Honors Essay

For how I firmly am resolved you know; That is, not bestow my youngest daughter Before I have a husband for the elder: If either of you both love Katharina, Because I know you well and love you well, Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure. † In these lines, we are introduced to Baptista, a father who wants to find a husband for his oldest daughter, Katharina. The conflict of the play is also introduced as Baptista has decided that his youngest daughter cannot marry until Katharina does. These lines provide readers with some background information on Baptista and his daughters, as well as their familial relationship. They also reveal that while Baptista loves both of his daughter’s, he is at a loss for how to manage his oldest daughter, Katharina. Exposition Act 1, Scene 1 Lucentio: â€Å"Tranio, since for the great desire I had To see fair Padua, nursery of arts, I am arrived for fruitful Lombardy, The pleasant garden of great Italy;† In these lines, we get the first glimpse of where the setting is. The readers get a chance to see the descriptive environment of Italy with the â€Å"pleasant garden†. We are also introduced to Lucentio and Tranio in this part of the play where they are visiting this part of Italy because they had that desire to go there. Rising Action Act 2, Scene 1 KATHARINA: â€Å"Of all thy suitors, here I charge thee, tell Whom thou lovest best: see thou dissemble not. † BIANCA: â€Å"Believe me, sister, of all the men alive I never yet beheld that special face Which I could fancy more than any other. † KATHARINA: â€Å"Minion, thou liest. Is’t not Hortensio? † BIANCA: â€Å"If you affect him, sister, here I swear I’ll plead for you myself, but you shall have Him. † KATHARINA: â€Å"O then, belike, you fancy riches more:You will have Gremio to keep you fair. † BIANCA: â€Å"Is it for him you do envy me so? Nay then you jest, and now I well perceive You have but jested with me all this while: I prithee, sister Kate, untie my hands. † KATHARINA: â€Å"If that be jest, then all the rest was so. † In these lines, Katharina begins attacking Bianca for no reason at all. Katharina begins questions Bianca out of the blue about which of the suitors does she want the most while Bianca has no clue where this question is coming from, but Bianca assumes that Katharina wants one of the suitors for her and has been acting around her to get what she wanted. Climax Act 3, Scene 2 KATHARINA: â€Å"No shame but mine. I must, forsooth, be forced To give my hand, opposed against my heart, Unto a mad-brain rudesby, full of spleen, Who wooed in haste and means to wed at leisure. I told you, I, he was a frantic fool, Hiding his bitter jests in blunt behavior, And, to be noted for a merry man, He’ll woo a thousand, ‘point the day of marriage, Make friends, invite, and proclaim the banns, Yet never means to wed where he hath wooed. Now must the world point at poor Katherine And say, â€Å"Lo, there is mad Petruchio’s wife, If it would please him come and marry her! † In these lines, Katharina is upset that the groom has not arrived to their wedding yet. And she begins blaming Lucentio for her being forced to marry this guy when she knew what the groom’s plans were. Katharina says that all the groom did it for was the friends and fame of proposing to women then not showing up to the date of the wedding and this made her even more mad, like she wanted to kill somebody. Falling Action Act 4, Scene 1 KATHARINA: â€Å"I pray you, husband, be not so disquiet:The meat was well, if you were so contented. † PETRUCHIO: â€Å"I tell thee, Kate, ’twas burnt and dried away; And I expressly am forbid to touch it, For it engenders choler, planteth anger;And better ’twere that both of us did fast,Since, of ourselves, ourselves are choleric, Than feed it with such over-roasted flesh. Be patient; to-morrow ‘t shall be mended,And, for this night, we’ll fast for company: Come, I will bring thee to thy bridal chamber. † In these lines, Katharina and Petruchio have already married and now they are at Petruchio’s house where he will boss around all of his servants. And Katharina is trying to calm Petruchio down because one of the servants brought out burnt meat and he wanted everything to be perfect for his wife. Resolution Act 4, Scene 5 PETRUCHIO: Why, how now, Kate! I hope thou art not mad: This is a man, old, wrinkled, faded, wither’d, And not a maiden, as thou say’st he is. KATHARINA: Pardon, old father, my mistaking eyes, That have been so bedazzled with the sun That everything I look on seemeth green: Now I perceive thou art a reverend father; Pardon, I pray thee, for my mad mistaking. In these lines, Petruchio seeks an elderly man in the direction they are heading. But Katharina eyes are blinded by looking at the sun for too long and she mistakes the old man for a little girl. But altogether this is after all the arguing that were going on and now they are spending time together on their way to Katharina’s father’s house.

