Being A First Generation American Child - 1038 Words

Self improvement is defined as the improvement of one’s knowledge, status or character by one’s own efforts. Society has shown us the many different ways people improve their lives today. Any change, no matter how small can become a major factor in someones current or future life. Lets take Immigrants as an example of self improvement. People immigrate to the U.S in search for a better life and the pursuit of happiness. Once they have established themselves in this country of opportunity, immigrants are able to lay a strong foundation for their children and any other decedents in their generation. Being a first generation American child puts a lot responsibilities and expectations to deliver in a person. Relationships in first generation families often deteriorate because they are faced with a conflict between living up to standards, or living a double standard. Amy Tan, born February 19, 1952, was an American writer whose works explore mother-daughter relationships an d the Chinese-American experience. As a child Amy Tan believed her life was duller than most. She read to escape. Her parents wanted her to be a doctor or a concert pianist, however, she secretly dreamed of becoming an artist. She began writing fiction when she was thirty-three. The story â€Å"Two kinds† introduces the protagonist s as young Jing-Mei, and antagonist as her mother. The story’s physical setting takes place in San Francisco, the city Jing-Mei’s parents resided after immigrating from china. TheShow MoreRelatedParenting and culture Essay1595 Words   |  7 Pagessupporters of the argument for the universality of parenting suggest that certain types of parenting styles will produce the same child development outcomes in different cultures. On the other hand, the argument for cultural specificity states that different parenting practices vary from culture to culture, and that culture ultimately determines the outcomes of child development. Each culture has specific styles of parenting that instill values on children particular to that culture. Each individualRead MoreShould Abortion Be Illegal?899 Words   |  4 Pagesshould be illegal. This medical procedure consists of in most cases regrettable choices and an emotional to ile on a person’s life that cannot be undone. Abortion should be illegal because it’s sending a very negative message to the younger generation that being promiscuous and making bad decisions can have almost no responsibility and consequences, another reason it should be illegal is because abortion is murder. Some people might say we have all been young once, and even though it’s not exactlyRead MoreThe, Anchor Baby, By Edward E. Telles And Vilma Ortiz1288 Words   |  6 Pagesrantings to be used as a pejorative meaning for a child born in the United States to an immigrant. When I had first heard this term I could not help but blatantly laugh. Although it essentially is used as a derogatory word towards me, as well as the rest of ‘my people’, I found it humorously accurate (and even somewhat affectionate). This expression was brought up during a conversation between my boyfriend and me about first generation Americans. I half-jokingly mentioned the only time I reserveRead MoreThe Language Gap Between First And Second Generation Immigrants1589 Words   |  7 Pagesfour children in the United States lives with at least one foreign-born parent, and eighty-eight percent of those children are second generation (Zong). Second generation immigrants typically acquire the la nguage spoken in the receiving country (their second language, the L2) when old enough to leave the household for schooling, while their parents—first generation immigrants—retain their native language (the L1). While childhood arrivals â€Å"effortlessly acquire† the L2, â€Å"higher wage returns and betterRead MoreHa Jin Children As Enemies Summary748 Words   |  3 Pagesmore common in the present times, from generation to generation. Due to this, many clashes have occurred between members of the same family who happen to be part of different generations, or cultures. These clashes become even more intense when the members of the family are from both different cultures and generations. Clashes like these could lead to the family being torn apart like it was the case of the characters from the short story by the Chinese-American writer Ha Jin â€Å"Children as Enemies.†Read MoreThe Fall Of Patriotic Ideals1535 Words   |  7 PagesFall of Patriotic Ideals Although the American people have always been patriotic, younger generations are becoming less patriotic, specifically in that they are less likely to say that America is the greatest country in the world. There are many factors behind this decline in patriotism, but they are primarily rooted in global politics and contemporary American society. Younger generations have not experienced the world as the older generations have, causing them to have a different view ofRead MoreTwo Kinds by Amy Tan Essay981 Words   |  4 Pagesshe struggles with the burden of failing to meet her mother’s expectations. Being a first-generation Asian American, I have faced the same issues that the daughter has been through in the story. My mother believed you could be anything you wanted to be in America (491). This ideology inspired Jing-mei’s mother to work hard to create a better life for herself and her family in a new country. The search of the American dream exerts a powerful influence on new arrivals in the United States. HoweverRead MoreSummary : Tomorrow Is Not Promised For No One 1693 Words   |  7 Pagesthat African born boys and girls have on us American kids is their drive to work. No matter the age, time, or place millions of children in Africa wake up at the crack of dawn or in the howling darkness of midnight to help support their family. Obviously America doesn’t exactly follow in the African’s working culture (anymore), but at some point in our own country’s history we were in similar shoes. Once the recession hit in the 1920’s countless of American children were forced to work extended hoursRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Unbound Voices : A Documentary Histo ry Of Chinese Women1707 Words   |  7 PagesAs societies change and adapt to the changes happening around them, so to will the people change. Each generation will be different in some little and some large areas from the generation before them. The cultural differences in the experienced of women, seen generationally, is most evident in the lives of immigrant and minority women. The differences in each generation can easily be seen within the Chinese and Mexican women who immigrated to America. In Judy Yung’s 1999 collection, Unbound Voices:Read MoreMigration Is A Common Occurrences1655 Words   |  7 Pagesinfluences the new generations of family morals, values and cultures. In the film The Namesake, the film portrays the navigation in time sequences of marriage, education, parental hood, success, wealth and death. The struggles of a Bengali couple who immigrated to the United States, which cultures is outside their customs. The film, The Namesake was created after a very popular book that dives into the obscurities internal and externality of immigrates and the first generations Americans. It gives a

General Internet Skills Free Essays

General Internet Skills Using the Internet for Academic Purposes As a student I need to have general internet skills to survive at the University of Phoenix. These skills include†¦ ? Understanding what the purpose of the browser is. ? Understands the general structure of a website address. We will write a custom essay sample on General Internet Skills or any similar topic only for you Order Now ? Understands the key features of a web page. ? Understands browser features such as; address bar, home buttons, history, etc. ? Knows how to use key words in a simple search. ? Understands how to navigate and use the University of Phoenix Student Portal. ? Understands how to choose a information from a credible website. Knows how to cite any electronic references from information used. Appropriately Communicating with Different Audiences As a student of University of Phoenix, it is important that I learned how to communicate with different audiences. I can do this by using formal communication. It is important that I communicate with the instructors in a formal way. Formal communication is very professional. Students should not speak with instructors as they would their family members and friends. Students should be very respectful when speaking with instructors, being exact and specific, leaving no room for misinterpretation. pic] University of Phoenix and University Library Resources The University of Phoenix’s mission is to help students achieve their professional goals, improve the productivity of their organizations, and provide leadership and service to their communities. They strive to do this by providing access to higher education opportunities that enable students to achieve these goals. Since becoming a student at the University of Phoenix, I have taken advantage of the resources offered in the Library. I will continue to use the resources throughout my journey at University of Phoenix. The University offers extensive contents and services for research, media library, Center for writing excellence, Center for mathematics excellence, and Phoenix Career Services. The Center for writing excellence offers different tutorials and guides for student improvement, they are very useful. It also offers WritePoint. WritePoint is a review service that is available to students and also faculty. It allows a student to submit a paper and the system automatically reviews it and offers suggestions for improvements. Along with the WritePoint, the Center for writing excellence offers a Plagiarism Checker. It helps the student understand where they are with plagiarism when they are doing an essay. The University Library offers peer reviewed academic journal. Many instructors prefer for students to use research information from the University library. The University of Phoenix offers many other resources that are useful. All of them are great to use, so I will continue to take advantage of them all. [pic] Upholding Academic Honesty It is important as a student at the University of Phoenix to uphold academic honesty. As a student I will continue to be original when completing assignments. The University Of Phoenix Student Code Of Academic Integrity states that Academic dishonesty threatens the integrity of individual students as well as the University’s academic community. A sign of academic dishonesty is plagiarizing. I will continue to remain original and use the plagiarism checker. [pic] Setting and Achieving Goals As a full time student with a full time job, I had to learn to set short term and long term goals. It is important to set goals because it allows me to get better results. It puts me on the fast track and it also allows me to work smarter. I set goals because I am trying to get a better job to provide better for my family. I have just completed my short term goal, which was to complete the Effective Teaching Training so that I can gain experience in teaching in the classroom. Throughout the rest of the time here at University of Phoenix, I will continue to set goals and achieve them. My main goal is to complete school and earn an Associate in Elementary Education. [pic] Managing Time Wisely I have had a tough time adjusting to the online school environment. I am still learning how to manage my time wisely. I always try to evaluate my schedule and how I spend my time. I work a third shift job, so I spend most of my time sleeping throughout the day. I have been told that I need to have at least 24 hours a week to study. Although it is hard for me to spend 24 hours because of my job, I do try to do at least 15 hours. I will start to use my time wisely on my days off. I will try to keep my schedule clear so that I can concentrate on my school assignments. I will also prioritize and try to get organized. I will be sure to not try to complete every assignment all at once. I will be sure to work on assignments when I am not tired. I will also be sure that I am in a quiet and comfortable environment. I will be sure to use all of these tips in my future classes. [pic] Fostering reading comprehension and retention In order to read effectively, I must follow the SQ3R guide. This guide provides the reading and learning strategy that helps me think critically. I will focus on key points in the readings. In order for me to follow along with my readings, I will be sure to highlight important notes. I will make sure that I am in a quiet area so that I can avoid distractions. Choosing the right environment setting to read is important. All of these tips will help me in my future classes and in my career. [pic] Adapting work habits to fit your personality I think that knowing my strengths and weaknesses help me understands where I need to apply myself more. With my personality, I am more comfortable listening to music while I am studying. I also like to be in an environment away from other people. I cannot concentrate if I have others around me talking. I take breaks when I am studying because if I sit in one spot too long, then I lose focus and concentration. I will continue to apply my personality to my work habits because it helps me improve my studies. How to cite General Internet Skills, Papers

