Kiss the Rain Short Story free essay sample

While waiting for my bus home In the pouring rain, I felt the rain suddenly stop. I looked up to see an umbrella covering me. I looked beside me to see a girl, about my age, kind enough to share cover with a soaked stranger. After a few moments, she moved the umbrella closer to me, motioning me to get it as she skipped on the waiting bus. My bus had come seconds after the girls left. I never got a name. I had forgotten about that incident days after only to see the umbrella in my room. Hovering over just to see a small paper attached to the handle, Gang Nun-Mi was written In graceful handwriting.While on my way to the bus stop In the pouring rain, I see a silhouette of a girl, about my age, standing there walling for her bus. I opened the umbrella, stood next to her and looked down on her. Her face as beautiful and as graceful as her name, Gang Nun-Mi. I gave her back her umbrella and hopped on my bus home. I didnt expect another encounter with the beautiful and graceful Nun- Mi but Just the next day, I saw her again. Standing where she always stood. I smiled at her like an old friend and she smiled back showing her perfect smile. Her smile as beautiful and as graceful as her name, Gang Nun-MI.I got on my bus, but to my surprise she got on as well. We easily got to know each other and as each day passes, I got to know more about the beautiful and graceful Gang Nun-Mi. She was perfect to me, I couldnt see any flaw in her. She was beautiful and graceful like her name, Gang Nun-Mi. Years pass and the beautiful and graceful Gang Nun-Mi and I had grown to become the best of friends. No secrets were kept between us. No secret but one. I loved her. I TLD love her Like a best friend or a sister. I loved her Like how Romeo loved his Juliet, Like how Jack loved his Rose. No, I TLD love her, IWAS ONLINE WITH HER. I was In love with the beautiful and graceful Gang Nun- MI ever since I had laid my eyes on her. I couldnt tell her in fear of losing out friendship. One day, I didnt see her. I couldnt call her. She didnt reply to my messages or return my calls. I was worried, maybe something had happened to the beautiful and graceful Gang Nun- Mi. I rushed to her house but I was told she wasnt home. I took the next taxi I saw to her school. My heart was racing so fast. I was afraid that something bad had happened to the Gang Nun-Ml I had loved so much. When I reached her school, the first thing I saw crushed me.It felt like swords had pierced my heart, cut it in a thousand tiny pieces. The beautiful and graceful Gang Nun-Mi was with another man. She was In the arms of another person. She loved someone else. I was not sure how to react. I was not sure what to do. Should I take her away from that man? Should I punch him in the face for stealing someone who wasnt even mine from the start? I knew better than to cause trouble. I had to accept it. I had to cope with the burning feeling In my chest. I have always known that she would never love me that way. She would never love me like how I love her.I am nothing but her best friend. Just a best friend. I had tried to cut any ties with her. I didnt return her calls, I didnt reply to any of her messages; I tried everything to take my mind off her. But I would always find myself drifting to places where we used to go, bringing memories of the beautiful and graceful Gang Nun-W. But of all the places, I tried my always bring painful memories. It would always bring the happy moments we had. The happiest memories would always hurt the most. After months of not being with her, I received a call from her. She wanted to see me at the bus stop, she said it was important.And from the sound of her voice, I could tell that something was wrong. It was pouring heavily, I grabbed an umbrella and rushed to the bus stop as fast as I could. I could not think of anything else but the beautiful and graceful Gang Nun-Mi. When I got there, I saw a silhouette of a girl, about my age, standing there waiting for someone. I opened the umbrella, stood next to her and looked down on her. Her face as beautiful and as graceful as her name, Gang Nun-Mi. As soon as she noticed an umbrella over her head, she turned to me and whispered the words We broke up. .I dropped my umbrella and hugged her like I have never hugged her before. I was lying in bed later that night with guilt in my heart. I was guilty because the Gang Nun- Mi I loved so much broke up with her boyfriend. I was guilty that I was happy about it. But I then realized that she would never be mine, that I was Just a best friend. The next day, everything was perfect. Everything was how it used to be. We did everything like we used to, we rode the bus home like we used to. Everything was in place. It was only the two of us. But Just when everything felt in place, I got a call from her. She wanted to see me, she said it was important.And from the sound of her voice, I could tell that something was wrong. I ran as fast I could. I felt my heart beat faster. By the time I got there, I was out of breath. She told me to sit down next to her. I can read the worried expression on her face. The way she acted told me that something was wrong. I knew Gang Nun-Mi like the palm of my hand. I could read her like an open book. I was getting worried at what she would say. I was getting quite nervous Just looking at her expression. She opened he mouth, words came out. But I could not believe what she was trying to tell me. Her father was transferred to California.They were migrating to the United States. She was going away. Gang Nun-Mi was going to leave me. The Gang Nun-Mi I had loved for so long was going to leave me. I pretended to be happy for her. But I knew that she read the expression on my face. I excused myself, stood up and went home. I couldnt accept the fact that the beautiful and graceful Gang Nun-Mi was going to California. I didnt see her until the day she was going away. I would always remember that day. October 5th, the day Gang Nun- Mi promised me that she would call often, that she would e-mail me everyday and that she would be back soon. That was the last time I saw the beautiful and graceful Gang Nun-Mi. She had kept her promises. She has kept it all but one. She still has not returned. She has been sending me e-mails every single day. But then, it stopped. She didnt reply to my e-mails or return my calls. I was worried, maybe something had happened to the beautiful and graceful Gang Nun- Mi. It has been 3 years since I last heard from the beautiful and graceful Gang Nun-Mi. I what she is doing. And eve been regretting not telling her how I feel. I am a fool for not confessing to her. After years of not being with her, I received a call from her.She wanted to see me at the bus stop, she said it was important. She had kept her promise! She was back! I felt so happy that I felt my heart skip a beat. I was finally going to tell her how I feel. I was finally going to tell her that I was in love with her. I was in love with the beautiful and graceful Gang Nun- Mi ever since I had laid my eyes on her. When I got to the bus stop, I was greeted by a silhouette of a woman my age, standing where my best friend always stood. I smiled at her like an old friend and she smiled back showing her perfect smile. Her smile as beautiful and as graceful as her name, GangNun-Mi. She invited me to sit and have a cup of coffee. She told me everything, from her