Medieval Europe essays

Medieval Europe essays Many great Historians of European history identify the years 500-1500 the Middle Ages or the Medieval Period. The word medieval came about when early scholars combined the two Latin words medium (middle) and aevum (age), which means the transition between ancient and modern times. The first 500 years of this period are known as the Early Middle Ages or the Dark Ages. They were called the Dark Ages because the level of learning and culture were not as great as they had been earlier, during Greek and Roman Times. After the year 1000, Western Europeans saw many changes in their social, economic, and political lives. The many small kingdoms of Western Europe began to develop political strength and size. This time period was known as the Later Middle Ages. However, this time period played a great roll in history because it laid the foundation for Europe's future development. The Early Middle Ages firstly began with the fall of Roman empire which lead to a decline in commerce and cities in Western Europe. This time period is known more for its plunge than anything else. Bridges, roads, and sewage systems were not maintained. Many people left cities for the countryside because city life became almost unbearable. Many kingdoms were now developing, but they all remained small and weak. However, there was one exception to this, the Frankish Kingdom, which included most of present-day France and the western half of present-day Germany. The Franks were a Germanic group of people who had adopted the Christian Religion. One of the Franks greatest leaders was Charles Martel who organized an army to fight the Moors (a Muslim Group who invaded Spain). These two powers met at the Battle of Tours, but the Franks came out on top. This battle stopped the Moors from advancing anymore into the heart of Europe. The next dominant leader of the Franks was Martel's grandson, Charlemagne, who was the son of Pepin the Short. He ruled what are now p...

False Cognates are Faux Amis Who May Not Be Welcome

False Cognates are Faux Amis Who May Not Be Welcome In English and Romance languages like French, many words have the same roots, they look identical or very similar, and they share the same meaning. Thats a wonderful convenience to the student of either language. However, there are also a great many faux amis (false friends), that are  false cognates.  These are words that look identical or similar in both languages, but they have completely different meanings- a  pitfall for English-speaking students of French. A Pitfall for Students There are also semi-false cognates: words that sometimes, but not always, share the same meaning as the similar-looking word in another language.  Semi-false cognates are words that don’t look exactly the same, but they’re similar enough to cause confusion.   The  list of French-English false cognates below includes both false cognates and semi-false cognates, and the meaning of each word. To avoid confusion, weve added (F) for French and (E) for English to the titles. There are hundreds of false cognates between French and English. Here are few to get you started. Faux Amis and Semi-Faux Amis Ancien  (F)  vs. ancient (E)Ancien (F)  commonly means former, as in lancien maire  (the former mayor), although it can also mean ancient as in English  in certain contexts that discuss, for instance, very old civilizations. Attendre  (F)  vs. attend (E)Attendre means to wait for and its in one of the most common French phrases:  Je t’attends  (Im waiting for you). The English attend, of course, though similar in appearance means to take part in or to go to some event, such as a meeting or a concert. Bra  (F)  vs. bra  (E) The French bra  (F) is a limb on the human body and the opposite of jambe (leg). A bra (E) in English is, of course, a female undergarment, but the French call this garment, appropriately, a support (un soutien-gorge). Brasserie (F)  vs. brassiere (E)A French brasserie is an institution in France, a place, much like the British pub, where youd find a bar that serves meals, or a brewery. No connection to the female undergarment in the English word brassiere, of which bra  is the abbreviated form. Blessà © (F) vs. Blessed (E)If someone is blessà ©Ã‚  in France, they are wounded, emotionally or physically. This is far from the English blessed, which can apply to a religious sacrament or just great luck. Bouton (F) vs. button  (E)Bouton does  mean button in French, as it does in English, but  a French  bouton  can also refer to that bane of the teenage years: a  pimple.   Confection (F) vs. confection (E)La confection (F) refers to the making or preparing of clothing, a device, a meal, and more. It can also refer to the clothing industry. An English  confection  (E) is a class of food thats sweet, something thats made in a bakery or candy shop. Exposition (F) vs. exposition (E)Une exposition (F) can refer to an exposition of facts, as well as to an exhibition or show, the aspect of a building, or exposure to heat or radiation.  An English exposition is a commentary or or an essay developing a point of view. Grand  (F) vs. grand (E)Grand is a very, very common French word for big, but there are times it refers to something or someone great, such as un grand homme  or a grand-pà ¨re.  When it describes a person’s physical appearance, it means tall. Grand in English commonly refers to a special human being, thing, or place of notable achievement. Implantation (F) vs. implantation (E)Une implantation  is the introduction or setting up of a new method or industry, a settlement, or a companys presence in a country or region. Medically, the French terms means implantation (of an organ or embryo). An English implantation is an implantation only in the sense of an introduction or setting up or in the medical sense. Justesse (F) vs justice (E)French justesse  is all about exactness, accuracy, correctness, soundness, and the like. If something is juste, it is corect. The English justice  refers to what we expect when the rule of law prevails: justice. Librairie  (F) vs. Library (E)These two terms are  often confused, and  they are true  faux amis. Books are involved in both, but  une librairie  is where you go to purchase a book: a bookshop or newsstand. Your local library is  une bibliothà ¨que in France,  or these days  it may be part of  a  mà ©diathà ¨que.  The English library is, of course, where you borrow books. Location  (F) vs. location  (E)  There are miles between these two meanings.  A French location  is a rental, and youll often see ads for  Ã¢â‚¬Å"les meilleures locations  de vacances,† meaning â€Å"the best holiday rentals.†Ã‚  Location is the physical spot where something like a building lives, you know: location, location, location, which can be important in finding a French location. Monnaie  (F) vs. money (E)Monnaie  for the French is the loose change jingling in your pocket or weighing down your handbag. People at the checkout who say they have no  monnaie  dont have the right change. English money is all of it, both change and bills. Vicieux (F) vs. vicious (E)The French term  vicieux (F) gives us pause because its what you call someone perverted, depraved, or nasty. In English, the vicious person is brutal, but not quite so nasty as a  vicieux in French.

