to be useful. This is especially concerning when we consider the fact that those taking the PreACT are completely new to this type of standardized test. The book’s got a lot of inaccuracies. For example, it mentions test centers in its tips section, even though only schools (not test centers!) offer the PreACT. Similarly, it talks about an essay section on the PreACT- but there isn’t one! It’s a pretty expensive book, currently selling for around $37 on Amazon. Since you can get loads of free ACT practice materials that are a lot more accurate (even though they're for the ACT and not the PreACT specifically), this price ultimately doesn’t seem worth it. How to Use This Resource Effectively Even though this is one of the only (if not the only) PreACT practice test resource out there, I don’t recommend buying it. With its multitude of basic inaccuracies and lack of helpful content review, I honestly don’t think it’s worth the $37 price tag. That said, if you’re really, really interested in buying it and want PreACT materials (instead of all ACT materials), go ahead and buy it. Just be aware that you’re only using it for the full-length PreACT practice test it offers, as the content review and tips aren’t that helpful (or even relevant). Taking the PreACT: 4 Essential Tips for Test Day As you know, the PreACT is a practice test for the ACT that's meant to help sophomores get a feel for the form and content of the ACT. Even though your PreACT score doesn't count for anything, it can be helpful to know a few key test-taking skills for test day. This way you won't simply do well on the PreACT but can also get more comfortable with the types of strategies you’ll eventually need for the ACT (or SAT). Below, we go over our top four test-taking tips for the PreACT (you can alsocheck out our ACT version for even more tips). #1: Pace Yourself One very important tip to remember is to pace yourself. Doing this ensures you won’t spend too much time on a single question or move too quickly and end up making careless mistakes. The PreACT contains a total of four sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science. Each section has a different number of questions in it as well as a different time limit. Here is an overview of approximately how long you’ll have per question on each PreACT section: PreACT Section Total Time # of Questions Time per Question 1. English 30 minutes 45 40 seconds 2. Math 40 minutes 36 67 seconds 3. Reading 30 minutes 25 (with 3 passages) 72 seconds 4. Science 30 minutes 30 60 seconds Source: 2017-18 PreACT Administration Manual As you can see, the amount of time you’ll have per question on each section varies. You’ll get the most time per question on the Reading section (72 seconds) and the least amount of time per question on the English section (40 seconds). By being aware of these timing differences, you can effectively avoid wasting time on one question at the beginning of a section and instead use that time to focus on other easier questions. In other words, skipping around on each section to do the easier questions first is perfectly OK- and even recommended! #2: Answer Every Question Like the ACT, there is no point penalty on the PreACT.Your score for each section, as well as your composite score, are all calculated based only on the questions you got right. Here's how PreACT scoring works: for every section, you earn one raw point for each right answer. These points are then converted into a scale score on the final 1-35 score scale. So what does this mean for your test-taking strategy? Because you won’t lose any points for wrong answers, try toanswer every single question on the test. Even if you’re running out of time on a section or have no clue what the correct answer to a question is, go ahead and guess! Most PreACT questions have four answer choices (Math questions have five), so you’ll always have a 20-25% of getting a question right, even if you just randomly select an answer. Who knows, you might get lucky and get every question you guessed right! Unless you're me. #3: Skim the Passages on Reading The PreACT Reading section contains three passages and 25 questions, and has a time limit of 30 minutes. This gives you about 72 seconds to answer each Reading question. But this time per question doesn’t take into account the time you’ll need to read each passage. While most students think they’re required to read the passage in its entirety, this can actually eat up a lot of your time (on both the PreACT and ACT). Instead, it’s far better to skim each passage. This not only saves you time overall but also allows you to spend more time tackling the most challenging questions. As we discuss in our guide to choosing an effective reading strategy for the ACT, here’s how you should approach passages on the PreACT: Read the small blurb at the beginning of the article to get a sense of what the passage will be about Choose one of two possible passage-reading strategies: Option A: Read the questions first and then skim the passage Option B: Skim the passage first and then read the questions Option A is a highly effective method that lets you look for the answers to the questions while you skim the passage. In other words, since you're already familiar with the questions and what they’re asking, you can quickly skim the passage to find those answers. Option B can be very effective, too, particularly