exciting trips to her heartbreaks. She wasnt a girl anymore, she was a woman. She told me that she is not the Gang Nun-Mi I used to know, she is now Jennifer Gang. But she is still the beautiful and graceful Gang Nun-Mi I still love so much. I was about to confess my love for her but she said she had another thing to say. I was excited to hear what it was. Maybe she wont be going back to California. Maybe she was going to stay here and be with me. She inhaled deeply and extended to show a large diamond ring on her finger.My heart sank. She was engaged. She is to be wed to another man! It was then I realized that Gang Nun-Mi has returned to get married here. Then and there, a man appeared and sat down next to my Gang Nun-Mi. The beautiful and graceful Gang Nun-Mi was engaged to another man. She was in the arms of another person. She loved someone else. I was not sure how to react. I was not sure what to do. Should I take her away from that man? Should I punch him in the face for stealing someone who wasnt even mine from the start? The painful memories of the first time I lost her to someone else flooded my mind.I was in shock. If only I had told her how I felt in time, would this happen? Everything felt like it was in the movies, everything felt like it was in slow motion. But I got dragged back to reality when I heard the words best friend. She wanted me to be at her wedding! I pretended to be happy for her. The day of the wedding came and everyone was happy. Everyone but me. I saw her walk down the aisle, she was beautiful and graceful like her name. It was the prettiest I have seen her. How I wished that it was I who was waiting for her at the altar. The way she looked at him crushed me.It felt like swords had pierced my heart when I heard them exchange their vows. My heart was cut it in a thousand tiny pieces when I saw them kiss. They were to have their honeymoon in Hawaii the next day. Nun-Mi asked me to accompany them to the airport. How I wish I declined. May 12th, I saw her for the last time. I gave her the tightest hug I could give her. I didnt want to let go. I wanted it to be Just like how it used to be, Just the two of us. I have been in love with the same woman for 60 years. I Just wish she knew. I have never married. I am going to wait for your return, no matter how long it will aka.I will wait at the bus stop for you, no matter how hard the rain pours. The rain will Just remind me of you. And even the slightest memory of you makes my heart jump with Joy. But I always knew that you would never love me that way. You would never love me like how I love you. I am nothing but your best friend. Like how Jack never got Rose in the end, like Romeo who never got his Juliet. I will never get my Gang Nun-Mi, the woman who is as beautiful and as graceful as her name. Every time it rains, I think of no one or nothing else but you. The rain reminds me of how we first met.

What Makes Sammy Run By Schulberg Essays - What Makes Sammy Run

What Makes Sammy Run By Schulberg What Makes Sammy Run, The Moral Compass, and My Life What Makes Sammy Run? by Budd Schulberg is a brilliant book that shows the savagery, the insensitiveness, and cruelty caused by the drive for money, which characterized the general attitude of most people in America during the end of 1930s and the beginning of the 1940s. Sammy Glick, the main character in the book, is a poor Jewish boy who grows into an adult and spends all his life trying to get to the top of the hierarchy by knocking other people down. It is money, prestige, and power, which are most important for him. His mind is constantly occupied with thoughts of how to manipulate people and benefit from their hard work. To understand why Sammy is always hostile and always cynical towards people's good manners, one should probably look at Sammy's childhood. Brought up in poverty, running without shoes on the streets, working from early age to help his father to pay the rent, and beaten every time he goes to school, Sammy quickly understands that to escape this miserable living, he has to work hard. Soon he learns how to play tricks on people to make more money. ?There is a guy on the opposite corner doin' pretty good ?cause he's yellin' ?U.S. may enter war. So I asks a customer if there's anything in the paper about that. So when he says no, I figure I can pull a fast one too. So I starts hollerin' ?U.S. enters war,' and jeez shoulda seen the rush!?(Schulberg 213). Sammy doesn't show any respect towards his closest relatives. It is natural for him to knock his brother down to get the messenger job. Working many hours and getting more money, Sammy ?was beginning to understand the secret of power?(220). He is not afraid of Sheik who used to beat him up every day at school. Close to the age of thirteen, Sammy is already devoid of human feeling even towards his parents. The only thing he thinks about is money. Sammy does not respect the Jewish tradition any more. He will not be the ?bar mitzvah? his father wants him to be because, according to Sammy's understanding, he has already become one. He does not visit the ?cheder? because there are more important things to do in life like making money, for example. It is difficult for ?Papa? to understand his own son. ?That's all you think about, money, money...?(222) says his father. Sammy, however, already knows that ?It's money in the pocket ? that's what makes you fell like a man (222). He does not even cry when his father passes away. His only reaction ?Is it over? (223) speaks of something not human. ?Sammy was thirteen, but he was a veteran; he had learned something that took the place of tears?(223). Sammy has formed a hard shell that protects him from all human feelings. His drive for money, control and annihilation of everything human is unsurpassable. Sammy has an enormous amount of confidence. There is nothing that can stop him. Even the first day, when he goes to work for Al Manheim as an office boy at The Record, he boastfully declares: ?I'm the new office boy, but I ain't going to be an office boy long?(3). Al Manheim is the other major character in the book. Compared to Sammy, he is much more considerable of other people and tries to teach Sammy of respect and compassion to others. All his words and bits of advice, however, come to a brick wall because it is difficult to change the path Sammy has chosen for himself. Later, on the day of his birthday at The Algonquin, when he makes the big strike towards publicity, it is not uncommon for him to say: ?Okay, I stink, ?but someday you'll cut an arm for one little whiff?(27). Sammy is not afraid to speak openly to established writers in Hollywood. He is confident and selfish, fighting for every opportunity, obsessed by the one idea of self-promotion. ?I was just thinking about me. I just kept thinking nothing but me. I just kept saying Sammyglicksammyglick over and inside my head and it kept growing louder SAMMYGLICKSAMMYGLICK (33). Insincerity in human relationship, unfairness in competition, disloyalty, disregard of others, these are some of the typical characteristics of Sammy Glick and of all the other people that try to imitate Sammy Glick. Sammy is fighter for money and publicity, a ruthless careerist. His constant drive

ACT Math Questions, and What to Do About It

How You'll Get Stuck in SAT/ACT Math Questions, and What to Do About It SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips So you’ve been staring at one math problem for what feels like forever, or maybe you’ve gone through your solve and none of the answer choices match what you found. Or maybe you just feel like somewhere along the way you made a huge mistake†¦. Well, never fear! Right now you might be stuck on a math problem, but we’ve all been there and there is always a way to recover. We’ll walk you through both how to recognize when you’re stuck (it’s not always obvious until too late) and what to do about it when it happens. Overall Test Structure The SAT math section and the ACT math section are designed and structured differently. Though many principles of how to solve a math problem (and how to get out of a math bind) will hold true for both tests, there are some unique pitfalls and benefits hidden in each test. So let’s look at a little background and structure for both the SAT and the ACT to give a better foundation for the kinds of ways you can get stuck on a math problem and how to get out of it. About the SAT Math Section The SAT math section requires that you put your mathematical knowledge to work in ways that may seem strange or unfamiliar to you. Most SAT math questions won't look like the kinds of questions you see on your math tests in school and this may be a challenge to deal with at first. But while the questions may be unusual, each and every math topic used on the test is one that you are likely familiar with and have studied for a number of years. If you’re not used to the structure of the SAT, there are two main ways you can find yourself trapped into the no-man’s-land of selecting wrong answers: by overestimating the difficulty of each question or by underestimating the difficulty of each question. (Yikes!) Some students get so turned around by the twisting and unusual presentation of the questions that they forget the fact that they will be familiar with most, if not every topic on the SAT math section. This kind of student tends to panic and either make wild guesses or leave many questions blank that she likely could have solved. Other students, however, go in the complete opposite direction and underestimate how tricky the questions on the SAT can be. Many questions (though not all) are set up in ways that will steer anyone who isn’t paying close attention off the right track. And all the answer choices on the multiple choice section are most often generated by common student errors, so it can be easy to fall for the many â€Å"bait† answer choices available. In the next section, we’ll show you how to tell when you’re falling into one of these traps and how to get out of it. About the ACT Math Section The ACT math section will occasionally give you a question that is set up in a strange or unfamiliar way, but for the most part, ACT math questions will be fairly â€Å"straightforward.† Do you know how to set up and solve for an average? Do you know what a rational number is? A significant portion of your ACT math questions will look just like the ones you've seen in school. Though many ACT math questions are far from easy, the presentation of the questions is not specifically designed to trick or trap you. ACT math questions are challenging mostly for two reasons: you will be on a much stricter time crunch than you would be on the SAT (see our article on the differences between ACT math and SAT math for more detail on this) and the topics in question may be more obscure to you. For instance, most students will be far less familiar with trigonometry or sequences than they are with single variable equations, but these are all topics that will be on the ACT. Because the ACT math section must be completed quickly, it's crucial that you realize when you’re going down the wrong mathematical path. So let’s take a look at how to spot it when it happens. Time is a precious resource on both tests, so it's important to change course quickly if something's going wrong. How to Tell When You’re Stuck (or Going Down the Wrong Path) Almost every math question on both the ACT and the SAT can be solved in 30 seconds or less. If you’re familiar with the material, you can absolutely solve almost every single math question with plenty of time to spare. In addition, each and every question on the test is designed in such a way that a student can solve it without a calculator. Though you should use a calculator on the test to boost your speed and accuracy, always keep in mind that you don’t technically need one. How does this knowledge help you? Well, if you find you’re going down the rabbit hole and need 30 steps to solve a problem, or if you start getting bizarre strings of decimals or weird root systems, then stop! If the problem is taking two or three minutes to solve or you think it would literally be impossible (or just really, really difficult) to solve without a calculator, then something went wrong and you should stop and go back to the beginning. Let’s look at a few examples of ACT and SAT problems and some common student errors to see this in action. Let’s say you got to this problem and were going so quickly through the test that you misread the word â€Å"area† and thought you were supposed to solve for the perimeter instead. This may seem like an obvious mistake right now, but never underestimate the effects of adrenaline and fatigue on your ability to think logically. It’s all too easy (and all too common) to make a mistake like this on the test and pay the price in lost time if you do. But if you read â€Å"area† as â€Å"perimeter,† then you would see that the â€Å"perimeter† of triangle DFH was 10, which would mean that each side was $10/3 = 3.33$. Hmm. This is already mighty suspicious. Remember- you should be able to solve any question without a calculator, so if you have decimal points, they will almost always be 0.5 or, more rarely, 0.25. To get a decimal of 0.33 is suspect. But if you kept going, you would find that each side of triangle DFH is made up of two sides of the smaller triangles. This would mean that the side of each smaller triangle was: $3.33/2 = 1.67$ Now a red alert should be sounding in your head! You’ve gotten two â€Å"weird† decimal values in a row and you still haven’t found your answer yet. It’s a good idea to pause and see if you’ve made a mistake somewhere before you waste time going any further. [Note: the way to actually solve the problem is to either find the area of each small triangle- $10/4 = 2.5$- and multiply by the total number of small triangles, or to set up a proportion of the area of DFH to AFK. Either way, your final answer will be E, 62.5] Now let’s take a look at another example, Last time, we said that perhaps you simply misread the problem. This time, maybe you thought you knew enough about the topic to solve the problem, but ended up stuck halfway through. For instance, let’s say you were familiar enough with quadratic equations to recognize that this was one, but didn’t know a whole lot else about them. Well it says that the value of $x$ is -3, so that must mean we replace $x$ with -3 and solve from there, right? $x^2 + mx + n = 0$ $-3^2 + 3m + n = 0$ $9 + 3m + n = 0$ Hmm. Well this doesn’t look promising. We could try to isolate $m$ to find it’s value, in which case we would say: $3m + n = -9$ $3m + -9 - n$ $m = -3 - {n/3}$ But we still don’t know the value of $n$, so that doesn’t help us much. We could try to factor it, but without knowing the value of $n$, we still can’t find $m$. We’re well and truly stuck. [Note: the way to solve the problem is by understanding how factoring quadratic equations works at its core. If -3 is the only value for $x$, then it must mean that our quadratic factors out to be a square. Our factors must therefore look like: (x + 3)(x + 3) for $x$ to equal -3 since $x + 3 = 0$ = $x = -3$. If we properly distribute $(x + 3)^2$, we will get $x^2 + 6x + 9 = 0$, which means the answer is C, $m = 6$.] Sometimes, you’ll be able to see pretty quickly (as with our first example) when you’re going wrong, and sometimes it will take a few steps before you hit a wall (as with our second example). But, as you get more practice solving SAT and ACT math questions, you’ll start to get instincts to feel when you’ve taken a left turn somewhere, and this is the point at which you must take a step back. But what do you do once you realize you’ve run into a problem? Let’s take a look. We can save this, not to worry. Well...probably. Pretty sure. (Gross) What to Do When You’re Stuck As you go through your test, answer your questions by following these steps: Step 1: Always Answer the Easiest Questions First As a general rule of thumb when taking the either the SAT or the ACT, always root out and answer the questions you can complete the fastest and with the most confidence. Remember- each and every question is worth one point, so it doesn’t matter if it was the easiest problem or the hardest. No one is judging how you complete your test, so don’t feel you have to ignore the simpler problems for the sake of the more difficult ones. Get your points where you can and keep moving forward. The ACT math section is arranged in ascending order of difficulty, so the earliest questions will also be the "easiest." The SAT is a little more complicated, since the math portion of the test is divided into three sections- two entirely multiple choice and one combination multiple choice and grid-in. SAT multiple choice questions are also arranged in order of ascending difficulty (so the early questions will also be "easiest"), but the difficulty level resets for the grid-in section. This means that the first question on the grid-in portion will be much easier than the last multiple choice question in that math section. Be especially careful in the combination multiple choice and grid-in SAT math section for this reason. If any question starts to give you trouble or seems to be taking a long time, mark it and come back to it only after you’ve completed all of your easy questions. Once you’ve identified these potential â€Å"problem questions,† approach them based on why they were problematic in the first place. Step 2: If You Can See Your Error, Redo the Problem Once you’ve identified that you’re going down the wrong track, stop working and read the question again. Did you try to find the wrong variable? For instance, did you solve for $a$ instead of $2a$, the perimeter instead of the area? Did you write down the wrong values for your givens? Or did you realize you simply don’t know enough about, for instance, functions to solve the problem? If you can spot your error and correct it in a few seconds, go ahead and start over and solve the problem again the right way. If you really think you can solve the problem this time, then it’s definitely worth your time to work through it again. If you can’t spot why or how you went wrong (just that you did), move on to the next step. Step 3: If You Can't See the Error, Find an Alternative Solving Method Sometimes you might know enough about the topic (or are just familiar enough with the test) to see that you don't know how to solve a particular problem in the traditional way. Now is a good time to turn to one of your alternate solving methods, namely plugging in answers or plugging in your own numbers. Let’s say that you went up against this question: Maybe you didn’t know where to begin, or maybe you attempted the problem and felt that you started getting trapped in the algebra. Well luckily, there is almost always another way to solve any ACT or SAT question! In this case, we have variables in both the problem and in the answer choices, which is a key feature for a PIN question. With that in mind, we can pick our own value for $x$ and find the answer choice that corresponds to this value. Let’s say that we said $x = 2$. (Why 2? Why not!) Now we find the value of our given function. ${x + 1}/{x^3 - x}$ ${2 + 1}/{2^3 - 2}$ $3/6$ $1/2$ Now we need to find which answer choice is equivalent to $1/2$, when we use the same value of $x$ ($x = 2$). Answer choice F gives us: $1/{x^2} - 1/{x^3}$ $1/4 - 1/8$ $1/8$ This does not match our found value of $1/2$, so we can eliminate answer choice F. Answer choice G gives us: $1/{x^3} - 1/x$ $1/8 - 1/2$ $-{3/8}$ This does not match our found value of $1/2$, so we can eliminate answer choice G. Answer choice H gives us: $1/{x^2 - 1}$ $1/{4 - 1}$ $1/3$ This does not match our found value of $1/2$, so we can eliminate answer choice H. Answer choice J gives us: $1/{x^2 - x}$ $1/{4 - 2}$ $1/2$ This does match our found answer of $1/2$, so we can keep answer J in the running. We should still test answer choice K, however, just to make sure we do not have any duplicate correct answers. Answer choice K gives us: $1/{x^3}$ $1/8$ This does not match our found answer of $1/2$. We can eliminate answer choice K. This leaves us with only one answer that matches what we found as our given when $x = 2$. This means that answer choice J (and only answer choice J) must be correct. Our final answer is J, $1/{x^2 - x}$ Step 4: If Your Alternate Solve Doesn't Work, Move On Sometimes taking a standardized test means learning to let go of a question. Your time is precious and limited, so if you can solve two questions in the time it takes you to solve one, it’s always best to solve the two. If you find yourself trapped on a question and can’t find any way to solve it, let it go (for now). If you’re taking the ACT, bubble in your best guess answer, but do so lightly enough that you can come back and change it later, time permitting. If you’re taking the SAT, simply skip the question for now (don’t bubble in a guess!) and come back later. If you have time after you’re done with the rest of your questions, come back to any that you had to skip or bubble a guess on. Sometimes all you need is fresh eyes, and then the method to solve the problem will become apparent. If you still can’t find the correct answer in any of the â€Å"traditional† ways, you can try to strategically eliminate answer choices until you’ve at least narrowed down your odds. For more information on how to do this, check out our guides for how to best guess on the SAT math section and how to best guess on the ACT math section. Otherwise, simply let it stay blank (if taking the SAT) or stick with your first guess answer (if taking the ACT). Learning to let go of a problem can be just as important as learning when to stick with a problem and try an alternate solving method. The more you practice, the better you'll get at balancing these techniques. The Take-Aways The more practice you have with taking standardized tests, the more skilled you’ll become at spotting your mistakes and heading them off at the pass. So don’t despair if it seems like an impossible task right now- you’ll get better at it. Be sure to practice on quality ACT and SAT study materials and stop if you feel any misgivings while solving any particular question. Remember- if it takes more than 30 seconds, or you think you would absolutely need a calculator, you’re probably on the wrong track. Take a breath, back up, and see where and how you can resolve the problem. And don’t be afraid to let a question go if you need to. One question won’t matter too much in the long run, but getting stuck for five minutes will absolutely take away time from other questions and have a detrimental impact on your final score. What’s Next? Worried about your math formulas? Learn which formulas you'll need to memorize for the ACT, which formulas you'll need to know for the SAT, and how to put your formulas to their greatest effect on both the ACT and the SAT. Running out of time on your math sections? Learn how to beat the clock on both the ACT and the SAT so you can reach your greatest potential in the time allowed. Trying not to procrastinate? Our guide will help you beat those procrastination urges and get you back on track. Want to get a perfect math score? Check out how to get a perfect 36 on the ACT math section or a perfect 800 on the SAT math section. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math strategy guide, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial: Disappointed with your ACT scores? Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

PSAT Practice Testsâ€Updated for New 2015 PSAT

PSAT Practice Tests- Updated for New 2015 PSAT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're looking for PSAT practice materials, you've come to the right place. This guide contains all free PSAT materials, which you can download- including 10 PSAT practice test PDFs. Unfortunately, since the PSAT's 2015 makeover, the College Board hasn't released a ton of practice tests. Luckily, though, you can still use old PSAT practice tests effectively to prepare. Before getting to the practice questions, we'll go over some of the changes made to thePSAT in 2015. If you care about your PSAT score, read carefully so you don't waste your time studying the wrong things! How Did the PSAT Change in 2015? Let's start by going over some of the main changes to the PSAT so you'll be able touse older PSAT practice tests with a critical eye. In 2015 the College Board changed the PSAT in an attempt to make it more relevant and useful to students. It's possible they were also trying to addresscriticisms of inequityand find a way to stay competitive with theincreasingly popular ACT. The content on both the PSAT and SATis meant to be evidence-based and grounded in real-world situations. Rather than testing obscure vocabulary and rarely used concepts, the PSAT now reflects the skills and abilities you'll need to succeed in both college and your career. Below, we'll take a closer look at the content and skills changes on each of the three PSAT sections: Reading Writing and Language Math If you're using old PSAT practice questions, it's important to be aware of these changes so that you can ultimately study the right material! PSAT Reading Changes Here is a brief overview of the major changes to the PSAT Reading section: The current PSAT does not have isolated Sentence Completion questions. Instead, it tests more commonly used vocabulary words within the context of passages. Reading passages often include charts, graphs, and/or pictures.You will be asked about the relationship between a passage and the data being represented. You are expected to practice evidence-based reading. You will have to find a specific line in a passage that demonstrates style, tone, point of view, theme, etc. You will also be asked to identify the one or two lines in a passage that helped you answer a previous question. The following official sample question shows how the PSAT will ask about your understanding of a relatively common vocabulary word in the context of a larger passage (passage not shown): PSAT Writing and Language Changes The PSAT Writing and Language section has changed in two key ways: The PSAT now asks youto edit the grammar of sentences within passages, rather than that of stand-alone sentences. Passages on PSAT Writing often includegraphs, pictures, and/or tables. Here's an example of a PSAT Writing questionthat deals with data (graph not shown): PSAT Math Changes Here are some of the main ways the PSAT Math section has changed: PSAT Math questions now relate far more to real-life situations in areas such as business, science, and the social sciences. Grid-in word problems have multiple parts. The Math section focuses far more on algebra and data analysis than it does on geometry. Here’s a sample PSAT Math question from the College Board: Now that you're aware of these major changes, you can adapt your approach as you prepare with practice materials from the last few years. Read on to see the PSAT practice tests,and learn how to use these tests to get a high PSAT score. Bonus: Aiming for a National Merit Scholarship? If you're not sure you can self-study your way to a qualifying PSAT score, you'll love our PSAT prep program, PrepScholar. We designed our program to learn your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics and customize your prep to be as effective as possible for you. When you start with PrepScholar, you’ll take a diagnostic that will determine your weaknesses in over forty PSAT skills. PrepScholar then creates a study program specifically customized for you. To improve each skill, you’ll take focused lessons dedicated to each skill, with over 20 practice questions per skill. This will train you for your specific area weaknesses, so your time is always spent most effectively to raise your score. We also force you to focus on understanding your mistakes and learning from them. If you make the same mistake over and over again, we'll call you out on it. There’s no other prep system out there that does it this way, which is why we get better score results than any other program on the market. Check it out today with a 5-day free trial: Official PSAT Practice Tests (2015-Present, Current Version) The College Board has released bothonline sample PSAT questionsandtwo PSAT practice tests with answer keys. You can download both tests as PDFs along with the scoring guides and answer explanations to use after you finish your practice testing: PSAT Practice Test 1 - Score Your Test- Answer Explanations PSAT Practice Test 2 - Score Your Test - Answer Explanations In addition, the College Board created an online prep program in partnership with Khan Academy. While this program is geared specifically toward the SAT, it can help you prepare for the PSAT, too, since the two tests are so similar. Although free practice materials for the current version of the PSAT arerather limited, you can still find a large number of practice test PDFs for the old version of the PSAT. Find the tests below, and then read on for some tips on how to make the most of both new and old practice tests. Official PSAT Practice Tests (Pre-2015, Old Version) We’ve compiled eight old official PSAT practice test PDFs for you to practice with. Download them here (note that the answer keys are included in the last few pages of each PDF): PSAT Practice Test PDF 1 PSAT Practice Test PDF 2 PSAT Practice Test PDF 3 PSAT Practice Test PDF 4 PSAT Practice Test PDF 5 PSAT Practice Test PDF 6 PSAT Practice Test PDF 7 PSAT Practice Test PDF 8 You can also find decent-quality PSAT questions from Peterson’s, which offers a half-length PSAT test if you create a free account with