Essay on My Definition of Social Studies - 455 Words

My Definition of Social Studies Social studies is the study of world cultures, social and economic issues. It took some time for me to come up with this definition but after years of studying history I feel social studies is not just geography, civics, and history. I do not remember my childhood years of social studies other than studying about white men and the black men they enslaved or the white men who signed the constitution and what great men they were. I always felt the history I learned was one-sided. When I got to junior high school not much had changed. We did begin to learn about a few great black people such as, George Washington Carver, WEB Dubois, and Harriet Tubman. By†¦show more content†¦I am now in college and my professors have opened my eyes to many things, as well as, challenged me to want to learn what was not taught to me long ago. I had Dr. Combs for Urban Geography where I learned about what urban sprawl and contaminated water can do to a community. By learning what causes urban sprawl helped me to understand why family businesses that have been in business for fifty years are now closed. Whenever we discussed our surrounding communities I was always asking questions because I had a genuine interest. I am a forty-year-old black female that grew up in sixties in eastern Arkansas. I do not have many out of school social studies experiences other than the family cultures and traditions I was taught down through the years. One that stands out is Sunday dinners and the stories that my grandmother used to tell about our heritage. The characteristics of an effective social studies teacher would include learning about your students’ socioeconomic background, their interest, and there likes and dislikes. The instruction should not be all lecture, notes, and then test. There should be some hands on opportunities as well as cooperative learning groups. Students could use the computer to communicate with other students in foreign countries to learn of different cultures. Social studies is fun, good, and interesting when it is used toShow MoreRelatedEssay about Research Methodology Report1448 Words   |  6 PagesMethodology Report My themed research project will centre its focus upon the link between Riot Grrrl and its relation to Third-Wave Feminism. Primarily I aim to analyse Riot Grrrl’s music scene, but also its subculture mentioning its DIY punk ethic, political activism and most importantly its influential Zine network. However the purpose of this report is to demonstrate a grounded understanding in three research methodologies and how I will apply each one in regards to my own project. FirstlyRead MoreAnalysis Of Matthew Arnold s Culture And Anarchy785 Words   |  4 Pagessemester. Culture, hegemony and ideology must be part of any study of popular culture. With the evidence pulled from our readings, this essay will define these terms and insert them into the context of understanding popular culture as a whole. Culture: In Matthew Arnold’s â€Å"Culture and Anarchy,† there is little discussion about the word culture. Instead, he describes culture as striving for perfection in a world without it. Without a clear definition, the meaning of the word is open to interpretation andRead More The Feminism Movement Essay1308 Words   |  6 Pagesyourself to be a feminist?† There were many different responses to these questions. I first interviewed my friend, Jordan. He mentioned that he believes feminism is about, â€Å"Power crazy, mannish women who think they are better then men.† He thinks he is a moderate feminist because he believes women should have rights; however he is not an activist of women’s rights (Jacqueline, 2000). 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Read MoreWhat I Thought Was The Definition Of Disability Essay1040 Words   |  5 Pagesbeginning of the semester, I wrote what I thought was the definition of disability. Disability is â€Å"a socially constructed idea that being different makes you unable to be useful or valued in society† I wrote. This answer, while not wrong, only scratched the surface of how I define disability now. As a disclaimer, I do not believe I now have a full or encompassing definition of disability, but I do believe I have a better one. To start, the the definition I had written used the term â€Å"socially† constructedRead MoreTeaching Professionals Best Assist The Development Of Pupil s Self1691 Words   |  7 Pagesself- esteem. 2. To reflect on and improve my own practice with a view to creating an atmosphere in the classroom where the children could be enabled to view themselves in a more positive light. 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Queen Elizabeth Of The Elizabethan Era - 1369 Words

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, bounteous, layered skirts we re all the rage, so much so, laws were made to keep clothing in line. These laws were made to clearly divide the social classes of the time (Alchin). Knowing these laws was very important, because punishments for breaking the laws were harsh. Queen Elizabeth I saw the significance in the clothes people wear and how appearance alters the way people see others. This is why the Elizabethan people would sacrifice anything, even their health, to be beautiful. Queen Elizabeth definitely influenced the clothing of her Era and some of the clothing today by creating Sumptuary Laws, clearly dividing the social classes, and by raising the importance of body image. Unlike today, in†¦show more content†¦Back then, the upper class children would dress almost exactly the same as their parents. Their outfits were identical to each other (Tomecek). Of course, children s clothing was slightly simpler, but not by much. According to Alchin, young boys would wear skirts, making them almost indistinguishable from the young girls. When boys reached the age six, they would begin to dress more like their father. There was a variety of colors in clothing that could be worn, but only high-ranked citizens were allowed to wear colors like purple or gold, which symbolized royalty (Alchin). Crimson, a dark red color, was the color of the church. It symbolized the presence of God and the blood of martyrs (Alchin). The Cardinal at the time wore bright robes that were Crimson colored. Blue was mainly worn by servants and maids, and gray was a color normally seen on the poor. Gray clothing symbolized humility and poverty, it was a color that would never be seen on Queen Elizabeth I (Alchin). Due to Queen Elizabeth s strict laws, much of the lower class did not have as much of a variety of clothing as the upper class did. Gold, silver, purple, and many more colors could only be worn by royalty and nobility (Alchin). By looking at what somebody was wearing, you could tell which social class they came from. There was a time during the Elizabethan Era where men s clothing was fancier and more decorative looking than the women s clothing (Leed). The Elizabethan Era was sometimes

AP by John Updike Essay Example For Students

AP by John Updike Essay I think that in AP the author describes how life was decades ago and how it seems to me how life should be today, with out the arguments over petty situations. I think that the story line of AP is a typical situation in a small town in which the story is situated. I think that this particular story is based in a small vacationing town on the east coast where familys come back every year to spend there summer days in the sun playing on the beach or in the ocean, where mothers can send there kids to the store barefoot and not have to worry about strange people kidnapping them. Where customers have been coming for years and are treated with the respect you would treat someone in your own family. Sammys role in this story seems to be a strange one. He seems to be a teenager yet somehow attracted physically to adolescent girls. He seemed to be in a ways stalking the girls and making sexual notations towards them. Of course I am sure that three girls walking into a grocery store in nothing but bathing suits is not normal but considering the size and type of town I think that it is acceptable. This strikes me in a bad way because first of all its not normal to see little kids in anyway but little kids who like having a good time. Secondly, why would you quit your job in front of little kids to try and impress them or maybe make them feel better that someone was on there side because of the incident that the check out line and Mr. Lengal. It seems so childish how people make a big deal out of something that is so tiny that people often forget what they are arguing about when it really comes down to it.

Perfect Competition and Sources of Market Failure an Example of the Topic Economics Essays by

Perfect Competition and Sources of Market Failure Perfect Competition and Efficiency Perfect Competition is an ideal market structure (theoretical structure) primarily utilized as a standard to existing (real) market structures. This is sometimes called pure competition. This market structure is characterized as follows: 1) all firms basically produce and sell similar products; 2) all firms are subjected to the prevailing market price; 3) all firms have a small, almost uniform market share of a particular product; 4) buyers have complete information of the nature of the product sold as well as its corresponding price; and 5) firms have the freedom to enter and exit market (Perfect Competition, 2007). In perfectly competitive market, when a single firm decided to increase the price of a particular good, consumers will naturally shift their expenditure schedule (for that product) to firms selling the same product at a lower price. Need essay sample on "Perfect Competition and Sources of Market Failure" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed How much do I have to pay someone to write my assignment online? Essay writer professionals propose: Your Best Essay Helper Corollary to that, if a firm decided to decrease the price of a particular good, in order to capture a significant portion of the consumers income, the firm will be left earning profit less than the earnings of firms offering the same product at a higher price (market price). This is so since all firms in this market structure have a small portion of the products market share. This relationship between price and the relative market share of firms for a particular product is facilitated by of complete dissipation of knowledge of market prices (and the nature of products sold in the market) to consumers. If a firm raises the price of its product, the consumer can easily turn-around to firms selling the same product at a lower price. Thus, the firm (which offered a price higher than the market/equilibrium price) loses its market share for a particular product (forcing it to exit the market). Thus, it can be said that in perfect competition, price is constant (horizontal line represented as the demand curve). The volume of goods bought by consumers is unaffected by price increases. The firms receive an almost equal proportion of the consumers income. The overall profit in the short-run are almost fixed for each firm. If the demand schedule of consumers increase (maybe because of a change in taste or preference or a change in consumer expectation), the price also increases. Here a new level of market equilibrium is achieved. Firms supplying a particular product will negotiate with consumers for a new price level. After the price negotiation, a new fixed price level is established (in the long-run). Inherent in perfectly competitive market is its theoretical adherence to efficiency. Efficiency can be roughly defined as the condition of balanced welfare surplus; that is, the goods produced in the market are transferred through transactions to potential consumers. Efficiency is of two types: allocative efficiency and productive efficiency. Allocative efficiency can be defined as the guiding principle of modern economic policy when all mutually beneficial trades have been made, and all the goods are in the hands of those who value them most (Kaiser, 2007). Productive efficiency is the condition where there is the assurance that whatever is being made is produced in the most efficient manner, that is, no change in the mix of inputs would result in increased output, given the current technological constraints (Kaiser, 2007). Here what is given primacy is allocative efficiency (in relation to perfect competition). In a perfectly competitive market, welfare surplus is the volume of potential welfare (in terms of goods and services) directed to potential consumers. Deadweight loss is the opposite of welfare surplus. It is the potential welfare surplus converted to a firms profit because of inefficiencies in the market. In an ideal state of affairs, deadweight loss is zero because the market (which is perfectly competitive) offers a fixed price for particular goods. Hence, the marginal rate of substitution is identical for all consumers. No consumer can be better off without making the other worse off. This leaves all the consumers achieved what economists call the Pareto efficiency. In practical terms, it is a measure of welfare, a condition where an inpidual can be made better without making another worse off. This is generally an extension of the concept of welfare surplus. Thus, in a perfectly competitive market, all the potential consumers are theoretically satisfied of the transactions in the market (increased welfare surplus). Allocative efficiency serves as a means to increase welfare surplus. Sources of Market Failure: The Imperfect Markets There are different types of imperfect markets. When only one firm is producing/selling a particular product to potential consumers, it is called monopoly (a monopsony is market structure in which there is only one buyer of a particular product). Because entry into a particular market or industry corresponds to high costs and other impediments, the market is left with only one producer of a particular product. Monopoly though is not necessarily bad. There are certain industries in the economy that are monopolized for economic reasons. For example, monopolizing the power industry would prove efficient both for the government and the consumers. It is often embarrassing to the eye of a consumer to see different electric posts owned and run by different power companies. Monopoly though becomes inefficient if the firm produces less goods/services from that demanded by potential consumers. This generally results to an increase of price of the particular good/service. This increase in the price of a certain good also results in the reduction of welfare surplus. A portion of the welfare surplus is converted to the firms profit. Hence, in this type of market, the amount of potential welfare surplus depends largely on the price dictated by the firm (since consumers have no alternative, the power to dictate price changes rests on the single firm). Added to that, consumers often do not have complete information (imperfect information) of the internal workings of the firm; the cost of production, expected revenues, profit level, and the most important, the volume of goods produced. Needless to say, in this type of market structure the firm controls the amount of goods produced to enable it to dictate prices. When only few firms are selling/producing a particular product to potential consumers, it is called oligopoly. This group of firms usually has control over the price of a particular product. Entry to the market becomes impermissible because of high costs and other impediments. So in order to maintain the market profit of each firm, an economic reaction from a particular firm will be imitated by other firms. So if firm Y increased the price of its product by 11%, firms X and Z (in the same industry) follow suit. If firm Z decreased the price of its product by 13 %, firms X and Y will approximately decrease the price of its product by 13%. Unlike the perfectly competitive market, oligopoly rests on the assumption of economic collaboration. A group of firms in the same industry can virtually increase gradually the price of a particular product. Consumers are left without protection from these unwarranted price increases (thus, many governments institutionalized the so-called anti-trust policy to protect consumers from unwarranted market behavior of some firms). Thus, both monopoly and oligopoly result in both allocative and productive inefficiency. The market is flooded with price increases without an overall increase in the volume of goods/services offered in the market. Added to that, because entry to the market is difficult, capital becomes stagnant (concentrated to few firms). Nonetheless, the creation of more public goods (from the taxes of firms) of the government can be severely threatened. Since most governments use the so-called specific taxes (tax per unit of good produced), a general decrease in the volume of goods/services offered by a particular industry results to an overall decrease in government income. In the case of externalities (externalities are of two types: negative externalities and positive externalities the former is a market structure with negative spillover effects on others the latter is a market with positive spillover effects on other), market price of major industries becomes unpredictable in the long-run. In a May 1996 issue of the Wall Street Journal (entitled Economists Say Gasoline Tax Is Too Low), economists argued because of the unpredictable behavior in the long-run of oil prices in the world market, the US government was forced to keep the gasoline prices low (Calmes and Georges, 1996). This instance enabled oil companies to double their revenues at the expense of the consuming public. References Calmes, Jackie and Christopher Georges. (1996). May 7 Issue The Wall Street Journal. Economics Basics: Monopolies, Oligopolies and Perfect Competition. (2007). Investopedia. Retrieved on October 23, 2007 Kaiser, Hanno. (2007). The Goals of Antitrust and Economic Policy: Consumer Welfare? Efficiency? Perfect Competition? Retrieved on October 23, 2007 from http:// http://www.lawsocietyblog.com/archives/55. Perfect Competition. (2007). Investopedia. Retrieved on October 23, 2007 from http:// http://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/perfectcompetition.asp.