How Are Dreams Presented in of Mice and Men? Essay

During the 1930’s in America, at the time of the Great Depression, John Steinbeck, an ordinary migrant worker wrote perhaps the shortest but well known novel – Of Mice And Men. I think Steinbeck was influenced by the poem â€Å"To A Mouse†, because the novel and poem are slightly alike. They both have dreams and determination but in the end, both are destroyed. In the novel, Steinbeck shows us that dreams are futile. You only have the dream because you are being optimistic and having a dream might make life seem easier for you. But if your dream is destroyed, then life seems difficult and meaningless. George and Lennie’s dream to own a ranch during the Great Depression seemed like a typical, futile American Dream of the migrant workers. â€Å"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to. With us ain’t like that. We got a future.† But the closer Lennie and George came to achieving their dream, everything was suddenly lost – â€Å"the beak swallowed the little snake while its’ tail waved frantically†. This sentence shows us that things will suddenly change and the outcome of plans are not going to be what they were expected to be. The setting of the last and first chapters of the novel are exactly the same, but the sentence â€Å"the beak swallowed the little snake while its’ tail waved frantically† is seen as a warning by the reader that something unexpected is going to occur. â€Å"Suddenly Lennie appeared out of the brush, and he came as silently as a creeping bear moves.† This sentence indicates a change of Lennie’s behavior, which is shown using anthropomorphism, makes us think that something is going to happen and the tension starts to rise because Lennie usually moves and is described as a â€Å"calm, big bear†. Lennie’s actions make the read er imagine Lennie as being big, cute, cuddly and harmless – â€Å"he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws†. Steinbeck set the last chapter in the late afternoon when â€Å"already the sun had left the valley to go climbing up the slopes of the Gabilan mountains, and the hilltops were rosy in the sun†. He set the chapter at that particular time of the day because the day is coming to an end at that point, neither in the evening nor night because the day would have come to an end by then. He is telling us that as the day ends, the dream ends as well due to the death of Lennie by George’s love for Lennie. The dream of Curley’s wife was to be in the movies. â€Å"If I’d went, I wouldn’t be livin’ like this, you bet†. The reason Curley’s wife does not fulfill her dream to become an actress was because she met a producer who said â€Å"he was gonna put me in the movies. Says I was a natural†. He takes an advantage of her naivety and tricks her by convincing her that â€Å"he was gonna write to me about it†. But never did – â€Å"I never got that letter†. Because of her anger on her mother who she thought stole the letter – â€Å"I always thought my ol’ lady stole it. I ast her if she stole it, to o, an’ she says no†- and despondency she married Curley without even loving him just to revenge on her mother – â€Å"So I married Curley. Well, I ain’t told this to nobody before. Maybe I oughtn’ to. I don’ like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella†. Steinbeck tells the reader through this novel that women were treated as personal possessions and as providers for mans needs during those times. Throughout the novel, all women characters are presented as either a possession or provider. For example: even thought Lennie’s aunt Clara isn’t present in the novel as a character, she is described as a provider for Lennie’s needs – â€Å"That was your own Aunt Clara. An’ she stopped givin’ ‘em to ya. Your Aunt Clara give you a rubber mouse and you wouldn’t have nothing to do with it†- supports my point. Another example is seen with Curley’s wife who is shown as a personal possession to Curley – â€Å"’Any you guys seen my wife?’ he demanded†. Steinbeck tells the reader via this sentence that Curley is not looking after his wife as he should be and does not spend time with her considering that she is the onl y women on the ranch surrounded by men who see her as â€Å"jail bait†. Curley’s wife only seeks company, but as she is a young, flirtatious and beautiful woman – â€Å"She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her finger nails were red† – the men fear her as they think she will get them in trouble. Also in the sentence – â€Å"Her finger nails were red†- the finger nails are red colour and red is seen as danger, meaning that it is dangerous to get involved with Curley’s wife. The quotes – â€Å"What’s the matter with me? Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody? Whatta they think I am, anyways? I don’t know why I can’t talk to you. I ain’t doing no harm to you† and â€Å"Well, George says you’ll get us in a mess.† And â€Å"What kinda harm am I doin’ to you?† support my point. The sentence â€Å"Seems like they ain’t none of them cares how I gotta live† tells the reader that no one cared about wo men at those times. And also the fact that Curley’s wife does not have a name, but is only referred to as â€Å"Curley’s wife† and that Slim’s dog is given a name – â€Å"Lulu† – shows the reader that dogs were treated better than women at those times. The failure of Curley’s wife’s dream leads to her death, which also takes place in late afternoon, as the days ends so does her life. John Steinbeck tells us through this cyclical novel that dreams are futile. The closer the characters got to achieving their dreams, they suddenly lost them unexpectedly. â€Å"The beak swallowed the little snake while its’ tail waved frantically† tells the reader that the death of the snake was sudden and unexpected in the same setting as the first chapter. The dream was first mentioned in the same place and at the same time in the first chapter and it is mentioned again at the same time and place in the last chapter. By making the same setting in the first and last chapter cyclical and mentioning the dream in both chapters, Steinbeck tells us that as the day ends, the dream ends. And that whatever happened in between was futile. Therefore, John Steinbeck tells us that everyone had the American Dream to make life worth living, but society would let only few achieve it during the Great Depression of the 1930’s America.

