Monday, July 20, 2020

Book Review 4 Practice Tests for the TOEFL (2019-2020) by Kaplan

Book Review 4 Practice Tests for the TOEFL (2019-2020) by Kaplan Note: I only review the speaking and writing parts of TOEFL books, since that is what I am most familiar with.My Overall Grade for 4 Practice Tests for the TOEFL: F-This is the worst TOEFL textbook I have ever seen. It is bad. It is very bad. It is surprisingly bad, since it just a collection of tests. There are no lessons here to mess up just tests. And Kaplan sure did mess up those tests.All of the sample integrated writing questions are terrible. The real test uses a mirror format, which you can read about in my guide to that task. Basically, the reading presents three points and the lecture casts doubt on those three points. It directly casts doubt on those three specific points, and does so in the same order as they are presented in in the reading. Kaplan, basically, doesnt follow this pattern, making the practice questions totally useless. I just dont understand how Kaplan could mess this up so badly. The TOEFL hasnt changed in 14 years. Didnt they notice the patter n? The questions in this book have a superficial similarity, but superficial isnt good enough. Who the heck wrote this book?The integrated speaking questions are just as bad. A few of them are actually close to the real test, but they seem to have achieved accuracy just by chance. Most of them are garbage.Here is the prompt at the end of question five in test two (page 57):The woman tried to persuade the man to do something. Say what she tries to persuade him to do and explain the reasons she gives.What the heck? There has never been anything like that on the test!Heres the prompt that goes with question four in test 3 (page 86):The professor talks about the results of wolves being brought back to Yellowstone National Park. Explain what those results are and how those results are contrary to what people living near the park expected.Huh?Meanwhile, that strange persuade prompt pops up again on test four, but this time as part of a task 3 question (page 113).I could go on and on and on. This book is garbage. I havent even mentioned the printing errors, and the problems I had trying to use Kaplans online registration to access the audio files (the book doesnt come with a CD). Avoid this like the plague.If one of the authors of this book (Sumi Aktar, Kim Bowers, Matthew Callan, Louise Cook, Scarlet Edmonds, Joanna Graham, Brian Holmes, Nimesh Shah) happens to read this review please send me an email. I would love to hear about the messed up editorial process that produced this monstrosity. I know it isnt your fault just tell me what happened!

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Roadmap Presentation Example

Producing a peculiar product or developing a project necessarily requires a sufficient amount of planning, that certainly is where a roadmap presentation example would come in handy. Students, engineers, developers, marketing specialists, scientists, and numerous other professions that involve a reasonable amount of creativity, all include the act of presenting a plan of future action. Whether it concerns a new product, scholar research, lab experiment, construction work, or, perhaps, a change of corporate strategy, a roadmap presentation example is a key asset of defining the necessary steps to ensure the project’s successful execution The first and foremost important aspect that would be crucial for the author to realize is the definition of a roadmap and how it differs from a regular project presentation. A roadmap is a simple, usually illustrated, presentation of a project. A roadmap is designed to define the key goal of the projects and the means to reach it. It resembles the key steps that should be taken in order to achieve that set goal. However, unlike a regular project presentation or proposal, a roadmap is not oversaturated with statistical data and redundant information. A roadmap should focus on the primary goal and its objectives, no more no less. It should be a laconic representation of the author’s vision on how to achieve success in the task at hand. To get started, the author should, first of all, decide what is the main objective of the project. It is a crucial step since the rest of the roadmap is based on it. The main objective is set as the endpoint of the roadmap. Once that primary objective is defined, it would be reasonable for the author to develop an outline that would feature the steps that would consequentially lead to this goal. These elements can be supported by illustrations and charts designed in particular presentation software such as PowerPoint. Nevertheless, the main characteristics of an effective roadmap presentation are: the ability to communicate the main goal and objectives of the project; to catch the attention of the audience in order to raise interest in the topic and gather support; to communicate the plans and steps among all participants of the project;An example of such a roadmap is provided below. The Ninno Video Game Console Roadmap Project Goal To expand the consumer base of the Ninno Video Game Console. Objectives release the new video game console by the end of the year; promote the console as a means of digital entertainment; establish a new and existing way to play; ensure the choice of portability; provide a wide range of different games; increase affordability; conduct effective marketing to bring the message to the customer. Summary The Ninno company has provided an exclusive video game experience for some time, however, now the company wishes to expand its target audience by catching the interest even of those who are not regular gamers by provided interesting games at a fair price and flexibility for everyone.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