5 Reasons Why The Future of Healthcare Jobs Are Bright

5 Reasons Why The Future of Healthcare Jobs Are Bright Job seekers are looking to the healthcare field as one of the fastest growing occupational sources in the United States. Over the years 2012 to 2022, healthcare-related jobs are expected to account for one of the highest sectors in job growth, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Not since 2008 has the hospital industry made the number of jobs available as it has since the last quarter of 2014. Aside from hospital workers, employees are needed to fill positions in physician’s offices, urgent care clinics and home healthcare jobs. A convergence of events has made this an exciting time if you are seeking a job in healthcare. That being said, here are 5 reasons why the future of healthcare jobs are bright: 1.  Increasing Population of Elderly PeopleAmerica is growing older, and baby boomers are reaching a time when they require medical services such as geriatric medicine. For an increasing number of older Americans, home healthcare is required. Increases in mind-alterin g diseases such as Alzheimer’s, diabetic-associated problems and cardiac disease raises the demand for healthcare providers. In addition, with an emphasis on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, older Americans are visiting their doctors and becoming involved in wellness programs, all of which require trained professionals to meet the demand. Ancillary services such as those that provide durable medical equipment are also increasing.2. Better Healthcare AvailabilityWith the passage of the Affordable Care Act, more Americans are gaining access to healthcare services. Under the ACA, the insured are able to visit the doctor, have their eyes examined and get laboratory tests done. This means that increasing numbers of optometrists, physicians, physician’s assistants, nurses and laboratory technicians are necessary.In the next 10 years, the population is expected to grow by nine percent in the United States, increasing the need for more healthcare providers and personnel. In ad dition, with better medical care for chronic conditions, such as kidney disease that requires continuing treatment, the expansion of dialysis centers will require trained technicians.3.  Evolution of Healthcare RecordsAs healthcare reform is implemented, paperless medical records are replacing paper charts. Hospitals, medical offices and insurance companies are turning to electronic medical records. This relies on transcriptionists, computer experts and technicians to help bring about the transformation and maintain the records.4. Wellness ProgramsMore businesses and facilities are offering wellness programs. This is in line with the recognition that wellness is about more than medicine. Nutritionists, therapists and others are finding jobs in this proactive addendum to routine healthcare.5. Increased Jobs in the Hospital SectorAlthough the economy began to recover after March 2010, hospitals were not adding jobs. That changed in 2014. In the last quarter of that year, 100,000 job s were added, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This surge is expected to continue with approximately 28.1 percent growth in ancillary healthcare jobs accompanied by a 21.5 percent growth spike in the number of medical providers.According to Forbes, healthcare jobs have grown exponentially, and the growth does not seem to be slowing. Job search services such as TheJobNetwork are available to help you look for opportunities in the burgeoning healthcare field. This free service is easy to use and provides alerts via email to let you know when healthcare jobs are available.