Analysis of the Nation of Brazil and Its Classification as A Developed Nation or Not

Analysis of the Nation of Brazil and Its Classification as A Developed Nation or Not In this project I have collected, analysed and evaluated evidence to help me to decide whether Brazil is a developed country or a developing country. Introduction to Brazil Brazil is the largest and most influential country in South America with a population of about 176 million, which is greater than the combined total for the whole of the rest of the continent. Brazil takes up almost half of South America. The 6,448km long Amazon River runs through the North of Brazil and is the second largest in the world, and the Amazon Basin is the largest River Basin the world. The River and over a thousand tributaries drain an area of 6,150,000km and carry one fifth of the worlds fresh water out to sea. In the North East, Brazil has arid deserts with rolling grasslands in the South. The Amazonian Rainforest covers more than one third of Brazil and its exploitation has become a major environmental worry. Brazil borders the Atlantic Ocean down the eastern side with the following countries bordering the North and West: French Guiana; Suriname; Guyana; Venezuela; Columbia; Peru; Bolivia; Paraguay; Argentina; and Uruguay. Brazil lies between 5 North and 30 South of the Equator. So, it is possible to stand with one leg in the Northern Hemisphere and the other in the Southern Hemisphere! The Equator, therefore, runs through the extreme North of Brazil with Macap and the Mouths of the Amazon on its line. Brazils correct title is The Federal Republic of Brazil and its 26 states are administered from its capital, Bras, which was purpose built and now has a population of between 1 and 1.9 million people. However, S Paulo has 17 million inhabitants. (See population map). The highest point in Brazil is Pico da Neblina which is 3014m (9,888 ft) above sea level. Brazils main language is Portuguese and its main religion is Catholic Christianity. Brazilian society is a vibrant, diverse mix of cultures. Brazils share of the Amazon basin, occupying half of the country, has a model equatorial climate. The 150-200cm (59-79 inches) of rain are spread throughout the year, although some periods are rather wetter than others according to the region. (See rainfall map) Temperatures are high, with almost no seasonal variation, but scarcely ever rise above 38 (100). The Brazilian plateau, which occupies most of the rest of the country, has far greater temperature ranges. Rain falls mainly between October and April. However, the Northeast, the least productive region of Brazil, is very dry and in past years has been suffering from severe drought, which compounded its problems. (See map on rainfall) The southern states have hot summers and cool winters, when frost may occur. The currency used on Brazil is the Real. 1 real = 100 centavos. The average wage per person per year is about ,570. The following evidence I have gathered describes how Brazil may have become a developed country. Economy Brazil has one of the worlds major economies and is now the ninth wealthiest country in the world. Economic reforms in the 1990s have bought some stability to the countrys finances. Reforms have included privatisation and the opening up of its markets. During the 1960s and 1970s, GDP expanded by an average of 11% a year. At this time the country enjoyed massive industrial growth, but then the Boom and Bust pattern hit and Brazil went bust! It became the worlds greatest debtor. The economy underwent major diversification and industrialisation, and today Brazil is a significant producer of cars and computers. In fact, Brazils car industry is acclaimed as being the success of the decade. Economic reform, initiated in 1990, enabled Brazil to reschedule its debts, but a steep recession followed in 1990-1992. The launching of the new currency, the re, in 1994 was the fifth attempt at monetary stabilisation since 1986. It contributed to the dramatic reduction of inflation from around 50% a month in 1994 to around 80% a year in 1995 and less than 20% a year in 1996. Economic growth of 5.7% in 1994 was the highest since 1986. This boosted regional confidence and facilitated the launch of MERCOSUR, the common market with neighbouring Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. In 1995, a fractious Congress blocked constitutional reforms of the tax and social security system, but finally agreed to end state monopolies in such sectors as telecommunications and oil, thereby reviving the governments privatisation programme. Rio de Janeiro is a major city on the East Coast, and although not the biggest, was once the capital city of Brazil. It was the area where the earlier Portuguese settlers (who have always claimed that they discovered it) landed and immediately began cultivating the rich soil. At this stage, it was all tropical forest in the area, but over many centuries it has been cleared and it is now Brazils political and economic heartland. Many people enjoy the white sandy beaches of Copacabana, which is overlooked by Sugarloaf Mountain. Many centuries of colonisation, conflict and slavery, and massive immigration from Europe have left Brazil a Country full of many different races and cultures. Lying mid-way between Salvador in the North and Porto Alegre in the South, and occupying only 7.7 per cent of Brazils total area, Rio De Janeiro supports over 30 per cent of its population. The annual carnival in Rio takes place over fives days where parades, balls, street dancing and samba and bossa nova music fill the streets. Brazil is also revered for its football prowess, having won the world cup 5 times. Vast