Comparison of Shall I Compare Thee? and My Mistress Eyes are Essay

1 Shall compare thee to a summer's day? ======================================= Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of maie, And summers lease hath all to short a date: 5 Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines, ============================================= And often is his gold complexion dim'd, --------------------------------------- And every faire from faire sometime declines, --------------------------------------------- By chance, or natures changing course untrim'd: ----------------------------------------------- But thy eternal summer shall not fade, -------------------------------------- 10 Nor loose possession of that faire thou ow'st, Nor shall death brag thou wandr'st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st, So long as men can breath or eyes can see, So long lives this and this gives life to thee. In this sonnet, Shakespeare is creating a mental picture of spring and summer to compare against his loved one. He uses the fact that fine and beautiful days are the creation of nature, and nature is constantly changing all the time. Fine days never stay the same: 'rough winds' or the sun obscured by clouds, 'and often is his gold complexion dim'd', can easily mar a fine day. He talks about these negative factors of change in the first eight lines, and Shakespeare then uses these ideas to claim that his loved one will always remain untarnished, speaking of how 'thy eternal summer shall not fade' and how his loved one has lasting qualities that will outshine death: 'Nor shall death brag thou wandr'st in his shade' These thoughts come to a confident, final... ... Compared to the first few lines in the second sonnet: "My mistress eyes are nothing like the sun coral is far more red than her lips red" And this shocking feeling of offense and harshness continues through to line twelve in the second sonnet. However, there are some dark points in the first sonnet as well, as death is mentioned in line eleven "Nor shall death brag thou wandr'st in his shade" And "rough winds" in line three. However, how harsh and sincere these sonnets may be, both have the conclusions with the similar idea that Shakespeare loves his woman so much that he doesn't need to give her false comparisons to do with beautiful items or beautiful things that don't last forever - his love lasts for eternity in the sonnet: "So long as men can breath, and eyes can see So long lives this, and this gives life to thee."

Cause or Effect of Gambling

Cause or Effect of Gambling â€Å"Che-Ching! † â€Å"Yes! Jackpot! † shouted the man as he jumped up and down. However, will his happiness last forever? The nest time the man gambled, the money in his pocket completely turned to dust. From that day onwards, like a broken glass, his life is destroyed and almost impossible to bring back happiness. From this man’s case, clearly there are several negative effects of gambling. First of all, gambling will cause a person to have bankruptcy. Luck is not always by our side.When a person grasps a lot of money, he will have more urge to gamble and eventually lose all of his money in the end. Following up by bankruptcy, gamblers will face many hard times with loan shark. Most of them are unable to pay back as the interest rate gradually increases. Time after time, loan shark will disturb their lives and force them to pay back in any chance. Reports review that loan shark can be so inhumane that they will wreck and destroy th e victim’s house, kidnap and blackmail any family members, or even strangle them to death.Subsequently, gamblers will have a broken relationship with their family. Their action brings disgrace on the whole family due to bankruptcy and being hooked by loan sharks. More trouble will occur and family members have to leave them alone, desolated and unwanted, those gamblers are led to only one road, suicidal. In conclusion, gambling can ruin and even ends a person's life. So before one choose to gamble, one must consider the deadly effects of gambling, before thinking of being filthy rich.

A Study of Cash Flows Statement

I. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to present and explain the statement of cash flows by incorporating the statements No. 95, 102 and 104 that establish standards for cash flows reporting issued by FASB[i]. FASB Statement No. 95 (FAS 95) â€Å"Statement of Cash Flows† supersedes APB Opinion No. 9, Reporting Changes in Financial Position, and requires a statement of cash flows as part of a full set of financial statements for all business enterprises[ii] in place of a statement of changes in financial position and classify cash receipts and payments according to whether they stem from operating, investing, or financing activities and provides definitions of each category. FASB Statement No. 102 (FAS 102) amends FAS 95, to exempt from the requirement to provide a statement of cash flows (a) defined benefit pension plans covered by FASB Statement No. 5, Accounting and Reporting by Defined Benefit Pension Plans[iii] , and certain other employee benefit plans and (b) high ly liquid investment companies that meet specified conditions. This Statement also requires that cash receipts and cash payments resulting from acquisitions and sales of (a) securities and other assets that are acquired specifically for resale and carried at market value in a trading account and (b) loans that are acquired specifically for resale and carried at market value or the lower of cost or market value be classified as operating cash flows in a statement of cash flows. FASB Statement No. 104 (FAS 104) amends FAS 95 to permit banks, savings institutions, and credit unions to report in a statement of cash flows certain net cash receipts and cash payments for (a) deposits placed with other financial institutions and withdrawals of deposits, (b) time deposits accepted and repayments of deposits, and (c) loans made to customers and principal collections of loans. This Statement also amends FAS 95 to permit cash flows resulting from futures contracts, forward contracts, option contracts, or swap contracts that are accounted for as hedges of identifiable transactions or events to be classified in the same category as the cash flows from the items being hedged provided that accounting policy is disclosed. II. Purpose of a Statement of Cash Flows The purpose of a statement of cash flows is: 1. To provide relevant information about the cash receipts and cash payments of an enterprise during a period 2. To help investors, creditors, and others to assess; 2. 1. The enterprise's ability to generate positive future net cash flows 2. 2. The enterprise's ability to meet its obligations, its ability to pay dividends, and its needs for external financing 2. 3. The reasons for differences between net income and associated cash receipts and payments 2. 4. The effects on an enterprise's financial position of both its cash and noncash investing and financing transactions during the period. So the objectives of standards of financial accounting and reporting is to require the presentation of information about the historical changes in cash and cash equivalents of an enterprise by means of the statement of cash flows which classifies cash flows during the period according to operating, investing and financing activities. III. Focus on Cash and Cash Equivalents A statement of cash flows explains the changes in cash[iv] (cash on hand and demand deposits) and cash equivalents during a period. Cash equivalents comprise the short-term, highly liquid investments that are (i) readily convertible to a known amount of cash and (ii) that are subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value. Generally an investment normally meets the definition of a cash equivalent when it has a maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition. Equity investments are normally excluded, unless they are in substance a cash equivalent (e. g. preferred shares acquired within three months of their specified redemption date). Bank overdrafts which are repayable on demand and which form an integral part of an enterprise's cash management are also included as a component of cash and cash equivalents. Examples of items commonly considered to be cash equivalents are treasury bills, commercial paper, money market funds, and federal funds sold (for an enterprise with banking operations). Cash purchases and sales of those investments generally are part of the enterprise's cash management activities rather than part of its operating, investing, and financing activities, and details of those transactions need not be reported in a statement of cash flows. An enterprise shall establish a policy concerning which short-term, highly liquid investments that satisfy the said definition of cash equivalents. For example, an enterprise having banking operations might decide that all investments that qualify except for those purchased for its trading account will be treated as cash equivalents, while an enterprise whose operations consist largely of investing in short-term, highly liquid investments might decide that all those items will be treated as investments rather than cash equivalents. An enterprise shall disclose its policy for determining which items are treated as cash equivalents. Any change to that policy is a change in accounting principle that shall be affected by restating financial statements for earlier years presented for comparative purposes. IV. Gross and net cash flows Generally, information about the gross amounts of cash receipts and cash payments during a period is more relevant than information about the net amounts of cash receipts and payments. However, the net amount of related receipts and payments provides sufficient information not only for cash equivalents as noted in section III, but also for certain other classes of cash flows that have quick turnover, large amounts and short maturities. For certain other items such as demand deposits of a bank and customer accounts payable of a broker-dealer, the enterprise is substantively holding or disbursing cash on behalf of its customers. Only the net changes during the period in assets and liabilities with those characteristics need be reported because knowledge of the gross cash receipts and payments related to them may not be necessary to understand the enterprise's operating, investing, and financing activities[v]. Items that qualify for net reporting because their turnover is quick, their amounts are large, and their maturities are short are cash receipts and payments pertaining to (a) investments (other than cash equivalents), (b) loans receivable, and (c) debt, providing that the original maturity of the asset or liability is three months or less[vi]. Banks, savings institutions, and credit unions are not required to report gross amounts of cash receipts and cash payments for (a) deposits placed with other financial institutions and withdrawals of deposits, (b) time deposits accepted and repayments of deposits, and (c) loans made to customers and principal collections of loans. When those enterprises constitute part of a consolidated enterprise, net amounts of cash receipts and cash payments for deposit or lending activities of those enterprises shall be reported separate from gross amounts of cash receipts and cash payments for other investing and financing activities of the consolidated enterprise, including those of a subsidiary of a bank, savings institution, or credit union that is not itself a bank, savings institution, or credit union. V. Classification of Cash Receipts and Cash Payments A statement of cash flows shall classify cash receipts and cash payments as resulting from investing, financing, or operating activities[vii]. |Cash Flows from Investing Activities[viii] | |Cash inflows from receipts including; |Cash outflows for disbursements / payments including; | | | | |1. ollections of loans made by the enterprise |1. making loans by the enterprise | |2. sales of other entities' debt instruments (other than cash |2. acquire debt instruments of other entities (other than cash | |equivalents and certain debt instruments that are acquired |equivalents and certain debt instruments that are acquired | |specifically for resale) that were purchased by the enterprise |specifically | |3. ales of equity instruments of other enterprises (other than |for resale) | |certain equity instruments carried in a trading account) |3. acquire equity instruments of other enterprises (other than | |and from returns of investment in those instruments |certain equity instruments carrie d in a trading account) | |4. sales of property, plant, and equipment and other productive |4. t the time of purchase or soon before or after purchase[ix] to | |assets. |acquire property, plant, and equipment and other productive | | |assets[x]. | | | | | | |Cash Flows from Financing Activities |Cash inflows from; |Cash outflows for; | | | | |1. Proceeds from issuing equity instruments |1. Payments of dividends or other distributions to owners, including | |2. Proceeds from issuing bonds, mortgages, notes, and from |outlays to reacquire the enterprise's equity instruments | |other short- or long-term borrowing. |2. Repayments of amounts borrowed | | |3. Other principal payments to creditors who have extended long-term | | |credit[xi]. | | | |Cash Flows from Operating Activities[xii] | |Cash inflows includes; |Cash outflows includes; | |1. Cash receipts from sales of goods[xiii] or services, |1. Cash payments to acquire materials for manufacture or goods[xiv] | |including receipts from collection or sale of accounts and both |for resale, including principal | |short- and long-term notes receivable from customers arising |payments on accounts and both short- and long-term notes payable to | |from those sales |suppliers for those materials or goods | |2. Cash receipts from returns on loans, other debt instruments |2. Cash payments to other suppliers and employees for other goods or | |of other entities, and equity securities—interest and dividends |services | |3. All other cash receipts that do not stem from transactions |c. Cash payments to governments for taxes, duties, fines, and other | |defined as investing or financing activities, such as amounts |fees or penalties | |received to settle lawsuits; proceeds of nsurance settlements |3. Cash payments to lenders and other creditors for interest | |except for those that are directly related to investing or |4. All other cash payments that do not stem from transactions defined| |financing activities, such as from destruction of a building; |as investing or financing activities, such as payments to settle | |and refunds from suppliers. |lawsuits, cash contributions to charities, and cash refunds to | | |customers. It is notable that certain cash receipts and payments may have aspects of more than one class of cash flows. For example, the ac quisition and sale of equipment to be used by the enterprise or rented to others generally are investing activities. However, equipment sometimes is acquired or produced to be used by the enterprise or rented to others for a short period and then sold. In those circumstances, the acquisition or production and subsequent sale of those assets shall be considered operating activities. Cash flows relating to extraordinary items should be classified as operating, investing or financing as appropriate and should be separately disclosed. The exchange rate used for translation of transactions denominated in a foreign currency and the cash flows of a foreign subsidiary should be the rate in effect at the date of the cash flows. [xv] Cash flows of foreign subsidiaries should be translated at the exchange rates prevailing when the cash flows took place. As regards the cash flows of associates and joint ventures, where the equity method is used, the cash flow statement should report only cash flows between the investor and the investee; where proportionate consolidation is used, the cash flow statement should include the venturer's share of the cash flows of the investee. Financial statements shall not report an amount of cash flow per share. Neither cash flow nor any component of it is an alternative to net income as an indicator of an enterprise's performance, as reporting per share amounts might imply. VI. Content and Form of the Statement of Cash Flows A statement of cash flows for a period shall report net cash provided or used by operating, investing, and financing activities[xvi] and the net effect of those flows on cash and cash equivalents during the period in a manner that reconciles beginning and ending cash and cash equivalents. In reporting cash flows from operating activities, enterprises are encouraged to use Direct Method to shows each major class of gross cash receipts and gross cash payments[xvii]. The operating cash flows section of the cash flow statement under the direct method would appear something like this: |Cash receipts from customers |xx,xxx | |Cash paid to suppliers |xx,xxx | |Cash paid to employees |xx,xxx | |Cash paid for other operating expenses |xx,xxx | |Interest paid |xx,xxx | |Income taxes paid |xx,xxx | |Net cash from operating activities |xx,xxx | Enterprises that do so should, at a minimum, separately report the following classes of operating cash receipts and payments: Enterprises that choose not to provide information about major classes of operating receipts and payments by the direct method shall determine and report the same amount for net cash flow from operating activities indirectly by adjusting net income to reconcile it to net cash flow from operating activities (the indirect or reconciliation method). The Indirect Method adjusts accrual basis net profit or loss for the effects of non-cash transactions. The operating cash flows section of the cash flow statement under the indirect method would appear something like this: |Profit before interest and income taxes |  |xx,xxx | |Add back depreciation |  |xx,xxx | |Add back amortization of goodwill |  |xx,xxx | |Increase in receivables |  |xx,xxx | |Decrease in inventories |  |xx,xxx | |Increase in trade payables |  |xx,xxx | |Interest expense | |xx,xxx | |Less Interest accrued but not yet paid | |  xx,xxx | |Interest paid |  |xx,xxx | |Income taxes paid |  |xx,xxx | |Net cash from operating activities |  |xx,xxx | That requires adjusting net income to remove (a) the effects of all deferrals of past operating cash receipts and payments, such as changes during the period in inventory, deferred income, and the like, and all accruals of expected future operating cash receipts and payments, such as changes during the period in receivables and payables[xviii], and (b) the effects of all items whose cash effects are investing or financing cash flows, such as depreciation, amortization of goodwill, and gains or losses on sales of property, plant, and equipment and discontinued operations (which relate to investing activities), and gains or losses on extinguishment of debt (which is a financing activity). If the direct method of reporting net cash flow from operating activities is used, the reconciliation of net income to net cash flow from operating activities shall be provided in a separate schedule. If the indirect method is used, the reconciliation may be either reported within the statement of cas h flows or provided in a separate schedule, with the statement of cash flows reporting only the net cash flow from operating activities. If the reconciliation is presented in the statement of cash flows, all adjustments to net income to determine net cash flow from operating activities shall be clearly identified as reconciling items. Except for items described in section IV paragraphs 2 and 3, both investing/financing cash inflows and outflows shall be reported separately in a statement of cash flows—for example, outlays for acquisitions of property, plant, and equipment shall be reported separately from proceeds from sales of property, plant, and equipment; proceeds of borrowings shall be reported separately from repayments of debt; and proceeds from issuing stock shall be reported separately from outlays to reacquire the enterprise's stock. VII. Information about Noncash Investing and Financing Activities Information about all investing and financing activities of an enterprise during a period that affect recognized assets or liabilities but that do not result in cash receipts or cash payments in the period shall be reported in related disclosures. Examples of noncash investing and financing transactions are converting debt to equity; acquiring assets by assuming directly related liabilities, such as purchasing a building by incurring a mortgage to the seller; obtaining an asset by entering into a capital lease; and exchanging noncash assets or liabilities for other noncash assets or liabilities. Some transactions are part cash and part noncash; only the cash portion shall be reported in the statement of cash flows. VIII. Exemptions from the Requirement to Provide a Statement of Cash Flows A statement of cash flows is not required to be provided by a defined benefit pension plan that presents financial information in accordance with the provisions of Statement 35. Other employee benefit plans that present financial information similar to that required by Statement 35 (including the presentation of plan investments at fair value) also are not required to provide a statement of cash flows. Employee benefit plans are encouraged to include a statement of cash flows with their annual financial statements when that statement would provide relevant information about the ability of the plan to meet future obligations (for example, when the plan invests in assets that are not highly liquid or obtains financing for investments). For an investment enterprise (an investment company, an investment enterprise, a common trust fund, variable annuity account, or similar fund maintained by a bank, insurance company, or other enterprise in its capacity as a trustee, administrator, or guardian for the collective investment and reinvestment of moneys) to be exempt from the requirement to provide a statement of cash flows, all of the following conditions must be met: a. During the period, substantially all of the enterprise's investments were highly liquid (for example, marketable securities, and other assets for which a market is readily available). b. Substantially all of the enterprise's investments are carried at market value[xix]. c. The enterprise had little or no debt, based on the average debt outstanding[xx] during the period, in relation to average total assets. d. The enterprise provides a statement of changes in net assets. IX. Classification of Cash Flows from Acquisitions and Sales of Certain Securities and Other Assets Banks, brokers and dealers in securities, and other enterprises may carry securities and other assets in a trading account[xxi]. Cash receipts and cash payments resulting from purchases and sales of securities and other assets shall be classified as operating cash flows if those assets are acquired specifically for resale and are carried at market value in a trading account. Some loans are similar to securities in a trading account in that they are originated or purchased specifically for resale and are held for short periods of time. Cash receipts and cash payments resulting from acquisitions and sales of loans lso shall be classified as operating cash flows if those loans are acquired specifically for resale and are carried at market value or at the lower of cost or market value[xxii]. Cash receipts resulting from sales of loans that were not specifically acquired for resale shall be cla ssified as investing cash inflows. That is, if loans were acquired as investments, cash receipts from sales of those loans shall be classified as investing cash inflows regardless of a change in the purpose for holding those loans. X. Net Reporting of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments According to FAS No. 95, information about the gross amounts of cash receipts and cash payments during a period generally is more relevant than information about the net amounts of cash receipts and cash payments. However, for certain items, the net amount of cash receipts and cash payments may provide sufficient information. For example, gross cash flows need not be reported for demand deposits of a bank or for investments, loans receivable, and debt of any enterprise if the original maturity of the asset or liability is three months or less. As a result banks, savings institutions, and credit unions are not required to report gross amounts of cash receipts and cash payments for (a) deposits placed with other financial institutions and withdrawals of deposits, (b) time deposits accepted and repayments of deposits, and (c) loans made to customers and principal collections of loans. When those enterprises constitute part of a consolidated enterprise, net amounts of cash receipts and cash payments for deposit or lending activities of those enterprises shall be reported separate from gross amounts of cash receipts and cash payments for other investing and financing activities of the consolidated enterprise. XI. Classification of Cash Flows from Hedging Transactions The Board received requests from various enterprises to reconsider the classification of cash flows from an item that is intended as a hedge of another item. Those requests generally focused on cash flows from a futures contract or forward contract that is accounted for as a hedge of an inventory transaction. FAS 104 modifies FAS 95 to permit cash flows resulting from futures contracts, forward contracts, option contracts, or swap contracts that are accounted for as hedges of identifiable transactions or events (for example, a cash payment from a futures contract that hedges a purchase or sale of inventory), including anticipatory hedges, to be classified in the same category as the cash flows from the items being hedged provided that accounting policy is disclosed. If for any reason hedge accounting for an instrument that hedges an identifiable transaction or event is discontinued, then any cash flows subsequent to the date of discontinuance shall be classified consistent with the nature of the instrument. Endnotes ———————– i]- â€Å"Portions of various FASB Statements, copyright  © by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, 401 Merritt 7, PO Box 5116, Norwalk, CT 06856-5116, USA, are reproduced with permission. Complete copies of these documents are available from the FASB. † [ii]- A statement of cash flows is not required for defined benefit pension plans and certain other employee benefit plans or for certain investment companies as provided by FAS 102, Statement of Cash Flows—Exemption of Certain Enterprises and Classification of Cash Flows from Certain Securities Acquired for Resale. [iii]- The financial reporting requirements of defined benefit pension plans are addressed in Statement 35. Paragraph 6 of that Statement specifies that the annual financial statements of a plan shall include: (a) A statement that includes information regarding the net assets available for benefits as of the end of the plan year (b) A statement that includes information regarding the changes during the year in the net assets available for benefits (c) Information regarding the actuarial present value of accumulated plan benefits as of either the beginning or end of the plan year (d) Information regarding the effects, if significant, of certain factors affecting the year-to-year change in the actuarial present value of accumulated plan benefits. Statement 35 also states that existing generally accepted accounting principles other than those discussed in that Statement may apply to the financial statements of defined benefit pension plans. iv]- Consistent with common usage, cash includes not only currency on hand but demand deposits with banks or other financial institutions. Cash also inclu des other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits in that the customer may deposit additional funds at any time and also effectively may withdraw funds at any time without prior notice or penalty. All charges and credits to those accounts are cash receipts or payments to both the entity owning the account and the bank holding it. For example, a bank's granting of a loan by crediting the proceeds to a customer's demand deposit account is a cash payment by the bank and a cash receipt of the customer when the entry is made. v]- cash flows from investing and financing activities should be reported gross by major class of cash receipts and major class of cash payments except for the following cases, which may be reported on a net basis: Cash receipts and payments on behalf of customers (for example, receipt and repayment of demand deposits by banks, and receipts collected on behalf of and paid over to the owner of a property). Cash receipts and payments for items in which the turnover is quick, the amounts are large, and the maturities are short, generally less than three months (for example, charges and collections from credit card customers, and purchase and sale of investments). cash receipts and payments relating to fixed maturity deposits. Cash advances and loans made to customers and repayments thereof. Investing and financing transactions which do not require the use of cash should be excluded from the cash flow statement, but they should be separately disclosed elsewhere in the financial statements. vi]- For this purpose, amounts due on demand are considered to have maturities of three months or less. For convenience, credit card receivables of financial services operations–generally, receivables resulting from cardholder charges that may, at the cardholder's option, be paid in full when first billed, usually within one month, without incurring interest charges and that do not stem from the enterprise's sale of good s or services–also are considered to be loans with original maturities of three months or less. [vii]- Generally, each cash receipt or payment is to be classified according to its nature without regard to whether it stems from an item intended as a hedge of another item. For example, the proceeds of a borrowing are a financing cash inflow even though the debt is intended as a hedge of an investment, and the purchase or sale of a futures contract is an investing activity even though the contract is intended as a hedge of a firm commitment to purchase inventory. However, cash flows from futures contracts, forward contracts, option contracts, or swap contracts that are accounted for as hedges of identifiable transactions or events (for example, a cash payment from a futures contract same category as the cash flows from the items being hedged provided that accounting policy is that hedges a purchase or sale of inventory), including anticipatory hedges, may be classified in the disclosed. If for any reason hedge accounting for an instrument that hedges an identifiable transaction or event is discontinued, then any cash flows subsequent to the date of discontinuance shall be classified consistent with the nature of the instrument. [viii]- Investing activities exclude acquiring and disposing of certain loans or other debt or equity instruments that are acquired specifically for resale, as discussed in Statement 102. [ix]- Generally, only advance payments, the down payment, or other amounts paid at the time of purchase or soon before or after purchase of property, plant, and equipment and other productive assets are investing cash outflows. Incurring directly related debt to the seller is a financing transaction, and subsequent payments of principal on that debt thus are financing cash outflows. x]- Payments to acquire productive assets include interest capitalized as part of the cost of those assets. [xi]- Refer to footnote 8 which indicates that most principal payments on seller-financed debt directly related to a purchase of property, plant, and equipment or other productive assets are financing cash outflows. [xii]- Operating activities include all transactions and other events that are not defined as investing or financing activities in paragraphs 15-20. Operating activities generally involve producing and delivering goods and providing services. Cash flows from operating activities are generally the cash effects of transactions and other events that enter into the determination of net income. xiii]- The term goods include certain loans and other debt and equity instruments of other enterprises that are acquired specifically for resale, as discussed in Statement 102. [xiv]- The term goods include certain loans and other debt and equity instruments of other enterprises that are acquired specifically for resale, as discussed in Statement 102. [xv]- Paragraph 12 of FASB Statement No. 52, Foreign Currency Translation, recognizes the general imprac ticality of translating revenues, expenses, gains, and losses at the exchange rates on dates they are recognized and permits an appropriately weighted average exchange rate for the period to be used to translate those elements. This Statement applies that provision to cash receipts and cash payments. xvi]- Separate disclosure of cash flows pertaining to extraordinary items or discontinued operations reflected in those categories is not required. An enterprise that nevertheless chooses to report separately operating cash flows of discontinued operations shall do so consistently for all periods affected, which may include periods long after sale or liquidation of the operation. [xvii]- a. Cash collected from customers, including lessees, licensees, and the like b. Interest and dividends received c. Other operating cash receipts, if any d. Cash paid to employees and other suppliers of goods or services, including suppliers of insurance, advertising, and the like e. Interest paid f. Inc ome taxes paid g. Other operating cash payments, if any. xviii]- Adjustments to net income to determine net cash flow from operating activities shall reflect accruals for interest earned but not received and interest incurred but not paid. Those accruals may be reflected in the statement of financial position in changes in assets and liabilities that relate to investing or financing activities, such as loans or deposits. However, interest credited directly to a deposit account that has the general characteristics described footnote 1, is a cash outflow of the payor and a cash inflow of the payee when the entry is made. [xix]- Securities for which market value is determined using matrix pricing techniques, which are described in the AICPA Audit and Accounting Guide, Audits of Investment Companies, would meet this condition. Other securities for which market value is not readily determinable and for which fair value must be determined in good faith by the board of directors would not. [xx]- For the purpose of determining average debt outstanding, obligations resulting from redemptions of shares by the enterprise from unsettled purchases of securities or similar assets, or from covered options written generally may be excluded. However, any extension of credit by the seller that is not in accordance with standard industry practices for redeeming shares or for settling purchases of investments shall be included in average debt outstanding. [xxi]- Characteristics of trading account activities are described in FASB Statement No. 9, Financial Reporting and Changing Prices, and in the AICPA Industry Audit Guide, Audits of Banks, and Audit and Accounting Guide, Audits of Brokers and Dealers in Securities. [xxii]- Mortgage loans and mortgage-backed securities held for sale are required to be reported at the lowe r of cost or market value in accordance with FASB Statement No. 65, Accounting for Certain Mortgage Banking Activities. References 1. Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 95 Statement of Cash Flows November 1987 Financial Accounting Standards Board of the Financial Accounting Foundation 401 MERRITT 7, P. O. BOX 5116, NORWALK, CONNECTICUT 06856-5116 2. Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 102 Statement of Cash Flows—Exemption of Certain Enterprises and Classification of Cash Flows from Certain Securities Acquired for Resale an amendment of FASB Statement No. 95 February 1989 Financial Accounting Standards Board of the Financial Accounting Foundation 401 MERRITT 7, P. O. BOX 5116, NORWALK, CONNECTICUT 06856-5116 3. Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 104 Statement of Cash Flows—Net Reporting of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments and Classification of Cash Flows from Hedging Transactions an amendment of FASB Statement No. 95 December 1989 Financial Accounting Standards Board of the Financial Accounting Foundation 401 MERRITT 7, P. O. BOX 5116, NORWALK, CONNECTICUT 06856-511

Recognition of Bangla Sign Language Alphabets by Image Processing

Recognition of Bangla Sign Language Alphabets by Image Processing Free Online Research Papers Abstract: This paper presents an image processing technique for mapping Bangla Sign Language alphabets to text. It attempts to process static images of the subject considered, and then matches them to a statistical database of pre-processed images to ultimately recognize the specific set of signed letters. Hand gesture recognition is a challenging problem in its general form. We consider a fixed set of manual commands and a reasonably structured Environment, and develop a simple, yet effective, procedure for gesture recognition. Our approach contains steps for converting the RGB image to Binary image, removing noise from this image, segmenting the hand region, finding out its area, circumference, and edges then extract some features from this preprocessed image. Then we create a database based on this features and classify the gesture based on the database. We also use exclusive-Or template matching and PSNR (Peak signal to noise ratio) comparison to detect the signs of Bangla Sign Language. F inally we combine the result of these three methods to detect the resultant gesture and convert them to text. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique on real imagery. Index Terms- Bangla Sign Language, Communication, Image processing, Finger-spelling, Linguistics Sign language. 1. INTRODUCTION A sign language [1] is a language which uses different kinds of sign pattern to express the thoughts of a signer. Sign language is commonly used by the physically impaired people who can not speak and hear. As a nation we have the historical background of language movement, which reminds us that everyone has the right to communicate using their own language. Since the beginning, Sign language has been promoted side-by-side with oral language as a medium of interaction and exchanging of ideas. Most widely spoken languages around the world have established Sign language; however Bangladesh did not have any standardized Bangla Sign language. Bangla sign language is a modified form of British, American and Australian sign language and some local indigenous signs are also used in there. According to Centre for Disability in Development (CDD) [2] there are as many as 80 million people with disabilities in Bangladesh. So it is very important to disseminate the sign language throughout the community. Here we follow the Bangla sign language letters and numeric signs developed by CDD. Recognizing the hand gesture of Bangla sign language using Computer vision [3, 4] is a new idea. Previously these types of works are done on American Sign Language (ASL) and British Sign Language (BSL) but in case Bangla Sign Language it is in its beginning phase. Two approaches are commonly used to recognize gestures one of them is gloved-base approach [5] and the other is vision-based approach. In gloved-base approach, gloves, sensors etc are used as a measuring device to analyze the hand movements. But the glove based system suffers from the limitation of using a device which is intrusive both for signer and the audience and they are also very expensive. Vision-based gesture recognition systems can be divided into three main components: Image processing or extracting important clues (hand shape and position, face or head Position, etc.) [6, 7, 8] tracking the gesture features (related position or motion of hand Poses), and gesture interpretation (based on collected information that support predefined Meaningful gesture). The first phase of gesture recognition task is to select a model of the gesture. The modeling of gesture depends on the intent-dent applications by the gesture. There are two different approaches for vision-based modeling of gesture: Model based approach and Appearance based approach. The Model based techniques are tried to create a 3D model of the user hand (parameters: Joint angles and palm position) or contour model of the hand and use these for gesture recognition. Appearance based approaches use template images or features from the training images (images, image geometry parameters, image motion parameters, fingertip position, etc.) [10] which is used for gesture recognition. The gestures are modeled by relating the appearance of any gesture to the appearance of the set of predefined template gestures. Gesture recognition methods are divided into two categories: static gesture or hand poster and dynamic gesture or motion gesture. Dynamic gestures are considered as temporally consecutive sequences of hand or head or body postures in sequence of time frames. Dynamic gestures recognition is accomplished using Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), Dynamic Time Warping, Bayesian networks or other patterns recognition methods that can recognize sequences over time steps. Static gesture (or pose gesture) recognition can be accomplished by using template matching, eigenspaces or PCA (Principal Component Analysis), Elastic Graph Matching, neural network [11,12] or other standard pattern recognition techniques. Template matching techniques are actually the pattern matching approaches. It is possible to find out the most likely hand postures from an image by computing the correlation coefficient or minimum distance metrics with template images. In this paper we worked on recognizing static gesture of Bangla Sign Language using pattern matching approaches. When tested for real imagery, satisfactory results have been obtained for signs of numerals, vowels and consonants. 2. IMPLEMENTATION The goal of this research work is to interpret the signs of Bangla Sign Language. Here we use image processing as a tool [13] to interpret this signs. Hand gesture recognition by image processing is a challenging task. Because till now this types of work are very much under construction and as far we know it is in its starting phase in case of Bangla Sign Language. Bangla Sing Language has two-hand dominant signs for letters and one-hand dominant signs for numbers. Here we focused on both the one-hand dominant and two-hand dominant signs of Bangla Sign Language and develop a system that can recognize the numeric, vowel, consonant signs of Bangla Sign language using image processing. The block diagram of the proposed system is shown in Fig. 1 and the steps involved in this work are outlined below: 1. Convert a RGB image to Binary Image based on some threshold values (Binary conversion). 2. Remove noise from the image (Morphological filtering). 3. Segment the hand gesture from the image. 4. Extract features of the segmented region and store this data in a database (Blob analysis). 5. Train the system for each sign and create statistical database. 6. Recognize the correct sign from the input image by calculating cumulative errors with the data stored in database. Fig. 1: System block diagram 3. IMAGE PROCESSING The following image processing procedures have been implemented in this work. 3.1 IMAGE AQUISITION We capture the images in a constraint environment. Pixel-based skin color segmentation [14, 15, 16] is very sensitive to the environmental effect such as noise and illumination. We use a black cloth as background and our signer has to wear white gloves in his both hand. We capture the image from a constant distance and try to maintain a constant light. 3.2 BINARY CONVERSION After analyzing lots of images we decide a threshold limit. Then using this threshold limit we convert this RGB image to Binary image as seen in Fig. 2. We read the image pixel by pixel and whenever we read a pixel that has the RGB within our threshold limit, we store 1 for this pixel position in an array and for other pixel position we store 0. In this way we obtain a binary image that has 1 for our desired region and 0 for background. RGB image Binary Image Fig. 2: RGB to Binary Conversion We use flood fill algorithm to fill the internal holes of our desired hand posture region. It is important for us to remove noise from the image. Noise means unwanted white pixel outside the desired region. For removing noise we apply Depth First Search algorithm. Then we segment [17] the desired hand region from the image and resize the image by 180 by 50 pixels. 4. FEATURE EXTRACTIONS We calculate the area and the perimeter of the upper right, upper left, lower left, lower right of the segmented region as shown in Fig. 3. Then by summing these areas we calculate the total area and total perimeter of the image. We store the average upper right area, upper left area, lower left area, lower right, total of the segmented region of four images for each sign in our database. Perimeter information is calculated in the same way as given in Fig. 4. Area: A_Total=(A_NW+ A_NE+ A_SW+ A_SE) A _Up=(A_NW+ A_NE) A _Down=(A _SW+ A _SE) A _Right=(A _NW+ A_SW) A _Left=(A _NE+ A_SE) Perimeter: P _Total= (P_NW+ P_NE+ P_SW+ P_SE) P _Up= (P _NW+ P _NE) P _Down= (P _SW+ P _SE) P _Right= (P _NW+ P _SW) Fig. 3: Area and Perimeter of the segmented region 5. SIGN DETECTION METHODS We follow three methods to detect the signs. Among them first one is area comparison, second one is Exclusive -OR template matching and third one is PSNR (Peak Signal to Noise Ratio) comparison. 5.1. DETECTION OF SIGNS BASED ON AREA AND PERIMETER At first we create an area and perimeter database [18] for each sign as mentioned above. Then for the input image, we also calculate its area and perimeter and calculate the cumulative error with those stored in the database. The set of image in the database that corresponds to a given letter and has the lowest cumulative error, revels the highest priority of the correct letter being returned. In Table 1 we show the cumulative error result for five images of sign ?. For each time we calculate the area of the Fig. 4: Area and Perimeter Database input image and then calculate the cumulative error with average area values of each image that is stored in our database. Our system returns the sign id which gives us minimum cumulative error. Here for five input images of sign ?, each time from our database the system returns minimum cumulative error for sign ?. TABLE 1: CUMULATIVE AREA ERROR COMPARISON RESULT FOR FIVE IMAGE OF SIGN ? WITH IMAGES OF OTHER SIGNS Image No: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 1 137.2 340.3 393.1 534.9 518.5 512.8 488.3 341.4 416.0 399.3 360.1 429.9 389.0 330.2 383.3 2 136.0 339.6 386.3 529.8 516.0 515.4 484.7 335.9 412.9 395.8 357.4 429.9 387.4 327.6 384.2 3 138.1 340.4 382.7 529.3 515.7 516.7 483.6 335.4 410.5 393.0 353.3 431.8 385.4 323.9 386.4 4 152.3 334.8 400.1 530.6 517.8 493.5 484.9 357.4 431.7 408.0 361.6 421.4 380.8 338.3 376.6 5 149.8 328.8 388.7 527.3 521.9 499.69 481.8 349.3 424.2 400.6 353.6 426.4 383.3 329.6 380.5 It is seen that for five images of Sign ? each time ? has the minimum cumulative error. 5.2. DETECTION OF SIGNS BASED ON EXCLUSIVE-OR We create an Exclusive OR template image as shown in Fig. 5 for each sign based on the binary images stored in our database and compare it with the input images. For our input image we calculate error with the Exclusive-OR template images stored in our database and detect our desired sign based on the minimum error. The result of Table 2 shows that for five input images of sign ? each time our system return minimum error for sign ? . TABLE 2: ERROR COMPARISON OF EXCLUSIVE OR TEMPLATE MATCHING RESULT FOR FIVE IMAGES OF SIGN ? WITH IMAGES OF OTHER SIGNS Image No: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 1 477 5778 8097 9128 7006 8495 8575 8562 9058 9166 8522 8555 7773 7313 5798 2 230 5773 8104 9119 6989 8630 8612 8671 9033 9229 8479 8460 7592 7450 5807 3 407 5802 8173 9112 6942 8729 8543 8676 8960 9242 8446 8335 7459 7505 5802 4 1271 5808 7949 9078 7060 8661 8449 8570 9108 9142 8314 8327 7415 7415 5902 5 1555 5712 8043 9096 7034 8669 8377 8452 9126 9120 8268 8411 7581 7291 5940 Fig. 5: Exclusive OR template image for sign 4 5.3. DETECTION OF SIGNS BASED ON PSNR COMPARISON The preprocessed input image is compared with all the Exclusive-Or template image of each sign stored in our system based on the definition of Mean Square Error (MSE) and Peak signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) [19 , 20]. The Mean Square Error is given by The Peak Signal to Noise Ratio is given by Our system detect the sign based on the maximum value of PSNR comparison between Exclusive-Or template image for each sign stored in our system and our preprocessed input image. Table3 show the PSNR comparison result for five image of sign ? and each time PSNR comparison result for sign ? is maximum. TABLE 3: PSNR COMPARISON RESULT FOR FIVE IMAGE OF SIGN ? WITH IMAGES OF OTHER SIGNS Image No: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 1 15.76 4.93 3.46 2.94 4.09 3.26 3.22 3.26 2.98 2.93 3.24 3.23 3.64 3.91 4.91 2 16.45 4.91 3.42 2.95 4.13 3.14 3.23 3.21 3.02 2.89 3.28 3.34 3.82 3.79 4.91 3 18.93 4.93 3.46 2.95 4.10 3.19 3.20 3.21 2.99 2.90 3.26 3.27 3.74 3.83 4.91 4 11.51 4.91 3.59 2.97 4.06 3.17 3.28 3.21 2.95 2.94 3.35 3.34 3.85 3.86 4.84 5 10.63 4.98 3.49 2.96 4.08 3.17 3.32 3.25 2.94 2.95 3.37 3.30 3.75 3.92 4.81 We detect the sign based on the combined result of these three detection methods which make our system more accurate. The graphical interface of the proposed system is depicted in Fig. 6. Fig. 6: Graphical Interface of our Software 6. PERFORMANCE ANALYSES Here we work with 10 numeric signs and 5 vowel and 5 consonant signs of bangla sign language. 1. We use 80 images (4 images for every sign) to train our system, including one hand dominant numeric signs and two hand dominant vowel and consonants signs. 2. We taste our system with 255 images, and get almost every sign detected correctly, except for 1 image (shown in Fig. 7). Fig. 7: Sign for 0 3. There are some cases where the detection rate is not satisfactory. This types of signs are shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 8: Images that have almost same shape 7. CONCLUSIONS The Primary focus of this study was to examine image processing as a tool for the conversion of signs of Bangla Sign Language to text. This study is further promising to be used in real-time application to fully recognize all the letter of Bangla Sign language. This can be further developed into a system which can be integrated in to the upcoming telecommunication devices with cameras to bridge the communication gap between the hearing and deaf/hard of hearing communities. System can be enhanced in terms of increase in the data processing speed and data storage by using the compression techniques and feature extraction techniques. REFERENCES [1]Klima, E. Bellugi, U. (1979) The Signs of Language, Harvard University Press: Cambridge, MA. [2] Centre for Disability in Development. cdd.org.bd [3] L. Bretzner, I. Laptev, T. Lindeberg, S. Lenman, Y. Sundblad, A Prototype System for Computer vision based Human Computer Interaction, Technical report, Stockholm, Sweden, 2001. [4] C. M. Glenn, M. Eastman, and G. Paliwal, â€Å"A new digital image compression algorithm base on nonlinear dynamical system,† IADAT International Conference on Multimedia, Image Processing and Computer Vision, Conference Proceedings, March 2005. [5]. Mohammed Waleed Kadous. GRASP: Recognition of Australian sign language using instrumented gloves. Honours Thesis, 1995. [6] Gonzalez, R. C., Woods, R. E. Digital Image Processing, 2nd Edition. [7] T. Agrawal, S. Chaudhuri, â€Å"Gesture Recognition Using Position and Appearance Features,† International Conference on Image Processing, pp. 109-112, 2003. [8] J. Davis, M. Shah, â€Å"Visual Gesture Recognition†, Vision, Image and Signal Precessing. IEE Proceedings -Volume 141, Issue 2, Page(s):101 106 , Apr 1994 [9] R. Cutler, M. Turk. â€Å"View based Interpretation of Real ­time Optical Flow for Gesture Recognition,† 3rd IEEE Conf. on Face and Gesture Recognition, Nara, Japan, April 1998. [10] Ming-Hsuan Yang, Ahuja, N., Tabb, M, â€Å"Extraction of 2D motion trajectories and its application to hand gesture recognition†, Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, IEEE Transactions on, Volume: 24 Issue: 8, , pp. 1061 -1074, Aug 2002. [11] D. Yarowsky, â€Å"Gesture recognition using recurrent neural networks,† Journal of the ACM, pp. 237–242, January 1991. [12] Becky Sue Parton, â€Å"Sign Language Recognition and Translation: A Multidiscipline Approach From the Field of Artificial Intelligence†, Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education Advance Access published September 28, 2005. [13] mathworks.com/ matlabcentral [14] D. Chai and A. Bouzerdoum. A Bayesian Approach to Skin Color Classi?cation in YCbCr Color Space. In Proc. 10th IEEE Conf. on Region, pages 421–424, 2000. [15] Mayank Bomb, IT-BHU, â€Å"Color Based Image Segmentation using Mahalnobis Distance in the YCbCr Color Space for Gesture Recognition†, IEEE India Council ,MV Chauhan Student Paper Contest 2002. [16] D. Chai and A. Bouzerdoum. A Bayesian Approach to Skin Color Classi?cation in YCbCr Color Space. In Proc. 10th IEEE Conf. on Region, pages 421–424, 2000. [17] Mark Tabb and Narendra Ahuja, â€Å"Multiscale Image Segmentation by Integrated Edge and Region Detection†, IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, vol. 6, no. 5, May 1997. [18] Furst, J., et.al, Database Design for American Sign Language. Proceedings of the ISCA 15th International Conference on Computers and Their Applications, 427-430, 2000. [19] Divya Mandloi, â€Å"Implementation of Image Processing Approach to Translation of ASL Finger-Spelling to Digital Text,† Rochester Institute of Technology: The Laboratory for Advanced Communications Technology, 2006. [20] Kanthi Sarella and Chance M. Glenn, â€Å"Formulation of an Image Processing Technique for Improving Sign2 Performance,† International Telecommunications Education and Research Association (ITERA) Fourth Annual Conference on Telecommunications Information Technology, Las Vegas, March 19-20, 2006. Research Papers on Recognition of Bangla Sign Language Alphabets by Image ProcessingAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeMind TravelComparison: Letter from Birmingham and Crito19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraOpen Architechture a white paperQuebec and CanadaBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductPETSTEL analysis of India

Sharing Content On Social Media More Than Once Slide Deck

Sharing Content On Social Media More Than Once Slide Deck Download slide deck†¦ Sharing your content on social media more than once is one of the best ways to hack your content and bring more traffic to your blog. Its true–just look at this simple chart: Double the traffic. Bam! One of the biggest mistakes we make as bloggers is to give our content the one-tweet treatment. We slave away on our post for hours to only share it with our audience once. This might be costing you traffic. Of course, even if you are already sharing your post more than once – is it really enough? Are your messages as effective as they should be? This week, we are officially releasing this comprehensive (and free) slide deck to tackle these questions head on. In the slides, we outline a step-by-step process for  sharing your post more than once via social media in a way that wont make you look like a spammer or an over-the-top self promoter. It really isnt enough to just promote your content more than once. You need to know how to do it right. Free Slide Deck: How To Share Your Post More Than Once Via Social MediaHow Do I Share Content On Social Media  More Than Once?   The first step in the process really comes down to developing the right type of social sharing schedule. As Ive shared before, the process we use here at looks something like this. Once our blog post goes live, the following sharing schedule immediately takes effect. On publish  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Social message sent when blog post goes live Same day  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Initial social messages trickle out to your accounts over the next 2-3 hours. Next day  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Messages are shared again on the appropriate social channels. Next week  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Another series of messages are pre-scheduled and sent the following week. Next month  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Even more social messages are pre-scheduled for the following month. Next _____  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Additional messages can optionally be scheduled for the three-month mark or beyond. Of course, this isnt an exact science. We occasionally (ok, frequently) modify this schedule to suit the content and subject that we are sharing. In fact, we have several evergreen posts that are still shared several times per week, even if it has been months since they were originally published. Another good example of a post that deviated form this schedule was our post about  11 Content Marketing Misconceptions That Make You Sound Dumb. Because this post included 11 different tips that each had their own unique image/cartoon, we spread out the social messages over many weeks, slowly dripping out each unique image. This method of reposting blog content brought us a steady stream of traffic and made it one of the best performing blog posts of the month all because we took the time to properly promote our content on social media. Do This Instead Of Writing Your Next Blog Post Recently, I have started giving writers the permission they need to write less content. That may surprise you. For many years, quantity was king. The more content you could muster, the better. This isnt the case anymore. Now, quality matters, and Google is pretty serious about making people understand that. When it comes to writing your next blog post, put the writing on hold, and spend some time promoting a previous piece of content instead.   To do this, make sure that your social media schedule is well cared for. Are you sharing your content on an even schedule, or are some messages being clumped together? Are your messages unique, or are they just repeating the same old headline and link? Are you missing some big opportunities for reposting blog content? The key is to identify and respond to sharing opportunities that you currently arent taking advantage of, filling in the gaps with great content that you already have in your arsenal. Before you go on creating another piece of content, make sure youve promoted your other stuff well. Before you create another piece of content, make sure that youve promoted the rest of it well.When Sharing Content On Social Media, How Do I Create Something Others Will Share? When reposting our content, not only do we need to share our content more than once, but we need to add some variety to what we are posting as well. It takes very little effort to create a Tweet of Facebook post that uses nothing more than a headline and link. Anyone can do that, and more than likely, youve done it a time or two as well. Try mixing this up. In the slide deck above, we actually outline several new methods that you can use to mix-up your social media content. There are many types of messages that you can choose from. Direct and easy (post title and link) Ask a question (stir up conversation) Cite a fact (from the post itself) Share a quote (like a blockquote) And Intrigue (something special is inside) These simple messages types are easy to learn and remember, and can be quickly adopted by any team. Download the slides, commit them to memory, and make sure to incorporate these types of messages in your social sharing plans. How Do I Optimize My Content For Each Network?

What Is the PreACT

What Is the PreACT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Finally, a practice test from the ACT with a name that doesn't include a corny inspirational verb! That's right - the ACT is rolling out a new test called the PreACT this upcoming school year. It's similar to its SAT counterpart, the PSAT, although not exactly the same. In this article, I'll tell you what's on the PreACT, how its different from the PSAT, and what it means for you as a student. What Is the PreACT? The ACT recently announced that it will be adding a new test to its repertoire: the PreACT. It's a multiple-choice test aimed at preparing 10th grade students for the ACT. This new test seems poised to emerge as a competitor for the PSAT, although the ACT claims this was not the intention behind its creation. The ACT retired the ACT Explore (for 8th and 9th graders) and ACT Plan (for 10th graders) tests in 2014 to make way for the new ACT Aspire program (which is a set of standardized tests spanning grades 3-10).The PreACT is different from ACT Aspire tests because it serves as a way for students to see direct score predictionsbased on the same scale and content as the regular ACT. The PreACT has the same four multiple-choice sections as the regular ACT: English, Math, Reading, and Science. There is no Writing section. The test is also scored the same way as the regular ACT, on a scale from 1-36. The main difference is that it's considerably shorter. While the regular ACT is 2 hours and 55 minutes long (3 hours 35 minutes if you add the Writing section), the PreACT is only 1 hour and 55 minutes long. The questions on the exam will be questions from past ACTs that have been reformulated, so the difficulty level of the test is on par with the regular ACT. The point of the test is to help students get a better sense of where they would score on the real ACT and how much more they need to prepare before taking it. The PreACT will debut in the 2016-2017 school year. Schools and districts can choose to administer the test anytime between September 1st and June 1st. The changing of the seasons has no bearing on the PreACT. It is timeless. It is all around us. How Is the PreACT Different from the PSAT? The PreACT is different from the PSAT in a couple of significant ways. First of all, there's no scholarship competition associated with the PreACT. Its sole purpose is to prepare students for the ACT; scores will not have any direct effects on the college admissions process. It's genuinely just a practice tool. Another difference is that the test wil cost slightly less than the PSAT - it's $12 per student rather than $15. The SAT and the ACT are currently in a contentious battle for a greater share of the standardized testing market, so this move appears to be an attempt to further undercut the dominance of the PSAT. Schools can also administer the PreACT whenever they want during the year, whereas the PSAT has a specific October testing date with only one alternate date available. Offering greater flexibility is most likely another appeal to students and school districts who might be frustrated with the rigidity of the PSAT testing schedule. Students will be able to see the original PreACT questions and their answers within two weeks of taking the test. This is a much faster turnaround than the PSAT, which typically doesn't release scores until six weeks after the test. Your results will be piping hot when they're delivered. Don't burn your tongue. Remember, eating the score report is the only way to truly eliminate your mistakes. What Does This Mean for You? Ok, there's a new official practice test for the ACT. So what? Well, if you plan on taking the ACT as a junior, you might consider taking the PreACT in 10th grade to augment your prep efforts. Since it's made up of actual ACT questions, it will give you an accurate estimate of your score level and help diagnose your weaknesses so you can study strategically. Based on what we know about the PreACT so far, however, you should view it as an option rather than a necessity. If you're a motivated studier, you can take timed ACT practice tests, assess your mistakes, and get the same information about your strengths and weaknesses without handing over the cash equivalent of two Chipotle burritos. If you're more of a procrastinator, it might be a good idea to sign up for the PreACT. It will help you get familiar with the format of the ACT earlier than you would otherwise, and it does the grunt work of assessing your areas of weakness so you can start fixing them. Dust off that tool kit sitting in the back of your brain, and create a DIY masterpiece. What's Next? Do you really have to start preparing for standardized tests this early?Find out whether you should start studying for the ACT in 10th grade or hold off until a bit later. If you plan on taking the SAT instead of the ACT, you actually have two practice test options in 10th grade. Learn more about the difference between the PSAT 10 and the PSAT/NMSQT. When should you take the ACT for the first time? This article will give you the tools to decide on the best test date for your ACT debut. 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.

Develop and describe your personal theory of human development, Essay

Develop and describe your personal theory of human development, drawing from and citing the theorists and theories studied in classes - Essay Example The different clusters of theories provide useful insight among people and societies, in not only human growth or development, but also thought and behavior. Freud Sigmund was among the core proprietors of psychoanalytic theories relative to human development. Freud’s believe was that experiences as child affected a person’s overall development even as a youth. This belief influenced other psychologists who put additional effort on Freud’s theory. Consequentially, other psychologists came up with their own theories such as the eight-stage theory of human development by Erikson (Saul, 2013). Today, these theories are more prevalent and popular in cognitive development studies. Behaviorism, a commonly known school of thought today, became popular early in the 20th Century and after introduction in the faculty of psychology, learning theories have become prevalent too. The reason was that psychologists studying behavior felt the urge to put extensive attention on observable and quantifiable behaviors. This did not only create a different perception on human development but also made psychology appear as a more scientific discipline. Relatively, learning theories under a behavioral perspective focus on environmental influences that impact on human development. However, some of the behaviorists argue that erudition transpires only through developments of interaction and fortification. Bandura’s theories are entirely against this perception and lean mainly on the effects of observational learning. Lastly, the cognitive theories of human development focus on how the thinking process and psychological procedures stimulates a person’s development and transformation. Among the most renowned theorists of cognitive human development is Jean Piaget who formed her foundation on the notion that children do not receive information alone but are also scientists who have different perception of the world from their understanding and individually