The opressivness of Captialism Essay Example For Students

The opressivness of Captialism Essay Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels lived in an interesting time. The world around these two men had changed rapidly during the years prior to their birth and after their birth. People were forced to reconsider the structure of their societies and the way individuals were treated by society. Marx and Engels dealt directly with this problem. Their theories dealt directly with the new economic realities of a rapidly industrializing Europe. Their beliefs were grounded in a class struggle between the people who owned the means of production, the bourgeoisie, and those people who were exploited by the bourgeoisie, the proletariat. Their proposed plan was to ameliorate the problems associated with the new economic arrangement. A point has been made that a great number of changes had occurred in Europe before Marx and Engels wrote the Communist Manifesto.The Communist Manifesto was written to combat these new forces. A manifesto is a set of definitions that define how the world runs and who is involved. It classifies people into groups to allow them to identify their allies and enemies. It also states the goals of a political movement. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels collaborated to write this document for the Communist League, which met in London during the latter part of 1847 and early part of 1848. It was meant to define the historical circumstances that led to the development of the modern era and the eventual triumph of communism which the dialectic of history predestined to occur. The nature of human relations has never been peaceful. Since the beginning of time humans have struggled amongst one another trying to satisfy their desires.Engels claimed, all history has been a history of class struggles, of struggles between exploited and exploiting, between dominated and dominating classes at various stages of social development; that this struggle, however, has now reached a stage where the exploited and oppressed class can no longer emancipated itself form the class which exploits and oppresses it (472). People at one time in history had the opportunity to overthrow their oppressors and make a better life for themselves. This was no longer true. The oppression became so harsh and omnipresent that people had no escape. This raises some interesting questions. What was the nature of the oppression? Why were people becoming more and more oppressed? What could be done about the oppression? These will all be answered later in the paper. A natural state exists in which the bourgeoisie and the proletariat are in competition with one another. The capitalists are in business to make money. Marx and Engels said, These labourers, who must sell themselves piece-meal, are a commodity, like every other article of commerce, and are consequently exposed to all the vicissitudes of competition, to all the fluctuations of the market (479). The proletariat is only worthwhile as long as they are earning money for their employers. When they are a burden they are left to fend for their livelihood. Therefore, the workers as a commodity will attempt to a make as much money as they can, while the bourgeoisie will try to maximize profits. People are becoming more oppressed because of the work they perform compared to the work that they performed in an earlier time. Marx and Engel asserted, Owning to the extensive use of machinery and to division of labour, the work of the proletarians has lost all individual character, and consequently, all charm for the workman, he becomes and appendage of the machine, and it is only the most simple, most monotonous, and most easily acquired knack, that is required of him (479). Work in factories was unlike work that was rendered in the small workshops and in their homes. People had taken pride in their work and in return received a feeling of self-worth.Bibliography:

Review key Essay Example

Review key Paper The culture of past Chinese dynasties 5. What reflected the fragmented and competitive political environment in Europe in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries? The Hundred Years War between England and France 6. In which empire was a Shih version of Islam made the official religion in the sixteenth century? Safaris 7. Which empire established unified control over most Of the Indian peninsula? McHugh Empire 8. What feature did the McHugh Empire and Shanghai Empire share? The rulers were Muslim, but the majority of the population was not 9. The wars carried out by the Aztec Empire were linked to what acts? The practice of human sacrifice 10. What did the Inca Empire do that the Aztec Empire did not do? Build an elaborate bureaucracy to integrate and control its subjects 1 1 . What could women do in both the Aztec and Inca empires? Exercise political authority 12. Which two societies shared a common religion? The Shanghai and Ottoman Empires 13. The Inca and Aztec empires practiced similar gender-based systems in which women and men operated in two separate but equivalent spheres, a system that scholars call gender parallelism 4. In the fifteenth century, the gathering and hunting way of life associated with the Paleolithic era persisted in Australia 15. What was a principle underlying the Great Law of Peace of the Iroquois ague? Limited Government 16. After the fifteenth century, how did the Chinese state resolve the problem created by a growing population and land scarcity? More intensive use of available land 17. Which empire ended the Byzantine Empire and came the closest to conquering Europe? Ottoman 18. The ruler of the Shanghai Empire made the pilgrimage to Mecca and asked o be given which title? We will write a custom essay sample on Review key specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Review key specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Review key specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Caliph Of the Land of the Blacks 19. How was Islam introduced into Southeast Asia and West Africa? By traveling merchants 20. In what way were the Aztec and Inca empires similar? Both started out as marginalia peoples who conquered and absorbed older cultures 21 . What did the Aztec Empire require conquered people to do? Pay tribute 22. In the fifteenth century, long-distance trade shifted to East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean 23. What factor was a web of connection that linked many Of the peoples in the world of the fifteenth century? Empires 24. In which century did European peoples begin to take on a more prominent role on the global stage? Fifteenth Visual and Document Source Questions 25. Which of the following was a way that the laws attributed to Mastectomy I maintained and enforced social distinctions in Aztec society? Regulations on clothing and accessories for each class 26. According to the excerpts from Diego Duran, what is a way that a person could fall into slavery in Aztec society? Failing to pay debts 27. What was one purpose of the storehouses in the provinces of the Inca Empire? Provide relief for poor 28. What does the painting of Aristotle and Oversee suggest about Renaissance views on Greek learning and Islam? Aristotle writings had been faithfully preserved by Muslim scholars 29. Which of the views of Muhammad mostly likely influenced the fifteenth- century Italian artist Giovanni dad Modern? Muhammad as a religious heretic 30. What distinguished the empires of Western Europe from other empires? They were initiated by maritime expansion 31 . Why did some Native Americans aid the Spanish in their initial invasion of he New World? To gain an advantage against their own enemies 32. The colonial economy of the Spanish Empire in former Aztec and Inca lands Was based On commercial agriculture and mining 33. Large-scale importation of new slaves continued into the nineteenth century. This describes slavery in Latin America 34. In contrast to the Portuguese and Spanish colonists in Latin America, British colonists in North America sought to escape rather that re-create European traditions in the Americas 35. Describe a main feature of King Chinas policy toward its possessions in entrap Asia?

