The Global Marketplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Global Marketplace - Essay Example They always put people before the product and this has ensured success for them locally as well as internationally. Even with suppliers they have a healthy relationship, this allows them to get quality coffee beans thus good coffee. They are also involved in corporate social responsibilities services like helping the farmers and protecting the environment by buying only from those suppliers who are socially responsible themselves. Looking at the price we see it high priced thus the target market is elite in Germany. 1 lb. of coffee costs approximately $11. Thus the rich Germans prefer to go there and since the coffee is made to their taste (altered according to German preferences that is they prefer more sweet coffee) the coffee is an instant hit. The decor of Starbucks is made to look cozy and intimate and also provides privacy to people, this gives people an incentive to spend time there. They have good music and thus create an ambiance of comfort. It can serve the purpose of a meeting place or a place to escape from problems and be alone. This feature remains to be constant in all outlets all over the world. The article, 'Ethical marketing for Competitive Advantage on the internet' deals with the very debatable question, what is invasion of privacy Its author Ashok Ranchod has weaved quiet interesting facts around this very question. It seems to him that the marketing done online is taking on an aggressive streak with pop ups, deceiving banners, hyperlinks etc being the majority of marketing techniques. The article takes a futuristic approach, with the author pointing out the fact that companies need to develop long term marketing plans, which would retain customers rather than short term plans. The short term plans might sell the product or service initially but in the end if ethical considerations have not been taken place then the company would end up losing their customer base. Therefore in order to survive in the market the future plans of a company should be more of long term nature. The situation that Ashok Ranchod looks upon is that of information acquiring on the Internet. According to his research many people hesitate from indulging in online purchases due to this factor. Cyber crimes, information thefts are becoming all too common these days. There have been many ethical boundaries drawn but only 20% of it is being implemented. The steps that can be taken to rectify this ethical concern is that each product be first analyzed on its harmfulness to the customers. The product should be well tested and should be harm free. Twisting the truth is another factor, with regards to which care should be taken. Then the third most important factor is individual autonomy. This is that companies should not attack customers with pop ups and deceptive links, instead the decision should be left on the customer. Kotler and Levy have written an interesting book, 'Corporate Social Responsibility'. Even they believe that through ethical considerations you can enhance company image, lower employee turnover, lower costs and easily attract investors thus giving you a competitive edge. REFERENCES 1. Starbucks official website. (22/july/2008) http://www.starbucks.com/ 2. Starbucks Germany (22/july/2008) http://www.starbucks.de/de-de/_Our+Stores/ 3. Ashok Ranchhod and Claire Gauzente. "Ethical Marketing for Competitive Advantage on the Internet." Ams Review. (2003)

A world Full of challenges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A world Full of challenges - Essay Example The individualism can be traced back to the 18th century. The ideologies of individual freedom, a chance to compete for ones material well-being and the government not interfering with individuals’ initiative. The assumption of those ideologies is that if individuals pursued their own goals it would be interfered with by the public spirit, which would hinder the common goal of shaping the social institutions. The ideal of an autonomous individual was embedded in moral ecology like family and the church (Robert, 2011). The economic initiative which is in the public sphere was hoped to grow together with public spirit. Public spirit is crucial to the institution of democracy, individualism is primarily expressed through market mentality, it has affected every part of individuals’ lives, it undermines institutions like family and community, in general, that have in the past worked for collective purpose. Lack of common concern or purpose for a common good is ill for people claiming to be democratic. To restore the institutions in a way that transform and revitalize the democracy, in a culture of individualism is not easy. The people have to shed their individualistic blinders and pay attention to things that they are dependent on and their collective responsibility for the institutions to shape their common life. Create space for collective responsibilities starting with the family, where the parent should share their responsibilities equitably, places of work where people should embrace teamwork. Religious and educational institutions bear peoples moral and hence plays a vital role in intelligent and active participation in public work (Robert, 2011). Underlying this proposal, people should participate in public projects hence broadening their perspectives and concerns. From the focus of self to viewing individuals as members of the larger community, concerned with fellow citizens,

Death of a Salesman Idealism and Truth Essay Example for Free