sugar cane plantations mean that alcohol production is huge, and when oil became scarce and expensive in the early 1970s it caused many to use industrial alcohol as a fuel for the vehicles they then began building. Politics Brazil is a democratic federal republic with 26 regional parliaments and a national congress. Brazil became independent of Portugal in 1822 giving the country the opportunity to develop to its best potential, and current borders were established. Women in Brazil have had the vote since 1934 and in 1993, Brazilians voted to retain directly elected presidents. In 1997 the constitution was changed to allow a president to run for re-election. Reformists want provisions to curb tax evasion, and were successful in 1995 in ending state monopolies and allowing foreign investment in telecommunications, oil, mining and shipping. Many also want to see changes in the electoral system in order to curb the increasing involvement of small parties in government. In October 2002, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, popularly known as Lula, won the elections and became president. A former shoeshine boy he will head Brazils first left-wing government for more than 40 years. At his inauguration in January 2003, Lula promised to make major political and economical reforms and pledged to eradicate hunger. He also pledged to tackle corruption and Brazils economic woes, improve education and create 10 million jobs. He plans to rid Brazil of its reputation for the biggest gap between rich and poor in the world. He did warn that this might take him longer than his initial 4-year term. Plans to develop nuclear weapons have now been abandoned by the military. Industry Local industry is well developed, making Brazil dominant in the region. Major industries include, Agriculture, Mining, Iron and Steel, Motor vehicles, Oil and Mineral refining, Chemicals, Wood pulp and paper, Machinery, Food processing, Consumer goods, Textiles, Rubber processing and Fertilisers. Brazil is one of the worlds most important steel producers, and it has large deposits of gold, silver and iron. Agriculture and Products Brazil has a huge, successful agricultural base and produces the worlds largest quantities of coffee and Soya beans. It also has immense natural resources. It also produces Cereals, Cassava, Sugar, Oranges, Cocoa, Rice, Cotton, Tobacco, Bananas, Rubber, Timber, Iron ore, Bauxite, Manganese, Crude oil and Natural Gas, Coal, Chromium, Nickel, Tin, Zinc, Gold, Silver, Diamonds, Phosphates, Salt, Quartz crystal, Beryllium, Graphite, Titanium, Tungsten and Asbestos. Exports Total products exported are valued at $58.2 billion. Brazil has previously built its wealth on the exports of coffee, but more recently on sugar exportation and that of its other many natural resources. Brazil is now one of the largest sugar and orange juice exporters. Other products exported are Sugar, Machinery, Animal feed stuffs, Coffee, Cocoa, Iron ore, Motor vehicles, Soya beans and oil, Oranges, Iron and Steel, Chemicals and non-ferrous metals. Resources Under the military, Brazil commissioned several power stations from former West Germany. Energy from these has been more expensive than expected, but the construction of the Angra-2 nuclear station was approved in 1996. Hydropower has been more successful, accounting for 90% of electricity generation. An agreement to build a 2,200km (1,370 miles) pipeline from the Bolivian gas fields to Brazils industrial south was signed in 1996 and put out to private tender. Ethanol is being made from sugar in an attempt to reduce petrol imports. Within the agricultural sector, Brazil is the worlds largest producer of coffee and the third largest producer of maize (corn). The total amount of electricity generated is 251bn kW/h. of this 93% is generated by hydroelectric power and 6% is thermal. The total electricity capacity is 56.21 million kW. In the South, the forces of the Paran and Paraguay Rivers have been harnessed to form the worlds largest hydroelectric project, the Itaip Dam. Regional divide Brazil can be divided into 5 regions (see regional map) North, Northeast, Centre West, Southeast and South. The North has several resource sites, from which the following materials are mined: Gold Bauxite Lead Copper Tin Iron Nickel Diamonds Common Salt (Sodium Chloride) Oil But the north does not have any industries. This is because of the enormous Amazon Rainforest and the inability to build upon it. In the Centre West, there is a similar amount of resources, which also includes zinc, limestone and quartz. As in the North, the Centre West does not have any main industries. Down in the South there are not as many resources as in the North and Centre West, but there are many industries. Moving back up into the South East there are many resources such as Iron, Nickel, Oil, Gold, Quartz etc. and also quite a few industries which include Textiles/Clothing, Iron and Steel sites and a shipbuilding site. Finally, in the Northeast of Brazil there are many resource sites and industrial sites. These include Bauxite, limestone, sea salt and oil refineries, mechanical engineering and textiles and clothing. Communications A vast road network is being built to link the main centres of Brazil, and five river systems are being harnessed for a total of 8,000km (5,000 miles) of waterways. The antiquated railways are increasingly unreliable. S Paulos metro is being extended to cope with the citys rapidly expanding population. Media Brazil is the largest exporter of TV programmes. South Americas biggest media market is home to thousands of radio stations and hundreds of T.V channels. The constitution guarantees a free press and vigorous media