Database security and encryption Essays

Database security and encryption Essays Database security and encryption Essay Database security and encryption Essay Introduction Administrations are progressively trusting on the distributed information systems to derive productiveness and efficiency advantages, but at the same clip are going more vulnerable to security menaces. Database systems are an built-in constituent of this distributed information system and keep all the information which enables the whole system to work. A database can be defined as a shared aggregation of logically related informations and a description of this information, designed to run into the information demands of an organisation. A database system is considered as a aggregation of related informations, database direction system ( DBMS ) a package that manages ( define, create and maintain ) and controls the entree to the database, and a aggregation of database application ( s ) a plan that interacts with the database at some point in its executing ( typical illustration is a SQL statement ) along with the DBMS and the database itself [ 1 ] . Administrations have adopted database systems as the key informations direction engineering for decision-making and daily operations. Databases are designed to keep big sums of informations and direction of information involves both specifying constructions for storage of information and providing mechanisms for use of information. As the information is to be shared among several users the system must avoid anomalous consequences and guarantee the safety of the information stored despite system clangs and efforts at unauthorised entree. The informations involved here can be extremely sensitive or confidential, therefore doing the security of the informations managed by these systems even more important as any security breach does non impact merely a individual application or user but can hold black effects on the full administration. A figure of security techniques have been suggested over the period of clip to undertake the security issues. These can be classified as entree control, illation control, flux control, and encoding. 1.1 A Short History Get downing from the twenty-four hours one when database applications were build utilizing hierarchal and web systems to today s day of the month when we have so many different database systems like relational databases ( RDBMS ) , object-oriented databases ( OODBMS ) , object-relational databases ( ORDBMS ) , eXtended Query ( XQUERY ) ; one factor which was, is, and will be of the extreme importance is the security of the informations involved. Data ever has been a valuable plus for companies and must be protected. Organizations spend 1000000s these yearss in order to accomplish the best security criterions for the DBMS. Most of an organisations sensitive and proprietary informations resides in a DBMS, therefore the security of the DBMS is a primary concern. When we talk of procuring a DBMS, this is with regard to both the internal and the external users. The internal users are the organisation employees like database decision makers, application developers, and terminal users who m erely use the application interface, which fetch its informations from one of the databasesand the external users can be the employees who do non hold entree to the database or an foreigner who has nil to make with the organisation. The other factors which has made informations security more important is the recent rapid growing of the web based information systems and applications and the construct of nomadic databases. Any knowing or inadvertent event that can adversely impact a database system is considered as a menace to database and database security can be defined as a mechanism that protects the database against such knowing or inadvertent menaces. Security breaches can be classified as unauthorised informations observation, wrong information alteration, and informations inaccessibility, which can take to loss of confidentiality, handiness, unity, privateness, and larceny and fraud. Unauthorized informations observation consequences in revelation of information to users who might non be entitled to hold entree to such sort of information.A Incorrect data alteration intentional or unwilled leaves the database in an wrong province. Datas can halter the functionality of an full organisation in a proper manner if non available when needed. Thus the security in footings of databases can be loosely classified into entree security and internal security. Access security refers to the mechanisms implem ented to curtail any kind of unauthorised entree to the database ; illustrations can be authorization methods such as every user has a alone username and watchword to set up him as a legitimate user when seeking to link to the database. When the user tries to link to the database the login certificates will be checked against a set of usernames and watchword combinations setup under a security regulation by a security decision maker. Internal security can be referred to as an excess degree of security, which comes into image if person has already breached the entree security such as acquiring clasp of a valid username and watchword, which can assist acquiring entree to the database. So the security mechanism implemented within the database such as coding the informations inside the database can be classed as internal security, which prevents the information to be compromised even if person has got unauthorised entree to the database. Every organisation needs to place the menaces they might be subjected to and the later appropriate security programs and countermeasures should be taken, taking into consideration their execution costs and effects on public presentation. Addressing these menaces helps the endeavor to run into the conformity and hazard extenuation demands of the most regulated industries in the universe. 1.2 How Databases are Vulnerable Harmonizing to David Knox [ 2 ] , Procuring the Database may be the individual biggest action an organisation can take, to protect its assets . Most normally used database in an endeavor organisation is relational database. Data is a valuable resource in an endeavor organisation. Therefore they have a really strong demand of purely commanding and pull offing it. As discussed earlier it is the duty of the DBMS to do certain that the information is unbroken secure and confidential as it the component which controls the entree to the database. Enterprise database substructure is capable to an overpowering scope of menaces most of the times. The most common menaces which an Enterprise Database is exposed to are: Excessive Privilege Abuse when a user or an application has been granted database entree privileges which exceeds the demands of their occupation maps. For illustration an academic institute employee whose occupation merely requires merely the ability to alter the contact information for a pupil can besides alter the classs for the pupil. Legitimate Privilege Abuse legitimate database entree privileges can besides be abused for malicious intents. We have two hazards to see in this state of affairs. The first 1 is confidential/sensitive information can be copied utilizing the legitimate database entree privilege and so sold for money. The 2nd one and possibly the more common is recovering and hive awaying big sums of information on client machine for no malicious ground, but when the information is available on an end point machine instead than the database itself, it is more susceptible to Trojans, laptop larceny, etc. Privilege Elevation package exposures which can be found in stored processs, constitutional maps, protocol executions or even SQL statements. For illustration, a package developer can derive the database administrative privileges by working the exposures in a constitutional map. Database Platform Vulnerabilities any extra services or the operating system installed on the database waiter can take to an authorised entree, informations corruptness, or denial of service. For illustration the Blaster Worm which took advantage of exposure in Windows 2000 to make denial of service. SQL Injection the most common onslaught technique. In a SQL injection onslaught, the aggressor typically inserts unauthorised questions into the database utilizing the vulnerable web application input signifiers and they get executed with the privileges of the application. This can be done in the internal applications or the stored processs by internal users. Access to full database can be gained utilizing SQL injectionA A Weak Audit a strong database audit is indispensable in an endeavor organisation as it helps them to carry through the authorities regulative demands, provides research workers with forensics link interlopers to a offense discouraging the aggressors. Database Audit is considered as the last line of database defence. Audit informations can place the being of a misdemeanor after the fact and can be used to associate it to a peculiar user and mend the system in instance corruptness or a denial of service onslaught has occurred. The chief grounds for a weak audit are: it degrades the public presentation by devouring the CPU and disk resources, decision makers can turn off audit to conceal an onslaught, organisations with assorted database environments can non hold a uniform, scalable audit procedure over the endeavor as the audit procedures are alone to database waiter platform Denial of Service entree to web applications or informations is denied to the intended users. A simple illustration can be crashing a database waiter by working exposure in the database platform. Other common denial of service techniques are data corruptness, web implosion therapy, server resource overload ( common in database environments ) . Database Protocol Vulnerabilities SQL Slammer worm took advantage of a defect in the Microsoft SQL Server protocol to coerce denial of service conditions. It affected 75,000 victims merely over 30 proceedingss dramatically decelerating down general cyberspace traffic. [ Analysis of BGP Update Surge during Slammer Worm Attack ] Weak Authentication obtaining legitimate login certificates by improper manner contributes to weak hallmark strategies. The aggressors can derive entree to a legitimate users login inside informations by assorted ways: by repeatedly come ining the username/password combination until he finds the one which works ( common or weak watchwords can be guessed easy ) , by converting person to portion their login certificates, by stealing the login certificates by copying the watchword files or notes. Backup Data Exposure there are several instances of security breaches affecting larceny of database backup tapes and difficult discs as this media is thought of as least prone to onslaught and is frequently wholly unprotected signifier onslaught [ 3 ] . All these security menaces can be accounted for unauthorised informations observation, wrong informations alteration and informations inaccessibility. A complete information security solution must take into consideration the secrecy/confidentiality, unity and handiness of informations. Secrecy or confidentiality refers to the protection of informations against unauthorised revelation, unity refers to bar of wrong informations alteration and handiness refers to bar of hardware/software mistakes and malicious informations entree denials doing the database unavailable. 1.3 Security Techniques As organisations increase their acceptance of database systems as the key informations direction engineering for daily operations and decision-making, the security of informations managed by these systems has become important. Damage and abuse of informations affect non merely a individual user or application, but may hold black effects on the full organisation. There are four chief control steps which can be used to supply security of informations in databases. These are: Access Control Inference Control Flow Control Data Encoding Chapter 2 Literature Review Secure and secret agencies of communicating has been ever desired for in the field of database systems. There is ever a possibility of interception by a party outside of the sender-receiver sphere when information is transmitted. Modern digital-based encoding methods form the footing of today s universe database security. Encoding in its earlier yearss was used by military and authorities organisations to ease secret information but in present times it is used for protecting information within many sorts of civilian systems. In 2007 the U.S. authorities reported that 71 % of companies surveyed utilised encoding or some of their informations in theodolite [ 4 ] . 2.1 Encoding Encoding is defined as the procedure of transforming information ( plaintext ) utilizing an encoding algorithm ( cypher ) into indecipherable signifier ( encrypted information called as ciphertext ) doing it unaccessible to anyone without possessing particular cognition to decode the information. The encryption of the informations by a particular algorithm that renders the informations indecipherable by any plan without the decoding key , is called encoding [ 1 ] . The codification and cypher are the two methods of coding informations. The encoding of informations or a message is accomplished by one, or both, of the methods of encoding or coding. Each involves distinguishable methodological analysiss and the two are differentiated by the degree at which they are carried out. Encoding is performed at the word or block degree and trades with the use of groups of characters. Coding plants at the character degree. This includes scrambling single characters in a message, referred to as heterotaxy, and permutation, or replacing characters with others. Codes by and large are designed to replace full words or blocks of informations in a message with other words or blocks of informations. Languages can be considered codifications, since words and phrases represent thoughts, objects, and actions. There are codifications that replacement full phrases or groups of Numberss or symbols with others. A individual system may use both degrees of encoding. For il lustration, see a codification encoding strategy as follows: the = jam, adult male = barn, is = fly, unsafe = remainder. Then the message, the adult male is unsafe, would read in encrypted signifier, jam barn fly remainder. Although overly-simplistic, this illustration illustrates the footing of codifications. With the coming of electrical-based communications, codifications became more sophisticated in reply to the demands of the systems. For illustration, the innovations of Morse codification and the telegraph dictated a demand for unafraid transmittal that was more sophisticated. Codes are really susceptible to interrupting and possess a big exposure surface with respect to interception and decoding via analysis. Besides, there are no easily-implemented agencies by which to observe breaches in the system. The other method of encoding is the cypher. Alternatively of replacing words or blocks of Numberss or symbols with others, as does the codification, the cypher replaces single o r smaller sets of letters, Numberss, or characters with others, based on a certain algorithm and key. Digital information and information, including picture, sound, and text, can be separated into groups, or blocks, of spots, and so manipulated for encoding by such methods as XOR ( sole OR ) , encoding-decoding, and rotary motion. As an illustration, allow us analyze the rudimentss of the XOR method. Here, a group of spots ( e.g. , a byte ) of the information is compared to a digital key, and the exclusive-or operation is performed on the two to bring forth an encrypted consequence. Figure 2 illustrates the procedure. Figure 2: The XOR procedure for Encoding When the exclusive-or operation is performed on the plaintext and key, the ciphertext emerges and is sent. The receiving system performs the exclusive-or operation on the ciphertext and the same key, and the original plaintext is reproduced [ 5 ] . Encoding can be reversible and irreversible. Irreversible techniques do non let the encrypted informations to be decrypted, but at the same clip the encrypted informations can be used to obtain valid statistical information. Irreversible techniques are seldom used as compared to the reversible 1s. The whole procedure of conveying informations firmly over an insecure web system is called as cryptosystem that includes u An encoding key to code the information ( plaintext ) u An encoding algorithm that transforms the plaintext into encrypted information ( ciphertext ) with the encoding key u A decoding key to decode the ciphertext u A decoding algorithm that transforms the ciphertext back into plaintext utilizing the decoding cardinal [ 1 ] . 