if you find it difficult to read the questions before you know anything about the passage they're referring to. Ultimately, it doesn't matter which passage-reading strategy you decide to use- as long as it's one that works well for you and will help you get the PreACT/ACT score you want. I recommend trying out both strategies with official practice ACT Reading tests to see which one suits you better. Whichever method gives you a higher Reading score should be the one you use for the PreACT (and ACT). #4: Plug In Answers and Numbers on Math If you’re stuck on a PreACT Math question because you can’t remember a certain formula or don’t know how to approach it, don’t give up- instead, try plugging in answers and numbers to see if you can find the correct answer that way. But what exactly are these two strategies? Here’s a basic overview: Plug in answers:With this strategy, you'll plug each answer choice into the problem (usually an equation or inequality) to see which one yields the correct result. All Math answer choices are arranged in the order of smallest value to highest value, so you can save time by always starting with the middle answer choice (C or H).This tells you whether you need to work your way up or down to get a smaller or bigger value. Plug in numbers: Use this strategy when you get a question dealing withmultiple variables (i.e., unknown numbers typically represented by letters or symbols). To use it, simply replace all unknown variables with real numbers. This makes the problem easier to solve by letting you work with actual numbers instead of unknown values. For more tips on how to use these two strategies, as well as examples of practice questions, take a look at our guides to plugging in answers and plugging in numbers. Recap: The Best PreACT Practice Test Resources As we've shown you,there simply aren’t that many test-prep materials created solely for the PreACT.That said, you can still prep effectively for the test by taking advantage of an array of ACT practice tests and questions. As with any test prep, it’s best to start with official practice materials (in this case, those created by ACT, Inc.). This ensures you’ll have realistic and highly effective PreACT practice. For additional PreACT practice, feel free to use any of theunofficial ACT practice tests listed above. However, note that because these resources are unofficial, their quality won’t be nearly as high as that of official ACT materials. If you've combed through all the ACT resources listed above and are still dying for something that specifically targets the PreACT, your only option is PreACT Secrets Study Guide. However, with a high price tag of around $50 and tons of inaccuracies, this prep book really isn't worth buying. Even if you've studied hard, you'll still need to know some key test-taking strategies so you can get a high PreACT (and eventually ACT) score. Here are the four tips to keep in mind on test day: Pace yourself, and don't forget that the number of seconds you'll have per question varies with each section of the test Answer every question, even if you have to guess on some For Reading, skim the passages- don't attempt to carefully read each one as this will eat up your time For Math, plug in answers and numbersif there are too many variables or you aren't sure how to solve a problem With that, I wish you the best of luck on the PreACT! What’s Next? Want to learn more about the PreACT? Check out our comprehensive guide to the PreACT test, and learn when you can take the exam (coming soon). Looking for more ACT study materials you can use in your PreACT prep?Take a look at our top picks for ACT prep books, ACT prep websites, and ACT apps, and get advice on how to use them. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Importance of Management in Civil Engineering Essay - 1

Importance of Management in Civil Engineering - Essay Example Management is a leading science domain and routine in managing building companies. It is one of the oldest human activities; it activates human abilities on building investment objects in order to assure necessity for civil engineering purposes. It is good enough reason to take place in management development in civil engineering. As there are too many definitions of management depending on an author, only the most important are offered, namely the most acceptable in civil engineering domain. Remarkable attention is given to managing tasks in civil engineering as well to their correlationsIf we speak about management in civil engineering then the total quality management must be proposed. Total quality management is a business philosophy and accessible way of modern companies around the whole world. It is the most contemporary idea of developing and advancing in all life and work domains. The growing urge of efficient use of the earth's resources such as land, air, water and raw mate rials as well as concentration on efficient design, analysis and maintenance of civil structures requires a better insight in the spatial and temporal patterns of resources and activities (Bean, A.L., 2007). In view of the fact that the parameters of civil engineering today are not only confined to design and construction of structures but due to globalization and privatization of civil engineering organizations now civil engineering emerges as a study, which not only pay attention on construction.