Death of a Salesman Idealism and Truth Essay ?Idealism describes the belief or pursuit of a perfect vision often based upon unrealistic principles. This pursuit is often contrasted and opposed by truth. The truth and reality in an individual’s life is what enables this person to remain grounded and down to earth. An individual must set themselves high expectations in order to be their best, but they must also acknowledge the fact that everything they desire is not achievable. The imbalance of idealism and truth in an individual’s life can have calamitous effects. It is significant in an individual’s life because it can lead to the deterioration of an individual’s sanity, destruction of family relationships and ultimately death. This is exemplified in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, by Willy Loman. Willy spends his whole life pursuing the American Dream. This pursuit leaves him in debt and lacking less than a sliver of sanity. This man lacks the capacity to face the truth; the reality of his situation. The negative effect that his dream has on his family and life is simply overlooked and ignored. As Willy’s life swerves out of control, he tumbles deeper into the abyss of his idealism, to a point of no return. The inability for an individual to achieve a single-minded dream can lead to the deterioration of their sanity. In Willy’s case, he has spent his whole life pursuing the American Dream; a dream that is impossible to achieve. His inability to cope with the failure of his life at first simply causes him to feel lost, but eventually causes him to go insane. Ironically enough this man, so set on having the perfect life, has an affair with a secretary of one of the buyer. This is simply a financial transaction of gifts for sex and access to the buyers. Willy does this to escape the truth of his life, and in the process completely contradicts his goals. In an attempt to protect himself from the reality of his life, he goes into self-protection mode. His own mind morphs his memories to achieve and establish his desires. Willy’s constant flashbacks lay the groundwork to support that he is becoming senile and that his idealistic tendencies caused him to lose the ability to recognize reality from illusion. Willy is a very insecure individual, and he tries to make himself look better by lying to himself and his family. In his world of delusion, Willy is a hugely successful man. He disguises his profound anxiety and self-doubt with extreme arrogance. Biff nails it on the head when he points out the fact that Willy â€Å"had all the wrong dreams. All, all, wrong. † The overpowering pursuit of idealism over truth can lead an individual to lack the ability to cope with reality. Willy has a lot of potential, but he also has a whopping case of self-deception paired with misguided life goals. He has based his whole life on supporting others and does not know how to live any other way. The effect of lacking a manly figure during his youthful development is substantial effect in how Willy raises his own sons. In Willy’s pursuit of the American Dream, he clearly instills in his sons that being well-liked is more important than character. By emphasizing likability as being the most desirable quality for success he places a higher premium on outward projection over inner strength of character. He simply passes on these unrealistic qualities to his sons. â€Å"I never in my life told him anything but decent things. † Willy’s memories reveal that the values with which he raised his sons has made Biff comes to consider himself exceptional and entitled to whatever he wants regardless of how hard he works or whether it harms others. Biff’s perfect illusion is shattered when he discovers that his father is having an affair and he feels hateful and confused about his father’s actions. His excessive pursuit of idealism shatters Willy’s relationship with his son; this is something that he does not have the ability to repair. Willy’s pursuit of idealism in his life was extremely unrealistic and eventually prevented him from having the ability to see the truth in life. He spent his whole life trying to provide for his family. He wanted the life of a salesman. To be well-liked and have a massive funeral when he dies. The reality is that he spent his whole life pursuing unrealistic dreams based on negative personal values. Willy himself points out that he’s â€Å"worth more dead than alive. † It’s quite tragic that Willy believes he has to kill himself to feel that he is worth something to his family. The reality of the situation is that his death is in vain. The Loman’s only had one more payment left on the house, and don’t actually need the money anymore. But in his blinded illusion, Willy cannot see through or cope with his failure. This causes him to believe that he is worth nothing more alive and kills himself to enable his family to collect his life insurance money. The unevenness of idealism and truth in an individual’s life can lead to the loss of sanity, deterioration of relationships and even death. By having a good balanced of idealism and truth, there is a greater potential that an individual will discover contentment in life. While pursuing an ideal, an individual may be confronted with truth that must be recognized, and if ignored will have cataclysmic effect. Idealism provides a good source of motivation to strive for excellence and truth reminds us that we are all flawed. Together, with an appropriate balance of both, you have the tools to live a life happy.

