Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets :: English Literature

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets The 2nd book in the Harry Potter series is about Harry and strange happenings going on in Hogwarts. Soon after Harry and his friends arrive after Hogwarts, a message is written on a wall in blood that says "enemies of the heir, beware, the chamber has been opened." Harry is found near the sight so people suspect he was the one who dun it. Throughout this book, Harry, Hermione, and Ron are constantly looking for the chamber of secrets, and who might have opened it. They have many frightening and exciting adventures along the way, but everything changes as students start to get petrified. Near the end, Hermione gets petrified and it's up to Ron and Harry to save their friends and fellow students. While I was reading this book many questions came to my mind. I wondered why Harry didn't tell anyone about him hearing the voices in the wall. Even though it could have been a bad sign, if he had told Dumbledore, the teachers at Hogwarts might have been able to solve the mystery and stop Tom Riddle sooner. I think if I were Ron I would convinced Harry to tell Dumbledore about the voices. I also would have stayed away from where all of the writing on the wall was going on. While I was reading this book I never would have though that it was Ginny Weasly that opened the Chamber of Secrets. I also never would have thought that the reason Hagrid got expelled from Hogwarts was because Tom Riddle accused him of opening the chamber. I think this is a great book because of how everything in the end ties to each other to make an awesome ending. JK Rowling writes in a very unique style. From the very beginning of the book you can tell the book is going to be full of adventure, close calls, and mystery. Imagery is used a lot in the Harry Potter books because JK Rowling gives the reader a very unique and intense idea of how Hogwarts looks, and what happens in Harry's adventures. While reading this book the reader can almost picture the "enchanted ceilings" and the "lacy snowflake cookies." There isn't very much figurative language in this book. Most of the figurative language occurs in the first book when JK Rowling explains more in detail what Hogwarts looks like. This book, however, does have some figurative language. Personification like "the tree yawned" and "the car burped out the suitcases" give the reader a much more vivid picture of what is happening in the story because they can relate it

U.s. And Swedish Trends In Tax Reform :: essays research papers

U.S. and Swedish Trends in Tax Reform Tax reform has become a major governmental policy issue in the United States as well as in the rest of the world. Countries are attempting to balance both economic efficiency and provide equity in taxation. Governments are looking to rewrite tax codes to minimize their impact on economic growth. Specifically, governments throughout the world are attempting to preserve incentives built into taxation to maximize economic efficiency. At the same time, these governments are trying to cope with the growth in social welfare programs throughout the past three decades. In this paper I shall discuss two nations which dramatically overhauled their tax systems, and whether or not their goals with tax reform were achieved. In the article "The tax reform act of 1986: Did Congress love it or leave it?", Randall Weiss discusses the attitudes about taxes in the United States. He details the events and attitudes leading to the Tax Reform Act of 1986, and shows how public perception about taxes has changed since then. He also discusses some of the tax reform proposals that are now currently being thought about in Congress. In 1986 the United States Congress enacted the Tax Reform Act (TRA-86). The act passed with a great deal of bipartisan support. This support was made possible by two features of the act. The first was that federal income tax rates were to be cut dramatically. While this would lead one to believe that federal government receipts were cut substantially as well, it was the second important feature of the bill that allowed it to be revenue neutral. This feature was that the bill was to improve horizontal equity in the tax system. This would be accomplished by eliminating many of the deductions that many individuals, particularly the well to do, were allowed to make. Many of the complains about the tax system in the United States that preceded the Tax Reform Act were about the gross horizontal inequities that it allowed. A great deal of press preceding TRA-86 showed the public how many of the country's wealthiest individuals were able to get away with paying little or no federal income tax. Eliminating many of these tax deductions and loopholes had been the goal of several liberal Democrats for some time. In addition, conservatives in Congress wanted to reduce the escalating federal budget deficit at the time. Also, a prevailing attitude of the time was that reducing marginal tax rates would benefit the economy. It was believed that specific tax breaks and deductions to support economic growth would not be needed with the greatly reduced tax rates.