Nellie Bly - Investigative Journalist

Nellie Bly - Investigative Journalist The reporter known as Nellie Bly was born Elizabeth Jane Cochran in Cochrans Mills, Pennsylvania, where her father was a mill owner and county judge. Her mother was from a wealthy Pittsburgh family. Pink, as she was known in childhood, was the youngest of 13 (or 15, according to other sources) of her fathers children from both of his marriages; Pink competed to keep up with her five older brothers. Her father died when she was only six. Her fathers money was divided among the children, leaving little for Nellie Bly and her mother to live on. Her mother remarried, but her new husband, John Jackson Ford, was violent and abusive, and in 1878 she filed for divorce. The divorce was final in June of 1879. Nellie Bly briefly attended college at Indiana State Normal School, intending to prepare to be a teacher, but funds ran out in the middle of her first semester there, and she left. She had discovered both a talent and interest in writing and talked her mother into moving to Pittsburgh to look for work in that field. But she did not find anything, and the family was forced to live in slum conditions. Finding Her First Reporting Job With her already-clear experience with the necessity of a woman working and the difficulty of finding work, she read an article in the Pittsburgh Dispatch called What Girls Are Good For, which dismissed the qualifications of women workers. She wrote an angry letter to the editor as a response, signing it Lonely Orphan Girl- and the editor thought enough of her writing to offer her an opportunity to write for the paper. She wrote her first piece for the newspaper, on the status of working women in Pittsburgh, under the name Lonely Orphan Girl. When she was writing her second piece, on divorce, either she or her editor (the stories told differ) decided she needed a more appropriate pseudonym, and Nellie Bly became her nom de plume. The name was taken from the then-popular Stephen Foster tune, Nelly Bly. When Nellie Bly wrote human interest pieces exposing the conditions of poverty and discrimination in Pittsburgh, local leaders pressured her editor, George Madden, and he reassigned her to cover fashion and society- more typical womens interest articles. But those didnt hold Nellie Blys interest. Mexico Nellie Bly arranged to travel to Mexico as a reporter. She took her mother along as a chaperone, but her mother soon returned, leaving her daughter to travel unchaperoned, unusual for that time, and somewhat scandalous. Nellie Bly wrote about Mexican life, including its food and culture- but also about its poverty and the corruption of its officials. She was expelled from the country and returned to Pittsburgh, where she began reporting for the Dispatch again. She published her Mexican writings as a book, Six Months in Mexico, in 1888. But she was soon bored with that work, and quit, leaving a note for her editor, Im off for New York. Look out for me. Bly. Off for New York In New York, Nellie Bly found it difficult to find work as a newspaper reporter because she was a woman. She did some freelance writing for the Pittsburgh paper, including an article about her difficulty in finding work as a reporter. In 1887, Joseph Pulitzer of the New York World hired her, seeing her as fitting into his campaign to expose all fraud and sham, fight all public evil and abuses- part of the reformist trend in newspapers of that time. Ten Days in a Mad House For her first story, Nellie Bly had herself committed as insane. Using the name Nellie Brown, and pretending to be Spanish-speaking, she was first sent to Bellevue and then, on September 25, 1887, admitted to Blackwells Island Madhouse. After ten days, lawyers from the newspaper were able to get her released as planned. She wrote of her own experience where doctors, with little evidence, pronounced her insane and of other women who were probably just as sane as she was, but who didnt speak good English or were thought to be unfaithful. She wrote of the horrible food and living conditions, and the generally poor care. The articles were published in October 1887 and were widely reprinted across the country, making her famous. Her writings on her asylum experience were published in 1887 as Ten Days in a Mad House. She proposed a number of reforms- and, after a grand jury investigation, many of those reforms were adopted. More Investigative Reporting This was followed with investigations and exposà ©s on sweatshops, baby-buying, jails, and corruption in the legislature. She interviewed Belva Lockwood, the Woman Suffrage Party presidential candidate, and Buffalo Bill, as well as the wives of three presidents (Grant, Garfield, and Polk). She wrote about the Oneida Community, an account republished in book form. Around the World Her most famous stunt, though, was her competition with the fictional Around the World in 80 Days trip of Jules Vernes character, Phileas Fogg, an idea proposed by G. W. Turner. She left from New York to sail to Europe on November 14, 1889, taking only two dresses and one bag. Traveling by many means including boat, train, horse, and rickshaw, she made it back in 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 14 seconds. The last leg of the trip, from San Francisco to New York, was via a special train provided by the newspaper. The World published daily reports of her progress and held a contest to guess her return time, with over a million entries. In 1890, she published about her adventure in Nellie Blys Book: Around the World in Seventy-Two Days. She went on a lecture tour, including a trip to Amiens, France, where she interviewed Jules Verne. The Famous Female Reporter She was, now, the most famous female reporter of her time. She quit her job, writing serial fiction for three years for another New York publication- fiction that is far from memorable. In 1893 she returned to the World. She covered the Pullman strike, with her coverage having the unusual distinction of paying attention to the conditions of the strikers lives. She interviewed Eugene Debs and Emma Goldman. Chicago, Marriage In 1895, she left New York for a job in Chicago with the Times-Herald. She only worked there for six weeks. She met Brooklyn millionaire and industrialist Robert Seaman, who was 70 to her 31 (she claimed she was 28). In just two weeks, married him. The marriage had a rocky start. His heirs- and a previous common-law wife or mistress- were opposed to the match. She went off to cover a womens suffrage convention and interview Susan B. Anthony; Seaman had her followed, but she had the man he hired arrested and then published an article about being a good husband. She wrote an article in 1896 on why women should fight in the Spanish American War- and that was the last article she wrote until 1912. Nellie Bly, Businesswoman Nellie Bly- now Elizabeth Seaman- and her husband settled down, and she took an interest in his business. He died in 1904, and she took over the Ironclad Manufacturing Co. which made enameled ironware. She expanded the American Steel Barrel Co. with a barrel that she claimed to have invented, promoting it to increase the success appreciably of her late husbands business interests. She changed the method of payment of workers from piecework to a salary and even provided recreation centers for them. Unfortunately, a few of the long term employees were caught cheating the company, and a long legal battle ensued, ending in bankruptcy, and employees sued her. Impoverished, she began writing for the New York Evening Journal. In 1914, to avoid a warrant for obstructing justice, she fled to Vienna, Austria- just as World War I was breaking out. Vienna In Vienna, Nellie Bly was able to watch World War I unfolding. She sent a few articles to the Evening Journal. She visited the battlefields, even trying out the trenches, and promoted U.S. aid and involvement to save Austria from Bolsheviks. Back to New York In 1919, she returned to New York, where she successfully sued her mother and brother for the return of her house and what remained of the business she had inherited from her husband. She returned to the New York Evening Journal, this time writing an advice column. She also worked to help place orphans into adoptive homes and adopted a child herself at age 57. Nellie Bly was still writing for the Journal when she died of heart disease and pneumonia in 1922. In a column published the day after she died, famous reporter Arthur Brisbane called her the best reporter in America. Key Facts Family: Mother: Mary Jane Kennedy Cummings (her second marriage, the first was childless)Father: Michael Cochran (mill owner and county judge; had 10 [or 12?] children from a first marriage)Siblings: two full siblings, and 10 (or 12?) half-siblings from her fathers first marriageHusband: Robert Livingston Seaman (married April 5, 1895, when he was 70; millionaire industrialist)Children: none from her marriage, but adopted a child when she was 57 Education: early education at homeIndiana State Normal School, Indiana, Pennsylvania Known for: investigative reporting and sensationalist journalism, especially her commitment to an insane asylum and her around-the-world stunt Occupation: journalist, writer, reporter Dates: May 5, 1864-January 27, 1922; she claimed 1865 or 1867 as her birth year) Other Names: Elizabeth Jane Cochran (birth name), Elizabeth Cochrane (a spelling she adopted), Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman (married name), Elizabeth Seaman, Nelly Bly, Pink Cochran (childhood nickname) Books by Nellie Bly Ten Days in a Mad-House; or Nellie Blys Experience on Blackwells Island. Feigning Insanity in order to Reveal Asylum Horrors.... 1887.Six Months in Mexico. 1888.The Mystery in Central Park. 1889.Outline of Bible Theology! Exacted from a Letter by a Lady to the New York World of 2nd June, 1889. 1889.Nellie Blys Book: Around the World in Seventy-Two Days. 1890. Books About Nellie Bly: Jason Marks. The Story of Nellie Bly. 1951.Nina Brown Baker. Nellie Bly. 1956.Iris Noble. Nellie Bly: First Woman Reporter. 1956.Mignon Rittenhouse. The Amazing Nellie Bly. 1956.Emily Hahn. Around the World with Nellie Bly. 1959.Terry Dunnahoo. Nellie Bly: A Portrait. 1970.Charles Parlin Graves. Nellie Bly, Reporter for the World. 1971.Ann Donegan Johnson. The Value of Fairness: The Story of Nellie Bly. 1977.Tom Lisker. Nellie Bly: First Woman of the News. 1978.Kathy Lynn Emerson. Making Headlines: A Biography of Nellie Bly. 1981.Judy Carlson. Nothing Is Impossible, Said Nellie Bly. 1989.Elizabeth Ehrlich. Nellie Bly. 1989.Martha E. Kendall. Nellie Bly: Reporter for the World. 1992.Marcia Schneider. First Woman of the News. 1993.Brooke Kroeger. Nellie Bly: Daredevil, Reporter, Feminist. 1994.

Exam III Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Exam III - Essay Example Concentration of several institutions serving the early settlers made the San Antonio quite important to the early settlers and the town evolved to become the capital of Texas in the early 1770s (Arreola, 1987). However, the San Antonio had grown into a city by early 1811 following the influx of Mexican and Spanish settlers and served as a special border town during the colonial period. Due to this fact of being a border town, its sovereignty changed several times in the early eighteenth century. According to Arrelola (1987) San Antonio was first Spanish; it then became a part of Mexican republic in early 1920s and finally a city in the Republic of Texas in 1930s what would later make it statehood in the United States in 1840s. As the time passed by, the population of this city doubled and the Mexicans continued to represent quite a significant proportion of the population of San Antonio (Meier & Ribera, 1994). In 1930s, San Antonio’s population was reported to be plainly dominated by Mexican. The Mexicans were later joined by the Americans, Germans, Irish and French immigrants who also became inhabitants of this city (Arreola, 1997). Following the intermarriages between the different individuals, the separateness of the ethnic groups became the order of the day with Mexicans reducing to approximately forty six percent of the entire population of the city. Even though the Mexican population of the town continued to decline through the 19th and 20th centuries, the nearness of the city to Mexico and the fact that among the early inhabitants were Mexicans helped the city grow as an important Mexican cultural city in United States by being the best location of settlement of the Mexican immigrants into the US (Arreola, 1997). In 1980s, the development of the railway network system across America and it connection to Mexico further shortened the distance between Mexico and the Central and Southern

Agriculture on Rainforest(Amazon Tropical) soil Essay

Agriculture on Rainforest(Amazon Tropical) soil - Essay Example nstitutions have drawn on contrasting perceptions of cause as they try to shape policies and programs dealing with the environmental impacts of development. Yet the importance of perceptual (emic-type) differences among social groups and progressive institutions has not been addressed in the growing corpus of work worried with environment-development issues. The present study examines miscellaneous perceptions of the causes of soil corrosion among inhabitants and institutions in Amazon Basin. According to recent accounts, soil erosion in the Amazon "heartland" and several other flat terrain regions of Brazilian Amazon Basin constitutes a unhelpful environmental hazard that degrades farm and grazing lands and increases flooding, desertification, and dust storms. Estimates indicate that 64 percent, or 790 square kilometres, of the land surface in Amazon is at least reasonably eroded, and approximations of annual soil erosion vary between 50 and 150 tons per hectare, well above rates of soil formation. These figures indicates an erosion dilemma that exceeds even the harsh national situation: a recent report released by the Brazilian Ministry of Peasant Agriculture and Ranching (RACA), and published in two major newspapers, estimates that between 35 and 41 percent of the country at present display moderate or extreme soil erosion. For many people and institutions in Brazil, soil erosion has become an issue of considerable alarm. Articulated perceptions (discourses) of the causes of soil erosion assess here include three groups of residents and institutions in Brazil: government institutions and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), peasants in their individual perspectives, and rural trade unions. Each group has articulated concern about the recent erosion dilemma, its impacts and possible solutions. The articulated perceptions typical of each group are represented in informal accounts made in 1991 and in published and unpublished documents. These were assembled in