West indian literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

West indian literature - Essay Example Poet uses a language blends with her native language with enormous simplicity and the Caribbean have the view that their language is something differ from other language. The language of the poem reveals the suppression and sufferings of Caribbean people with all its emotional conflicts. In his article, entitled ‘Selected poems by Lorna Goddison’ Almendarez shares similar views about the Goddison’s language. He rightly puts it as: â€Å"Many of Goodison’s poems express a deep connection to Jamaica with all of its open wounds and beauty scars.†(Almendarez, Ayme, 2006). Her images are related with harsh realities of colonization and the suffering women folk in Caribbean countries. In her poem, Survivor Goddison uses free verse with an extensive use of words. The repetition of consonant sounds constitutes rhythmic quality of the poem. When analyzing the poem one can identify themes like the inner feelings and identity crisis, yearnings of the heart, and the clamors and temptations of the rough world are explored the following lines. The poet sings: â€Å"They took most living things/ even some rare species/ with extended wings† (Goodison, 4-6). The excellent use of figure of speech is another significant feature of Goddison’s poetry. The use of metaphor is apt to the situation when the poet remarks about her ancestors who sacrificed themselves for attaining their birth rights. Poet says, â€Å"So, here the wind plays/mourning notes/ on bones that once were ribs.†(Goodison, 11-13). The movement of the wind has been attributed as playing ‘mourning notes’ with a musical touch. There is a note of simile when she writes, ‘barrel of rain.’ The poem Survivor filled with rich images and word pictures. The survival of Caribbean woman can see such as ‘bear feet and bound hair’. The words of Chamberlin make it clear when he rightly says, â€Å"This freedom, along with the love and language of their islands, has been nourished by West

Single-sex education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Single-sex education - Research Paper Example ts have the right to get a good education, the readers can identify the advantages and disadvantages of each system to develop the current education system. Single-sex or gender-separate education relates to education that involves members of the same sex attending the same classes. This may occur in elementary, secondary schools or even in higher education. This is in contrast to the more conventional coeducation style of education where students of both sexes attend the same classes and schools. This single-sex education has been used in so many countries where it is considered as an appropriate style from the view of religion, or cultural tradition. Also, it was a worldwide style of education before the nineteenth century (Wikipedia, n.d.). According to The New York Times magazine, the number of single-sex schools had increased to forty-nine in 2008. In 1995, this number was only two in the whole United States (Silva, 2008). Each student has the right to get better educated and the solution is to have a coeducation system which offers single-sex classrooms to approach the advantages of both. Title IX was the first law that seemed to support the learning of both boys and girls together. It stated that boys and girls should be educated equally and together. Nevertheless, in 2006, the Department of Education removed these boundaries that only supposed on single-sex education. Since then, single-sex schools and classes was split across the country(Stanberry, n.b.). The change to Title IX to allow single-sex education in public schooling provided more choices in the public schools. Parents from then on have variety of options in the public schools for their children’s education. For example, Prestige Academy was going to open in 2008 in Wilmington, America for boys’ only public charter school. This was an important step to help black and Latino boys that come from low-income, and scored lower than the average score in most of the school’s requested goals

Physics, Roller Coasters Essay Example for Free

Physics, Roller Coasters Essay Roller coasters Additional notes: GPE = m x g x h KE = m x v? The main energy transfers that happen as a car travels along the track from the start of the ride to the end: [1]The rollercoaster car gains gravitational potential energy (GPE) as it travels to the top. Once over the top, the car gains speed as GPE is transferred to kinetic energy (KE). As it travels to the top of another loop, KE is transferred to GPE. Not all the energy is transferred to or from GPE – some is transferred to the surroundings as heat and sound. All moving objects have kinetic energy, KE. The kinetic energy an object has depends on the mass and speed. If the mass doubles, the KE doubles and if the speed doubles, the KE quadruples. Normally energy is lost through sound and heat (friction, air resistance). How the heights of the hills are designed to allow an empty car to reach the end of the ride: [2]The hills are designed so that it is low enough that the momentum of the car from the previous drop carries it up and over the hill. This is why the hills are usually lower towards the end of the ride, because the car has lost momentum due to friction and air resistance. Mainly the consecutive hill must be lower as it will not have enough energy because some of it is lost and sound and heat. Therefore, if the car was to reach the end of the ride, the height of the hills must be lower each consecutive time. How the energy transfers determine the heights of the hills: [4] After the roller coaster is drops from the first hill it does two things with its energy. First, it begins to transform that energy from one form to anotherfrom gravitational potential energy to kinetic energy and from kinetic energy to gravitational potential energy, back and forth. Second, it begins to transfer some of its energy to its environment, mostly in the form of heat and sound. Each time the roller coaster goes downhill, its gravitational potential energy decreases and its kinetic energy increases. Each time the roller coaster goes uphill, its kinetic energy decreases and its gravitational potential energy increases. But each transfer of energy isnt complete because some of the energy is lost to heat and sound. Because of this lost energy, the roller coaster cant return to its original height after coasting downhill. Thats why each successive hill must be lower than the previous hill. Eventually the roller coaster has lost so much of its original total energy that the ride must end. With so little total energy left, the roller coaster cant have much gravitational potential energy and must be much lower than the top of the first hill. This is why the hills must be a certain height, in order to transfer enough GPE into KE. Bibliography: [1] http://www. bbc. co. uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_ocr_gateway/forces/themeridesrev2. shtml [2] http://science. howstuffworks. com/engineering/structural/roller-coaster3. htm [3] http://www. coasterforce. com/coasters/technical-info/physics-of-a-coaster [4] http://library. thinkquest. org/26455/amuse/roller/roller01. shtml [5] Collins Additional Sciences B ISBN-13 978-0-00-741531-1 Colin Bell, 2011