debate about controversial political and social matters is common. Media ownership is highly concentrated. Globo and Abril dominate the market and have interests in T.V and radio networks newspapers and pay T.V operations. Education Education follows the French system with a bachillerato (baccalaur) at the end of secondary schooling Society Brazil has targeted eco-tourism as a major growth area. The government is encouraging foreign investment in tourist facilities in Amazonia. Health There is a free health service available. This chapter includes evidence to suggest that Brazil may not yet be a developed country, but may still be developing. Politics The reduction of the fiscal deficit is a key objective. The government aims to dramatically reduce overstaffing at all levels of government, reduce social security payments and address the problem of the high real level of interest rates. The 1988 constitution, detailing promises for a better future, has proved to be unworkable in practice. The state cannot afford its social security, health and pension commitments. The proliferation of local governments, designed to check federal power, has led to a duplication of functions and is very expensive. Former President Collor de Mellos 1992 impeachment for fraud underlines the depth of the problem of corruption in Brazil. Many are now demanding an end to parliamentary immunity: under the current system, elected officials cannot be prosecuted unless they have been suspended from office by a two-thirds vote. The military, in power between 1964 and 1985, was responsible for human rights abuses, particularly against Amazon Indians. Its economic mismanagement left Brazil with a legacy of huge debts and inefficient state industries. Regional Wealth The government is facing increasing pressure to redress what some say is one of the worlds most unfair distributions of wealth. Much of the countrys arable land is controlled by a handful of wealthy families, a situation which the Movement of Landless Rural Workers (MST) seeks to redress by demanding land redistribution. It uses direct protest action and land occupation in its quest. Society Social conditions are harsh in the big cities of Rio de Janeiro and S Paulo, where a third of the population lives in favelas or slums. In the 1970s a major drive was initiated to move settlers to the Amazon region. This caused considerable damage to vast areas of the rainforest. The high rate of destruction of the Amazon by loggers and cattle ranchers remains controversial today. However, these government sponsored migration programmes have now been halted. Many people work in fields for little pay, while a few rich landowners benefit from the huge profits. The ownership of consumer goods is not high. Out of 1,000 people: 278 own a T.V, 83 own a VCR, 13 own a PC. A lack of money, health and education forces over 500,000 girls into prostitution. Many street children are murdered by vigilante groups, who believe they are cleaning the streets. 90% of these murders go unpunished. Amerindians suffer prejudice from most other peoples in Brazil. Since 1900, 87 Amerindian groups have become extinct as a result of disease, starvation or the forceful taking of their land by miners, settlers and loggers. The Amerindian population today is estimated at just 220,000. Migrants from the poor Northeast suffer considerable discrimination in Brazils larger cities. Health Brazils Aids programme has become a model for other developing countries, having succeeded in stabilising the rate of HIV infection and cutting the number of Aids-related deaths. However, it is a controversial programme since it involves bypassing the big drugs firms to produce generic copycat Aids medicines. There may be as many as 2,000 street children who are HIV positive. The major causes of death are Heart diseases, Cancers, Accidents and Violence. There are 681 patients per doctor. Only 2.8% of the GNP (Gross National Produce) is spent of health. The public health system is limited. Less than 20% of hospitals are state-run and private care is very expensive. The World Bank has criticised the under-financing of preventive health care. On average, only 15% of the health budget is allocated to child health, immunisation and other preventive programmes. Reported malaria cases tripled between 1980 and 1990; 90% are in Amazonia, mainly in settler towns. Leprosy and parasitic skin infections are also becoming more common, again often affecting settlers. Unfortunately, the building of the Itaip Dam caused the lake it created to drown a set of waterfalls and this created a breeding ground for malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The forest contains many plants that provide the basis for many valuable products, the most important ones being those for medicines. The bark of chinchona supplies the quinine to treat malaria, for example. Other plants supply substances used in the fight against cancer. Brazil nuts too are of-course famous all over the world. The constant stripping and attacking of these natural resources is doing much harm. Economy Brazil has a history of boom and bust, with its attempts at development hampered in the past by high inflation and one of the biggest foreign debts. It has had to be bailed out in times of crisis. The total value of Brazils debt is a staggering $250bn! () Chaotic finances of the states threatens national economic stability. Foreign investment is deterred by corruption, the fragility of economic reforms and preferences given to national companies in the sale of state companies. Congressional opposition delays urgent tax and social security reforms and privatisations. Savings and investment rates are about