2.2 Encoding Techniques The ends in digital encoding are no different than those of historical encoding strategies. The difference is found in the methods, non the aims. Secrecy of the message and keys are of paramount importance in any system, whether they are on parchment paper or in an electronic or optical format [ 5 ] . Assorted encoding techniques are available and loosely can be classified into two classs ; asymmetric and symmetric encoding. In symmetric encoding the transmitter and receiving system portion the same algorithm and key for encoding and decoding and depends on safe communicating web for encoding cardinal exchange whereas in asymmetric encoding uses different keys for encoding and decoding. Asymmetrical encoding gave birth to the construct of public and private keys and is preferred to symmetric encoding being more secure [ 1 ] , [ 5 ] . 2.2.1 Symmetrical Encoding Symmetrical encoding besides known as single-key encoding or conventional encoding was the lone encoding and by far the most widely used of the two types before the construct of public-key encoding came into image. The figure below illustrates the symmetric encoding procedure. The original message ( plaintext ) is converted into seemingly random information ( ciphertext ) utilizing an algorithm and a key. The key is a value independent of the plaintext. The algorithm produces different end products for specific keys used at the clip i.e. the end product of the algorithm alterations if the key is changed. The ciphertext produced is so transmitted and is transformed back to the original plaintext by utilizing a decoding algorithm and the same key that was used for encoding. Figure: Simplified Model of Conventional Encryption [ 7 page 22 ] The theoretical account can be better understood by the undermentioned illustration. A beginning produces a message X = [ X1, X2, X3 aˆÂ ¦XM ] in plaintext. The M elements of Ten are letters in some finite alphabet. The alphabet normally consisted of 26 capital letters traditionally but today ; binary alphabet { 0,1 } is used. An encoding key K = [ K1, K2, K3 aˆÂ ¦.KJ ] is generated and is shared between the transmitter and the receiving system utilizing a secure channel. Besides a 3rd party can bring forth the encoding key and firmly present it to both the transmitter and the receiving system. Using the plaintext Ten and the encoding cardinal K as input, the encoding algorithm produces the ciphertext Y = [ Y1, Y2, Y3 aˆÂ ¦.YN ] as Y = EK ( X ) where Tocopherol is the encoding algorithm and the ciphertext Y is produced as the map of the plaintext X utilizing E. At the receiving system s terminal the ciphertext is converted back to the plaintext as Ten = DK ( Y ) where D is the decoding algorithm. Figure: Model of Conventional Cryptosystem [ 7 page 23 ] The common symmetric block cyphers are Data Encryption Standard ( DES ) , Triple DES, and Advanced Encryption Standard ( AES ) 2.2.1.1 The Data Encryption Standard Data Encryption Standard has been used in the most widely used encoding strategies including Kerberos 4.0. The National Bureau of Standards adopted it as a criterion in 1977 [ 7 ] . DES operates on 64-bit blocks utilizing a 56-bit key. Like other encoding strategies, in DES there are two inputs to the encoding map, the plaintext to be encrypted and the key. The plaintext should be of 64 spots in length and the cardinal length is 56 spots obtained by depriving off the 8 para spots, disregarding every 8th spot from the given 64-bit key. The end product from the algorithm after 16 unit of ammunitions of indistinguishable operations is the 64-bit block of ciphertext. A suited combination of substitutions and combinations ( 16 times ) on the plaintext is the basic edifice block of the DES. Same algorithm is used for both encoding and decoding except for treating the cardinal agenda in the contrary order [ 6 ] , [ 7 ] . The 64-bit plaintext is passed through an initial substitution ( IP ) that produces a permuted input by rearranging the spots. This is followed by16 unit of ammunitions of the same map, which involves both substitution and permutation functions.A The last unit of ammunition consequences in the end product dwelling of 64-bits that are a map of the input plaintext and the key. The left and the right halves of the end product are swapped to bring forth the preoutput. The preoutput is passed through a concluding substitution ( IP-1 ) , an opposite of the initial substitution map to accomplish the 64-bit ciphertext. The overall procedure for DES is explained in the diagram below Figure: General Depiction of DES Encryption Algorithm [ 7 page 67 ] The right manus side of the diagram explains how the 56-bit key is used during the procedure. The key is passed through a substitution map ab initio and so for each of the 16 rounds a subkey ( Ki ) is generated, by uniting left round displacement and a substitution. For every unit of ammunition the substitution map is same, but the subkey is different because of the perennial loop of the cardinal spots. Since the acceptance of DES as a criterion, there have ever been concerns about the degree of security provided by it. The two countries of concern in DES are the cardinal length and that the design standard for the internal construction of the DES, the S-boxes, were classified. The issue with the cardinal length was, it was reduced to 56 spots from 128 spots as in the LUCIFER algorithm [ add a new mention ] , which was the base for DES and everyone suspected that this is an tremendous lessening doing it excessively short to defy brute-force onslaughts. Besides the user could non be made certain of any weak points in the internal construction of DES that would let NSA to decode the messages without the benefit of the key. The recent work on differential cryptanalytics and subsequent events indicated that the internal construction of DES is really strong. 2.2.1.2 Triple DES Triple DES was developed as an option to the possible exposure of the criterion DES to a brute-force onslaught. It became really popular in Internet-based applications. Triple DES uses multiple encodings with DES and multiple keys as shown in the figure [ below ] . Triple DES with two keys is comparatively preferable to DES but Triple DES with three keys is preferable overall. The plaintext P is encrypted with the first key K1, so decrypted with the 2nd cardinal K2 and so eventually encrypted once more with the 3rd cardinal K3.According to the figure the ciphertext C is produced as C = EK3 [ DK2 [ EK1 [ P ] ] ] These keys need to be applied in the contrary order while decoding. The ciphertext degree Celsius is decrypted with the 3rd key K3 foremost, so encrypted with the 2nd key K2, and so eventually decrypted once more with the first cardinal K1 ; besides called as Encrypt-Decrypt-Encrypt ( EDE ) manner, bring forthing the plaintext P as P = DK1 [ EK2 [ DK3 [ C ] ] ] Figure: Triple DES encryption/decryption [ 6 page 72 ] 2.2.1.3 Advanced Encryption Standard 2.3 Encoding in Database Security Organizations are progressively trusting on, perchance distributed, information systems for day-to-day concern ; hence they become more vulnerable to security breaches even as they gain productiveness and efficiency advantages. Database security has gained a significant importance over the period of clip. Database security has ever been about protecting the information information in the signifier of client information, rational belongings, fiscal assets, commercial minutess, and any figure of other records that are retained, managed and used on the systems. The confidentiality and unity of this information needs to be protected as it is converted into information and cognition within the endeavor. Core endeavor informations is stored in relational databases and so offered up via applications to users. These databases typically store the most valuable information assets of an endeavor and are under changeless menace, non merely from the external users but besides from the legitimate users such as sure insiders, ace users, advisers and spouses or possibly their unprotected user histories that compromise the system and take or modify the information for some inappropriate intent. To get down with, sorting the types of information in the database and the security needs associated with them is the first and of import measure. As databases are used in a battalion of ways, it is utile to hold some of the primary maps characterized in order to understand the different security demands. A figure of security techniques have been developed and are being developed for database security, encoding being one of them. Encoding is defined as the procedure of transforming information ( plaintext ) utilizing an encoding algorithm ( cypher ) into indecipherable signifier ( encrypted information called as ciphertext ) doing it unaccessible to anyone without possessing particular cognition to decode the information. The encryption of the informations by a particular algorithm that renders the informations indecipherable by any plan without the decoding key , is called encoding [ 1 ] . 2.3.1 Access Encoding There are multiple grounds for entree control to confidential information in endeavor computer science environments being disputing. Few of them are: First, the figure of information services in an endeavor computer science environment is immense which makes the direction of entree rights indispensable. Second, a client might non cognize which entree rights are necessary in order to be granted entree to the requested information before bespeaking entree. Third, flexible entree rights including context-sensitive restraints must be supported by entree control Access control strategies can be loosely classified in two types: proof-based and encryption-based entree control schemes. In a proof-based strategy, a client needs to piece some entree rights in a cogent evidence of entree, which demonstrates to a service that the client is authorized to entree the requested information . Proof-based entree control is preferred to be used for scenarios where client specific entree rights required are flexible. It becomes easy to include support for restraints if the entree rights are flexible. However, it is non the same instance for covert entree demands. Harmonizing to the bing designs, it is assumed that a service can inform a client of the nature of the needed cogent evidence of entree. The service does non necessitate to turn up the needed entree rights, which can be an expensive undertaking, in proof-based entree control strategy. [ 9 ] In an encryption-based access-control strategy, confidential information is provided to any client in an encrypted signifier by the service. Clients who are authorized to entree the information have the corresponding decoding key. Encryption-based access-control strategy is attractive for scenarios where there are tonss of questions to a service screening the service from holding to run client-specific entree control. As compared to proof-based entree control it is straightforward to add support for covert entree demands to bing encryption-based architectures. In peculiar, all the information is encrypted by the service as usual, but the client is non told about the corresponding decoding key to utilize. The client has a set of decoding keys, the client now needs to seek this set for a duplicate key. On the other manus, sing that cardinal direction should stay simple, it is less straightforward to add support for restraints on entree rights to the proposed architectures. [ 10 ] 2.3.1.1 Encryption-Based Access Control Encryption-based entree control is attractive, in instance there are tonss of petitions for the same information, as it is independent of the single clients publishing these petitions. For illustration, an information point can be encrypted one time and the service can utilize the ciphertext for replying multiple petitions. However, covering with restraints on entree rights and with coarseness cognizant entree rights becomes hard with the unvarying intervention of petitions. Further challenges are presented in instances of covert entree demands and service-independent entree rights. The chief demands for encoding based entree control are: u Any cognition about the used encoding key or the needed decoding key must non be revealed by the encrypted information. u For decoding encrypted information, each value of a restraint must necessitate a separate key that should be accessible merely under the given constraint/value combination and we want a strategy that supports hierarchal restraints to do cardinal direction simple. u The decoding key for farinaceous information should be derivable from the key for powdered information to further simplify cardinal direction. u A individual decoding key will be used to decode the same information offered by multiple services as implied by the service-independent entree rights. Because of this, same information can be accessed by a service coding information offered by other services in a symmetric cryptosystem. This job can be avoided by utilizing asymmetric cryptosystem. [ 8 ] 2.3.1.2 Encryption-Based Access Control Techniques An access-control architecture will be an ideal one if the entree rights are simple to pull off ; the system is constrainable and is cognizant of coarseness. The architecture besides has to be asymmetric, provide identity, and be personalizable in the instance of proof-based entree control. Some common encryption-based entree control techniques are: Identity Based Encryption An identity-based encoding strategy is specified by four randomised algorithms: u Apparatus: takes a security parametric quantity K and returns system parametric quantities and master-key. The system parametric quantities include a description of a finite message infinite m and a description of a finite ciphertext infinite c. Intuitively, the system parametric quantities will be publically known, while the master-key will be known merely to the Private Key Generator ( PKG ) . u Infusion: takes as input system parametric quantities, master-key, and an arbitrary ID I µ { 0,1 } * , and returns a private key d. ID is an arbitrary twine which is so used as a public key, and vitamin D is the corresponding private decoding key. The Extract algorithm extracts a private key from the given public key. u Encrypt: takes as input system parametric quantities, ID, and M I µ m. It returns a ciphertext C I µ degree Celsius. u Decrypt: takes as input system parametric quantities, C I µ degree Celsius, and a private key d. It returns M I µ m. Standard consistence restraint must be satisfied by these algorithms, particularly when vitamin D is the private key generated by algorithm Extract when it is given ID as the public key, so a?ˆ M I µ m: Decrypt ( params, vitamin D ) = M where C = Encrypt ( params, ID, M ) A A [ 11 ] Hierarchical Identity-Based Encryption One of the first practical IBE strategy was presented by Boneh and Franklin. Gentry and Silverberg [ 7 ] introduced Hierarchical Identity-Based Encryption strategy based on Boneh and Franklin s work. In HIBE, private keys are given out by a root PKG to the bomber PKGs, which so in bend distribute p

