What's your point of view Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What's your point of view - Essay Example Video games function in a manner that an actual game in a real world is computer programmed and hardware is made, which aid in controlling the application. The world has witnessed an exponential growth of video and computer games all over the world. Almost all children in developed countries have witnessed or experienced how video games function. Instead of buying regular toys for children, parents nowadays buy their children video games since they are extremely popular (Schlimme 1). Video and computer games have many advantages. These include; improving cognitive skills in children who play these video games. Video and computer games have proved to be kits that instill motivation in children, as it is required that they play and advance to the next phase or level, which is more thrilling and interesting. Video and computer games are beneficial in the field of medicine because they are applied as part of therapy for patients with physical injuries (Medoff & Kaye 72). In physiotherapy, the games aid patients in developing motor skills and coordination. The extent to which a child or an individual concentrates when playing a game is known to relieve the child or individual’s mind from any psychological suffering or pain. Video and computer games are also educational materials as they can help in learning some math problems and language skills. Ultimately, video and computer games are main sources of psychological motivation since they put the players throug h feats, which they have to survive with the objective of moving to the next phase or level (Godara 102). As much as video and computer games are beneficial to the children and adults who play them, they have some elements, which display their detrimental nature. The great numbers of video and computer games that have themes of violence create a great havoc on the individuals who experience these games. These individuals are likely to behave in an

Finance and Accounting Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Finance and Accounting Problem - Essay Example Bank interest is deducted at source at the rate of 20%. Therefore, they cannot be included as taxable income. Depreciation reflects how fixed assets of business reduce in value through wear and tear. However, depreciation is just an accounting concept with nothing to do with taxation. Depreciation can be manipulated and taxmen do not recognize it as an allowable tax. Instead, annual capital allowance is computed. Vehicle of businesses have a standard rate of 25% on a reducing balance. In April 2008, Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) of ?50,000 per annum was introduced. This allowed business entities to spend ?50,000 annually and claim the full cost against tax. For Sam’s case, the tax written down value for the car in 2012 is ?6,750. According to the tax law in the UK the capital allowance on the car is the lower of 25% of the written down value of the car or ?3000 each year. ... 234.00 Add Car Tax (178 g/km) ? 210.00 Less those form charity ? 100.00    ? 31,542.08 Notes PAYE tax and NIC thresholds are ?7,475 and ?7,225 per year respectively. Table 3- Computation of PAYE Income   Rate   Amount Amount ?7,475.00 ?35,000.00 20% ?27,525.00 ? 5,505.00 ?35,001.00 ?80,771.25 40% ?45,770.25 ? 18,308.10   Total ?23,813.10 Table 4- Computation National Insurance Contribution (Sam is categorized as in class 4) Income   Rate   Amount Amount ?7,225.00 ?42,475.00 9% ?35,250.00 ? 3,172.50 ?42,476.00 ?80,771.25 11% ?38,295.25 ?4,212.48 Total ?7,384.98 The dividends paid as tax was 32.5% of ?720=?234 Car tax for a car producing 178 g/km CO2 is ? 210.00. Contribution to charity is computed taking into consideration that Sam declared that he is UK’s tax payer. Therefore, Sam has to be refunded some money, which is computed as follows. The amount to be refunded = ?400? ((40-20) ?80) = ?100 Question 3 Table 5- Sam’s Income Tax and National Insurance Comp utation for 2011/12 if he is classified as an employee of West London Ltd. Add PAYE ?22,303.12 Add NIC class 1D ? 11174.06 Add taxable dividends ?234.00 Add Car Tax (178 g/km) ?210.00 Income tax ? 3,477.18 Notes Table 6- Taxable income Item Amount Basic Salary ? 76,996.31 Benefits 0   Taxable income ? 76,996.31 Table 7- PAYE computation Income Amount Used Rate Amount ?7475.00 ?35000.00 ?27525.00 20% ?5505.00 ?35001.00 ?76996.31 ?41995.31 40% ?16798.12 Total PAYE    ?22303.12 Sam earns higher income and will be paid ?90,000 annually inclusive of National Insurance Contributions. No reimbursement for any travelling or accommodation when away from home on branch visits and no refund for trade subscription and reference materials. Mileage payments for business travel. The mileage expenses are qualifying amounts