My Mother, My Hero Essay Example for Free

My Mother, My Hero Essay When I was about ten years old, I watched an episode of Sesame Street that provided valuable lesson about who mothers are to their children. I would like to start this narrative with that story. A little girl got lost in the park and was crying hysterically. She caught the attention of a security officer nearby. The officer approached the child and tried to calm her. He asked her who she was with and the child said she was with her mother. They were crossing the street and there were so many people. She got confused and she thought she was following her mother but later found out that it was another woman. The child continued to cry remembering her mother who would be worried by then. The officer asked the little girl to describe her mother. She said her mother is â€Å"the most wonderful woman in the whole world†. So the security officer looked for the beautiful women and presented them to her, but the child kept crying and insisted that her mother is â€Å"the most wonderful woman in the whole world†. After many attempts to find a beautiful lady fitting the child’s description, a plump, old woman who looked very worried rushed to the child and embraced her tight. The child was so happy and told the officer that the lady is her mother. The child, relieved to be in her mother’s arms again, said to the officer, â€Å"This is my mother; she is the most wonderful woman in the whole world†. It was only then that the officer realized what the child meant. When a woman finds herself pregnant, she is transformed into a selfless individual, one who would put the child’s interest first above her own. It is like bearing a child fulfills her womanhood and in her child’s eyes, she literally is the most wonderful woman. Some women had to stop working because they need to personally take care of their babies. Some had to change their lifestyle to favor the needs of the child. Some had to find a new place that is ideal for the child to grow up. Some women simply do not dream of anything else but to be good mothers to their children. To bring the child in one’s womb for nine months is a lot of sacrifice. To feed the baby from one’s breast until the baby is old enough is a lot more sacrifice. To care, protect and guide the baby until he grows and becomes an adult is a lifetime sacrifice for a mother. Mothers are heroes and the world is lucky to have them. So is my mother and she is my hero. I may not be able to remember all the wonderful things my mother has done to me; it could make a long list and keep adding to it for as long as we both live. If ever I was not conscious of how she brought me in her womb for nine long enduring months, I could have certainly felt it and carried the feeling with me as I grew up. I was told that I was a perfectly healthy baby when I was born. My family especially my mother was so proud of me. She probably did not realize that if I was born good looking and very healthy, it was because she took care of her own health and successfully nurtured me in her own body. I breathed in her breath, I ate what she ate and I lived in her; we were literally one during the most crucial time of my life. Aside from making it happen, she paved the way for me to grow in her healthily and safely. Like many perfectly healthy children, I was told that I was breastfed for two years. My memory does not help me enough to make me remember how it felt to be breastfed by my mother. But as I look at her now, I see a beautiful woman who was so blessed to provide the nutrition to keep her baby alive. Every drop of milk that I took from her was a result of all her efforts to keep herself clean and nutritious. She must have eaten plenty of vegetables and avoided dirty food. She must have taken vitamins that would give her milk the nutrients that my body would need. She must have sacrificed being awake when I was hungry and set aside what she was doing whenever I cried and asked for food. I would have been so gratifying if I could remember how it was; being carried by my mother and making me feed from her breast. Simply knowing it makes me feel the intensity of her love, and I treasure this knowledge. I am happy to remember instances when my mother brought me to the grocery store and bought me some candy bars and chocolates. I felt my eyes feast on the colors that I saw at the store. The feeling of security that I was with my mother added to the enjoyment I had. The feeling was like that most of the time. I felt that with my mother, I am safe. Nothing wrong can happen to me and she will give me everything. I did not have to ask, she knew when I needed something. When she bought me candy bars and chocolates in the grocery store made me very happy. But it was not just the candy bars and chocolates, or the trip at the grocery store that made me feel so good, it was because they were given by my mother. Since my childhood, simply looking at my mother sent me good feelings. There was a time when I was running in a building, I don’t remember where it was, but it was a building with stairs and I was running recklessly. My mother was right behind me but I somehow made a wrong step and fell about three or four steps on the stairs going down. My immediate reaction was shock. I then felt a mixture of pain in my body and embarrassment because I attracted the attention of the other children playing there. It was instinct that I looked for my mother and looked at her eyes. She was rushing towards me to give me the comfort that I needed. I remember crying and embracing my mother, asking her to caress me and tell me that everything was alright. It was also the comfort that assures me that it is not that embarrassing and nobody will laugh at me. That alone made me feel better and I knew that my mother was the best person who could do that for me. She was really my hero. I may be older now and stronger. I have learned many lessons in life as I gained experiences with all my mother’s love and guidance. She may not be physically present, following me in all my activities, but she continues to be my guardian. Whatever I have become is owed much to my mother. For my mother, she may not have been conscious of the magnitude of the sacrifices she has made, just for me. Because every time she did something for me, her eyes would glow and I knew that she has always been so happy to do those things for me. I guess it is the magic of a mother’s love that makes a child whole. She is my hero and I will be grateful to her for being my mother for the rest of my life.

Disneys Medievalesque Sleeping Beauty Essay -- Essays Papers

Disney's Medievalesque Sleeping Beauty "It was not once upon a time, but in a certain time in history, before anyone knew what was happening, Walt Disney cast a spell on the fairy tale. He did not use a magic wand or demonic powers. On the contrary, Disney employed the most up-to-date technological means and used his own American "grit" and ingenuity to appropriate European fairy tales. His technical skills and ideological proclivities were so consummate that his signature obfuscated the names of Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and Collodi. If children or adults think of the great classical fairy tales today, be it Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, or Cinderella, they will think Walt Disney. " --Jack Zipes, "Breaking the Disney Spell" (72) Zipes, one of the foremost scholars on the "fairy tale" has published numerous commentaries on Disney's cinematic versions of fairy tales and critiques Disney for using them to perpetuate what Zipes sees as cultural ills. In the same essay he writes, "The manner in which he copied the musical films and plays of his time, and his close adaptation of fairy tales with patriarchal codes indicate that all the technical experiments would not be used to foster social change in America, but to keep power in the hands of individuals like himself, who felt empowered to design and create new worlds" (Zipes 93). Zipes ultimately sees Disney's egotism as guilty of failing to utilize the opportunity afforded within a medium such as the animated fairy tale to acknowledge and foster change within the social order. Zipes, along with other scholars such as Eleanor Byrne and Martin McQuillan, authors of the book Deconstructing Disney, explore and catalogue the various ways in which Walt Disney-the man-and Disney-the corporation that is his legacy-perpetuate social figurations of race, gender and ethnocentrism through they films they produce. They furthermore critique Disney for reducing fairy tales to over-simplified, over-sanitized and over-sentimentalized banalities designed solely as a profit-generating products. Such analyses prove to be truly important work, as the socio-cultural ideas propagated by Disney, as well as the means by it executed such propagation prove key in unlocking the messages that are sent through seemingly harmless "entertainment". As Zipes keenly point out, Yet, amus... ...Cited Byrne, Eleanor and Martin McQuillan. Deconstructing Disney. Great Britain: Pluto Press, 1999. Dorfman, Ariel and Armand Mattelart. How to Read Donald Duck: Imperialist Ideology in the Disney Comic. Trans. David Kunzle. New York: International General 1984. Lefebvre, Henri. "Work and Leisure in Everyday Life." Everyday Life Reader. Ed. Ben Highmore. Great Britain: Routledge, 2002. 225-36. Marx, Karl. "Contribution to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right: Introduction." 1844. The Marx-Engels Reader. Ed. Robert C. Tucker. 2nd ed. USA: Norton, 1978. 53-65. "Once Upon a Dream: The Making of Sleeping Beauty". Documentary. Disney, Inc., c. 1959. Perrault, Charles. "The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood." 1697. Perrault's Complete Fairy Tales. Trans. A.E. Johnson. USA: Dodd, Mead & Company, Inc. 1961. 1-15. Sleeping Beauty. Dir. Wilfred Jackson. Walt Disney Studios, 1959. "Sleeping Beauty: Commemorative Booklet." Disney Inc. c. 1997. Willis, Paul. "Symbolic Creativity." Everyday Life Reader. Ed. Ben Highmore. Great Britain: Routledge, 2002. 282-294. Zipes, Jack. Fairy Tale as Myth. USA: University Press of Kentucky, 1994.