Deductive and Inductive Approach Essay

1) Disadvantage and advantage of a deductive approach to grammar teaching. A deductive approach starts with the presentation of a rule and is followed by examples in which the rule is applied. It is also called rule-driven learning. There are several disadvantages and advantages of this approach. As for the disadvantages, starting the lesson with a grammar presentation may be off-putting for some students, especially younger ones because they may not have sufficient metalanguage such as grammar terminology, or not be able to understand the concepts involved. Next, grammar explanation encourages a teacher-fronted, transmission-style classroom. Third, explanation is seldom as memorable as other forms of presentation, such as demonstration. Forth, such an approach encourages the belief that learning a language is simply a case of knowing the rules. As for the advantages, it gets straight to the point, and can be time-saving. Many rules can be more simply and quickly explained than elicited from examples. This will allow more time for practice and application. Also, it respects the intelligence and maturity of many students, and acknowledges the role of cognitive processes in language acquisition. Next, it confirms many students’ expectations about classroom learning, particularly for those learners who have an analytical learning style. Finally, it allows the teacher to deal with language points as they come up, rather than having to anticipate them and prepare for them in advance. 2) Pros and cons of an inductive approach to grammar teaching An inductive approach starts with some examples from which a rule is inferred. It is also called discovery learning. There are several advantages of this approach. First, rules learners discover for themselves are more likely to fit their existing mental structures than rules they have been presented with. Second, the mental effort involved ensures a greater degree of cognitive depth which again, ensures greater memorability. Third, students are more actively involved in the learning process rather than being simply passive recipients. Forth, it is an approach which favors pattern-recognition and problem-solving abilities. Fifth, if the problem-solving is done collaboratively and in the target language, learners get the opportunity for extra language practice. Finally, working things out for themselves prepares students for greater self-reliance and is conducive to learner autonomy. However, there are several disadvantages as well. First, the time and energy spent in working out rules may mislead students into believing that rules are the objective of language learning rather than a means. Second, the time taken to work out a rule may be at the expense of time spent in putting the rule to some sort of productive practice. Third, students may hypothesize the wrong rule, or their version of the rule may be either too broad or too narrow in its application. Forth, it can place heavy demands on teacher in planning a lesson. Fifth, however carefully organized the data is, many language areas such as aspect and modality resist easy rule formation. Finally, inductive approach frustrates students who would prefer simply to be told the rule.