Design and Construction of Liquefaction Tank

Design and Construction of Liquefaction Tank Chapter 3. Methodology As mentioned in previous chapters, the objective of the project is to design and construct a liquefaction tank to be used during geotechnical engineering lectures and laboratory sessions to demonstrate the liquefaction phenomenon fundamental concept. Existing liquefaction models The liquefaction demonstration tank is not anything new. In fact, it is a classic in a geotechnical engineering program. This demonstration experiment tends to leave a lasting impression on the students mind. It is easy to find numerous figures and pictures of a basic quicksand model. For example, Holtz and Kovacs (1981) demonstrate a conceptual design diagram of a liquefaction tank, as shown in figure 3.1. The model consists of two tanks. The water tank is at the bottom and the top tank contains sand. A pump is used to pump the water from the bottom tank into the sand tank, creates the upward flow in the quicksand tank. Flowing through the porous stone layer at the bottom of the sand tank, the upward water pressure is distributed evenly over the entire base of the sand layer, keeping the porewater pressure constant throughout. Number of piezometers is installed directly onto the sand tank at different level, which enables water heads within the quicksand tank during the experiment t o be observed and readings to be taken. From the literature research, there are two existing quicksand models built at other universities, pictures of which are obtained. Essentially, the concept is similar in both tanks. There are two separate containers, one on the top contains sand specimen and a tank with water at the bottom that will be used to fill and drain the sand tank into. Figure 3.2 shows the model at the University of Illinois which is very similar to the diagram in figure 3.1. The other liquefaction tank shown in figure 3.3 is built at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Instead of using pump, a standpipe is used to create and control the upwards flows in the sand tank. Also the piezometers in this model are installed on a separated board. Using flexible tubes, they are connected to valves installed at the side of the tank. A dial-gauge used to measure the vertical settlement of the object on top of the sand mass when it liquefies. Design of the model After evaluating all of the existing liquefaction models, an outline drawing including all dimensions and key features was drawn as shown in figure 3.4. The main concept of the model is kept the same as those existing models. Utilising a hydraulic bench to contain water and support the sand tank, pump and water tank is not be needed. As for the liquefaction tank, there are numerous requirements that its design has to meet. First all of the tank, measured 500x500x700mm, must be make strong enough to support the pressure created by the sand and water mass (about 200kg) in side. It also needs to be made water proof to prevent water from leaking out. One of the important requirements is that the tank must be transparent enough to enable a clear visual of the sand and the phenomenon happens in site to be observed. Taking all consideration into account, the sand tank is made out of fabricated Perspex panels glued together using impermeable glue. Similar to the model at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, five piezometers are installed on a separated board and connected to the tank using flexible tubes. This enables the model to be moved around safer and easier compared with rigid piezometers installed on the tank due to the significant height required. The tank also has two valves one on side acting as the inlet and out let, which helps to control the upward flow inside the tank. An overflow tube also is incorporated at the top. At each tube and valves connections, filter is used to prevent the sand particles from leaking out. Inside the tank, there nine plastic cylinders placed at the bottom of the tank to support the mass. The sand will sit on a layer porous stone of 40mm thick which contained by 2 layers of metal meshes with drilled holes. This allows the upward water flow to be distributed evenly over area of the sand mass base. Layers of geotextile are placed between the stone layer and the sand layer, which effectively stops the fine particles from leaking down to the porous stone layer. The sand was filled up to the height of the fifth piezometer which made up a total thickness of 430mm from the metal mesh base. The sand tank is placed on top of the hydraulic bench. There is also a steel frame support to be made in the future to secure the tank to the bench, enables it to be moved around safely. Based on these drawings, with the assistance of our departmental senior technicians, the tank was constructed as shown in figure 3.5. There is a small modification to the design, which the valves are not connected directly onto the side panel but through a thick layer of Perspex prevents any crack to occurs at the connections. Similar to the model at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, a dial gauge attached to a steel bar place over the top of the tank, is used to measure the vertical settlement of the model. A metal string helps to secure the structure model to the steel bar, which enable the model to be taken out of the tank easily after completely sinking into the sand mass. Testing materials Porous stone layer As described in the final design of the model, there is a porous stone layer with a thickness of 40mm placed between