Literature Marking Scheme Essay

Introduction 1. 1 Why choose Cambridge? University of Cambridge International Examinations is the world’s largest provider of international education programmes and qualifications for 5 to 19 year olds. We are part of the University of Cambridge, trusted for excellence in education. Our qualifications are recognised by the world’s universities and employers. Recognition Every year, thousands of learners gain the Cambridge qualifications they need to enter the world’s universities. Cambridge IGCSE ® (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) is internationally recognised by schools, universities and employers as equivalent to UK GCSE. Learn more at w ww. cie. org. uk/recognition Excellence in education We understand education. We work with over 9000 schools in over 160 countries who offer our programmes and qualifications. Understanding learners’ needs around the world means listening carefully to our community of schools, and we are pleased that 98% of Cambridge schools say they would recommend us to other schools. Our mission is to provide excellence in education, and our vision is that Cambridge learners become confident, responsible, innovative and engaged. Cambridge programmes and qualifications help Cambridge learners to become: †¢ confident in working with information and ideas – their own and those of others †¢ responsible for themselves, responsive to and respectful of others †¢ innovative and equipped for new and future challenges †¢ engaged intellectually and socially, ready to make a difference. Support in the classroom We provide a world-class support service for Cambridge teachers and exams officers. We offer a wide range of teacher materials to Cambridge schools, plus teacher training (online and face-to-face), expert advice and learner-support materials. Exams officers can trust in reliable, efficient administration of exams entry and excellent, personal support from our customer services. Learn more at w ww. cie. org. uk/teachers Not-for-profit, part of the University of Cambridge We are a part of Cambridge Assessment, a department of the University of Cambridge and a not-for-profit organisation. We invest constantly in research and development to improve our programmes and qualifications. 2 Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476 Introduction 1. 2 Why choose Cambridge IGCSE? Cambridge IGCSE helps your school improve learners’ performance. Learners develop not only knowledge and understanding, but also skills in creative thinking, enquiry and problem solving, helping them to perform well and prepare for the next stage of their education. Cambridge IGCSE is the world’s most popular international curriculum for 14 to 16 year olds, leading to globally recognised and valued Cambridge IGCSE qualifications. It is part of the Cambridge Secondary 2 stage. Schools worldwide have helped develop Cambridge IGCSE, which provides an excellent preparation for Cambridge International AS and A Levels, Cambridge Pre-U, Cambridge AICE (Advanced International Certificate of Education) and other education programmes, such as the US Advanced Placement Program and the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Cambridge IGCSE incorporates the best in international education for learners at this level. It develops in line with changing needs, and we update and extend it regularly. 1. 3 Why choose Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English)? Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) is accepted by universities and employers as proof of real knowledge and understanding. Successful candidates gain lifelong skills, including the ability to: †¢ Read, interpret and evaluate texts through the study of literature in English; †¢ Develop an understanding of literal and implicit meaning, relevant contexts and of the deeper themes or attitudes that may be expressed; †¢ Recognise and appreciate the ways in which writers use English to achieve a range of effects; †¢ Present an informed, personal response to materials they have studied; †¢ Explore wider and universal issues, promoting students’ better understanding of themselves and of the world around them. 1. 4 Cambridge International Certificate of Education (ICE) Cambridge ICE is the group award of Cambridge IGCSE. It gives schools the opportunity to benefit from offering a broad and balanced curriculum by recognising the achievements of learners who pass examinations in at least seven subjects. Learners draw subjects from five subject groups, including two languages, and one subject from each of the other subject groups. The seventh subject can be taken from any of the five subject groups. Literature (English) falls into Group II, Humanities and Social Sciences. Learn more about Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge ICE at w ww. cie. org. uk/cambridgesecondary2 Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476 3 Introduction 1. 5 Schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland This Cambridge IGCSE is approved for regulation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It appears on the Register of Regulated Qualifications http://register. ofqual. gov. uk as a Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificate. There is more information for schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in Appendix C to this syllabus. School and college performance tables Cambridge IGCSEs which are approved by Ofqual are eligible for inclusion in school and college performance tables. For up-to-date information on the performance tables, including the list of qualifications which count towards the English Baccalaureate, please go to the Department for Education website (www. education. gov. uk/performancetables). All approved Cambridge IGCSEs are listed as Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificates. 1.  6 How can I find out more? If you are already a Cambridge school You can make entries for this qualification through your usual channels. If you have any questions, please contact us at international@cie. org. uk If you are not yet a Cambridge school Learn about the benefits of becoming a Cambridge school at w ww. cie. org. uk/startcambridge. Email us at international@cie. org. uk to find out how your organisation can become a Cambridge school. 4 Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476 Assessment at a glance 2. Assessment at a glance  Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) Syllabus code 0486 Candidates take one of the following options: Component Paper 1: Set Texts – Open books Paper 2: Coursework portfolio Duration 2 hours 15 minutes Assessed by the Centre; externally moderated by Cambridge Weighting 75% 25% OR Component Paper 1: Set Texts – Open books Paper 3: Unseen Duration 2 hours 15 minutes 1 hour 15 minutes Weighting 75% 25% OR Component Paper 4: Set Texts – Closed books: A Paper 5: Set Texts – Closed books: B Duration 2 hours 15 minutes 45 minutes Weighting 75% 25% The full range of grades (A*–G) is available in each option. Availability This syllabus is examined in the May/June examination series and the October/November examination series. This syllabus is available to private candidates (for the non-coursework options). Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476 5 Assessment at a glance Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificate* Literature (English) Syllabus code 0476 All candidates take the following: Paper 1 2 hours 15 minutes Set Texts – Open Books Three sections – drama, prose and poetry with a mix of passage-based, essay questions and (on prose and drama texts) empathic questions. There is a choice of three questions on each set text. Paper 2 1 hour 15 minutes Unseen From a choice of two question, each requiring critical commentary, candidates must choose one. One question is based on a literary prose passage and the other on a poem or extract of a poem. Candidates answer one question from each section and must choose at least one passagebased and one essay question. No set texts for this component. All Assessment Objectives are tested All Assessment Objectives are tested. Weighting: 75% of total marks. Weighting: 25% of total marks. The full range of grades (A*–G) is available. Availability This syllabus is examined in the May/June examination series and the October/November examination series. It is available in the UK only. This syllabus is available to private candidates. Combining these syllabuses with other syllabuses Candidates can combine either of these syllabuses in an examination series with any other Cambridge syllabus, except: †¢ syllabuses with the same title at the same level †¢ 2010 Cambridge O Level Literature in English †¢ 0408 Cambridge IGCSE World Literature Please note that Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificates and Cambridge O Level syllabuses are at the same level. * 6. This syllabus is accredited for use in England, Wales and Northern Ireland as Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificate. Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476 Syllabus aims and objectives 3. Syllabus aims and objectives 3. 1 Aims The syllabus aims, which are not listed in order of priority, are to encourage and develop candidates’ ability to: †¢ enjoy the experience of reading literature; †¢ understand and respond to literary texts in different forms and from different periods and cultures; †¢ communicate an informed personal response appropriately and effectively; †¢ appreciate different ways in which writers achieve their effects; †¢ experience literature’s contribution to aesthetic, imaginative and intellectual growth; †¢ explore the contribution of literature to an understanding of areas of human concern. 3. 2 Assessment objectives There are four Assessment Objectives (AOs) and candidates are assessed on their ability to: AO1: Show detailed knowledge of the content of literary texts in the three main forms (Drama, Poetry, and Prose); AO2: Understand the meanings of literary texts and their contexts, and explore texts beyond surface meanings to show deeper awareness of ideas and attitudes; AO3: Recognise and appreciate ways in which writers use language, structure, and form to create and shape meanings and effects; AO4: Communicate a sensitive and informed personal response to literary texts. Each of the assessment objectives is present in each of the papers, with the following weighting: Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476 7 Syllabus aims and objectives Syllabus 0486 Paper 1 Paper 2 Paper 3 Paper 4 Paper 5 AO1 25% 25% 25% 25% 25% AO2 25% 25% 25% 25% 25% AO3 25% 25% 25% 25% 25% AO4 25% 25% 25% 25% 25%. Paper 1 Paper 2 AO1 25% 25% AO2 25% 25% AO3 25% 25% AO4 25% 25% Syllabus 0476 8 Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476 Description of papers (syllabus 0486) 4. Description of papers (syllabus 0486) 4. 1 Paper 1: Set Texts – Open books 2 hours 15 minutes This paper has three sections: Drama, Prose and Poetry. Candidates answer one question from each section. All questions carry equal marks. Candidates may take their set texts into the exam, but these texts must not contain personal annotations, highlighting or underlining. On each set text, candidates have a choice of three questions as follows: †¢ Poetry – one passage-based question and two essay questions. †¢ Drama – one passage-based question, one essay question, one ‘empathic’ question (see below for more details). †¢ Prose – one passage-based question, one essay question, one ‘empathic’ question (see below for more details). Candidates must answer at least one passage-based question and at least one essay question. On the Question Paper, passage-based questions are indicated by an asterisk (*) and essay questions are indicated by a dagger symbol († ). ‘Empathic’ questions address the same assessment objectives as the essay and passage-based questions. These questions test knowledge, understanding and response, but give candidates the opportunity to engage more imaginatively with the text by assuming a suitable ‘voice’ (i. e. a manner of speaking for a specific character). Passage-based questions ask candidates to re-read a specific passage or poem from the set text before answering. The passage/poem is printed on the exam paper. All questions encourage an informed personal response and test all assessment objectives. This means that candidates will have to demonstrate: †¢their personal response, sometimes directly (answering questions such as ‘What do you think? ’, ‘What are your feelings about†¦? ’) and sometimes by implication (such as ‘Explore the ways in which†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢); †¢ their knowledge of the text through the use of close reference to detail and use of quotations from the text; †¢ their understanding of characters, relationships, situations and themes; †¢ their understanding of the writer’s intentions and methods, and response to the writer’s use of language. Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476 9 Description of papers (syllabus 0486). 4. 2 Paper 2: Coursework portfolio (syllabus 0486 only) Candidates submit a portfolio of t wo assignments. †¢ Each assignment should be between 600–1000 words and should be based on the study of one complete text, equivalent in scope and demand to a set text on Paper 1. †¢ The assignments must be on different texts. †¢ One of the assignments (but not two) may be on a text prepared for Paper 1. (There is no requirement to include work on a Paper 1 text. ) Assignments can be handwritten, typed or word processed. The phrasing of each assignment’s title must allow for assessment in relation to all the Assessment Objectives. Coursework is assessed and marked by the Centre, and a sample is submitted for external moderation by Cambridge. Teachers responsible for assessing Coursework must be accredited by Cambridge; accreditation is usually awarded after the teacher has successfully completed the Coursework Training Handbook. For more information and guidance on creating, presenting and marking the Coursework, see Section 9. 4. 3 Paper 3: Unseen 1 hour 15 minutes Paper 3 comprises two questions, each asking candidates for a critical commentary on (and appreciation of) previously unseen writing printed on the question paper. Candidates answer one question only. One question is based on a passage of literary prose (such as an extract from a novel or a short story); the other question is based on a poem, or extract of a poem. Candidates are advised to spend around 20 minutes reading their selected question and planning their answer before starting to write. There are no set texts for this paper. 10 Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476 Description of papers (syllabus 0486) 4. 4 Paper 4: Set texts – Closed books A (syllabus 0486 only) 2 hours 15 minutes. The paper has three sections: Drama, Poetry, and Prose. Candidates answer one question from each section. All questions carry equal marks. This is a ‘Closed books’ paper: candidates may not take their set texts into the exam room. On each text, candidates have a choice of three questions: †¢ Poetry – one passage-based question, and two essay questions; †¢ Drama – one passage-based question, one essay question, one ‘empathic’ question (see below for more detail); †¢ Prose – one passage-based question, one essay question, one ‘empathic’ question (see below for more detail). Candidates must answer at least one passage-based question and at least one essay question. On the Question Paper, passage-based questions are indicated by an asterisk (*) and essay questions are indicated by a dagger symbol († ). ‘Empathic’ questions address the same assessment objectives as the essay and passage-based questions. These questions test knowledge, understanding and response, but give candidates the opportunity to engage more imaginatively with the text by assuming a suitable ‘voice’ (i. e. a manner of speaking for a specific character). Passage-based questions ask candidates to re-read a specific passage or poem from the set text. The passage/poem is printed on the exam paper. All questions encourage an informed personal response and test all assessment objectives. This means that candidates will have to demonstrate: †¢ their personal response, sometimes directly (answering questions such as ‘What do you think? ’, ‘What are your feelings about†¦? ’) and sometimes by implication (such as ‘Explore the ways in which†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢); †¢ their knowledge of the text through the use of close reference to detail and use of quotations from the text; †¢ their understanding of characters, relationships, situations and themes; †¢ their understanding of the writer’s intentions and methods, and their response to the writer’s use of language. Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476 11 Description of papers (syllabus 0486) 4. 5 Paper 5: Set texts – Closed books B (syllabus 0486 only) 45 minutes In this paper, candidates answer one question on one set text. All questions carry equal marks. This a ‘Closed books’ paper: candidates may not take their set texts into the exam room. On each set text, candidates have a choice of three questions as follows: †¢ Poetry – one passage-based question and two essay questions. †¢ Drama – one passage-based question, one essay question, one ‘empathic’ question (see below for more details). †¢ Prose – one passage-based question, one essay question, one ‘empathic’ question (see below for more details). ‘Empathic’ questions address the same assessment objectives as the essay and passage-based questions. These questions test knowledge, understanding and response, but give candidates the opportunity to engage more imaginatively with the text by assuming a suitable ‘voice’ (i.e. a manner of speaking for a specific character). Passage-based questions ask candidates to re-read a specific passage or poem from the set text before answering. The chapter, scene or page reference will be given on the exam paper (references to several available editions will be provided if necessary). All questions encourage an informed personal response and test all assessment objectives. This means that candidates will have to demonstrate: †¢ their personal response, sometimes directly (answering questions such as ‘What do you think? ’, ‘What are your feelings about†¦? ’) and sometimes by implication (such as ‘Explore the ways in which†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢); †¢ their knowledge of the text through the use of close reference to detail and use of quotations from the text; †¢ 12 their understanding of characters, relationships, situations and themes; †¢ their understanding of the writer’s intentions and methods, and their response to the writer’s use of language. Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476 Description of papers (syllabus 0476) 5. Description of papers (syllabus 0476) 5. 1 Paper 1: Set Texts – Open books 2 hours 15 minutes This paper has three sections: Drama, Prose and Poetry. Candidates answer one question from each section. All questions carry equal marks. Candidates may take their set texts into the exam, but these texts must not contain personal annotations, highlighting or underlining. On each set text, candidates have a choice of three questions as follows: †¢ Poetry – one passage-based question and two essay questions. †¢ Drama – one passage-based question, one essay question, one ‘empathic’ question (see below for more details). †¢ Prose – one passage-based question, one essay question, one ‘empathic’ question (see below for more details). Candidates must answer at least one passage-based question and at least one essay question. On the Question Paper, passage-based questions are indicated by an asterisk (*) and essay questions are indicated by a dagger symbol († ). ‘Empathic’ questions address the same assessment objectives as the essay and passage-based questions. These questions test knowledge, understanding and response, but give candidates the opportunity to engage more imaginatively with the text by assuming a suitable ‘voice’ (i.e. a manner of speaking for a specific character). Passage-based questions ask candidates to re-read a specific passage or poems (or a part of a longer poem) from the set text before answering. Passages/poems are printed on the exam paper. All questions encourage an informed personal response and test all assessment objectives. This means that candidates will have to demonstrate: †¢ their personal response, sometimes directly (answering questions such as ‘What do you think? ’, ‘What are your feelings about†¦? ’) and sometimes by implication (such as ‘Explore the ways in which†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢); †¢ their knowledge of the text through the use of close reference to detail and use of quotations from the text; †¢ their understanding of characters, relationships, situations and themes; †¢ their understanding of the writer’s intentions and methods, and response to the writer’s use of language. Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476 13 Description of papers (syllabus 0476) 5. 2 Paper 2: Unseen 1 hour 15 minutes Paper 2 comprises two questions, each asking candidates for a critical commentary on (and appreciation of) previously unseen writing printed on the question paper. Candidates answer one question only. One question is based on a passage of literary prose (such as an extract from a novel or a short story); the other question is based on a poem, or extract of a poem. Candidates are advised to spend around 20 minutes reading their selected question and planning their answer before starting to write. There are no set texts for this paper. 14 Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476 Set texts (syllabus 0486) 6. Set texts (syllabus 0486). Unless otherwise indicated, candidates may use any edition of the set text, provided it is not an abridgement or simplified version. * text examined also in June and November 2015 ** text examined also in June and November 2015 and June and November 2016 Set texts for Paper 1 (syllabus 0486) Candidates must answer on three different set texts: i. e. one set text in each section. Section A: DRAMA Candidates must answer on one set text from this section: ** Arthur Miller All My Sons William Shakespeare Julius Caesar * William Shakespeare The Tempest * Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest Section B: POETRY. Candidates must answer on one set text from this section: ** Thomas Hardy The following fourteen poems: Neutral Tones ‘I Look into My Glass’ Drummer Hodge The Darkling Thrush On the Departure Platform The Pine Planters The Convergence of the Twain The Going The Voice At the Word ‘Farewell’ During Wind and Rain In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations’ No Buyers: A Street Scene Nobody Comes These may be found in Selected Poems, ed. Harry Thomas (Penguin). Poems printed in the paper will follow this text. Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476. 15 Set texts (syllabus 0486) * from Songs of Ourselves from Part 4 (Poems from the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries): Poems 110 to 123 inclusive, i. e. the following fourteen poems: Sujata Bhatt, ‘A Different History’ Gerard Manley Hopkins, ‘Pied Beauty’ Allen Curnow, ‘Continuum’ Edwin Muir, ‘Horses’ Judith Wright, ‘Hunting Snake’ Ted Hughes, ‘Pike’ Christina Rossetti, ‘A Birthday’ Dante Gabriel Rossetti, ‘The Woodspurge’ Kevin Halligan, ‘The Cockroach’ Margaret Atwood, ‘The City Planners’ Boey Kim Cheng, ‘The Planners’ Norman MacCaig, ‘Summer Farm’ Elizabeth Brewster, ‘Where I Come From’ William Wordsworth, ‘Sonnet Composed Upon Westminster Bridge’ Songs of Ourselves: The University of Cambridge International Examinations Anthology of Poetry in English (Cambridge University Press ISBN-10: 8175962488 ISBN-13: 978-8175962484) Section C: PROSE Candidates must answer on one set text from this section: * Tsitsi Dangarembga Nervous Conditions * Anita Desai Fasting, Feasting Kiran Desai Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard ** George Eliot Silas Marner ** Susan Hill I’m the King of the Castle * The following ten stories: no. 6 Thomas Hardy, ‘The Son’s Veto’ no. 12 Katherine Mansfield, ‘Her First Ball’. no. 14 V. S. Pritchett, ‘The Fly in the Ointment’ no. 15 P. G. Wodehouse, ‘The Custody of the Pumpkin’ no. 20 Graham Greene, ‘The Destructors’ no. 27 R. K. Narayan, ‘A Horse and Two Goats’ no. 29 Ted Hughes, ‘The Rain Horse’ no. 38 Morris Lurie, ‘My Greatest Ambition’ no. 42 Ahdaf Soueif, ‘Sandpiper’ no. 46 Penelope Fitzgerald, ‘At Hiruhamara’ from Stories of Ourselves Stories of Ourselves: The University of Cambridge International Examinations Anthology of Short Stories in English (Cambridge University Press: ISBN-10: 052172791X ISBN-13: 978-0521727914) 16 Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486. Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476 Set texts (syllabus 0486) Unless otherwise indicated, candidates may use any edition of the set text, provided it is not an abridgement or simplified version. * text examined also in June and November 2015 ** text examined also in June and November 2015 and June and November 2016 Set texts for Paper 4 (syllabus 0486) Candidates must answer on three different set texts: i. e. one set text in each section. The text list for Paper 4 is identical to the text list for Paper 1. Candidates who are taking Paper 4 will answer on one text in Paper 5. Section A: DRAMA Candidates must answer on one set text from this section: ** Arthur Miller All My Sons William Shakespeare Julius Caesar * William Shakespeare The Tempest * Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest Section B: POETRY Candidates must answer on one set text from this section: ** Thomas Hardy The following fourteen poems: Neutral Tones ‘I Look into My Glass’ Drummer Hodge The Darkling Thrush On the Departure Platform The Pine Planters The Convergence of the Twain The Going The Voice At the Word ‘Farewell’ During Wind and Rain In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations’ No Buyers: A Street Scene. Nobody Comes These may be found in Selected Poems, ed. Harry Thomas (Penguin). Poems printed in the paper will follow this text. Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476 17 Set texts (syllabus 0486) * from Songs of Ourselves from Part 4 (Poems from the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries): Poems 110 to 123 inclusive, i. e. the following fourteen poems: Sujata Bhatt, ‘A Different History’ Gerard Manley Hopkins, ‘Pied Beauty’ Allen Curnow, ‘Continuum’ Edwin Muir, ‘Horses’ Judith Wright, ‘Hunting Snake’ Ted Hughes, ‘Pike’. Christina Rossetti, ‘A Birthday’ Dante Gabriel Rossetti, ‘The Woodspurge’ Kevin Halligan, ‘The Cockroach’ Margaret Atwood, ‘The City Planners’ Boey Kim Cheng, ‘The Planners’ Norman MacCaig, ‘Summer Farm’ Elizabeth Brewster, ‘Where I Come From’ William Wordsworth, ‘Sonnet Composed Upon Westminster Bridge’ Songs of Ourselves: The University of Cambridge International Examinations Anthology of Poetry in English (Cambridge University Press ISBN-10: 8175962488 ISBN-13: 978-8175962484) Section C: PROSE Candidates must answer on one set text from this section: * Tsitsi Dangarembga Nervous Conditions. * Anita Desai Fasting, Feasting Kiran Desai Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard ** George Eliot Silas Marner ** Susan Hill I’m the King of the Castle * 18 from Stories of Ourselves The following ten stories: no. 6 Thomas Hardy, ‘The Son’s Veto’ no. 12 Katherine Mansfield, ‘Her First Ball’ no. 14 V. S. Pritchett, ‘The Fly in the Ointment’ no. 15 P. G. Wodehouse, ‘The Custody of the Pumpkin’ no. 20 Graham Greene, ‘The Destructors’ no. 27 R. K. Narayan, ‘A Horse and Two Goats’ no. 29 Ted Hughes, ‘The Rain Horse’ no. 38 Morris Lurie, ‘My Greatest Ambition’ no. 42 Ahdaf Soueif, ‘Sandpiper’ no. 46 Penelope Fitzgerald, ‘At Hiruhamara’ Stories of Ourselves: The University of Cambridge International Examinations Anthology of Short Stories in English (Cambridge University Press: ISBN-10: 052172791X ISBN-13: 978-0521727914) Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476 Set texts (syllabus 0486) Unless otherwise indicated, candidates may use any edition of the set text, provided it is not an abridgement or simplified version. * text examined also in June and November 2015 ** text examined also in June and November 2015 and June and November 2016. Set texts for Paper 5 (syllabus 0486) Candidates who are taking this paper answer on one text from the following: ** Jane Austen Northanger Abbey Carol Ann Duffy The following fourteen poems: ‘Head of English’ ‘The Dolphins’ ‘Stealing’ ‘Foreign’ ‘Miles Away’ ‘Originally’ ‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’ ‘Who Loves You’ ‘Nostalgia’ ‘The Good Teachers’ ‘Moments of Grace’ ‘Valentine’ ‘Mean Time’ ‘Prayer’ These are contained in Selected Poems (Penguin Books, in association with Anvil Press, ISBN 978-0-14-102512-4/ISBN 9780141 025124) * Helen Dunmore The Siege ** from Jo Philips, ed. Poems Deep & Dangerous (Cambridge University Press) The following fourteen poems (from Section 4 ‘One Another’): John Clare, ‘First Love’ Matthew Arnold, ‘To Marguerite’ Elizabeth Jennings, ‘One Flesh’ Christina Rossetti, ‘Sonnet’ (‘I wish I could remember that first day’) William Shakespeare, ‘Shall I Compare Thee†¦? ’ Elma Mitchell, ‘People Etcetera’ Simon Armitage, ‘In Our Tenth Year’ William Shakespeare, ‘The Marriage of True Minds’ Seamus Heaney, ‘Follower’ Michael Laskey, ‘Registers’ Chris Banks, ‘The Gift’ Liz Lochhead, ‘Laundrette’ Liz Lochhead, ‘Poem for My Sister’. Patricia McCarthy, ‘Football After School’ * A Midsummer Night’s Dream William Shakespeare ** Robert Louis Stevenson Tennessee Williams The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476 19 Set texts (syllabus 0476) 7. Set texts (syllabus 0476) Unless otherwise indicated, candidates may use any edition of the set text, provided it is not an abridgement or simplified version. * text examined also in June and November 2015 ** text examined also in June and November 2015 and June and November 2016 Set texts for Paper 1 (syllabus 0476) Section A: DRAMA Candidates must answer on one set text from this section: William Shakespeare * Julius Caesar William Shakespeare The Tempest Section B: POETRY Candidates must answer on one set text from this section: ** Thomas Hardy The following fourteen poems: Neutral Tones ‘I Look into My Glass’ Drummer Hodge The Darkling Thrush On the Departure Platform The Pine Planters The Convergence of the Twain The Going The Voice At the Word ‘Farewell’ During Wind and Rain In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations’ No Buyers: A Street Scene Nobody Comes. These may be found in Selected Poems, ed. Harry Thomas (Penguin). Poems printed in the paper will follow this text. 20 Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476 Set texts (syllabus 0476) * from Songs of Ourselves from Part 4 (Poems from the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries): Poems 110 to 123 inclusive, i. e. the following fourteen poems: Sujata Bhatt, ‘A Different History’ Gerard Manley Hopkins, ‘Pied Beauty’ Allen Curnow, ‘Continuum’ Edwin Muir, ‘Horses’ Judith Wright, ‘Hunting Snake’ Ted Hughes, ‘Pike’ Christina Rossetti, ‘A Birthday’. Dante Gabriel Rossetti, ‘The Woodspurge’ Kevin Halligan, ‘The Cockroach’ Margaret Atwood, ‘The City Planners’ Boey Kim Cheng, ‘The Planners’ Norman MacCaig, ‘Summer Farm’ Elizabeth Brewster, ‘Where I Come From’ William Wordsworth, ‘Sonnet Composed Upon Westminster Bridge’ Songs of Ourselves: The University of Cambridge International Examinations Anthology of Poetry in English (Cambridge University Press ISBN-10: 8175962488 ISBN-13: 978-8175962484) Section C: PROSE Candidates must answer on one set text from this section: * Tsitsi Dangarembga Nervous Conditions * Anita Desai Fasting, Feasting Kiran De.