half those of leading East Asian competitors. Despite enormous natural and economic resources, Brazil still has 32 million of its people living below the poverty line, and has not begun to tackle the problem of homelessness and street children in Rio, S Paulo and other large cities. An estimated one to five million families remain landless, while nearly 80% of farmland is owned by 10% of farmers. Brazils large wealth disparities have been growing during the last decade. Relatively low levels of unemployment conceal large-scale underemployment, and the UN classifies over 50% of the population as suffering poverty. The large numbers of poor rural migrants who move to the cities live in the favelas, or shantytowns. Favelas are now also appearing in the countryside. The wealthy like to drive European cars, holiday in Paris or ski in Switzerland, where most of them keep their money to avoid scrutiny and interference in their accounts by the government. Brazil experienced an energy crisis in 2001. It is a country very dependent on water to fire its hydro-electric power stations, so when they had droughts so bad that the reservoirs were drained dry, they had a major catastrophe on their hands. At that time, hydroelectric plants and reservoirs produced over 90% of the countrys electricity supply, and the dry weather and insecure infrastructure issues caused major shortages. In 2002, they introduced some energy rationing, even declaring public holidays in an attempt to keep the demand for power by the large industries down. This in turn has led to a more immediate need for an alternative fuel source, and to not keep all ones eggs in one basket so to speak. They are currently importing oil from Venezuela and Argentina. Many large foreign firms have placed serious bids for the rights to drill and excavate for oil in the rich off-shire reserves 6,560 feet below the waters surface off Brazils Atlantic Coast. BP Amoco, for example, won a bi d for an area located 186 miles from the mouth of the Amazon River. A second, third and fourth round of bids was even more successful, with large investments being made in Brazils oil reserves. Aid Brazils main aid donors are the USA and the EU. The World Bank provided $2 billion in 1996 for environmental, basic sanitation, road building and anti-poverty projects. As well as official aid, much comes from NGOs, (non-Governmental Organisations) mainly for environmental and housing projects. Education Not all children in Brazil are registered. Of those that are; 90% receive Primary education, 19% receive Secondary education and only 12% receive Tertiary education. The adult literacy rate is 84.9% of all registered people compared with 99% in the UK. State schools enjoyed a good reputation until the 1950s, but have declined since then. Most middle-class parents now send their children to private schools. The wealthy send theirs to Switzerland or France. Millions of the poor receive little education especially those living in the Northeast and Amazonia, and the urban poor. Brazils three million street children have no schooling at all. Public degree courses work on credits, as in the USA. Of Brazils 95 universities, 55 are administered by the state. Sao Paulo University is the most prestigious. Communications In Brazil, only 49 out of 1,000 people own a car and only 75 out of 1,000 people own telephones. Media Although there is now no official censorship, TV and radio operating licences are awarded as political favours, and state advertising is so extensive that it cannot fail to influence editorial policy. Media ownership is also highly concentrated, 3 main companies own 293 daily newspapers. There are 19 state owned TV stations and 218 independent stations. There 2000 independent radio stations, but only 1 state owned. Environment Federal agencies charged with protecting the Amazon are insufficiently funded, understaffed and accused of corruption. The Amazon rainforest contains an estimated 90% of the entire worlds plants and animals and is the most complex ecosystem known. However, the demands of agriculture are leading to its destruction at a rate of 4 square km (1.5 square miles) per hour, or 35,000 square km (13,510 square miles) per year. As a result of such massive clearances, usually for conversion to cattle pasture, vital genetic diversity is being lost. Brazil faces other environmental problems. Opencast bauxite mining is polluting rivers and threatening the livelihoods of indigenous Amerindians. In the cities, widespread industrial pollution and untreated sewage are major problems. Crime The total population in Prison is 87,053. There is no death penalty. There are 2 murders and 3 rapes per 100,000 people. Urban life in Brazil can be violent. The incidence of armed robbery and drugs-related crime is rising. Human rights abuses by the police are frequently reported. Death squads, uncontrolled by the government, target street children in particular, especially in Rio, S Paulo and Recife. Since 1985, the rate of street child murders has been rising. However, international condemnation of the crimes has led to action in some areas. In the countryside, violent land disputes are common. Landless workers are repeatedly displaced and indigenous peoples driven from land to which the government has, in theory, guaranteed their rights. Tourism Brazils border with Argentina and Paraguay, boasts a natural wonder of the world, the massive Iguazu Falls. This is a remarkable sight much bigger than the Victoria Falls in Africa or North Americas Niagara Falls. Yet, the rest of the world barely knows of its existence. If marketed correctly, this could be a major tourist attraction. Brazil needs to extend this tourist