Systems of Equations on ACT Math Algebra Strategies and Practice Problems

Systems of Equations on ACT Math Algebra Strategies and Practice Problems SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’ve already tackled your single variable equations, then get ready for systems of equations. Multiple variables! Multiple equations! (Whoo!) Even better, systems of equations questions will always have multiple methods with which to solve them, depending on how you like to work best. So let us look not only at how systems of equations work, but all the various options you have available to solve them. This will be your complete guide to systems of equations questions- what they are, the many different ways for solving them, and how you’ll see them on the ACT. Before You Continue You will never see more than one systems of equations question per test, if indeed you see one at all. Remember that quantity of questions answered (as accurately as possible) is the most important aspect of scoring well on the ACT, because each question is worth the same amount of points. This means that you should prioritize understanding the more fundamental math topics on the ACT, like integers, triangles, and slopes. If you can answer two or three integer questions with the same effort as you can one question on systems of equations, it will be a better use of your time and energy. With that in mind, the same principles underlying how systems of equations work are the same for other algebra questions on the test, so it is still a good use of your time to understand how they work. Let's go tackle some systems questions, then! Whoo! What Are Systems of Equations? Systems of equations are a set of two (or more) equations that have two (or more) variables. The equations relate to one another, and each can be solved only with the information that the other provides. Most of the time, a systems of equations question on the ACT will involve two equations and two variables. It is by no means unheard of to have three or more equations and variables, but systems of equations are rare enough already and ones with more than two equations are even rarer than that. It is possible to solve systems of equations questions in a multitude of ways. As always with the ACT, how you chose to solve your problems mostly depends on how you like to work best as well as the time you have available to dedicate to the problem. The three methods to solve a system of equations problem are: #1: Graphing #2: Substitution #3: Subtraction Let us look at each method and see them in action by using the same system of equations as an example. For the sake of our example, let us say that our given system of equations is: $$3x + 2y = 44$$ $$6x - 6y = 18$$ Solving Method 1: Graphing In order to graph our equations, we must first put each equation into slope-intercept form. If you are familiar with your lines and slopes, you know that the slope-intercept form of a line looks like: $y = mx + b$ If a system of equations has one solution (and we will talk about systems that do not later in the guide), that one solution will be the intersection of the two lines. So let us put our two equations into slope-intercept form. $3x + 2y = 44$ $2y = -3x + 44$ $y = {-3/2}x + 22$ And $6x - 6y = 18$ $-6y = -6x + 18$ $y = x - 3$ Now let us graph each equation in order to find their point of intersection. Once we graphed our equation, we can see that the intersection is at (10, 7). So our final results are $x = 10$ and $y = 7$ Solving Method 2: Substitution Substitution is the second method for solving a system of equations question. In order to solve this way, we must isolate one variable in one of the equations and then use that found variable for the second equation in order to solve for the remaining variable. This may sound tricky, so let's look at it in action. For example, we have our same two equations from earlier, $$3x + 2y = 44$$ $$6x - 6y = 18$$ So let us select just one of the equations and then isolate one of the variables. In this case, let us chose the second equation and isolate our $y$ value. (Why that one? Why not!) $6x - 6y = 18$ $-6y = -6x + 18$ $y = x - 3$ Next, we must plug that found variable into the second equation. (In this case, because we used the second equation to isolate our $y$, we need to plug in that $y$ value into the first equation.) $3x + 2y = 44$ $3x + 2(x - 3) = 44$ $3x + 2x - 6 = 44$ $5x = 50$ $x = 10$ And finally, you can find the numerical value for your first variable ($y$) by plugging in the numerical value you found for your second variable ($x$) into either the first or the second equation. $3x + 2y = 44$ $3(10) + 2y = 44$ $30 + 2y = 44$ $2y = 14$ $y = 7$ Or $6x - 6y = 18$ $6(10) - 6y = 18$ $60 - 6y = 18$ $-6y = -42$ $y = 7$ Either way, you have found the value of both your $x$ and $y$. Again, $x = 10$ and $y = 7$ Solving Method 3: Subtraction Subtraction is the last method for solving our systems of equations questions. In order to use this method, you must subtract out one of the variables completely so that you can find the value of the second variable. Do take note that you can only do this if the variables in question are exactly the same. If the variables are NOT the same, then we can first multiply one of the equations- the entire equation- by the necessary amount in order to make the two variables the same. In the case of our two equations, none of our variables are equal. $$3x + 2y = 44$$ $$6x - 6y = 18$$ We can, however, make two of them equal. In this case, let us decide to subtract our $x$ values and cancel them out. This means that we must first make our $x$’s equal by multiplying our first equation by 2, so that both $x$ values match. So: $3x + 2y = 44$ $6x - 6y = 18$ Becomes: $2(3x + 2y = 44)$ = $6x + 4y = 88$ (The entire first equation is multiplied by 2.) And $6x - 6y = 18$ (The second equation remains unchanged.) Now we can cancel out our $y$ values by subtracting the entire second equation from the first. $6x + 4y = 88$ - $6x - 6y = 18$ $4y - -6y = 70$ $10y = 70$ $y = 7$ Now that we have isolated our $y$ value, we can plug it into either of our two equations to find our $x$ value. $3x + 2y = 44$ $3x + 2(7) = 44$ $3x + 14 = 44$ $3x = 30$ $x = 10$ Or $6x - 6y = 18$ $6x - 6(7) = 18$ $6x - 42 = 18$ $6x = 60$ $x = 10$ Our final results are, once again, $x = 10$ and $y = 7$. If this is all unfamiliar to you, don't worry about feeling overwhelmed! It may seem like a lot right now, but, with practice, you'll find the solution method that fits you best. No matter which method we use to solve our problems, a system of equations will either have one solution, no solution, or infinite solutions. In order for a system of equations to have one solution, the two (or more) lines must intersect at one point so that each variable has one numerical value. In order for a system of equations to have infinite solutions, each system will be identical. This means that they are the same line. And, in order for a system of equations to have no solution, the $x$ values will be equal when the $y$ values are each set to 1. This means that, for each equation, both the $x$ and $y$ values will be equal. The reason this results in a system with no solution is that it gives us two parallel lines. The lines will have the same slope and never intersect, which means there will be no solution. For instance, For which value of $a$ will there be no solution for the systems of equations? $2y - 6x = 28$ $4y - ax = 28$ -12 -6 3 6 12 We can, as always use multiple methods to solve our problem. For instance, let us first try subtraction. We must get the two $y$ variables to match so that we can eliminate them from the equation. This will mean we can isolate our $x$ variables to find the value of our $a$. So let us multiply our first equation by 2 so that our $y$ variables will match. $2(2y - 6x = 28)$ = $4y - 12x = 56$ Now, let us subtract our equations $4y - 12x = 56$ - $4y - ax = 28$ $-12x - -ax = 28$ We know that our $-12x$ and our $-ax$ must be equal, since they must have the same slope (and therefore negate to 0), so let us equate them. $-12x = -ax$ $a = 12$ $a$ must equal 12 for there to be no solution to the problem. Our final answer is E, 12. If it is frustrating or confusing to you to try to decide which of the three solving methods â€Å"best† fits the particular problem, don’t worry about it! You will almost always be able to solve your systems of equations problems no matter which method you choose. For instance, for the problem above, we could simply put each equation into slope-intercept form. We know that a system of equations question will have no solution when the two lines are parallel, which means that their slopes will be equal. Begin with our givens, $2y - 6x = 28$ $4y - ax = 28$ And let’s take them individually, $2y - 6x = 28$ $2y = 6x + 28$ $y = 3x + 14$ And $4y - ax = 28$ $4y = ax + 28$ $y = {a/4}x + 7$ We know that the two slopes must be equal, so we will find $a$ by equating the two terms. $3 = a/4$ $12 = a$ Our final answer is E, 12. As you can see, there is never any â€Å"best† method to solve a system of equations question, only the solving method that appeals to you the most. Some paths might make more sense to you, some might seem confusing or cumbersome. Either way, you will be able to solve your systems questions no matter what route you choose. Typical Systems of Equations Questions There are essentially two different types of system of equations questions you’ll see on the test. Let us look at each type. Equation Question As with our previous examples, many systems of equations questions will be presented to you as actual equations. The question will almost always ask you to find the value of a variable for one of three types of solutions- the one solution to your system, for no solution, or for infinite solutions. (We will work through how to solve this question later in the guide.) Word Problems You may also see a systems of equations question presented as a word problem. Often (though not always), these types of problems on the ACT will involve money in some way. In order to solve this type of equation, you must first define and write out your system so that you can solve it. For instance, A movie ticket is 4 dollars for children and 9 dollars for adults. Last Saturday, there were 680 movie-goers and the theater collected a total of 5,235 dollars. How many movie-goers were children on Saturday? 88 112 177 368 503 First, we know that there were a total of 680 movie-goers, made up of some combination of adults and children. So: $a + c = 680$ Next, we know that adult tickets cost 9 dollars, children’s tickets cost 4 dollars, and that the total amount spent was 5,235 dollars. So: $9a + 4c = 5,235$ Now, we can, as always, use multiple methods to solve our equations, but let us use just one for demonstration. In this case, let us use substitution so that we can find the number of children who attended the theater. If we isolate our $a$ value in the first equation, we can use it in the second equation to solve for the total number of children. $a + c = 680$ $a = 680 - c$ So let us plug this value into our second equation. $9a + 4c = 5,235$ $9(680 - c) + 4c = 5235$ $6120 - 9c + 4c = 5235$ $-5c = -885$ $c = 177$ 177 children attended the theater that day. Our final answer is C, 177. You know what to look for and how to use your solution methods, so let's talk strategy. Strategies for Solving Systems of Equations Questions All systems of equations questions can be solved through the same methods that we outlined above, but there are additional strategies you can use to solve your questions in the fastest and easiest ways possible. 1) To begin, isolate or eliminate the opposite variable that you are required to find Because the goal of most ACT systems of equations questions is to find the value of just one of your variables, you do not have to waste your time finding ALL the variable values. The easiest way to solve for the one variable you want is to either eliminate your unwanted variable using subtraction, like so: Let us say that we have a systems problem in which we are asked to find the value of $y$. $$4x + 2y = 20$$ $$8x + y = 28$$ If we are using subtraction, let us eliminate the opposite value that we are looking to find (namely, $x$.) $4x + 2y = 20$ $8x + y = 28$ First, we need to set our $x$ values equal, which means we need to multiply the entire first equation by 2. This gives us: $8x + 4y = 40$ - $8x + y = 28$ - $3y = 12$ $y = 4$ Alternatively, we can isolate the opposite variable using substitution, like so: $4x + 2y = 20$ $8x + y = 28$ So that we don't waste our time finding the value of $x$ in addition to $y$, we must isolate our $x$ value first and then plug that value into the second equation. $4x + 2y = 20$ $4x = 20 - 2y$ $x = 5 - {1/2}y$ Now, let us plug this value for $x$ into our second equation. $8x + y = 28$ $8(5 - {1/2}y) + y = 28$ $40 - 4y + y = 28$ $-3y = -12$ $y = 4$ As you can see, no matter the technique you choose to use, we always start by isolating or eliminating the opposite variable we want to find. 2) Practice all three solving methods to see which one is most comfortable to you You’ll discover the solving method that suits you the best when it comes to systems of equations once you practice on multiple problems. Though it is best to know how to solve any systems question in multiple ways, it is completely okay to pick one solving method and stick with it each time. When you test yourself on systems questions, try to solve each one using more than one method in order to see which one is most comfortable for you personally. 3) Look extra carefully at any ACT question that involves dollars and cents Many systems of equations word problem questions are easy to confuse with other types of problems, like single variable equations or equations that require you to find alternate expressions. A good rule of thumb, however, is that it is highly likely that your ACT math problem is a system of equations question if you are asked to find the value of one of your variables and/or if the question involves money in some way. Again, not all money questions are systems of equations and not all systems of equation word problem questions involve money, but the two have a high correlation on the ACT. When you see a dollar sign or a mention of currency, keep your eyes sharp. Ready to tackle your systems problems? Test Your Knowledge Now let us test your system of equation knowledge on more ACT math questions. 1. The sum of real numbers $a$ and $b$ is 20 and their difference is 6. What is the value of $ab$? A. 51B. 64C. 75D. 84E. 91 2. For what value of $a$ would the following system of equations have an infinite number of solutions? $$2x-y=8$$ $$6x-3y=4a$$ A. 2B. 6C. 8D. 24E. 32 3. What is the value of $x$ in the following systems of equations? $$3x - 2y - 7 = 18$$ $$-x + y = -8$$ A. -1B. 3C. 8D. 9E. 18 Answers: E, B, D Answer Explanations: 1. We are given two equations involving the relationship between $a$ and $b$, so let us write them out. $a + b = 20$ $a - b = 6$ (Note: we do not actually know which is larger- $a$ or $b$. But also notice that it doesn't actually matter. Because we are being asked to find the product of $a$ and $b$, it does not matter if $a$ is the larger of the two numbers or if $b$ is the larger of the two numbers; $a * b$ will be the same either way.) Now, we can use whichever method we want to solve our systems question, but for the sake of space and time we will only choose one. In this case, let us use substitution to find the value of one of our variables. Let us begin by isolating $a$ in the first equation. $a + b = 20$ $a = 20 - b$ Now let's replace this $a$ value in the second equation. $a - b = 6$ $(20 - b) - b = 6$ $-2b = -14$ $b = 7$ Now we can replace the value of $b$ back into either equation in order to find the numerical value for $a$. Let us do so in the first equation. $a + b = 20$ $a + 7 = 20$ $a = 13$ We have found the numerical values for both our unknown variables, so let us finish with the final step and multiply them together. $a = 13$ and $b = 7$ $(13)(7)$ $91$ Our final answer is E, 91. 2. We know that a system has infinite solutions only when the entire system is equal. Right now, our coefficients (the numbers in front of the variables) for $x$ and $y$ are not equal, but we can make them equal by multiplying the first equation by 3. That way, we can transform this pairing: $2x - y = 8$ $6x - 3y = 4a$ Into: $6x - 3y = 24$ $6x - 3y = 4a$ Now that we have made our $x$ and $y$ values equal, we can set our variables equal to one another as well. $24 = 4a$ $a = 6$ In order to have a system that has infinite solutions, our $a$ value must be 6. Our final answer is B, 6. 3. Before we decide on our solving method, let us combine all of our similar terms. So, $3x - 2x - 7 = 18$ = $3x - 2y = 25$ Now, we can again use any solving method we want to, but let us choose just one to save ourselves some time. In this case, let us use subtraction. So we have: $3x - 2y = 25$ $-x + y = -8$ Because we are being asked to find the value of $x$, let us subtract out our $y$ values. This means we must multiply the second equation by 2. $2(-x + y = -8)$ $-2x + 2y = -16$ Now, we have a $-2y$ in our first equation and a $+2y$ in our second, which means that we will actually be adding our two equations instead of subtracting them. (Remember: we are trying to eliminate our $y$ variable completely, so it must become 0.) $3x - 2y = 25$ + $-2x + 2y = -16$ - $x = 9$ We have successfully found the value for $x$. Our final answer is D, 9. Good job! The tiny turtle is proud of you. The Take-Aways As you can see, there is a veritable cornucopia of ways to solve your systems of equations problems, which means that you have the ability to be flexible with them more than many other types of problems. So take heart that your choices are many for how to proceed, and practice to learn the method that suits you the best. What’s Next? Ready to take on more math topics? Of course you are! Luckily, we've got your back, with math guides on all the different math topics you'll see on the ACT. From circles to polygons, angles to trigonometry, we've got guides for your needs. Bitten by the procrastination bug? Learn why you're tempted to procrastinate and how to beat the urge. Want to skip to the most important math guides? If you only have time to tackle a few articles, take a look at two of the most important math strategies for improving your math score- plugging in answers and plugging in numbers. Knowing these strategies will help you take on some of the more challenging questions on the ACT in no time. Looking to get a perfect score? Check out our guide to getting a 36 on the ACT math section, written by a perfect-scorer. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Nihilism of the Female Gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nihilism of the Female Gender - Essay Example The Lowrider magazine is a monthly that focuses solely on the Lowrider model of cars. The magazine relies mostly on female models to advertise its cars. These advertisements normally contain images of the cars themselves, almost naked women and other graphics depicting the allure of the vehicles. While many may claim that depicting women as sexual objects is good for business, it does not that doing so is right. The use of demoralizing gender depictions in media advertising is both stereotypical and inhuman. Lowrider magazine is just one example of how women allow themselves to be used in derogatory situations just so as to please other people. The advert in the August issue of Lowrider magazine under discussion is featured under the article 1963 Chevrolet Impala - Ladies Night Out by Mike Landers. The advert is a two-page spread that specifically features a beautiful model sitting on the rear end of a sporty lowrider (car). The car being advertised is multicolored, most of it black, orange and yellow. Images of naked or scantily dressed women mark its decoration. Although the car covers a significant portion of the advert, the scantily dressed model is central in the picture. The woman has a broad smile on her face and assumes a sexy pose; her breasts thrust forward and her butts thrust in the opposite direction in a near sitting position. The woman is positioned close to the shiny spare wheel that is locked at the rear of the 1963 Chevrolet Impala. The beautiful lowrider is colorful and is presented as an object worth admiring, more like the model in stilettos. The words used in this specific advert imply that the car gives a feeling of majesty and designed to give utmost comfort and leisure. J Ayala, the model featured in the magazine is wearing thongs, a beautiful precious bangle on her right hand and white thongs on her breast, her nipples clearly exposed. She is also wearing a white g-string leaving most of her body nakedly exposed. On her ears, Ayala is wearing flowing earrings that match her bra partly covered with her long hair. She has a tattoo on her abdomen near her belly button and decorations of different colors on both of her feet. Her finger and toe nails are well manicured and her face neatly laced with make-up. Lowrider magazine is full of content that highlights the notion that sex sells. Body images of women are used to emphasize the attractiveness of the lowrider cars on sale. The written content is full of sexual innuendo that is meant to attract male customers. On the cover of every magazine issue, there is normally an attractive woman dressed only in bikini and many times standing next to an equally attractive car (Lowrider Magazine). It is clear from the advertisements and content of the Lowrider magazine that the specific target audience are men, mostly those who are aged between 20 and 40 years. Lowriders are well known as being flashy cars, the type that any man between 20 and 40 years would like to own. It is also a well known fact that sex sells, especially where men are concerned. Therefore, including sex symbols alongside the advertisements is a logical way of improving sales by attracting as many customers as possible. The median age of the target audience is likely to be around 25 to 30 according to the type of adverts on the magazine pages. Many of these men are likely to be single and living on their own and not in their parents’ house. They are economically stable since they can afford the lowriders. Most of the customers and target customers are also likely to be in

Economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Economic - Essay Example There are even stray reports of tribes, scavenging the barren earth to seek out any plant life, or sapling which may have grown under cover and beneath the rocks. Concerted efforts have been made to serve cooked food at many centers, and even dry food packets have also been distributed from various locations in order to tackle this menace. The effectiveness of these adopted strategies can be felt to a great extent, but to completely wipe out this menace from the earth’s face, needs a long drawn and sustainable fight. It is indeed an irony, that when hunger and malnutrition is so rampant, large tracks of cultivable land explicitly for agricultural production, is being covertly and illegally altered to cultivate the highly profitable ‘poppy’ crop. The cash rich small farmers brave the authorities’ eyebrow, and a few corrupt officials are bought off by the powerful lobby of drug mafias, not only in Africa but in a few countries of Latin America. The world authority is striving hard, but political boundaries often act as a hindrance. The following table and illustration will make the gap between the income of developed and developing economies prominent: The prominent height of the two columns corresponding to the nations of America and UK shows the stark difference in individual level income or wealth from that of the developing economies of China and India. However, in these less developed countries of the world, the problem is not restricted to the cultivation of ‘poppy’ only by a restricted few – the signs are ominous enough! A whole new generation has been entrapped in its grip. It is quiet widespread in the towns and cities, and that too, among a cross- section of the society who can ill afford to. It is indeed a tragedy that the less fortunate strata among these less developed countries are its worst victims, who could otherwise have lived a life not so mucky and enslaved. The rehabilitation

Emergency preparedness Essay Example for Free

Emergency preparedness Essay Emergency preparedness is a fine art, and the individuals responsible for the planning and preparedness of the emergency response procedures have an awesome responsibility to make sure that they have all the necessary equipment to provide for the people of the community that the hospital serves. If I were the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for a 300-bed urban hospital, I would be stockpiling things like airway management supplies, batteries, generators, flashlights, gowns, gloves, masks, hazmat materials, post-mortem bags, and sterilization equipment. These items would help in the immediate short term when it comes to helping those in need. To also help in the crisis situation, I would purchase water treatment chemicals, water testing equipment, and washers and decontaminators. This equipment is in addition to the equipment and supplies I would already have on hand. I would also make sure I had various antibiotics on hand. For anthrax, I would make sure to have Ciprofloxacin, Doxycycline, and Amoxicillin on hand. For botulism, I would have antibiotics on hand for wound botulism, though antibiotics are ineffective for food borne botulism. If there were an attack of the plague, I would make sure to have streptomycin or gentamycin on hand. I would try to make sure I had antiviral drugs on hand for smallpox, though smallpox does not have a cure. The main way that funding is received is through the state governments. The state governments get the federal funding and then disburse it to the local levels. I would also apply for grants in order to maximize funding to purchase what I needed for my hospital. With the cuts in federal funding, and the rise in prices, the emergency preparedness director’s job gets more difficult. With time and patience, the goal of protecting the public can be accomplished with efficacy and compassion. References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2009). Anthrax: Treatment. Retrieved March 8, 2009, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site: http://www. bt. cdc. gov/agent/anthrax/treatment Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2009). Bioterrorism Agents/Diseases. Retrieved March 8, 2009, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site: http://www. bt. cdc. gov/agent/agentlist-category. asp Chan-Tack, K (2009). Botulism: treatment and medication. Retrieved March 8, 2009, from Emedicine Web site: http://emedicine. medscape. com/article/213311-treatment McGill, (2009). Treatment. Retrieved March 8, 2009, from Plague Web site: http://sprojects. mmi. mcgill. ca/tropmed/diase/plauge/treatment. html Medline, (2009). Retrieved March 8, 2009, from Medline Industries Web site: http://www. medline. com/AcuteCare/hospitals. asp National Association of County and City Health Officials, (2007). Federal funding for public health emergency preparedness. Retrieved March 8, 2009, from naccho. org Web site: http://www. naccho. org/press/releases/upload/SurveyReport_Final. pdf WebMD, (2007 Jan 31). Smallpox. Retrieved March 8, 2009, from WebMD Web site: http://www. webmd. com/a-to-z-guides/smallpox-treatment-overview? print=true

Fear of Flying and Classical Conditioning Theory Essays -- Classical C

How Lauren may have learned of her Fear of Flying? How Lauren learned she had a fear in flying? Using the Classical Conditioning theory the possibilities could be endless. Classical conditioning in simple terms is the method in which one determines why and the cause of a condition as well as what has brought it about. There are many stimulus both conditioned and unconditioned that can cause fear or other problems, but the major reason for causes regarding the fear of flying has been mentioned in several articles regarding anxiety disorders. Fear of flying is created by the unconscious mind as a protective mechanism. When using the neutral stimulus explanation, Lauren may not have had a relevant response of interest. Lauren may have learned something or heard someone from her past that caused the continuous fear. Due to the facts in this case, there’s little information to provide us regarding Lauren. First we know she’s afraid to fly, but we have no further information regarding the condition that caused the fear or the circumstances to what led to this fear. The first step in Pavlov’s theory is trying to discover how Lauren’s fear came about, but without more information one can only speculate or guess how Lauren’s condition developed. Pavlov’s theory states several actions and read actions that could have caused Lauren’s Condition. The conditioning of the plane could be neutral stimulus, and the activities on the plane is the unconditioned stimulus. During condit...

“Africville” Poem analysis Essay

In Maxine Tynes’ poem â€Å"Africville,† the theme addressed is despite how the community of Africville was completely destroyed, their pride still prospers and remains in the minds and hearts of all its citizens. Tynes uses repetition, tone of voice, symbolism and imagery to dynamically convey the theme. Throughout the poem, Tynes exhibits a universal tone used to evoke pain and anger, as well as a more contrasting tone that demonstrates pride. This contrast of the specific tone used is demonstrated by Tynes in the first stanza of the poem: â€Å"We are the dispossessed Black of the land/creeping with shadows/with life/with pride† (2-5). â€Å"We are the dispossessed Black of the land/ creeping with shadows† generates a feeling of loss which invokes the event in which the citizens of Africville were dislodged from their beloved land. The following part of the phrase, â€Å"With life/with pride† contrasts the first half by emitting a sense of pride which effectively conveys a more positive aura. This connotation is used to display how the community of Africville still lives on after they were evicted from their Promised Land. In addition to the tone of voice, the speaker uses repetition and well-founded word choice continually in various fragments of the poem. The speaker tells the readers of the poem that â€Å"No house is Africville. /No road, no tree, no well.† (25-26). The word â€Å"no† is repeated throughout the passage to emphasize and convey the theme; that Africville is not simply a location, but a part of the community itself. Thirdly, the theme is intensified by the frequent use of symbolism and imagery. It is recognized that the speaker uses imagery to foreshadow how the Africville community is a strong and hopeful society. The last stanza highlights this in the last few lines: â€Å"We wear Our Africville face and skin and heart. /For all the world. / For Africville.† (33-35). Readers notice that the word â€Å"Our† is capitalized. This addresses how the speaker associates the Africville community with the impression of importance and high value to the speaker itself. Furthermore, the symbolism plays a crucial role in the poem; â€Å"This park is green; but / Black, so Black with community.† (15-16). The colour green is used to represent the peaceful community that Africville used to be. â€Å"Black† is used to contrast the Green by associating itself with the evil of the decision to demolish Africville. In conclusion, Tynes uses a combination of literary and figurative language  to convey the theme; although Africville is gone, its community lives on.