them. As you know, these older PSAT materials don't reflect the format or content of the current version of the PSAT. However, most still test the same fundamental skills and knowledge. So how can you use these old PSAT questions to get ready for the PSAT? How toUse PSAT Practice Tests Effectively: 3 Key Tips Regardless of whether you're using current or old PSAT practice tests, it's important you know how to use them effectively.Our three tips below can help youmake the most of PSAT practice tests in your prep. #1: Take the Test in a Realistic Environment Part of getting the most out of PSAT practice tests is making them feel like the real deal. On test day, you'll take the PSAT in a quiet classroom with other test takers; therefore, you'll want to find a similar environment to take your practice tests in, such as a library. If you try to take a practice test at a park or at the same time your family's watching TV, you'll likely find it difficult to focus, thereby lowering your score. This score will not be an accurate snapshot of your strengths since you didn't take the test in a realistic environment. Additionally, it's best to take each test in one sittinginstead of spread up over several days. This way, you'll not only get a realistic testing experience but can also get used to the length of the test bybuilding up your test-taking endurance. #2: Abide by Official Time Limits While it's important to take each PSAT practice test in one sitting, it's also important to take the test in accordance with official PSAT time limits.What do I mean by this? Basically, never give yourself more time on any section, as doing so can dramatically raise your score and give you an inflated sense of how you're actually scoring on the PSAT. To help you out, here are the time limits on each section of the PSAT, along with the approximate time you'll have per question: PSAT Section Total Time # of Questions Time per Question Reading 60 minutes 47 77 seconds Writing and Language 35 minutes 44 48 seconds Math No Calculator 25 minutes 17 88 seconds Math Calculator 45 minutes 31 87 seconds The Reading section offers the most time and also has the most questions. Meanwhile, despite the differences in total time and number of questions in the two Math sections, you'll still have around 87-88 seconds per math question (No Calculator and Calculator). The Writing and Language section has the second-highest number of questions (44) but gives you the least amount of time per question (48 seconds), so be sure to work fairly quickly here. Note that it'll be more difficult to replicate these time frames on old PSAT tests since the sections and questions are so different. (We'll talk more about how to use old tests in the following section.) #3: Review Your Answers Once you finish taking a PSAT practice test, it's time to check your answers and score your test. But don't just look at your score and call it a day- take some time to go through all the mistakes you madeand figure out what your biggest weaknesses are. The best way toreview your mistakes is to record the types of questions you got wrong, as well as the specific mistakes you made, in a "mistakes" journal. For example, if you missed an algebra problem, you'd write "algebra" as the question type and the specific reason you think you got the question wrong, such as "forgot formula." Make sure to use your test's answer guide to help you figure outwhy you might've missed certain questions. After you've gone through your test, look at your mistakes journal to determine whether there are any patterns to your mistakes. For instance, do you typically struggle withevidence-based Reading questions? Math word problems? Writing questions dealing withfragments and run-on sentences? Once you know what your weaknesses are, you can then customize your PSAT prep to focus more on honing the skills that are most challenging for you. How to Make the Most Of Old PSAT Practice Tests Although many official PSAT tests are outdated, they're certainly notuseless. In fact, these old ones test many of the same reading comprehension, grammar, and math problem-solving skills you'll need for the current PSAT. To make the most of these older official practice tests, you just have to shift your focus toward the skills that are still relevant while ignoring questions that no longer matter. Here are our seven tips for doing this effectively: Focus on evidence-based Reading:The current PSAT is all about using evidence and context to find an answer.If a set of passage-based Reading questions asks you about tone, style, or argument, don’t just try to look for the right answer among the options you're given. Instead, find the specific line in the reading passage that provesyour answer is right. Ignore Sentence Completion questions:You'll no longer encounter these questions on the PSAT, so just skip them entirely. Shift gears with vocabulary: Practicedetermining meaning through context, and make sure you understand subtleties of connotation. Focus on structure and organization:The current PSAT tests your understanding of the structure and organization of whole passages rather than that of stand-alone sentences. Therefore, as you’re reading a passage, take notes on its organization and make sure you understand its main and supporting ideas. Pay attention to graphs, tables, and charts:Try to understand the data and information represented in graphs. If there's no accompanying passage, trywriting your own paragraph to describe the information. On the flip side, consider how the data presented in a passage could be represented visually. For practice, useproblems from your math/science classes, as well as data interpretation questionsfrom the ACT Science section. Choose your math problems: Focus onalgebra, data analysis, and word problems,and spend far less time on geometry. Since the current PSAT involves multi-step grid-in problems, be sure to write out all the steps you take to answer a question. Also, remember the age-old adage: show your work. Learn the grammar rules tested:Both the old and current PSAT testsimilar grammar rules. Be sure to learnthese, as you'll need to be able to recognize grammatical errors in context. How Else Can You Prepare for the PSAT? Since the PSAT is so similar to the SAT, materials for the SAT are good practice. The PSAT is also very similar to the ACT, so ACT prep can be helpfulas well. Another tip is to challenge yourself in your classes. Develop advanced reading and writing skills by reading a variety of genres and writing frequently. In your math and science classes, focus on data analysis and work on your ability to interpret or represent data in graphs, charts, tables, etc. All of this preparation will not only help you get a high PSAT score, but will also help youget ready for theSAT. Since both exams are meant to test and sharpen your real-world reasoning skills, this kind of preparation should behelpful forall kinds of problem-solving in your day-to-day life. What's Next? High scorers on the PSAT might qualify for National Merit.Learn what it takes to becomea National Merit SemifinalistandNational Merit Finalist, as well as how towin the scholarship. Are you wondering whether to take the PSAT before your junior year? Check out these guides to consider whether you should take the PSAT as a freshman or sophomore. Are you curious about how the PSAT compares with the SAT? Read this complete guide to the SAT and learn all about the test. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also feature thousands of practice questions, 10 official SAT practice tests, and personal feedback on your essays from an expert instructor. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Check Your Understanding Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Check Your Understanding - Assignment Example Destructive conduct in made by a person and endorsed by the community, members. Natural morality revolves around human evolution than what has been acquired from the environment. Moral behavior is outgrown from the animals. The human beings are social being and therefore they derive moral out of interactions and are passed to the next generation in life. Empathy is the nature of animals and human beings are not excluded. They walk together in groups and also hunt in groups out of these interaction they inherit morality. On the contrary transcendent morality is the morality that goes beyond the world and the visible things that can be seen. It goes beyond the physical world and tries to explain what bring people together in marriage sports and pledging their allegiance to the state. Moral judgment is the process in which character traits, belief systems motives and opinions are measured against the standard good. There are standard set that are used for judgment failure to meet these standards will lead to automatic disqualification. These standards are based on the individual’s knowledge, integration and experience. As moral judgment primarily focuses on discussion, aesthetic judgment focuses the beauty and ugliness which are part of life. Beauty and ugliness lack the standards of measurement but depends on how they are perceived by different people. Perception determines how an object is beautiful or ugly. The completeness and proportionality of a beautiful object is difficult to arrive at. Behavior can be considered in one context as beautiful while in a different context as ugly it depends on the perception and interpretation in the mind. Moral objectivists are those people that believe that reality is independent of consciousness. Human beings have direct contact with the reality though the sense of perception and

Composers Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Composers - Research Paper Example Roeder (1994) notes that the works of Tchaikovsky reflects a unique style of music, being based on the combination of Russian culture and the Western music traditions (Roeder 1994, p.293). In terms of volume, the work of Tchaikovsky is also unique: the specific composer has written ‘seven symphonies and eleven operas’ (Kidder & Oppenheim 2008, p.3). The Piano Concerto I (Burt 2001, p.410), also a work of Tchaikovsky, will be analyzed below focusing on its elements but also on its contribution in the development of music. Alexander Litvinov has been one of Tchaikovsky’s students in Moscow (Poznansky 1999, p.62). Litvinov explains that Tchaikovsky used ‘to enter the class with his hand behind his back and to walk immediately towards the piano’ (Poznansky 1999, p.62). It is also noted that Tchaikovsky could play the piano even when holding a pencil, probably in order to be ready to keep notes or to correct pieces of music written by the students (Poznansky 1999, p.62). Litvinov makes clear that when teaching harmony Tchaikovsky used to emphasize on detail, being ‘irritated by the mistakes of students’ (Poznansky 1999, p.62). Gradually, it was revealed that it was his willingness for an exceptional result that led Tchaikovsky to show no tolerance to mistakes (Poznansky 1999, p.62). According to another student, meaning ‘the class in harmony held at the Moscow Conservatory’ (Poznansky 1999, p.62), Tchaikovsky tried always to help students as possible (Poznans ky 1999, p.63). At this point it should be noted that the emphasis on detail has been a characteristic of Tchaikovsky not only in regard to the other’s work but also in regard to his own pieces of music. The creation of Piano Concerto I took place in the period between November 1874 and February 1875 (Roeder 1994, p.293). The Concerto was initially written for Nikolay Rubinstein

The History Of United States Essay Example for Free

The History Of United States Essay The differences between the federalists led by Alexander Hamilton and republicans under the leadership of Thomas Jefferson shaped the political and economic direction of America in their day. This paper asserts that these differences were determined by individual perceptions that gave birth to these ideological differences. When faced with the responsibility of leading the country, Jefferson embraced some of Hamilton’s ideas. Alexander Hamilton the federalist was born in the West Indies on 11th of January 1757. His party the Federalist Party was formed in 1792 and lasted all the way up to 1816. This was the first party to be formed in America On the other hand we have Thomas Jefferson who was the third president to rule United States of America and was born in 1743 in Virginia. He was very influential in laying the foundation for Republicanism. Unfortunately, the two leaders had very little in common. Jefferson’s Democratic Republican party was formed in 1792 with a motive of opposing Hamilton’s economic and monetary views but the party split in 1820s because of the party differences. He died on 4th July, 1826. Their philosophies on social, political, and economy were very different. For example they disagreed on the system of government, constitution and the funding of the federal government. The main focus of this paper will be to compare the similarities and differences between the social, economic and political philosophies of Alexander Hamilton and Federalism on one hand and Thomas Jefferson and the Democratic Republicans on the other. The paper will also try to look at why these political functions emerged, how the leaders viewed each other and from what segments of society they drew support from. Hamilton was a very strong advocate of a stable and strong centralized government and worked hard to convince the congress to enact laws that would facilitate its formation. He was basically talking about how this government could be financed, how a national bank would be created and where taxes will be obtained from for example, from imports and on whiskey. He was strongly inspired by British’s trade and its financial base. On the other hand Thomas Jefferson formed his Democratic-Republican Party which later came to be regarded as Republican Party to oppose the federalists view on economic and foreign policies such as the formation of a central government. They opposed Hamilton for proposing the extension of trade and other friendly business with foreign countries such as Britain. About the constitution, Hamilton wanted the constitution to be loosely interpreted while Thomas Jefferson and his party believed on strong and strict constitutional formation that would limit the judicial interpretations. They were opposed to the issue of forming a national government which they dismissed as unconstitutional. They also differed in the type of government they wanted for example Hamilton wanted a balanced economy with industries, agriculture and trade while Jefferson believed that the country could only be supported by the work of the common man. Hamilton since 1795 advocated for the promotion of trade to other parts. He also wanted international