Buffalo Creek Flood Disaster Essay -- Analysis, Emilie Durkheim

Buffalo Creek Flood Disaster Emilie Durkheim described the concepts of social regulation and social integration, and how both are connected to suicide rates. Both of these concepts can also be used to analyze the effect that the Buffalo Creek flood had on individuals and the community. Using the ideas of social regulation and social integration as well as the book â€Å"Everything in Its Path† by Kai T. Erikson, we can see the consequences of the Buffalo Creek flood disaster. Durkheim used the concepts of social regulation and social integration to analyze how social forces affect suicide. Social integration refers to how integrated a person is inside their social group, or the level of attachment a person feels toward their group (Conley 187). Social integration varies greatly from community to community and differs in degrees of member attachment. A tightly knit community, where citizens interact with each other in a variety of ways, reflects higher social integration. This can be compared to a community in which members rarely or never interact with many other community members, which reflects low social integration. According to Durkheim, two types of suicide arise from the different levels social integration. One cause of suicide is extremely low social integration, which is referred to as egoistic suicide. Durkheim argues that this is the case because others give the individual’s life meaning, so without this support from the group the person may feel hopeless (Conley 188). The other type of suicide, altruistic suicide, reflects the opposite situation: when an individual is too socially integrated (Conley 189). This type of suicide occurs when members of a group or community become so totally engrossed by the group tha... ... no rules to govern everyday life, there was no moral compass. The loss of community was acutely felt by the former Buffalo Creek residents, who had previously been a very tight knit people. This was demonstrated by the fact that post-disaster euphoria was completely absent after the flood. Usually this euphoria arises when the survivors realize that the community is still existent and alive. However in Buffalo Creek there was not a shred of community left to cause celebration. This was due in part to HUD’s housing regulations that not only worsened the feeling of isolation, but also because of the massive destruction caused by the flood itself. After the sudden and violent incident the pain of the survivors would continue far into their future. The chronic pain and suffering resulting from the loss of community and the effects of it on would linger for years. â€Æ'