An Analysis of H.G. Wells’ Short Stories “Mr Skelmersdale...

Linkà ¶ping University Department of Culture and Communication English I Have Dreamed a Dream†¦ An Analysis of H.G. Wells’ Short Stories â€Å"Mr Skelmersdale in Fairyland†, â€Å"The Door in the Wall† and â€Å"A Dream of Armageddon† Lars Wallner C Course: Literary Specialisation Autumn, 2008 Supervisor: Helena Granlund â€Å"I have dreamed a dream†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lars Wallner, Autumn 2008 Table of Contents Introduction.............................................................................................................. 3 Chapter 1: Failing to Recognise What Is Right in Front of You..............................5 Chapter 2: Knocking on Heaven’s Door.................................................................. 12 Chapter 3: The Beauty of the Dream and the†¦show more content†¦This essay consists of three chapters: chapters one and two deal with â€Å"Mr Skelmersdale in Fairyland† and â€Å"The Door in the Wall† respectively, not following the chronology of their writing. The last chapter deals with â€Å"A Dream of Armageddon† which is the most different and complex story. Much has been written about the immense productions of H.G. Wells. Multitudes of famous writers and critics have had their say about the novels and short stories, and even Wells himself has commented on his own work in letters and diaries. However, these three stories h ave for some reason been neglected by many critics, and not much has been written about them. Richard Borden and Laura Scuriatti are two among the very limited number of critics who have made an effort to analyse â€Å"The Door in the Wall† and â€Å"A Dream of Armageddon† and what these critics mostly consider is the person H.G. Wells; his political views as well as his personal life, and how this appears in the stories. Some of these interpretations also suggest psychological, mostly psychoanalytical, readings of the texts, something that has been taken into account in this essay but not to any great extent. More than anything, these critics make superficial comments on the stories, and not much more. For â€Å"Mr Skelmersdale in Fairyland†, however, it was difficult, even after considerable effort, to

Isolation of Bacteria Free Essays

Different types of bacteria in various forms are found all around us, and it is a microbiologist’s job to be able to identify these bacteria. Using various staining techniques and physiological tests, an isolated bacterium can be identified. In this experiment, a single bacterial colony was isolated form Mycorrhizal spores, and further tests done on that colony. We will write a custom essay sample on Isolation of Bacteria or any similar topic only for you Order Now Sub culturing was done after each week to ensure that the bacterium has sufficient nutrients required for optimum growth that will last the duration of the entire experiment. A flow chart was created based on the results of the physiological tests in order to identify the isolated bacterium. After 4 weeks, the isolated bacterium was identified as XXXXX for reasons stated in the results and discussion. The main goal of this experiment was to identify the isolated bacterium that was obtained from Mycorrhizal spores. In order to identify the bacterium, the experiment was conducted in 4 parts: (a) isolation of an unknown bacterium from soil; (b) identification of the bacterium using various staining techniques; (c) determining the motility of the bacterium; and (d) determining the physiological characteristics of the bacterium. Part (a) of the experiment involves isolating a single bacterial colony from the culture. The remaining 3 parts will be conducted on that colony. In part (b), it is shown that various staining techniques test for different characteristics. As the name suggests, a gram stain is conducted to identify the bacteria as gram negative or gram positive. Two other stains were carried out. To determine the motility of the bacterium, wet mounts of the bacterium were observed and the motility was confirmed by using soft agar plates and soft agar deeps for part (c). The physiological characteristics were identified in part (d). Some of these tests include growth temperatures and salt tolerance, degradation of polysaccharides, proteins and lipids, oxygen requirements etc. Based on the results for the above, the unknown bacterium can be identified by comparing it to cultures in the Bergey’s manual. A flow chart can be drawn up to correctly identify the bacterium by using the physiological test results. How to cite Isolation of Bacteria, Essay examples