Night World : Huntress Chapter 11

Hey, Morgead!† the voice was shouting even as the door went slamming and crashing open, sticking every few inches because it was old and warped and didn't fit the frame anymore. Jez had jerked around at the first noise. The connection between her and Morgead was disrupted, although she could feel faint echoes of the silver thread, like a guitar string vibrating after it was strummed. â€Å"Hey, Morgead-â€Å" â€Å"Hey, you still asleep-?† Several laughing, raucous people were crowding into the room. But the yelling stopped abruptly as they caught sight of Jez. There was a gasp, and then silence. Jez stood up to face them. She couldn't afford to feel tired anymore; every muscle was lightly tensed, every sense alert She knew the danger she was in. Just like Morgead, they were the flotsam and jetsam of the San Francisco streets. The orphans, the ones who lived with indifferent relatives, the ones nobody in the Night World really wanted. The forgotten ones. Her gang. They were out of school and ready to rumble. Jez had always thought, from the day she and Morgead began picking these kids up, that the Night World was making a mistake in treating them like garbage. They might be young; they might not have families, but they had power. Every one of them had the strength to be a formidable opponent. And right now they were looking at her like a group of wolves looking at dinner. If they all decided to go for her at once, she would be in trouble. Somebody would end up getting killed. She faced them squarely, outwardly calm, as a quiet voice finally broke the silence. â€Å"It's really you, Jez.† And then another voice, from beside Jez. â€Å"Yeah, she came back,† Morgead said carelessly. â€Å"She joined the gang again.† Jez shot him the briefest of sideways glances. She hadn't expected him to help. He returned the look with an unreadable expression. â€Å". . . she came back?† somebody said blankly. Jez felt a twinge of amused sympathy. â€Å"That's right,† she said, keeping her face grave. â€Å"I had to go away for a while, and I can't tell you where, but now I'm back. I just fought my way back in-and I beat Morgead for the leadership.† She figured she might as well get it all over with at once. She had no idea how they were going to react to the idea of her as leader. There was another long moment of silence, and then a whoop. A sound that resembled a war cry. At the same instant there was a violent rush toward Jez-four people all throwing themselves at her. For a heartbeat she stood frozen, ready to fend off a four-fold attack. Then arms wrapped around her waist. â€Å"Jez! I missed you!† Someone slapped her on the back almost hard enough to knock her down. â€Å"You bad girl! You beat him again?† People were trying to hug her and punch her and pat her all at once. Jez had to struggle not to show she was overwhelmed. She hadn't expected this of them. â€Å"It's good to see you guys again,† she said. Her voice was very slightly unsteady. And it was the truth. Raven Mandril said, â€Å"You scared us when you disappeared, you know.† Raven was the tall, willowy one with the marble-pale skin. Her black hair was short in back and long in front, falling over one eye and obscuring it. The other eye, midnight blue, gleamed at Jez. Jez allowed herself to gleam back, just a bit. She had always liked Raven, who was the most mature of the group. â€Å"Sorry, girl.† â€Å"I wasn't scared.† That was Thistle, still hugging Jez's waist. Thistle Galena was the delicate one who had stopped her aging when she reached ten. She was as old as the others, but tiny and almost weightless. She had feathery blond hair, amethyst eyes, and little glistening white teeth. Her specialty was playing the lost child and then attacking any humans who tried to help her. â€Å"You're never scared,† Jez told her, squeezing back. â€Å"She means she knew you were all right, wherever you were. I did, too,† Pierce Holt said. Pierce was the slender, cold boy, the one with the aristocratic face and the artist's hands. He had dark blond hair and deep-set eyes and he seemed to carry his own windchill factor with him. But just now he was looking at Jez with cool approval. â€Å"I'm glad somebody thought so,† Jez said, with a glance at Morgead, who just looked condescending. â€Å"Yeah, well, some people were going crazy. They thought you were dead,† Valerian Stillman put in, following Jez's look. Val was the big, heroic one, with deep russet hair, gray-flecked eyes, and the build of a linebacker. He was usually either laughing or yelling with impatience. â€Å"Morgead had us scouring the streets for you from Daly City to the Golden Gate Bridge-â€Å" â€Å"Because I was hoping a few of you would fall off,† Morgead said without emotion. â€Å"But I had no such luck. Now shut up, Val. We don't have time for all this class-reunion stuff. We've got something important to do.† Thistle's face lit up as she stepped back from Jez. â€Å"You mean a hunt?† â€Å"He means the Wild Power,† Raven said. Her one visible eye was fixed on Jez. â€Å"He's told you already, hasn't he?† â€Å"I didn't need to tell her,† Morgead said. â€Å"She already knew. She came back because Hunter Red-fern wants to make a deal with us. The Wild Power for a place with him after the millennium.† He got a reaction-the one Jez knew he expected. Thistle squeaked with pleasure, Raven laughed huskily, Pierce gave one of his cold smiles, and Val roared. â€Å"He knows we've got the real thing! He doesn't wanna mess with us!† he shouted. â€Å"That's right, Val; I'm sure he's quaking in his boots,† Morgead said. He glanced at Jez and rolled his eyes. Jez couldn't help but grin. This really was like old times: she and Morgead trading secret looks about Val. There was a strange warmth sweeping through her-not the scary tingling heat she'd experienced with Morgead alone, but something simpler. A feeling of being with people who liked her and knew her. A feeling of belonging. She never felt that at her human school. She'd seen things that would drive her human classmates insane even to imagine. None of them had any idea of what the real world was like-or what Jez was like, for that matter. But now she was surrounded by people who understood her. And it felt so good that it was alarming. She hadn't expected this, that she would slip back into the gang like a hand in a glove. Or that something inside her would look around and sigh and say, â€Å"We're home.† Because I am not home, she told herself sternly. These are not my people. They don't really know me, either†¦. But they don't have to, the little sigh returned. You don't ever need to tell them you're human. There's no reason for them to find out. Jez shoved the thought away, scrunched down hard on the sighing part of her mind. And hoped it would stay scrunched. She tried to focus on what the others were saying. Thistle was talking to Morgead, showing all her small teeth as she smiled. â€Å"So if you've got the terms settled, does that mean we get to do it now? We get to pick the little girl up?† â€Å"Today? Yeah, I guess we could.† Morgead looked at Jez. â€Å"We know her name and everything. It's Iona Skelton, and she's living just a couple buildings down from where the fire was. Thistle made friends with her earlier this week.† Jez was startled, although she kept her expression relaxed. She hadn't expected things to move this fast. But it might all work out for the best, she realized, her mind turning over possibilities quickly. If she could snatch the kid and take her back to Hugh, this whole masquerade could be over by tomorrow. She might even live through it. â€Å"Don't get too excited,† she warned Thistle, combing some bits of grass out of the smaller girl's silk-floss hair. â€Å"Hunter wants the Wild Power alive and unharmed. He's got plans for her.† â€Å"Plus, before we take her, we've got to test her,† Morgead said. Jez controlled an urge to swallow, went on combing Thistle's hair with her fingers. â€Å"What do you mean, test her?† Td think that would be obvious. We can't take the chance of sending Hunter a dud. We have to make sure she is the Wild Power.† Jez raised an eyebrow. â€Å"I thought you were sure,† she said, but of course she knew Morgead was right. She herself would have insisted Hugh find a way to test the little girl before doing anything else with her. The problem was that Morgead's testing was likely to be †¦ unpleasant. â€Å"I'm sure, but I still want to test her!† Morgead snapped. â€Å"Do you have a problem with that?† â€Å"Only if it's dangerous. For us, I mean. After all, she's got some kind of power beyond imagining, right?† â€Å"And she's in elementary school. I hardly think she's gonna be able to take on six vampires.† The others were looking back and forth between Morgead and Jez like fans at a tennis match. â€Å"It's just as if she never left,† Raven said dryly, and Val bellowed laughter while Thistle giggled. â€Å"They always sound so-married,† Pierce observed, with just a tinge of spite to his cold voice. Jez glared at them, aware that Morgead was doing the same. â€Å"I wouldn't marry him if every other guy on earth was dead,† she informed Pierce. â€Å"If it were a choice between her and a human, I'd pick the human,† Morgead put in nastily. Everyone laughed at that. Even Jez. The sun glittered on the water at the Marina. On Jez's left was a wide strip of green grass, where people were flying huge and colorful kites, complicated ones with dozens of rainbow tails. On the sidewalk people were Rollerblading and jogging and walking dogs. Everybody was wearing summer clothing; everybody was happy. It was different on the other side of the street. Everything changed over there. A line of pinky-brown concrete stood like a wall to mark the difference. There was a high school and then rows of a housing project, all the buildings identically square, flat, and ugly. And on the next street beyond them, there was nobody walking at all. Jez let Morgead take the lead on his motorcycle as he headed for those buildings. She always found this place depressing. He pulled into a narrow alley beside a store with a dilapidated sign proclaiming â€Å"Shellfish De Lish.