THE IMPACT OF OUTDOOR PLAY ON YOUNG CHILDREN'S SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AGE Dissertation

THE IMPACT OF OUTDOOR PLAY ON YOUNG CHILDREN'S SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AGE 3-5 IN THE EARLY YEARS SETTING - Dissertation Example The various challenges to outdoor were cited as academic focus, lack of time and initiative on the part of parents and availability if indoor distractions like TV, video-games etc. The observational research concluded that the observed children’s outdoor play activities developed, changed and became more innovative, creative and at times gender specific over the period of observation. The findings also showed that there were positive gains like increased communications and interactions with others, increased initiative to participate in activities and increased awareness of the self and environment. These findings therefor indicate that social development is affected by outdoor play and hence there is a need to develop curriculum to increase participation. Additionally, the research also comments on the lack of awareness about the social benefits among the parents and makes recommendations for developing programs for educating them. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction In troduction Introduction and Research Background Research Questions Research Aims Research Strategy Research Significance Chapter 2: Literature Review A Historical Perspective The Value of Play for Young Children’s Social Development Outdoor Play and Social Development Stages and Levels of Outdoor Play Challenges with Outdoor Play Chapter 3: Methodology Research Methodology-Introduction Methodology and Research Process Sample Pilot Testing and Assessing Validity Administration Ethical considerations Chapter 4: Findings and Analysis Introduction Findings A: Survey of Parents and Teachers Findings B: Interview of Parents and Teachers Findings C: Findings from Observational Research Chapter 5: Conclusion List of Figures and Tables Figure1: Teacher’s Perceptions about Time for Outdoor Play Figure 2: Parent’s Perceptions about Time for Outdoor Play Figure 3: Teachers’ Safety Concerns Figure 5: Teachers’ Perceptions on Uniqueness of Benefits of Outdoor Pl ay Figure 6: Parents’ Perceptions on Uniqueness of Benefits of Outdoor Play Figure 7: Teachers’ Perceptions of Benefots of Out Door Play Figure 8: Parents’ Perceptions of Benefots of Out Door Play Figure 9: Teachers’ Perception of how Outdoor Play Leads to Social Development Figure 10: Parents’ Perception of how Outdoor Play Leads to Social Development Figure 11: Teachers’ Perception of Factors Inhibiting Outdoor Play Figure 12: Parents’ Perception of Factors Inhibiting Outdoor Play Figure 13: Teachers’ Recommendations for Outdoor Play Figure 14: Parents’ Recommendations for Outdoor Play Table 1: Perception of the Essential Time To be Spent in Outdoor Play Table 2: Safety Concerns related to Outdoor Play Table 3: Perceptions of Differential Benefits of Outdoor and Indoor Play Table 4: Benefits of Outdoor Play Table: 5: Outdoor Play Activities Leading to Social Development Table 6: Factors Responsible for Lack of Outdoor Play Table 7: Recommended Actions to Increase Outdoor Play List of Appendices Appendix A: Questionnaire for parents and teachers Apendix B: Interview Questionnaire Appendix C: Observation criteria Chapter 1: Introduction Introduction This chapter contains the introduction and background of the research and explains

Fair Shares Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Fair Shares - Essay Example Despite (or perhaps because of) your love of all things amphibious, you currently lack the funds to pay each of the others their probable fair share. You will not receive the collection, but wish to receive as much money as possible. You have no knowledge of the amounts in each of the sealed bids, but strongly suspect that Abraham will bid between $10,000.00 and $12,000.00. Soln. As I know that I cannot pay the others their probable fair share and so I won’t be able to win the collection and I also believe that Abraham will bid between $10000 to $12000 than I would think about putting a value that is just below the one that Abraham will put which in this case would be $9999. The reason for putting this value is that it will give me the highest possible fair share without having a chance of winning the items as the fair share that I will get if Abraham bids $10000 and wins it would be: And so the total amount that I will receive would be 2499.75+250.0625=$2749.8125. This is the highest amount that I can win considering that I cannot win the collection and Abraham’s bid will be between 10000 to