The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Twenty-Two

Bonnie knew the minute that Zander and his friends came into the party, because the noise level went way up. Honestly, Zander was calmer than his friends, sort of, at least around Bonnie, but as a group, they were definitely wild. It was kind of irritating, actual y. But when Zander appeared next to her – hip-checking Marcus into a wal on his way – and gave her his long, slow smile, her toes curled inside her high-heeled shoes and she forgot al about being annoyed. â€Å"Hi!† she said. â€Å"Is everything okay?† He cocked an eyebrow at her inquiringly. â€Å"I mean, you said something came up with your family, and that's why you've been †¦busy.† â€Å"Oh, yeah.† Zander bent his head down to talk to her, and his warm breath ghosted across Bonnie's neck as he sighed. â€Å"My family's pretty complicated,† he said. â€Å"I wish sometimes that things were easier.† He looked sad, and Bonnie impulsively took his hand, twining her fingers through his. â€Å"Well, what's wrong?† she asked, striving for a tone of understanding and reliability. A dependable girlfriend tone. â€Å"Maybe I can help. You know, a fresh ear and al that.† Zander frowned and bit his lip. â€Å"I guess it's like†¦ I have responsibilities. My whole family is in a position where there are promises we've made and sort of things we have to take care of. And sometimes what I want to do and what I have to do don't line up.† â€Å"Could you be any more vague?† Bonnie asked teasingly, and Zander huffed a half laugh. â€Å"Seriously, what do you mean? What do you have to do? What don't you want to do?† Zander looked down at her for a moment and then his smile widened. â€Å"Come on,† he said, tugging her hand. Bonnie went with him, weaving their way through the party and up the stairs. Zander seemed to know where he was going; he turned a couple of corners, then pushed open a door. Inside was a dorm common room: a couple of ratty couches, a banged-up table. Someone's art project, a large canvas covered with splotches of paint, leaned against the wal . â€Å"Do you live in this dorm?† she asked Zander. â€Å"No,† he said, his eyes on her mouth. He pul ed her toward him and rested his hands on her hips. And then he kissed her. It was the most amazing kiss Bonnie had ever experienced. Zander's lips were so soft, yet firm, and there were little fireworks going off al over Bonnie's body. She lifted her hand and cupped it against his cheek, feeling the strong bones of his face and the slight scratch of stubble against her palm. Once again, she felt as she had during their first date, standing on the roof, when it had been like she was flying. So free, and with a wild kind of joy zinging through her. She slid her hand to the back of his neck, feeling Zander's fine pale blond hair brush softly against her fingers. When the kiss ended, neither of them spoke for a moment, they just leaned against each other, breathing hard. Their faces were so close, and Zander's bril iant blue eyes were fixed on hers, warm and intent. â€Å"Anyway, that's what I want to do, since you asked. Do you† – his voice cracked – â€Å"do you want to go back to the party now?† â€Å"No,† said Bonnie, â€Å"not yet.† And this time, she kissed him. â€Å"Oh, thank God,† Chloe said when Matt came up to her. â€Å"I was beginning to feel like the biggest wal flower.† She crinkled her nose appealingly at him. Her nose, which tilted up just a little, was spattered with freckles, and she had a pretty cupid's bow of a mouth. He wanted to tug gently on the soft brown ringlets of her curls, just to see them straighten and then spring back into shape. â€Å"What do you mean?† he said, pul ing himself back together, although he was painful y aware that he sounded half-witted. â€Å"A wal flower?† â€Å"Oh, just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She waved one hand vaguely at the crowd. â€Å"There's hardly anyone I know here besides you and Ethan. This whole party's completely stuffed with freshmen.† Matt's heart sank. He had forgotten that Chloe was a junior. It shouldn't be a big deal, real y, should it? But she sounded like she thought freshmen were beneath her, or something. Disdainful, that was the word he was looking for to describe her tone. â€Å"I thought the party seemed okay,† he said weakly. Chloe pursed her lips teasingly, then socked him gently on the arm. â€Å"Well,† she said softly, â€Å"there's only enough room for one freshman in my life. Right, Matt?† That was more of a hopeful sign. The problem was, Matt realized, that his only dating experience had been in asking out girls who he either didn't real y care about, but was just thinking of as potential dates for dances or whatever, or who were Elena. Who, yes, he cared tremendously about, but who he knew for long enough and Wellenough that he could tel she was going to say yes. Stil , he thought he could see an opening here. â€Å"Chloe,† he said, â€Å"I was wondering if you would – † Matt broke off as Ethan joined them, smiling widely. For the first time, Matt felt a flash of irritation toward him. Ethan was so smart with people. Couldn't he see he was interrupting a moment here? â€Å"I liked your friend Stefan,† Ethan told Matt. â€Å"He seemed very sophisticated for a freshman, very Wellspoken. Do you think it's because he's European?† Matt only shrugged in response, and Ethan turned to Chloe. â€Å"Hey, sweetheart,† he said, putting an arm around her and kissing her lightly on the lips. And yeah, wow, maybe Ethan had realized he was interrupting a moment. It wasn't a long kiss, but there was definitely a possessive air about it, and about his arm flung across Chloe's shoulders. When it ended, Chloe smiled up at Ethan, breathless, and Ethan's eyes flicked to Matt, just for a second. Matt wanted to fold right over and sink into the sticky, beer-stained floor beneath his feet. But instead he eked out a smile of his own and tipped his beer to Ethan. Because Chloe – adorable, sweet, funny, easygoing Chloe – had a boyfriend. He ought to have anticipated that he wouldn't be the only one who saw how amazing she was. And Matt would have backed off no matter who Chloe's boyfriend was. He didn't want to be that guy who sleazed al over other people's relationships; he never had been. But since Chloe's boyfriend was Ethan? Ethan, the Vitale Society leader, the one who had made Matt feel like he was special, like he could be the best? Since it was Ethan, Matt was just going to have to grit his teeth and ignore that hol ow feeling in his chest. He was going to be strong and keep himself from even thinking about what he wished could have been with Chloe. There were some lines he just couldn't cross. Ever.