† Val roared in after him, then Jez, then Raven with Thistle riding pillion behind her, and finally Pierce. They all turned off their motors. â€Å"That's where she lives now; across the street,† Morgead said. â€Å"She and her mom are staying with her aunt. Nobody plays in the playground; it's too dangerous. But Thistle might be able to get her to come down the stairs.† â€Å"Of course I can,† Thistle said calmly. She showed her pointed teeth in a grin. â€Å"Then we can grab her and be gone before her mom even notices,† Morgead said. â€Å"We can take her back to my place and do the test where it's private.† Jez breathed once to calm the knot in her stomach. â€Å"Ill grab her,† she said. At least that way she might be able to whisper something comforting to the kid. â€Å"Thistle, you try to get her right out to the sidewalk. Everybody else, stay behind me-if she sees a bunch of motorcycles, she'll probably freak. But be ready to gun it when I pull out and grab her. The noise should help cover up any screams. Raven, you pick up Thistle as soon as I get the kid, and we all go straight back to Morgead's.† Everyone was nodding, looking pleased with the plan-except Morgead. â€Å"I think we should knock her out when we grab her. That way there won't be any screams. Not to mention any blue fire when she figures out she's being kidnapped-â€Å" â€Å"I already said how we're going to do it,† Jez cut in flatly. â€Å"I don't want her knocked out, and I don't think she'll be able to hurt us. Now, everybody get ready. Off you go, Thistle.† As Thistle skipped across the street, Morgead let out a sharp breath. His jaw was tight. â€Å"You never could take advice, Jez.† â€Å"And you never could take orders.† She could see him starting to sizzle, but only out of the corner of her eye. Most of her attention was focused on the housing building. It was such a desolate place. No graffiti-but no grass, either. A couple of dispirited trees in front. And that playground with a blue metal slide and a few motorcycles-on-springs to ride †¦ all looking new and untouched. â€Å"Imagine growing up in a place like this,† she said. Pierce laughed oddly. â€Å"You sound as if you feel sorry for her.† Jez glanced back. There was no sympathy in his deep-set dark eyes-and none in Raven's midnight blue or Val's hazel ones, either. Funny, she didn't remember them being that heartless-but of course she hadn't been sensitive to the issue back in the old days. She would never have stopped to wonder about what they felt for human children. â€Å"It's because it's a kid,† Morgead said brusquely. â€Å"It's hard on any kid growing up in a place like this.† Jez glanced at him, surprised. She saw in his emerald green eyes what she'd missed in the others; a kind of bleak pity. Then he shrugged, and the expression was gone. Partly to change the subject, and partly because she was curious, she said, â€Å"Morgead? Do you know the prophecy with the line about the blind Maiden's vision?† â€Å"What, this one?† He quoted: â€Å"Four to stand between the light and the shadow. Four of blue fire, power in their blood. Born in the year of the blind Maiden's vision; Four less one and darkness triumphs.† â€Å"Yeah. What do you think â€Å"born in the year of the blind Maiden's vision' means?† He looked impatient. â€Å"Well, the Maiden has to be Aradia, right?† â€Å"Who's that?† Val interrupted, his linebacker body quivering with interest. Morgead gave Jez one of his humoring-Val looks. â€Å"The Maiden of the Witches,† he said. â€Å"You know, the blind girl? The Maiden part of the Maiden, Mother, and Crone group that rules all the witches? She's only one of the most important people in the Night World-â€Å" â€Å"Oh, yeah. I remember.† Val settled back. â€Å"I agree,† Jez said. â€Å"The blind Maiden has to be Aradia. But what does the ‘year of her vision' mean? How old is this kid we're snatching?† â€Å"About eight, I think.† â€Å"Did Aradia have some special vision eight years ago?† Morgead was staring across the street, now, his eyebrows together. â€Å"How should I know? She's been having visions since she went blind, right? Which means, like, seventeen years' worth of 'em. Who's supposed to tell which one the poem means?† â€Å"What you mean is that you haven't even tried to figure it out,† Jez said acidly. He threw her an evil glance. â€Å"You're so smart; you do it.† Jez said nothing, but she made up her mind to do just that. For some reason, the poem bothered her. Aradia was eighteen now, and had been having visions since she lost her sight at the age of one. Some particular vision must have been special. Otherwise, why would it be included in the prophecy? It had to be important. And part of Jez's mind was worried about it. Just then she saw movement across the street. A brown metal door was opening and two small figures were coming out. One with feathery blond hair, the other with tiny dark braids. They were hand in hand. Something twisted inside Jez. Just stay calm, stay calm, she told herself. It's no good to think about grabbing her and making a run for the East Bay. They'll just follow you; track you down. Stay cool and you'll be able to get the kid free later. Yeah, after Morgead does his little â€Å"test.† But she stayed cool and didn't move, breathing slowly and evenly as Thistle led the other girl down the stairs. When they reached the sidewalk, Jez pressed the starter button. She didn't say â€Å"Now!† She didn't need to. She just peeled out, knowing the others would follow like a flock of well-trained ducklings. She heard their engines roar to life, sensed them behind her in tight formation, and she headed straight for the sidewalk. The Wild Power kid wasn't dumb. When she saw Jez's motorcycle coming at her, she tried to run. Her mistake was that she tried to save Thistle, too. She tried to pull the little blond girl with her, but Thistle was suddenly strong, grabbing the chain-link fence with a small hand like steel, holding them both in place. Jez swooped in and caught her target neatly around the waist. She swooped the child onto the saddle facing her, felt the small body thud against her, felt hands clutch at her automatically for balance. Then she whipped past a parked car, twisted the throttle to get a surge of speed, and flew out of there. Behind her, she knew Raven was snagging Thistle and the others were all following. There wasn't a scream or even a sound from the housing project. They were roaring down Taylor Street. They were passing the high school. They were making it away clean. â€Å"Hang on to me or you'll fall off and get hurt!† Jez yelled to the child in front of her, making a turn so fast that her knee almost scraped the ground. She wanted to stay far enough ahead of the others that she could talk. â€Å"Take me back home!† The kid yelled it, but not hysterically. She hadn't shrieked even once. Jez looked down at her. And found herself staring into deep, velvety brown eyes. Solemn eyes. They looked reproachful and unhappy-but not afraid. Jez was startled. She'd expected crying, terror, anger. But she had the feeling that this kid wouldn't even be yelling if it hadn't been the only way to be heard. Maybe I should have been more worried about what she'll do to us. Maybe she can call blue fire down to kill people. Otherwise, how can she be so composed when she's just been kidnapped? But those brown eyes-they weren't the eyes of somebody about to attack. They were-Jez didn't know what they were. But they wrenched her heart. â€Å"Look-Iona, right? That's your name?† The kid nodded. â€Å"Look, Iona, I know this seems weird and scary- having somebody just grab you off the street. And I can't explain everything now. But I promise you, you're not going to get hurt. Nothing's going to hurt you-okay?† â€Å"I want to go home.† Oh, kid, so do I, Jez thought suddenly. She had to blink hard. Tm going to take you home-or at least someplace safe,† she added, as honesty unexpectedly kicked in. There was something about the kid that made her not want to lie. â€Å"But first we've got to go to a friend of mine's house. But, look, no matter how strange all this seems, I want you to remember something. I won't let you get hurt. Okay? Can you believe that?† â€Å"My mom is going to be scared.† Jez took a deep breath and headed onto the freeway. â€Å"I promise I won't let you get hurt,† she said again. And that was all she could say. She felt like a centaur, some creature that was half person and half steel horse, carrying off a human kid at sixty miles an hour. It was pointless to try to make conversation on the freeway, and Iona didn't speak again until they were roaring up to Morgead's building. Then she said simply, â€Å"I don't want to go in there.† â€Å"It's not a bad place,† Jez said, braking front and back. â€Å"We're going up on the roof. There's a little garden there.† A tiny flicker of interest showed in the solemn brown eyes. Four other bikes pulled in beside Jez. â€Å"Yeeehaw! We got her!† Val yelled, pulling off his helmet. â€Å"Yeah, and we'd better take her upstairs before somebody sees us,† Raven said, tossing her dark hair so it fell over one eye again. Thistle was climbing off the back of Raven's motorcycle. Jez felt the small body in front of her stiffen. Thistle looked at Iona and smiled her sharp-toothed smile. Iona just looked back. She didn't say a word, but after a minute Thistle flushed and turned away. â€Å"So now we're going to test her, right? It's time to test her, isn't it, Morgead?† Jez had never heard Thistle's voice so shrill-so disturbed. She glanced down at the child in front of her, but Morgead was speaking. â€Å"Yeah, it's time to test her,† he said, sounding unexpectedly tired for somebody who'd just pulled off such a triumph. Who'd just caught a Wild Power that was going to make his career. â€Å"Let's get it over with.†