the sand and the mesh support. For this project, 10mm concrete aggregate was used to make up this stone layer. A sieve analysis was carried out on a 1 kg of sample to determine the grain size redistribution of this type of aggregate. Leighton Buzzard sand Once constructed, the model was used for testing liquefaction resisting performance of number of different type of structures. For these tests, Leighton Buzzard Sand fraction C was used. This was supplied by the David Ball Group, Cambridge, UK, confirming to BS 1881-131:1998. After performing number of classification tests namely maximum and minimum density and sieve analysis on the 0.5kg sample, properties of the sand were determined as follows. Specific gravity of the Leighton Buzzard Sand fraction C was 2.65. Minimum and maximum dry densities were 1.40 g/cm3 and 1.68 g/cm3, respectively. These are value corresponding to the maximum and minimum void ratios which were calculated as 0.89 and 0.58, respectively. More than 80% of the coarse sand particles, which are rounded and mainly quartz, are between (around) 300 ÂÂ µm and 600 ÂÂ µm which meets the BS 1881-131:1998 standard. Resisting structure models For this project, three small models with similar weight were made, representing three different foundation designs as shown in figure 3.6. All three models have same shape, weight and made of the same materials. Table 3.1 shows the dimension and weight of the models. Models A represents pile foundation for high raise buildings and large infrastructures. Model B represents a typical mat foundation which is a shallow foundation for small and medium houses and apartment buildings. Model C acts as the control which is just a standard block structure without foundation. Testing procedures To enable a comparison of the performance of the different types of foundations, the liquefaction tank was used to create the quicksand condition, in which the model placed on top of the sand surface, starts to sink down when the top sand layer liquefied. As mentioned in the literature review, there are various factors that can influent the liquefaction susceptibility namely soil particle grain size, upwards seepage and level of compaction. For this experiment to be accurate, all of the above parameters were kept approximately constant from one test to the other. The same sand, Leighton Buzzard (fraction C) was used in all three tests. Initial water level within the tanks as well as the flow rate controlled by the inlet valve with also was kept the same. All nine supports were placed at the bottom of the liquefaction tank, followed by the metal mesh and the qeotextile layer. A 40mm thick layer of cleaned concrete aggregate was put on top of the geotextile and slightly compacted. Another layer of geotextile and metal mesh were put in before pouring the sand in. The sand were poured into the tank and compacted evenly in three layers. Once the model and the dial gauge were installed on top of the tank, the experiment was ready to run. While the outlet was completely closed, the inlet valve was opened to allow the water is pumped in the tank creating an upward flow, hence the change in pore water pressure between the sand particles and the increase in the water level in the piezometers. Hydraulic heads reading from the piezometers at different levels were recorded periodically and later on used to determine pore water pressure inside the tank. As predicted by the theory, as the inlet, valve 1, is opened to let the water to flow in, the h ead at the bottom of the sand layer will gradually increase and eventually to a sufficient value which can cause the sand to liquefy. The upward seepage forces will balance the downwards gravitational forces created by the sand mass. Hence rendering the shear strength of the sand to zero, any structure/object placed on top of the sand surface will sink in gradually sink into the sand mass. The whole procedure of the test will be recorded using a digital camera for reference when analyzing the data. As can be noticed form the figure 3.5, a small amount of blue dye was added to all five piezometers, to enhance the visibility of the water level inside the tube, especially when taking pictures and video. This can cause the non unity density of the liquid inside the whole length of the tube and result in the inaccurate measurements of the heads in the tank. However, since the amount of dye is minimal and taking the non unity of the water inside the tank, it is assumed that the head represented by the piezometers is approximately same as the head inside the tanks. In fact, this can be shown in figure 3.7, where inlet and outlet valves are closed, the water level inside the tank is stationary. The different in heads caused by the non unity of the fluid can hardly be seen in all five piezometer. Data collection Liquefaction is a phenomenon that tends to occur very quickly. Therefore manual readings taking from all five piezometers are difficult and not very accurate. For this project, a digital camera was used to capture pictures at interval and record a video of the whole experiment. From the reading of the piezometers, porewater pressures at different level inside the tank will be calculated during the whole experiments. From these data, graph of settlement against porewater pressure will be plotted for each experiment. Since all other parameters were kept constant from one test to the other, excepts for the type of foundation used, therefore difference between graphs will enable a comparison between the different type of foundation to be drawn.