Sunday, April 26, 2020

To Live Would Be an Awfully Big Adventure free essay sample

â€Å"I suppose its like the ticking crocodile, isnt it? Time is chasing after all of us.† Clocks and watches, J.M. Barrie tells us we’re obsessed with time. Sometimes we take time and many blessings for granted. Peter Pan was a childhood hero; I too wanted to have adventures, to never die and to never grow up. As I’ve matured, I’ve found treasures; experiences that teach more than any textbook can. Years ago, I traveled to the Philippines. It was astonishingly different to be in a third world country. To us they have nothing. They’re sick, poor and homeless. Kids and adults knock on people’s windshields asking for coins. Children work to feed themselves and their families. A little girl asked for my empty bottle to get money from recycling. These people cherish every second because they have to. It was unsettling to think that here I am, so fortunate; when there are so many I could share my wealth with. We will write a custom essay sample on To Live Would Be an Awfully Big Adventure or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page But I found that they had their own share of wealth. In reality these people were incredibly happy. Their eyes smiled despite poor conditions. That twinkle in their eye, their hope, was my second star to the right. To see that they were content, satisfied even, to have what they did, was humbling. My parents always expected I’d become a nurse and follow in their footsteps; all my life I said no, it takes too long, it’s too much work. After visiting the Philippines I came to see things differently. Now I know that Peter Pan wasn’t the hero. It was Wendy all along. Wendy started off young and green, but she was the one that led them home to take care of the lost boys. She grew up to make her family happy, all the while keeping the knowledge and heart of a child that still believed in Peter Pan. Now I stand where Wendy had and embark on the same path. I choose nursing so that not only will I be helping people in need, I’ll be a Wendy in patients’ lives, part of their journey, their adventure. Who says nurses aren’t adventurers? When I grow up I’ll raise my own family. I hope one day my children pick the right paths, that they be little Peter Pans, but grow up to be beautiful Wendys. Life is an adventure. It’s what one takes from their adventures that count. Peter was mistaken. Growing up is the biggest adventure of all. It takes more than faith, trust and pixie dust. The joy of growing up is watching others’ bliss, to be a part of their adventure, to keep learning, or loving or just living. Growing up doesn’t mean losing time; it means gaining knowledge, courage and sweet memories. The beauty of youth is that it is never really lost; there are always new things to discover. Clocks tick on, crocodiles will chomp, I’ll walk in my big girl shoes and sleep soundly with the nightlight still on.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Edward Fields Poem Icarus Essays