resource and do more with it. Its 2,000 km (1,240 miles) of Atlantic beaches, the folklore and music of the north-east coast, and the annual Mardi Gras carnival in Rio de Janeiro are Brazils major attractions. However, the increasingly affluent and international audience now controls the carnival. The largely Afro-Brazilian residents of Rios favelas, or shanty towns, can often no longer afford to take part in the parades that originate in their culture. However, Brazilians show little interest in Eco-tourism, preferring to visit Amazonia for the duty-free shopping zone in Manaus. Brazil is still a relatively cheap destination for European and American tourists. Despite this, visitor numbers are declining, falling from 0.5% to 0.1% of the world market since 1970. Many visitors have been put off by the negative publicity generated by the conditions in the shantytowns and by Brazils past human rights record. Housing shortages in Brazil mean that about 25 million people live in sprawling shantytowns, called favelas that surround the cities. Most of the homes are built by the families themselves, sometimes from waste materials but more often from wood, bricks and cement bought from builders merchants. For the population who live in the favelas, 70% have no running water, 60% have no toilets or drains and 52% have no waste collection. Conclusion On analysing the evidence found, I have drawn the following conclusions. I think that Brazil is still a developing country despite its enormous agricultural/resource exports and its current attempts to repay its immense $250bn debt. There is such a massive divide between the rich and the poor, with the poor being in the majority that no developed country would have allowed this to remain for such a long time. A developed country would not have accrued such a high debt and would have used its natural resources to its advantage. There needs to be an equal distribution of the countrys wealth. I feel that in order to address some of Brazils problems, there needs to be a major re-allocation of land so that the very poor have a fighting chance of earning a decent living from working the land and selling the produce. There needs to be a massive campaign to re-educate the whole population of Brazil, which should address the need world-wide to stop destroying the rainforest, and all its natural plants. I think Brazil is no where near being a completely developed country. I believe that its only just started developing.

Problem Solving Activities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Problem Solving Activities - Essay Example ESPN is the largest source of money for Disney and  is believed to be the worlds most valuable media asset. According to www.forbes.com , the company is worth more than $40 billion as of 2012. Therefore one may beg to ask where all this money for ESPN comes from. According to bloomberg.com, the companys revenue hit a $9 billion in 2012 above any other cable network in the world and was projected to hit $11 billion as of the end of 2013 due to increased subscriber charges. Apart from being a sports channel, the company also broadcasts news relating to sporting events and its websites gives fixtures for the next sporting events. This ensures that its customers do not miss scheduled sporting events. One of the major sources for ESPNs money is the customer subscriptions. This is executed worldwide where the moment cable TV customers access the channel, the provider gets revenue which is paid by the customer. For example, many DSTV subscribers are able to watch ESPN at different channels through customer subscriptions, the company gets substantial revenue which enables it manage its day to day operations. Monthly subscriptions make up the largest source of revenue for ESPN standing at almost 60% of the total revenue for the company. In 2012, the company charged the cable TVs the largest amount of money per subscriber regardless of whether the subscriber watched the channel or not. At 4.6 dollars per subscriber, it was the highest in US and the charges continued to increase by up to 17.9% in 2013 meaning that the money generated will continue to increase for 2013. The other source of money for ESPN comes from advertising. In advertising, the company has up to three avenues for making advertising money. These are digital advertising, magazine advertising and television advertising. Of these, television advertising is expected to net up to $4 billion in 2013 the largest share, followed by digital adverts at 700

Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Discussion - Assignment Example This strategy shows that the company is socially responsible. Another demographic group that the firm warns should not smoke its product is pregnant women. Once again the label of the cigarette box states that cigarette smoking is dangerous for women that are pregnant. These two packaging warnings are examples of how Phillip Morris has adapted to the social cultural environmental force. The demographic target market of Phillip Morris is smokers between the ages of 18-35 years of age. The creation of the Marlboro Man is an example of character that was created by the company to adapt to the social cultural force by creating a character the common person could relate too. These smokers are more receptive to changes of brand. Older smokers tend to purchase the same brand of cigarettes every day. It is important for cigarette companies such as Phillip Morris to achieve customer retention due to the fact a daily smoker that stays with your company and purchases a daily box at $6 generates $2,190 in retail sales yearly. Older smokers are important as well and the firm should show appreciation for their business. In the future the company may make further cultural adaptations to comply with the needs of different cultures