cooperation with Britain to be supported. Additionally, Hamilton wanted U. S to embrace a policy of tax collection and a national bank to cater for national debts while on the other hand the democratic Republican Party was against this although after the war in 1812, this party split after they were defeated, many young leaders who were against Hamilton’s idea of nationalism supported it and started advocating for strong military defense which they had in the past opposed. (Albert W. F. , 1984). Although Hamilton and Jefferson differed in many things, later Jefferson welcomed Hamilton policies. For example, after the former won the presidential elections of 1800. His strong opponents like Gallatin and Madison started adopting some of Hamilton’s policies like the formation of a national bank. They also started forming strong military base something that came into their mind soon after they lost in the war of 1812. They also embraced Hamilton’s policy of being flexible in interpreting the constitution. This is what is referred to as loose interpretation or using basket clause. Also the tariff policy so as be able to finance the federal government was adopted. Another thing borrowed from Hamilton was the issue of forming a strong standing army as well as the country’s economy that would be supported by the federal government. These both factions had different origins. The Democratic Republican Party originated from Philadelphia among the congressmen. In the beginning it was called the Republican Party but later, it was widely marketed in New York by Thomas Jefferson who included the states and other leaders from different localities. His party strongly advocated for liberty for all. On the other hand the Federalist Party was created by Hamilton alone and become its leader it relied on for urbanites it was the first to be formed in USA. Some saw it as people’s party while others criticized that it had a very weak connection with the masses. The Federalist Party started after Hamilton was appointed to the office by George Washington who was the then president. By this time he was a retired staff member. Hamilton wanted a federal government with a strong financial base. He went ahead and proposed his own economic program. He wanted the central government to cancel the debts that the sates occurred during the Revolutionary war of America and there by replacing it with a national debt. That is a debt that would be paid by the central government itself. He believed this would have only been possible if there was formed a national bank. His closest friend Madison left him and went to cater for his people in Virginia thus dropping the idea of nationalism. He later joined Jefferson in opposing Hamilton’s ideas. In 1790 Hamilton relentlessly started looking for followers countrywide. He believed that if he mobilized likeminded people and use his treasury networks to bring together all those people in the government like bankers and merchants, then he could make it. He began his politics in urban areas and as time went by, the party assumed a national identity and eventually became the Federalist Party. On the other hand, the Democratic Republican party was founded by two people that is, Jefferson and James Madison sometimes back in 1792. The party was formed with a motive of opposing Hamilton’s views on the economy and foreign policies. The foreign policies were of prime concern to the republicans. Hamilton wanted U. S to start having friendly relations with Britain and his party strongly condemned the French revolution. Jefferson’s party put ahead of all other things the freedom of Yeoman farmers and rights as opposed to federalism. He differed in Hamilton’s ideas on monetary things, national bank, creation and high spending in the military. In1790s the federalist and republicans traded abuse through newspapers. Hamilton was seen as a monarchist who never valued the American culture. He was accused of favouring the rich so that they could support his politics. Later they turned to using humors against each other. They opposed the treaty of 1784, Jay’s treaty that advocated for having relations with Britain and criticized the French revolution. They termed Britain and France as their archenemies. Jefferson and his supporters claimed federalism favored aristocracy instead of the ordinary people. However, after1812 Jefferson’s party split into two because of party differences. The young leaders in his party favored nationalism and creation of a strong army that would provide security to the Americans but Thomas Jefferson and his clues refused this. These younger leaders were Clay, Adams and Calhoun while the old party was headed by Randolph, Crawford and Nathaniel Macon. Both sides differed in beliefs which made them to support different factions. The later backed Andrew Jackson. After elections were held these factions became separate parties. The one for Jackson became the modern Democratic Party. The federalism party that was formed by Hamilton drew its support from all over but mainly from urbanites that would support his policies. Hamilton’s party had a lot of job opportunities thus it was able to attract many people while did not have many job opportunities. Jefferson drew his party support from the rurals whom he believed were the backbone of his party. . Alexander Hamilton firmly advocated for the government intervention and support in trade. He never advocated for free trade like it was the case in Britain for he believed this led to misuse of funds by channeling them to colonial powers. He believed that if his policies were implemented, then the economy would grow into stable heights. Hamilton was an orthodox although not a very strong believer. He did not believe that Christianity and democracy could go hand in hand. Hamilton misused religion to meet his political objectives especially during the revolution in France. To conclude, it can be said that Jefferson and Hamilton differed in many ways than they had in common. In the past they disagreed almost in everything but later Jefferson and the Democratic- Republicans changed their minds and embraced some his policies especially after they lost in war of 1812. His political party split because young leaders in his party like Clay and Adams supported the idea of nationalism and the creation of a strong army which the other faction in the party opposed. Finally after elections were held the two factions became parties. Jefferson’s party which was under Jackson became the Democratic Party while that for the youngsters faded after the civil war. After this, democrats welcomed some of Hamilton’s ideas such as having a strong central government as well as strong military base and an economy that would be controlled by the federal government. Jefferson believed in strict interpretation of the constitution that would limit the judiciary misinterpretation and Hamilton’s idea of creating a bank that would handle all financial cases of the central or federal government. This idea was also rejected by the representatives of the southern colonies whose economy did not favor the creation of a national bank. In short we can say that even in areas that they came to think alike, it was after they lost the war of 1812. The party became divided and the two parties went on their own. Reference: Albert W. F. , 1984. The Authority of Publius: A reading of the Federalist Papers. Ithaca, New York: Cornel University Press.