Edward Fields Poem Icarus Essays Edward Fields Poem Icarus Paper Edward Fields Poem Icarus Paper Icarus Based on the Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus, Edward Fields poem Icarus has developed modernity from the time of the ancient Greece. Field developed this modernity by using literary devices so that the reader would have a broader understanding on Icarus. In the beginning of the poem, Field uses irony when the police dont suspect anything more than the usual drowning because in reality Icarus had swum away. Fields use of diction also puts the story into contemporary setting because when he mengiving that the witnesses had ran off to gang war he is iving the reader twentieth century examples because police and gangs did not exist during Greek time. In the second stanza Juxtaposition occurs when Icarus goes from being defiant in his times to nice Mr. Hicks in modernity. An allusion is then being made when Field says that the neighbors would never dream that that gray, respectable suit concealed arms that controlled huge wings meaning that the gray respectable suit type look made Icarus blend with all the other boring people and his concealed rms are not arms used in gang wars but those with which he attempted flight. However no one would ever expect this from him because he is living an everyday life that any other ordinary person would live. As you move on to the third stanza Field is finally able to adapt the story of Icarus to the modern world by using wings as a symbol. In the beginning of Icarus his arms had controlled huge wings and it then moves to him construct[ing] small wings and [trying] to fly but fails. The shift from Icarus having huge wings to the infirmity of his small wings shows how Icarus has fallen from greatness. His eyes had once compelled the sun and now his largest goal is to reach the light fixture on the ceiling. This comparison symbolizes the high expectations he once had for himself and how they are now lowered and yet still unobtainable. These symbols helped Field modernize this classic story by giving Icarus problems that relate to the audience. Instead of flying as high as the sun we are often limited and fail. This shows that even the best of us fall from our highest points and sometimes when we o fail it could be because we dont follow instructions properly and instead take these crazy risks, At the end of the poem in the last stanza, Field uses contrast and comes to the conclusion that Icarus would have been much more satisfied if he would have died. Icarus had thought of himself as a hero and dreamt of The tragic hero fall but now rides commuter trains, [and] serves various committees With this being said it is obvious that Icarus has failed himself and this is clear to the audience when he wishes he would have drowned iccarus By marissannram

Monday, March 2, 2020

Best ACT Math Practice Tests How to Find and Use Them

Best ACT Math Practice Tests How to Find and Use Them SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Whatever your ACT Math prep plan, whether you’re doing self-study, a class, or working with a tutor, you need to be working with real ACT Math practice materials. The ACT Math test will be unlike any other Math test you’ve taken. You need to work with the real material to get used to the pacing and style of this unique test. In this short guide, I’ll let you know where to find free and paid official ACT Math practice tests. Best ACT Math Practice - Free and Official These tests are totally free. We've gathered together all of them in one place for your convenience. ACT Math Free Online Sample Test This test format can be a little clunky to use, but it's convenient and online. Answer all choices on the page. Then, click answer at the bottom to see the answers to the question. Once you’ve checked your answers, you’ll be able to move on to the next page.There are 12 questions per page with five pages for a total of 60 questions (just like the real ACT Math section which has 60 questions). To keep the timing realistic, I recommend that you give yourself 12 minutes per page (which is 1 minute per question) since you get 60 minutes for 60 questions on the actual ACT Math section. Take as much time as you need to check your answers on the given page. Then, move on to the next page and give yourself another 12 minutes. PDFs: ACT Practice Test 2015-2016 (Form 72CPRE):Math Section Pages 24-31, Answers Page 57 ACT Practice Test 2014-15 (Form 67C):Math Section Pages 24-31, Answers Page 56 ACT Practice Test 20-12 (Form 64E):Math Section Pages 26-33, Answers Page 61 ACT Practice Test 2008-09 (Form 61C):Math Section Pages 26-33, Answers Page 61 ACT Practice Test 2005-06 (Form 59F):Math Section Pages 26-33, Answers Page 61 You might notice a few years are missing, and that's because the ACT duplicates the same test in different years. For example, the 2013-14 test is identical to the 2014-15 test. We've included the Form ID with each test so that you can check this for yourself (you can see the Form ID in the bottom left of each page on the test). Best ACT Math Practice - Paid and Official While studying for the ACT Math section, you’ll want more than six official ACT practice tests.I highly recommend The Real ACT 3rd Edition. The book only costs about $20, and it’s got five official Math practice tests. The book is written by the makers of the ACT, so it’s the real deal.Don't both buying Kaplan or Princeton Review for practice tests - their quality is far inferior to the tests put out by the ACT. If you want to get in a couple more practice ACT Math tests, I also recommend the ACT Online Program, though it’s less cost effective at $25 for two extra practice tests.It also includes an online prep program, but it’s not good. If you make the purchase, just do it the practice tests, if you need it. The ACT Math practice possibilities are (near) endless! Other ACT Math Materials In general, I recommend against using any ACT Math practice tests that were not written by the ACT as theywon’t providerealistic practice.You want to use real practice materials so that you ensure you’re taking tests that reflect the actual content and difficulty of the real ACT. If you take practices tests made by other companies, they may be more or less difficult and may not include all of the content on the real ACT.However,unofficial tests can be a great way to practicemath skills if not trying to practiceACT-style questions. ACTMath, more than any other section, is based on knowing the math content, so having plenty of materials to practice the different math skills required is important and bad formatting doesn't matter as much. Check out our massive collection of ACTstudy material for some official and unofficial tests. If you still want more ACT study material, check out our guide to the best ACT prep books. How to Use These ACT Math Practice Tests in Your Prep Even if you purchase all of the real ACT Math practice tests, you will only have 13, and each one of these tests will take you an hour, so you want to make sure you get the most out of each one. Here are my top three tips to best use your ACT Math practice tests: Tip #1:Take Math Practice Tests Under Realistic Conditions Take the math section in one sitting with accurate timing. Use a watch to time the one-hour math section. Sit for the full hour! It’s not that long! You need to sit for the full test so that you get used to the timing and learn to pace yourself. You only get 60 minutes for 60 questions. The questions progress from easy to hard.You’ll need to work on spending less thana minute per question on the first part of the ACT Math section so that you have a little more than a minute per question to answer the harder questions at the end of the Math section. Do not give yourself any extra time.This can allow you to do extra questions and improve your score. We want to use these practice tests as reliable indicators of your real score so stick to the real timing. NOTE: realistic practice means obeying all of the rules of the test. You're only allowed to have your calculator for the math section. You should not have your phone out. You should be using a pencil. Read our full guide to realistic practice. Tip #2: Review Your Mistakes When you finish your Math practice tests, score your Math test.Look at every mistake you made and try to figure out where you went wrong.If you skip this step, you're not going to learn from your mistakes, and you'll continue making them over and over again. I recommend spending at least 30 minutes to an hour reviewing your ACT math test.It may seem like a lot of time, but it’s necessary to take this time so that you learn from your mistakes.It’s better for you to take three ACT Math practice tests with detailed review than six with no review. Think quality over quantity! Tip #3: Supplement With Skill Work There are some students who can see improvement in ACT math by just taking practice tests and familiarizing themselves with the pace and style, but that is rare. The majority ofstudents need to do a more in-depth review of math skillsthat they might have forgotten, never learned, or never quite mastered. If you find you're not improving on your practice tests, I recommend that you look atour individual Math content guides. These articles tacklespecific math subject areas (i.e. Linear Equations, Trigonometry, etc.) that you need to know to succeed on the ACT Math section. When you review your first practice test, figure out the reason you got each math question wrong:was it due to misreading a question? Or not knowing the content?If you didn't know the content necessary tosolve the question, then you need to review that content! Tip #4: Get Additional Help If You Need It! If you’re not improving your score, you should supplement the practice tests with extra prep work, either a tutor, class, book (such as the ones linked to above) or a program.While some students may be able to learn from their mistakes on practice tests, the majority need additional guidance to point out their weaknesses and to help them improve. However, a good prep program should be personalized to your needs, focusing on your area of weakness while not wasting your time covering topics that you’ve already mastered. What’s Next? Now that you know where to find ACT Math practice tests, you might want to take a look at our ACT math guides to help you study any individual ACT math topic from ratios to rotations, points to probabilities;we've got you covered. Stuck on an ACT math problem? Whether you're stuck on a study guide, a practice test, or you're worried about getting stuck on test day, don't sweat it. We'll show you how to figure out when you're really stuck and what to do about it. Need more help with ACT Math? We've compiled the best ACT Math guides into one ultimate ACT math study guide. No more searching for ACT math tips and resources- they're available here. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial: