Overview Of Vowels And Consonants

Overview Of Vowels And Consonants Language is an organization of sounds, of vocal symbols-the sounds produced from the mouth with the help of various organs of speech to convey some meaningful message. Language has a very important social purpose, because it is mainly used for linguistic communication. It is the most powerful, convenient and permanent means and form of communication. A language can be used in two ways for the purposes of communication. It can be spoken or written but the medium of speech is more important than writing. This is because speech comes first in the history of any language community in fact, it came centuries before writing in the history of any language community. Secondly, speech comes first in the history of any individual. We started speaking long before we started writing. Speech as a medium of communication is used much more than the medium of writing. I n every language, a letter of the alphabet represents a particular sound. Lastly, modern technology has contributed tremendously t o the importance of speech- modern inventions like the telephone, the radio, the tape recorder and several such devices have raised problems of communication primarily concerned with speech. Linguistics is a systematic study of language. Phonetics is a branch of linguistics and it is the branch dealing with the medium of speech. It deals with the production, transmission and reception of the sounds of human speech. For the production of speech sounds, we need an air-stream mechanism. There are three main air-stream mechanisms, such as, pulmonic, glottalic and velaric air-stream mechanisms. When the air-stream mechanism is used to push out, it is called egressive and when it is used to draw air in, it is called ingressive. Most sounds of most languages in the world are produced with a pulmonic egressive air-stream mechanism. The author described in detail the various organs that are responsible for converting the lung-air into speech sounds before it escapes into the outer atmosphere. For instance, if we say a prolonged ssss, a prolonged zzzz, a prolonged ffff and a prolonged vvvv, we see at once two things. We recognize these as speech sounds because these sounds occur i n the various words we use in our English speech. The other thing we notice is that each one of these sounds is different from the others. Speech sounds are very broadly divided into two categories, namely, Vowels and Consonants. If we say the English word shoe, we realize that this word is made up of two sounds, one represented by the letters sh and the other represented by the letters oe. When we produce the sound represented by the letters sh slowly, we realize that during the production of this sound, the air escapes through the mouth with friction. On the other hand, when we produce the sound represented by the letters oe, the air escapes through the mouth freely and we do not hear any friction. The sound is represented by the letters sh in the word shoe is a consonant and the sound represented by the letters oe in the word shoe is a vowel. All sounds during the production of which we hear friction are consonants, but not all consonants are produced with friction. If we say the words, she, shoe, shy, show, ship and shout, we will realize that when we produce the sounds represented by the letters e, oe, y, ow, i and ou in these words, the air escapes through the mouth freely without any friction. All these sounds are therefore vowels but each one of them sounds different from the others. These sounds should therefore be sub-classified. Similarly, if we say the words shoe, see, zoo and who, we will hear friction during the production of the sounds represented by the letters sh, s, z and wh. All these sounds are therefore consonants. But once again, we will see that each of them sounds different from the others. The sounds that are called consonants also need to be sub-classified. Description of Consonants: The word consonant has been derived from the Greek word consonautem, which means the sound produced with the help of some other sound (vowel). A consonant is usually described, taking into account whether it is voiceless or voiced, its place of articulation and its manner of articulation. Manner of articulation refers to the stricture involved and plosive, affricate, nasal, fricative, etc; are labels given to consonants according to their manner of articulation. Place of articulation just means the two articulators involved in the production of a consonant. Consonants can be described according to their places of articulation. The label used is normally an adjective derived from the name of the passive articulator. The places of articulation that we frequently come across are bilabial, labio-dental, dental, alveolar, post-alveolar, palato-alveolar, retroflex, palatal, velar, uvular and glottal. The classification of sounds into vowels and consonants is customary irrespective of phonetic, phonological, or orthographic references. The current classification following Pike divides the sounds into vocoids (vowel sounds), contoids (consonant sounds) and semi-vocoids or semi-contoids (for example; /w/ and /j/ in English). The terms contoids and vocoids refer to phonetic form only, without any reference to phonological function. A vocoid, according to Pike, is a segment formed with an open approximation of the articulators, with or without a velic closure, and with central passage or air-stream. All other segments are contoids. In English, there can be syllabic vocoids, non-syllabic vocoids, syllabic contoids and non-syllabic contoids. Syllabic vocoids are all vowel sounds; they function as syllable nuclei. Phonetically, the vocoids are vowels and their phonological function is that of a syllabic vocoid. Non-syllabic vocoids are the sounds which are phonetically vocoids but phonologically are contoids. Syllabic contoids are the sounds which are phonetically contoids but their phonological function is that of syllabic nucleus, that is, they represent the V element in the structure of a syllable. Non-syllabic contoids are the sounds that phonetically are contoids and phonologically represent the C element in the structure of a syllable. A description of consonantal sounds, according to A.C.Gimson, must provide answers to the following questions:- Is the air-stream set in motion by the lungs or by some other means (pulmonic or non-pulmonic)? Is the air-stream forced outwards or sucked inwards (egressive or ingressive)? Do the vocal cords vibrate or not (voiced or voiceless)? Is the soft palate raised or lowered? Or, does the air pass through the oral cavity (mouth) or the nasal cavity (nose)? At what point or points and between what organs does the closure or narrowing take place (Place of articulation)? What is the type of closure or narrowing at the point of articulation (Manner of articulation)? Thus, the description of a consonant will include five kinds of information: 1.) The nature of air-stream mechanism, 2.) The