Mineral and Water Essay

There are over 20 minerals that a person needs to include in their diet to stay healthy. Some of these make up a significant portion of someone body weight, others are found only in minute quantities. The major minerals are sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, and sulfur. Minerals that are; and these include iron, copper, zinc, selenium, iodine, chromium, fluoride, manganese, molybdenum, and more. Neither mineral is more important than the other. A deficiency of a trace element can be damaging to your health as a deficiency of a major mineral. Minerals contribute to body structure and are involved in the regulation of the processes that maintain life. Many minerals have more than one function. Like calcium is needed to keep our bones strong as well as to keep blood pressure normal, allow muscles to contract, and transmit nerve signals from cell to cell. Some other minerals help regulate fluid balance, others regulate energy production, and some affect gene expression. Many act as cofactors needed for enzyme activity. Just like minerals water plays and important part in our body. Water makes up in adults 60% of body weight, and in children and infants 70%. Water is found in varying proportions in all the tissues of the body; muscles are about 75% water and bone is about 25% water. Water bathes the cells and lubricates and cleanses internal and external body surfaces. Watery tears lubricate the eyes and wash away dirt, synovial fluid lubricates the joints, and saliva lubricates the mouth making it easier to chew and swallow food. Blood, which is mostly water, flows through our bodies, delivering oxygen and nutrients to cells and returning waste products to the lungs and kidneys for excretion. Water also functions in chemical reactions and helps regulate body temperature. When the body is releasing more water than it is in taking a person can become dehydrated. Dehydration is a depletion of body water, will cause symptoms more rapidly than a deficiency of any other nutrient. Dehydration can be life threating. When water losses are great enough to reduce blood volume, the ability to deliver oxygen and nutrients to cells and remove waste products is affected. From reading the article â€Å"Coconut Water†, the benefits of drinking coconut water are that it is rich with minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, enzymes and growth factors. Coconut water is also used to relieve or ease dehydration, fatigue, constipation, and other digestive disturbances. Coconut water also is used to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

History of Women in ART essays

History of Women in ART essays History of Great Woman throughout Art Women have been active artists and endured their own period of renaissance. Since the beginning of humanity, women in art have been worshipped, venerated, treasured and admired. They also have been defamed, condemned, and abused in art. Although their have been many woman artists, their ability has not always been respected. Today there are many great women artists. It was only in the 20th century when the mass of women became eligible legally and culturally to receive the highest levels of artistic training and recognized as being great. The major reason for their lack of respect has to do with how women have been looked upon over the centuries. It was once thought that women are not capable of being bright or even particularly intellectual. The common thought throughout history has been that Women can't make great art and that creative genius could only be attained by men. Nonetheless, many women were indulged for their eccentricity and determination to make art during the early centuries. These women were daughter of famous artists or they worked in the church. Women were encouraged later to be well-rounded with a variety of skills which didn't necessarily mean visual arts, but also the skills necessary to make a home beautiful and entertain guests (Slatkin 121). These women were accepted as artists as long as it did not interfere with the running of the home, it was more of a hobby to them. Because women had the responsibilities of having babies and running the house, art was not their main focus. The subjects women painted were also affected by the period in which they lived. They often painted still life or feminine subjects such as objects and scenes from around the house. In the later centuries, as times were changing and the world was becoming more industrialized, women were out of the home more. Soon women did not feel like they had to conform to th...