Processualism vs. Post-Processualism Research Paper - 1

Processualism vs. Post-Processualism - Research Paper Example Moreover, the postprocessual perspective which has a modern orientation has been found to cause diversity in archaeological arguments, which as a result has led to post-modernism misunderstandings. This article studies the history of Indiana Jones using the two approaches (Winterhalder, & Eric, 2000). It finally compares and contrasts the two approaches, and finally gives the findings of the study. Theories are guiding principles formulated to help people such as researchers to come up with sensible generalizations of the world around (Hegmon, 2003). This particular study focuses on Indiana Jones’ archaeological approach which is portrayed through drama. A lot of research has been done on this approach, in order to determine if it is a credible way of carrying out archeology. This paper will specifically apply the processual versus the postprocessual approach in trying to come up with sensible conclusions on this title. These approaches present to us the tools to apply in stud ying a particular topic of interest, so as to come up with relevant conclusions (Praetzellis, 2000). While the processual approach is the original way of studying how humans carried out their things, the Postprocessual approach criticizes the processual archaeology. Indiana Jones is considered to the world’s most famous archaeologist because of the role he plays in most of the movies he has acted (Winterhalder & Eric, 2000). His theoretical diversity in many of the movies he has acted, portray him as a real archeologist.

Questions for Case at the AQRs Momentum Funds (The Momentum Effect) Study

Questions for at the AQRs Momentum Funds (The Momentum Effect) - Case Study Example The existence and ability to implement the strategy despite up or down markets is implied due to the aspect of relative performance as a component of momentum. Authors such as Jegadeesh and Titman in their publication, present models of behavior with a basis on the idea that momentum profits result due to inherent biases in the way an investor interpret given information (7). Others however argue that momentum investors realized massive returns as mere compensation for risk. Generation of momentum returns can be as a result of rational and irrational reasons. Some of these reasons include momentum being a consequence of overreaction and under reaction to news pertaining to the market and failing to incorporate them in their transaction prices. This argument can be explained by examples such as positive announcements from companies resulting in price increases thus more buying of stocks (Jegadeesh & Titman, 10). With respect to the time series of returns, we can conclude that each stock’s past return is a future predictor meaning that stocks with high expected rates of return in adjacent time periods are expected to have high realized rates of returns in both periods. In the case of return reversals, such appear mostly in later years following the formation date where it is most likely that an investor will lose

Weekly ass. #2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Weekly ass. #2 - Essay Example There are instances when a member resorts to social loafing or free riding when he/she perceives that his/her individual performance will not be assessed (Forsyth 294). Lastly, the group becomes unproductive when some members constantly complain. The group allots a bulk amount of its time in addressing member’s complaints instead of generating ideas and executing plans (Wong). I witnessed how such behaviors negatively affected a group I once a member of. A teacher of a particular subject asked us to group ourselves through counting off from 1 to 5, and then asked all number 1 to be a group, and 2, 3 and so on. I noticed that a member of our group keeps on complaining about the conflict of his schedule with our group meeting. He always disagrees with ideas or plans of action presented in the group. However, he failed to present any idea that the group can pursue. These negative behaviors have reduced morale and productivity of the