Globalization & Planet Essay

In our world today, firm evidences are very much needed to support claims and produce a sturdy foundation of concepts that were recently discovered by few a portion of the population. In connection to this, the role that scientists play in the discovery and confirmation of certain events is very crucial especially in terms of environmental issues because they are deemed to be the people who are knowledgeable of the technicalities and dimensions of the natural phenomena (Gott et al. , 2009). In dealing with these types of issues, it is believed that the knowledge and expertise of the scientists, researchers, and other experts must be put into consideration prior to the development of environmental policies (Gott et al. , 2009). This is based on the idea that the availability of concrete scientific evidence will enhance the integrity of the policy that is to be formed and will also save the stakeholders from investing time and monetary provisions to policies and actions that are not hinged on well-researched and scientifically backed up data (Gott et al. , 2009). Consequently, the importance of a having scientific evidence prior to the formation of environmental actions is essential in ensuring that all the possible pitfalls and counteractions for the study are provided. B. Is it better to prepare for the consequences of global warming rather than try to prevent it? As seen from the slide presentations of chapter 9, it is clearly depicted from this reference material that it is more important to prevent the occurrence of global warming rather than trying to rely on the idea that preparation for the consequences of this natural phenomenon is a better option (It is one planet, n. d). Although it is true that the occurrence of global warming is a natural phenomenon that will proceed on its own conditions, man should still do his or her best to accomplish ways that can lessen the speed of the reactions and minimize the possible amount of the detrimental effects on our mother Earth. At present, actions made by national leaders like Al Gore and government leaders of other developed countries will tell us that addressing the roots of the problem on global warming is still a better option than just sitting down and waiting for the effects to come and hoping that the pre-formed actions will suffice the need to prevent subsequent damages (It is one planet, n. d). People all over the world can lessen the utilization of carbon-based products, reduce the usage of technologies that emit substantial amount of pollution to our surroundings, and exhibit a global effort to lessen the consumption of materials that tend to damage the quality of the natural resources that are made available to us by nature in order to prevent the worsening conditions of global warming (It is one planet, n. d). C. Can you imagine a world without oil? Does it matter? In 1950s, a geologist named Marion King Hubbert predicted the bell-shaped trend on the production and consumption of oil products in the United States of America and by comparing his predictions to the present conditions, it will appear that he is right (Goodstein, 2004). According to Hubbert, oil production or oil supply in the USA will start to reduce by 1970 (Goodstein, 2004). Here also said that the worldwide supply of oil will also start to reduce by the year 2000 (Goodstein, 2004). In accordance to this, present data show that humans are using oil products at rate of about 25 billion barrels per year and by merging this data to the predictions of Hubbert and other experts, it can be said that we have about 40 more years to enjoy the benefits of oil (Goodstein, 2004). Based from these facts, it can be said that a world without oil is not far from reality and is actually about to happen in the near future (Goodstein, 2004). Hence, people should act now on the development of alternative energy sources in order to avoid pandemonium that is caused by the lack of material that will power our modern equipments (Goodstein, 2004). D. Are environmental issues an opportunity or a constraint for corporations? Corporations can look at environmental issues both as constraints and as opportunities depending on the way by which they handle the situation (Shah, 2002). In a report published in 2002 by the United Nations Environment Program, they said that there is an increasing disparity between efforts to save the planet and business projects (Shah, 2002). One specific example on the manner by which corporations utilized environmental issues as an opportunity is seen on the exploitation and harassment of the Nigerian people in order to push through with the oil extraction process in the said country (Shah, 2002). This event clearly shows the abusive power that can be manipulated by large corporations (Shah, 2002). In contrary to this, however, are the efforts made by the GE Company to develop green business, a venture that has enabled them to produce eco-friendly products (GE Company, 2010). Therefore, it lies in the hands of the owners of these big corporations on whether they will use their power to benefit or to harm the Mother Nature. E. Should the decisions at global conferences be made enforceable? By whom? Ultimate enforcement of decisions made on global conferences can only be done if majority of the participating nations have agreed on the idea that was raised and when a global pressing issue is the concern of the conference (UN, 2009). Consequently, it is the United Nations which is allowed to execute enforcement of these types of decisions and this is because of the fact that this organization is joined by majority of the nations in the world and is also authorized to carry out stipulations and solutions to issues on health, environment, and social concerns (UN, 2009). F. How does bring about a change in life styles in order to live sustainability? In order to switch to a sustainable way of living, a series of simple to complex efforts can be done by a person and these efforts are characterized by the alteration of the way by which one deals with his or her environment, changing the daily activities and avoiding bad habits, and overall promotion of responsibility to the things that are executed by the person (Ways of Wisdom, 2002). Specific steps that can be done in order to have a sustainable lifestyle include the promotion of resourcefulness, healthy physical work, and self reliance; not focusing on the short-term effects of monetary rewards but on the long-term plans, tapping natural resources in a positive way like backyard gardening and tree planting, stewardship for the environment, and valuing the importance of time and resources in order to avoid waste of time and efforts on non-important things (Ways of Wisdom, 2002). References General Electric Company. (2010). Ecomagination. Retrieved 06 May 2010, from http://www. ge. ecomagination. com Goodstein, D. (2004). The end of the age of oil. California Institute of Technology, 38 (2). Gott, R. , Duggan, S. , Roberts, R. & Hussain, A. (2009). Research into understanding scientific evidence. Retrieved 06 May 2010, from http://www. dur. ac. uk It is one planet. (n. d). Chapter 9. Shah, A. (2002). Corporations and the environment. Global Issues. Retrieved 06 May 2010, from http://www. globalissues. org United Nations. (2009). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Division for Sustainable Development. Retrieved 06 May 2010, from http://www. un. org Ways of Wisdom. (2002). Ten characteristics of a sustainable lifestyle. Ways of Wisdom. Retrieved 06 may 2010, from http://www. waysofwisdom. com