Management Information System: Virgin Trains

Management Information System: Virgin Trains MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM A management information system is actually a combination of hardware. Software and the people who use the hardware and software to manipulate the information within the organization. These sources are help in the collection, storage and retrieval of the data in the organization. The main function of the MIS is to store the information and to furnish it to the management whenever it is required. INFORMATION SYSTEM An information system is a systematic structure which is formed by the organization according to its convenience for the handling of the information. There are many elements which work together in the process of collecting, storing and processing of the data. A computer is physical equipment used in the MIS or in other words it is the hardware involved in the information system. The data which is mainly raw facts is not of any use so the data has to be processed the computer programs hence help in the processing of the raw data in order to make it useful for the organization The computer programs are the technological components of an information system. If the people of the organization have proper knowledge of the programs only then they will be able to process the information effectively in the organization. RELATION BETWEEN THE ORGANISATION AND ITS MIS The organization and its information system are inseparable. The organization is very much dependent on its information system. Whenever there is a change in the strategies, or the policies in the organization the information system also goes through a drastic change in the organization. The organizations present and future progress fully depends on the present a future functioning of its information system. Before the information systems affected only a small part of the organization i.e. some of the operational or the technical issues but at present the information systems affect the major part of the organization such as the decision making, strategy information, the products of the organization, the structure of the organization etc. Each and every part of the business is connected with its information system any change in the information system will affect the organization similarly any change in the organization will affect its information system. DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS ORGANISATION: In some of the organizations an information system is a major part of the organization. The information systems are a part of the organization only in some organizations which deal with financial services in such organizations the information system is the organization MANAGEMENT: The management is another dimension of an information system. The information system assists the Managers to take necessary decisions. The information system provides the managers with the tools to plan allocate and control work within the organization. TECHNOLOGY: The technology is one of the most important dimensions of an information system. The technology is what that helps the organization to have an updated information system in the organization which can cope up with the day to day changes happening in the business environment. TYPES OF SYSTEMS IN ORGANISATION There are many types of systems in the organization according to the different processes in the organization the various systems are Transaction processing system, decision support system, office system, knowledge work system. Transaction processing system: The transaction processing system involves all the activities which are related to the ordering, order taking, and order tracking. The order processing, trading of the securities etc. The transaction processing system helps in systematically carrying out all the above mentioned activities in the organization. Knowledge work system: A knowledge work system helps in connecting the different dimensions of knowledge within the organization. The knowledge work systems combine the Engineering department, the managerial department, the Human resource department etc the knowledge work system helps in combining different dimensions of the organization and to effectively complete the work by integrating the knowledge from all levels. Management information system: As seen before the management information system provides the manager with essential assistance. The MIS provides the managers with information relations to the sales management, the inventory control, the decision support system the management level provides the management with the analytical models and the data analysis tools which would help in the semi structured and unstructured decision making activities. Executive support system: The executive support system provides the assistance to the management at a very higher spectrum. It helps the management with the functions such as the sales trend forecasting, budget forecasting, personnel planning etc so the executive support system helps the management to make decisions in these key areas. All these above mentioned systems are interested with one another. The process done by one system helps the other system to carry out its work. The process by one system acts as a base for the activity that has to be carried by the other system in the organization. The decision support system and the executive support system often use the information obtained from the transaction processing system and the management information system. Some systems also obtain data from the outside for carrying out its activities the knowledge work systems and the decision support system use the information such as the stock market information from the outside and design supplier information. DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM The decision support system mainly helps in taking the structured and unstructured decision making in the organization. The decision support system uses information from both the transaction processing system and the management information system. The decision support system provides the management with the advanced analytical tools and data analysis tools which help in analyzing the data in a much wider spectrum and take the decisions much more effectively. The decision support system is much more advance than the Executive support system because the decision support system uses much more advanced analytical tools such as the linear programming or forecasting. TRANSACTION PROCESSING SYSTEM Transaction processing system is one of the main systems of the MIS and the transaction processing system has five more systems Sales or marketing systems: The sales or marketing system mainly provide all information related to the market. It provides information about the product pricing, the promotion of the product, the system of the sales commission, the market research and the predicting of the market and the demand for the products etc Manufacturing and production systems: Manufacturing and productive systems provide all information regarding the inventory, the movement of the inventory, the procurement of the inventory. It also maintains data related to the manufacturing operations of the organization and the quality control activities related to the organization Finance and accounting systems: Finance and accounting systems provide all information related to the financial activities of the organization. All the information of the day to day activities of the financial transactions are stored, analyzed and retrieved whenever it is required. Many activities such as budgeting, general ledger, funds management etc are carried out with the help of this system. Human resource systems: The human resources systems take maintain the information relate to the each and every employee in the organization. All these informationà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s are used for providing the employees with the compensation and other benefits. It provides help in various areas of human resource such as payroll functions, compensation, training and development of employees etc. CHANGES BROUGHT IN BY MIS IN ORGANISATIONS The information systems are growing and achieving various levels of improvement day by day. There is new MIS hardware and softwareà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s which are being invented and hence there are lots of changes occurring in the organization. Due to the information systems the layers of the management has been reduced as a result of that there is a proper flow of information in the organizations. The organizations have become much more flexible in their functioning. The flattening of the organization is one distinct feature through which the decision making of the line workers has also increased and so this has lead to the increase in the work satisfaction of the employees as the management span of control has broadened. CHALLENGES INVOLVED IN BUILDING, OPERATING, MAINTAINING INFORMATION SYSTEMS The strategic business challenge encourages us to realize that we must be able to use information technology to design organizations so that they are competitive, effective and digitally-enabled. The globalization challenge facing us is that we must ascertain how firms can understand the systems requirements of a global economic environment. The information architecture and infrastructure challenge is that we must be able to help the organization develop an information architecture that is able to support the company goals when both the business conditions and the technologies are changing so rapidly. The information systems investment challenge is for us to know how the organization can determine the business value of systems. Finally, the responsibility and control challenge is for us to understand how organizations can ensure that their information systems are used in an ethically and socially responsible way. ETHICAL ISSUES RELATED TO MIS End-user development refers to the development of information systems by end users with minimal or no assistance from professional systems analysts or programmers. This is accomplished through sophisticated user-friendly software tools and gives end users direct control over their own computing. Advantages include improved requirements determination, realizing large productivity gains when developing certain types of applications, enabling end users to take a more active role in the systems development process, many can be used for prototyping, and some have new functions such as graphics, modeling, and ad hoc information retrieval. Disadvantages include not being suited for large transaction-oriented applications or applications with complex updating requirements, standards for testing and quality assurance may not be applied, and proliferation of uncontrolled data and private information systems. End-user development is suited to solving some of the backlog problem because the end users can develop their needed applications themselves. It is suited to developing low-transaction systems. End-user development is valuable for creating systems that access data for such purposes as analysis (including the use of graphics in that analysis) and reporting. It can also be used for developing simple data-entry applications Policies and procedures to manage end-user development include the following: The organization must establish sufficient support facilities for end-user computing: information centers or distributed end-user computing centers. Training and support should be targeted to the specific needs of those being trained. End-user application development should not be allowed to be undertaken randomly but should be incorporated into the organizations strategic plan. Management should develop controls over end-user computing in the following areas: Cost justification of end-user information system project. Hardware and software standards for user-developed applications. Company-wide standards for microcomputers, word processing software, database management systems, graphics software, and query and reporting tools. Quality assurance reviews that specify whether the end-user systems must be reviewed by information systems and internal audit specialists. Control for end-user developed applications covering testing, documentation, accuracy, and completeness of input and update, backup, recovery and supervision. Critical applications that supply data to other important systems should be flagged and subjected to more rigorous standards. ANALYSIS OF MIS AT VIRGIN TRAINS The company which is taken for this study is the Virgin trains. The virgin trains belong to the virgin groups. This private railway has done a reinforcement of its information system. It has fully transformed information system to provide better service to its customers and also to carry out its business processes effectively. The main aim of the company is to provide its employees, customers and other stake holders with the maximum benefit through various management information tools. GENERAL OBJECTIVES The general objective of the virgin trains is to have an advanced information management system. The aim of this system is to have a strong IT infrastructure. Virgin aims to maintain to facilitate both the employees and also the customers in all its business activities by having an a good information management system backed up by advanced technology. HALCROW The reinforcement of the technology at Virgin trains has been done by Halcrow. It is an organization which provides the organizations with solution to maintain their information at Halcrow they have combined cutting edge information technology skills along with front line Railway management skills to provide a very effective and efficient management information system. I.T STRATEGY USED BY VIRGIN TRAINS The main strategy which virgin trains is adopting now is to revamp its entire information system process, feasibility studies of the information system which is implemented is carried out, also the risk involved in the system has also been analyzed . It is now concentrating to effectively maintain its marketing information. in order to do that areas like warehousing commercial data, data analysis, warehousing and using click-stream data are given more importance. As a part of its IT transformation Virgin trains has also transformed some of its systems such as the Train planning and scheduling data, on-train monitoring and reporting systems data. MIS AT EACH LEVEL OF VIRGIN MIS IN CUSTOMER SERVICE Virgin has lots of facilities which help the customers with the booking of ticket. There are many facilities like the mobile ticketing platforms, chip and pin units to Bluetooth based equipment for onboard payments. These are the devices used to maintain the services provided to the customer through advanced MIS tools provided by Halcrow. MIS FOR THE MANAGEMENT The MIS used for the management to carry out its activities is designed by Halcrow. Virgin uses the MIS solution that was framed by Halcrow to maintain activities like recruiting, Decision making, financial management etc. This MIS also helps to improve reporting around areas such as on-train shopping patterns. The MIS provided by the Halcrow also interfaces with the CRM system which is written in .NET so this helps the Virgin trains to have a good CRM with its customers. MOBILE ROLL OUT Virgin is currently finalizing trials for a roll out of handheld devices. These devices will be given to the drivers of the trains and these devices are equipped with Vodafone supplied PDAà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s. This device helps the drivers by replacing the paper based materials and would help in effective handling of the information. HARDWARE USED FOR THE MIS AT VIRGIN HP is the main supplier of all the hardware devices used at virgin for MIS. Citrix supplies thin-client Technology for applications such as rail operation systems. SOFTWARE SUPPLIERS FOR MIS AT VIRGIN The main provider of software to the MIS at virgin is Microsoft and Capgemini has also been one of the key suppliers of softwareà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s for the system. SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGHT The virgin trains have a lot of potential for improving its processes. As mentioned before it is doing a revamp of all its MIS processes this puts the Virgin trains in an advanced stage and also in a strong position to face its competitors. WEAKNESS The maintenance of the system is very expensive and the company aims to get a full return on all the investments made by it on IT. Any failure of any system which is currently being used will become a great weakness to the organization. since most of the processes are being experimented still. OPPORTUNITY As mentioned before the revamping of the IT processes at the virgin is a greater opportunity for the organization to rectify the shortcomings of the old system and to have an effective new system. THREAT Since most of the data used by virgin trains is dependent on electronic data any minor fault in the system would cause a threat to the entire system of virgin trains. CONCLUSION In this project we have seen briefly about MIS and its function in an organization. The Virgin Trains is taking MIS to a whole new level by investing firmly in its IT and also experimenting with its new systems which are going to be implemented. We saw how the use of MIS facilitates the organization on all angles of the business.MIS helps not only the organization but also its stakeholders and it helps the organization to achieve its objective in a very short period. REFRENCE: Wendy R. (1997) Strategic management and information system, 2nd edition, pitman Mcleod.R, Schell.G.P, Management information system, 2007, Pearson Education Inc, New Jersey, Pp (8-15). Web: CIO interview virgin train, [online] verified on http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2010/06/02/241427/CIO-interview-Virgin-Trains39-IT-remains-on-the.htm (accessed on 18/07/2010) Web: Rail data management and management information systems, [online] verified on http://www.halcrow.com/Areas-of-expertise/Rail/Data-management-and-management-information-systems/ (accessed on 19/07/2010)

Truth, Knowledge, and Opinion Essay -- social issues

Truth, Knowledge, and Opinion WHAT IS TRUTH, KNOWLEDGE, OPINION AND WHY IS EXTREME SKEPTICISM? What is Truth, Knowledge, Opinion and why Extreme Skepticism is Self Contradictory? Truth is simply the mind corresponding with reality, knowledge is having the truth and knowing that you have it and understanding why it is true, Opinion is having an hypothesis but not being entirely sure that your idea is true and extreme skepticism is self contradictory because skeptics say that there is truth  ¡Ã‚ §that there is no truth ¡Ã‚ ¨. By doing this they are making a true statement. In this essay we shall discuss a more deeper and in-depth meaning truth, knowledge, opinion and why extreme skepticism is self-contradictory. What is truth? Truth is basically the mind corresponding with reality. This of course is the easy problem of truth; the hard problem is the mind trying to know reality. So we see  ¡Ã‚ §truth is connected to knowledge ¡Ã‚ ¨. True ideas are those that we can corroborate and verify. Truth works in way of our thinking. So you see to achieve complete truth there must be correspondence between our mind and reality and to know exactly what reality really is. For example If we say  ¡Ã‚ § the Auckland blues are going to win the super 12 ¡Ã‚ ¨ and later on they actually win, therefore your mind did indeed correspond with reality. Through this example we see that knowing what is reality is almost impossible, if a man is completely sure that he has grasped reality he is GOD. What is knowle...

John Steinbecks East of Eden - The Character of Adam Trask :: East Eden Essays

The Character of Adam Trask in East of Eden In Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, the word love is defined as a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. Love can bring two people together but it can also have a person be rejected by another because of love. In the novel East of Eden by John Steinbeck, the main character, Adam Trask, confronts a feeling of love throughout the whole book but he either rejects the love of people who care about him or has his love rejected by the people that he cares about. When Adam was a young man in the beginning of the novel, his father, Cyrus Trask loved him but Adam did not love him back and when Adam went into the army he did not come back home until his father's death. Later on in the story Adam really loved his wife, Cathy, but she didn't love him back and so when she tried to leave him and he would not let her, she shot him. Even though Adam survived he was demoralized for most of his life because he still loved her. Through Adam's ex periences of love in the novel, John Steinbeck shows that Adam Trask has an inability to handle love. When he first appears in the novel, Adam Trask is a young man who is not loved by his brother or mother but only by his father. Cyrus had punished Adam before and had tried to teach him to be a soldier and so Adam hated him for that and when Cyrus told him he loved him, Adam did not accept his love. Cyrus tells Adam, "I think you're a weakling who will never amount to a dog turd. Does that answer your question? I love you better. I always have. This may be a bad thing to tell you, but it's true. I love you better. Else why would I have given myself the trouble of hurting you?" (Steinbeck 28). Cyrus is telling Adam that he has always loved him and that the only reason that he punished him is because he loved him. He wants Adam to go into the army because he knows that Adam would be courageous and since Cyrus was in the army, he wants to pass on the legacy. When Adam came home from his discharge, his brother and him were talking about their father and Adam told him the truth.

On Your on Exercise #1

Student Name ____________________ Class Section ____________________ Reading Module #1 On Your Own This activity in Reading Module 1 gives you two reading passages to practice applying the Active Reading Strategies you have learned. Directions: Complete the activity by reading each passage and answering the questions. Do not forget to spell check and proofread your work. When you have completed this activity, please upload it to the Dropbox for this week. Reading #1: â€Å"The lie behind those gloomy national polls† by Michael Medved of USA Today. Source: The Week, October 19, 2007 Ask Americans how they feel about the world, said Michael Medved, and they wind up with a paradox. Using the Predicting Strategy| Read the title and first sentence. Now predict what you think the passage will be about. | Your prediction about the passage:| Now read the whole paragraph: Reading #1: â€Å"The Lie Behind Those Gloomy National Polls† by Michael Medved of USA Today. Source: The Week, October 19, 2007 Ask Americans how they feel about the world, said Michael Medved, and they wind up with a paradox. By staggering majorities, people tell pollsters that they disapprove of both Congress and the President, and two out of three say the U. S. is headed â€Å"in the wrong direction. † Yet when asked about their own lives, â€Å"Americans express overwhelming contentment and dazzling confidence. † A recent Harris poll found that more than nine out of 10 people are satisfied â€Å"with the life you lead,† with 56 percent choosing the highest category â€Å"very satisfied. † Almost everyone expects life to be better in the next five years. Somehow, Americans feel that they personally live in a â€Å"sun-kissed, optimistic island of happiness,† while the country at large is going to hell. How can this be? It’s actually not that surprising, given that we spend, on average, 30 hours a week immersed in television. On both the news and entertainment shows, the world is presented as rife with crime, terrorism, death, sexual depravity, personal humiliation, and bitter political conflict. Self-serving politicians add to the â€Å"prevailing gloom† by emphasizing problems and exaggerating threats. The real American story, though, is the one we live, in which people are making steady economic progress and life is mostly good—and always better than it was yesterday. Using the Questioning Strategy| As you read the paragraph: 1. Do you find any details confusing, or that you wonder about? 2. Are there words you don’t know? Which words are unfamiliar? 3. What questions do you have about any confusing sentences? | Your questions about the passage:| Using the Making Connections Strategy| As you read the paragraph: 1. Can you make connections to anything you read about in the passage? . What previous knowledge, if any, do you have of this topic? | :Your connections to the passage:| Using the Visualizing Strategy| What is in the passage that you can visualize (see in your mind) as you read? | Your visualizations of the text:| Using the Summarizing Strategy| Write one or two sentences that summarize the passage. | Your summary of the passage:| Reading #2: Dieters Take Note Source: www. workingmother. com (Oct. 2007) Eating out can sabotage your weight-loss plan. Using the Predicting Strategy| Read the title and first sentence. Now predict what you think the passage will be about. | Your prediction about the passage:| Now read the whole paragraph. Reading #2: Dieters Take Note Source: www. workingmother. com (Oct. 2007) Eating out can sabotage your weight-loss plan. Dieters and binge eaters ate between 226 and 253 extra calories and 10 to 16 extra grams of fat on days when they dined out, according to a new University of Texas study. Whether or not you’re on a diet, make sure you don’t overdo it the next time you’re eating out with these simple tips: Avoid fried foods and sugary drinks, especially soda. Fill up on veggies or salad with dressing on the side before the entree comes. Get a take-home box when you get your meal and put half your food in it right away to keep it out of sight and prevent mindless overeating. Skip the rich dessert in favor of fresh fruit. Using the Questioning Strategy| As you read the paragraph: 1. Do you find any details confusing, or that you wonder about? 2. Are there words you don’t know? Which words are unfamiliar? 3. What questions do you have about any confusing sentences? Your questions about the passage: | Using the Making Connections Strategy| As you read the paragraph: 1. Can you make connections to anything you read about in the passage? 2. What previous knowledge, if any, do you have of this topic? | Your connections to the passage:| Using the Visualizing Strategy| What is in the passage that you can visualize as you read? | Your visualizations of the text:| Using the Summarizing Strategy| Write one or two sentences that summarize the p assage:| Your summary of the passage:|