Directing the Lighting in The corridors of power :: Drama

Directing the Lighting in 'The corridors of power' When you are using light you must consider: Ø The colour of the dancers costumes. Ø The mood of the dance. Ø The direction from which the light shines. Ø The intensity and colour of the light. Ø Effects - such as templates of the shapes the light. I imagine 'The corridors of power' dance to have an eerie scary mood. So I would expect dark, dull motionless colour. The costumes would be a red colour, so they can stand out from the dark, dull motionless colour of the light and also there is a saying that is said when you are scared and angry, 'I'm seeing red' so the red could represent scariness and anger. I think the light should come from below the dancers to create shadows that will make them taller and more powerful. There will also be side view lights to create eerie shadows and it will also enhance the movement and flexibility of the dancers'. There will be seven dancers. I will have the backdrop totally white, so the shadows will be clear with sharp edges when they are against the wall. I will also have side drops on either side of the stage, to give a closed-in, trapped feel, like a corridor. The colour of the light will be grey-ish colour. I also think there should be battens of light coming from above to represent power. I think there will be seven red laser lights following the movement of the seven dancers in their red costumes. There may also be colour changes of the light and music changes to change the mood of the dance. There would be a good effect if the light went a midnight-blue colour because then the colour of the dancers' costume will disappear, it will look very weird which will puzzle the audience. The intensity of the light will be sharp and sudden throughout the dance. In the start of the dance the scene will gradually become visible and the dancers will appear as silhouettes against a red flood

Capstone Analysis

Cybercafà © Is defined as any crime that Is conducted Vela the Internet or another computer network. When It comes to cybercafà © It Is very easy for someone to fall volt to It. We use computers for everything: searching the Internet, shopping. Accessing our bank accounts, email, and online gaming are some examples. Communication is faster and much more reliable than in the past which has allowed more to be accomplished in any given day.The problem is just like anything else: vulnerability. There are individuals that hack into computers as well as networks of businesses and government agencies. The problem is that sensitive data can be stolen and/or destroyed. There needs to be more focus on the security of computers and the internet. Regular stories featured in the media on computer crime include topics covering hacking to viruses, web hackers, to internet pedophilia, sometimes accurately portraying events, sometimes misconceiving the role of technology in such activities.The incr ease in cybercafà © has been documented in the news media. Both the increase in the incidence of criminal activity and the possible emergence of new varieties of criminal activity pose challenges for the legal system, as well as for law enforcement. Some of the things I do to try and prevent falling victim to cybercafà © is keeping the latest version of virus software on my computers. Using strong passwords that only my family knows. I do not fall prey to online offers of things like ere TV's, or you have won $1,000.In general, I feel that in this day and age you really need to be aware of your surrounding and that also includes the cyber world. By Sabina-Fazing Cybercafà © is defined as any crime that is conducted via the Internet or another computer network. When it comes to cybercafà © it is very easy for someone to fall victim to it. We use computers for everything; searching the internet, shopping, more to be accomplished in any given day. The problem is Just like anything else;

Definition and Examples of Intensifiers in English

Definition and Examples of Intensifiers in English In English grammar, an intensifier is a word that emphasizes another word or phrase. Also known as a booster or an amplifier. Intensifying adjectives modify nouns; intensifying adverbs commonly modify verbs, gradable adjectives, and other adverbs. Contrast with downtoner. Etymology From the Latin, stretch, intend Examples and  Observations Oh, I am so not in the mood for this. Ive just been shot!The woodwind has a slightly greater scope than the violin.The women I had as very close friends were very independent women, very progressive. Theyre very sensitive about social change. Functions of Intensifiers To some degree, an intensifier acts as a signal: it announces that the word following it is worn out and that it should be understood as inadequate. For example, in the phrase an utterly beautiful night, the author is saying, Look, I mean something beyond beautiful, even if I dont have the precise word; try to imagine it... Versatile Adverbs Intensifiers are morphologically perhaps  the most versatile category of adverbs in English. A glance at their history would appear to support the layering hypothesis.  There are intensifiers  that may be called fused forms, such as the suffixless very and compound somewhat, which both go back to Late Middle English, whereas the phrasal expressions sort of and kind of are more recent. Boosters and Language Change Humans are indeed natural-born exaggerators, and this trait is one of the main driving forces behind language change. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the constant renewal of intensifying words, or what are sometimes called boosters. These are the little words that fortify adjectives. They express a high point along a scale. Something isnt just good but awfully good, terribly good or even bloody good. Inevitably, such dramatic words wear out with time and become mundane. Alternative expressions then have to be found. This has already happened to boosters like awfully, terribly and horribly. You can see that at the root of these expressions are words like awe (originally, fear, dread), terror and horror. So they had strong, even gruesome beginnings. But overuse bleached them of this energy and force, and before long they meant little more than very. Repeat Intensifiers The sheer number of [intensifiers], all with more or less the same meaning, is significant. If you havent made your case, you have to pound the adverbial drums, the same way the boy in the story had to insist that this time, there really, really, really was a wolf. Strunk and White on Intensifiers Rather, very, little, pretty- these are the leeches that infest the pond of prose, sucking the blood of words. The constant use of the adjective little (except to indicate size) is particularly debilitating; we should all try to do a little better, we should all be very watchful of this rule, for it is a rather important one and we are pretty sure to violate it now and then. William Cobbett on the Adverbs of Exaggeration (1818) Be rather sparing than liberal in the use of Adjectives. One which expresses your meaning is better than two, which can, at best, do no more than express it, while the additional one may possibly do harm. But the error most common in the use of Adjectives is the endeavoring to strengthen the Adjective by putting an adverb before it, and which adverb  conveys the notion that the quality or property expressed by the Adjective admits of degrees: as very honest, extremely just. A man may be wiser than another wise man; an act may be more wicked than another wicked act; but a man cannot be more honest than another; every man who is not honest must be dishonest, and every act which is not just must be unjust. Sources: Meg Masters in  Supernatural, 2005 John Philip Sousa Toni Morrison Arthur Plotnik,  Spunk Bite: A Writers Guide to Punchier, More Engaging Language Style. Random House, 2005 Terttu Nevalainen, Three Perspectives on Grammaticalization.  Corpus Approaches to Grammaticalization in English, ed. by  Hans Lindquist and Christian Mair. John Benjamins, 2004 Kate Burridge,  Gift of the Gob: Morsels of English Language History. HarperCollins Australia, 2011 Ben Yagoda,  When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It. Broadway Books, 2007 William Strunk, Jr., and E.B. White,  The Elements of Style. 1972 William Cobbett,  A Grammar of the English Language in a Series of Letters, 1818

Clausal Structure in English essay

Clausal Structure in English essay Clausal Structure in English essay Clausal Structure in English essayThe causal structure in English has specific features that are distinct features of English language along with common structures that can be traced in other languages. At the same time, the study of causal structure should uncover the diversity of causal structure existing in English. At any rate, the current study focuses on the revelation of main causal structures and their specificities. The study of causal structure can reveal the main causal structures and clauses that exist in English, while participants of the study can reveal how those clauses and clausal structures are applied.Literature reviewThe clausal structure in English is complex. Researchers (Crystal, 1997) distinguish two major clausal structural elements: the main clause and finite or non-finite clause, which perform different functions respectively to the clause that is used in the utterance. At the same time, researchers (McCawley, 1998) point out that there are diverse types of clauses in English, including coordinate clause and subordinate clause, adverbial clauses, conditional clauses, adjective clauses, and others. However, researchers (Osborne Gros, 2012) agree that, in spite of the diversity of clauses, they still can perform specific functions depending on their use as the main clause or as finite/non-finite clause. At this point, researchers (Kroeger, 2005) place emphasis on the fact that the main clause can stand alone and, therefore, it is independent of the finite or non-finite clause. The latter is, on the contrary, is linked to the main clause and depends on it. As a result, the finite or non-finite element of the clause interacts with the main clause and the interaction or relationship between the main clause and finite or non-finite clause depends on the type of the clause (Radford, 2004). For instance, the coordinate clause implies the existence of the relationship of coordination between the main clause and finite/non-finite clause; the s ubordinate clause implies the relationship of subordination between the main clause and finite/non-finite clause; the conditional clause implies the relationship of condition between the main clause and finite/non-finite clause; and so on (Welty, 2007). In such a way, researchers (Plag, 2003) view the relationship between the main and finite or non-finite clause as the key to the definition of the clausal structure. The type of their relationship determines the type of the clause, to a significant extent.On the other hand, existing studies often focus on specific types of clauses but fail to provide the broader overview of diverse clauses to show the close relationship between the main clause and finite or non-finite clause to show their interaction and the difference between them as major functional elements of the clause. At the same time, the analysis of specific and diverse clauses can help to understand why the main clause is actually independent of the finite or non-finite cla use, whereas the finite or non-finite clause depends on the main clause.Research question and hypothesisThe research question is as follows:What are the major clauses in English and what are their function, distinct features and use in English?The hypothesis of the study is that, in spite of the difference and diversity of clauses existing in English, they may perform different function and play different part as they are either the main clause or finite/non-finite clause which may perform different functions depending on the goal of the utterance and use of the particular clause type.MethodologyThe methodology of the current study focused on the interview in the course of which participants of the study in regard to clauses and their functions and role in utterance and discourse. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that the study involves the study of clauses and the survey helps to reveal the major clauses that exist in English and uncover their role and functions which may change depending on the change in the main and finite/ non-finite clause.The study involved professional linguists with the high level of proficiency in English. The involvement of experts in the study is justified by their knowledge in the field of clausal structures in English. Therefore, they could help to determine clauses, their structure, function and use in English today. The current study involved ten linguists, who had different cultural background and had the bachelor degree or higher in the field of linguistics. Experts involved in the study were both males and females, which were equally represented in the study with five men and five women involved in the study.In the course of the study, participants were interviewed and responded to questions concerning clauses and clausal structure in English. Their task was to classify clauses and explain the clausal structure. Responses of the participants of the study have shown their understanding and interpretation of claus es. They determined different types of clauses and commented on the use of clauses in English.Results and discussionIn the course of the study, experts involved in the study identified several types of clauses which had their own distinct features and performed different functions. The choice of the clause often depends on the purpose of the utterance. In this regard, the role of the main clause was particularly important because it could be used independently of finite or non-finite clause, whereas the latter had to be coordinated and condition in respect to the main clause and the purpose of utterance.Coordinate clausesThe simplest sentences may contain a single clause. A simple coordinate clause contains a sentence with more than one clause, which may be considered of equal grammatical importance that means that they are coordinate clauses. Two or more parts of the coordinate clause are joined by a coordinating conjunction, such as and, or, or but. For example:Peter can drive a c ar, he can drive a truck or he can drive a bus.Jane opened her door and John came in.Subordinate clausesSometimes the clauses are placed in the specific order, where the more important ones are main clauses, while the less important are subordinate clauses. The main or coordinate clause could be used independently as a sentence. Instead, a subordinate clause can be used only in a combination within the main clause and serves as a part of a sentence but not as a sentence on its own. A subordinate clause can perform functions of other clause elements, such as subject, object, complement and adverbial. Depending on the function performed by the main clause, it is nominal and adverbial/adjectival if they stand for subject, adverb or adjective respectively.That clause: I believe (that) you have watched the film. (That may be omitted if understood.)Wh- clause: I know what they bought last year. (Clause introduced by who, when, what, why, whether.)-ing clause: I dont recall knowing him at all. (Clause introduced by present participle.)inf. clause: I wish to be with you that day. (Clause introduced by to + infinitive.)Clausal Structure in English essay part 2