87 Advanced Business Writing Tips [That Actually Work]

87 Advanced Business Writing Tips [That Actually Work] I'm excited to share these top87 business writing tips with you. They were honed while I studied English Literature and Rhetoric, taught writing at the university level, and workedwith thousands of individuals and hundreds of companies to help people write better at work. Many of these tips come directly from our award winning online business writing courses. My hope is these tips help you enjoy writing, better communicate at work, get ahead in your career, and grow your business! Jump to a section This is a huge list with 87 of the best business writing tips. Use these links to jump to a section: PLANNING AND PROCESS TIPSFORMATTING TIPSLANGUAGE TIPSEDITING TIPSGRAMMAR TIPSBUSINESS WRITING TOOLSINFOGRAPHIC 1. Know Your AudienceBusiness writing is all about your reader. Your reader is your focus point, not what you know. 2.Prime Questions Before you write anything, ask yourself these two questions:1) Who is my reader?2) What do I want this reader to know or do?If you can’t answer these two questions, stop. Don’t write the document because it has no purpose. PLANNING AND PROCESS 3.Think FirstBusiness writing is just as much about thinking as it is about writing. 4.Most Time is PlanningYou should spend approximately 50% of your time planning a business document or email. 5. Drafting is EasyDrafting a document is the easiest part and should require approximately 20% of your time. 6. Editing TimeAllocate 30% of your time to editing. 7. Plan First, Then DraftAccept that you want to draft more than you want to plan a document or email. Everyone does. Drafting gives us a (sometimes false) sense of accomplishment. And, drafting is easier than planning. 8. Woody Allen is Right about WritingWoody Allen calls the planning portion of writing the â€Å"pace the floor† part. If you are an analytical thinker, which many business writers are, this is natural for you, but accept that sometimes it makes your brain hurt as your mind has to figure out all the interconnections. 9. Concept Maps are Essential for Business WritersMapping the structure of a complex document will make both planning and drafting much easier. 10. Develop HeadingsWhen you plan your documents, write a heading for each main section of your document. Don’t worry about the wording of the heading as you are planning to document, but verify that you can encapsulate the content of that section into a heading. If you can’t, your content is murky so fix it now before you waste time trying to edit the language when the real problem is disorganization. 11. Start Where It's EasiestYou don’t have to begin writing a document or email at the first sentence. The first sentence is often the hardest sentence to write. Instead, look at your document headings and write the section that is easiest or most interesting for you. Once you begin writing, the interconnectivity of thoughts will ignite, and the rest of the document will be easier to write. 12. How to Jump in and OutIn real life, business writers don’t have the luxury of a half-day of uninterrupted writing time. To maximize your efficiency, refer to the map or outline you created, decide which section you can tackle in the time you have and start drafting. Having a map and headings will prevent you from having to re-engage your thinking all over again each time you exit and enter the document. 13. Back Up When You Get StuckThe best recommendation given to meduring my years of rhetorical studies was: â€Å"The secret of writing is knowing when to back up. Don’t try to edit and polish before something is fully drafted. Don’t try to draft before your thoughts are clear. When you get stuck, back up!† As a business writer, this has saved me lots of frustration. 14. Hire a CoachHire a business writing coach and receive personalized feedback. One-on-one sessions will help you gain confidence in your writing. FORMAT TIPS 15. Paragraphs Seven Lines or Less Online In email or other documents that will be read online, be certain your paragraphs aren’t longer than seven lines. (Lines, not sentences.) Any longer than that and readability studies show that your readers just see a big block of text and jump over it. 16. Dangling Expressions are Funny but Avoid Them Dangling expressions commonly creep in documents in bullets and when copying and pasting. Example:David Corcoran wrote the project plan while traveling to Atlanta on the back of an envelope.(Who knew one could travel on an envelope?) hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(41482, 'bf4ee473-8e6b-46bf-b9e3-368d74d60b44', {}); 17. Use Regular Words to Avoid Non-Sexist WritingAvoid awkward non-sexist constructions like his/her and s/he. Instead, write out the actual words - his or her. 18. Headings Will Allow Your Readers to Scan EasilyUsing headings in email to highlight the organization will allow readers to scan the email more efficiently. 19. Make it Easy for Your Reader to ScanAdd white space to your documents by usingnumbered and bulleted lists. 20. Use Format to Indicate HierarchyIndent paragraphs to visually indicate it is a subset of the information above. LANGUAGEBEST PRACTICE TIPS 21. Write to Express, Not to ImpressIn business writing, your goal is to easily transmit ideas and information, not to flaunt a big vocabulary. 22. ConciseWriting is Skilled WritingConcisewritingis harder to craft thanwriting that has no length limit. Blaise Pasqual stated, "I apologize for the length of my letter. I did not have time to make it shorter." 23. Use Short WordsI’ve long admired Richard Lederer’s writing on language. In his 1991 book, The Miracle of Language, Lederer sings the praises of the short word: When you speak and write, there is no law that says you have to use big words. Short words are as good as long ones, and short, old words- like sun and grass and home- are best of all. A lot of small words, more than you might think, can meet your needs with a strength, grace, and charm that large words do not have. Two tips on clarity I always highlight in ourbusiness writing courses: Never use a big word when a small word will do. Any time a word is not truly needed, cut it. 24. Use Staccato Short Words to Grab AttentionTo grab your reader’s attention at pivotal moments in a document, such as the recommendation or conclusion, deliberately shift one or two sentences to all single-syllable words. A break in varied syllable length has the same effect on reading a document that staccato notes have when listening to music. The short, staccato words subconsciously alert your reader that something has shifted, causing them to pay more attention. 25. Winston Churchill WisdomWinston Churchill wisely stated, â€Å"Big men use little words, and little men use big words.† 26.Verbs = Energy Verbs are the pivot point of a sentence. Strong verbs have real punch. Compare: The famous strong verb example by Julius Caesar: â€Å"Veni, vidi, vici.† I came, I saw, I conquered. Business-speak: I was in attendance, and I conducted a review of the situation and culture, and I made recommendations for acquisition. 27. Use PreciseVerbsTo bring clarity to your writing, use preciseand evocative verbs. Business writers tend to muddle verbs because imprecise verb use is so common in business writing that it sounds normal to our ears. 28. Don't Smother VerbsA common clarity problem in business writing is â€Å"smothered verbs,† which are verbs that were changed to nouns (called â€Å"nominalization†). For example, the verb decide is nominalized into the noun decision. These nominalized verbs require helping words around them that smother their impact, muddle the clarity of a sentence, and increase sentence length. 29. Verbs Used Right Bring ClarityEnhance clarityby using a specific verb, instead of a smothered nominalized word.Example:The core verb in this sentence is â€Å"decide:"We need to make a decision about hiring either Kevin or Kira. - smothered verbWe need to decide about hiring either Kevin or Kira. - unsmothered verb 30. How to Cut 20% - 25% of BloatCutting smothered verbs reduces document length by 20-25% in most business documents. None of the smothering words have any value. Unsmothering verbs is a very powerful clarity technique. 31. "Take" Near a Verb is SmotheredWatch out for the word take near the verb in a sentence or sentence clause. If take is next to a verb or nominalized verb phrase, it is smothered. Example:We need to take the data findings into consideration if we expand the product line.We need to consider the data findings if we expand the product line. 32. "Give" Near a Verb is SmotheredWatch out for the wordgive near the verb in a sentence or sentence clause. If give is next to a verb or nominalized verb phrase, it is smothered. Example:Let me give consideration to your muddled writing. Let me consider your muddled writing. 33. "Have" Near a Verb is SmotheredWatch out for the word have near the verb in a sentence or sentence clause. If have is next to a verb or nominalized verb phrase, it is smothered. Example:I have a suspicion some of your verbs are smothered.I suspect some of your verbs are smothered. 34. "Make" Near a Verb is SmotheredWatch out for the word make near the verb in a sentence or sentence clause. If make is next to a verb or nominalized verb phrase, it is smothered. Example:We promise to make an adjustment to your account by tomorrow.We promise to adjust your account by tomorrow. 35. "Conduct" Near a Verb is SmotheredWatch out for the word conduct near the verb in a sentence or sentence clause. If conduct is next to a verb or nominalized verb phrase, it is smothered. Example:We’ll need to conduct a review of the data before the decision can be made.We’ll need to review the data before deciding. (Two smothered verbs corrected.) 36. "Come" Near a Verb is SmotheredWatch out for the word come near the verb in a sentence or sentence clause. If come is next to a verb or nominalized verb phrase, it is smothered. Example:We came to the conclusion that prices had to increase.We concluded that prices had to increase. 37. ":Are we in agreement that clarity matters?Do we agree that clarity matters?Extend an invitation to Karen and Sunita.Invite Karen and Sunita. 38. Avoid Wimpy VerbsAvoid wimpy verbs that need a helping word to enable the verb to do its job in the sentence. Example:Dolores walked into the room slowly and quietly with her head averted, hoping no one would notice she was late.Dolores slinked into the room, hoping no one would notice she was late. Evan planned and worked on the technical aspect of the project plan.Evan engineered the project plan. 39. Avoid RedundancyAvoid redundant verb modifiers.Example:Damian shouted loudly at Clarrisa after she missed the deadline. Damian shouted at Clarrisa after she missed the deadline. (Shouting, by definition, is loud, so no modifier is needed.) 40. Don't Start Sentences with "There is" or "There are."Weak sentences frequently start with â€Å"There is† or â€Å"There are.† Instead, cut to the chase. Find the real subject and start there.Example: There was a strong disagreement between the divisions about the reorganization structure.The two sides strongly disagreed about the reorganization structure. 41. Active Voice is Better than Passive VoiceActive voice is more dynamic and lively than passive voice, typically. 42. Use Reader:We have decided to upgrade the features of our training course.You will automatically receive updated features in your training course. 43. Avoid JargonJason Fried, the CEO of 37 Signals, stated: â€Å"Jargon is insecurity.† I agree. So often, I hear people within an organization parrot each other with phrases that have been used so much they have become meaningless. Examples: Lots of moving parts Give 110% Synergy Think outside the box Tiger team View more jargon examples to avoid Bonus Tip: You can also use our free Jargon Grader to check your writing for over 700 jargon words and phrases. 44. Be Polite. It Echoes.Everything we write at work has a larger echo. This echo is both a worry and an opportunity to advance your career. For example, you may have to deny a funding request to present research at a conference, but the larger echo requirement is maintaining the drive to innovate and research at your company. Don't win a battle and lose the war. 45. Own Your WorkAvoid â€Å"I think†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"I suggest†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"I wonder if we should†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Instead, confidently write â€Å"I recommend...† or omit the â€Å"I† lead statement and simply write â€Å"Merge the divisions.† 46. Use Standard Grammar, Even When ChallengingSubjects and verbs need to agree in number. In an attempt be non-sexist, some business writers recommend writing, â€Å"Each person did their work quietly.† Each is singular. Their is plural. It’s grammatically incorrect. 47. How to Dodge Awkward His or Her DilemmaTo dodge the awkward his or her dilemma, shift the subject to plural when possible:A manager is trained to support his or her employees.Managers are trained to support their employees. 48. The Right Amount of InformationHelps the Reader and WriterA little extra information provided can resolve repeated questions:As noted on page four of the instruction booklet, photocopying on both sides requires two steps. 49. Equal Respect MattersUse consistency naming people. Mr. Jones and Arlene Kelly should be referred to consistently as David Jones and Arlene Kelly or as Mr. Jones and Ms. Kelly. 50. Avoid ExclusionaryWordsUse neutral job titles that do not imply gender - chairperson, not chairman or chairwoman. 51. Confident Tone TipTo instill a confident tone to your writing, shorten your sentences and avoid the common overuse ofâ€Å", and† in sentences. Which statement sounds more confident to you?Training with us is easy, and you can hand us the job and just walk away. You won't worry about a thing, and you can get back to what you do best. Relax knowing your project is moving seamlessly to completion, and you can simply calculate the savings.ORTraining with us is easy. Hand us the job and just walk away. You won't worry about a thing. Get back to what you do best. Relax knowing your project is moving seamlessly to completion. Simply calculate the savings. Do you hear the difference in confident tone? The second statement sounds much less out-of-breath or desperate to please and more confident and competent. It is calmer and assuring. 52. Take A CourseContinue to hone your skills by taking an effectivebusiness writing course. A structured course can help you develop effective business writing techniques [Learn More]. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS FOR EDITING YOURWORK 53. An Exclamation Point is Already SuperlativeNever use more than one exclamation point at the end ofa sentence. When I studied rhetoric in graduate school, my favorite professor shared this funny statement about using too many exclamation points in general.â€Å"Too many exclamation points make a document feel as if it has been written by an unfocused over-caffeinated cheerleader.† 54. Use Clear Words Rather thanEmphasis PunctuationExclamation points are often used in business writing to generate enthusiasm when the real problem is imprecise information. More accurate, clear information will generate reader engagement far better than trying to spice a murky document with exclamation points. 55. Editing First StepThe first step in editing is verifying that content matches reader needs - not too much, and not too little. 56. Editing SecondStepThe second step in editing is making sure the document is as easy to scan as possible. Add headings, bullet lists, appropriate bold text, and lots of white space. 57. Editing ThirdStepThe third step in editing is correcting grammar, sentence structure, and eliminating bloat. 58. Break Paragraphs FrequentlyEverynew thought needs a new paragraph. When in doubt, break the paragraph. 59. Paragraph Length is VariedA one-sentence paragraph is both correct and emphatic. Don't be afraid to write a one-sentence paragraph. 60. Designate an Editor for Group DocumentsWhen a group writes a document, designate one writer as the final editor to ensure a coherent voice. 61. Planning Eases EditingIf you are spending too much time editing, you probably rushed theplanning of yourdocument. 62. Editing Can'tCompensate for Poor PlanningEditing should need a dusting, not an editorial massacre. 63. How to Proofread a Colleague's DocumentIf a colleague asks you to edit their document, you must ask them about both the purpose of the document and about the audience. Without this information, you can only clean grammar. 64. PunctuationMattersA woman without her man is nothing.A woman: without her, man is nothing. GRAMMAR TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BUSINESS WRITING 65. #1 Most Common Business Grammar ErrorThe most common grammar error we see in client writing during business writing training is fused or run-on sentences. 66. #2 Most Common Business Grammar ErrorThe second most common grammar error we see in client writing is sentence fragments. 67. #3 Most Common Business Grammar ErrorThe third most common grammar error we see in client writing is hyphen errors. 68. #4 Most Common Business Grammar ErrorThe fourth most common grammar error we see in client writing is me, myself, and I errors. 69. #5 Most Common Business Grammar ErrorThe fifth most common grammar error we see in client writing is introductory clause comma errors. 70. Grammar Errors are IndividualEveryone makes different grammar errors. Therefore, to improve grammar, the first step has to be an accurate diagnosis of an individual’s entrenched grammar errors. 71. Wide-Ranging Grammar Training Won't HelpA review of many grammar rules is ineffective in actually improving business writing sentence structure. More effective is focusing on what is incorrect. 72. Best Grammar ResourceBy far, the best grammar resource on the Internet is Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab. It includes explanation and exercises. 73. Best Grammar AnalysisGrammar Girl is an excellent resource for current grammar use and rationale. 74. Best Business Grammar ResourceInstructional Solutions’ Business Grammar category in their Business Writing Info blog is an excellent resource for business-specific grammar use. 75. Oxford Comma Yes or NoGrammarians will never agree about whether or not to use the Oxford Comma (also called a Serial Comma.) I recommend that business writers use it because of consistency and clarification advantages. 76. Grammar Rules are InflexibleGrammarianswho believe a grammar rule should never be broken are called prescriptivists. 77. Grammar Rules are FlexibleGrammarians who believe language is more flexible, and grammar rules may be broken, are called descriptivists. 78. My Recommendation on the Prescriptivist vs. DescriptivistDivideIn business writing, it’s best to stick with established grammar rules because a client or potential customer could see what they perceive as an error and believe your work is simply sloppy. USE ABUSINESS WRITING TOOL For all the best business writing tools check out our full article here. 79. Best Grammar and Editing ToolGrammarly is our top business writing tool recommendation. Use it as the last check before you send anything. It will also detect plagiarism. Don't forgetplagiarism applies to text as well as images. 80. Cut the Bloat ToolHemingway is a free app that detects bloat in your writing. 81. Best Tool You Already HaveMicrosoft Readability Measurement Tool, already embedded in Word and Outlook, provides helpfulbusiness writing clarity measurements. Grammarly is better. 82. Tone AnalyzerTone Analyzer assesses the tone of your business writing. 83. Jargon DetectorUnsuck It is a rude, but useful, tool that assesses business writing jargon. 84. Free Concept Mapping ToolFreemind is free mind mapping software that is very easy to use. 85. How to Easily Learn Concept MappingThis tutorial will teach you to use Freemind in ten minutes. 86. Hire the Better Writer In his insightfulbook, Rework, Jason Fried stated: All things being equal, hire the better writer. Good writers know what to include and what to omit. They understand people and motivation. They can express complex information in a way it can be shared. Whether the position is sales, engineering, software development, or HR, always hire the better writer. I agree with Jason Fried. However, business writing is a skill that can be honed. Since 1998, my company, Instructional Solutions, and I have helped thousands of individuals and hundreds of companies write better at work. 87. Subscribe to Our Blog We wanted to add one last tip! If you liked this article you can subscribe to our blog here. We often write articles focused on helping you become a better professional writer. That's the list! If you have a tip that I missed please comment below! I would love to hear what tips you have! Bonus: 19 Actionable Writing Tips Infographic: