Raza Unida Party Book Report

The book has to do with third parties in the United States of America. The writer talks of a party – an organized ethnic grouping in the 1970s. The  group  had only one agenda – to question the existence of the historically  dominant  parties in the United States of America: democratic and republican parties. The book traces La Raza Unida Party  right  from its inception. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Raza Unida Party Book specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It outlines the reasons for the party formation, the group  vision  and  belief  and its leadership. The book details La Raza Unida Party’s structure, the main strategy employed and the electoral campaign  mode. Other things discussed in the book cover the  party  successes and failures. Besides theses issues, the book details with the general issues concerning the  political  organizing in some states within the United States of America. Some of the states mentioned in the book  include  Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Mid West, Texas and California. The book utilizes rich resource basis to discuss political issues and suggest future political cause of action to be taken. Some of the material resources used by the writer for this book  include  written documents, diaries, letters, position papers and minutes. The author also uses published materials such as  strategy  literatures, published political magazines and articles in the newspapers. The author’s personal experience in the organization of this party informs most of the thoughts on this book. The writer documents in this book his involvement in the establishment of the La Raza Unida Party in the California state of the United States of America. This  brilliant  history shapes the  philosophy  and beliefs behind this great book. The book raises a discussion on the possibilities that third parties have to succeed in the American political scene. The book points out the political strengths and  key  weaknesses of the traditional political parties. It also highlights the historical matters concerning the  political  dictatorship of the two leading US parties. It noted the  politics  that favor some US citizens more than others. Book Discussion. This book is  vital  for the evaluation of the political climate in the United States of America. Anyone who wants to understand the  politics  played in the United States will have interest to read this book. The book highlights the political happenings in the United States of America. It also highlights the reasons why for decades and centuries it has been  difficult  to  defeat  these parties. The writer explores the reasons for  political  failures by third parties in the United States. The writer observes that a third party had to do with an organized group with leaders, registered members and political supporters. The organized group got designated as a political party. Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It documented the  general  goals and claim to be achieved. It had to face  difficult  opposition  by the political systems and the  dominant  party dictatorship to  force  its ideologies to the American people. Important to note would be the fact that traditional parties were not about winning the loyalty of the American people as opposed to providing a real challenge to the dormant US political parties (Navarro, 2000, 4). Conclusion This book reveals the true identity of third parties, their political organizing and experiences. It provides  political  strategists with a way  forward  that when harnessed will change how democratic politics happen in the future of the United States of America. Works Cited Navarro, Armando. La Raza Unida Party: A Chicano Chall enge to the U.S. Two-Party Dictatorship. California: Temple University Press, 2000. Web. This essay on Raza Unida Party Book was written and submitted by user Caitlin Puckett to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

What Is the SSAT Expert Guide to the 3 Levels

What Is the SSAT Expert Guide to the 3 Levels SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you interested in going to private school? If so, you might need to take the SSAT to get in. But what is the SSAT? It'san admissions test that independent schools throughout the U.S. and the world use to assesstheir prospective students. The testis available in three levels, so students in elementary, middle, and high school can take it. This comprehensive guide will go over each level of the SSAT so you can learn all about its purpose, structure, and questions. You’ll also find six usefultips for test prep. To start, let’s go over the purpose of the test. What Is the SSAT and Who Takes It? The SSAT is designed for students in grades 3 through 11 who are seeking admission to private schools. It’s available in three levels: elementary for students in grades 3 and 4, middle for students in grades 5 through 7, and upper for students in grades 8 through 11. Students take the test according to their current grade, not the one to which they’ll be applying. If you’re in 7th grade, for instance, you'd take the middle level test, not the upper level one. Similarly, 4th graders applying to 5th grade would take the elementary level, not the middle level. Since you’ll have to wait several weeks for your score report, you should take the test well ahead of any school application deadlines. Students can take the test more than once on variousSaturdays throughout the school year. If you need to arrange a different testing date, then you can set up a â€Å"Flex Test.† Unlike the regularly scheduled SSAT tests, you can only take one Flex Test per year. For most students, the most convenienttesting center will bea nearby private school. There are independent schools that administer the SSAT in countries all over the world. You can find the full list of private elementary, middle, and high schools that give the teston its official website. The SSAT, like the SAT for colleges, is just one piece of a student’s private school application. Along with strong grades and extracurriculars, the student should aim to present competitive test scores. With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at what the SSAT tests at all three levels. The SSAT offers three delicious levels for elementary, middle, and high school students. What Does the SSAT Test? Questions and Skills Despite their differences, all levels of the SSAT share the same goal, to measure your verbal, quantitative, and reading comprehension skills. The verbal sections of the testask about vocabulary, verbal reasoning, and relationships between ideas. The quantitative sections will ask you to solve problems with mathematical concepts. Finally, the reading sections present passages and ask questions about their content. All three levels of the SSAT also have a writing section. This section is unscored, but your written response will be sent to score recipients. This means that admissions officers might read your response and use it as a sample of your writing skills. Younger students answer a creative writing prompt, while older students have a choice between writing a story or a more traditional essay. Now that you have a general answer to the question of what the SSAT is, let’s take a closer look at each level, starting with elementary. All of the sample questions are borrowed from the official website. SSAT: Elementary Level The elementary level is geared toward students in grades 3 and 4. The test at this level is unique since it’s further divided into sublevels, one that’s slightly easier for third graders and one that’s a bit more advanced for fourth graders. Both tests, though, share the same format and structure. The elementary level SSAT lastsone hour and 50 minutes and has a math, verbal, reading, and writing section. You can see the complete structure in the chart below. Section Number of Questions Time Math 30 30 Verbal 30 20 Break - 15 Reading 28 30 Writing 1 prompt 15 Total: 89 110 minutes (1 hour, 50 minutes) With this overall structure in mind, let’s take a closer look at each individual section, starting with Math. Elementary Level Math Section The Math section features all multiple choice questions that ask about a variety of concepts. They might involve addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. You couldbe asked to put numbers in order from least to greatest, or vice versa. You’ll also encounter some basic geometry, measurement, and graphs. The fourth-grade version of the test may also have a question or two about angles. Below are a couple of sample questions fromthe math section of the elementary level test. The first is a word problem testing comprehension and multiplication while the second is straightforward subtraction. 1. The Smith family drove 300 miles every day for 4 days. How far did they drive on their trip? 75 miles 304 miles 600 miles 1200 miles 1500 miles 2. 922 − 157 = 753 765 776 835 1079 After the 30-minute math section, students will start on a20-minute verbal section. Elementary Level Verbal Section The verbal section asks two main types of questions: vocabulary questions and analogy questions. It tests vocabulary by presenting a word and asking you to choose its synonym from five options. The questions feature words from various subjects, including science, technology, and social studies. Here’s an example of a typical vocabulary question that asks you to choose the presented word’s synonym. COOPERATE: join help delay finish support Analogy questions ask test-takers to make comparisons between two words or phrases. The relationship might be that of synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, or part to whole, to give just a few examples. The words may also fall into similar categories or share certain characteristics. Here’s an example of a typical analogy question. Minute is to hour as men is to our week is to day cow is to milk month is to year man is to woman The third and fourth grade tests share the same kind of questions, but, just as in the math section, the fourth grade test may be slightly more advanced. Simply put, the fourth grade test may feature more advanced vocabulary. Moving onto the third section, read on to see how the elementary SSAT tests reading comprehension. Elementary Level Reading Section On the Reading section, you’ll get seven short passages of poetry, prose, fiction, or nonfiction. After each passage, you’ll answer four multiple choice questions about what the passage’s mean. The questions might ask you to summarize the main idea, to locate specific information, or to define words in context. The slightly more advanced fourth grade test may additionally feature questions that ask about theme. Below is an example of a typical nonfiction passage, followed by a question about the main idea and a word in context. A hiker’s foot dangling from a boat sets the crocodile in motion. When saltwater crocodiles sense food, it can start a "feeding frenzy." Crocs race in from all directions. They go wild, attacking all within reach, including humans. They have been known to jump out of the water and attack humans or dogs on land. Crocodiles are highly territorial, especially females with babies. It is not wise to approach baby croquettes. They may look cute and harmless, but they are not. Smaller freshwater crocodiles might attack if bothered. A camper poked what he thought was a sleeping crocodile with a stick. Suddenly the crocturned and bit off his leg. 1. This passage is primarily about hiking safety rules the dangers of fishing why crocodiles attack dangers of baby crocodiles different kinds of crocodiles 2. In line two, "frenzy" most closely means race time calm furor mental illness After Reading, students will move onto the last section, Writing. Elementary Level Writing Section This final section asks students to write a story based on a picture. The prompt reminds students to make sure their story includes a beginning, middle, and end. Remember that this writing sample isn’t scored, but schools will receive a copy of it. Below is an example of a Writing prompt on the elementary level test. Look at the picture and tell a story about what happened. Make sure your story includes a beginning, a middle, and an end. Once students finish the Writing section, they’ll be all done with the test! Cheer up, melancholy knight. The SSAT also has a test for the middle ages. SSAT: Middle Level If you’re in grade 5, 6, or 7 applying for grades 6, 7, or 8, then you’ll take the middle level SSAT. The middle level test is much longer than the elementary level at three hours and five minutes. Its Writing section, while still unscored, comes at the beginning of the test. It also features an unscored experimental section with 16 multiple choice questions. The chart below shows the full structure of the middle level test. Section Number of Questions Time Writing 1 25 minutes Break - 5 minutes Math 25 30 minutes Reading 40 40 minutes Break - 10 minutes Verbal 60 30 minutes Math 25 30 minutes Experimental 16 15 minutes Total: 167 3 hours, 5 minutes Likethe Writing section, the experimental section is unscored. It will ask six verbal, five reading, and five math questions to test out material for future tests. Now that you have a sense of the test’s overall structure, let’s examine each individual section in more detail, just as we did with the elementary level above. First up is Writing. Middle Level Writing Students taking the middle level SSAT will choose from one of two creative prompts. Based on one of two â€Å"story starters,† they’ll write a story in 25 minutes. Below are typical instructions for the Writing section, followed by two story starters. Directions: Schools would like to get to know you better through a story you tell using one of the ideas below. Please choose the idea you find most interesting and write a story using the idea as your first sentence. Sample Topics: The classroom was empty. I looked into its eyes and suddenly... Again, the story is unscored, but score recipients will get a copy of the response. The next section, however, is definitely scored. After a five-minute break, students will continue on to the Math section. Middle Level Math The Math section asks you to solve problems that fall into four main conceptual categories: number concepts and operations, algebra, geometry/measurement, and data analysis/probability. Number concepts and operations involve addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, arithmetic word problems, ratios, percentages, estimation, sequences, rational numbers, and frequencies. Algebra includes algebraic word problems, line equations, patterns, absolute value, and exponents. Geometry/measurement asks about area and circumference of circles, area and perimeter of polygons, volume, properties of triangles, parallel and perpendicular lines, coordinate geometry, and slope. Finally, data analysis/probability involves interpreting tables and graphs, trends, inferences, and probability. Below are a couple sample problems from the math section of the middle level test. Both fall into the number concepts and operations skill area. 1. In a class of 25 students, 8 received a grade A on a math quiz. What percent of the students did not receive an A? 8% 25% 32% 68% 78% 2. An elevator is on the first floor. It goes up 8 floors, then down 5 floors, and then up 4 floors. What is the final position in terms of the first floor? 3rd floor 4th floor 5th floor 7th floor 8th floor Since students in grades 5 through 7 take the middle level test, some may find this section easier than others. Younger students might need to learn new concepts before taking the SSAT, while older students likely have had more more experience with the tested concepts in school. After Math, you’ll move immediately onto Reading. Middle Level Reading The 40-minute Reading section contains passages of 250 to 350 words taken from literary fiction, humanities, science, and social studies. These passages might be narrative or argument-based. The multiple choice questions ask about main idea, details, words and phrases in context, along with the author’s purpose, attitude, and tone. They might also ask you to make inferences, evaluate arguments, or make predictions. The following is a sample passage taken from literary fiction. The first question is detail-oriented, while the second asks you to make an inference. Little Jim was, for the time, Engine Number 36 and he was making the run between Syracuse and Rochester. He was fourteen minutes behind time, and the throttle was wide open. As a result, when he swung around the curve at the flower bed, a wheel of his cart destroyed a tulip. Number 36 slowed down at once and looked guiltily at his father, who was mowing the lawn. The doctor had his back to the accident, and he continued to pace slowly to and fro, pushing the mower. Jim dropped the handle of the cart. He looked at his father and at the broken flower. Finally, he went to the tulip and tried to stand it up, but it would only hang limply from his hand. Jim could not repair it. He looked again toward his father. 1. According to the passage, Jim's father was a (A) farmer(B) doctor(C) gardener(D) train engineer(E) business executive 2. Jim apparently thought that when his father saw the broken flower his reaction would be one of (A) fear(B) anger(C) curiosity(D) amusement(E) indifference As you can see, a strong grasp of vocabulary is important for doing well on the Reading section. Vocabulary comes directly into play in the next section, the 60-minute verbal. Middle Level Verbal The verbal section tests your understanding of vocabulary and of the relationships between words and ideas with synonym and analogy questions, just like the verbal section in the elementary level. Synonym questions simply present you with a word and ask you to choose its closest synonym, as in the following example. EGREGIOUS: (A) trivial(B) hidden(C) flagrant(D) fragrant(E) contagious Analogy questions ask you to recognize the relationship between two words or phrases, like synonym, antonym, cause/effect, and part/whole. The following, for instance, shows two antonyms. Translucent is to opaque as light is to (A) sun(B) dull(C) lamp(D) candle(E) darkness As you can tell, the elementary level and middle level SSAT are very similar in terms of skills tested and question types. The similarities continue into the upper level test, which simply incorporates more advanced material for older students. Read on for its full structure, along with a breakdown of each individual section. Are you hoping to attend a private high school? If so, you'll be taking the upper level SSAT. SSAT: Upper Level The upper level testis geared toward students in grade 8 to 11 who are applying to private high schools. It has the same structure as the middle level test, but again, it features more advanced material. This chart shows the test’s format as a whole. Section Number of Questions Time Writing 1 25 minutes Break - 5 minutes Math 25 30 minutes Reading 40 40 minutes Break - 10 minutes Verbal 60 30 minutes Math 25 30 minutes Experimental 16 15 minutes Total: 167 3 hours, 5 minutes The experimental section asks six verbal, five reading, and five math questions. These questions are unscored and are just given to test out material for future tests. As with the other levels, your response in the writing section is unscored but will be sent to your score recipients. Read on to see what kind of prompts you’ll get in the Writing section. Upper Level Writing Students get two prompts in the writing section and choose just one to answer. One prompt is creative while the other is a more traditional essay question that asks for your personal opinion. Below are the typical directions for the writing response, followed by two sample topics. Remember, you only have to answer one! Directions: Schools would like to get to know you better through an essay or story using one of the two topics below. Please select the topic you find most interesting and fill in the circle next to the topic you choose. Sample Topics: 1. If you could do something over again, what would it be and why? 2. He couldn't believe they wanted his help. Even though this section’s unscored, you’ll want to make sure your response is clear, organized, and features strong grammar and syntax. Admissions officers will likely use it to evaluate your writing. After writing your story or essay, you’ll move on to the Math section. Upper Level Math The concepts that the upper level math section tests match those on the middle level. The questions will just be more complex and advanced. To review, the skill areas are number concepts and operations, algebra, geometry/measurement, and data analysis/probability. Number concepts and operations questions involve addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, arithmetic word problems, ratios, percentages, estimation, sequences, rational numbers, and frequencies. Algebra might involve algebraic word problems, line equations, patterns, absolute value, or exponents. Geometry/measurement asks about the area and circumference of circles, area and perimeter of polygons, volume, properties of triangles, parallel and perpendicular lines, coordinate geometry, and slope. Data analysis/probabilityquestions ask you to interpret tables and graphs, find trends, make inferences, and calculate probability. The following are two official â€Å"number concepts and operations† questions. 1. Which number represents one thousand four hundred and thirteen thousandths? 1,400.13 1,400.013 1,400.0013 10,400.13 100,400.13 2. Find the missing number in the sequence: ___, 29, 35, 41, 47 22 23 24 25 26 After the math section, you’ll move onto Reading. Upper Level Reading The Reading section features narrative or argument-based passages of 250 to 350 words each. They’re taken from literary fiction, humanities, science, and social studies. The subsequent multiple choice questions might ask you to recognize the passage’s main idea, locate details, make inferences, derive the meaning of words or phrases, determine the author’s purpose or tone, evaluate opinions, or make predictions. The following sample question features a passage taken from literary fiction. The questions ask you to interpret a detail and describe the passage as a whole. We had a consuming desire to see a pony rider, but somehow or other all that passed us streaked by in the night, and so we heard only a whiz and a hail, and the swift phantom was gone. But now the driver exclaims: "Here he comes!" Every neck is stretched and every eye strained. Away across the endless dead level of the prairie a black speck appears. Soon it becomes a horse and rider, rising and falling, sweeping nearer and nearer, and the flutter of hoofs comes faintly to the ear. Another instant a whoop and hurrah from our upper deck, a wave of the rider's hand, but no reply, and man and horse burst past our excited faces and go winging away like a belated fragment of a storm! 1. At the driver's call, the people became more eager puzzled hysterical frightened disappointed 2. This passage can best be described as an account of an event a news article a research study an epic poem an advertisement While the reading section tests your vocabulary with words in context questions, the verbal section tests your vocabulary with synonym and analogy questions. Upper Level Verbal If you’ve read about the elementary and middle level verbal sections, then you should be familiar with its question types. The upper level verbal section is no exception and similarly features synonym and analogy questions. The following, for example, is a synonym question; it wants you to choose the answer that most closely matches the presented word in meaning. INCOGNITO: lost replaced concealed uncovered distinguished This next analogy sample question wants you to recognize the relationship between the presented words and then find that same relationship between words in the answer choices. In this case, an epidemic occurs when a disease becomes widespread. Similarly, a famine occurs when hunger becomes widespread. The relationship between the words in answer choice A matches the relationship between epidemic and disease. Epidemic is to disease as famine is to hunger creative is to creation persuasion is to composition mountainous is to climb ache is to gluttony So there you have it, the structure of each level of the SSAT and a breakdown of each section, writing, math, reading, and verbal, with official sample questions. Before considering how you can prep for this important test, let’s go over what you need to know about how the testis scored. Aim for a high percentile to stay ahead ofthe bell curve! How Is the SSAT Scored? Your SSAT score report will tell you how you did on each scored section - verbal, math, and reading - as well as your total score, or the sum of your section scores. You’ll also get percentiles that show how your performance compares to that of other test-takers. Each level is scored on a different scale.Section scores for the elementary level range from 300 to 600. For the middle level, sectionscores range from 440 to 710. Finally, scores for each section range from 500 to 800 for the upper level. Level Minimum Score by Section Maximum Score by Section Elementary 300 600 Middle 440 710 Upper 500 800 As there are three sections per test, verbal, math, and reading, your total scores representyour three section scores added together. Level Total Minimum Score Total Maximum Score Elementary 900 1800 Middle 1320 2130 Upper 1500 2400 At all levels, you’ll get one point for every correct answer, zero for skipped answer, and a deduction of  ¼ point for wrong answers. While you may have personal goals for your SSAT scores, you can also set target scores based on what you need for admission to your private school of choice. Many private schools release data on the average SSAT scores of accepted students. You can research this information and set your target scores above the average. Once you have your goal in mind, you’ll need to prep to achieve those scores. As with the SAT and ACT for college, studying and taking practice tests are important for doing well on the SSAT. Read on for a few tips for preparing effectively for the test. Preparing for the SSAT: 6 Tips Even though the SSAT is a skill-based, rather than content-based test, it still calls for a good deal of studying. Prepping with high-quality materials is a key part of achieving your target scores and getting into your private school of choice. Below are six tips to guide your studying. First, you should consider how much you need to study and when you plan to take the test. 1. Design a Study Schedule and Test-Taking Timeline How much do you need to study? How much time do you have? When do you plan to take the test? All of these are questions you should ask yourself as you start to plan your SSAT prep. The SSAT is offered on eight Saturdays from September to June, and you can take it as many times as you want. If none of the offered test dates work for you, then you might be able to arrange a Flex Test. Remember that you can only take one Flex Test per year. You might take the testfor the first time months ahead of your private school application deadlines so you have the opportunity to take it again if you want higher scores. If your application deadlines are in the winter, for example, you could take your first SSAT in the spring. That way, you have a second opportunity to test the following fall. Once you set your first test date, consider how long you have to study. Ideally, you have at least three to four months to prepare. The best way to meet your studying goals is to build prep into your routine by setting aside specific time each day or week. By designing a study plan and test-taking schedule several months before your first deadline, you can ensure that you have plenty of time to prepareso you can achieve your target scores. Time yourself when you take practice tests so you can get used to the rhythmof the SSAT. 2. Take Lots of Practice Tests and Reflect on your Results The SSAT is a unique test; chances are, you’re not accustomed to answering dozens of synonym and analogy questions anywhere else(to give one example). As a unique test, it’s critical for you to get familiar with its structure, format, and question types. Reading through this guide’s a great first step. Then you should set aside time to take practice tests, especially under simulated testing conditions - time yourself, find a quiet environment, etc. Make sure your materials are high-quality and specific to the level that you’ll be taking. After you take timed practice tests, score your tests and carefully go over your results. Figure out why you got a question wrong. Were you fuzzy on a specific concept? Did you make a careless error? Did you run out of time? By rooting out the reason behind your mistake, you can figure out what to do about it. You may need to review concepts in geometry or try time management strategies for skimming the passages. By pinpointing and addressing your errors, you can fill in any gaps and see improvement the next time. You might begin with a diagnostic practice test to gauge your starting point. Then you could stagger practice tests throughout your prep to measure your progress and readjust your study plan if need be. 3. Study Vocabulary and Word Relationships As you noticed above, all three levels test your verbal skills in the same way, with questions about synonyms and analogies. Studying level-specific vocabulary is an important part of your SSAT prep. Rather than just focusing on the traditional vocab term + definition list, you should look at groups of words with similar meanings. Your prep materials should have vocabulary lists for your level of the test. You can also find vocab lists on the website Quizlet, or even upload your own for review with interactive games. To master analogy questions, make sure your prep materials break down the different relationships that can appear. Some of these might be synonym, antonym, part to whole, or cause/effect. By studying these relationships and pairing them with practice questions, you should be able to recognize the relationship when you answer analogy questions on the test. For the verbal section of the SSAT, don't just study the meanings of words, but also their relationships with each other. 4. Review Tested Math Concepts The math section of the SSAT can be challenging, especially for younger students who haven’t studied as advanced concepts as their older counterparts who are taking the same test. You should make sure your study materials explain all the concepts you’ll need to know. Algebra on the upper level test, for instance, can be broken down into lots of subtopics, includingword problems, line equations, and exponents. If there are concepts that you’ve never encountered, then you may study them from books or find a tutor who can teach them to you. As a younger student, you shouldn’t have to score in as high a percentile as an older student. Still, though, you don’t want to be taking the test and come across problems that look totally unfamiliar. As you review each concept, pair it with lots of related practice questions. While it’s useful to review each rule individually, remember that some questions may require you to combine concepts in order to solve them. The math section may be closely aligned with what you’re doing in math class. The problems are probably more typical to your homework and class tests than the questions in the verbal section, for instance. Still, though, make sure to study with realistic SSAT practice questions so you can get used to their wording and format. 5. Read Widely and Often How can you study for the reading section? To some extent, all of the reading you’ve done over your lifetime will help you on this section. While you’ve developed your reading comprehension skills over the long-term, you can still take a specific approach to this section. First, keep in mind that the reading section tests you on works from various genres, including literary fiction, nonfiction, and argument-based writing. Reading fiction will help, but you should also practice reading articles from areas like science and social studies. As you read, take notes on essential elements like main point, keydetails, and tone. Beyond taking the time to really engage with and analyze a work, you should hone your ability to read quickly and with purpose. Practice your ability to skim a work for its main point and important details. The test is timed, so you need to be able to gather important points under time limits. The more you practice time management strategies with practice SSAT reading sections, the more efficient you’ll become. While math, reading, and verbal skills will get you far, you also want to have some tried-and-true test-taking strategies up your sleeve. 6. Be Strategic with Your Time and Guessing Finally, you should go beyond studying math concepts and vocabulary to develop test-taking and time management strategies. You’ll only get about a minute or less to read, consider, and answer each multiple choice question. The more you practice and try different tactics - like skimming passages or process of elimination - the more efficient you’ll become. Taking timed practice tests will also help you get accustomed to each section’s time limits and how to allocate your time well. As mentioned above, scorers take  ¼ point off for every wrong answer. If a question totally stumps you, then you might consider skipping it. If you can confidently eliminate at least one answer choice as wrong, though, then you might benefit from guessing. The best way to do well on the SSAT is to develop solid quantitative, verbal reasoning, and reading comprehension skills. Since it’s a timed standardized test, though, practicing various test-taking and time management strategies is a useful approach too. In closing, let’s review the key points to remember about this private school admissions test. To Sum Up†¦ If you’ve made it this far in the guide, then you should have a good sense of the structure and skills tested across all three levels of the SSAT. Students in grades 3 through 11 can take the elementary, middle, or upper level of the testto apply to independent schools. The SSATis skills-based and seeks to measure your verbal, math, and reading skills. Each level also includes a writing section, which is unscored but will be available to admissions officers that you indicate as score recipients. The SSAT features similar question types at all three levels, with the upper levels incorporating more advanced concepts and vocabulary. The scoring systems are different, though, so you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the scale, as well as your prospective schools’ expectations, to set your target scores. Once you have a goal in mind, you should set aside time for several months to prepare. The earlier you start, the more time you’ll have to get ready. Plus, you might benefit from retaking the test once or twice to improve your scores. By planning early and studying with high-quality SSAT materials, you’ll see improvement and make progresstoward your target scores. While the SSAT is just one piece of your private school application, it can go a long way toward making you a strong candidate for your school of choice! What's Next? Want more help with SSAT prep? Check out our SSAT study tips and complete collection of SSAT practice tests. One of the best ways to improve your test scores is to analyze your mistakes. This guide explains how to reviewyour errors on practice tests so you can make big improvements for next time. Are you a younger student considering taking the SAT? Before you decide, check out these guides on whether or not you should take the SAT as a 7th grader, 8th grader, or 9th grader. Did you know that test scores are just one piece of your private school applications? You should also show admissions officers who you are and what you're interested in through your extracurricular activities. Check out this comprehensive list to explore hundreds of extracurricular activities! Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Event Study Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Event Study - Statistics Project Example With this in mind, an event study is considered the measure of impact of an event on a security value (MacKinlay, 1993). Considering the components of an asset cost, an event study further explores the availability and access of information and the immediacy of impounding such info onto prices. Events are characterised by variables such as short-horizon event studies that consider limited period, habitually hours to weeks and particular to the event at hand. Short-run events yield small returns and facilitate time to focus on information being released. Long-horizon event studies are problematic in that they are sensitive to the modeling assumption of the desired returns. The basic setup for an event study involves the identification of an event and the window, selection of a security, specifying and estimating the reference model characterizing the normal returns (expected returns). However, in order to estimate accurately whether illiquid premiums exist, the characters of liquid premiums must be established first. Thus, in order to test whether illiquid premiums exist, this paper aims at answering the research question, do stocks with higher illiquidity earn higher returns?, by the analysis of two events involving bond buyers? The paper analyzes the factors that affect s ecurity markets and identifies conditions that promote illiquidity premiums. Considering the theory on illiquid discounts, the risk-return model, and empirical study, illiquid discount should increase with increasing trading costs; illiquidity will increase when the market is down, and assets considered less liquid have historically had higher returns (Debondt & Thaler, 1985). Considering the fair market value of a security, a premium that investors will demand only when it can easily be converted into cash is referred as liquidity premium. When the liquid premium is considered too high, then the asset is

Operation management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Operation management - Essay Example The organisation implemented a philosophy and culture which they called The Corus Way in order to sustain competitiveness, productivity and profitability. Along with this philosophy is the practice of continuous improvement programmes across the company. Specifically, this paper explores the applicability of the Corus Way and Continuous Improvement Programmes in the Port Talbot Strip Products site. The site was experiencing lost, damaged and stolen equipments in their depot operations. The problem was investigated through a structured questionnaire where the results were collated, summarised and analysed. Using quality tools and techniques, this paper arrives at four recommendations for the improvement of the depot operations in accordance to the Corus Way. Corus Group is an international metals organization. The core competence of the company is providing steel and aluminium products and service to different market sectors. It is one of the top ten steel producers in the world. The customer base of Corus mostly comprises of businesses in the automotive, aerospace, packaging, engineering, building and construction markets. (Datamonitor, 2008) Corus Group has operations in thirty different countries reaching over Europe, Asia and other international markets. In Europe, UK is the major market of the organization. The company is headquartered in London and employs 21,300 people in UK. (Datamonitor, 2008) Corus was created in 1999 through a merger of British Steel and Koninklijle Hoogovens, a Netherlands-based company. In 2004, Philippe Varin, CEO, initiated and launched the Restoring Success programme which aimed at closing competitive gap between Corus and the European competitors. The program includes waste minimization and process simplification where waste is reduced and unnecessary copying of activities is eliminated.

New and Improved Rewards at Work Research Paper - 2

New and Improved Rewards at Work - Research Paper Example The most important goal for an employment compensation strategy is to offer better rewards for right employee actions for success of the company. In order to make competitive compensation packages for employees, companies need to consider what their rivals are offering so that they do not end up running into losses by offering more than the equilibrium package in the industry or offering less than the minimum, because this will make it impossible for them to recruit and retain staff. Best packages are sometimes those that are preferred by employees while at the same time appear to be competitive in the particular industry. One advantage with compensation schemes is that they are able to underpin organizational culture, something that is highly desired by companies. The government governs every aspect of employee compensation within the public sector. In many instances, this leaves no room for innovative ideas towards formulation of important compensations schemes. Companies that are highly innovative in engaging their employees record high returns that are sometimes double those of rival companies which do not engage their employees adequately (Pollitt, 2081) The first way to creatively engage your skilful employees is by putting them in a position where they can have direct contact with consumers of their products. In many industries, employees design products and dispatch them for sale, yet they have no idea about the impact of the products on the lives of their end users (Grant, 2007; Grant, 2008). A good example is the automotive industry where automotive engineers design cars of all kinds worldwide but they never gets the chance to have direct feedback from drivers of the cars, authors as well compose many pieces of literature to millions of faceless readers but never meets them for feedback. Meeting end users as a product developer has been known to enhance prosocial motivation as well

Effects of globalization in singapore

Effects of globalization in singapore For more than 40 years, Singapore has enjoyed economic success, allowing Singaporeans to have a raised quality of life and standard of living. However, due to this increase in standard of living, this has caused income disparity (Yeoh, 2007/2008) among Singaporeans, between the low income families and the high income families. This widening income gap was due to the side effects of the Singapore governments pro growth policies (Yeoh, 2007/2008). However, the income gap was pushed even more by globalisation and the recessions from December 2007 until now, 2011. This caused the depression the unskilled workers salaries while inflating the skilled workers salaries. Thus, this caused the widening income gap in Singapore. Due to the widening income gap, Singaporeans have become more aware of the differences in income among Singaporeans, which causes them to be more â€Å"class-conscious†. If the widening income gap continues to widen would cause unthinkable economic, social and political impacts in Singapore. The main challenge policy makers face today is to seek a balance between income disparity reduction, economic growth and budget feasibility (Yeoh, 2007/2008). The policies are mainly to help the lower income families with the proper opportunities in order for them to move up the social and financial ladder. Policy makers should be aware that an overly egalitarian approach towards reducing income inequality is suboptimal. On the whole, the government needs to face the issue of widening income gap with an emphatic heart and mind, thinking for the needs of the people. BACKGROUND Singapore, which used to be a small fishing village, has done well in the last decades of the twentieth century to rise from an entreport centre to be a global city and a developed nation. It had resolved most issues pertaining to underdevelopment and had developed the needed institutions to prepare its survival in the twenty-first century. From 2000-2008, these years mark the period in which globalization as a process affected all parts of the world. These years were significant politically, socially and economically for Singapore. (Amaldas, 2009) One part in this paper that we would like to focus on is the issue of the widening income gap in Singapore. In this paper, we would be discussing about how the widening income gap is linked to globalisation and what measures are used to solve it, as well as the impacts and reasons for the manifestation of widening income gap. Globalization is defined as the free movements of goods, services and capital across borders. It is a contentious process by which the western market economies have effectively spread across the globe. Although it does not constitute a new phenomenon, it is viewed as an inexorable integration of markets, nations and technologies to a degree never witnessed before in a way that is enabling individuals, and corporations to reach around the world further, faster, deeper and more economically than ever before (Heshmati, 2003). Globalization causes rapid changes in trade relations, financial flows, and mobility of labour across the world. The development has brought the economies of developed countries closer together and more strongly interrelated. However, there is a large heterogeneity in the degree of globalization process over time and across countries and regions. This heterogeneity causes disparity in development and urges the need for research to find sources of disparity and quantification of its magnitude and impacts (Heshmati, 2003). Many scholars regard globalization as a force which will inevitably bring about the decline (Held, 1995), erosion (Hall, 1991) or the end (Ohmae, 1995) of the nation-state. As the argument goes, the process of globalization in its various manifestations is increasingly undermining the territorial boundedness, sovereignty and traditional role of the existing system of the modern nation-state. With other major countries such as America and India facing the problem of the widening income gap as their countries continue to evolve, one major aim of this paper is to understand the risks of the widening income gap if Singapore ever falls into the trap with the advancement of our country. WIDENING INCOME GAP Economic inequality (or wealth and income differences) comprises all disparities in the distribution of economic assets and income. Widening income gap refers to the differences of income received by the employees and is a global phenomenon caused by globalisation. Due to globalisation, the elite and higher-educated are coveted for their expertise, hence the demand for these professionals causes their salary to be raised higher. Those at the lower-income group however suffer from globalisation as the jobs available are scarce; hence, their salaries are pushed lower because many people are fighting for the same job. This is called widening income gap. The Gini coefficient is a standard measure of income inequality. It is given as a means of multiple observations for a given country in a given year. The multiplicity of observations is due to the different definitions of income, area coverage and units of measurement (Heshmati, 2003). The Gini Coefficient ranges between 0, where there is no concentration which is perfect equality, and 1 where there is total concentration which is perfect inequality (Slack and Rodrigue, 1998). Absolute poverty is where people do not have sufficient access to food, shelter, and clothing to provide a basic level of physical and mental development (Duncan, 2000). National Household Income In Singapore, the household income from work in 2010 increased due to strong economic growth. Median monthly household income from work in 2010 recovered to above the level before the economic downturn in 2009. Among resident households, median monthly income from work increased by 3.1 per cent from $4,850 in 2009 to $5,000 in 2010 (Table 1); in real terms, the increase was 0.3 per cent (Department of Statistics Singapore, 2010). Table 1 Monthly Household Income from Work Among Resident Households Year Median Household Income Average Household Income Dollar Nominal Change (%) Real Change (%) Dollar Nominal Change (%) Real Change (%) 2000 3,638 3.9 2.6 4,988 5.7 4.2 2001 3,860 6.1 5.0 5,338 7.0 5.9 2002 3,628 -6.0 -5.6 5,069 -5.0 -4.7 2003 3,601 -0.7 -1.2 5,075 0.1 -0.4 2004 3,689 2.4 0.8 5,194 2.3 0.7 2005 3,860 4.6 4.1 5,447 4.9 4.4 2006 4,000 3.6 2.6 5,715 4.9 3.9 2007 4,375 9.4 7.1 6,295 10.1 7.9 2008 4,946 13.1 6.0 7,086 12.6 5.6 2009 4,850 -1.9 -2.5 6,826 -3.7 -4.2 2010 5,000 3.1 0.3 7,214 5.7 2.8 Source: Department of Statistics Singapore (2011) â€Å"Key Household Income Trends, 2010† Among employedhousehold, with at least one working person, median monthly income from work increased by 5.7 per cent in nominal terms (from $5,400 in 2009 to $5,700 in 2010) and 2.8 per cent in real terms (Table 2). Table 2 Monthly Household Income from Work Among Employed Households Year Median Household Income Average Household Income Dollar Nominal Change (%) Real Change (%) Dollar Nominal Change (%) Real Change (%) 2000 4,000 5.3 3.9 5,456 7.0 5.6 2001 4,141 3.5 2.5 5,736 5.1 4.1 2002 4,038 -2.5 -2.1 5,572 -2.9 -2.5 2003 4,050 0.3 -0.2 5,618 0.8 0.3 2004 4,106 1.4 -0.3 5,761 2.5 0.9 2005 4,345 5.8 5.3 6,052 5.1 4.6 2006 4,495 3.5 2.5 6,280 3.8 2.8 2007 4,883 8.6 6.4 6,889 9.7 7.4 2008 5,475 12.1 5.2 7,752 12.5 5.5 2009 5,398 -1.4 -2.0 7,549 -2.6 -3.2 2010 5,704 5.7 2.8 8,058 6.7 3.8 Source: Department of Statistics Singapore (2011) â€Å"Key Household Income Trends, 2010† Overall, the monthly household income has increased in Singapore in the year 2010. However, there are differences in the increase between the lower-income families and the higher-income families which cause the widening income gap in Singapore. Gini Coefficient The income gap between household incomes from work per household member among employed households increased marginally in 2010. The Gini coefficient, increased slightly in 2010. In particular, including employer CPF contributions5, the Gini coefficient was 0.472 in 2010, compared to 0.471 in 2009 (Figure 1). Adjusting in addition for government benefits and taxes, the Gini coefficient was 0.452 in 2010 (Yeoh, 2007/2008). Source: Department of Statistics Singapore (2011) â€Å"Key Household Income Trends, 2010† Figure 2 below shows the Gini coefficient5 trend for Singapore from 1974 to 2006. Figure 2. Singapore Gini Coefficient from 1974 2007 Data from 2000 2007:Department of Statistics Singapore (2008)Source: Data from 1975 1999: Mukhopadhaya, Pundarik (2001) LINK BETWEEN GLOBALISATION AND WIDENING INCOME GAP What role has globalisation played in changes in income inequality? Most research on this issue has been concentrated in recent years on the changes in income inequality in the high-income countries. Discussion has mainly focussed on whether the widening wage gap is due to increased imports of labour intensive goods from developing countries (pushing down demand for low-wage labour) or technological change—in particular, improvements in information technology (increasing demand for high-skilled labour relative to demand for low-skilled labour). But besides these two factors, other factors thought to contribute are: slower growth in the supply of skilled workers (pushing up their wages relative to the wages of less-skilled workers); increased workforce participation of women and increased immigration of low skilled workers (pushing down wages of less-skilled labour); and the waning powers of trade unions (for a survey of the literature, see Tyers, Duncan and Martin 1999). Economics research generally gives more support to improvements in technology as being most important, and much more important than increased trade with developing countries (see Tyers, Duncan, and Martin 1999). Low and middle income countries account for about 80 per cent of the worlds industrial workforce and manufactures comprise about 60 per cent of their exports (up from 20 per cent in the 1960s). In line with predictions from economic theory, Williamson (1997) argues that the increased flow of labour-intensive goods and unskilled labour from developing countries to high-income countries in the latter half of the 20th Century reduced demand for lowskilled labour in the high-income countries, increasing income inequality in these countries. He argues that this is consistent with the Heckscher-Ohlin trade model that says that trade will tend to equalise factor payments, leading to greater cross-country income equality for low-skilled labour, increasing income inequality in the high-income countries, and increasing income equality in the lower-income countries. More importantly, he notes that in the earlier golden period of globalisation (1870 to 1913), the growing income inequality in the then higher income countries led to the reversal of globalisation (including restrictions on immigration) and the devastating 1921-38 period. REASONS FOR WIDENING INCOME GAP The underlying characteristic for the recent growing disparity is the difference in income growth for the bottom 20% and top 20% households (Yeoh, 2007/2008). Table 3 illustrates the different income growth rates for each income group since 2000. Table 3. Annual Income Growth for Various Income Groups Income Groups Real Annual Change in Average Monthly Household Income per Household Member (%) 2000 2005 2005 2006 2006 2007 Bottom 10% 2.4 6.6 3.3 Bottom 11 20% 0.5 5.2 3.6 Top 11 20% 3.7 5.7 6.0 Top 10% 4.3 8.0 11.1 Source: Department of Statistics Singapore (2008). Key Household Income Trends 2007. Generally, the bottom 20% experienced slower growth rates than the top 20% of income earners during 2000 to 2007. Moreover, the ratio of average income of the top 20% to lowest 20%8 worsened from 9.99 in 2000 to 12.90 in 2007. Hence, these ratios show a widening income disparity between top and bottom income earners. Economists have also noted an understated stagnation of income amongst the middle class households that form the middle 60% of the income ladder. However, more employed households have moved up the social and financial ladder in 2007 as compared to 2006 (Yeoh, 2007/2008). There are differences between the different racial groups in Singapore as well. Table 4 below shows the income changes for each racial group in 2000 and 2005. Table 4. Income of the Major Racial Groups in Singapore Chinese Malays Indians Others 2000 2005 2000 2005 2000 2005 2000 2005 Average Monthly Household Income from Work ($) 5220 5630 3150 3440 4560 5170 7250 7250 Change (%) 7.9% 9.2% 13.4% 17.2% Source: Department of Statistics Singapore (2006) â€Å"General Household Survey 2005 Statistical Release 2: Transport,Overseas Travel, Housing and Household Characteristics†. As depicted in Table 4, the wage difference between the Malays and other races remain very alarming. From 2000 to 2005, among all the racial groups in Singapore, Malays had the lowest increase in income as compared to other races. With regard to income disparity between occupations, skilled professionals continue to earn more than unskilled workers, and have extended their lead further since 1996. Figure 3 below shows the ratio of the respective occupations wages to the unskilled occupations wages. Hence, this relative stagnation of wage growth amongst the unskilled would certainly have an effect on the widening income disparity between the two ends of the occupational spectrum as shown in Figure 3. IMPACTS OF WIDENING INCOME GAP Singaporeans are mainly concerned about the inflation which has raised about 3%-4% this year (Channelnews 17 February 2011) and skyrocketed housing prices in Singapore. Thus, many Singaporeans are unable to retire as they do not have the financial stability to sustain the high cost of living without being employed. According to the survey carried out by The Straits Times, this is the income gap situation: The average incomes of the top 20 per cent of households rose by 53 per cent from $12,091 to $18,472 from 1997/98 to 2007/08. By comparison, the average incomes of the poorest 20 per cent of households were kept down as a result of globalization, competition from emerging economies and new technology. They fell by 2.7 per cent over the same period from $1,309 to $1,274. The living conditions of the lower income households in Singapore will cause them to lose enthusiasm and motivation for work, thus the productivity will decrease and in turn lead to stagnation of the economy. In the short run, the large proportion of the poor and their lower marginal propensity to consume will lead to a lower injection multiplier and possible slower growth. In the long run, if the widening income gap in Singapore is done put to a stop, many people will fall into the poverty trap. As George Orwell laments, â€Å"Being poor isnt about not having anything today, it is about knowing youll have nothing tomorrow.† Inequality and injustice in the society will also make people gradually lose national cohesion, and hence menace to act as a centrifugal force that tears the social fabric of our nation apart. The long-term stability of Singapores society will be severely disturbed. The widening income gap is inclined to inflict social cohesion and undermine trust in the society. At the same time, it will impair social capital thus compromise the stability of the society. Uslaner Brown found a correlation between the amount of trust and the amount of income equality. It can be explained that people can gain sense of security from high income equality therefore they are expected to trust each other. A related study by Putnam also demonstrated that economic equality tends to lead to a high level of social capital (or â€Å"connections among individuals†). People will show a tendency of engaging others and hence strong social connectedness and civic engagement can be forged. (Uslaner and Brown, 2002). In view of the squeeze on income of middle class, the incessant wide income gap will also produce more ‘quitters which is a term popularized by Singapores then Prime Minister Mr. Goh Chok Tong. This word indicates that the rich nowadays are more globally-connected but less locally-disengaged (Goodman, 2003).The well-heeled are more likely to show off their conspicuous wealth and this pushes the government to loosen its tightfisted stance on welfare in the national budget as it tries to defuse criticism of its policies which burdened the plight of the common people. On the other hand, the enduring income disparity will impel the middle class to seek greener pastures overseas thus choose to emigrate. In the long run, the economic development and competitiveness of Singapore will be suppressed due to the resultant brain-drain. According to Yeoh â€Å"A new social compact for Singapore†, rising income equality will impair the governments credibility in imposing policies as well such as raising income tax rates. It is significant that we have already seen public outcry and debate on such policies. The implicit social contract between the people and the government supports Singapores remarkable economic success. The widening income gap and the perception that a large proportion of the population has little access to the growth process and no share in the prosperity despite their ability and willingness to work has slowly but surely eroded this social contract. The ramifications of such a perception is indeed as the policymakers noted: â€Å"society would learn that economic growth would not always be the answer, and would begin to question and debate priorities and trade-offs†¦the policy issues that need to be re-examined are largely social and political.† This in turn translates into the shattering of the implicit social contract the ruling party has with its electorate, making it increasingly hard for the government to execute unpopular policies. Already we are hearing a chorus of dissent over recent policy decisions such as the ministerial wage hikes or the Goods and Service Tax increase, as well as the inextinguishable calls for increasing political openness, freedom to stage outdoor protests, among others. The present-day influence of rising income inequality will create a class-conscious Singapore. The widening income gap and the wage stagnation threaten to destabilize the society as well as weaken the economy. Rising income disparity is also likely to arouse the social discontentment, reduce the credibility of the government as well as increase emigration of middle class. POLICIES IMPLEMENTED Growing the Economy and Maximising Opportunities GPC Chair for Community Development, Youth and Sports Seah Kian Peng said: One part is to keep the economy running and booming like what it is now, just like what we have experienced last year. What it means is that unemployment is very low and we know that the majority of people are earning a salary and as the economy booms, the government will be in a position to also, in any budget, consider how it could possibly distribute and share the growth with as many Singaporeans as possible. We have to focus on growth and embrace globalisation, but manage its downsides and make it work for everyone. We will do this by maximising opportunities for all Singaporeans — the opportunities to get a good education, to work or grow a business, to retrain yourself and upgrade, and to own your own home. We must maximise opportunities for all, but we must also accept that doing so does not result in equal rewards for all. We should never reduce the incentive for Singaporeans to work and to make the most of their skills and talents, so as to get higher reward for themselves. That has to be the basis for our society, for how we keep our economy growing, and for how living standards of Singaporeans can rise over time.† In conclusion, our first priority to help the low-income group is to grow the economy. It is essential to attract new investments, grow new businesses, and create new and better paying jobs to replace old ones. As we grow the economy, it is important to ensure that no one is left behind and that all Singaporeans have the opportunity to succeed. Over the years, the Government has been helping the lower-income groups through various assistance measures. Since 2001, the Government has distributed more than $7.5 billion through the Progress Package, U-Save and SCC rebates, CPF top-ups and New Singapore Shares, to share budget surpluses with Singaporeans. In all these distributions, deliberate efforts were made to ensure that the lower-income groups get the greatest benefits. But going forward, we have to do more to help needy Singaporeans, and to do it more systematically. This is one of the challenges that the government faces and have to solve. Government Schemes Over the years, Singapore has introduced various schemes such as GST Credits, Senior Citizen Bonus and rebates on utilities, rental and service and conservancy charges. The GST (Goods Service Tax) is one of the ways to help the lower-income families affected by the widening age gap. A zero-rate Goods and Services Tax (GST) policy on household essentials is an effective measure to help lower-income families. Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, said: The bulk of the GST is collected from the top 40 per cent of the population and foreigners †¦ and we use the benefit to help those at the lower end. So if you talk about exempting food or any other essentials from GST, youre really taking away a source of revenue were getting mainly from those at the upper end and foreigners and reducing our ability to help those at the lower end. He added that lower-income Singaporeans get more Government benefits each year than the amount they pay in GST. The government has also revamped their policies and more citizens are now able to receive payouts and rebates according to their income. On average, the various government schemes added $1,110 per household member to resident households in 2010. The various government schemes gave a larger boost to those staying in smaller housing types. Resident households in HDB 1- and 2-room flats received an average of $2,650 per household member while resident households in HDB 3-room flats received an average of $1,480 per household member. This was higher than the $530 per household member for households in private properties. With the subsidies, it ensures that the lower-income group will be less burdened with debts for housing and other utilities. POLICIES THAT SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED Singapore needs policies which can help the needy, disadvantaged and poor, in order to increase their income and reduce the widening income gap in Singapore. However, at the same time the government must not compromise economic growth and funding sustainability. Basically, Singapore has to find a perfect balance between income equality, strong economic growth and prudence in finances, where income disparity can be reduced without affecting growth prospects and budget discipline (Yeoh, 2007/2008). Expanding the Work fare of Older Workers The Workfare Income Supplement scheme (WIS) seems to be the policy that is able to have the balance and is able to cover the middle ground. The scheme is laudable even though a large amount of money is involved, in the form of quantum of pay. This policy reduces the income disparity by raising income levels of the lower income workers, and encourages long term employment (Yeoh, 2007/2008). It is argued that the current net payout of around $80 to $100 per month is insufficient for workers to accumulate surplus for further training and education (Yeoh Kam Leong, 2007). To address this problem, the WIS scheme also provides opportunities for worker

Introduction to Nanotechnology

1. 0INTRODUCTION The objective of this study is to research and discover the development, characterization, and function of nanotechnologies in the globe in the present and future. In this study, we will defined the basis of nanotechnologies in wide spectrum such as the advantages, disadvantages, background, history, future investigation, society, ethic, environment and many more. Furthermore, our group would also like to emphasize on the significant cause and effect of nanotechnologies toward the advancement of human civilization in the recent time and toward the future.In addition, create awareness and wide perspective view toward engaging main issues such as moral ethical in our society. 2. 0BACKGROUND Nanotechnologies have been use in wide field medical, astronomy, environment, industrial and many more. From the way we communicate, to the methods used to diagnose and treat our illnesses, to the speed with which our computers process data, this new technology promises to enhance o ur lives in almost limitless ways. Therefore we would like to discuss some of the main issue and further permeate in the breakthrough of nanotechnology. What is a nanotechnology? In the scale of Nano in the prefix of nomenclature is extremely small, which you cannot see through your naked eyes. Microscope will be needed in order to observe object more clearly. Nanotechnology currently is being used to improve existing products and processes, for an example, by strengthening the material used in golf clubs and bicycle frames, creating stain and water repellant clothing and producing wear-resistant paints and coatings. One developing area in nanotechnology is that of self-assembly, whereby materials will be able to grow themselves.One of my theories that I would like to discuss is about the space innovation. Such innovations will not only increase productivity, but also will create new materials in a process known as â€Å"dynamic self-assembly. † The universe is so big that it blows up our mind to try to image how big it is. Human can somehow find a way to explore the universe by the advancement of nanotechnologies. For an example to shoot a robot to a star then it will eventually manufacturing itself and produce much bigger colonies. After a rapid production in certain stages complete civilization.They will often shoot more of them self to other star and repeating process again and again. In the longer term, however, nanotechnology is likely to result in completely revolutionary toward the society. Promising uses of nano scale particles may include the cleanup of heavily polluted sites, which we will have to consider as well. Nanotechnology is more effective diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other diseases, lighting that is twice as energy efficient as what is currently available, cleaner manufacturing techniques and much smaller and more powerful computers.Research indicates that nanotechnology even may help create an alternative fuel to power our automobiles. In the sum of all our research and study I would appropriately consider nanotechnologies of in fact the greatest tool toward humanity next stages of revolution. †¢What is the history of nanotechnology? The term â€Å"nanotechnology† was coined in 1974 by Norio Taniguchi (1912-1999) at the University of Tokyo. It includes a number of technologies that deal with the miniaturization of existing technology down to the scale of a nanometer (one-billionth of a meter) in size, about the size of molecules and atoms.Potential effects of nanotechnology include microcomputers capable of storing trillion of bytes of information in the size of a sugar cube; portable fluids containing nanobots that are programmed to destroy cancer cells; and airborne nanobots that are programmed to rebuild the thinning ozone layer and many more. Scientist today have claimed that nanotechnology was in fact humanity greatest advantages as well as humanity greatest treat if without appropria te and further observe in its major consequences in life and either we will be consume by our own failure toward the disaster that it can cause to us. Facts about nanotechnologies? As we all know our body consist billion of cell and it is systematically and orderly organized that congregate it specific function. Inside our cell it comprises of billion of atom which consists of major element such as carbon, oxygen and hydrogen that appropriately linked together will itself and form specific function and feature. The advancement of nanotechnologies can systematically combine fuse billion compound, atom and element to distinctively form a new cell which about our concern is against the law of nature and moral ethic.This is due to the fact that we can create a life into the world is forbidden and prohibited in many societies around the world. In some fact I would like to discuss, about the discovery about science. Scientist today has claim that we no longer live in one universe but mill ions of verse which coexist in the ocean of verses and there’s may be have some planetary civilization that we wouldn’t might known.There are many extraordinary and fascinating fact about science including bend through light forming an invisible matter; dimensional world that coexist; in certain fact which claimed that the world we’re living is like a matrix which we are just like a hologram that wouldn’t exist at all and in fact there are mysterious forces keep pulling us for what we believing; small teleport machine which can teleport in atom size particle and maybe a human in few decade to come. There is many potential and credibility toward the advancement of nanotechnologies development.In some fact that I would like to consider is about human enhancement. Nanotechnologies in human enhancement have use to improve human ability such as physical and mental. In some fact that this method have been use in some development country toward the future born g eneration to trigger the potential of human ability which exited beyond try fold. We will further penetrate and discuss more deeply toward this issue in my relevant discussion. Would human enhancement technologies hinder moral development?Many believe that â€Å"soul-making† is impossible without struggle (Hick, 1966), and achievements ring hollow without sacrifice or effort (President’s Council on Bioethics, 2003); so if technology makes life and competitions easier, then we may lose opportunities to feed and grow our moral character. Nanotechnology was in fact use toward some method to enhance human ability. Nowadays humanity can create powerful drug which enhance human performance. We can discover in the sport area which drug have been used such as steroid to increase athletic performance.Beyond the future we might been able to create indeed more powerful drug which provide human massive of strength. Beyond the future, we might be able to prolog our life for 10 year , 100years or maybe 1000 years. As we know that brain is the primary source which control our aging as certain hormone are secreted. The method behind this is nanotechnology is so small that it can flow through our vein and it can be transfer to the human brain to alter our brain chemical processes which control our aging. †¢What is the futurist predict about the future in nanotechnologies?In the future, as technology becomes more integrated with our bodies, we can expect neural implants of the kind we mentioned above that effectively puts computer chips into our brains or allows devices to be plugged directly into our heads, giving us always on access to information as well as unprecedented information processing powers. New and future virtual reality programs are able to much better simulate activities, for instance, to train law enforcement officers and soldiers in dangerous situations so that they can respond better to similar events in the real world.The advancement of nan otechnologies have enhance human beyond it limitation. One of the main concerns causes the earth to be populated. Also in one of the possibilities is the exploitation and abuse toward this technology. People such as a villain, criminal and hacker will approximately use this for the purpose such as to manipulate people. Other than that what I want to discuses is one of the greatest treat toward the society.One of the biggest concerns toward our society is to have greater awareness about this matter or else humanity which living peacefully today can be destroyed by our own creation. 3. 0CONCLUSION As is the case with most emerging areas of risk, nanotechnology challenges us with many unknowns. These challenges are further complicated by the fact that few risk related prediction have been made scientifically confirmed. If they are not currently exploring its potential, they are likely to do so in the very near future.Because insurers play such a critical part in enabling new and benefi cial technologies, it is crucial in development in many sectors such as manufacturers, the government, scientists and regulatory agencies to identify and quantify nanotechnology's risks. Public response to this new technology, as well as the politician, elitist, and scientist response will afford upon how much accurate information is available. Therefore we as a responsible person must unite and aware toward this greatest issue which effect globally, in order to construct better future for generation to come.

Child sexual abuse victims Essay

I. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Sexual abuse of children is a harsh fact of life in our society. Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescents uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse includes asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activates, regardless of the outcome, indecent exposure to a child with intent to gratify their own sexual desire or to intimidate or groom the child, physically sexual contact with child or using a child to produce child pornography. A child abuse victim can result in both short – term and long-term harm physically and emotionally. What would you do if you knew a child who became a victim? That’s a question everyone should be ready to answer if they want to protect our future generations. A. DEFINITIONS There is no universal definition for CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIM(S). However, a major characteristic of any abuse is the dominant position of an adult that allows him or her to force or coerce a child into sexual activity. Child sexual abuse may include fondling a child’s genitals, masturbation, oral-genital contact, digital penetration, and vaginal and anal intercourse. (â€Å"American psychological association,† 2011) Other forms of abuse can also occur that are not as easy to detect. These include showing adults’ genitals to a child, showing the child pornographic or â€Å"dirty† pictures or videotapes, or using the child as a model to make pornographic materials. (â€Å"Child advocacy resources†) A victim of child abuse suffers from PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS that have an immediate emotion. These effects of abuse cause isolation, fear and an inability to trust. This can translate into lifelong consequences, including low self-esteem, depression, and relationship difficulties. Researchers have identified links between child abuse and poor mental and emotional health, Cognitive difficulties, and Social difficulties. In one long-term study, 80 percent of young adults who were abused met the diagnostic criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder by age 21. Some problems include depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and suicide attempts. Other psychological and emotional effects include panic attacks, attention-deficit/ hyperactive disorder, depression, anger, and posttraumatic stress. (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2008) PHYSICAL EFFECTS are defined, as immediate physical abuse can be relatively minor, such as bruises or cuts. It can also be very severe such as broken bones, hemorrhage, or even death. Physical effects in some cases can be temporary, however the pain and suffering they cause a child should not be discounted. Several studies have shown adults who experience abuse or neglect during childhood is more likely to suffer from physical ailments such as allergies, arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, and high blood pressure. (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2008) B. STATISTICS 1. VULNERABILITY In over 90 percent of child sexual abuses causes, the offender is known and trusted by the victim. â€Å"Grooming† is the process used by the offend ender to recruiter and prepare a child for sexual victimization. It starts when the offender targets a specific child. While all children are at risk for victimization, certain factors make some children more vulnerable to sexual abuse than others. For example, a child is especially susceptible if he or she feels unloved, has low self-esteem, has little contact with committed adults or regularly spends time unsupervised. Sex offenders commonalty  engage children by spending time with them, playing games with them, and showing them special attention or giving them gifts. Older children or teens may be offered drugs or alcohol. Offenders forge an emotional bond through frequent contact, positive interaction and by conveying the child or teen that they â€Å"understand† or can appreciate their interests and concerns. In time the emotional bond leads to non-sexual physical contact which can take the form of physical play such as wrestling, affection, touching etc. In this way the offender tests the child’s boundaries, gradually turning into sexual touch. Usually if the child is older the child starts to become uncomfortable or fearful of the sexual activity. Offenders typically threat the child to keep them from speaking up. Most child victims are caught in a web of fear, guilt and confusion as a result of the sex offender’s grooming and manipulation. Sadly, many child victims remain silent about their abuse. (Bisquera) 2. INDICATORS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE Indicators of child sexual abuse are varied and should always be considered in the context of what else is happening in a child’s life. Any one indicator, on its own, is a sign that something may be impacting a child’s well being. Some behavior indicators can be unexplained change in a child’s comfort level (either attachment or fear) around any person in a position of trust. They could show abrupt changes in performance in school or home. A significant difference in the way the child socializes. For younger children, a sudden loss of skills could be a red flag. A child who was toilet trained could start wetting the bed. Abuse can an also include sexual behavior, often in front of others, such as self-exposure, masturbation, touching others peoples private parts, sexual language. In older children or teens this might be seen as promiscuous behavior. Physical indicators such as bruises, scratches, irritation/ itching around genitals that are not consistent with explanations of how they happened. A victim who is not sexually active could show signs of sexual transmitted diseases, such as crabs, herpes, and gonorrhea. They could also experience tenderness or soreness around areas of penetration. Finding blood in their stool or urine should also cause some concern when it is not explained by other conditions. Underwear is often where proof of abuse may exist. (Bisquera) C. EXPERT STATEMENTS 1. FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE Overall cases of child sexual abuse fell more than 60 percent from 1992 to 2010, according to David Finkelhor, a leading expert on sexual abuse. The evidence for this decline comes from a variety of indicators. It includes national surveys of child abuse and crime victimization. The crime statistics are compiled by the F.B.I analysis of data from the National Data Archive On Child Abuse and Neglect and annual surveys of school students in Minnesota. All of the data pointed in the same direction. From 1990 to 2010 cases of sexual abuse dropped from 23 per 10,000 children to 8.6 per 10,000 children. All of the subjects were under the age of 18. Researches found a 62 percent decrease. There was a 3 percent drop from 2009 to 2010. The Minnesota Student Survey also reported a 29 percent decline in reports of sexual abuse by an adult who was not a family member from1992 to 2010. They also saw a 28 percent drop in reports of sexual abuse by a family member. At the same time, the willingness of children to report sexual abuses has increased. They found that in 50 percent of sexual abuse cases, the child’s victimization had been reported to an authority, compared with 25 percent in 1992. (Goode, 2012) 2. COMMON MOTIVES OF OFFENDERS Studies on who commits child sexual abuse vary in their findings, but the most common finding is that the majority of sexual offenders are family members or is otherwise known to the child. Sexual abuse by strangers is not nearly as common as sexual abuse by a family member. Reasearch further shows that men perpetrate most instances of sexual abuse, but there are cases that women are the offenders. Despite a common myth, Homosexual men are not more likely to sexually abuse children than heterosexual men. (â€Å"American psychological association,† 2011) About 73% of child sexual abusers report experiencing sexual abuse in their own childhood. Not all pedophiles are child molesters. Pedophilia is a clinical term that describes a person who has had repeated arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors related to sexual activities with children for at least six months. Pedophiles do not  necessarily have to act on their urges. Sexual offenders have the same attraction to children, but they act on their urges. Sexual offenders come from all backgrounds and social classes. They do their best to become friends with parents, and then they work to gain the child’s trust. (â€Å"†64 facts of†¦Ã¢â‚¬  2012) II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE A. HISTORY 1. THE RISE OF PUBLIC CONCERN Public concern about child abuse has steadily increased. The number of referrals to child protection services in recent years has risen every year since the 1960s. It is not clear if the increase of reporting is due to a higher incident of abuse or a widening of the definition of abuse. (Eileen, 2008) Sexual abuse of children was not taken seriously until 1964 when congress passed the Child Abuse and Prevent and Treatment Act. This established reporting requirements of suspected cases. Among some experts there was a tendency to deny that sexual abuse had lasting consequences. Researchers have now found that there are long-term emotional problems that surface. (Mintz,2012) A contributing factor to the growing public concern is also widely publicized deaths. Although the field of child protection services date back to the nineteenth century, public concern has rarely reached the present level of intensity. (Polsky, 1991) 2. CIVIL LAWSUITS Child abuse statues have been enacted in most states to provide civil immunity for those making good faith reports of suspected child abuse. Most states also provide immunity from criminal liability. Physicians, nurses and social workers are required to report suspected child abuse that comes before them in some states failure to report a case carries criminal penalties as well as civil liability. B. KEY ISSUES 1. WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE? There are short term and long-term impacts of sexual child abuse. Depression, anxiety, amnesia, disengagement and numbing are just a few have the psychological and emotional responses victims’ experience. As children become adults they can suffer intimacy disturbance, making it hard for them to physically and emotionally have a healthy relationship. Suicidal thoughts and co-dependence are also long-term impacts of sexual abuse. WHAT TO DO IF YOU THINK A CHILD YOU KNOW HAS BEEN THE VICTIM OF CHILD ABUSE Speak up but choose the time and place carefully. Do not ask the child about his or her abuse in front of the person you think may be abusing the child. Ask them questions. Find out if anyone has been making them feel uncomfortable. They many not know they are being abused themselves or know its wrong. Follow up on whatever made you concerned. Ask in a non-judgmental way – using the word â€Å"I† rather than â€Å"you† so they don’t feel shamed. Building a trusting relationship with the child is also important. They should know how to say â€Å"no† and when something does make them feel uncomfortable, they should tell a trusted adult. Most importantly, children should know that some parts of their body are private. (RAINN, 2009) PROVING SEXUAL ABUSE Many child abuse cases must be proved using circumstantial evidence because direct evidence is not available. In many instances, the child is unable to tell what happened, and the offender does not ordinarily disclose the truth. Inferences are therefore very important in providing child abuse. Some sexual abuse requires proof of forcible compulsion. When the victim is a child, the child abuses often submits to the advances of adults who have parental or similar authorities over the child. (Tomas J., 2010) C. MOST RECENT RESEARCH 1. UNDERREPORTED AND LIGHTLY PROSECUTED Child abuse is greatly underreported and under estimated mostly because of the lack of an agreed- upon definition of abuse. Underreporting is related to several factors. Children over the age of 5 often care for or know their abuser. Therefore, they find themselves trapped between the need for affection and a sense that something is wrong. Cases of sexual child abuse are often lightly prosecuted because of minimal communication between  the prosecutors office and child protected services. 2. POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS Some children overcome the physical and physiological effects of child abuse. Those with strong social support can adapt and cope with bad experiences. For many others, however, child abuse has lifelong consequences, For example, child abuse may result in physical, behavioral, emotion and mental issues. Some physical issues include disabilities and health problems. Abuse of others or frequent, causal sex with many different partners (sexual promiscuity) or teen pregnancy is an example of behavioral issues. Emotional issues can include low self-esteem, difficulty establishing or maintaining relationship, challenges with intimacy and trust. (Mayo Clinic, 2010) D. INFORMATION FOR THE EXPERTS 1. RESEARCH REGARDING PREVENTION STRATEGIES FROM EXPERTS Experts suggest correcting the imbalance between adult and children by empowering children. First off information is power. Children who know their own bodies are more likely to choose when, how, and by whom they are touched. Self esteem building and experts also suggest self-defense skills. Lastly children need resources. They should have a network of trusted adults they can turn to. (Torbin,2002) 2. PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM SEXUAL ABUSE The first step in protecting children from sexual abuse is recognizing telltale symptoms. Changes in attitude and rebellion at school could point to an underling problem. It is important to educated children about their body parts by understanding what is private. Adults need to be aware of their child’s surrounding at school or in a childcare setting. Parents should educate themselves on ‘red flags’ to protect their child from sexual abuse. III. SUMMARY A. DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 1. ABOUT RESEARCH Despite our prevention effort, much more must be done to decrease the incidents of child abuse and neglect. Our efforts should be directed to changes in the helping system, changes in society, and additional research. One of the hopes for the future lies in research, not only to further define and understand abuse but also to evaluate existing programs. Only though out commitment to change and our willingness to research what will create a better future will we combat the growing problem of sexual child abuse. 2. ABOUT PROGRAMS With child protection agencies are responsible for direct intervention form investigation and case management. These agencies can be hampered if there is not communicatory and public support for their work, which includes offering programs to help prevent child sexual abuse. There needs to be more extensive community awareness and education to reduce harm. B. SOCIETY’S CONCERN WITH CRIME Society is helping the system make changes in order to reduce the rate of child abuse. Research is needed to further define and understand abuse. Evaluation is also needed for the existing programs. Commitment to change and willingness to research will create a better future to combat the growing problem of sexual child abuse. IV. CONCLUSION A. THE PROBLEM REVISITED WITH OPINIONS Child abuse is always been a problem, and in recent year it has made its way to the spotlight. Many people are willing to talk about them being a victim as a child. The more people feel comfortable talking about child sexual abuse. The less it will become a crime. Children become victims because of their vulnerability of trusting adults and unaware of the wrong. If you think a child you know has been a victim of child sexual abuse thing you can do is to give the child a safe environment in which to talk to you or another trusted adult. Encourage the child to talk about what he or she has  experienced, but be careful not to suggest events to him or her that may not of happened. Reassure the child that they did not do anything wrong. Seek mental assistance for the child. Being aware that many states laws require that persons who know or have a reason to suspect that a child has been sexual abuses must report that abuse to either a local law informant officials or child protection officials. Our future generation needs to feel protected from being a victim of child sexual abuse. B. SUGGESTION OF POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS. 1. PROGRAMS The best way to prevent child abuse is educate parents about child abuse. Most parents feel that this could never happen to them. When it happens the parents are in shock, but when they learn some warning signs, they are able to point them out. There are many free programs that can teach parents how to educate their children on protecting themselves from child abuse. The reality is when there are budget cuts; these programs that protect our future generations are the first to get cut. 2. POLICY Having Policy’s in school districts and childcare environments can be the solution to protecting children. One suggestion would be to have restrictions on when and where is acceptable for a child to alone with adult. This policy does not only protect the child, but it protects the adult from false accusations. 3. LAWS Laws against child sexual abuse can very by country. Based on the local definition of who is a child and what constitutes sexual abuse. As the age of the consent to sexual behaviors varies from country to country, so do definitions of child sexual abuse. An adult’s sexual intercourse with a minor below the legal age of consent may sometimes be referred to statutory rape based on the principle that any apparent consent by a minor could not be considered legal consent. References _American psychological association_. (2011). Retrieved February 20, 2013, from http://www.apa.org/pubs/info/brochures/sex-abuse.aspx A.D.A.M. (2012). _New york times_. Retrieved February 20, 2013, from http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/child-abuse-sexual/overview.html Bisquera, A. _Child sexual abuse_. Retrieved February 20, 2013, from http://satchawaii.com/get-info-about- child-sexual-abuse.aspx _Child advocacy resource and consultation center_. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2013, from http://www.nyscarcc.org/abuse/abuse.php Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2008). _Factsheets_. Retrieved February 20, 2013, from https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/long_term_consequences.cf Eileen , M. (2008). (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications. Retrieved April 1, 2013 from http://books.google.com/books?id=0nkvffIwK5YC&pg=PA80&dq=rise of public concern child abuse&hl=en&sa=X&ei=n4tQUdO1OqHQiwKnqICQCw&ved=0CFMQ6AEwBg Goode, E. (2012, June 28). Researchers see decline in child sexual abuse rate. Retrieved February 20, 2013, from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/29/us/rate- of-child-sexual- abuse-on-the-decline.html?_r=0 Mayo Clinic. (2010, July 1). _Child abuse: Complications_. Retrieved April 1, 2013 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/child-abuse/DS01099/DSECTION=complications Mintz, S. (2012, July 13). Placing childhood sexual abuse in historical perspective. Retrieved April 1, 2013 from http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/2012/07/13/placing-childhood-sexual-abuse-i n-historical-perspective/ Polsky, A. (1991). _The rise of the therapeutic state_. (1st ed.). Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Retrieved April 1, 2013 from http://books.google.com/books?id=fngqbWhPLmsC&pg=PA202&dq=rise of public concern child abuse&hl=en&sa=X&ei=n4tQUdO1OqHQiwKnqICQCw&ved=0CF4Q6AEwCA RAINN. (2009). _Child sexual abuse_. Retrieved April 1, 2013 from http://www.rainn.org/get- information/types-of-sexual-assault/child-sexual-abuse/if-you-suspect Sue , A. M. (1996). _The reality of abuse_. Retrieved February 20, 2013, from http://www.yesican.org/stats.html Tomas J., G. (2010). _Criminal evidence: Principles and cases_. (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Retrieved April 1, 2013 from http://books.google.com/books?id=AlBYw53p9f4C&pg=PA81&dq=proving sexual abuse&hl=en&sa=X&ei=G6ZQUaqVF8LJigKV_IDICg&ved=0CEMQ6AEwAw (2012). â€Å"64 facts of.. child sexual abuse. Retrieved February 20, 2013, from http://facts.randomhistory.com/child-sexual-abuse-facts.html

The importance of the industry Essays - Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong

The importance of the industry Essays - Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong The importance of the industry When it comes to Congress and Meeting Management there are many factors that play a role in making this industry a crucial part dealing with any type of business. Dealing with this industry in you're own country can be more simple in terms of logistics and cultural norms; than when it comes to dealing with people in other businesses from all over the globe. Some of the factors include but aren't limited to, cultural normedies from differing countries, religion backgrounds and cuisine pallets. It becomes the responsibility of the Congress and Meeting Management team to create a suitable environment that takes in all the cultures when the entire program comes together. This entire industry has a major importance because big organizations and businesses can come together to develop new ideas and expand their business both domestically and internationally. Congress and Meeting Management also involves, promotion of any conference, having the right social event at the conference whether it's dinners, networking, etc. Other tasks can involve hosting, transportation, administration needs, accommodation and sponsorships for the event. Then analyzing the financial side of the conference and choosing the right venue at a reasonable price. It is the congress and meeting management's job to make sure that all the necessary tasks are completed so the company or business using their services can have a accomplished and successful event. When it comes to our specific location Hong Kong there is a location known as The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. This is a suitable location where many different types of conferences, conventions and exhibitions from small scale to larger venues topping 20,000 people can be held. Choosing the correct venue is just as important as any convention or conference, because having the right venue and location can make or break a convention. Conventions and conferences is where people from all over the globe come together to discuss and examine the ways of doing things. The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center can do just that, for example they have held the IMF World Bank Conference of 1997 and the International Trademark Association 2014 Annual Meeting. Most important factors in congress and meeting industry in Hong Kong (government, business company users, event organizers) Hong Kong is growing in business sector and thus becoming more popular in meeting and congress industry. As many international businesses have operations in Asia and China, Hong Kong is convenient with its location to gather. Hong Kong's infrastructure is reliable as it has a good airport and world-class hotels to accommodate congress visitors easily. Hong Kong Is steadily safe place to travel to and in. Keeping the internationality in mind, English is spoken widely in Hong Kong and citizens of over 170 are free to visit and stay visa free for between 7 to 180 days, making congress visitors arrangements easier. When organizing an event in Hong Kong there is many experienced organizers available for help. Meetings and Exhibitions Hong Kong (MEHK) provides free advice and support in helping making the event happen from start to finish. The biggest meetings and congresses held in Hong Kong Amway ANZ Achievers 2015 Last year, Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) appointed Hong Kong to be the host city for its bi-annual event. More than 8,500 attendees representing 35 countries attended the premier association for financial professionals. Bringing a one-of-a-kind experience to members and non-members, executives from the MDRT committee took the stage to share cutting-edge strategies and sales ideas for those in the life insurance and financial services business. This is the second time this globally recognized conference was held in Hong Kong since 2004. With Hong Kong's position as a financial center and its strategic location, the three-day event concluded with a great turnout of attendees. BlackBerry Jam Asia 2013 Telecommunications and wireless equipment maker BlackBerry was seeking the perfect host city for its 2013 BlackBerry Jam Asia developer conference. The annual event is one of three such occasions held around the world each year to provide advice and training for the application development community. The main aim for the 2013 location was to facilitate BlackBerry's expansion efforts in Southeast Asia and China by serving as a convenient