Assignment paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assignment paper - Essay Example In this essay, my main focus will be on the critical analysis of my cultural gift giving practices in the U.S and the gift giving practices in the Chinese culture. The U.S gifting season is also the traditional holiday season. This season begins during the Thanksgiving, moving to the Christmas and ends with the New Year Eve. The St. Valentines Day has also been included in this season by the modern media (Gifts and Ideas 1-3). The act of giving gifts to family members, friends and business associates is dictated by the American customs and culture. These are covered by well thought out gifts depending on the occasion. Due to the cultural melting of the American culture, there has been a lot of influence on the other minority ethnic groups in America such as the Hispanics, to also adopt and incorporate the modern American cultural elements of gifting and celebrations within their own cultural celebrations. Various gifts are given by the Americans as gifts to other during various occasions. The most common gifts given out include cards, flowers, food items, gift baskets, chocolates, cakes, wines, spa gifts and perfumes among other. The main reason for giving out these gifts is for appreciation purposes. Gift giving is also a common practice in the American culture during the Christmas period that usually marks the birth of Jesus. During this period, gift giving usually crowns the occasion, and it becomes the most important ritual performed. To begin with, there is the gift giving session done by the parents to their children where the latest gadgets are usually given out to them. Other people also buy different kinds of gifts such as CDs, jewelry, books and gourmet food among other gifts to their relatives, parents and lived ones. Another occasion in America during when gift giving is done much is during the mothers day that usually falls on the second Sunday of May, each year. According to the American culture, mothers should be given

Youth and gambling problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Youth and gambling problem - Essay Example The third group involves individuals with some kind of neurological or Neuro-chemical dysfunction. This group is highly vulnerable to problem gambling due to impulsivity and attention deficits (Blaszczynski 2000). Such importance and high emphasize on problem gambling lead to the discussion of impacts that these gambling patterns have on the youth which is the major part of our society and upcoming future. The gambling behaviors in youngsters are closely related to their exposure to gambling in their childhood. They start gambling as an adoption of behaviors they experienced in childhood and if they win in the start their greed to win more empowers them to continue gambling. In the losing phase, they are more likely to win back what they had lost earlier. This urge and empowerment leads to desperation and motivation to bring more money with legal or illegal activities and stay in the game. Such desperation mostly resulted in illegal activities like cheating, stealing, robbing, nonpay ment of debts and so on (Hales 2006, pp. 305-307; National Research Council (US) 1999, pp. 169-171). Effects of Problem Gambling on Youth: Health effects: The younger generation is often exposed to other dangers when they involve in gambling within casinos, gaming zones and other areas covered by private owners. The addiction of gambling alone brings psychological disorders, attention deficits, depression, violent behaviors and aggression. In addition to these threats to psychological and physical well being of younger generation, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, tobacco and other addictives available in the play premises also affect their habits and behaviors towards the addictive things.... The increasingly easier opportunities for gaming and wagering available to clubs, hotels, casinos, gaming zones and increased games of chance like X-Lotto, scratch-tickets, sports betting, internet gambling, Bingo etc. in such places exposes gambling to the younger generation more prominently than ever. Advancements in technology resulted in some easier modes of accessibility to gambling. Internet and mobiles are the best sources of easily available components to youth for card games gambling, betting and so on. The increasing use of electronic gaming machines (EGM) in such places help the owners to attract more youngsters and involve them in gambling easily. The impacts of gaming and wagering due to the high exposure of electronic gambling to the youth has been a point of debate among the researchers in legislative, social, economic and cultural fields. Sports bars and ‘events based wagering’ are two important areas of discussion for their impacts on the youth as these are specifically aimed to target younger population. We can say that problem gambling cannot be described simply as a social behavior as generic, neurological, psychological and biological effects are also involved in describing the problem gambling behaviors. The negative impacts discussed are important to be addressed and restricted. Problem gambling may influence a child’s social, personal, economic, financial and educational life negatively. Hence, awareness and restrictions on gambling for children and younger population is necessary. The role of parents, elder siblings and teachers cannot be ignored in this regard as youngsters tend to adopt behaviors which they observe in their loved ones.