state of the glottis, 3.) The position of the soft palate, 4.) The articulators involved- the active articulator and the passive articulator and 5.) The nature of stricture involved regarding its production. The Nature of Air-Stream Mechanism: All English sounds, vowels as well as consonants, are produced with a Pulmonic egressive air-stream mechanism, that is, the lung-air pushed out. The State of the Glottis: Speech sounds can be classified as voiceless or voiced, depending upon whether the vocal cords are wide apart and the glottis is wide open (voiceless) or the vocal cords are kept loosely together and they vibrate (voiced). The Position of the Soft Palate: Speech sounds can be classified as oral or nasal, depending upon whether the soft-palate is raised so as to shut off the nasal passage of air (oral) or it is lowered to open the nasal passage of air simultaneously with an oral closure (nasal). Sounds can also be nasalised. The Articulators Involved-the Active and Passive Articulators: Of the various articulators described in the chapter, at least two are required for the production of any speech sound; some articulators move during the production of speech sounds. These are termed as active articulators. Certain other articulators remain passive and the active articulators move in the direction of these. These are termed as passive articulators. The Nature of Stricture Involved: The term stricture refers to the way in which the passage of air is restricted by the various organs of speech. The stricture may be one of complete closure, that is, the active and passive articulators come into firm contact with each other, thus preventing the lung-air from escaping through the mouth. Simultaneously, there is a velic closure, that is, the soft palate is raised, thereby shutting off the nasal passage of air. Thus, the lung-air is blocked in the mouth. When the oral closure is released, that is, when the active articulator is suddenly removed from the passive articulator, the air escapes with a small explosive noise. Sounds produced with a stricture of complete closure and sudden release are called plosives. If the active articulator is removed slowly from the passive articulator, instead of the explosive noise that is characteristic of plosive consonants, friction will be heard. Description of Vowels: Vowels may be defined with an open approximation without any obstruction, partial or complete, in the air passage. They are referred to as vocoids in phonetics. They can be described in terms of three variables: Height of tongue. Part of the tongue which is raised or lowered. Lip-rounding. So vocoids are normally classified according to these three criteria: tongue-height (high, mid, low, or close, half-close, half-open and open), tongue-advancement (front, central, back) and lip-rounding (rounded and unrounded). In order to describe the vowels, we usually draw three points in the horizontal axes: front, central and back, referring to the part of the tongue which is the highest. So, we have : Front vowels, during the production of which the front of the tongue is raised towards the hard palate. For example; / i, i: , e: , a / in Hindi, and / i, i: , e , à ¦ / in English as in sit, seat, set, and sat respectively. Back vowels, during the production of which the back of the tongue is raised towards the soft palate. For example; / o: , u , u: ,/ in Hindi, and / a: , Ɇ , ɆÃƒâ€¹Ã‚  , u , u: / in English as in cart, cot, caught, book and tool respectively. Central vowels, during the production of which the central part of the tongue ( the part between the front and the back) is raised. For example; / Éâ„ ¢ / in Hindi, and / Éâ„ ¢ , Éâ„ ¢: , ÊŒ / in English as in about, earth and but respectively. O n the vertical axis, we usually draw four points: close, half-close, half-open, and open. They are also referred to as high, high mid, mid (middle), low mid, and low by some phoneticians, especially the American phoneticians. On the basis of the vertical axes, we have the following types of vowels. A close vowel is one for which the tongue is as close to the roof of mouth as possible. For example; / i: / in sea and / u: / in zoo. An open vowel is one which is produced with the tongue as low as possible and the jaws are wide open. For example, / a: / in card and / Ɇ / in hot. We can describe a vowel by using a three term label, indicating the height, the direction (advancement) of the tongue, and the position of the lips. For example; / a: / in the English word, arm, back, open, unrounded vowel. / Ɇ / in the English word, hot, back, open, rounded vowel. / i: / in the English word, need, front, close, unrounded vowel. / u / in the English word, tooth, back, close, rounded vowel. To describe the vowel sound, we mention whether it is open or close, half-close or half-open, front or back or central, long or short, whether the tongue is tense or lax while the vowel is being pronounced, and whether lips are spread, neutral, open rounded, or close rounded. All English vowels are voiced. So, for every vowel, we must state that it is voiced. Hence, to sum up, the main point of a language is to convey information. Nowadays, language can take various forms. It can be spoken or written. Peter Ladefoged also talked in his book that speech is the common way of using language. Another aspect of speech that is not part of language is the way speech conveys information about the speakers attitude to life, the subject under discussion and the person spoken to. The final kind of non-linguistic information conveyed by speech is the identity of the speaker. You can often tell the identity of the person who is speaking without looking at them. But then again, we may be wrong. Whenever we speak, we create a disturbance in the air around us, a sound wave, which is a small but rapid variation in air pressure spreading through the air. Speech sounds such as vowels can differ in pitch, loudness and quality. We can say the vowel a as in father on any pitch within the range of our voice. We can also say it softly or loudly without altering the pitch. And we can say as many different vowels as we can, without altering either the pitch or the loudness. The pitch of the sound depends on the rate of repetition of the changes in air pressure. The loudness of the sound depends on the size of the variations in air pressure. The third way in which sounds can differ is in quality, sometimes called timbre. The vowel in see differs in quality from the first vowel in father., irrespective of whether it also differs in pitch or loudness. Thus, Peter Ladefoged in his book has discussed the principal constraints on the evolution of the sounds of the worlds languages, which are ease of articulation, auditory distinctiveness, and gestural economy. He also discussed the differences between speech and language, and has also outlined some of the main acoustic distinctions among sounds; and how one of the acoustic distinctions, that corresponding to pitch, is used in the worlds languages.

A Strategic Analysis of Toyota Motor Corporation Essays -- Competitive

Understanding Strategic Management A Strategic Analysis of Toyota Motor Corporation Industry: Automotive Industry CONTENTS ABOUT TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION PAGE 3 EXTERNAL STRATEGIC ANALYSIS:- PESTEL PORTER’S FIVE FORCE ANALYSIS COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS PAGE 3, 4, 5 AND 6 INTERNAL STRATEGIC ANALYSIS:- SWOT ANALYSIS PORTER’S VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS PAGE 6, 7 AND 8 STRATEGY FORMULATION:- PORTER’S GENERIC OPTION ANALYSIS ANSOFF MATRIX ANALYSIS PAGE 8,9 AND 10 RECOMMENDATIONS PAGE 10 CONCLUSION PAGE 10 REFERENCES PAGE 11 LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES TABLE OF FINANCIAL REPORT OF TOYOTA PAGE 3 TABLE OF COMPARISON OF TOYOTA AND HONDA PAGE 6 DIAGRAM OF PORTER’S GENERIC OPTION ANALYSIS PAGE 8 DIAGRAM OF ANSOFF MATRIX PAGE 9 About Toyota Motor Corporation Toyota Motor Corporation is a Japan based company, whose headquarters are located in Aichi Prefecture. The company was founded by Kiichiri Toyoda in 1937. Currently the company’s CEO is Akio Toyoda. Toyota is basically into cars and it is one of the top players in the world in this industry. Toyota also owns two other brands namely Lexus and Scion, which gives the company a lot of advantage over it’s other competitors. Toyota manufactures sedans, saloons, suvs, muvs, pick-up trucks and buses. During the year 2013 Toyota had approximately 333,498 employees, who were working globally. In March 2013, Toyota was ranked as the thirteenth biggest organization globally in terms of its revenue. In the following table we can see the financial report of Toyota Motor Corporation in the year 2013- REVENUE 22.064 TRILLION YENS OPERATING INCOME 1.320 TRILLION YENS NET ... ...bile.asp. [Accessed 15 December 2013]. Toyota . 2013. Toyota . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/FenellaAndrade/toyota-9167108. [Accessed 15 December 2013]. Pestle for Toyota. 2013. Pestle for Toyota. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/133979217/Pestle-for-Toyota. [Accessed 15 December 2013]. Strategic management Toyota case study. 2013. Strategic management Toyota case study. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/ArioArdianto/strategic-management-toyota-case-study-27410014. [Accessed 15 December 2013]. Competitive Analysis. 2013. Competitive Analysis. [ONLINE] Available at: http://dana.ucc.nau.edu/~toyota-p/competitive_analysis.htm. [Accessed 15 December 2013]. 2013. [ONLINE] Available at: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0a7ka0j0JC2mYIyBaoVjtZScXhG1poBdOPnJuHb7kJbEf_DDTi_9zPVSuXO5Avr14-rlPLXTGBC18RVNjZdbdV7OdamHjiQoD8sfbaHnWdPka8pojSWhSL_0H3TePNUD3hyphenhyphenVFghrCsk/s1600/Ansoff+Matrix.jpg. [Accessed 15 December 2013].

Big Time Toymaker Case Scenario Essay

1. At what point, if ever, did the parties have a contract? I do not think the two parties involved ever had a contract. In the scenario, the parties reached an agreement only three days before the end of a 90-day deadline set in the original negotiation contract. In the original negotiation contract, it states that there would be no distribution contract unless it was in writing. When the BTT manager sent the e-mail to Chou, he mentioned the terms of a distribution agreement, but it does not make the email a contract as neither party signed it. Only an oral agreement was reached. Without a legally binding draft and the signature of both parties present, no contract existed. 2. What facts may weigh in favor of or against Chou in terms of the parties’ objective intent to contract? BTT had paid Chou $25,000 for the exclusive negotiation rights to his board game which lead Chou to believe they were serious about coming to an agreement on a distribution contract. This is a fact that would weigh in favor of Chou. However, both parties only made an oral agreement, and not a written contract to show this fact. Since the contract was not drafted within the original 90-day period, the new management was not obligated to distribute the board game and therefore, had every right to turn Chou away instead of honoring the oral contract. 3. Does the fact that the parties were communicating by e-mail have any impact on your analysis in Questions 1 and 2 (above)? No, it did not have any impact on my analysis of the situation. E-mail is a form of electronic communication, not a written and signed contract. While both parties may have communicated their intentions and terms of the contract, they never printed and signed any form of a written agreement. This factor makes all of the difference when it comes to enforceable contracts. What BTT and Chou had was not a binding or enforceable contract. 4. What role does the statute of frauds play in this contract? Under the UCC, the statue of fraud applies to a contract for the sales of goods in excess of $500. The negotiations between BTT and Chou were over $500, so the statues of fraud would apply here. Under UCC laws, the statue of fraud applies when a contract cannot be fulfilled within one year’s time. Under these stipulations, the statute would apply. 5. Could BTT avoid this contract under the doctrine of mistake? Explain. Would either party have any other defenses that would allow the contract to be avoided? BTT would not be able to avoid this contract under the doctrine of mistake. A mistake is defined under contract law as the belief that is not in accord with the facts. A â€Å"mistake† was not defined anywhere within this scenario. BTT has only one real defense and that would be that no contract was ever reached in writing nor signed by both parties. The fact that no signatures on a contract ever existed would be a defense that Chou never agreed to the terms and conditions. Chou could argue that there was no existed agreement due to the time passed between communications of the two parties involved. 6. Assuming, arguendo, that this e-mail does constitute an agreement, what consideration supports this agreement? The fact that BTT gave a check for $25,000 for the exclusive negotiating rights shows that BTT intended to reach a contract with Chou. The two parties also reached an oral agreement, but oral agreements are hard to enforce in court. BTT had also sent Chou a fax asking him to send them a draft of a contract for the distribution agreements. At the end of the scenario, BTT states that it is not interested in distributing Chou’s new strategy game, Strat. Assuming BTT and Chou have a contract, and BTT has breached the contract by not distributing the game, discuss what remedies might or might not apply. Equitable remedies may have applied in this case. Chou would be able to seek compensatory damages for his losses. These losses could include out-of-pocket expenses and even loss of potential profits had BTT honored their portion of the contract.

buy custom Hospice Care essay

buy custom Hospice Care essay The interviews helped bring out the need for team work in a care facility. The nurse, clergy representative and doctors in the facility had to form a team with precise roles for each patient. These roles complement each other and sometimes overlap depending on a patients needs. Nevertheless, they must at all times be harmonious and clearly defined. The clergy should never take up nursing duties; the nurse should not assume diagnostic and treatment decisions in the absence of the doctor. The team must work alongside each other and together with the family members in facilitating a comprehensive care for the patients. The doctors roles include putting a patient on pain medication, conducting regular tests and examinations, choosing a medical course of action to help the patient, discussing options with the family of the patient etc. The nurse on the other hand has to facilitate a hygienic stay of a patient, record health status changes of as patient and aggravation of certain symptoms, counseling the patient out of stressful moods, give the patient assigned medication, inform the family about the patients progress etc. The clergy will assume advisory, counseling, comforting and encouraement role to help the patient work on his or her spiritual well being. Comprehensive Hospice Care. Both the clergy representative and the oncology nurse agreed to the fact that the care of a dying a person must be multifaceted. If the clergy representative is not present for instance, it is important for the nurse to assume that role momentarily and keep the patient encouraged. There is need to cater for physical, psychological and spiritual needs of the patient. Only when all the needs of a patient are catered for can hospice care be deemed adequate. This requires team work and cooperation between care givers and the family. It is important to note that both interviewees agreed to the pertinent need for effective communication between the patient, family members and caregivers. The patient and family members must be helped to understand about the condition and developments. The care given must also be explained to the patient so that the patient knows why everything is being done. The caregivers must also be responsive to any desires of the patient and the family in a way that helps the patient more comfortable. The nurse noted that even when the patient is unable to respond or show comprehension siigns, the care givers must continue speaking kindly, lovingly and in simplified sentences to the patient since most patients can listen despite being silent. The narrative above is based on the interview results with an oncology nurse and a clergy representative, both of who works in a facility caring for dying persons. The care provided seems apt for the 21st Century needs of dying persons, if and only if, the staff employed at the facility understand the needs of a dying person and the process of dying itself. As both interviewees agreed, the 21st Century has seen an unprecedented rise in patient with terminal diseases like cancer and HIV/Aids. This means that more and more people, from all walks of life, must be fitted into a caregivers practice with emphasize on personal needs (such as spiritual nourishment in all faiths and doctrines) for each patient. As seen from the interview, communication, care, love, understanding and spiritual well being are central to the care of dying people today. Both the medical and the spiritual staff of such a facility have very distinct and sometimes overlapping roles to play in facilitating a comfortable, less agonizing dying process for the patient. Buy custom Hospice Care essay

What to See at the 10 Best London Museums

What to See at the 10 Best London Museums SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips London has many attractions, but almost all visitors to the city will carve out time for its world-class museums. Many of London’s museums, spanning history, art, science, and more, contain some of the largest collections in their field, as well as many historical and priceless pieces. Other museums are smaller and more intimate, showing individual stories of Londoners through the ages. This guide explores the ten best museums in London. It’s organized into history museums, art museums, as well as off-the-beaten-track museums. In addition to describing the museum’s collections and standout pieces, the descriptions include each museum’s hours, costs (most of the museums on this list are free!), and the closest tube station to help you get around. London truly has a museum for all types, and this list contains museums that will appeal to history buffs, art aficionados, science geeks, garden lovers, and more. The Best London History Museums London has one of the richest histories of any city. The collections of these museums span prehistory to the modern age, and they showcase artifacts from London, the whole of the United Kingdom, and places, past and present, around the world. Entrance to the Natural History Museum The British Museum Hours: Open daily from 10AM-5:30PM and until 8:30PM on Fridays Cost: Free (Some temporary exhibitions charge a fee) Closest Tube Stations: Tottenham Court Road and Holborn If you can only visit one museum in London, make it the British Museum, the most visited museum in the city and one of the world’s great museums. With roughly 8 million pieces, the British Museum’s massive collection includes works from Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Oceania, and the Americas. The British Museum specializes in ancient history and has some of the world’s most extensive collections from ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, ancient Rome, Assyria, and Mesopotamia. Two of the museum’s most famous pieces are from their ancient history collections. The first is the Rosetta Stone, used to decipher the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic language, a huge moment in the historical world. The second is the Parthenon Marbles, also known as the Elgin Marbles because they were brought from Greece by the Earl of Elgin. These marbles once adorned buildings on Athen’s Acropolis such as the Parthenon, and there is a longstanding debate on whether they should be returned to Greece. Despite the controversy, the huge marble friezes, adorned with classical Greek sculptures, are beautiful to see. This large museum spans three floors and contains nearly 100 galleries. There are maps inside, but it can be helpful, especially if you’re short on time, to review floor plans of the museum so you know where to go and what to see once you arrive. The British Museum was established in 1753, and in many ways it’s an old-school museum. There are not many interactive exhibits, and most pieces are exhibited in standard glass cases with labels describing their history and importance. This can cause children and non-museum people to get bored after awhile. However, many of the museum’s pieces are so historically important and beautiful to see that every visitor to London should at least stop by for an hour or so to marvel at pieces from all over the world. Additionally, entrance to the museum is free, although some temporary British Museum exhibitions do charge a fee; you can book tickets for these online. Also, the British Museum’s hours are extended on Fridays if you’re looking for something to do in the evening. If you’d like help navigating the museum, there are regular tours held throughout the day focusing on different parts of the collection. Some of these tours are free while others you have to pay for and book online ahead of time. The British Museum’s website has information on all tour times and prices. Museum of London Hours: Open daily from 10AM-6PM Cost: Free (Some temporary exhibitions charge a fee) Closest Tube Stations: Barbican and St. Paul’s For those who want their museum to have a narrower focus, the Museum of London does an excellent job of chronicling the history of the city from the prehistoric age to modern day. The museum has a large collection, with over 6 million objects, but because it only focuses on the history of London, as opposed to the history of many world regions, it can feel more straightforward and less overwhelming to visit. There is only one route through the galleries which take you in chronological order through London's history. The exhibitions start with prehistoric London and include part of a 200,000-year-old mammoth jaw, a 6,000-year-old axehead made from jadeite, and an Iron Age chariot decorated with intricate Celtic-style designs. The galleries then continue through the history of London, covering the Roman era, Medieval London, the Black Plague, the Great Fire of London, the Victorian era, the Industrial Age, modern London, and more. Each gallery contains numerous artifacts from the time period it covers. In fact, the Museum of London contains the world’s largest urban history collection. Some highlights of the museum include a large collection of Medieval jewelry, the death mask of Oliver Cromwell, and the Lord Mayor’s State Coach from the 18th century. The Museum of London is highly interactive with quizzes, touchscreens, props to try on, and recreations of Victorian streets and pleasure gardens that visitors can walk through. Appropriately, the museum is located within one of the oldest parts of the city, a few blocks from St. Paul’s Cathedral. The building (which has plans to move within the next few years) is flanked by the remains of a Roman wall, so you’ll be looking at historical objects before you even set foot in the door. Imperial War Museum Hours: Open daily from 10AM-6PM Cost: Free (Some temporary exhibitions charge a fee) Closest Tube Stations: Waterloo and Elephant Castle Spanning the start of World War I to present day, London’s Imperial War Museum puts a human face on the impacts of war and armed conflicts. Though the museum now has exhibits on all modern armed conflicts Britain and the Commonwealth have been involved in, it originally only covered World War I, and this period is still a major focus of the museum. When you enter the museum, you’ll be greeted by multiple large military artifacts, including tanks, guns, and aircraft hanging from the ceiling. The most extensive galleries in the museum, on the first and second floors, cover World War I and World War II. To show the effect war had on individuals and to make its impact more personal and relatable, the museum presents stories and artifacts from individual people instead of focusing primarily on strings of numbers or lists of battles. Individual stories from both the front lines and the home front are included. The collection includes letters written to and by soldiers, trench art, souvenirs brought home from battles, and historical photographs, as well as large collections of badges, weapons, and uniforms. Highlights include a rifle owned by Lawrence of Arabia, a pistol of Winston Churchill’s, and a Union Flag recovered from the wreckage of the World Trade Towers. As you move to the upper floors, the tone gets noticeably darker. Galleries cover atrocities of the Holocaust, the history of antisemitism in Europe, and modern warfare and ethnic violence. This is not a museum for children (the Holocaust exhibition is restricted to visitors ages 14 and older), nor is it a museum for people looking for a light and cheery way to spend an afternoon. However, the Imperial War Museum does an extremely moving job of covering some of the most important periods in world history. Natural History Museum Hours: Open daily from 10AM-5:30PM Cost: Free (Some temporary exhibitions charge a fee) Closest Tube Station: South Kensington It’s famous for its dinosaurs, but the Natural History Museum covers nearly the entire breadth of the world of science. It has over 70 million specimens organized into five main collections: botany, entomology, mineralogy, paleontology, and zoology. The Natural History Museum is one of the most eminent science museums in the world, and its collections include specimens collected by Charles Darwin, exhibitions of dinosaur fossils, and a life-size model of a blue whale. Within the museum’s 36 galleries, visitors can view thousands of specimens, learn about the human body, study geologic forces that shape the Earth, and marvel at dinosaur fossils and full-size models. The Darwin Centre Cocoon, where guests can watch scientists at work in the labs, is also a popular spot to visit. The museum is housed in a large, ornate building dating back to the mid-1800s; some visitors simply drop by to marvel at the architecture. With such an expansive collection spanning several centuries, the Natural History Museum can provide a bit of an inconsistent experience. Some of the older exhibits, like some of the taxidermy and animal models, have a slightly dated look. Newer exhibits, particularly those on dinosaurs, human biology, and volcanoes and earthquakes, are much more modern and interactive. In general, though, the Natural History Museum is a favorite among visitors to London. If you’re tired of reading labels, it’s easy to simply walk through the galleries and admire the specimens. Kids in particular are always impressed by the large models of animals that are a standout attraction at the museum. The Best London Art Museums London's museums are a mecca for art lovers. These three art museums each have some of the largest and most prestigious art collections in the world. From traditional galleries lined with paintings to avant-garde fashion exhibitions, these museums have it all. Ophelia by John Everett Millais, on display in the Tate Modern The National Gallery in London Hours: Open daily from 10AM-6PM and until 9PM on Fridays Cost: Free (Some temporary exhibitions charge a fee) Closest Tube Stations: Charing Cross and Leicester Square Housed in a large Classical building that dominates Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery of London is the city’s most-visited art museum. The museum displays over 2,300 Western European paintings dating from the 1200s to 1900. The collection includes masterpieces from numerous periods including the late Medieval period, Renaissance Italy, and French Impressionism. Museum highlights include Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh, The Virgin of the Rocks by Leonardo da Vinci, and The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck. There are also pieces by Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Goya, Monet, and Renoir, among many others. The National Gallery follows standard art museum conventions: priceless paintings displayed attractively in different galleries without a lot of extra frills. Art enthusiasts will love the variety and quality of the works displayed and could happily spend a week viewing the collection, and even people not normally interested in art should stop by to check out the highlights. This museum contains London’s (and one of the world’s) most prestigious collections of art. However, if the thought of spending hours looking at centuries-old paintings doesn’t inspire much excitement, you may want to keep your visit short and move onto other activities after you’ve viewed the most important pieces. The National Gallery also hosts regular lectures, holiday events, and concerts, as well as guided tours (most of these charge an admission fee). Victoria and Albert Museum Hours: Open daily from 10AM-5:45PM and until 10PM on Fridays Cost: Free (Some temporary exhibitions charge a fee) Closest Tube Station: South Kensington If the National Gallery represents the apex of what a traditional art gallery can achieve, the newly refurbished Victoria and Albert Museum (the VA) is a much more modern take on an art museum. The VA is dedicated to decorative arts and design, and its collection spans seven floors and 150 galleries. Works include paintings, photographs, textiles, jewelry, architecture, ceramics, and glass. The museum includes pieces spanning 3,000 years and multiple continents. There’s a huge breadth of pieces here, and you may find yourself wandering past Japanese suits of armor, 16th-century Persian rugs, gilded German writing cabinets, newly created glass pieces commemorating the British Antarctic expedition, and a collection of over 2,000 miniature paintings, to name a few. The VA is a great museum to visit if you’re not interested in the traditional oil painting-filled art galleries. Its diverse collection means each gallery has something different, and the museum’s extensive renovations have given it a clean, modern look. In addition to the works in the galleries, other pieces of interest include a massive glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the entrance and a courtyard with a fountain and wading pool. If you have an entire day (or week) to spend at the museum, you may be content to wander the galleries and see what you discover, but many visitors may want to scan an overview of the museum’s collections beforehand so they know what they want to see when they arrive. Tate Modern Hours: Open daily from 10AM-6PM and until 10PM on Fridays and Saturdays Cost: Free (Some temporary exhibitions charge a fee) Closest Tube Stations: Southwark and Blackfriars The Tate Modern is London’s standout gallery for modern and contemporary art. Situated along the bank of the Thames, the Tate Modern picks up where the National Gallery leaves off, showcasing works of art from 1900 to the present day. Unlike the National Gallery; however, the Tate Modern doesn’t only contain paintings. There are also photographs, sculptures, videos, mixed media, and architectural pieces. Some of the most popular pieces include a looming spider sculpture by Louise Bourgeois, Ophelia, a painting by Sir John Everett Millais, and works by Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol, and Georgia O’Keefe. The museum is housed in a former power station, and the building retains much of its original industrial feel. In stark contrast to the Classical buildings of many other London museums, in the Tate Modern visitors will make their way past massive former oil tanks and a soaring turbine hall. While admission to the permanent galleries of the museum is free, the Tate Modern also has frequent temporary exhibitions and performances which do require an admission fee. Visitors who aren’t particularly fond of modern art may find some of the Tate’s pieces confusing or boring. However, come with an open mind and this is one of the best museums in the world to get a taste of the breadth and quality of what modern and contemporary art can offer. You may leave a newly-converted modern art lover. Best Off-the-Beaten-Track Museums in London These are less-known, typically small museums that provide a very different experience than the most famous London museums. They generally focus on how individuals lived in London and, unlike the above museums, some of them charge admission fees. The entrance to the Geffrye Museum Leighton House Museum and Art Gallery Hours: Open Wednesday-Monday from 10AM-5:30PM. Closed Tuesdays Cost:  £7 for adults,  £5 for concessions (discounts) Closest Tube Stations: High Street Kensington and Kensington (Olympia) It’ll be hard to get an audience with the queen while you’re in London, but anyone can get a glimpse of one of the city’s most opulent interiors if they visit Leighton House. The building was once of the home and studio of Victorian artist Lord Frederic Leighton, who filled the house with his own pieces and works of art he gathered during his travels. Though it looks fairly ordinary from the outside, the interior of the house is so sumptuous it’s like walking around a jewelry box. While there are Victorian elements such as gilded and carved columns, antique wooden furniture, and marble work, the highlight of the house is its bold Middle Eastern decorative style. The house’s showpiece is the Arab Hall, a two-story extension decorated with glittering Middle Eastern tiles collected by Leighton. The house also contains stained-glass windows, an extensive collection of paintings and sculptures, elaborate paintwork, a gilt-painted dome, and, to top it all off, a fountain in the middle of the house. If you’re tired of seeing art displayed individually in plain glass cases, this is a great museum to see how one of London’s elite incorporated works of art into his home. Geffrye Museum Hours: Open Tuesday-Sunday from 10AM-5PM. Closed Mondays. Cost: Free Closest Tube Stations: Hoxton Station (London Overground) Located in Shoreditch, London, and easily reached by taking the Overground (as opposed to the tube), the Geffrye Museum is housed in a series of attractive 18th-century almshouses. Like the Leighton House, it’s a former home converted into a museum, however; instead of focusing on one man’s expensive tastes, the Geffrye Museum explores the history of typical middle-class homes from 1600 to present day. The rooms go in chronological order so visitors can see how houses have been decorated throughout the centuries. However, the highlight of the museum is outside. The grounds of the museum are surrounded by period gardens that showcase the changes lawns have undergone during the same time period the museum’s rooms cover. There are also herb gardens and walled gardens to see. Scattered throughout the gardens are benches and chairs for visitors to relax in, as well as an onsite cafe. Unlike many museums, the Geffrye Museum doesn’t have a â€Å"must-see† piece. Instead, take in the homey experience the entire museum offers. The gardens are best from April to October and, during this time, the Geffrye Museum is a great place to enjoy a rare sunny day in London and take a break from spending time indoors. Foundling Museum Hours: Open Tuesday-Saturday from 10AM-5PM and Sunday 11am-5PM. Closed Mondays. Cost:  £8.25 for adults,  £5.50 for concessions (discounts) Closest Tube Station: Russell Square For an in-depth look at one of the more unique and poignant sides of London’s history, check out the Foundling Museum. This museum tells the history of the Foundling Hospital, which was founded in 1739 as England’s first hospital for abandoned children. It covers the founding of the museum, the circumstances of mothers who had to abandon their children, how they handing-over process worked (each mother left their infant with a token, such as a button or piece of cloth, to later identify the child if she ever returned), how the children were cared for, and the museum’s current charity work. Visitors to the museum will see record books used to record children who came into the hospital, notes on which mothers were deemed â€Å"acceptable† to leave their children there, schoolbooks and uniforms used by the children, and tokens left behind by children whose mothers never returned. The museum also contains a diverse art collection, with numerous paintings and sculptures lining the rooms and hallways. Most of these were done by 18th-century artists who donated the works themselves to help support the hospital. Visitors can also see the preserved 18th-century interiors from the original hospital, period furniture, and a collection of Handel memorabilia (Handel was a prominent fundraiser for the hospital during his lifetime). Additionally, the museum frequently has temporary exhibitions that show art related to women and children. The Foundling Museum movingly tells the story of one of the less-discussed parts of London’s history, and it’s an excellent place to visit for people interested in learning about both art and history. This is a small museum that can be visited in an hour or two. However, there is a lot of text to read within the rooms if you want to get the complete history of the hospital, so if you’re looking for an easy stroll through exhibits, it may not be the best choice.

How can an eco-house change people behaviour in the culture of Saudi Research Proposal

How can an eco-house change people behaviour in the culture of Saudi Arabia - Research Proposal Example This policy has been intended towards securing ample housing for various segments of the citizens within the country. However, the issues of global warming, renewable energy utilisation and efficient use of the natural resources for building houses are also required to be considered for efficient â€Å"sustainable housing implementation† within Saudi Arabia. There has to be initiative from the government for formulation of policy towards provision of sustainable housing at affordable prices. Any policy in this direction should have to be inclined towards fulfilment of mainly three objectives. Firstly, the policies should generate housing enhancement; secondly, they should empower the poor and finally the policies should be able to provide a feeling of self-privilege to the weaker sections of the people. Provision of sustainable housing has to be therefore concerned with the formation of ecosystem of houses (Choguill, 2007). An appropriate solution to the present problem in the country with respect to economic as well as environmental perspective is the foundation of an architecture model of eco house for the country. The successful implementation of sustainable housing in Saudi Arabia is essential to be supported by the government and to be backed up by the public awareness. The aim of the paper is to derive the best course of investment towards this aspect of the economy that not only finds an eco-house model but also contributes towards the economic aspect of housing policies through the royal order. The aim will be fulfilled with the help of achieving the objective of this research. The objective is to conduct research and identify every possible ways of designing an eco-friendly house that suits within the environment of Saudi Arabia. The methods of building sustainable houses are inclusive of making the best and comprehensive utilisation of the solar power, design of the site of house building, ventilation and natural light. For fulfilling the objec tive of this research, the methods will be analysed and presented for the creation of an eco-friendly house compatible with the Saudi Arabian environmental conditions such as that of availability of natural resources (Susilawati & A-Surf, 2011). The architecture model of an eco-house has been selected as the best option to the Saudi Arabian housing issue because it is an eco friendly house which provides the basis of leading a sustainable life to the people. The architecture model will be developed on the basis of availability and effectiveness of the natural resources within the country (Fields, 2011). With the designing of the most appropriate architecture model of an eco-friendly house for Saudi Arabia, the problem of both the economy as well as the environment can be encountered. The various methods of utilising the natural resources along with their effectiveness will provide the basis of architecture model of an eco-friendly house in Saudi Arabia. Architecture Model of Eco-Hou se for Saudi Arabia The following are the eco-friendly aspects to be incorporated within the houses to be build throughout the Kingdom: Water Storage facilities of rainwater, whenever it occurs should be incorporated in the sustainable houses. As there is scarcity of rain in Saudi Arabia, wells can be dig for gathering natural water from quite underground level which can be further utilised for using in laundry, cleaning and toilet. Various

Menu project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Menu project - Assignment Example chopped fresh seeded red chili 1 bunch of fresh basil with its leaves picked and stalks chopped 2 cloves 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper ? cup red wine vinegar ? cup of soft brown sugar Sea salt Directions Place the vegetables, ginger, chili, basil stalks, olive oil, coriander seeds, cloves and garlic in a saucepan. Stir the mixture often while cooking in moderate heat for 10 to 15 minutes until it softens, seasoning these mixtures with a pinch of salt and the pepper. Add the tomatoes and 1? cups of cold water and bring this to boil, gently simmering it until it reduces almost half fold. Add basil leaves and using a hand blender, whiz the mixture before pushing twice through a sieve. Put this sauce in a pan and add the vinegar and sugar. Heat the pan allowing the mixture to simmer until it thickens. The seasoning can then be corrected to taste. The now ready ketchup (see Appendix I) will then be introduced to jars and allowed to cool before t ightening the lid. Store the ketchup refrigerated for up to six months. Ingredients Comparison This homemade ketchup contains no artificial ingredients or preservatives. All the ingredients are natural. Even Heinz tomato ketchup is made of natural ingredients but uses them in their processed form (Heinz, 2013). Additionally, in both tomato ketchups, vinegar has been used as the tenderizer. Even so, it would be important to note that its tomatoes come as concentrate and not in the natural form as harvested from the farms. The production of tomato concentrate involves artificial processes and preservation that could therefore nullify the claim against incorporation of artificial ingredients. Most of the other ingredients including onion powder and garlic powder would also have undergone processing hence affirming the reservation on naturalness of Heinz tomato ketchup ingredients. The homemade tomato ketchup largely depends on the tomato for flavoring though pepper and coriander also p lay an important role in flavoring. On the other hand, Heinz tomato ketchup includes various undisclosed natural flavorings in addition to the undisclosed spices. Comparison of Eating Quality Both the homemade and Heinz tomato ketchups have almost the same viscosity. Even so, the homemade ketchup has a rougher texture and tastes salty due to the salt used as preservative (Williams, 2011) than the Heinz ketchup whose smoothness is even and tastes more artificial. The Heinz variant appears deep red more than the homemade tomato ketchup which tends to appear more of orange (see Appendix I and Appendix II respectively). This appearance could vary greatly depending on the kind of tomatoes used, with very ripe tomatoes giving deeper color than the slightly ripe ones. Whereas the color of Heinz tomato ketchup remains stable over its shelf life, the homemade tomato ketchup seems to fade in color over time. The shelf life of homemade tomato ketchup kept in normal clean containers would be 3 months and 6 months if kept in sterilized containers, both refrigerated (Hornby, 2009). The Heinz tomato ketchup on the other hand has a shelf life of up to 15 months. Conclusion Homemade tomato ketchup gives the assurance of the naturalness of the ingredients noted to have medicinal value such as celery noted to be an